phd public policy chicago

Public Policy

PhD in Political Economy

The field of political economy applies tools such as game theory and empirical methods for causal inference to the study of political institutions and behavior. The University of Chicago’s new PhD program in political economy offers an extraordinary opportunity to develop these skills in preparation for a career in academia. Staffed by an outstanding group of  faculty  in the Department of Political Science and the Harris School of Public Policy, this program provides accelerated training in formal theory and statistical methods alongside deep engagement with political science. With a supportive faculty, a  curriculum  expressly tailored to questions in political economy, immersion in the  rich seminar culture  of the University of Chicago, and strong financial support, students in this select program get an early start on research and writing. There is no better place to study political economy.

Faculty in political economy at Chicago have research interests in a broad range of empirical and theoretical topics. We encourage students to pursue research wherever their intellectual interests lie, whether that means working within an established scholarly tradition or exploring new topics from the perspective of political economy. Prospective students submit a single  application  directly to the Ph.D. program in political economy.

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Department of Political Science and Harris School of Public Policy Launch New Political Economy PhD Program

The University of Chicago’s Department of Political Science and Harris School of Public Policy have teamed up to introduce a new PhD program in political economy that offers aspiring scholars an extraordinary opportunity to study political institutions and behavior, guided by a group of 22 world-class faculty with a broad range of research interests in both empirical and theoretical topics.

This new standalone program is distinct from the PhD program offerings from Harris and Political Science and will provide accelerated training for students eager to apply tools such as game theory and empirical methods for causal inference to the study of politics.  With the advent of the new program, Harris will no longer offer the political economy track of its PhD program. 

“With a curriculum  expressly tailored to questions in political economy, a supportive group of outstanding faculty, and immersion in the  rich seminar culture  of the University of Chicago, the program creates a unique intellectual environment that will rank among the world’s best destinations for those studying political economy,” said Scott Gehlbach, a professor with appointments at both Harris Public Policy and Political Science, who serves as director of the new PhD program.

The select group of students in the program will be trained in formal theory and statistical methods alongside deep, substantive engagement in political science. The students will have the freedom to pursue research wherever their intellectual interests lie, whether working within an established scholarly tradition or exploring new topics from the perspective of political economy.  

“The program will offer an early start to students, who will work with faculty on their own research projects,” Gehlbach added. “By the end of their second year, students should already have research ready to be presented at conferences.”

Harris and Political Science professors who will be teaching in the PhD program are available here . The full set of requirements for the program are available here .  Prospective students should submit a single  application  directly to the PhD program in political economy.

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The Curriculum

This is an archived copy of the 2023-2024 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, plesae visit http://catalog.uchicago.edu .

Course Overview

The core curriculum draws on a variety of disciplines and fields, including economics, sociology, political science, statistics, econometrics, political economy, organizational theory, and program evaluation. These areas provide a foundation in critical analysis, reflecting the School’s belief that mastering quantitative and analytical skills prepares students to be effective public policy practitioners.

Electives allow students to explore special academic interests and fields, as well as to participate in internships and independent research complementing required coursework. Students may choose to focus on an area of public policy, register for courses in departments and schools across the University, and take advantage of opportunities for applying academic training to real-world problems. Electives offer students an opportunity to acquire training both in the theoretical and applied analysis of public policy issues, and to develop the skills necessary for a professional position in policy analysis.

The Master of Public Policy (MPP)

The Master of Public Policy is a two-year program for students interested in gaining a thorough training in analytical skills.

Degree Requirements

• Successful completion of 18 graduate-level courses (1800 units of credit) to earn the degree, not including any courses with grades of F, I, W, or courses with no reported grade.
• PPHA 30800 Analytical Politics I: Strategic Foundations or PPHA 41501 Game Theory (with instructor approval)
• PPHA 31610 Analytical Politics II: Political Institutions 
• PPHA 31002 Statistics for Data Analysis I
• PPHA 31202 Advanced Statistics for Data Analysis I
• Any course in the PhD econometrics sequence (PPHA 42000, PPHA 42100, or PPHA 42200) (with instructor approval)
• PPHA 31102 Statistics for Data Analysis II: Regressions
• PPHA 31302 Advanced Statistics for Data Analysis II
• PPHA 32300 Principles of Microeconomics and Public Policy I
• PhD Advanced Microeconomics for Policy Analysis I (with instructor approval)
• PPHA 32400 Principles of Microeconomics and Public Policy II
• PhD Advanced Microeconomics for Policy Analysis II (with instructor approval)
• Completion of a minimum of 12 Public Policy (PPHA) courses
• Completion of a  practical experience requirement  - beginning with the Autumn 2020 incoming cohort of students
• A cumulative grade point average of 2.7 for all courses used toward the MPP degree, based on a 4.0 scale
• Completion of a math requirement
• No more than 2 reading/research, independent study, or internship courses
• No more than 2 courses taken pass/fail

Master of Science in Computational Analysis and Public Policy (MSCAPP)

The Master of Science in Computational Analysis and Public Policy is a two-year program offered with the Computer Science Department for students interested in the design, implementation, and rigorous analysis of data-driven policies.

• Completion of eighteen graduate-level courses (1800 units of credit), not including any courses with grades of F, I, W, or courses with no reported grade
• CAPP 30121 Computer Science with Applications I
• CAPP 30122 Computer Science with Applications II
• CAPP 30235 Databases for Public Policy
• CAPP 30271 Mathematics for Computer Science and Data Analysis
• CAPP 30254 Machine Learning for Public Policy
• STAT 24400 Statistical Theory and Methods I
• STAT 24400 Statistical Theory and Methods II
• PPHA 34600 Program Evaluation
• 1 Policy Elective (PPHA prefix)
• 1 Computer Science elective
• A cumulative grade point average of 2.7 or above for all courses used toward the degree, based on a 4.0 scale
• Completion of a  practical experience requirement  
• Completion of a Math Requirement
• No more than 2 courses taken pass/fail.

Master of Arts Evening Program

The Evening Master of Arts in Public Policy program is a four quarter program that is intended for working mid-career professionals. Courses are offered during the autumn, winter, and spring 9-week quarters primarily in the evenings but with 1 weekend session per quarter.  This allows students the opportunity to maintain a full-time work schedule and earn their degree over the course of 4 academic quarters.

The course curriculum consists of eight 100-unit courses and four 25-unit short courses on current topics in public policy. Students will gain a foundation in data analytics, economic analysis, leadership, and the strategic foundations of public policy.

• Completion of nine graduate-level courses (900 units of credit), not including any courses with grades of F, I, W, or courses with no reported grade
• Data Analytics I: Quantitative Analysis
• Data Analytics II: Introduction to Program Evaluation
• Economic Analysis I: Microeconomics
• Economic Analysis II: Introduction to Cost Benefit Analysis
• Leadership and Negotiations
• Public Finance and Budgeting
• Analytical Politics I: Foundations
• Analytical Politics II: Politics and Policy Making
• Current Topics in Public Policy I-IV
• A cumulative grade point average of 2.7 for all courses used toward the degree, based on a 4.0 scale

Master of Arts with a Certificate in Research Methods (MACRM)

The Master of Arts with certificate in Research Methods is 15-month program designed to prepare students for top-tier Ph.D. programs in economics and political science as well as other social sciences, policy, and business.

• Successful completion of 12 graduate-level courses (1200 units of credit) to earn the degree, not including any courses with grades of F, I, W, or courses with no reported grade
• PPHA 41501 Game Theory
• PPHA 42000 Applied Econometrics I
• PPHA 42100 Applied Econometrics II
• PPHA 42200 Applied Econometrics III
• PPHA 44100 PhD Advanced Microeconomics for Policy Analysis I
• PPHA 44200 PhD Advanced Microeconomics for Policy Analysis II
• PPHA 52500 MACRM Apprenticeship (3 quarters, 300 units of credit total. Register for first course in spring of first year and second in autumn of second year.) 
• Completion of a minimum of 8 Public Policy (PPHA) courses
• Completion of the Mathematical Methods for PhD and MACRM program prior to orientation
• No more than 1 course taken pass/fail
• No more than one (1) reading/research or internship course in addition to the apprenticeship courses.

Master of Arts in Public Policy (MA)

For those who already have an advanced degree but want to understand the public policy aspects of their field and are interested in attending school full-time, our one-year MA program in public policy provides the fundamental understanding of public policy and analytics to complement their experience.

• Successful completion of 9 graduate-level courses (900 units of credit) to earn the degree, not including any courses with grades of F, I, W, or courses with no reported grade
• Any course in the PhD econometrics sequence (PPHA 42000, PPHA 42100, or PPHA 42200) (with instructor approval)
• PPHA 32410 Advanced Microeconomics for Public Policy II
• PPHA 44200 Principles of Microeconomics and Public Policy II (PhD sequence)
• Completion of a minimum of 7 Public Policy (PPHA) courses
• Completion of the math requirement
• No more than 1 reading/research, independent study, or internship course.

Dual Degree Programs

The center for middle eastern studies - mpp/am.

Chicago Harris and the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Chicago offer students an opportunity to earn both a M.P.P. and an A.M. degree.  Upon completion, students graduate with both a Master of Public Policy from Chicago Harris and a Master of Arts in Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Chicago. This joint degree program addresses the needs of students wishing to acquire a solid background in modern Middle Eastern languages, history, and civilization while developing their abilities in policy analysis in preparation for professional careers in scholarly, educational, governmental, non- governmental, and business environments in the United States and abroad.

Students in this program take 13 courses, instead of the usual 18, with Chicago Harris. Students also take 14 courses with Middle Eastern Studies.

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

• Successful completion of 27 graduate-level courses (2700 units of credit) to earn both degrees
• For the AM in Middle Eastern Studies degree, successful completion of 14 graduate-level courses (1400 units of credit) not including any courses with grades of F, I, W, or courses with no reported grade.
• For the MPP degree, successful completion of 13 graduate-level courses (1300 units of credit) not including any courses with grades of F, I, W, or courses with no reported grade.
• PPHA 31610 Analytical Politics II: Political Institutions
• Any course in the PhD econometrics sequence - PPHA 42000, PPHA 42100, or PPHA 42200 (with instructor approval)
• PPHA 44100 PhD Advanced Microeconomics for Policy Analysis I (with instructor approval) 
• PPHA 44200 PhD Advanced Microeconomics for Policy Analysis II (with instructor approval) 
• Completion of a minimum of 10 Public Policy (PPHA) courses.
• A cumulative grade point average of 2.7 for all courses used toward the M.P.P. degree, based on a 4.0 scale
• No more than 2 reading/research courses/independent study/internship

Students who wish to participate in this program must be admitted to both Harris and the Center for Middle Eastern Studies.  A student who is already enrolled in one of the programs may apply during their first year for admission to the other school.

The Divinity School - MPP/M.Div

Chicago Harris and  the Divinity School  offer a combined degree program that enables students to graduate with both a Master of Public Policy and a Master of Divinity.

The program provides an opportunity for students to combine their interest in examining pertinent issues related to the church as a public institution with their interest in public and urban ministry. The program allows students to complete both degrees within a total of four academic years; both degrees must be awarded in the same quarter. Students who wish to participate in this program must be admitted to both Harris and the Divinity School. Students already admitted to one of the Schools may apply during their first year for admission to the other.

• Successful completion of 38 graduate-level courses (3800 units of credit) to earn both degrees, not including any courses with grades of F, I, W, or courses with no reported grade
• For the MDiv degree, successful completion of 24 graduate-level courses (instead of the usual 29)
• For the MPP degree, successful completion of 14 graduate-level courses (instead of the usual 18)
• Completion of a minimum of 10 Public Policy (PPHA) courses
• No more than 1 courses taken pass/fail

The University of Chicago Booth School of Business - MPP/MBA

Chicago Harris and Chicago Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago offer a combined degree program leading to the MPP and MBA degrees. Upon completion, students graduate with both a Master of Public Policy from Chicago Harris and a Master of Business Administration from the Booth School of Business. The joint degree program allows students who are interested in policy issues and business administration to have an integrated and comprehensive course of study. Students already admitted to one of the schools may apply during their first year for admission to the other.

Students in this program take 13 courses, instead of the usual 18, with Harris. Students also take 14 courses (instead of the usual 20) with the Booth, thus earning both degrees in a total of three years.  Both degrees must be awarded in the same quarter. 

• Successful completion of 27 graduate-level courses (2700 units of credit) to earn both degrees, not including any courses with grades of F, I, W, or courses with no reported grade
• For the M.B.A. degree, successful completion of 14 graduate-level courses (1400 credits)
• For the M.P.P. degree, successful completion of 13 graduate-level courses (1300 credits)
• PPHA 44100 PhD Advanced Microeconomics for Policy Analysis I (with instructor approval)  

The Law School - MPP/JD

Chicago Harris and the Law School at the University of Chicago offer students an opportunity to obtain both a M.P.P. and a J.D. degree. Upon completion, students graduate with both a Master of Public Policy from Chicago Harris and a Doctor of Law from the Law School.

The dual degree program allows students who are interested in the application of the law to public policy issues to have a comprehensive course of study. All 14 courses required for the MPP are taken during the four quarters of registration at Harris. Students may apply one academic quarter of up to four 100 unit courses taken within Harris toward the hours required to obtain their law degree. This enables students to earn both degrees in four years. Both degrees must be awarded in the same quarter.

Students who wish to participate in this program must complete the separate admission processes to both Harris and the Law School. Students already admitted to Harris may apply during their first year to the Law School; those admitted to the Law School may apply during their first or second year to Harris.

• For the MPP degree, successful completion of 14 graduate-level courses (1400 units of credit) not including any courses with grades of F, I, W, or courses with no reported grade.

The Crown School of Social Work, Policy & Practice - MPP/AM with Crown

Harris and the Crown School of Social Work, Policy & Practice offer a combined degree program leading to the MPP and AM degrees. Upon completion, students graduate with both a Master of Public Policy from Chicago Harris and a Master of Arts from the Crown School of Social Work, Policy & Practice.

