Admitted Student Communications

Welcome to the Harris community!

I’m Kate Biddle, and I serve as your dean of students at Harris.

The goal of the dean of students office is a simple but important one—to help and support you during your time at Harris. Our team oversees several of the areas that make up your student experience, including:

• Academic advising
• Course registration
• Disability accommodations
• The Writing Workshop
• Academic support programs
• Student policies and conduct
• Student support and advocacy

The guiding values for my whole team are support and advocacy for students. Our academic advisors work directly with students to provide holistic and comprehensive advising on academic and personal matters. Our Writing Workshop ensures that policy students learn how to tell their story and communicate effectively to address pressing policy challenges. Our financial aid team supports students with financial questions and issues. Our registration team strives to offer students equitable access to the classes that will make them successful. My team and I frequently advocate for students to faculty and instructors, assist students with emergencies, and help you navigate and maximize your Harris experience through hands-on support and resources.

Nikki Horn is your academic advisor, your go-to person, and first point of contact throughout your Harris experience. In addition to helping you select classes inside and outside of Harris and tracking your progress toward your degree, she will also support you for both academic and personal concerns, and can help resolve most day-to-day issues. Nikki will be your point of support and your advocate for academic success.

Of course, as your dean of students, my most important role is supporting and advocating for you. I encourage you to come to me at any time during your Harris journey to seek help with a problem or emergency or to share feedback about your Harris experience. You are welcome to set a meeting with me, drop in to my office for a quick chat, or talk with me when you see me around Keller. Students are the best and most important part of my job.

I am so excited to meet you and to help you make the most of your time at Harris!

Sincerely,

Kate Shannon Biddle
Dean of Students, University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy

Congratulations on your acceptance to the Harris School of Public Policy! My name is Dana Bozeman, and I am the associate dean of Student Engagement and Belonging. I would like to personally welcome you into the Harris community. At Student Engagement and Belonging, our mission is to enhance your experience by supporting student development and building inclusive communities of policy professionals, all the while helping to build the Harris School’s distinctive culture. 

We have a wonderfully diverse student body here at Harris; Student Engagement and Belonging strives to create an inclusive and supportive environment for all of them. A significant amount of my time is spent creating meaningful experiences that will help shape the way you think about policy and the world we live in. Student Engagement and Belonging is paramount to those experiences; each year we continue to enhance, tweak, and create spaces for students to engage with others outside of the classroom.

The Office of Student Engagement and Belonging is rooted in the Chicago Principles with purposeful engagement, programming, and support to create an environment that fosters belonging for students at the Harris School. Our goal is to help students find community, engage in policy praxis, experience positive mentoring relationships, and establish policy networks. Our collaborative programming will provide graduate students with academic community and professional development opportunities critical to their success at Harris and beyond. 

We have a robust roster of upcoming programming:

• Supporting cocurricular mentoring, student organizations, student-driven programming, leadership development, cultural celebrations, and networking activities.
• Helping students of diverse backgrounds and perspectives build an inclusive community. 
• Working with students in collaboration with the faculty to develop and practice the skills of civil discourse toward the goal of evidence-based policy that is informed by diverse perspectives.
• Facilitating events to mark important milestones in our students’ communal life.

We want everyone at Harris to contribute to building our unique community. We call this being "ALL IN". 

Once again, congratulations! I’m excited to welcome you to campus and look forward to meeting you. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Dana Bozeman
Associate Dean of Student Engagement and Belonging

Are you interested in refreshing your math skills in advance of classes this summer? If so, you will be excited to hear about Harris’s partnership with DiagKNOWstics, an online tutoring platform.

DiagKNOWstics created a series of modules just for Harris MSCEP students that are aligned to the knowledge and skills needed to be successful in the program. The platform utilizes short videos, practice problems, and lesson notes to help students learn, practice, and assess their mastery of content. Further, DiagKNOWstics uses adaptive technology, allowing students to quickly advance through skills they have mastered while getting additional practice on skills that need remediation. 

To access DiagKNOWstics, login here using your personal email address (the email address which received this email) as the username and Harris2026! as the password. You can also download the DiagKNOWstics app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store if desired.

After creating your account, you should change your password through the "My Account" menu. Then click on "My Dashboard" in the header to view your courses. We recommend bookmarking this link to get there easily in the future.

If you encounter any technical difficulties, please see this frequently asked questions document or reach out to contact@diagknowstics.com for assistance. Many thanks to DiagKNOWstics for their support of Harris!

Sincerely,

Your Harris Orientation Team

The curriculum of the MSCEP program is anchored in data science, economics and policy, and blends academic rigor with applied learning. During your experiential learning module this summer, you will go beyond the walls of the classroom and dive into a hands-on experience where you’ll explore how real communities, organizations, and governments navigate climate and energy challenges.

The Institute for Climate & Sustainable Growth will lead students on an expedition to Texas and New York to examine how communities, investors, and governments navigate the tensions between energy access, economic development, and climate goals. Students will engage directly with practitioners across the energy landscape: oil field operators, capital allocators, grid regulators, and policymakers.

Site visits are not supplementary to instruction; they are the instruction. Each excursion is the equivalent of a classroom session, and the conversations and observations that take place on-site are the primary texts of the course. Please review the tentative schedule for site visits, practitioner guests, assignment expectations, and community building outings. This experience will truly expand your learning beyond the classroom.     

Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Harris Orientation Team

The Harris curriculum assumes proficiency in both algebra and calculus and requires students to use statistical coding. We've developed a math self-assessment to help you prepare for your time at Harris. 

All students should take the math self-assessment and report their scores to Harris Orientation to help gauge your current level of mastery. The self-assessment also helps our staff understand your current skill level to plan the curriculum covered during orientation. 

