At the intersection of policy and markets, Harris Public Policy and the University of Chicago Booth School of Business offer a combined degree program leading to the MPP and MBA degrees.

This joint degree program allows students who want to make an impact on public policy issues to gain leadership and management skills. Graduates earn both a master of public policy from Harris and a master of business administration from Chicago Booth, and will be ready to assume leadership roles in government, NGOs, and related policy and consulting organizations.

Program Details

Curriculum

27 graduate-level courses (2700 units of credit) to earn an MPP and an MBA in a total of three years. Both degrees must be awarded in the same quarter.

At Harris Public Policy:

  • Students in this program take the six required Harris core courses (below) plus seven electives for a total of 13 courses (1300 units of credit), instead of the usual 18, with Harris. Ten of the 13 courses must be public policy (PPHA) courses.  The Harris core provides a foundation in critical analysis, reflecting Harris's belief that mastering quantitative and analytical skills prepares students to be effective public policy leaders:
    • Analytical Politics I:

      • PPHA 30800 Analytical Politics I: Strategic Foundations, or

      • PPHA 41501 - PhD Game Theory (instructor approval required).

    • Analytical Politics II:

      • PPHA 31610 Analytical Politics II: Political Institutions 

    • Statistics Sequence I:

      • PPHA 31002 Statistics for Data Analysis I, or

      • PPHA 31202 Advanced Statistics for Data Analysis I, or

      • Any course in the PhD econometrics sequence (instructor approval required): PPHA 42000 or PPHA 42100, or PPHA 42200

    • Statistics Sequence II: 

      • PPHA 31102 Statistics for Data Analysis II: Regressions, or

      • PPHA 31302 Advanced Statistics for Data Analysis II, or

      • Any course in the PhD econometrics sequence (instructor approval required): PPHA 42000 or PPHA 42100, or PPHA 42200

    • Microeconomics Sequence I:

      • PPHA 32300 Principles of Microeconomics and Public Policy I, or

      • PPHA 44100 PhD Advanced Microeconomics for Policy Analysis I (instructor approval required)

    • Microeconomics Sequence II:

      • PPHA 32400 Principles of Microeconomics and Public Policy II, or

      • PPHA 44200 PhD Advanced Microeconomics for Policy Analysis II (instructor approval required)

At Chicago Booth:

  • Students also take 14 courses (1400 units of credit) with Chicago Booth. 
Other Requirements

Students who wish to participate in this program must be admitted to both Harris and Chicago Booth. Students already admitted to one of the Schools may apply during their first quarter for admission to the other.  Other requirements include:

  • A cumulative GPA of 2.7 for all courses, based on a 4.0 scale, for all courses used toward the MPP degree

  • A grade of C- or better for the 6 core courses

  • Completion of the math requirement (support available)

    • Pass algebra exam

    • Pass calculus exam

  • Completion of an practical experience requirement (more information)

  • No more than 2 reading/research, independent study, or internship courses

  • No more than 1 course taken Pass/Fail (core courses cannot be taken pass/fail)

  • Courses with grades of F, I, W, or with no reported grade do not apply toward course requirement for the program.

Alumni and BallotReady co-founders Aviva Rosman and Alex Niemczewski
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