The joint degree program is intended for students who are interested in social welfare policy, and social policy more broadly, and students who want to be social workers involved in the public policy issues that influence their profession. Students who wish to participate in this program must be admitted to both Harris and the Crown School.  A student who is already enrolled in one of the Schools may apply during their first year for admission to the other school.

• For the MA degree, successful completion of 13 graduate-level courses (1300 units of credit)
• For the MPP degree, successful completion of 14 graduate-level courses (1400 units of credit)
• PPHA 44200 PhD Advanced Microeconomics for Policy Analysis I (with instructor approval) 

The Crown School of Social Work, Policy & Practice - MPP/SSL with Crown

The Harris School of Public Policy and the Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice offer a combined program where you can earn your Master of Public Policy and a Master of Arts in Social Sector Leadership & Non-Profit Management at the same time, preparing you to address systemic issues in policy while learning strategic management and leadership skills.

This joint degree program is intended for people who are interested or working in social welfare and/or social policy, want to address the broader systemic issues related to their fields, and have a desire to become more inclusive and impactful leaders across the social sector. Upon completion, graduates will be awarded both a Master of Public Policy from the Harris School of Public Policy and a Master of Arts in Social Sector Leadership from the Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice and be ready to tackle the issues at the root of their fields' challenges.

Students who wish to participate in this program must be admitted to both Harris and the Crown School.  A student who is already enrolled in one of the Schools may apply during their first year for admission to the other school.

PROGRAM   REQUIREMENTS

• Successful completion of 24 graduate-level courses (2400 units of credit) to earn both degrees, not including any courses with grades of F, I, W, or courses with no reported grade
• For the MA degree, successful completion of 10 graduate-level courses (1000 units of credit)

Cooperative Masters Programs

Dual a.m./m.a. with the committee on international relations.

The Harris School of Public Policy and the Committee on International Relations (CIR) offer a two-year program leading to two master of arts degrees: in public policy and international relations. This program is designed for students who want to combine training in public policy analytical tools with a substantive emphasis on international affairs.

• For the MA in International Relations: successful completion of 9 courses (900 units of credit), approved by their CIR advisors and preceptors, which serve to build the foundation for the required M.A. thesis.
• For the MA in Policy: See regular MA degree requirements.

London School of Economics (LSE)-UChicago Double Executive Masters Program in Health Policy – MA/MSc

Please note, the LSE-UChicago Double Executive Masters Program is not currently accepting applications. 

Chicago Harris and the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) offer a degree program leading to a Master of Arts in Public Policy from Chicago Harris and a Master of Science in Health Economics and Policy from LSE.

Designed for working executives, the double master program is taught evenly between Chicago and London in compressed, executive-style teaching modules. The two-year program consists of four two-to-three-week modules completed in person and two summer practicums completed remotely. 

In each year of the two-year program, participants spend two to three weeks in London in the fall and two to three weeks in Chicago in the spring, working through an intensive curriculum that covers foundations in global health policy and health care economics, including health care finance, measuring health system performance, pharmaceutical economics, health policy analysis, and negotiation and advocacy in health policy, among other topics. 

The first year of the program culminates in a health policy project, and the second year concludes with a written dissertation. Both degrees are awarded in the autumn after completion of the second year.  

Select courses offered by LSE will be counted toward the Harris degree requirements and vice versa. Learn more at lse.uchicago.edu.  

Successful completion of 14 graduate-level courses to earn both degrees. 7 of these courses are administered by UChicago and 7 are administered by LSE.

• 9 of these courses will count toward the MA in Public Policy degree • 9 of these courses will count toward the MSc in Health Economics and Policy degree

Completion of the following courses, organized by module:

Autumn I at London School of Economics • PPHA 58501/HP4E1E Global Health Policy • PPHA 58601/HP4E2E Paying for Health Care • PPHA 58701/HP4E3E Evidence Review and Synthesis

Spring I at Chicago Harris • PPHA 58500 Microeconomics for Health Policy • PPHA 58600 Statistics for Health Policy • PPHA 58700 Leadership, Negotiation, and Advocacy in Health Policy: Strategies and Tactics

Summer I – administered by Chicago Harris, completed remotely • PPHA 58800 The Fix: Health Policy Project

Autumn II at London School of Economics • PPHA 59501/HP4E4E Cost-effectiveness in Health Care • PPHA 59601/HP4E5E Economics of the Pharmaceutical Sector • PPHA 59701/HP4E6E Measuring the Performance of Health Services and Systems 

Spring II at Chicago Harris • PPHA 59500 Analytical Politics: The Policymaking Process • PPHA 59600 Health Policy Research Methods • PPHA 59700 Microeconomics for Health Policy II 

Summer II – administered by London School of Economics, completed remotely • PPHA 59801/HP4E7E Dissertation in Health Economics and Policy

Ph.D. Program

The doctoral program (PhD) at Chicago Harris prepares qualified students interested in research-oriented careers involving the substantive and institutional aspects of public policy. The program emphasizes the acquisition of skills needed to design and conduct policy-relevant research, and allows students to develop individualized and innovative courses of study in which they work closely with faculty members of the School and the University.

Director of Graduate Studies Steven Durlauf, professor  Program Director Barbara Williams ( [email protected] )

Course Work

Ph.D. students should expect to complete their program of study after a minimum of four to five years in residence. Ph.D. students must complete a minimum of 18 courses, including demonstrated mastery of the School's core subjects, unless they enter the program with a master's degree in the same or a related field, in which case the number of required courses may be reduced by up to 9 courses.  While earning their Ph.D., if doctoral students meet the requirements of the A.M. or M.P.P., they may petition to earn that degree.

Ph.D. students must complete a minimum of 8 courses in the first year and 6 courses in the second year, all for quality grades (Individual areas of focus (AOFs) might require more than these minimums. All core courses must be completed with an average B+ (3.3) grade point average (GPA). The core courses consist of two courses in microecnomics, three courses in econmetrics, and one course in game theory. 

Following completion of their coursework and examinations, Ph.D. students will be able to take advantage of opportunities to obtain financial support for their doctoral research from internal and external sources and to participate in research projects in the School and the University. Students receiving internal financial support will also serve as course assistants beyond their first year of study.

Additional Requirements

Beyond the successful completion of required course work, Ph.D. students must fulfill the following requirements:

Qualifying Examinations Ph.D. students are required to pass a qualifying exam in a specialized field as specified by the AOF. The exam can take the form of passing core sequences with adequate grades rather than a separate exam.

Qualifying Paper A qualifying paper must be completed by the end of the second year of study. During their third year of study, Ph.D. students make the transition from coursework to dissertation research. An acceptable qualifying paper will show evidence that the student is developing the capacity for formulating and conducting an independent research project and for creating a scholarly argument. Ideally, the qualifying paper will constitute a step toward completion of a dissertation proposal.

Dissertation Proposal Following completion of the qualifying paper, students will write and defend a dissertation proposal before the student's dissertation committee and other interested University faculty and doctoral students. The proposal hearing will ordinarily be held by the Autumn Quarter of the fourth year of study, after which the student is admitted to candidacy for the Ph.D.

Dissertation Defense The dissertation should be a significant public policy research project carried out under the supervision of the student's dissertation committee, composed of at least three qualified members approved by the director of doctoral studies. The dissertation defense is a public meeting of faculty and students directed by the chair of the dissertation committee. The dissertation is expected to constitute an original contribution to public policy knowledge and to demonstrate mastery of relevant theories and research methods.

Required courses:

Certificates

Certificate in data analytics.

Faculty Director : Peter Ganong (on leave AY 23-24)  Interim Director: Dan Black

Program Description:  With increased digital access to data and the development of powerful, but inexpensive, computing, in the 21st century the formulation and evaluation of public policy is more and more reliant on the analysis of data. This certificate seeks to prepare students for careers where data analysis plays a central role.

Certificate Requirements

The certificate requires completion of three required courses, along with one additional course (four courses total). Students must achieve at least a B- grade in each course with the exception of the last term prior to graduation. No certificate course may be taken on a pass/fail grading basis. Students should complete the formal signup process to indicate their intention to pursue the certificate.

Required courses

Students must complete the following two-course sequence:

• PPHA 30535 or PPHA 30537 Data and Programming for Public Policy I
• PPHA 30536 or PPHA 30538 Data and Programming for Public Policy II

Students must complete one of the following courses:

• PPHA 30545 or PPHA 30546 Machine Learning
• BUSN 41204 Machine Learning
• CMSC 35300 Mathematical Foundations of Machine Learning
• MACS 33002 Introduction to Machine Learning

Elective courses

Students must complete one of the following courses to fulfill the four-course requirement:

• PPHA 30581 Civic Data and Technology Clinic
• PPHA 38829 Artificial Intelligence for Public Policy
• PPHA 60000 Policy Labs 
• BUSN 37105 Data Science for Marketing Decision Making
• BUSN 37304 Digital and Algorithmic Marketing
• BUSN 40206 Healthcare Business Analytics
• BUSN 41100 Applied Regression Analysis
• BUSN 41201 Big Data
• ECMA 31130 Topics in Microeconometrics

Certificate in Education Policy

Faculty Director: Anjali Adukia

Program Description: The Education Policy Certificate is designed to provide students with the background, concepts, and tools necessary to understand and address policy problems in education. The certificate’s curriculum will afford students opportunities to expose themselves to the multiple disciplines and fields that speak to global and domestic education challenges, such as labor economics, public economics, development economics, development psychology, behavioral science, mechanism design, sociology, and education and child studies.

The certificate requires completion of two of three required courses, along with one additional course from the elective or required course list. Students must achieve at least a B- grade in each course, and there is no pass/fail option. The courses do not need to be taken in a particular order. The certificate is open to all graduate students at the University of Chicago. Note that not all of these courses will be offered each year. Students should complete the formal signup process to indicate their intention to pursue the certificate.

Required Courses (at least two)

• PPHA 35240 Education, Inequality and Economic Development
• PPHA 35720 Higher Education Policy
• PPHA 40700 Early Childhood: Human Capital Development and Public Policy

Elective Courses

• PPHA 35710 Introduction to Economics of Education
• PPHA 41740 Gender and Policy
• CHDV 44300 Children and Youth Studies
• EDSO 33002 Schooling and Identity
• EDSO 33006 Schooling and Social Inequality (open to EdSo students only)
• EDSO 33011 Beyond the Culture Wars: Social Movements and the Politics of Education
• EDSO 40315 Inequality in Urban Spaces
• MAPS 30128 Sociology of Education
• SOCI 30192 The Effects of Schooling
• SSAD 44800 Urban Adolescents in Their Families, Communities, and Schools

Certificate in Energy and Environmental Policy

Faculty Director: Ryan Kellogg (on leave AY 23-24)  Interim Director: Koichiro Ito

Program Description:   Providing society with affordable and reliable energy, while limiting its negative social and environmental impacts, is one of the great global challenges of the 21st century. The Harris Energy and Environmental Policy Certificate is designed to provide students with the background, concepts, and tools necessary to understand and address pressing energy and environmental policy problems.

The certificate requires completion of at least two courses from the “Required courses” list, along with two additional courses that come from either the “Required courses” list or the “Elective courses” list (four courses total). Students must achieve at least a B- grade in each course with the exception of the last term prior to graduation. No certificate course may be taken on a pass/fail grading basis, with the exception of PPHA 39519: Energy Law and Policy. The courses do not need to be taken in a particular order. Students should complete the formal signup process to indicate their intention to pursue the certificate.

Students must complete two of the following courses:

• PPHA 30810: Political Economy of Natural Resources
• PPHA 36930: Environmental Economics: Theory and Applications
• PPHA 38900: Environmental Science and Policy
• PPHA 39925: Energy Policy and Human Behavior
• PPHA 39930: International Climate Policy
• PPHA 41210: Science and Technology for Future Policy Wonks

In addition to courses from the core list above, students must complete enough of the below courses in order to complete four total courses in the certificate:

• PPHA 32750: Hydropolitics: Water Policy and Conflict
• PPHA 33510: Nuclear Policy 
• PPHA 34600: Program Evaluation (Energy and Environment Applications)
• PPHA 36150: Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and Impact Investing
• PPHA 36921: Energy Economics and Policy
• PPHA 36925: Utilities and Electricity Markets: Regulation in the United States
• PPHA 39518: Law and the Economics of Natural Resources Markets
• PPHA 51700: Energy Policy Practicum
• PPHA 60000: Energy and Environment Policy Lab
• ENSC 24400 / BIOS 20196: Ecology and Conservation
• GEOS 24705 / ENSC 21100: Energy: Science, Technology, and Human Usage
• GEOS 13300 / ENSC 13300: The Atmosphere
• LAWS 43282: Energy Law
• LAWS 46001: Environmental Law: Air, Water, and Animals
• SSAD 69400 Climate Change and Human Mobility

Certificate in Finance and Policy 

Faculty Director : Tom Coleman Center Name: Center for Economic Policy

Program Description:

The Center for Economic Policy seeks to educate students and wider audiences about economic policy and markets, providing students with training in economic tools to analyze the regulatory and legal framework in which markets operate. Markets and government policies regulating them have always been central to economic growth, social welfare, and civil society, with policy decisions and legal frameworks inextricably tied to economic outcomes.

Whether it is the government debt consolidation undertaken by the South Sea Company (and Bank of England) in the early 1700s or the rise in mortgage debt and the 2008 financial crisis, financial markets and their functioning are inextricably linked with both household behavior and larger economic outcomes and policy decisions. The core Certificate courses teach basic finance tools necessary for understanding financial instruments and markets. Electives provide a broader range of topics related to household finance, international finance, and banking.

The certificate requires completion of two required courses, along with one additional elective course. Students must achieve at least a B- grade in each course with the exception of the last term prior to graduation. No certificate course may be taken on a pass/fail grading basis. Students should complete the formal signup process to indicate their intention to pursue the certificate.