Please complete the self-assessment in one sitting, then submit your score using the form linked below. 

• Math self-assessment
• Math grading guide
• Math score reporting form

Please note that the self-assessment is not officially graded and will only be used to make sure you have access to the right math preparation during orientation.

Sincerely,

Harris Orientation Team

As you prepare to join us at Harris, you may be curious where to live in Chicago, how to get around, and who you'll attend class with. 

We hope you'll join our orientation program manager and orientation leaders for a virtual MSCEP Kick-Off Meeting on Thursday, May 21 at 6:00 PM (CDT). Don't miss this opportunity to connect with fellow members of the inaugural MSCEP cohort.

REGISTER HERE

UChicago offers a number of resources to learn more about living in and around Hyde Park, getting around campus and Chicago, as well as, finding a roommate. 

Sincerely,

Harris Orientation Team

We are looking forward to welcoming you to campus in July. Orientation for MSCEP students will be held July 6, 2026 - July 10, 2026. Orientation programming will prepare you for your classes, introduce you to resources offered at UChicago and Harris, and challenge you to think critically. You can review the full week of events here. The deadline to register for orientation is Monday, June 15, 2026. 

REGISTER NOW

We also encourage you to join your MSCEP colleagues for a virtual Kick-Off Meeting on Thursday, May 21 at 6:00 PM CDT. Sign up and get to know your fellow students. 

Sincerely,

Harris Orientation Team

The Harris School of Public Policy and the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth just announced that Gabriel Presler, MPP/MBA ’05, will join the University of Chicago as the inaugural Executive Director of the Master of Science in Climate and Energy Policy (MSCEP) program. She will begin her role on June 8, 2026. Presler will oversee the program’s curriculum and capstone experience, work closely with faculty and instructional staff, and help build partnerships that connect students with leading organizations in climate and energy in preparation for future careers.

Presler brings more than two decades of leadership at the nexus of finance, sustainability, and strategy to the role. Most recently, she served as Global Head of Enterprise Sustainability at Morningstar, where she leveraged the firm’s ESG data, research and ratings to shape Morningstar’s sustainability strategy, climate commitments and standard-setting disclosure. Over the course of her career, Presler has built and led global teams, developed product and corporate strategies at scale, and helped shape how investors and institutions engage with ESG and climate-related risks and opportunities.

“Gabriel is an exceptional builder and leader whose experience spans the worlds of markets, policy, and sustainability,” said Ryan Kellogg, faculty director of MSCEP, deputy dean, and the Ralph and Mary Otis Isham Professor at Harris. “She has a rare ability to translate complex climate and energy challenges into actionable strategies, and she will be instrumental in shaping and building MSCEP—from curriculum and faculty instruction to experiential learning and external partnerships—into a program that prepares students to lead in this rapidly evolving field.”

Presler is a graduate of the University of Chicago, earning a joint MPP from Harris and MBA from the Booth School of Business. She currently teaches at Harris and brings a deep commitment to educating the next generation of leaders.

"The climate and energy transition is the defining economic challenge of our time, and it will be won or lost on the quality and rigor of our thinking,” said Presler. “We need leaders who can interrogate the data, weigh trade-offs honestly, and design solutions that hold up under scrutiny.  That's what MSCEP is built to develop. I'm honored to help shape a program that takes both the urgency and the complexity seriously—and to prepare students who will drive real innovation while demanding real accountability." 

You have been registered for your summer classes. You can find your course schedule in your my.uchicago portal and below. 

PPHA 49901 Data and Programming for Climate and Energy Policy 
This course introduces students to principles for writing code in Python that efficiently ingests, manages, and characterizes climate and energy datasets. An emphasis is on developing good practices that ensure replicability and facilitate collaboration, and that are applicable across programming languages. Skills will be developed using real-world applications that involve climate and energy data.

• Dates: July 13 - July 31; Monday - Friday 
• Lecture: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
• Lab: 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

PPHA 49903 Climate Economics and Energy Systems 
The global energy and climate challenge requires identifying approaches to ensure people have access to the inexpensive and reliable energy critical for human development, without causing disruptive climate change or unduly compromising health and the environment. The course pairs technical and economic analysis to develop an understanding of policy challenges in this area. Topics will include the past, present, and future of energy supply and demand; global climate change; air pollution and its health consequences; selected energy technologies such as solar photovoltaics, nuclear power, and unconventional oil and gas; and an analysis of theoretical and practical policy solutions in developed and emerging economies.

• Dates: August 3 - August 21; Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
• Lecture: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM and 1:30 PM - 2:50 PM 

PPHA 44910 Experiential Learning: Climate and Energy Policy 
This two-week intensive course takes students to West Texas and New York to examine how communities, investors, and governments navigate the tensions between energy access, economic development, and climate goals. By engaging directly with oil field operators, capital allocators, grid regulators, policymakers, and communities facing energy poverty, students gain a 360-degree view of the climate and growth challenge, from the wellhead to the trading floor to the populations where the consequences of energy decisions are felt most acutely.

• Dates: August 24 - September 4
• View tentative schedule 

PPHA 49902 Data Analytics and Visualization for Climate and Energy Policy
This course builds on “Data and Programming for Climate and Energy Policy” by developing students’ skills in data analysis and visualization, using Python. Topics will include the handling of “messy” real-world data, static and dynamic data visualization, spatial data analysis, and the production of high-quality reports.

• Dates: September 8 - September 25; Monday - Friday 
• Lecture: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
• Lab: 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

As a reminder you can review your degree requirements here. Students may want to begin mapping out a roadmap of courses for the upcoming academic year. If so, you can also find a list of approved MSCEP electives here. 

