We have one session left in our special Health Policy Living Room series for admitted students interested in health policy. These sessions will be hosted by Ellen Cohen, Executive Director of the Center for Health and Social Sciences. Admitted students are welcome to register for this session, and view the recordings from previous sessions in this blog.

We interviewed David Chrisinger, Associate Director of the Writing Program at Harris and instructor for the Writing Persuasive Public Policy Credential Program. In his role, David works with faculty to develop and evaluate writing-focused assignments, assist students in improving their writing skills, and train and manage the Writing Program Teaching Assistants. We asked him about the Writing Program, what he looks for in a TA, and his advice for students.

We heard from Luz Stephanie Ramos Gomez, MSCAPP Class of 2021, and Manvi Seth, MPP Class of 2021, about the internships they had this past summer. They told us about their summer projects, how their first year at Harris prepared them for the work that they did, and how their internships will propel their future careers in public policy. 

Many of our networking events will be held in GatherTown, a unique video-conferencing platform that simulates an in-person environment (similar to a role playing game or “RPG”) where you can move around and interact with different people and even play games. The layout of the virtual building was designed by Bradley McCandless, MPP Class of 2022, to replicate the layout of the Keller Center and The Pub at UChicago. In this blog post, McCandless reflects on building the virtual Keller Center, and we share some instructions to use the platform.

At UChicago, you’ll join a global network of alumni. During Virtual Admitted Student Week, admitted students are invited to join alumni across sectors to see what the trajectory of a Harris Student looks like.

Harris Policy Labs is a unique initiative in which teams of second-year (or second-third quarter MA) Harris students apply their rigorous core education to real-time public policy challenges facing client organizations. Students who complete the program have the chance to make an impact in their policy area of interest before they graduate, and are better-prepared policy professionals with a competitive advantage in the job market.

We heard from three Master of Public Policy (MPP) students from the class of 2021—Julia Friedberg, James Miotto, and Varada Shrotri—about the internships they had this past summer.  They told us about their summer projects, how their first year at Harris prepared them for the work that they did, and how their internships will propel their future careers in public policy. 

We are excited to meet admitted students online at our Virtual Admitted Student Week (Virtual ASW) from April 5-9. All sessions will be hosted in the online meeting platform Zoom. In preparation for Virtual ASW, we have a few helpful tips for Zoom.

We asked our Graduate Assistants and Harris Ambassadors about the highlights of their Admitted Student Day last year and what students should look forward to about Virtual Admitted Student Week April 5–9.

A message to the Harris community about opposing racism and violence against people of Asian descent following the killings in Atlanta, as well as resources to support the Harris community.

For the majority of Harris students, the Core courses are the optimal foundation for their education. Two of the three Core course sequences, Microeconomics and Statistics, offer standard and advance levels to best suit your experience and ability. If you are interested in learning more about advanced core classes, check out this blog post.

We heard from three Master of Public Policy (MPP) students from the Class of 2021—Steven Gingold, Fumike Agboola, and Edem Isliamov—about the internships they had this past summer. They told us about their summer projects, how their first year at Harris prepared them for the work that they did, and how their internships will propel their future careers in public policy. This blog post is the first of our series on student internship experiences. Keep an eye out for upcoming posts.

Last week, the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy's Dean Katherine Baicker bestowed the 2020 Dean’s Award upon Dr. Anthony Fauci for his lifetime commitment to public service and contributions to evidence-based policy.
 

Our Application for Review of Scholarship Award is now open! The scholarship reconsideration is open Wednesday, March 10–Tuesday, March 24 and decisions will be sent via email by April 10.

Each year we place a number of students on the waitlist for a variety of reasons, and many students reach out to our office to learn what they can do to strengthen their application. Read this blog to learn more about the waitlist process and some frequently asked questions.

In a recent email to the Harris Community, Dean Katherine Baicker shared key takeaways and recordings from Black History Month programming.

Enrollment in Public Policy/Public Administration programs has grown steadily in the US over the last ten years. And for the Harris School of Public Policy—a graduate school that believes developing effective public policy is a science, based on data and measurable impact—that has certainly rung true. This growth is spurred in part by a shift in attitudes. The 2020 Deloitte Millennial Survey shows the importance of organizations taking intentional measures to drive positive societal outcomes, as well as being a place for talented employees to thrive in an impactful role. Read more...

If you are a recently admitted student, you may be wondering if you should take regular or advanced microeconomics and statistics in the Core. 

In his recent session, Taking Advanced Classes in the Core, Professor Tom Coleman, PhD’84 and Senior Lecturer at Harris, lays out some of the core differences between these classes. 

Watch the Webinar: Professor Tom Coleman on Taking Advanced Classes in the Core (59 min.)

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. Read more...

The following certificates have been approved for STEM eligibility. This means that international students who earn one of these certificates will be eligible to apply for an additional two years of OPT after the initial one-year OPT period, for a total of three years of possible work authorization.