Students must complete one of the following courses to fulfill the requirement:

• PPHA 42510 Applied Financial Management
• PPHA 36101 Financial Investments for Public Policy
• BUSN 35001 Introductory Finance (may be counted only once toward a requirement)
• BUSN 35000 Investments

Students must complete one of the following courses to fulfill the requirement:

• PPHA 34410 Corporate Finance
• BUSN 35200 Corporate Finance

Students must complete one of the following courses to fulfill the requirement:

• PPHA 34241 Household Finance: Theory and Applications
• PPHA 34500 Macroeconomics for Public Policy or BUS 33040 Macroeconomics
• PPHA 35310 International Trade, Banking and Capital Markets
• PPHA 36150 Environmental, Social, Corporate Governance, and Impact Investing
• PPHA 39404 Practicum on Inequality, Household Finance, and Tax Policy 
• PPHA 39530 Macroeconomic Policymaking
• PPHA 42521 History of Financial Crises
• PPHA 42535 Bank Regulation and Management 
• PPHA 42550 Cryptocurrencies, DeFi and the Blockchain: Markets, Regulation and Policy
• PPHA 60000 a finance-oriented Harris Policy Labs (with the approval of the Certificate Director)
• BUSN 30131 Advanced Financial Analysis and Valuation of Global Firms
• BUSN 33050 Macroeconomics and the Business Environment
• BUSN 33502 International Financial Policy
• BUSN 34101 Entrepreneurial Finance and Private Equity
• BUSN 35126 Quantitative Portfolio Management
• BUSN 35201 Cases in Financial Management
• BUSN 35210 International Corporate Finance
• BUSN 35214 Debt Distress & Restructuring
• FINM 32600 Computing for Finance in C++

Recommended Co-Curricular Activity

During their second year, students should attend two events (out of six) from the “Harris Speakers on Economic Policy and Markets” or “History of Chicago Economics” speaker series.

Certificate in Gender and Policy

Faculty Director: Yana Gallen

Program Description: The Gender and Policy Certificate will guide students in developing their understanding of the historic and present role of women in politics, policy, and the labor market. Students will gain knowledge of gender differences in outcomes and their sources, will learn how challenges differ around the world and over the life course, and will be exposed to policy solutions as well as policy failures.

Students will be free to choose four courses from the list below to complete the certificate. Students may replace up to two of these four courses with an unlisted elective of their choice from the GNSE department, with the approval of the faculty director of the certificate. Students must achieve at least a B- grade in each course, and there is no pass/fail option. The courses do not need to be taken in a particular order. Students should complete the formal signup process to indicate their intention to pursue the certificate.

Required Courses (choose four)

• PPHA 30300 Philosophical Foundations of Public Policy
• PPHA 35240 Education, Inequality, and Economic Development
• PPHA 41720 Discrimination in the Labor Market
• PPHA 46610 Workplace and Family Policy
• PPHA 47400 Women, Development, and Politics
• PPHA 6000 Policy Lab (gender-based labs, with the approval of certificate director)
• GNSE 20117 Feminist Theory and Political Economy
• PBPL 20115 Women, Peace, and Security

The Pearson Institute Certificate in Global Conflict Studies

Faculty Director : Oeindrila Dube  Administrative Director : Molly O'Donnell

Program Description : While past generations witnessed world wars and other great power struggles, global conflict has evolved to include violent extremism, large-scale displacement, and failed nations. Future leaders must also adapt their concepts and empirical approaches in order to understand the new nature of conflict when proposing solutions for the future.

By focusing on comparative development, political economy, and applied methodology, The Pearson Institute Global Conflict Studies Certificate is designed to prepare students for careers in government, non-governmental organizations, international organizations, or multinational corporations.

Certificate Requirements:

The certificate will be awarded to students who complete any three of the qualifying courses. Students must achieve at least a B- grade in each course with the exception of the last term prior to graduation, and there is no pass/fail grading option. Students should complete the formal signup process to indicate their intention to pursue the certificate.

The following two courses are recommended as a fundamental sequence of the certificate:

• PPHA 35570: Conflict and Humanitarian Intervention: Blurring Humanitarian, Development, and Security Policy
• PPHA 38740: Conflict and Applied Data Science

Other qualifying certificate courses

• PPHA 32740 Order and Violence
• PPHA 32750 Hydropolitics: Water Policy and Conflict
• PPHA 33510 Nuclear Policy
• PPHA 33840 The Changing Character of Conflict: Conflict in the Gray Zone
• PPHA 38765 The Politics of Authoritarian Regimes
• PPHA 39830 /  PLSC 48401 Quantitative Security
• PPHA 60000 Global Conflict and International Development Policy Lab
• INRE 43000 Core Seminar: International Order and Security
• LAWS 43262 / PPHA 38752 International Human Rights
• PBPL 20115 / PPHA 47420 Women, Peace and Security
• PLSC 40610 Seminar on International Security Affairs
• SSAD 46922 Structuring Refuge: U.S. Refugee Policy and Resettlement Practice
• SSAD 47812 Human Rights Policy and Practice

Certificate in Health Policy

Faculty Directo r: David Meltzer  Administrative Directo r: Kelsey Bogue

Program Description : Health policy has monumental impact on societies, locally, nationally and around the world. Policymaking in this field must weigh factors ranging from child welfare to employment law, the national economy to breakthroughs in medicine and care. The Harris Health Policy Certificate is designed to provide students with the background, concepts and tools necessary to understand and address pressing health policy problems.

The certificate requires completion of three certificate courses. Students must achieve at least a B- grade in each course with the exception of the last term prior to graduation. No certificate course may be taken on a pass/fail grading basis. Students should complete the formal signup process to indicate their intention to pursue the certificate.

• PPHA 37520 / SSAD 47522 U.S. Health System and Policy (open to GPHAP students only)
• PPHA 38300 Health Economics

Students must complete two of the following courses to fulfill the requirement:

• PPHA 37710 Medicaid: Understanding the Public Policy of a Federal-State Partnership
• PPHA 37302 / SSAD 46622 Key Issues in Health Care: An Interdisciplinary Case Studies Approach (open to GPHAP students only)
• PPHA 37720 / PBHS 35500 U.S. Health Policy and Politics.
• PPHA 37820 Health Care Markets and Regulation
• PPHA 37910 Race and Ethnic Differences in Health: Epidemiology, Behavior and Policy
• PPHA 38030 Health Law and Policy
• PPHA 38290 Economic Analysis of Health Policies
• PPHA 58400 Policy Analysis and Priority Setting in Health and Medicine
• PPHA 60000 Policy Lab
• BUSN 40205 Healthcare Data Analytics
• BUSN 42300 Global Health and Social Policy
• HMRT 31400 Health and Human Rights
• LAWS 43359: Regulation of Drug, Devices, Biologics, and Cosmetics
• PBHS 30910 Epidemiology and Population Health
• PBHS 31450 Social Inequalities in Health: Race & Ethnicity
• PBHS 33700 Sexual Health: Identity, Behavior, and Outcomes
• PBHS 35100 Health Services Research Methods
• PBHS 35500 / PPHA 37720 U.S. Health Policy and Politics
• PBHS 35600 / PPHA 38340 Money, Medicine, and Markets: The Financialization of the US Health System
• SSAD 46622 / PPHA 37302 Key Issues in Health Care: An Interdisciplinary Case Studies Approach (open to GPHAP students only)
• SSAD 62912 Global Development and Social Welfare

The Pearson Institute Certificate in International Policy and Development

Faculty Director : Christopher Blattman   Faculty Administrative Director: Rebecca Wolfe Program Description : The International Policy and Development (IPD) Certificate focuses on two broad kinds of questions:

1. How to achieve economic and political development? These courses focus on why some people and societies are poor, unequal, unstable, or unfree, and what circumstances and policies promote wealth, equality, stability, and freedoms.

2. How to design and implement public policy globally? The courses focus on public policy issues in an international setting across a range of subjects, including: education, health, children, criminal justice, public finance, labor markets, elections, and so forth.

The IPD Certificate is designed to prepare students for careers in government, non-governmental organizations, international organizations, or multinational corporations.

The certificate requires completion of three certificate courses. Students must achieve at least a B- grade in each course with the exception of the last term prior to graduation. No certificate course may be taken on a pass/fail grading basis. The courses do not need to be taken in a particular order. Students should complete the formal signup process to indicate their intention to pursue the certificate.

The certificate will be awarded to students who complete any three of the qualifying courses; however, the following two courses are recommended as a fundamental sequence of the certificate:

• PPHA 35550 Economic Development and Policy
• PPHA 35556 Political Economics of Developing Countries

The following courses also fulfill the requirement for the International Development and Policy certificate:

• PPHA 32736 Economics, Politics and African Societies
• PPHA 34600 Program Evaluation (International Policy Focus)
• PPHA 35577 Big Data and Development
• PPHA 35540 How to Change the World: Science of Policymaking in International Policy and Development
• PPHA 35560 Translating Evidence for Policy and Program Design
• PPHA 35565 Infrastructure and Development
• PPHA 35575 Behavioral Experiments in International Development: From Theory to Practice
• PPHA 35578 Qualitative Methods for International Policy and Development
• PPHA 35585 The Chinese Economy
• PPHA 37040 Economic Growth and Development
• PPHA 38754 Global Forced Displacement: Policy and Practice
• PPHA 39750 Politics and Public Policy in Latin America
• PPHA 39930 International Climate Policy
• PPHA 47400 Women, Development and Politics
• PPHA 60000 Policy Lab (International Development Focus)
• BUSN 33520 The Wealth of Nations
• EMCA / PPHA 35561 Running Randomized Trials in Low And Middle Income Countries
• LACS 36382 Development and Environment in Latin America
• LAWS 53132 / PPHA 38751 Human Trafficking and the Link to Public Corruption
• SSAD 62912 / PPHA 32760 Global Development and Social Welfare
• SSAD 63800 Program Evaluation in International Settings

Certificate in Markets and Regulation

Faculty Director:  Kathryn Ierulli

Program Description : The Markets and Regulation Certificate educates students in the structures and characteristics of regulated markets by analyzing the outcomes of markets for consumers and producers, evaluating how government policies alter post-regulation market outcomes, and considering costs and benefits of economic regulation.

The certificate requires completion of one required course, along with two elective courses. Students must achieve at least a B- grade in each course with the exception of the last term prior to graduation, and there is no pass/fail option. Students should complete the formal signup process to indicate their intention to pursue the certificate.

Students must complete the following course:

• PPHA 46350 Economics of Regulation

Students must complete two elective courses to fulfill the requirement.

Strongly Recommended Elective Course:

• PPHA 37110 Competition Policy: Theory and Practice

Other Electives:

• PPHA 32100 State and Local Public Finance
• PPHA 33660 Government Program Oversight and Accountability
• PPHA 36930 Environmental Economics: Theory and Applications
• PPHA 36925 Utilities and Electricity Markets: Regulation in the United States
• PPHA 36945 Regulating Corporate Behavior for the Public Good
• PPHA 39404 Practicum on Inequality, Household Finance, and Tax Policy
• PPHA 42535 Banking Regulation and Management
• PPHA 60000 Policy Labs (with permission of the Certificate Director)
• ECON 28620 / BUSN 28620 Crony Capitalism
• BUSN 35123 The FinTech Revolution
• BUSN 42001 Competitive Strategy
• BUSN 42117 Platform Competition
• LAWS 42801 Antitrust Law
• LAWS 43250 Privacy Law
• LAWS 53227 Cross-Border Transactions: Lending

Certificate in Municipal Finance

Faculty Directo r: Justin Marlowe

Program Description: The Certificate in Municipal Finance prepares students for careers with local and state governments as well as private-sector financial and consulting firms. Students will gain in-depth expertise in the process, politics, and economics of public revenue and expenditure decisions and learn the practices and techniques of modern financial administration and the operation of the municipal securities market. Such policy expertise is essential for raising, spending, and borrowing money to provide basic local government services, as well as for tackling many pressing municipal problems that are dependent on resources provided by the budget, such as funding public pensions and health care.

The certificate requires completion of two required courses, along with one additional elective course. Students must achieve at least a B- grade in each course with the exception of the last term prior to graduation, and there is no pass/fail option. Students should complete the formal signup process to indicate their intention to pursue the certificate.

The certificate is open to Harris Public Policy graduate students only. 

• PPHA 32530 Fundamentals of Municipal Bonds

Students must complete two of the following courses to fulfill the requirement:

• PPHA 60000 Harris Policy Lab (selected sections only and with permission of certificate director)
• SSAD 49600 Financial Management for Nonprofit Organizations
• LAWS 53110 Project and Infrastructure Development and Finance

Students may propose additional elective courses with substantial municipal finance contents. Proposals will be considered on a case-by-case basis, by the Faculty Director.

Certificate in Policy Analysis

Faculty Directors : Dan Black

Program Description: The Certificate in Policy Analysis enables students to learn technical and analytical tools in the classroom and subsequently to apply them to a real-world project for a real-world client in a supported environment.  Students will also learn valuable project management, communications, and other professional skills. Students earning the Certificate in Policy Analysis will be well positioned for careers in local and state governments as well as the private sector financial and consulting firms who serve them.

The certificate requires completion of three required courses. Students must take either Program Evaluation or Cost Benefit Analysis before enrolling in the Policy Lab. Students must achieve at least a B- grade in each course with the exception of the last term prior to graduation, and there is no pass/fail option. Students should complete the formal signup process to indicate their intention to pursue the certificate.

• PPHA 34600  Program Evaluation
• PPHA 41300  Cost-Benefit Analysis
• Choose one Harris Policy Lab

Certificate in Social and Economic Inequality

Faculty Directo r : Dan Black

Program Description: The goal of this Certificate is to introduce students to modern theories of inequality and the empirical study of those theories.  Topics include early childhood sources of income inequality, discrimination in the labor market and in other institutions, segregation in housing markets, the impact of migration on the measurement of inequality, and the role of peer effects. 

The certificate requires completion of at least two courses from the “Required courses” list, along with two additional courses that come from either the “Required courses” list or the “Elective courses” list (four courses total). No Required course substitutions allowed.

Students must achieve at least a B- grade in each course.  No course may be taken on a pass/fail basis. The courses do not need to be taken in a particular order. Students should complete the formal signup process to indicate their intention to pursue the certificate. 