Welcome to the first preparedness digest from your Harris Orientation team! 

Every Tuesday, we will send you a roundup of resources, deadlines, and reminders. We hope to provide an easy way to make sure you are ready to hit the ground running on your first day of orientation!

In addition to reviewing your email for important communications and action items, you can refer to the Admitted Students Portal as often as you'd like to prepare for your Harris student experience. 

Harris Preparedness Highlight:
We know you are curious about deadlines and notifications. Below is a quick roadmap of some important dates to look out for. 

• Late April: Students will receive access to DiagKNOWstics tutoring platform.
• May 1: Deadline to claim your CNet ID and UChicago email 
• May 20: Tuition deposit is due 
• June 1: Deadline to submit transcripts and degree verification documents
• June 15: Deadline to register for MSCEP Orientation 
• July 1: Deadline to confirm or waive University Student Health Insurance (U-SHIP)
• July 6: First day of MSCEP orientation
• July 7: Students gain access to Dataquest, an online learning platform for coding and data science
• July 8: Deadline to submit preferred name and pronouns
• July 10: Deadline to submit required immunizations
• July 13: Classes begin!

Reminders:

• Claim your CNet ID and UChicago email. Your CNet ID and UChicago email are essential for access to all UChicago systems, including important communications, resources, and orientation activities.
  • To claim your UChicago email and CNet ID, you will need your UChicago ID number, which is an 8 digit number starting with "12." You should have received an email after you paid your deposit providing you with your UCID number. If you do not know your UCID number, please email Admissions, and they will look it up for you.

And remember, please email your academic advisor, Nikki Horn, with any questions.

Sincerely,
Your Harris Orientation Team

Below you will find a roundup of resources, deadlines, and reminders so you can hit the ground running on your first day of orientation! 

Harris Preparedness Highlight:

• Review the Academic Support orientation module to learn more about academic support resources available to you at Harris, such as academic advising, tutoring, and coding support.
  
  Throughout the spring and early summer we will highlight various orientation modules, which are a combination of informational handouts and videos designed to provide you with the necessary information to be successful at Harris. We recommend that you review the modules prior to orientation and refer back to them often to help answer your questions about Harris and university resources.

Reminders:

• Claim your CNet ID and UChicago email. Your CNet ID and UChicago email are essential for access to all UChicago systems, including important communications, resources, and orientation activities.
  • To claim your UChicago email and CNet ID, you will need your UChicago ID number, which is an 8 digit number starting with "12." You should have received an email after you paid your deposit providing you with your UCID number. If you do not know your UCID number, please email Admissions, and they will look it up for you.
  • Additionally, beginning May 11, all official Harris and University communications will only be sent to your UChicago email. You are responsible for reading all email correspondence.

Sincerely,
Your Harris Orientation Team

Below you will find a roundup of resources, deadlines, and reminders so you can hit the ground running on your first day of orientation! 

Harris Preparedness Highlight:

• Review the Student Engagement & Belonging office orientation module to learn more about the resources this office and the university provide to enhance your graduate school experience. 
  
  We will continue to highlight various orientation modules throughout the spring! We recommend that you review all modules prior to orientation and refer back to them often to help answer your questions about Harris and other university resources.

​​​​​Reminders:

• Provide your pronouns and preferred name for student name tents! All incoming students will be provided with name tents to use in your classes during the academic year. They help your instructor and classmates learn your name and how to address you. Please confirm the pronouns and preferred name that you would like listed on your name tents.

• View past preparedness digests and other communications on the Admitted Students Portal. 

Sincerely,
Your Harris Orientation Team

Below you will find a roundup of resources, deadlines, and reminders so you can hit the ground running on your first day of orientation! 

Harris Preparedness Highlight:

• University Email Management Tips: As a Harris student, properly managing your university email and calendar are essential to your success. Here are some tips to help you succeed:
  • Check your university email once per day. Currently, Harris is sending messages to both your personal email address and your university email address. On May 11, we will begin sending messages only to your university email. In addition, most campus offices will only send messages to a student’s university email address.
  • We encourage you to install your UChicago email on your smartphone and also add it to any desktop email client you use (Outlook, Apple Mail, etc).
  • Keep your university email separate from other email accounts. We recommend treating your university email like you would a work email address.
  • You will often receive messages you’ll want to refer back to later. You should manage your email in a program that allows you to easily search for mail. Consider sorting messages into folders by topic for easier searching.
  • You will need to keep track of many appointments as a student. Find a calendar program that works for you, helps structure your days, and is accessible to you anywhere. Many students like to use their calendar to block off time to complete specific academic tasks, such as homework or studying for an exam.
  • For support with your university email account contact the Harris IT Service Desk.
  • If you think you have missed a message of importance, please first check the UChicago Spam Folder. If the message came from the student listserv, you can review the archive here. Lastly you can check the your email trash folder.
  • In addition to these tips, read this Harris Admissions blog post on Hitting the Ground Running at Harris!
     
• Claim your UChicago Zoom account! Students get access to a free Zoom account; we encourage all students to claim their account before the start of classes. You may use your Zoom account for meetings with your academic advisor, remote events, and other meetings throughout the year. To claim your account:
  • Visit UCHICAGO.ZOOM.US
  • Click “Sign in”
  • Enter your CNET ID & Password
  • Zoom will auto-generate an account for you
  • You should be redirected to your profile page

Reminders:

• Submit your math self-assessment score by June 11. You can find the self-assessment, solutions, and link to the reporting form on the admitted student portal. 
• View past preparedness digests and other communications on the Admitted Students Portal. 

Sincerely,
Your Harris Orientation Team

Below you will find a roundup of resources, deadlines, and reminders so you can hit the ground running on your first day of orientation! 

