Design Your Path Chicago Principles, Policies, and Perspectives Core Curriculum Statistics for Data Analysis Sequence Principles of Microeconomics and Public Policy Sequence Analytical Politics Sequence Core Project Emerging Leaders Program Practical Experience Harris Policy Labs Harris Policy Innovation Challenge Specializations Data Analytics Specialization Education Policy Specialization Energy & Environmental Policy Specialization Finance & Policy Specialization Gender and Policy Specialization Global Conflict Studies Specialization Health Policy Specialization International Policy & Development Specialization Markets & Regulation Specialization Municipal Finance Specialization Social and Economic Inequality Specialization Survey Research Specialization Certificates Outside Harris University of Chicago Obama Foundation Scholars Program Overview How to Apply FAQ Program Partners Meet the Scholars 2024 - 2025 Scholars 2023 - 2024 Scholars 2022-2023 Scholars Workshops PhD Political Economy Political Economy Workshop Archive Public Policy & Economics PPE Workshop Archive Addressing today’s toughest policy challenges takes more than passion or intuition. It requires rigorous thinking, analytical precision, and the ability to navigate complexity with confidence.These skills are not innate. They are learned, tested, and refined through structured training.A Foundation for Evidence-Based PolicyThe Harris Core Curriculum provides a rigorous foundation in statistical reasoning, economic logic, and political analysis. Whatever path students pursue—analyst, policymaker, advocate, or entrepreneur—the Core equips them to ask better questions, evaluate evidence carefully, and generate insight under uncertainty.Designed to build fluency across disciplines, the Core trains students to analyze data, synthesize research, assess tradeoffs, and anticipate political and institutional constraints. These skills come together every spring in the Harris Core Project, a signature experience in which first-year students apply their Core training to real-world policy challenges for public decision-makers.In their second year, students have the opportunity to build on this foundation through electives in program evaluation, cost-benefit analysis, data science, machine learning, and related fields to further deepen their expertise in areas most relevant to their academic and professional goals.Core Sequences & Core ProjectHarris students develop a shared analytical foundation through three Core sequences—Statistics for Data Analysis, Principles of Microeconomics and Public Policy, and Analytical Politics—which together build fluency across methods and perspectives.Core SequenceStatistics for Data AnalysisIn every policy role—from advising government agencies to shaping social impact strategies—the ability to interpret data credibly and communicate uncertainty clearly is essential.The Statistics Core sequence trains students to:Evaluate quantitative evidence and empirical claims criticallyApply statistical methods to analyze policy questions responsiblyInterpret results and uncertainty to support sound judgmentLearn more about the Statistics Core SequenceCore SequenceMicroeconomics and Public PolicyIn every policy setting, decisions involve tradeoffs. Policymakers must anticipate behavioral responses, assess costs and benefits, and understand how incentives shape outcomes.The Microeconomics Core sequence trains students to:Model how individuals, firms, and institutions respond to incentivesIdentify tradeoffs, distributional impacts, and unintended consequencesApply economic reasoning to evaluate policy options and constraintsLearn more about the Microeconomics SequenceCore SequenceAnalytical PoliticsEven the most technically sound policy will fail without political support. Understanding institutions, incentives, and strategic behavior is essential for effective policymaking.The Analytical Politics sequence gives students the tools to:Analyze strategic interactions among political actors and institutionsAnticipate political constraints that shape policy feasibilityDesign proposals that are viable within real institutional contextsLearn more about the Analytical Politics SequenceOptionalThe Harris Core ProjectEffective policy analysis requires integrating evidence, judgment, and communication under real-world constraints. The Harris Core Project provides an opportunity to apply Core training to complex policy challenges.Through the Core Project, students learn to:Integrate statistical, economic, and political analysis in practiceFrame complex problems and synthesize evidence for decision-makersDeliver professional-quality policy memos and executive briefingsLearn more about the Harris Core ProjectFrequently Asked QuestionsHarris Core: Who participates in the Harris Core CurriculumWho participates in the Harris Core CurriculumAll students in Harris’s master’s degree programs participate in the Core Curriculum. The Core is designed to provide a shared analytical foundation, regardless of students’ prior academic or professional backgrounds. While students pursue a wide range of policy interests and career paths, the Core ensures that everyone develops common skills in statistical reasoning, economic analysis, and political analysis that can be applied across policy domains.Harris Core: Is the Core the same for all Harris degree programs?Is the Core the same for all Harris degree programs?The Core is largely shared across Harris degree programs, with some differences in emphasis and sequencing to reflect program-specific learning