Required Courses

Students must complete at least two of the following courses:

• PPHA 33230 Inequality: Theory, Methods and Evidence
• PPHA 33240 Intergenerational Mobility: Theory, Methods and Evidence
• PPHA 39404 Inequality, Household Finance, and Tax Policy

Students must complete two additional courses from either the Required Courses or the Elective Courses list.

• PPHA 37910 Race and Ethnic Differences in Health: Epidemiology, Behavior, and Policy
• PPHA 60000 Policy Lab (Inequality-based labs only; must be approved by Certificate Director)
• ECON 24450 Inequality and the Social Safety Net: Theory, Empirics, and Policies

Certificate in Survey Research

Faculty Director : Colm O'Muircheartaigh  Administrative Director : Marc Farinella

Program Description: The collection of data directly from individuals or other entities provides the foundation for modern public policy in the fields of official government statistics and social research. The Certificate in Survey Research is designed to cover a range of methodologies and applications to prepare students either to work directly in the area of data collection or to become informed users and evaluators of data collected by others.

Students who complete this certificate will be able to:

• Understand the provenance of data
• Appreciate the implications of survey design for the analysis of data
• Understand the importance of blending survey data collected for research purposes with real-world administrative data

The certificate requires completion of one required course, along with two additional courses. Students must achieve at least a B- grade in each course with the exception of the last term prior to graduation, and there is no pass/fail option. The courses do not need to be taken in a particular order. Students should complete the formal signup process to indicate their intention to pursue the certificate.

Required course

• PPHA 41600 Survey Research Methodology
• PPHA 38520 GIS Applications in the Social Sciences
• PPHA 41800 Survey Questionnaire Design
• PPHA 44900 Methods of Data Collection: Social Experiments, Quasi-Experiments and Surveys
• PPHA 60000 Policy Labs (with permission of the Certificate Director)
• GISC 38702 Introduction to GIS and Spatial Analysis
• STAT 33100 Sample Surveys  

Graduate Program in Health Administration and Policy

The Graduate Program in Health Administration and Policy (GPHAP), trains student to guide health care organizations through various economic, ethical, and social issues, as well as the financial demands of this complex field. Students can earn either a Certificate in Health Administration and Policy or a Certificate in Health Administration and Policy with a Concentration in Global Health.

Applicants must be enrolled in or admitted to one of the participating professional schools. For more information, visit gphap.uchicago.edu or contact Laura Botwinick, Director, GPHAP at [email protected] .

Any master's student who has a 3.75 or better cumulative GPA after their final quarter will earn honors. Students in joint degree programs will use only the courses/grades counted toward the MPP portion of the joint degree for the purposes of determining honors. 

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Academic Catalog

2024-2025 graduate & professional catalog.

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PhD in Urban Planning and Policy

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Admission Requirements

Applicants are considered on an individual basis. In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, applicants must meet the following program requirements:

• Prior Degrees Applicants must typically have a master’s degree in Urban Planning or related program.
• Grade Point Average At least 3.00/4.00 for the final 60 semester hours (90 quarter hours) of undergraduate study.
• Tests Required GRE General. Applicants may substitute the GMAT or LSAT.
• TOEFL 80, with subscores of Reading 19, Listening 17, Speaking 20, and Writing 21 (iBT Test); 60, with subscores of Reading 19, Listening 17, Writing 21 (revised Paper-Delivered Test), OR,
• IELTS 6.5, with subscores of 6.0 for all four subscores, OR,
• PTE-Academic 54, with subscores of Reading 51, Listening 47, Speaking 53, and Writing 56.
• Letters of Recommendation Three required.
• Personal Statemen t Required. A research statement, including the applicant's educational and professional goals, and detailing relevant academic and employment experience.
• Other Requirements Applicants must submit a recent paper, essay, or project of which they are the sole author or designer. This material may be of an academic, professional, or personal nature, and must be at least 1000 words in length. Applicants for research assistantship positions are encouraged to submit a resume.
• Deadlines The application deadline for this program is earlier than the Graduate College deadline; application deadlines for this program are listed on the Graduate College website.

Degree Requirements

• Minimum Semester Hours Required 96 from the baccalaureate, up to 64 from the master’s.
• Coursework Students must demonstrate competency in urban theory, policy evaluation, statistics, and economic analysis through previous master’s degree or course work.
• Plan of Study Required.
• Specialization Courses At least 28 hours must be taken in the area of specialization, selected in consultation with a faculty committee. At least 8 hours in advanced research design and methods are required in the area of specialization. Specializations:
• Spatial Planning
• Urban Transportation
• Community Development
• Economic Development
• Globalization and International Planning
• Environmental Planning and Policy
• Or another faculty-approved concentration
• Research Prospectus Required.
• Preliminary Examination Required; written. An oral examination may also be required at the discretion of the committee.
• Dissertation Required.
• Career Training : Students must complete a collaborative faculty/student research project or classroom teaching under faculty supervision. No more than 12 hours of credit for career training can be applied to the degree.

Interdepartmental Concentrations

Students earning a graduate degree in this department may complement their courses by enrolling in select concentrations after consulting with their graduate advisor. Interdepartmental concentrations available for this degree include:

• Black Studies
• Gender and Women's Studies
• Survey Research Methodology

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College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs

Doctorate in urban planning & policy.

The PhD program in Urban Planning and Policy at UIC has a traditional research focus, preparing students for university faculty positions as well as careers as urban policy analysts and researchers. The UPP Scholar Award is available to select students, who receive four years of funding for the program. A productive research faculty and multiple research centers in the College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs provide students with numerous research opportunities, while our undergraduate program offers meaningful teaching opportunities to talented students. The program offers advanced study of critical urban development challenges facing cities and metropolitan areas in the 21st century blending urban planning and public policy perspectives. The Program provides a unique and powerful resource for the advanced study of challenging urban problems and their complex remedies. Students participate in an interdisciplinary learning community of faculty and research staff conducting a mix of applied and theoretical studies. Graduates will leave as scholars well prepared for positions as university professors and as professional researchers.

Program Overview Heading link Copy link

The Ph.D. curriculum combines core requirements in theory and methods with more specialized course work in each area. Students learn advanced theory, methods and related research literature in one of five areas of specialization:

• Globalization and International Planning
• Economic Development
• Community Development
• Spatial Planning and Design
• Urban Transportation
• Environmental Planning
• Other faculty approved specialization
• PhD Admissions Procedure

Engaged Research Heading link Copy link

Opportunities for advanced research training and faculty supervised research projects are available within the following research centers at UIC:

• Great Cities Institute
• Center for Urban Economic Development
• Voorhees Center for Neighborhood and Community Improvement
• Urban Transportation Center
• Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy
• Institute for Policy and Civic Engagement
• UPP’s Urban Data Visualization Laboratory
• Institute for Environmental Science and Policy

The program also builds on the University of Illinois Great Cities Initiative, providing students with a variety of research related training opportunities to engage in urban issues in the Chicago metropolitan region, the nation and the world.

Degree Requirements Heading link Copy link

Please consult the  Graduate Catalog  and the  PhD Handbook  for degree requirements.  Degree-seeking students are governed by the policies articulated in the PhD Handbook in effect in their first semester registered in the program.

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Contacts | Program of Study | Program Requirements | Summary of Requirements | Grading | Honors | Study Abroad | Double Majors | Courses

Department Website: https://harris.uchicago.edu/academics/undergraduate

Program of Study

Public Policy Studies is a multidisciplinary major grounded in the social sciences, with substantial inputs from economics, sociology, political science, and law, among other disciplines. The major recognizes that public issues are not neatly contained within traditional disciplinary boundaries and that analysts possessing a broad range of social scientific understanding, quantitative expertise, and communication skills are well placed to contribute to improved public policies. Public Policy involves direct contact with policy problems, ensuring that academic speculations are well-informed and connected to real-world conditions.

The Public Policy Studies major strives to put analysis before advocacy, stressing that compelling policy analysis is a central component of effective advocacy. We aim to be open and helpful to students of all political persuasions and challenge students to rethink clichéd responses to policy problems. The program of study for the BA degree in Public Policy Studies is designed to introduce students to policy analysis and implementation, equip them to use quantitative and economic methods, train them in policy research, enhance their spoken and written policy communication skills, and provide them with a thorough grounding in one or more specific policy areas.

Program Requirements

Two quarters of calculus, one quarter of statistics, five “core” Public Policy Studies courses, one “Methods” and one “Windows” course, three related courses constituting an area of specialization, a BA Capstone preparation course, and a successful Capstone thesis or project: these are the necessary components for completing the Public Policy Studies major. The calculus and statistics requirements, and frequently some courses constituting an area of specialization, too, are generally fulfilled through courses offered in programs outside of Public Policy Studies. Students have considerable flexibility in terms of when in their undergraduate career they take the required courses. 

Calculus and Statistics : Public Policy Studies students take two quarters of calculus (typically MATH 13100-13200 Elementary Functions and Calculus I-II or MATH 15100-15200 Calculus I-II ), and one quarter of statistics (either STAT 22000  Statistical Methods and Applications or  STAT 23400  Statistical Models and Methods).

Five Public Policy Core Courses : Students are required to take PBPL 20000  Economics for Public Policy; an acceptable substitute for PBPL 20000, however, is  ECON 20000  The Elements of Economic Analysis I. Completion of PBPL 20000 (or ECON 20000) is a prerequisite for the required course  PBPL 22200  Public Policy Analysis. With the exception of PBPL 20000 Economics for Public Policy (which must be taken prior to PBPL 22200), the core courses can be taken in any order, and the core requirements can be fulfilled over multiple academic years.

The five core courses are listed in the table below. Except for PBPL 22300 Policy Implementation , the core courses typically are offered only one quarter each academic year: for instance, PBPL 22100 Politics and Policy is offered in the Autumn Quarter, and PBPL 22200 Public Policy Analysis is offered in the Winter Quarter. This standard timing, however, is subject to change, so students should check with their academic adviser before committing to a plan that necessitates, for instance, taking a specific core course in the quarter just before graduation.

Methods and Windows

Students must take one “Methods” course and one “Windows” course to fulfill the practicum requirement of the major. The practicum requirement is designed to help students to learn research methods (e.g., demography, interviewing, GIS mapping, survey design) and then apply their methodological skills in a “real world” context, opening a “window” from the ivory tower into the outside world. Some Windows courses, in particular, involve collective work on a substantive policy problem with a community organization or government entity.

A sample of approved Methods and Windows courses are listed in the tables below; for a more complete list, please see harris.uchicago.edu/academics/undergraduate/overview/practicum . Students can select courses from the quarterly list shared on our website or can petition to fulfill their Methods or their Windows requirement with an appropriate course that has not been listed.

Some approved Methods courses:

Some approved Windows courses:

Area of Specialization

Students are required to complete three related, policy-relevant courses that together constitute their area of specialization. The specialization courses must be related with respect to a policy sub-field. Examples of specializations include Urban Policy, Data Science, Human Rights, Education Policy, Health Policy, International Development, or Environmental Policy. Specialization courses can be drawn from any academic department, but at least one of the three courses must be listed within Public Policy Studies. Proposed areas of specialization can be pre-approved before some or all of the constituent courses have been taken. Please see the Public Policy Studies website for further examples of recommended specializations and to access the petition form: harris.uchicago.edu/academics/undergraduate/overview/specialization .

The Capstone Requirement

All Public Policy Studies majors must complete the Capstone requirement. There are two ways to complete this requirement: the BA Thesis Seminar PBPL 29800 and the BA Project Seminar PBPL 29500 . Each seminar requires students to complete a writing project that showcases the skills they acquire throughout their studies in the major. The BA Thesis Seminar (PBPL 29800) guides students in conducting original, independent research (e.g., developing methodological skills, collecting and analyzing data) as part of a year-long project that culminates in a BA thesis. The BA Project Seminar (PBPL 29500) is a one-quarter course that focuses on critical policy-relevant writing, resulting in a project that highlights student analysis of vital public policy problems. More information about the ways of completing the Capstone requirement can be found at https://harris.uchicago.edu/academics/undergraduate/capstone .

Students majoring in Public Policy Studies or interested in the major should subscribe to our e-mail list, which disseminates announcements concerning courses, internships, fellowships, and other information connected with the major. You can subscribe automatically at [email protected] . Students can email [email protected] with general questions and requests.

Summary of Requirements

All courses counting toward the Public Policy Studies major must be taken for quality grades.  

Only students who complete the BA Thesis Seminar ( PBPL 29800 ) and have an overall GPA of 3.4 or higher are eligible for honors within the Public Policy Studies major. Qualifying students are recommended for honors if their BA papers are judged to be of superior quality. For additional information about honors, please visit harris.uchicago.edu/academics/undergraduate/overview/thesis .

The University of Chicago’s Spring Quarter Barcelona Public Policy program provides University of Chicago students with an opportunity to study comparative public policy in the exciting cultural and political capital of Catalonia in northeastern Spain. The program is designed to expose students to policymaking in a non-U.S. setting through a combination of courses and excursions that will allow students to learn how the political and policymaking system operates in other nations. The three-course Public Policy sequence will meet the requirement for three courses in an area of specialization within the Public Policy Studies major (though students need not be Public Policy Studies majors to participate in the program). In addition to the Public Policy sequence, participants take a fourth course in Spanish language. Students with sufficient knowledge of Catalan may substitute a Catalan language course in place of the Spanish language course. For more information, or to apply, visit the  Study Abroad website .

Double Majors

The Public Policy Studies major is quite accessible for students looking to graduate with a double major. Frequently, one or two of the PBPL Area of Specialization courses can be drawn from 200-level course electives in other majors. The Methods requirement is another course that students can complete through coursework in another department. Public Policy Studies generally does not accept course substitutions for the core courses PBPL 22100 Politics and Policy , PBPL 22300 Policy Implementation , or PBPL 26400 Quantitative Methods in Public Policy . Public Policy Studies is open to students who wish to use a single BA thesis for multiple majors. Important information for students who double major in Public Policy Studies and Economics can be found here .