Harris Preparedness Highlight:

• Technology & Device Recommendation: As you prepare for your graduate program and obtain devices to complete your coursework, we wanted to make you aware of the Harris policy on technology use in the classroom. Please note that laptops cannot be used within the required Harris core courses and some elective courses per the policy on technology use in the classroom. Exceptions are made for students with a documented Student Disability Services (SDS) accommodation and for hand-written note-taking on tablets laid flat on students’ desks. If you prefer to utilize technology to take notes during classes, you will need to bring a tablet, but most students find that taking notes with pen and paper works great. Most courses will also post the course slides to the Canvas site.

Reminders:

• Complete your math self-assessment by June 11. The self-assessment will give you a sense of the material used in your coursework as well as guide the curriculum covered during orientation. MSCEP students should complete the self-assessment, use the guide to evaluate their self-assessment, and then report their scores by June 11. 
   
• View past preparedness digests and other communications on the Admitted Students Portal. 

Sincerely,
Your Harris Orientation Team

Below you will find a roundup of resources, deadlines, and reminders so you can hit the ground running on your first day of orientation! 

Harris Preparedness Highlight:

• Review the Degree Requirements Orientation Module for the MSCEP degree program to learn more about the requirements you will need to complete throughout your time at Harris. Be sure to review the additional orientation modules on that page prior to orientation and refer back to them often to help answer your questions about Harris and university resources.

Reminders:

• REGISTER for the virtual MSCEP Kick-Off on Thursday, May 21 at 6:00 PM (CDT). Don't miss this opportunity to connect with fellow members of the inaugural MSCEP cohort.
   
• Complete your math self-assessment by June 11.The self-assessment will give you a sense of the material used in your coursework as well as guide the curriculum covered during orientation. MSCEP students should complete the self-assessment, use the guide to evaluate their self-assessment, and then report their scores by June 11.
   
• REGISTER for MSCEP Orientation by June 15. Orientation for MSCEP students will be held July 6, 2026 - July 10, 2026. Orientation programming will prepare you for your classes, introduce you to resources offered at UChicago and Harris, and challenge you to think critically. You can review the full week of events here.
   
• Claim your CNet ID and UChicago email. Your CNet ID and UChicago email are essential for access to all UChicago systems, including important communications, resources, and orientation activities.
  • To claim your UChicago email and CNet ID, you will need your UChicago ID number, which is an 8 digit number starting with "12." You should have received an email after you paid your deposit providing you with your UCID number. If you do not know your UCID number, please email Admissions, and they will look it up for you.
  • Additionally, this is the last message you will receive through your personal email. Beginning tomorrow, all official Harris communications will only be sent to your UChicago email. You are responsible for reading all email correspondence.

• View past preparedness digests and other communications on the Admitted Students Portal. 

Sincerely,
Your Harris Orientation Team

Harris Preparedness Highlight:

• Review the Financial Aid orientation module to understand how to navigate the various offices related to financial aid and billing and learn about resources available to you. Be sure to review all orientation modules prior to orientation and refer back to them often to help answer your questions about Harris and university resources.
   
• Billing, Loans, and Funding: the tuition bill for summer quarter will be available September 2, 2026 and due September 25, 2026.
  
  You may view and pay your quarterly bill via EBill in your my.uchicago student portal. If someone other than you will be paying your tuition bill, authorized users (i.e., parents, extended family members, employers, etc.) may be granted access to billing and payment services through EBill. 
  
  This preliminary bill is based on the estimated enrollment for your academic program, which is 3 courses for full-time programs. Your bill includes:
   
  • Tuition (charges are based on the number of courses you are registered for)
  • The quarterly student services fee
  • University Student Health Insurance (U-SHIP), unless you have opted out and submitted proof of other insurance coverage
  • A one-time transcript fee ($75)

• Although anticipated aid (scholarships, loans, or any other financial aid) may have not been deducted from the information on your account summary, it should be viewable on your actual EBill.  If you paid a class deposit during your admission process, your full deposit will be credited to your account on your first enrollment quarter.
  
  Federal Student Loans
  If you are receiving federal student loans, you will get an award letter from the Graduate Financial Aid Office. Make note of the “accept/decline loan” deadlines enclosed to ensure timely dispersal of your funds. Here are detailed instructions on how to accept your loans.
  
  Financial Aid Disbursement and Accessing Funds for Living Expenses
  The first disbursement date for financial aid is always one week prior to the start of the academic quarter. For your summer quarter, the financial aid disbursement date is July 6, 2026. The fastest way to get your funds is to sign up for direct deposit. Learn more here. If you decide not to register your US bank account for direct deposit, a check will be mailed to your local address on my.UChicago.
  
  You need to complete all other necessary steps for that aid, including promissory notes, for funds to be disbursed. If you have loans in excess of the charges to your account for living expenses, your refund will be processed automatically. As tuition charges on your student account are calculated based on your actual enrollment, you must register for all the courses that you are planning to take to receive the correct refund amount. 
  
  External Funding
  If you have funding from outside the University and have made third party payment arrangements through a Third Party Contract (TPC), your bill will be due on the date determined by your TPC. Be sure to pay the portion of your bill for which you are responsible to avoid late fees or holds on your course registration for the winter quarter. 
  
  Final note: please, complete the Financial Responsibility Agreement and other tasks on your my.UChicago task list to avoid holds on your account and late disbursement of your aid

Reminders:

• REGISTER for the virtual MSCEP Kick-Off on Thursday, May 21 at 6:00 PM (CDT). Don't miss this opportunity to connect with fellow members of the inaugural MSCEP cohort.
   
