Eligibility Requirements | Program Information and Requirements | Application Procedures

The University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy offers students an opportunity to begin their professional training in public policy while still in the College, leading to the awarding of a four-year undergraduate degree in their declared major and a two-year Master of Public Policy (MPP) degree after five years of study at the University of Chicago.
 
The MPP is a professional degree program designed to develop leaders who put evidence first. The core curriculum draws on a variety of disciplines and fields, including economics, statistics, political science, political economy, and program evaluation. These areas provide a foundation in critical analysis, reflecting Harris Public Policy's belief that mastering quantitative and analytical skills prepares students to be effective public policy leaders. More information about the MPP degree is available on the Harris website.

Eligibility Requirements

  1. Students must have completed at least 3300 credits by the end of their third year in the College in order to enter the BA/MPP program.
  2. Students must complete all required general education courses and all courses required for their major before beginning the BA/MPP program. Exceptions to this policy include:
    1. Students can enter the BA/MPP program without having completed the thesis requirement for their College major. Students must complete the thesis requirement before the end of their joint residency. 
    2. Students who have two or fewer outstanding BA course requirements can be admitted to the BA/MPP program with the permission of the Harris Dean of Students Office if the required course(s) can be taken during the Spring Quarter of their fourth year.
  3. Applicants are expected to have a GPA of 3.25 or higher.
  4. All majors are strongly encouraged to apply.
  5. Students must have completed at least one course, at any level, in at least two of the following three areas at the College: microeconomics, statistics, or calculus. Examination credit will not be accepted for this requirement, e.g., AP course work.
  6. Applicants must fill out a form with their College adviser and submit it along with their application.  

Program Information and Requirements

To be eligible for the BA/MPP program students must fulfill the following requirements:

  1. Students admitted to the BA/MPP program will enter joint residency with the College and Harris in their fourth year with the College.
  2. The nine graduate-level courses that students will take during their year of joint residency (fourth year with the College/first year with Harris) will count toward the credits required for the BA degree (4200 credits in 2023–24).
  3. The BA degree will be awarded at the end of the fourth year. Students must complete all requirements for the BA before beginning the fifth year.
  4. PPHA courses taken prior to entering the BA/MPP program will not count toward the MPP. If the courses taken prior to matriculation are required for the MPP, the student will substitute them with approved electives.
  5. Students must complete all requirements of the MPP, as stated on the Harris MPP webpage, to receive the BA/MPP degree.
  6. Students must register for at least nine courses (900 units of credit) in their fifth year.
  7. Tuition and financial aid:
    1. During the year of joint residency:
      1.  BA/MPP students will be charged tuition at the College “Bachelors/Masters PP” rate, which corresponds to the Harris master’s tuition rate for three courses. This rate is consistent regardless of the number of courses for which a student is registered.
      2. Students will be eligible for financial aid from the College. Students will not be eligible for scholarship from Harris during their year of joint residency.
    2. During the final year (in residency with Harris only):
      1. Students in the BA/MPP program will be charged tuition at the posted Harris master’s tuition rate, which varies based on the number of courses for which a student is registered.
      2. Eligible students will work with the University's Graduate Financial Aid Office to apply for federal student loans.
      3. Students who were awarded scholarship money from Harris at the point of admission to the BA/MPP program will receive those scholarship funds in the final year only.

Application Procedures

Before beginning the application process with Harris, students are encouraged to first meet with their College adviser. Students should make appointments during their second year to ensure that they are on track to finish their general education and major requirements by the end of their third year.

After reviewing with their College adviser, students should speak with Hillary Werner in student recruitment at Harris (wernerh@uchicago.eduearly in the third year. Interested students should submit their formal application to the program by April 15 of their third year in the College: apply-harris.uchicago.edu/apply. Please note that BA/MPP applicants are exempt from the application fee and do not have to submit a GRE score. 

For more information, please contact Harris Recruitment and Admissions at harrisadmissions@uchicago.edu.