Public Policy Studies (PBPL) Courses

PBPL 20000. Economics for Public Policy. 100 Units.

This course develops the microeconomic theories of consumer and producer choices, as well as demonstrates the application of these theoretical tools to policy problems. Supply, demand, and competitive markets are examined, along with the conditions under which government policy can increase efficiency.

Instructor(s): Carolyn Sloane     Terms Offered: Autumn Prerequisite(s): Completion of two quarters of calculus required; prior knowledge of economics not required. For ECON majors and students who have taken ECON 20000: consent of instructor required. Note(s): PBPL 20000 or ECON 20000 is required of all students who are majoring in public policy. PBPL 20000 satisfies the ECON 20000 prerequisite for PBPL 22200. Students who have taken ECON 20000 require the instructor's consent to enroll in PBPL 20000.

PBPL 20115. Women, Peace and Security. 100 Units.

This course focuses on critical feminist theorizing and scholarship on militarization, war and masculinities, and on feminist articulations of peace and (demilitarized) security. Students will learn about the transnational feminist research, policy and advocacy network known as the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda, and the important inroads this network has made in establishing international and national policies in the fields of gender, conflict, peace and development. The course highlights the background, history and policy significance of the historic Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, as well as subsequent and related UN resolutions. Students will also learn about alternative feminist approaches and visions for international peace and security, through powerful case study examples of feminist activism, solidarity and diplomacy.

Instructor(s): Maliha Chishti     Terms Offered: Winter Note(s): PBPL 28498 Women, Development and Politics (recommended) Equivalent Course(s): GNSE 20115, GNSE 40115, PPHA 47420

PBPL 20150. Sustainable Urban Development. 100 Units.

The course covers concepts and methods of sustainable urbanism, livable cities, resiliency, and smart growth principles from a social, environmental and economic perspective. In this course we examine how the development in and of cities - in the US and around the world - can be sustainable, especially given predictions of a future characterized by increasing environmental and social volatility. We begin by critiquing definitions of sustainability. The fundamental orientation of the course will be understanding cities as complex socio-natural systems, and so we will look at approaches to sustainability grouped around several of the most important component systems: climate, energy, transportation, and water. With the understanding that sustainability has no meaning if it excludes human life, perspectives from both the social sciences and humanities are woven throughout: stewardship and environmental ethics are as important as technological solutions and policy measures.

Instructor(s): Winter: Staff, Spring: Evan Carver     Terms Offered: Spring Winter Note(s): ENST 21201 and 20150 are required of students who are majoring in Environmental and Urban Studies and may be taken in any order. Equivalent Course(s): ENST 20150, ARCH 20150, GLST 20150, CEGU 20150

PBPL 20170. Pandemics, Urban Space, and Public Life. 100 Units.

Much of the cultural vibrance, economic strength, and social innovation that characterizes cities can be credited to their density. Put simply, cities bring people together, and togetherness allows for complex and fruitful exchange. But togetherness also brings risks, notably from infectious disease. A pandemic feeds on propinquity. "Social distance," while a short-term public health imperative, is antithetical to the very idea of the urban. In this seminar, we will explore these competing tensions in light of current and past disease outbreaks in urban settings. Drawing on a range of texts from history, design theory, sociology, and anthropology, as well as cultural artifacts like film, graphic memoir, and photography, we will engage questions like: How are the risks of contagion balanced with the benefits of density? How are such risks distributed throughout society? What creative responses have architects, urban designers, and planners brought to this challenge? Most importantly, how can we respond constructively to the challenge of pandemic to create cities where the benefits of togetherness are maximized, perhaps even improved on compared with the pre-outbreak condition? Students will have the opportunity to propose design or policy interventions to help their own communities respond to the coronavirus/COVID-19 crisis, return to a vibrant post-pandemic life, and prepare for the pandemics of the future.

Instructor(s): Evan Carver     Terms Offered: Autumn Spring Equivalent Course(s): CEGU 20170, ENST 20170, ARCH 20170, HLTH 20170, GEOG 20170

PBPL 20305. Inequality in Urban Spaces. 100 Units.

The problems confronting urban schools are bound to the social, economic, and political conditions of the urban environments in which schools reside. Thus, this course will explore social, economic, and political issues, with an emphasis on issues of race and class as they have affected the distribution of equal educational opportunities in urban schools. We will focus on the ways in which family, school, and neighborhood characteristics intersect to shape the divergent outcomes of low- and middle-income children residing with any given neighborhood. Students will tackle an important issue affecting the residents and schools in one Chicago neighborhood. This course is part of the College Course Cluster: Urban Design.

Instructor(s): M. Keels     Terms Offered: Autumn Note(s): CHDV Distribution: B; 2* Equivalent Course(s): EDSO 40315, CHDV 20305, CHDV 30315, RDIN 20305

PBPL 20521. Sociology of urban planning: cities, territories, environments. 100 Units.

This course provides a high-intensity introduction to the sociology of urban planning practice under modern capitalism. Building upon urban sociology, planning theory and history as well as urban social science and environmental studies, we explore the emergence, development and continual transformation of urban planning in relation to changing configurations of capitalist urbanization, modern state power, sociopolitical insurgency and environmental crisis. Following an initial exploration of divergent conceptualizations of "planning" and "urbanization," we investigate the changing sites and targets of planning; struggles regarding the instruments, goals and constituencies of planning; the contradictory connections between planning and diverse configurations of power in modern society (including class, race, gender and sexuality); and the possibility that new forms of planning might help produce more socially just and environmentally sane forms of urbanization in the future.

Instructor(s): N. Brenner     Terms Offered: Winter Equivalent Course(s): PLSC 30521, KNOW 30521, PPHA 30521, SOCI 20521, ENST 20521, SOCI 30521, CEGU 20521, PLSC 20521, CHST 20521, GEOG 20521, ARCH 20521

PBPL 20555. The Sociology of Work. 100 Units.

From the Great Depression to the Great Resignation, paid work has played a central role in American life. The average American spends 1/3 of their life at work - making it an area of the social world heavily examined by politicians, journalists, and social scientists. In this course, we will look at the structural and interpersonal dynamics of work to consider the questions of what makes a "good job" in America and who gets to decide? Our topics will include low-wage work, the stigma of "dirty jobs," gender and racial inequality at work, physical and emotional labor on the job, side hustles and the gig economy, and life after retirement. Students will be required to write a 15 page research paper that draws on interview data they will collect over the quarter. No prior background in doing interviews is required!

Instructor(s): K. Schilt     Terms Offered: Winter. Not Being offered in 2024/25 Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 20555, GNSE 20555, CHDV 24711

PBPL 21011. Clinical Research Design and Interpretation of Health Data. 100 Units.

This course will introduce the interdisciplinary field of clinically oriented health services research with a focus on the interpretation of health-related metrics and policy-related applications. We will examine how translational medical science informs healthcare providers, payers, and professional societies. COVID-19 and postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy will illustrate the challenges of data interpretation, translation of research findings into clinical medicine, and the adoption of evidence-based guidelines. Using a highly interactive approach, students will gain experience in selection of research study designs, measurement of health status, risk adjustment, causal inference, and understanding the placebo effect. We will discuss how clinicians, administrators, and public reporting entities judge and use information derived from investigations. The COVID-19 pandemic will demonstrate the challenges that varied clinical presentations, diagnostic accuracy, and case definition (identification of diseased patients) create in the formulation of health statistics (e.g., case-fatality rates and disease attribution of mortality). We will also discuss methods of defining study populations for both clinical research and public health reporting.

Instructor(s): Gregory Ruhnke     Terms Offered: Spring Equivalent Course(s): CCTS 21011, CCTS 41011, HLTH 21011, BIOS 29331

PBPL 21425. Health in a Changing America: Social Context and Human Rights. 100 Units.

In this interdisciplinary course, students will consider the social context of health and the social and political commitments necessary to protect health as a human right. We will analyze recent trends in population health, such as the obesity epidemic, the opioid crisis, and the large gaps in life expectancy between neighborhoods in urban centers. Using case studies, students will envision a human rights-based response to these and other health challenges. We will examine the ways that framing health as personal versus public responsibility is consequential for social policy.

Instructor(s): Alicia Riley, Graduate Lecturer in Human Rights     Terms Offered: Spring Equivalent Course(s): HMRT 21403

PBPL 21800. Economics and Environmental Policy. 100 Units.

This course combines basic microeconomic theory and tools with contemporary environmental and resources issues and controversies to examine and analyze public policy decisions. Theoretical points include externalities, public goods, common-property resources, valuing resources, benefit/cost analysis, and risk assessment. Topics include pollution, global climate change, energy use and conservation, recycling and waste management, endangered species and biodiversity, nonrenewable resources, congestion, economic growth and the environment, and equity impacts of public policies.

Instructor(s): S. Shaikh     Terms Offered: Autumn Prerequisite(s): ECON 10000 or higher, or PBPL 20000 Note(s): Not offered in Autumn of the 2020-21 academic year. Equivalent Course(s): ECON 16520, ENST 21800, CEGU 21800

PBPL 21850. Legislative Politics. 100 Units.

This course will introduce students to the policymaking process and politics of legislatures. We will study legislative institutions; the decision-making processes of individual legislators; and the role of outside advocates and interests. Our goal is to understand how legislatures work - in terms of producing policy that incorporates expertise and responds to policy demands from the public - and why they often don't.

Instructor(s): Zelizer, A     Terms Offered: Spring Equivalent Course(s): PPHA 31850

PBPL 22006. Decision Modeling for Health Economic Evaluation. 100 Units.

This course introduces decision science and economic evaluation that has been increasingly used to inform public health and health care decisions. With a specific focus on the development and application of decision-analytic models, students will learn the state of the current practice of economic evaluation, new tools and methodologies to conduct decision modeling, and emerging areas of research, including the value of information analysis. The course will provide hands-on computer-based learning using the R programming language for data analysis and modeling. A prior experience in R is welcomed, but not required. Applying the concepts and techniques learned in the course, students will undertake a course project of their choice to conduct economic evaluation using decision-analytic models. By the end of this course, students will gain knowledge and practical skills in economic evaluation and decision modeling to help make informed decisions.

Instructor(s): David Kim     Terms Offered: Winter Equivalent Course(s): CCTS 22006, CCTS 42006, PPHA 42006

PBPL 22100. Politics and Policy. 100 Units.

This course has two fundamental aims. The first is to introduce students to a set of analytical tools and concepts for understanding how political institutions generate public policy. The second is to apply these tools in examining the major institutions of democracy in the United States. Note(s): Public Policy 22100-22200-22300 may be taken in any order.

Instructor(s): C. Berry     Terms Offered: Autumn Note(s): Public Policy 22100-22200-22300 may be taken in any order. Equivalent Course(s): DEMS 22100

PBPL 22200. Public Policy Analysis. 100 Units.

This course reviews and augments the basic tools of microeconomics developed in ECON 20000 and applies these tools to policy problems. We examine situations in which private markets are likely to produce unsatisfactory results, suggesting a potential rationale for government intervention. Our goal is to allow students to comprehend, develop, and respond to economics arguments when formulating or evaluating public policy.

Instructor(s): J. Leitzel     Terms Offered: Winter Prerequisite(s): PBPL 20000 or ECON 20000 Note(s): PBPL 22100-22200-22300 may be taken in any order. PBPL 22200 is not intended for students majoring in public policy who are planning to specialize in economics or to take advanced economics courses; those students should meet with the program director or administrator to arrange an alternative.

PBPL 22300. Policy Implementation. 100 Units.

Good public policy has the potential to advance justice in society. However, once a policy or program is put in place, policymakers often face challenges in getting it carried out in the ways it was intended. This course explores some of the structural and cultural challenges that government and organizations face as they attempt to put policies into effect. Focusing on the United States, we will draw on organizational theory as well as case studies from education, policing, healthcare, and the corporate world in order to investigate the broader context of policy implementation. In addition to the lectures, there will be a weekly discussion section with the TA, the exact time of which will be determined during Week 1 of the quarter.

Instructor(s): Chad Broughton (Autumn); Karlyn Gorski (Winter and Spring)     Terms Offered: Autumn Spring Winter Prerequisite(s): Second-year standing is recommended. Note(s): PBPL 22100-22200-22300 may be taken in any order.

PBPL 22312. Cities, Nature and the Planet. 100 Units.

Cities face major challenges in addressing environmental risk and vulnerability, but also great opportunity to reconsider the design, planning and economic systems upon which they have traditionally relied. This course takes a contemporary look into how urbanization affects planetary health, focusing on cities as sites of global resource extraction, waste generation, biodiversity loss, and increasing social inequality and climate vulnerability; but also as centers of population, innovation and social organization, which can facilitate climate solutions. Using a range of social science approaches and methods, students will consider critiques of historical urban planning and linear city resource economies, and analyze contemporary approaches related to climate action, green space planning, and nature-based solutions, with specific attention on environmental goals and equity outcomes. Through critical exploration of both historical urban planning, and contemporary frameworks for sustainable city agenda setting, students will consider the environmental past, present and future of global cities. In Autumn 2024, this course will be part of the Paris Urbanism Study Abroad program. Students will focus on Paris but take a comparative look at cities across the Global North and Global South.

Instructor(s): Sabina Shaikh     Terms Offered: Autumn Note(s): This course is part of the Paris Urbanism Study Abroad program Equivalent Course(s): CEGU 22312, GLST 22312

PBPL 23007. Clinical and Health Services Research: Methods and Applications. 100 Units.

This course will introduce the interdisciplinary field of clinically-oriented health services research with a focus on policy-related implications. Through exposure to theoretical foundations, methodologies, and applications, students without significant investigative experience will learn about the design and conduct of research studies. We will cover the integration of research within the stages of translational medicine, and how science conducted across the translational medicine spectrum informs policy through purveyors of clinical services (e.g. physicians, hospitals), government, insurers, and professional societies. We will use the examples of postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy and autologous bone marrow transplantation to illustrate pitfalls in the progression from basic science research to clinical trials leading to diffusion in clinical medicine that can complicate the creation of logical, evidence-based practice guidelines, reimbursement, and clinical practice.