• Complete your math self-assessment by June 11.The self-assessment will give you a sense of the material used in your coursework as well as guide the curriculum covered during orientation. MSCEP students should complete the self-assessment, use the guide to evaluate their self-assessment, and then report their scores by June 11.
   
• REGISTER for MSCEP Orientation by June 15. Orientation for MSCEP students will be held July 6, 2026 - July 10, 2026. Orientation programming will prepare you for your classes, introduce you to resources offered at UChicago and Harris, and challenge you to think critically. You can review the full week of events here.
   
• View past preparedness digests and other communications on the Admitted Students Portal. 

Sincerely,

Your Harris Orientation Team

Harris Preparedness Highlight:

• Explore UChicago Student Wellness offerings, including medical and mental health services. Prior to beginning your degree program, it is helpful to know what resources are available to you! We recommend reading through the UChicago Student Wellness website to understand their offerings.
   
• All MSCEP students need to enroll in or waive the University Student Health Insurance Plan (U-SHIP) for the summer 2026 quarter by Friday, July 3 at noon (CDT). Students who do not take action to enroll/waive by the deadline will be enrolled in U-SHIP by default for the remainder of the policy year (through 8/31/26), and the quarterly U-SHIP premium will be assessed to the student’s account provided the student remains in a U-SHIP eligible status each quarter. Review this pamphlet for details about USHIP. More information about the university insurance requirement, U-SHIP, and how to waive coverage based on comparable insurance can be found on the UChicago Student Wellness website. Please note, you will be required to enroll in or waive U-SHIP again once the 2026-27 policy opens later this summer. Your academic advisor will notify you at that time. 
   
• Submit proof of Immunizations by July 10. The university and the Illinois Department of Public Health require all students to present documented proof of immunity against a variety of diseases upon enrolling at the university. Questions? Please email the immunizations team at UChicago Student Wellness
   
• Bring Employment Eligibility Documents with you to Chicago. Students who are hoping to get part-time jobs on or off campus will need documentation to verify eligibility for employment. Check out the matrix on page 2 of the I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification document for a list of acceptable documentation.

Reminders:

• Complete your math self-assessment by June 11.The self-assessment will give you a sense of the material used in your coursework as well as guide the curriculum covered during orientation. MSCEP students should complete the self-assessment, use the guide to evaluate their self-assessment, and then report their scores by June 11.
   
• REGISTER for MSCEP Orientation by June 15. Orientation for MSCEP students will be held July 6, 2026 - July 10, 2026. Orientation programming will prepare you for your classes, introduce you to resources offered at UChicago and Harris, and challenge you to think critically. You can review the full week of events here.
   
• View past preparedness digests and other communications on the Admitted Students Portal. 

Sincerely,

Your Harris Orientation Team

Below you will find a roundup of resources, deadlines, and reminders so you can hit the ground running on your first day of orientation! 

Harris Preparedness Highlight:

• Review the "Campus Systems" orientation module to learn how to navigate the important systems you will use during your time at Harris. Be sure to review all orientation modules prior to orientation and refer back to them often to help answer your questions about Harris and university resources.

Reminders:

• Complete your math self-assessment by June 11.The self-assessment will give you a sense of the material used in your coursework as well as guide the curriculum covered during orientation. MSCEP students should complete the self-assessment, use the guide to evaluate their self-assessment, and then report their scores by June 11.
   
• REGISTER for MSCEP Orientation by June 15. Orientation for MSCEP students will be held July 6, 2026 - July 10, 2026. Orientation programming will prepare you for your classes, introduce you to resources offered at UChicago and Harris, and challenge you to think critically. You can review the full week of events here.
   
• View past preparedness digests and other communications on the Admitted Students Portal. 

Sincerely,

Your Harris Orientation Team

​ 

Admitted Student Portal

#InAtHarris

Dear {{preferred}},

Below you will find a roundup of resources, deadlines, and reminders so you can hit the ground running on your first day of orientation! 

Harris Preparedness Highlight:

• Review the Academic Honesty orientation module to understand Harris and the university's academic honesty policy prior to beginning classes. Be sure to review all orientation modules prior to orientation and refer back to them often to help answer your questions about Harris and University resources.

Reminders:

• Math Self-Assessment Due June 11. The self-assessment will give you a sense of the material used in your coursework as well as guide the curriculum covered during orientation. MSCEP students should complete the self-assessment, use the guide to evaluate their self-assessment, and then report their scores.
   
• REGISTER for MSCEP Orientation by June 15. Orientation for MSCEP students will be held July 6, 2026 - July 10, 2026. Be prepared to think critically about policy with the CP3 program, engage with your cohort at socials, and connect with alumni during the Chicago River architecture boat tour. See the updated schedule here.
   
• View past preparedness digests and other communications on the Admitted Students Portal. 

Sincerely,

Your Harris Orientation Team

Welcome to the start of an incredible journey at the Harris School of Public Policy as part of the  inaugural cohort of the MSCEP program! We’re thrilled to have you join our community. As you prepare for the upcoming year, the Harris Career Development Office (CDO) is here to support your professional goals every step of the way.

To help you navigate the career landscape and make the most of your time at Harris, we’ll be sending out Career Digests throughout the Spring. These digests are packed with timely guidance, resources, and action items tailored to your career development. Here’s a sneak peek at what’s coming:

🗓️ Email Digest Schedule

• 04/15/26 –Welcome to Harris!
• 04/22/26 – Getting Started with the ‘Career Gateway’ Canvas Modules
• 04/29/26 – How to improve your resume, with VMOCK and our support
• 05/06/26 – Mapping Your Career Path
• 05/13/26 – Envision your Professional Story & Brand
• 05/20/26 – Grow your relationship-building skills and your network
• 05/27/26 – Leveraging our Career Platform, “HarrisLink”
• 06/03/26 – Summer Roadmap, focus on early recruitment timelines for full-time roles

Stay tuned for your next digest on the Harris Career Gateway on Canvas, and we encourage you to reach out with any questions along the way at HarrisCDO@uchicago.edu. We’re excited to support you in building a meaningful, impactful career—we’re so glad you’re here.

