Admissions Blog

Harris’ main building, The Keller Center, is located at 1307 East 60th Street. This area is easily accessible through the 171 and 172 bus routes. Students can use these routes to not only access the Keller Center but also other important locations around the University of Chicago campus, such as the Regenstein library to study, the University of Chicago Bookstore to get swag, or one of the many local restaurants and attractions.

Diversity Visit Day is open to students of all backgrounds and presents an opportunity for prospective master's students to connect with current students and alumni, engage with faculty, and learn about the support offered at Harris for individuals from backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in U.S. graduate programs and first generation college students.

We frequently receive questions from eager students on how they can strengthen their application. We wanted to give you some tips on how you can make your application stand out—read more to get answers to frequently asked questions!

While it’s one of our favorite parts of the application reading experience, we know that writing essay components can be anxiety-inducing for applicants. As you start or continue your application, we hope you find this guidance on the motivational statement and essays helpful.

One of the most common topics applicants ask us about are the letters of recommendation. These letters are an important part of your application and provide the committee with helpful information and insight into your ability to be successful at Harris Public Policy. In this post, Senior Director of Student Recruitment Devon Reber Drehmer answers some of our most frequently asked questions.

Established in 2015, The Pearson Institute for the Study and Resolution of Global Conflicts promotes discussion, understanding, and resolution of global conflicts through research, education, and engagement with the global policy community. As part of the education component of its mission, The Pearson Institute annually awards Fellowships to a select group of distinguished MPP students.

Mario Venegas, MPP Class of 2025, writes about how he found community with other LatinX students on campus, and how they successfully organized the first Mexico Forum to discuss issues facing Mexico.

As you begin your application process you may be wondering which of our programs is the best fit for you. Check out our comparison chart and more information below.

We are pleased to share that our application for the class starting in fall 2025 is now open! We also wanted to share some information about GRE test requirements and waivers before you get started.

The University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) are proud to announce a formal partnership to provide emerging leaders with a world class public policy education to tackle the most pressing global issues. This partnership advances the needs of students by providing CHCI alumni with minimum guaranteed scholarships if accepted to a Harris Master’s Degree Program and special consideration for discounts on non-degree Credential Programs. Harris is also committed to increasing education access for all by eliminating the application fee for full-time programs.

Many Harris students bring years of work experience to our community, as well as partners and families. Balancing the return to school with family responsibilities can sometimes be daunting, so in this blog, we share some resources for students with partners and families as they plan the transition to Harris.

Martha MacLaren, MPP Class of 2025, writes about some of the many talks she attended during her first year at Harris.

Preparing the next generation to tackle global challenges is more important than ever—that’s why the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy recently launched the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Challenge Program for High School Students. Designed around the United Nations' SDGs, this program informs students about global issues and equips them with the tools to make a tangible difference in their communities. We sat down and discussed the program with Assistant Professor and Program Director, Austin Wright.

Summer is just around the corner, and we are excited to welcome the inaugural cohort of Policy Research & Innovation Bootcamp (PRIB) scholars to campus. Unlike other Harris Credential Programs, PRIB’s unique in-person format allows participants to meaningfully engage and network with leading policy scholars and practitioners both on campus and throughout the city of Chicago. In this blog, we give you a sneak peak of PRIB’s summer 2024 offerings.

Chicago, also known as the Windy City, is located on the shores of Lake Michigan and boasts a rich cultural heritage, impressive architecture, and numerous attractions. It's no surprise that Chicago is a popular tourist destination with people both in the United States and abroad, and when the weather starts to warm up, the city comes alive and offers a wide range of activities for visitors to enjoy. We hope you will come visit us this summer and add a campus visit to your itinerary!

The Dean of Students Office (DOS) looks forward to getting to know you better this fall! In this guest blog, Dean of Students Kate Shannon Biddle, explains the role of an essential point of contact at Harris: your academic advisor.

Carrie Collins, MPP Class of 2024, shares how she leveraged the resources available to her at Harris to secure her job as Associate Management Consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton before graduation.

In this blog, James Marcucci, MPP Class of 2025, shares his first experience with opera in the city of Chicago.

We sat down with Director of Student Recruitment Jessica Gagle to answer questions and share tips on how students can work through on their EMP application.

This year, the Data and Policy Summer Scholar (DPSS) program at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy has upgraded our program experience with two distinct tracks: Academic and Professional. Why? Because we know one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to education. In this blog, we chat with Shilin Liu, Executive Director of Partnerships and Credential Programs to learn more about this upgrade.