Undergraduate Program

Public Policy Studies is where visionary thinkers meet our most important and pressing challenges. The University of Chicago’s multidisciplinary major in Public Policy is grounded in the social sciences, with substantial inputs from economics, sociology, political science, and law, among other disciplines. 

Public Policy Studies recognizes that public issues are not neatly contained within traditional disciplinary boundaries and that motivated analysts possessing a broad range of social scientific understanding, quantitative expertise, and communication skills are needed to improve public policies. Public Policy Studies involves direct contact with policy problems, ensuring that rigorous academic speculations are well-informed and connected to real-world conditions.

The major culminates in a capstone experience in the form of either a year-long BA thesis or a one-quarter, class-based writing project.  A number of graduates have published their capstone work in academic journals and other outlets.