The Career Development Office
Harris School of Public Policy

As you begin your journey at the Harris School of Public Policy, the Career Development Office (CDO) is here to help you launch your professional path with confidence and clarity. Towards this aim, you have been added to our Canvas Course called the Harris Career Gateway. To get started, click here to log in with your CNETID.

Why do we require a Harris Career Gateway Course?

As a new student, we understand that you will navigate a lot of new information particularly at the beginning of your Harris program which can be overwhelming. To make the transition to Harris smooth, the Career Gateway is a self-paced course and our introduction to the way we will support you with strategies and resources for your career goals. Put simply, it sets you up for immediate success with our team before the beginning of your MSCEP program. 

By completing this Canvas course by May 31st, you will gain access in early June to HarrisLink – our digital career platform where you can begin:

1. Booking one-on-one career coaching appointments
2. Applying to internship and job opportunities
3. Signing up for employer sessions, alumni panels, career fairs, and more 

Career Gateway Overview:

The 5 Career Gateway modules are designed to inspire reflection on your goals, build strong application materials, and navigate the job market effectively. Each module ends with a short quiz to reinforce what you’ve learned. All-in, these modules take 60-90 minutes of intentional time to complete so schedule your time accordingly! 

1. The Successful Job Seeker's Playbook: Explore why self-awareness and emotional agility are key drivers of ultimately getting the job.
2. Intro to CDO, Systems & Resources: Learn who we are, what we do, and how to get the most out of HarrisLink.
3. Career Mapping: Reflect on your skills and goals while navigating the realities of the job search.
4. Resumes & Cover Letters: Craft targeted application materials that get noticed
5. Networking & LinkedIn: Master professional networking with confidence and clarity.

Next week, you will learn how we work with you to submit employer-ready resumes through 1:1 coaching and VMock, a text analysis software for tailoring your impact on each application. If you have any questions, reach out to HarrisCDO@uchicago.edu for support on accessing Canvas or anything else.

In Case You Missed It:

View previous career digests and other communications in the communications section of the Admitted Student Portal.

The Career Development Office
Harris School of Public Policy

As you start thinking about a future job search or internship goals for next summer, now is the perfect time to rethink one of the most important elements of your toolkit: your resume.

Here’s how to think about your resume: this critical document is not a chronological list of everything you’ve ever done; rather, It’s a targeted advertisement of your fit for a specific role or set of roles. The goal? Make it easy for an employer (or a scanning algorithm) to quickly say, “Yes, this person has what we need.”

Here are three tips for a strong resume: 

• Tailor it to the job. Employers spend ~10 seconds on a first pass. Use bullet points, action verbs, and clean formatting to make your impact jump off the page with keywords from the posting and highlight experiences that match the role.
• Highlight transferable skills. Even if your previous experience isn’t a 1:1 match, you’ve likely built relevant skills—like research, stakeholder engagement, writing, project management, or data analysis—that you can translate.
• Think outcomes, not just actions. Instead of saying what you did, show what happened because you did it.

Introducing VMock Resume Software

VMock uses text analysis and previous Harris resumes to measure how effectively your resume communicates with employers and suggest changes to enhance your resume.

• First, create an account: You should have received an email from VMock this month asking you to create an account with your UChicago email and upload your most recent resume into the platform. 
• Submit your updated resume by Sunday 5/31: Once you have achieved a score of 85 or better, please submit the most recent copy on this link for additional recommendations by CDO Career Coaches. Our goal is to ensure that your resume is employer-ready before your first day.

Don’t forget: Once you complete the Harris Career Gateway on Canvas by Sunday 5/31, you’ll get access in early June to HarrisLink, our centralized career platform for coaching, jobs, events and resources. Next week, we will focus on strategies to mapping out your career.

If you have any questions related to Canvas, VMock or anything else, reach out to us at harriscdo@uchicago.edu.

In Case You Missed It:

• Last week's digest: Harris Career Gateway
• View previous career digests and communications in the Admitted Student Portal.

The Career Development Office
Harris School of Public Policy

You are coming to Harris for a reason: a personal why that fuels your decision to pursue Climate and Energy policy. Yet even the clearest “why” benefits from a flexible, well-marked career map. Consider this your invitation to start sketching one now with the prompts below so you can maximize every quarter, course, and conversation before you arrive on campus this summer.

Four Points of Intersection

Your Professional ‘sweet spot’ lies where all 4 circles overlap.

1. Background & Existing Skills: All of your previous experiences—whether in classrooms, nonprofits, start-ups, or volunteering—offer transferable assets (communication, analysis, leadership, project management).
2. New Skills at Harris: From econometrics to data visualization to machine learning, you will add tools that open doors post graduation.
3. Market Demand: Pay attention to energy and climate areas that are scaling up. This awareness can allow you to reflect on where your skills are needed most at any given moment in your career.
4. Interests & Values: The issues that keep you up at night can serve as an anchor to your exploration. They help you choose classes and job opportunities with purpose.

Action Steps Before the Summer Quarter: 

Keep Curiosity on the Dashboard

Graduate school is a rare chance to test-drive career options with low risk and high payoff. Approach each digest and every conversation with an explorer’s mindset. You might confirm your initial direction, or you might discover a new path you never considered. Stay tuned, stay curious, and start sketching that map. Future you will thank the present you.

