Harris School of Public Policy

The University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy is the public policy school of the University of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It is located on the University of Chicago's main campus in Hyde Park. The school's namesake is businessman Irving B. Harris, who made a donation that established the Harris School in 1986. In addition to policy studies and policy analysis, the school requires its students to pursue training in economics and statistics through preliminary examinations and course requirements. The Harris School offers joint degrees with the Booth School of Business, Law School, School of Social Service Administration, and the Graduate Division of the Social Sciences.

University of Chicago
Harris School of Public Policy

The Keller Center
Motto	Social Impact, Down to a Science
Type	Private
Established	1988
Dean	Ethan Bueno de Mesquita
Students	839
Address	1307 East 60th Street , Chicago , Illinois , United States 41.7855°N 87.5970°W / 41.7855; -87.5970
Campus	Urban
Website	harris.uchicago.edu

Inside the Keller Center

In 2014, the Harris School received two gifts totaling $32.5 million for a physical expansion. A former residence hall designed by architect Edward Durell Stone was renovated and renamed The Keller Center, housing the Harris School of Public Policy as of 2019. The Keller Center's Forum provides a venue for speakers and open work space. Harris is ranked third among policy analysis schools in the United States, and listed as the second best public policy institution globally in the field of economics research by RePEc.

History

The Harris School of Public Policy was predated by the Committee on Public Policy and The University of Chicago Center for Policy Study. The Center on Public Policy, established in 1966, was a research center and so did not offer degrees. The Center hosted fellows and conferences and published research in the field of public policy, primarily urban studies and urban journalism. The Committee on Public Policy was formed to offer master's degrees to students interested in policy studies. The Committee, formed of professors employed by different academic divisions, began offering classes in 1976 to a small group of one-year Master's students who had applied internally from other graduate divisions within the University of Chicago. The Committee's long term viability was called into question for reasons including the small demand for one year master's degrees in public policy and weak administrative support for such a small program. Over the next three years the Committee began offering two year degrees, joint BA/MA degrees and PhDs, but it continued to be threatened by weak administrative support and unstable funding. In 1986 a committee of Deans recommended the Committee should secure a better endowment and become a professional school or be dissolved. At that time Irving Harris pledged $6.9 million in order to create the public policy school, a figure he later raised to $10 million. In 1988 the Harris School of Public Policy opened in the former American Bar Association Building which it has shared with affiliates including NORC at the University of Chicago and the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. In 2019, the Harris School moved to the newly renovated Keller Center.

Curriculum

The Harris School offers the following full-time professional master's degree programs:

• Master of Public Policy (MPP), a two-year program
• Master of Science (MS) in Computational Analysis and Public Policy, a two-year program offered with the Department of Computer Science
• Master of Arts (MA) in Public Policy, a 9-month program
• Master of Arts (MA) Part-time Evening Master's Program, a 15-month program
• Master of Arts (MA) in Public Policy with Certificate in Research Methods, a 15-month program

Further, the school offers a Ph.D. program in public policy.

The Harris School offers certificates in the following concentrations [1]:

Harris Public Policy's previous building

• Global Conflict
• International Development
• Economic Policy
• Health Policy
• Municipal Finance
• Policy Analysis
• Political Campaigns
• Survey Research
• Health Administration
• Global Health
• Computational Social Science

Dual degrees

The Harris School partners with other professional schools and divisions within the University of Chicago to offer accelerated joint/dual degrees.

• MPP/MA – Joint Degree with the Center for Middle Eastern Studies
• MPP/MDiv – Joint Degree with the Divinity School
• MPP/MBA – Joint Degree with the Booth School of Business
• MPP/JD – Joint Degree with the Law School
• MPP/MA – Joint Degree with the School of Social Service Administration
• MA/MA – Dual Degree Committee on International Relations (CIR)
• BA/MPP – The Professional Option Program with the College

Cooperative Programs

The Harris School runs cooperative programs partnered with international institutions [2].

• Fundação Getúlio Vargas (Getúlio Vargas Foundation), Instituto de Desenvolvimento Educacional (Educational Development Institute)
• Hanqing Advanced Institute of Economics and Finance, Renmin University of China
• Kemmy Business School, University of Limerick
• Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (National Council for Science and Technology of the United Mexican States)
• Yonsei University
• The Center for Strategic Research (SAM), Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Turkey)

Credential Programs

Policy Analytics Credential

Led jointly by Harris School faculty, students, and alumni, the Policy Analytics Credential Program is designed to equip participants with robust policy, coding, and data analytics skills.

Data and Policy Summer Scholar program

The Data and Policy Summer Scholar program (DPSS) equips training in data analytics paired with hands-on policy research experience and professional development resources. The program includes three required modules: (1) Data Analytics in Public Policy; (2) Introduction to R Programming; and (3) a capstone research project.  

Participants can opt for either the academic track or the professional track. Both tracks provide core foundational courses and resources, with the aim of preparing participants for their next steps—whether that’s graduate school applications or a career pivot. 

Policy Research and Innovation Bootcamp

The Policy Research and Innovation Bootcamp (PRIB) is a 2-week, in-person program for participants who are ready to advance their quantitative research skills and plan for their social impact-driven career. The program is designed for a wide audience— from undergraduate students curious about policy research to working professionals aiming to improve quantitative research skills. An optional two-week jumpstart course is available for participants with limited quantitative backgrounds or who would like to increase English language proficiency before the program starts.