Instructor(s): Greg Ruhnke     Terms Offered: Spring Equivalent Course(s): BIOS 29329, CCTS 43007, CCTS 21007, HLTH 21007

PBPL 23011. Beyond the Culture Wars: Social Movements and the Politics of Education in the U.S. 100 Units.

Passionate conflicts over school curriculum and educational policy are a recurring phenomenon in the history of US schooling. Why are schools such frequent sites of struggle and what is at stake in these conflicts? In this discussion-based seminar, we will consider schools as battlegrounds in the US "culture wars": contests over competing visions of national identity, morality, social order, the fundamental purposes of public education, and the role of the state vis-à-vis the family. Drawing on case studies from history, anthropology, sociology and critical race and gender studies, we will examine both past and contemporary debates over school curriculum and school policy. Topics may include clashes over: the teaching of evolution, sex and sexuality education, busing/desegregation, prayer in schools, multiculturalism, the content of the literary canon, the teaching of reading, mathematics and history, and the closure of underperforming urban schools. Our inquiry will examine how social and political movements have used schools to advance or resist particular agendas and social projects.

Instructor(s): Lisa Rosen     Terms Offered: Spring. Offered spring 2025 Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 20588, HIST 37718, HIST 27718, SOCI 30588, EDSO 33011, CHDV 23011, EDSO 23011, CHDV 33011

PBPL 23100. Environmental Law. 100 Units.

This course will examine the bases and assumptions that have driven the development of environmental law, as well as the intersection of this body of law and foundational legal principles (including standing, liability, and the Commerce Clause). Each form of lawmaking (statutes, regulations, and court decisions) will be examined, with emphasis on reading and understanding primary sources such as court cases and the laws themselves. The course also analyzes the judicial selection process in order to understand the importance of how the individuals who decide cases that determine the shape of environmental law and regulations are chosen.

Instructor(s): Ray Lodato     Terms Offered: Winter Prerequisite(s): 3rd or 4th year standing, or consent of instructor Equivalent Course(s): CEGU 23100, ENST 23100

PBPL 23200. The Economics of Crime. 100 Units.

This course uses theoretical and empirical economic tools to analyze a wide range of issues related to criminal behavior. Topics include the police, prisons, gang behavior, guns, drugs, capital punishment, labor markets and the macroeconomy, and income inequality. We emphasize the analysis of the optimal role for public policy.

Instructor(s): S. Levitt Prerequisite(s): ECON 20100/20110; STAT 23400, ECON 21010, or ECON 21020 strongly recommended Equivalent Course(s): ECON 28700

PBPL 23300. Justice, Equity, and Opportunity: Shifting Approaches to Criminal Justice Reform. 100 Units.

The events revolving the death of George Floyd have proliferated the discourse about the criminal justice system in the United States, including the role of police and incarceration. Historically, this public discourse has been dominated mostly by media and political advocacy, with the balance of evidence-based policy solutions and political acumen receiving relatively short shrift. In this practicum, students will be trained to approach these issues from the perspective of a senior criminal justice policymaker in government who has practiced multiple theories of change, from community organizing to litigation. In turn, we will develop criminal justice policy intelligence and knowledge on the history, core themes, debates, and concepts, such as the movement to defund the police, abolish the cash bail system, and decriminalize drugs. The discussions will allow students to interrogate the extent to which efforts have been successful, imagine new strategies in the future, and learn from additional visiting guests, including politicians, community organizers, academics, artists, and formerly incarcerated individuals. We will exit with a sophisticated understanding of the skills and tools necessary to handle criminal justice policy problems raising complex legal, political and social questions.

Instructor(s): Rallins, Quinn     Terms Offered: Winter Note(s): In addition to a seminar component examining criminal justice policy, students engage in a hands-on policy project involving identifying and defining key criminal issues, conducting primary and secondary research, analyzing research findings and making policy recommendations to a client in the criminal justice policy arena.

PBPL 23305. Justice in an Unjust World: Theories of Justice. 100 Units.

Justice as a possibility, an ideal, and as a telos is fundamental to theological and philosophical systems of ethics. Yet, each theory was formulated within and against a deeply unjust world. Every theory of justice implies an anthropology and an ontology, and each asks the question: Why isn't life fair? How can we can we create a just society against a world that is so obviously unjust? Each theory then proposes a just solution and every theory implies a set of practices that can be interrogated. As our contemporary society becomes more sharply divided, the issues of distribution, obligation, entitlement, fair exchanges of social goods and labor, and the fair sharing of social burdens becomes more important and demanding of more inquiry. This seminar will interrogate several theories of justice, beginning in classic Hellenistic texts and moving forward to the animating theories of the classic liberal tradition: libertarianism, utilitarianism, social contract theory, and Marxism. We will then turn to other sources of justice theory such as Catholic liberation theology, capacity theory, and Jewish justice theory. We will also use our seminar to explore contemporary cases in law, medicine, science and policy that raise issues of justice and injustice. While the seminar will focus on distributive practices, we will also explore how these practices structure our systems of retributive and restorative justice.

Instructor(s): Laurie Zoloth     Terms Offered: Spring Note(s): This course counts as an elective course for the "Inequality, Social Problems, and Change" minor. Equivalent Course(s): RLST 24102, GLST 24202

PBPL 23550. Urban Ecology and the Nature of Cities. 100 Units.

Urban ecology is an interdisciplinary field derived from the academic discipline of ecology. How well does classical ecological theory, typically formed from reductionist views of nature without humans, describe and predict patterns in human-dominated landscapes? Students will learn fundamental concepts in ecological theory, examine how these concepts apply to urban systems, and explore the paradigms of ecology in, of, and for cities. Readings and discussions will focus on classical research papers from the ecological literature, history of modern ecology, and contemporary approaches to studying biotic systems in cities.

Instructor(s): Alison Anastasio     Terms Offered: Winter. Not offered Winter 2021 Note(s): Not offered Winter 2021 Equivalent Course(s): ENST 23550

PBPL 23604. Rockonomics: Public Policy and Creative Sectors. 100 Units.

This course delves into major topics in public policy through the lens of the music industry and other creative sectors. We will use an applied microeconomist's toolbox to explore issues such as intellectual property protection, collective bargaining, music royalties in a digital age, consolidation, proposed regulations to live events pricing and much more. As part of this class, we will engage in conversations with professionals working in creative sectors.

Instructor(s): Carolyn Sloane     Terms Offered: Winter

PBPL 23606. Political Culture, Social Capital, and The Arts. 100 Units.

Many analysts like Robert Putnam hold that bowling alone signals a decline in social capital, with major consequences for trust and legitimacy of the political system. But new work finds that certain arts and cultural activities are rising, especially among the young, in many countries. This course reviews core related concepts--political culture, social capital, legitimacy-and how they change with these new developments. We lay out new concepts and related methods, such as a grammar of scenes, measured for 40,000+ U.S. zip codes. Scenes, nightlife, design, the internet, and entertainment emerge as critical drivers of the post-industrial/knowledge society. Older primordial conflicts over class, race, and gender are transformed with these new issues, which spark new social movements and political tensions. The course has two halves: first to read and discuss major works and complete a mid-term exam, second to continue as a seminar where the main requirement is writing a paper.

Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 30184, SOCI 20184

PBPL 23700. Geographical Issues in Housing and Community Development. 100 Units.

This course is part of the College Course Cluster, Urban Design.

Instructor(s): M. Conzen     Terms Offered: Spring. This course offered in even years. Prerequisite(s): Open to Chicago Studies Program students. Equivalent Course(s): GEOG 33700, ENST 23777

PBPL 24005. Chicago Neighborhoods. 100 Units.

This course is an applied learning experience in which students explore the many dimensions of Chicago neighborhoods, with a particular focus on the built environment and how it impacts - and is impacted by - the social and economic life of the city. Students will observe, interpret and represent neighborhoods through a series of exercises designed to deepen knowledge about the significance and meaning of neighborhood form. Readings and fieldwork will engage students in neighborhood analysis and observation techniques that explore contemporary issues about public life, diversity, and social equity. This course is part of the College Course Cluster, Urban Design.

Instructor(s): Emily Talen     Terms Offered: TBD. Not offered in 2023-2024 academic year. Note(s): Restricted to 3rd and 4th years This course counts towards the ENST 4th year Capstone requirement. Equivalent Course(s): CHST 26000, GEOG 24000, ENST 26000, SOSC 26000

PBPL 24102. Environmental Politics. 100 Units.

Politics determines not only what particular faction holds power, but the parameters upon which contests for power are conducted. Competing political factions may diverge in the details of the policies they favor, but may agree on a central organizing principle upon which their policy differences are contested. This course acknowledges that such principles exist and structure politics, economics, and social arrangements, but also challenges the notion that these are immutable, and argues that other principles could be substituted which would drastically change these arrangements. The course introduces students to alternative theories of economics, politics, and environmental policy that challenge mainstream notions of what is acceptable under the current structural and institutional constraints, including how the retreat to notions of realism and practicality place limits on changes necessary to preserve and protect the natural environment.

Instructor(s): R. Lodato     Terms Offered: Spring Equivalent Course(s): CEGU 24102, ENST 24102

PBPL 24105. Urban Design: The Chicago Experience. 100 Units.

This course examines the theory and practice of urban design at the scale of block, street, and building--the pedestrian realm. Topics include walkability, the design of streets, architectural style and its effect on pedestrian experience, safety and security in relation to accessibility and social connection, concepts of urban fabric, repair and placemaking, the regulation of urban form, and the social implications of civic spaces. Students will analyze normative principles and the debates that surround them through readings and discussion, as well as firsthand interaction with the urbanism of Chicago.

Equivalent Course(s): GEOG 24100, GEOG 34100, SOSC 26001, SOSC 36001

PBPL 24540. Weak Regimes and the Politics of Development. 100 Units.

This course introduces students to specialized set of topics and concepts that are of particular relevance to policy making in developing countries. The course begins by providing an overview on the functioning of politics in weakly institutionalized settings, and explores the ways in which political institutions in these settings hinder or contribute to economic development. Topics of this course include but are not limited to: State formation and state capacity, political regimes and development, foreign influence, resource curse, and civil conflict. Methodologically, this course introduces to students basic techniques of using formal model to analyze political phenomena. This course aims at enhancing student's understanding about politics from the perspective of a policy entrepreneur who develops strategy in order to advance policy changes.

Instructor(s): Zhaosong Ruan     Terms Offered: Spring Prerequisite(s): Prerequisites: PBPL 20000 required. PBPL 26400 recommended but not required.

PBPL 24599. Historical and Contemporary Issues in U.S. Racial Health Inequality. 100 Units.

This course explores persistent health inequality in the U.S. from the 1900s to the present day. The focus will be on racial gaps in urban health inequality with some discussion of rural communities. Readings will largely cover the research on Black and White gaps in health inequality, with the understanding that most of the issues discussed extend to health inequalities across many racial and ethnic groups. Readings cover the broad range of social determinants of health (socioeconomic status, education, access to health care, homelessness) and how these social determinants are rooted in longstanding legacies of American inequality. A major component of class assignments will be identifying emerging research and innovative policies and programs that point to promising pathways to eliminating health disparities.

Instructor(s): M. Keels     Terms Offered: Autumn Prerequisite(s): Only students with 2nd year standing or above. Note(s): Fulfills grad requirement: 2,4 and undergrad major requirement B. Equivalent Course(s): CHDV 44599, CHDV 24599, RDIN 24599, HLTH 24599, CHST 24599

PBPL 24605. Introduction to Urban Sciences. 100 Units.

This course is a grand tour of conceptual frameworks, general phenomena, emerging data and policy applications that define a growing scientific integrated understanding of cities and urbanization. It starts with a general outlook of current worldwide explosive urbanization and associated changes in social, economic and environmental indicators. It then introduces a number of historical models, from sociology, economics and geography that have been proposed to understand how cities operate. We will discuss how these and other facets of cities can be integrated as dynamical complex systems and derive their general characteristics as social networks embedded in structured physical spaces. Resulting general properties of cities will be illustrated in different geographic and historical contexts, including an understanding of urban resource flows, emergent institutions and the division of labor and knowledge as drivers of innovation and economic growth. The second part of the course will deal with issues of inequality, heterogeneity and (sustainable) growth in cities. We will explore how these features of cities present different realities and opportunities to different individuals and how these appear as spatially concentrated (dis)advantage that shape people's life courses. We will show how issues of inequality also have consequences at more macroscopic levels and derive the general features of population and economic growth for systems of cities and nations.

Instructor(s): Luis Bettencourt     Terms Offered: TBD Prerequisite(s): STAT 22000 Equivalent Course(s): ENST 24600, SOCI 20285, GISC 34600, CEGU 24600, GISC 24600

PBPL 24701. U.S. Environmental Policy. 100 Units.

How environmental issues and challenges in the United States are addressed is subject to abrupt changes and reversals caused by extreme partisanship and the heightened significance of the issues for the health of the planet and all its inhabitants. The relatively brief history of this policy area, and the separate and distinct tracts in which public lands and pollution control issues are adjudicated, makes for a diverse and complex process by which humanity's impact on the natural world is managed and contained. This course focuses on how both types of environmental issues are addressed in each branch of the Federal government, the states and localities, as well as theories of how environmental issues arrived onto the public agenda and why attention to them is cyclical. Students are encouraged to understand the life cycle of public policy from its initial arrival on the public agenda to the passage of legislation to address adverse conditions, as well as how changes in the policy occur after the inevitable decline of intensive attention.

Instructor(s): R. Lodato     Terms Offered: Winter Note(s): This course counts towards the ENST 4th year Capstone requirement. Equivalent Course(s): ENST 24701, CEGU 24701

PBPL 24751. The Business of Non-Profits and The Evolving Social Sector. 100 Units.

Led by an experienced practitioner, this course aims to provide both an intellectual and experiential understanding of the contemporary nonprofit sector. In addition to a seminar component examining the rapidly evolving social sector, students engage in a hands-on consulting project for an area nonprofit involving analysis, reporting, and presentation. This course satisfies the Public Policy practicum WINDOWS requirement.