Next week, we will focus on storytelling skills.

Questions on Canvas, VMock or anything else? Reach out to us at harriscdo@uchicago.edu

In Case You Missed It: View previous career digests and communications in the Admitted Student Portal.

The Career Development Office
Harris School of Public Policy

As you dive deeper into climate and energy policy, you’re engaging with one of the most complex and urgent challenges of our time. Once you begin your program at Harris, you’ll gain the quantitative toolkit to analyze emissions, evaluate energy markets, and design regulatory frameworks. However, there’s another skill that will shape your effectiveness just as much: storytelling.  

Why are strong storytelling skills important in Climate and Energy policy? The success of addressing the climate and energy challenges depends not only on sound analysis, but on how well your ideas are understood.

1. Making abstract risks feel real
   The effects of climate change and energy challenges are often framed in projections, scenarios, and long-term forecasts. Compelling narratives translate those abstractions into lived realities that can influence policymakers, and industry around shared goals. 
    
2. ​​​​​Navigating complexity and trade-offs
   Energy policy is full of difficult trade-offs: affordability vs. sustainability, reliability vs. innovation, local vs. global priorities. Clear narratives help stakeholders understand not just what decisions are being made, but why they matter and who they affect.
    
3. Bridging science, policy, and public perception
   You will often stand at the intersection of technical expertise and public understanding. Storytelling enables you to communicate climate science and energy solutions in ways that are accessible without losing nuance.

How can storytelling impact your career trajectory in this field? Storytelling isn’t just for policy memos or public engagement.  It's one of the most powerful tools you have when conducting your job search. Whether it’s a networking conversation or a cover letter, clarity matters. Here are 3 ways career coaches can partner with you to feel confident in telling your story. 

1. Show, don’t just tell, your motivation. Why climate and energy? Why now? Why you? We can help you connect your academic work, prior experience, and career goals into a coherent story that shows direction and purpose. 
    
2. Prepare well-structured examples for interviews. What problem were you tackling? What approach did you take? What changed as a result? Start by creating a folder of S.T.A.R. stories where you handled complex analysis, navigated trade-offs, worked with stakeholders, or addressed uncertainty. We can coach you to go beyond describing what you did and make it memorable to employers.
    
3. Adapt your story to your audience. Each employer requires a tailored approach; an NGO, a government agency, and a private organization care about climate/energy, but for different reasons. Tailor your narrative to reflect what each audience values, without losing authenticity.

Your first Harris networking event!
To kick off the start of your new program, we are inviting you to a Climate and Energy networking event on Thursday July 9th, 2:30pm, (exact location to be determined - save the date for now!)  This will be a great opportunity to practice your storytelling skills, meet your cohort and build connections with professionals in the field.  

We know this can be exciting and overwhelming.  To help you ensure you are ready to make a strong impression, we created this professional pitch form and are asking you to submit your recorded pitch by Sunday, June 14.  Our team will offer recommendations within 2 weeks so you can make improvements for the networking event on July 9th.

Questions on Canvas, VMock or anything else? Reach out to us at harriscdo@uchicago.edu

In Case You Missed It: View previous career digests and communications in the Admitted Student Portal.

The Career Development Office
Harris School of Public Policy

Welcome to this week’s digest, where we’re spotlighting one of the most important drivers of your career development – networking.

Think of networking like planting seeds. You won’t see the results overnight, but starting now sets you up for long-term growth. Networking is not just about landing a job or referral. Great networking is about curiosity, connection, and learning rather than simply transactional conversations. 

To be proactive, we recommend setting 2-3 concrete networking goals and tracking your conversations to stay intentional, especially before your schedule fills up in the fall quarter. If you are uncertain where to start, here are four ways to start networking today:
 

1. Reconnect with your people. Let your friends, family, and colleagues know you are starting grad school — this is a natural and low-pressure way to re-engage your network.
2. Connect with Harris peers. Reach out to current students or recent alumni. Ask what they wish they had known before their first quarter and what made their Harris experience most meaningful.
3. Explore through LinkedIn. Message professionals whose careers interest you. Whether or not they are Harris alumni, use these chats to gather insights and reflect on your own path.
4. Grow your network. After a great networking conversation,Ask: “Who else should I talk to?” This simple question builds a referral chain and helps you move beyond cold outreach.

Save the date for the Climate and Energy Alumni Networking Mixer!
Thursday 7/9, 2:30pm
This is a great opportunity to begin your Harris program by connecting with your cohort and professionals in the field. Don't miss this event as individual cold outreach can take time to see results! RSVP link coming soon.

Save the Date for these Career Fairs
Note: RSVP links for all career fairs will become live late Summer and will typically take place from the morning to the afternoon.  Add these to your calendar for now!

1. Harris Career Fair | Friday 9/25, Keller Center Cafe
2. UChicago Campus-wide Career Fair | Monday 9/28, Ida Noyes 
3. Climate and Energy Career Fair | Wednesday 10/28, Rubenstein Forum

Don’t forget to complete these 3! 

1. Harris Career Gateway on Canvas: Complete by 5/31 to unlock by early June coaching appointments, job postings, and more tools through HarrisLink! (takes about 60-90 minutes to complete)
2. VMock: After achieving a score of 85 or better on the platform, submit your resume here by May 31 for more in-depth CDO Career Coach feedback!
3. Professional Pitch: Submit your recorded pitch here by June 14 for career coach feedback in preparation for the July 9th networking event!

Next week, we will share more about HarrisLink, our centralized career platform for coaching, jobs, events and resources. 

Questions on Canvas, VMock or anything else? Reach out to us at harriscdo@uchicago.edu

In Case You Missed It: View previous career digests and communications in the Admitted Student Portal.

