Why Choose Harris?

For more than 25 years, we've been shifting the conception of public policy from an ideology, reliant on politics and pedigree, to a science rooted in data and impact.

At Harris Public Policy, we develop leaders who fearlessly ask the hard questions and follow the evidence to find the answers. Leaders who can figure out what’s best for society—and get it done.

Pursue Your Passion

Harris offers you the ability to gain policy experience and develop skills as well as specialize in your particular policy areas.

We offer six different full and part-time master’s programs with various certificate options, as well as eight joint degree programs and a doctoral program designed for an academic or research-oriented career.

You can even specialize in a particular policy area.

Whether it's a municipal finance certificate to help you bolster local institutions, the certificate in health policy or certificate in health administration policy and global health, Harris can prepare you to make lasting change in whichever field interests you.

The Harris Experience

You can expect to be challenged and stimulated by a community of fearless individuals who are like-minded in their pursuits of rigorous inquiry and measurable impact, and unique in their diverse backgrounds and interests.

Whether your background is econ or English, at a food bank or the World Bank, you’ll benefit from our core curriculum that gives you a solid analytical foundation.

We’ll teach you to face the world’s toughest problems, challenge the easy answers, and make smarter, data-driven decisions that lead your organization to the change it wants to see.

Faculty Who Are Leaders in Their Fields

Harris faculty are at the forefront of policy.

Our faculty challenge each other as well as the status quo, testing new methodologies and driving solutions through their innovative research. Coming from diverse sectors, ideologies, and backgrounds, they investigate the society’s most complex challenges and determine how policy can solve them.

Harris faculty take an interdisciplinary approach to research that spans education to energy, conflict to politics. Working at the frontiers of data collection and analysis, they collaborate with colleagues from across the University of Chicago and the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. In an environment of innovation and risk taking, Harris' world-leading policy scholars guide students toward positive social impact.

Gain Access to a Lifelong Network of Mentors and Peers

When you graduate from Harris Public Policy, you join a lifelong network of more than 160,000 UChicago alumni living or working on every continent.

Harris' outstanding alumni are tackling society's toughest problems with innovative, data-driven solutions.

Harris alumni work in the public and private sectors and for non-profit organizations, NGOs/IGOs.

They are program officers, campaign chiefs of staff, chief marketing officers, consultants, government officers, and directors at major organizations worldwide.

“By far, one of the most valuable parts of my MPP degree was getting to be part of such an amazingly talented and driven community, and I’m lucky to be able to enter into such a strong alumni network.” 

Marianne Waas, AmeriCorps Alumna, MPP '16