Instructor(s): C. Velasquez     Terms Offered: Spring Winter Prerequisite(s): Instructor consent required. In the preceding quarter, students must submit an application to campusCATALYST, an RSO managing student, client, and mentor recruitment for the class. Please see the campusCATALYST website or their social media accounts to find the quarterly time schedules and application link: https://www.campuscatalyst.uchicago.edu/apply-now. You can reach them at [email protected] if you have any questions. Equivalent Course(s): CHST 24751

PBPL 24752. Impact investing: Using Impact Capital to Address Social Problems. 100 Units.

While modern-day impact investing (investing with the goal of generating both financial and positive social/environmental returns) has been around for fifty years, only in the last decade has this movement really caught on achieving mainstream levels of attention and awareness. Investors of all types are seeking to align their values with their investments and every day we see more examples of companies being held accountable (either by themselves or by their stakeholders) for the social and/or environmental externalities of their operations. Through a combination of readings, case studies, class discussion and projects, the course provides an introduction to and overview of the impact investing landscape, the range of investment opportunities across asset classes, and the opportunities and challenges for investors seeking meaningful impact investment vehicles. Students will learn the entire impact investment process from deal sourcing, financial and programmatic due diligence, to investment structuring to monitoring financial and social returns. Led by an experienced practitioner and supplemented by guest speakers, this course will provide both an intellectual and experiential understanding of double-bottom-line investing.

Instructor(s): Christa Velasquez     Terms Offered: Autumn Prerequisite(s): Suggested prior coursework: PBPL 24751 The Business of Non-Profits and The Evolving Social Sector

PBPL 24776. International Environmental Policy. 100 Units.

Environmental issues have become a prominent part of the work of international organizations and their member nations. However, the resolution to issues and concerns shared in common by the nations of the world often faces obstacles based on access to wealth and resources, political and military power, and the demands of international economic institutions. While multinational agreements have been achieved and successfully implemented, resolutions to issues such as climate change have been harder to achieve. The course will look at the origins of international cooperation on environmental issues, several case studies of issues upon which the international community has attempted to bring about cooperative solutions (climate change, the ozone hole, climate refugees, etc.), and the work that regional associations of nations have done to jointly address shared environmental challenges. In addition, speakers from various consulates have addressed the class to discuss environmental policymaking in their countries.

Instructor(s): R. Lodato     Terms Offered: Spring Equivalent Course(s): CEGU 24776, ENST 24776

PBPL 24800. Urban Policy Analysis. 100 Units.

Cities are sites of challenge and innovation worldwide. Dramatic new policies can be implemented locally and chart new paths for national policies. Five main approaches are compared: Leadership patterns: are business, political, or other kinds of leaders more important--and where, when, and why do these matter? Second do capitalism, or more recently, global markets, make specific leaders irrelevant? Third: leaders like mayors are weaker since citizens, interest groups, and media have grown so powerful. Fourth innovation drives many policy issues. Fifth consumption, entertainment, and the arts engage citizens in new ways. Can all five hold, in some locations? Why should they differentially operate across big and small, rich and poor neighborhoods, cities, and countries? The course introduces you to core urban issues, whether your goal is to conduct research, interpret reports by others, make policy decisions, or watch the tube and discuss these issues as a more informed citizen. Chicago, US and big and small locations internationally are considered; all methods are welcome.

Instructor(s): T. Clark     Terms Offered: Autumn Equivalent Course(s): GEOG 20120, GEOG 30120, SOCI 20120, SOCI 30120

PBPL 24901. Trade, Development and Poverty in Mexico. 100 Units.

With a focus on the past two decades, this interdisciplinary course explores the impact of economic integration, urbanization, and migration on Mexico and, to a lesser extent, on the United States-in particular, working class communities of the Midwestern Rust Belt. The course will examine work and life in the borderland production centers; agriculture, poverty, and indigenous populations in rural Mexico; evolving trade and transnational ties (especially in people, food products and labor, and drugs) between the U.S. and Mexico; and trade, trade adjustment, and immigration policy.

Instructor(s): C. Broughton     Terms Offered: Autumn Note(s): Students can take this course with a windows option. Offered in 2024-25. Equivalent Course(s): LACS 24901, SOCI 20251

PBPL 25005. Inequality at Work: The Changing Nature of Jobs and Prospects for Improvement. 100 Units.

This course will consider sources of inequality in the labor market and in workplaces. Empirical evidence and theory on labor markets and job conditions will be analyzed to provide insights into the changing nature of work and workplace inequality for the majority of Americans -- who do not hold a four-year college degree. Although the course will consider ways to ready workers for good jobs in the economy, the emphasis will be on improving jobs themselves, through voluntary employer behavior, collective action, and public policy. The assignment for the course involves observing and/or interviewing workers in an occupation chosen by the student.

Instructor(s): Susan Lambert     Terms Offered: TBD Equivalent Course(s): SSAD 25005

PBPL 25120. Child Development and Public Policy. 100 Units.

The goal of this course is to introduce students to the literature on early child development and explore how an understanding of core developmental concepts can inform social policies. This goal will be addressed through an integrated, multidisciplinary approach. The course will emphasize research on the science of early child development from the prenatal period through school entry. The central debate about the role of early experience in development will provide a unifying strand for the course. Students will be introduced to research in neuroscience, psychology, economics, sociology, and public policy as it bears on questions about "what develops?", critical periods in development, the nature vs. nurture debate, and the ways in which environmental contexts (e.g., parents, families, peers, schools, institutions, communities) affect early development and developmental trajectories. The first part of the course will introduce students to the major disciplinary streams in the developmental sciences and the enduring and new debates and perspectives within the field. The second part will examine the multiple contexts of early development to understand which aspects of young children's environments affect their development and how those impacts arise. Throughout the course, we will explore how the principles of early childhood development can guide the design of policies and practices that enhance the healthy development of young children, particularly for those living in adverse circumstances, and thereby build a strong foundation for promoting equality of opportunity, reducing social class disparities in life outcomes, building human capital, fostering economic prosperity, and generating positive social change. In doing so, we will critically examine the evidence on whether the contexts of children's development are amenable to public policy intervention and the costs and benefits of different policy approaches.

Instructor(s): A. Kalil     Terms Offered: Autumn Prerequisite(s): Attendance on the first day of class is required or registration will be dropped. Equivalent Course(s): EDSO 25120, PSYC 25120, CHDV 25120

PBPL 25220. Constructing a Society of Human Rights: A Psychological Framework. 100 Units.

This course is designed to discuss the ways that cultural and social psychology contribute to understandings about human rights conceptually, and how human rights issues emerge from social dynamics. Over the course of the quarter, students will learn about theories on intergroup conflict and prejudice, how an individual's beliefs emerge from social contexts and shape their relationships with others, how obedience to authority is created and abused, and how social positioning and narratives influence conceptions of self and other. We will also discuss the relevance and impact of psychological study and data on human rights issues.

Equivalent Course(s): INRE 30600, HMRT 25220, CHDV 25220

PBPL 25500. Introduction to U.S. Health Policy and Politics. 100 Units.

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the concepts needed to critically evaluate U.S. health policy issues. The course will 1) provide an overview of the U.S. health system including its institutions, stakeholders, and financing mechanisms, 2) describe the politics of health and illuminate how the structure of our political system shapes health policy outcomes, and 3) offer a framework for assessing the critical features central to health policy debates. Building upon this knowledge, the course will conclude with a discussion of strategies for influencing the health policy process and how they might be employed in future leadership roles within the health sector.

Instructor(s): Loren Saulsberry     Terms Offered: Autumn Prerequisite(s): None Equivalent Course(s): PBHS 35500, SSAD 45011, HLTH 25500, PPHA 37720

PBPL 25550. Economic Development and Policy. 100 Units.

The course will introduce students to the main concepts in development economics, such as modern growth theories and their relevance for low-income countries, and major topics in policy and research within the field. In the first part of the course, we will concentrate on the development facts, the main explanations highlighted in the field of economics for differences in growth and income levels between rich and poor countries, and the concept and measurement of poverty. In the second part of the course we will study microeconomic fundamentals of economic development. We will concentrate on topics such as fertility, nutrition and health, education, labor markets, intra-household allocation of resources and infrastructure and the relation among them. Empirical evidence from developing economies will be employed extensively paying special attention to the methods used.

Instructor(s): Menendez, A.     Terms Offered: Autumn

PBPL 25563. Does American Democracy Need Religion? 100 Units.

In the United States, we find ourselves living as part of a democracy. But that simple fact doesn't necessarily make us fans of democracy by default. In fact, it leaves many questions unanswered: Is democracy a good thing? If so, why and on what grounds? Why should you or I value democracy and its ideals (e.g., equality, liberty, fraternity)? If we do, what (if anything) grounds our devotion to this shared political tradition? And does, can, or should religion have a role to play? In this course, we will explore American democracy as a normative tradition and its relationship to various religious traditions in American society. Through examining key interpreters of American democracy such as Danielle Allen, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Jr., Cornel West, Joshua Abraham Heschel, and Amanda Gorman, we will approach the question of how religion and democracy relate to one another. We'll investigate the relative independence of democracy and religion, focusing on philosophers and poets who emphasize American democracy as tradition in its own right. We will also consider "Civil Religion in America," through the work of sociologists and historians who suggest the dependence of the democratic on religion or something like it. Finally, we'll question the relative interdependence of American democracy and religious traditions by turning to claims of influential religious and political leaders and activists. No prerequisite knowledge required.

Instructor(s): Derek Buyan Equivalent Course(s): AMER 25563, DEMS 25563, RLST 25563, CRES 25563

PBPL 25585. The Chinese Economy. 100 Units.

This course provides an overview of the Chinese economy, with two main focuses. First, we will review the significant reforms that happened in China in the past four decades, which fundamentally reshaped the modern China as we see today. Second, we will discuss some of China's key political and economic institutions, and their implications on China and the rest of the world. Throughout the course, special emphasis will be given to the role of the state in China's growth experience, at both the central- and local-levels.

Instructor(s): Wang, S     Terms Offered: Spring Equivalent Course(s): PPHA 35585, ECON 22030

PBPL 25595. Power and "Development" 100 Units.

This course offers a perspective on the role of power in the evolution of societies. First, we will study narratives of political economy of development, dominant until recently, which draw on explanations for what made Europe, and parts of North America, exceptional, such as their innovation, trade, culture, or institutions. Second, we will explore research by historians, anthropologists, and sociologists that challenged these narratives on the grounds that they silenced the role played by European military domination over the rest of the world in the rise of Europe; the rise of the "West" coincides with the exceptional use of power at a global scale to expropriate, enslave, and even replace other societies whose welfare is not even part of current GDP calculations. Third, we will explore institutions, historical processes, worldviews, socio-political traditions, and ideas in societies outside the so-called West, and how those have contributed to the history of human societies but also to the set of possible ideas and models for "development." One ambitious aim of the course is to make sense of how we got into the world of today while navigating this epistemic imbalance, beyond "us" vs. "them," and through research and policies that do not carry the presumption of pitying, saving, or fixing as the main starting point. This course was previously name Political Economics of Developing Countries offered as PBPL 28776.

Instructor(s): Sanchez de la Sierra, Raul     Terms Offered: Spring Equivalent Course(s): PPHA 35556

PBPL 25600. Why We Fight: The Roots of War and the Paths to Peace. 100 Units.

Most countries in the world have been independent for about 50 years. Some are peaceful and have prospered, while some remain poor, war-torn, or both. What explains why some countries have succeeded while others remain poor, violent, and unequal? Moreover, fifty years on, a lot of smart people are genuinely surprised that these countries' leaders have not been able to make more progress in implementing good policies. If there are good examples to follow, why haven't more countries followed these examples into peace and prosperity? Finally, we see poverty and violence despite 50 years of outside intervention. Shouldn't foreign aid, democracy promotion, peacekeeping, and maybe even military intervention have promoted order and growth? If not why not, and what should we do about it as citizens? This class is going to try to demystify what's going on. There are good explanations for violence and disorder. There are some good reasons leaders don't make headway, bureaucrats seem slothful, and programs get perverted. The idea is to talk about the political, economic, and natural logics that lead to function and dysfunction.

Instructor(s): Blattman, Chris     Terms Offered: Spring Equivalent Course(s): PLSC 25601

PBPL 25630. Poverty, Work, and Family Policy. 100 Units.

This course examines contemporary policy questions regarding the dual spheres of work and family life, with a particular focus on economically impoverished families and communities. Students will analyze the relative merits of different policies designed to improve the conditions of work and family life and mitigate the effects of poverty on children's wellbeing. Throughout the ten-week quarter, we will consider demographic, labor market, and policy trends contributing to family poverty and income inequality in American society; interrogate policy debates concerning the responsibility of government, corporate, and informal sectors to address these critical social problems; and examine specific policy and program responses directed at (1) improving employment and economic outcomes and (2) reconciling the competing demands of employment and parenting. Although our primary focus will be on policies that promote the wellbeing of low-income families in the United States, relevant comparisons will be made cross-nationally, across race/ethnicity, and across income. This course is part of the Inequality, Social Problems, and Change minor.

Equivalent Course(s): SSAD 25630, CRES 25630

PBPL 25640. Labor Markets: A Global Perspective. 100 Units.

In this course we will explore standard models that form the core of labor economics including labor supply, labor demand, job search models, wage setting, discrimination, and migration. For each topic we will then examine empirical applications of these models with a focus on middle and low-income countries. We will discuss how these traditional models are useful, or not, in understanding labor market outcomes in these settings and how they can be expanded to better capture relevant features of labor markets outside high-income countries.

Instructor(s): Lane, Gregory     Terms Offered: Winter Equivalent Course(s): ECON 14020

PBPL 25663. Urban Studies: Placemaking. 100 Units.