The Career Development Office
Harris School of Public Policy

As you continue preparing for your Harris journey, we want to introduce you to HarrisLink, the central platform that will guide your career development experience during your time at the University of Chicago.

What is HarrisLink?

HarrisLink is our centralized career management platform where you’ll:

• Search and apply for internships and jobs
• Book one-on-one in-person or virtual coaching appointments
• Sign up for career-related events, workshops and employer sessions
• Access employer and alumni information
• Find resources and templates curated for Harris students

First Things First: Unlocking Full Access

To gain full access to HarrisLink starting in mid-June—including the ability to book coaching appointments, apply to jobs and register for events —you must complete the Harris Career Gateway Course on Canvas by Sunday, May 31st. As a refresher from week 2’s digest, this brief onboarding guide walks you through how your Career Development Office (CDO) works, what to expect, and how to navigate HarrisLink effectively.

Understanding Types of Job Postings

HarrisLink job postings have 2 types of ‘temperatures’ in how directly they’re connected to Harris:

• “Warm” opportunities: These are roles we sourced through employer partnerships or alumni connections. The CDO may have a point of contact and insight into the hiring process and may have “Harris Exclusive” in the posting.
• “Cooler” opportunities: These may be publicly posted roles we believe are a good fit for our students, even if we don’t yet have a personal relationship with the employer.

HarrisLink is constantly updated—new jobs and events are added daily. You can set up “Job Alerts” based on your interests as well as have “Favorite” employers by clicking the star icon.

Tip: Complete the Career Gateway to take full advantage of early cycle in consulting and finance opportunities for Summer 2027!

How to Make Time for Events

HarrisLink is the hub for all career-related events—from employer info sessions to alumni panels and skills workshops. These events can expose you to new sectors, organizations, and career paths. However, we know your schedule will fill up fast with other academic and social events as well that could be happening simultaneously.

Tips to make it work:

• Block 1–2 hours weekly in your calendar just for career events, learn about an organization and/or job searching.
• Prioritize events early in the quarter; they tend to front-load opportunities.
• Use the “Add to Calendar” feature in HarrisLink after registering.
• If you miss something, check if it's recorded or if a coach can help you debrief what was shared. 

Refresher: Harris CDO Onboarding To-Do List

1. Harris Career ‘Gateway’: Complete the 5 modules in Canvas by this Sunday 5/31 to get access to HarrisLink starting in mid-June. If you have already completed the course, you will receive an email to create your HarrisLink profile starting early June
2. VMock: After achieving a score of 85 or better in VMock, submit your resume here by 5/31 for more in-depth Career Coach feedback
3. Professional Pitch: Submit your recorded pitch here by 6/14 for Career Coach feedback in preparation for the July 9th networking event

Next week we will focus on a broad Summer Roadmap, highlight early recruitment cycles as well as key events for your career readiness.  

Questions on Canvas, VMock or anything else? Reach out to us at harriscdo@uchicago.edu

In Case You Missed It: View previous career digests and communications in the Admitted Student Portal.

The Career Development Office
Harris School of Public Policy

Are you Interested in Consulting or Finance? Preparing for full-time recruitment starts this summer. 

At Harris, students pursue roles across a variety of industries, each with its own hiring timeline. If you are even remotely considering a career in consulting or finance, and especially if you want to land a full-time job in these industries by graduation in June 2027, it is critical to get started now.

Why the urgency? Consulting & Finance recruitment is highly competitive and follows an early timeline. Many applications open in the summer and close well before the autumn quarter begins. These deadlines apply globally, so proactivity is key.  

5 Key Elements for Early Recruitment Success:
Note: You’ll need to complete the Harris Career Gateway to unlock one-on-one coaching appointments, job postings, and hyperlinked resources below.  Once you complete the Career Gateway on Canvas, you will receive an email to log into your HarrisLink profile to access the resources. 

1. Review Harris-Specific Industry Overview Guides. Learn about each industry and what they seek in candidates. You don’t need to arrive with it all figured out, but the more you know about the landscape, the better you can chart your course.
   • Harris Consulting Industry Resource Guide
   • Harris Finance Industry Resource Guide
2. Create a Job Search Tracker.  Download this ready-made template or create your own.
3. Identify your target firms and start networking. Compile a list of firms you want to pursue, and reach out to Harris alumni and other professionals via LinkedIn or email for 15–30 minute coffee chats (learn more about informational interviews here).  Leverage the Harris Job Search Tracker to keep track of firm insights and people’s contact info in a centralized location. 
4. Build a focused resume. Create your resume, improve it using VMock, and upload it to HarrisLink—your gateway to recruiting resources.
5. Master the Consulting Case interview. Start preparing with the Harris Case Interview Resource Guide to build confidence with this unique interview format and then make appointments to practice Case Interviews with CDO Career Coaches.

Bottom line: The sooner you start, the stronger your candidacy will be. Hiring moves fast in these industries—those who begin early, build relationships, and prepare thoroughly will be best positioned to secure the highly competitive full-time roles at graduation. Don’t wait. Get started today to set yourself up for success this recruiting season.

Save the Date for these Career Fairs
Note: RSVP links for all career fairs will become live late summer and will typically take place from the morning to the afternoon.  Add these to your calendar for now!

1. Harris Career Fair | Friday 9/25, Keller Center Cafe
2. UChicago Campus-wide Career Fair | Monday 9/28, Ida Noyes 
3. Climate and Energy Career Fair | Wednesday 10/28, Rubenstein Forum

This is the last career digest before your orientation into the program.  If you have any questions, know that we’re here to help.  You can reach out to us at any time at HarrisCDO@uchicago.edu. 

The Career Development Office
Harris School of Public Policy