Public Policy students can satisfy their Capstone requirement by completing a Capstone Project within a one-quarter course, the BA Project Seminar (PBPL 29500). The BA Project Seminar focuses on critical writing about public policy. In the seminar, students zoom into substantive policy questions, analyze them using the knowledge and tools developed throughout their studies in the major, and convey their conclusions in a Capstone Project. The Project may take many forms – policy briefs, book chapters, blog posts, or podcasts, for instance – though many Projects involve a policy essay and a related, public-facing op-ed.

Students who elect to take the Project option for their Capstone typically will complete the Project Seminar (PBPL 29500) in their fourth year. (Students are eligible for the Seminar beginning in the Spring quarter of their third year.) Multiple sections of the BA Project Seminar are offered over the course of each year. The Capstone Project is due at the end of the quarter in which students take the BA Project Seminar and it is graded by the Seminar instructor.

For Capstone Project examples, visit The OEC: Op-Ed Chicago, explore our previous Chicago Through a Policy Lens collections, or find our PBPL projects on UChicago Knowledge.

OEC
The OEC: Op-Ed Chicago

 

The OEC: Op-Ed Chicago

The OEC: Op-Ed Chicago is an online outlet dedicated to publishing policy-focused opinion pieces. At its inception, The OEC aimed to disseminate the ideas of fourth-year Public Policy students at the University of Chicago; while we still are committed to these students, we now are open to contributions from other sources. We champion open-minded, educated, and creative voices, providing a platform where they can thrive.

Visit The OEC: Op-Ed Chicago

Chicago Through a Policy Lens
Chicago Through a Policy Lens

 

Chicago Through a Policy Lens

In the Winter of 2026, a group of  Public Policy majors at the University of Chicago came together for their Capstone experience, a Project that would entail each of them to write a professional quality public policy essay with a connection to Chicagoland. We are pleased to present the resulting essays here.  

View the complete volume (PDF, 3.5MB)

Capstone Project Archive