International Policy Action Lab

The International Policy Action Lab (IPAL) is a three-week program in Beijing designed for students and young professionals. Participants gain rigorous, interdisciplinary training in data analysis and international policy research, work with faculty members from Peking University and the University of Chicago, expand career knowledge and industry networks.

Monetary Policy & International Finance

The Monetary Policy and International Finance Credential Program is a course for undergraduate students, graduate students, and working professionals interested in monetary and international finance policy areas. The program is taught jointly by faculty members at Peking University and the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy, together with global industry leaders for professional development and networking opportunities.

Environmental Economics and Policy Lab

The Environmental Economics and Policy Lab is a course for undergraduate students, graduate students, and working professionals interested in environmental economics and energy policy. It’s taught by faculty from the Harris School with field visits and networking opportunities in Beijing, China.

This course studies the application of economic analysis to the management of the environment and natural resource policy.

Topics are introduced in the context of real-world environmental and energy policy questions, then translated into microeconomic theory to highlight the salient constraints and fundamental trade-offs faced by policymakers. Students conduct a policy analysis in groups with feedback from faculty as the program capstone project.

Persuasive Writing Credential

In the six-week Persuasive Writing Credential program, students learn to craft evidence-based policy stories that drive meaningful action. Interactive lectures and case studies help students build a toolkit for tailoring narratives to the audience's needs.

Students also explore how to use several human-centered design exercises to craft a research statement with key questions they will answer from public policy documents.

SDG Challenge Program for High School Students

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, aims to provide a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet.

Led by University of Chicago faculty with support from graduate instructors and alumni, the Sustainable Development Goals Challenge Program for High School Students is a three-week research immersion program designed for high school students who aspire to learn how to make a social impact and become informed leaders and decision-makers.

Participants delve into the fundamentals of policy research, applying their skills to address real-world inquiries related to the UN SDGs. Beyond the classroom, students will connect with UChicago alumni and produce work deliverables to showcase their critical thinking and presentation skills.

Municipal Finance

The Municipal Finance program was designed in partnership with the Harris School's Center for Municipal Finance and the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. The program is led by Professor Justin Marlowe, Director of the Center for Municipal Finance at the Harris School; Luis Quintanilla, Program Analyst, Lincoln Institute; and Ge Vue, Director of Learning Design, Lincoln Institute.

This four-day professional credential program provides a foundation in municipal finance with a focus on urban planning and economic development in the United States.

ESG and Impact Investing Lab

The two-day long ESG and Impact Investing Lab course aims to prepare students to join the rapidly growing field of ESG (environmental, social, and governance).

Through a combination of in-person lectures, case studies, and guest speakers, students develop an evidence-based approach to ESG, expand their industry network, and earn a shareable certification of completion.

Custom Program

Custom programs at the Harris School are designed to help clients invest in human capital, expand the rigorous analytical capacity of organizations, and create impact.

Deans

The following professors served as Dean of the Harris School of Public Policy:

• Robert T. Michael (founding Dean) (1989–1994, 1998–2002)
• Don L. Coursey (1996–1998)
• Susan E. Mayer (2002–2009)
• Colm O'Muircheartaigh (2009–2014)
• Daniel Diermeier (2014–2016)
• Kerwin Charles (interim) (2016–2017)
• Katherine Baicker (2017–2023)
• Ethan Bueno de Mesquita (interim 2023-2024) (2024–Present)

Notable faculty

• James J. Heckman – Nobel Prize winning economist, Henry Schultz Distinguished Service Professor, and director of the Center for the Economics of Human Development
• Roger Myerson – Nobel Prize winning economist and game theorist, David L. Pearson Distinguished Service Professor of Global Conflict Studies
• Michael Kremer – Nobel Prize winning developmental economist, University Professor and director of Development Innovation Lab.
• William G. Howell – Sydney Stein Professor in American Politics; Director, Center for Effective Government; Chair, Department of Political Science
• David O. Meltzer – Director of the Center for Health and the Social Sciences and Chair of the Committee on Clinical and Translational Science
• Tomas J. Philipson – Daniel Levin Professor of Public Policy Studies, Harris School of Public Policy; Associate Faculty Member, Department of Economics
• Robert Rosner – William E. Wrather Distinguished Service Professor in the Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics Department of Physics, and the Enrico Fermi Institute
• Chris Blattman – Ramalee E. Pearson Professor and member of The Pearson Institute for the Study and Resolution of Global Conflicts
• James A. Robinson – Nobel Prize winning economist and political scientist; University Professor at the Harris School of Public Policy
• Jens Ludwig – McCormick Foundation Professor of Social Service Administration, Law, and Public Policy
• Dan A. Black – Deputy dean and professor, senior fellow at the National Opinion Research Center
• Stephen Raudenbush – Lewis-Sebring Distinguished Service Professor, Department of Sociology and the College; Chair, Committee on Education
• Konstantin Sonin – John Dewey Distinguished Service Professor
• Steven Durlauf – Economist and Professor of Public Policy and Education
• Susan Mayer – Sociologist and Former Harris School Dean who has written books on poverty and education
• Ariel Kalil - Behavioral Economist and author who co-directs the Behavioral Insights in Parenting Lab
• Damon Jones - Behavioural Economist and expert in racial inequality

External links

• Harris School of Public Policy's Website