Sue BurkeSenior Associate Dean, Chief Communications and Marketing Officer
Academic center · Policy · Keller Center, Chicago · Est. 1988
The University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy is a graduate and executive public-policy school within the University of Chicago. Harris traces its professional-school origins to an interdepartmental Committee on Public Policy Studies, which emerged into the Harris school in 1988 with an interdisciplinary, analytics-forward approach to public life and policy change.
Today, Harris emphasizes rigorous quantitative and evidence-based policy analysis combined with professional training and applied learning, and it prepares students for careers across government, nonprofit, consulting/think tanks, international organizations, and private-sector policy roles. Harris’ academic portfolio includes a flagship Master of Public Policy (MPP) and a set of specialized master’s and joint degrees that integrate policy analysis with applied data science and domain-specific policy training (including climate and energy). Harris also operates executive-education and leadership-development programs, such as the Civic Leadership Academy and the Harris Social Impact Fellowship, which are designed to train leaders in applying evidence and analytics to governance and public-interest problems. Strategically, Harris’ differentiation is its “data-first” policy education model, combined with structured pathways from classroom learning into applied projects, simulations, and policy labs. In recent institutional developments reflected in Harris’ news releases, the school has expanded its specialized graduate offerings (including a new Master of Science in Data Analytics & Policy and the MS in Climate and Energy Policy) and increased the school’s reach through policy-relevant professional training programs such as the Policing Leadership Academy and other applied initiatives connected to external partners.
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Harris announced the launch of an accelerated 11-month MSDAP, designed for students and professionals seeking to apply data, analytics, and machine learning to real-world policy decisions across multiple domains.
Police Leadership Training Gains Momentum in the United States CongressA Harris-linked Policing Leadership Academy and Crime Lab research are credited with influencing federal lawmakers as they develop legislation to expand advanced police leadership and management training nationwide.
Hunting Viruses in Your Water SystemDEF CON Franklin and the National Rural Water Association launched the Water Watch Center to help small water utilities mitigate cybersecurity threats, with Harris’ Cyber Policy Initiative leadership referenced in the announcement.
Exploring Policy Where Policy HappensHarris described a new three-week summer evening course in Washington, D.C., intended to give students an insider view of policymaking institutions, relationships, and day-to-day decisions through meetings with policymakers and real-world project work.
For Daniel Tollefson, Service Means Saying ‘Yes’Harris announced that it named Daniel Tollefson (AM’19) as the recipient of the 2026 CC DuBois Alumni Service Award.
Master of Science in Climate and Energy Policy Program Welcomes Inaugural CohortHarris reported that the new MSCEP welcomed its inaugural cohort in Summer 2026, describing the one-year program structure and partnerships with the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth and its curriculum.