goals. These variations preserve a common analytical foundation while allowing flexibility across degrees. Regardless of program, all students engage with the same core disciplines and are expected to develop the ability to interpret evidence, evaluate tradeoffs, and communicate analytical insights clearly.Harris Core: How much quantitative background do I need before starting?How much quantitative background do I need before starting?Students arrive at Harris with a wide range of quantitative backgrounds, from extensive coursework in mathematics or economics to more limited formal training. The Core is designed with this diversity in mind. Courses begin with foundational concepts and build in rigor over time, with academic support available for students who need to strengthen specific skills. What matters most is a willingness to engage with quantitative material and apply it thoughtfully to real policy questions.Harris Core: Can Core courses be waived or substituted?Can Core courses be waived or substituted?In some cases, students may be eligible to enroll in an advanced version of a Core course or to waive a Core course entirely. Advanced versions are available for statistics and microeconomics in the autumn and winter quarters and can be selected during preregistration or registration, subject to space availability. There are no advanced versions of the analytical politics courses.Students may also qualify to waive a Core course by passing a placement or waiver exam administered in person before the start of the academic year. Waiver exams are offered for each Core course, and students who pass may replace the waived course with a graduate-level elective. Additional details and timelines are shared with students over the summer.Harris Core: What makes the Harris Core different from other public policy programs?What makes the Harris Core different from other public policy programs?The Harris Core places a strong emphasis on analytical rigor and integration across disciplines. Rather than treating economics, statistics, and political analysis as isolated requirements, the Core is designed to help students bring these approaches together when confronting complex policy problems. Students are trained not only to analyze data and models, but to interpret evidence, understand institutional context, and communicate insights clearly to policy audiences.
Harris Core: Who participates in the Harris Core CurriculumWho participates in the Harris Core CurriculumAll students in Harris’s master’s degree programs participate in the Core Curriculum. The Core is designed to provide a shared analytical foundation, regardless of students’ prior academic or professional backgrounds. While students pursue a wide range of policy interests and career paths, the Core ensures that everyone develops common skills in statistical reasoning, economic analysis, and political analysis that can be applied across policy domains.
Harris Core: Is the Core the same for all Harris degree programs?Is the Core the same for all Harris degree programs?The Core is largely shared across Harris degree programs, with some differences in emphasis and sequencing to reflect program-specific learning goals. These variations preserve a common analytical foundation while allowing flexibility across degrees. Regardless of program, all students engage with the same core disciplines and are expected to develop the ability to interpret evidence, evaluate tradeoffs, and communicate analytical insights clearly.
Harris Core: How much quantitative background do I need before starting?How much quantitative background do I need before starting?Students arrive at Harris with a wide range of quantitative backgrounds, from extensive coursework in mathematics or economics to more limited formal training. The Core is designed with this diversity in mind. Courses begin with foundational concepts and build in rigor over time, with academic support available for students who need to strengthen specific skills. What matters most is a willingness to engage with quantitative material and apply it thoughtfully to real policy questions.
Harris Core: Can Core courses be waived or substituted?Can Core courses be waived or substituted?In some cases, students may be eligible to enroll in an advanced version of a Core course or to waive a Core course entirely. Advanced versions are available for statistics and microeconomics in the autumn and winter quarters and can be selected during preregistration or registration, subject to space availability. There are no advanced versions of the analytical politics courses.Students may also qualify to waive a Core course by passing a placement or waiver exam administered in person before the start of the academic year. Waiver exams are offered for each Core course, and students who pass may replace the waived course with a graduate-level elective. Additional details and timelines are shared with students over the summer.
Harris Core: What makes the Harris Core different from other public policy programs?What makes the Harris Core different from other public policy programs?The Harris Core places a strong emphasis on analytical rigor and integration across disciplines. Rather than treating economics, statistics, and political analysis as isolated requirements, the Core is designed to help students bring these approaches together when confronting complex policy problems. Students are trained not only to analyze data and models, but to interpret evidence, understand institutional context, and communicate insights clearly to policy audiences.