This course considers the values that drive neighborhood transformation, how policy is shaped and implemented, and the role that arts and culture can play in mindful city-building. Classroom hours will be spent with Theaster Gates, professor, Department of Visual Art, in addition to other UChicago faculty, discussing key principles in guiding city redevelopment in mindful and equitable ways. Students will gain field experience working with Place Lab, Gates's multidisciplinary team that documents and demonstrates urban ethical redevelopment strategies initiated through arts and culture. Working across a variety of projects, students will be exposed to programming, data collection, development, community building, strategy, and documentation. Weekly site visits will give students the opportunity to see analogous projects and meet practitioners throughout Chicago.

Equivalent Course(s): ARTV 20663

PBPL 25704. Environmental Justice in Chicago. 100 Units.

This course will examine the development of environmental justice theory and practice through social scientific and ethical literature about the subject as well as primary source accounts of environmental injustices. We will focus on environmental justice issues in Chicago including, but not limited to waste disposal, toxic air and water, the Chicago heat wave, and climate change. Particular attention will be paid to environmental racism and the often understudied role of religion in environmental justice theory and practice. Throughout the course we will explore how normative commitments are expressed in different types of literature as well as the basis for normative judgments and the types of authorities authors utilize and claim as they consider environmental justice.

Instructor(s): Sarah Fredericks     Terms Offered: Winter Note(s): Graduate students can enroll with permission of instructor and will have additional requirements. Equivalent Course(s): CHST 25704, KNOW 25704, ENST 25704, CEGU 25704, AMER 25704, RLST 25704, RDIN 25704, HMRT 25704

PBPL 25834. Independence Movements. 100 Units.

This course will examine independence movements around the world. We will primarily focus on the politics of secession while also discussing its ethics, legality, economics, violence, and aftermath. Many different movements will be discussed including Scotland, Quebec, Northern Ireland, and South Sudan, although particular attention will be paid to Catalonia.

Instructor(s): Anthony Fowler     Terms Offered: Spring. Barcelona Pub Pol Program Prerequisite(s): Admission to Barcelona Pub Pol Program

PBPL 25835. The Political Economy of Cities. 100 Units.

The course introduces students to the latest scholarship on the political economy of cities and metropolitan areas. We will focus on a few basic concepts of urban political economy (e.g., externalities, agglomeration, fragmentation, sorting), and explore how the interaction of economic forces and political institutions forms the foundation of many current policy challenges facing cities. We analyze the sources of urban growth, the institutions of local government and their role in the federal system, competition among cities, and the importance of real estate markets in shaping local politics.

Instructor(s): Christopher Berry     Terms Offered: Spring Prerequisite(s): Admission to Barcelona Pub Pol Program

PBPL 25850. No Justice, No Speech! Free Speech and Palestine in the University and Beyond. 100 Units.

Are there-or should there be-limits to free speech? What is the relationship between free speech and hate speech? Does speech deserve special kinds of protections (or limits) in the context of the university campus? In this course, we will critically engage with these questions as they relate to political organizing and political expression on (and in) Palestine. Our course will examine these foundational questions before turning to some of the sticking points in the debate over free speech and Palestine today: What is freedom of expression in Israel-Palestine, and what does it have to do with the politics of US campuses? What is BDS, and is it intended to foster or limit academic freedom? Is anti-Zionism anti-Semitic? To consider these questions, we will do critical readings of primary texts such as the BDS guidelines issued by PACBI (Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel) and the definition of anti-Semitism issued by the IHRA (International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance), as well as ethnographic and other accounts of the problem of political expression in Palestine today.

Instructor(s): Callie Maidhof     Terms Offered: Autumn Equivalent Course(s): NELC 25850, PARR 22100, LLSO 25850, GLST 25850

PBPL 26002. Urban Design Studio: Reconstructing Chicago's Lost Neighborhoods Using Machine Learning. 100 Units.

This course offers a hands-on learning experience in which students will digitally recreate the "lost neighborhoods" of Chicago using machine learning techniques. Students will be guided through the process of turning historical Sanborn maps into 3D models of historic urban neighborhoods. The creation of these historic urban models will be contextualized through archival research at the Chicago History Museum, as well as readings and lectures designed to advance student understanding of urban development within the historical context of U.S. cities in the 20th century, and Chicago specifically. Programming experience is helpful, but not required.

Instructor(s): Talen, E     Terms Offered: Autumn Equivalent Course(s): SOSC 26002, ENST 26002, CHST 26002, GEOG 24200, PPHA 36002

PBPL 26005. Cities by Design. 100 Units.

This course examines the theory and practice of city design-how, throughout history, people have sought to mold and shape cities in pre-determined ways. The form of the city is the result of myriad factors, but in this course we will hone in on the purposeful act of designing cities according to normative thinking-ideas about how cities ought to be. Using examples from all time periods and places around the globe, we will examine how cities are purposefully designed and what impact those designs have had. Where and when has city design been successful, and where has it resulted in more harm than good?

Instructor(s): Evan Carver     Terms Offered: Winter Equivalent Course(s): ENST 26005, GEOG 26005, ARCH 26005

PBPL 26021. Sense & Sensibility & Science @UChicago. 100 Units.

In Sense & Sensibility & Science, you will learn how to better incorporate into your thinking and decision making the problem-solving techniques of science at its best. Many insights and conceptual tools from scientific thinking are of great utility for solving problems in your own day-to-day life and in a democracy. Yet, as individuals, as groups, as whole societies we fail to take full advantage of these methods. The focus in this course is on the errors humans tend to make, and the approaches scientific methodology has developed (and continues to develop) to minimize those errors. The course includes a discussion of the nature of science, what makes science such an effective way of knowing, how both non-scientific thinking and scientific thinking can go awry, and how we can reason more clearly and successfully as individuals, as members of groups, and as citizens of a democracy. The undergraduate course will be simultaneously taught at UC Berkeley, Harvard and UChicago in spring 2024, with an opportunity for students from all three courses to participate remotely in the same deliberative polling capstone experience. UChicago's spring 2024 course premiere builds on a decade of experience developing and teaching the popular course at Berkeley and Harvard's adoption of its own version in 2021.

Instructor(s): Reid Hastie; Jordan Kemp; Eamon Duede     Terms Offered: Spring Prerequisite(s): PQ: Third or fourth-year standing. Equivalent Course(s): HIPS 26021, BPRO 26021, SOSC 26021, DIGS 26021, SCPD 26021

PBPL 26080. The Challenge of Government Oversight. 100 Units.

Can governments hold themselves accountable? How have they tried to do so, and with what results? Students will evaluate these questions by examining how different models of government oversight work in practice. The quarter will be split attention between federal and local government structures and oversight mechanisms. At the federal level, we will discuss special prosecutors, inspector general audits, models of judicial review and oversight, and the transformation of oversight institutions in the Trump era. At the local level, our focus will be on policing as a government function uniquely in need of effective oversight and uniquely difficult to oversee effectively. As a "windows" course, this course will ask students to engage in class discussions and written assignments with current, real-world challenges facing government oversight professionals.

Instructor(s): Robert Owens     Terms Offered: Winter Equivalent Course(s): DEMS 26080

PBPL 26255. Environmental Justice Field Research Project I. 100 Units.

This two-quarter sequence will expose students to real-world policy-making questions and field-based research methodologies to design an environmentally based research project, collect data, conduct analyses, and present findings. In the first quarter, we will follow a robust methodological training program in collaboration with University partners to advance the foundations laid elsewhere in the public policy studies program. In the second quarter, this expertise in a full range of research methodologies will be put into practice to tackle public policy problems in the city and neighborhoods that surround the University. PBPL 26255 and PBPL 26355 satisfy the Public Policy practicum Windows and Methods requirements.

Instructor(s): Lodato, R.      Terms Offered: Autumn. not offered in 2022-23 Prerequisite(s): Students taking this course to meet the Public Policy practicum requirement must take both courses. Equivalent Course(s): ENST 26255

PBPL 26260. Environmental Justice in Principle and Practice I. 100 Units.

This course will investigate the foundational texts on environmental justice as well as case studies, both in and out of Chicago. Students will consider issues across a wide spectrum of concerns, including toxics, lead in water, waste management, and access to greenspaces, particularly in urban areas. These topics will be taught in accompaniment with a broader understanding of how social change occurs, what barriers exist to producing just outcomes, and what practices have worked to overcome obstacles in the past. The class will welcome speakers from a variety of backgrounds to address their work on these topics.

Instructor(s): Ray Lodato     Terms Offered: Autumn Note(s): This course counts towards the ENST 4th year Capstone requirement. This course will cover the same content as ENST 26255. Equivalent Course(s): CEGU 26260, CHST 26259, ENST 26260

PBPL 26261. Environmental Justice in Principle and Practice II. 100 Units.

In this quarter, students will learn and practice methods to conduct a research project with a local environmental organization. Building on knowledge gained in the first half of this course, students will examine what makes a condition an environmental justice issue, how to conduct a literature review, how to develop and administer a questionnaire for key informant interviews, and how to access, understand, and utilize Census data. Students should expect to work in the community as well as the classroom, and in close collaboration with classmates. The class will conduct "deep-dive" research into the community selected, and will learn not only about the area, but techniques for how to do community-based research in a manner that acknowledges and appreciates the lived wisdom of the neighborhood's residents. The result will be a research report delivered to the community organization with students in the class listed as co-authors.

Instructor(s): Ray Lodato      Terms Offered: Winter Equivalent Course(s): ENST 26261, CHST 26261, CEGU 26261

PBPL 26302. Public Policy Practicum: Interview Project on Gun Violence. 100 Units.

This one-quarter practicum in qualitative methods aims to develop interview research skills, including instrument design, questioning, transcription, thematic analysis, and write-up, in the context of a mini-BA thesis trial run. The topic of this version of the practicum is gun violence in Chicago. Students will engage in weekly in-class interviews with informants with wide-ranging vantage points on gun violence as a social and policy problem including community members, scholars, and policy-makers. Meant to prepare Public Policy Studies students for the BA thesis process, each student, using the weekly in-class interviews conducted by students, and supplemented by interviews and observations of their own, will formulate a question related to gun violence and construct the component parts of their own research paper, which they will submit at the end of the quarter.

Instructor(s): Broughton, Chad     Terms Offered: Spring Prerequisite(s): Open only to Public Policy Studies majors. Note(s): Can fulfill either the “Methods” or “Windows” major requirement. Recommended for third-year students.

PBPL 26305. Public Policy Practicum: Qualitative Research in Urban Transportation. 100 Units.

This one-quarter practicum in qualitative methods aims to develop interview and observational research skills, including instrument design, questioning, transcription, ethnographic note-taking, thematic analysis, and write-up, in the context of a mini-BA thesis trial run. The topic of this version of the practicum is urban transportation. Students will engage in interviews with informants in different roles in transportation, potentially including public servants, activists, policymakers, and users of multiple modes of urban transportation. This class will include field trips within the city of Chicago. Meant to prepare Public Policy Studies students for the BA thesis process, each student, using interviews/observations conducted by themselves and their classmates, will formulate a question related to urban transportation and construct the component parts of their own research paper, which they will submit at the end of the quarter.

Terms Offered: Autumn Equivalent Course(s): CHST 26305

PBPL 26366. Planning for Land and Life in the Calumet. 100 Units.

The collaborative plan to create a Calumet National Heritage Area that touches aspects of environmental conservation, economic development, cultural heritage, recreation, arts, and education will ground this course's exploration of landscape history and landscape planning in the Calumet region. Students will investigate this planning process and its relationship to other local and regional plans. A strong focus of the course is on the opportunities and challenges this complex and richly textured industrial region faces in its transition to a more sustainable future.

Instructor(s): Mark Bouman     Terms Offered: Spring. not offered in 2022-23 Note(s): This course is part of the Chicago Studies Quarter:Calumet. This course includes required field trips every Friday from 9am-3pm. Equivalent Course(s): HIST 27313, ENST 26366, CEGU 26366, CHST 26366

PBPL 26367. Objects, Place and Power. 100 Units.

Objects are not only formed and interpreted through ideas of place and power, but also shape place and identity. This course looks at how material culture has, in part, formed understandings of the Calumet. Through methods drawn from art history and museum studies, we will look closely at objects, collections, and institutions in the region to analyze the power and politics of representation in placemaking.

Instructor(s): Jessica Landau     Terms Offered: Spring Note(s): This course is part of the Chicago Studies Quarter:Calumet. This course includes required field trips every Friday from 9am-3pm. Equivalent Course(s): CHST 26367, CEGU 26367, ENST 26367, HIST 27314, ARTH 26367

PBPL 26368. Environmental Transitions and Unnatural Histories. 100 Units.

The course considers changes wrought in the natural landscape of the greater Calumet region beginning with indigenous Potawatomi and their forced removal. Students will examine how the Calumet's natural environment became collateral damage of the industrial capitalism that transformed the region into an economic powerhouse and explore efforts to rehabilitate the Calumet's rich biodiversity, identifying the challenges and achievements of this most recent environmental transition.

Instructor(s): Mary Beth Pudup     Terms Offered: Spring Note(s): This course is part of the Chicago Studies Quarter:Calumet. This course includes required field trips every Friday from 9am-3pm. Equivalent Course(s): ANTH 26368, ENST 26368, HIST 27315, CEGU 26368, CHST 26368

PBPL 26383. Mapping Global Chicago: Immigration Law, Policy & Diaspora. 100 Units.

Mapping Global Chicago is an interdisciplinary research lab that undergraduates may take for course credit. In this lab, students work together to create public scholarship investigating the idea of the "global city" here in Chicago. This year, students will conduct research projects centered around immigration policies and laws, as well as the intersection of immigration with criminal justice. This course is in collaboration with Chicago Appleseed, a community driven nonprofit that advocates for fair, accessible, and anti-racist courts. In addition to working alongside Appleseed's staff on immigration court reform projects, enrolled students will court-watch, interview people working in and impacted by the immigration and legal systems, and explore diverse research methods. Students will deliver their research findings to a live audience during a final presentation. Please direct any questions to Professor Callie Maidhof ([email protected]) and Ethan Chen ([email protected]). Applications for the course are due by Tuesday, 12/12/2023 (11:59 pm CT), and students will receive notification about their enrollment status around the second week of the winter quarter.

Instructor(s): Callie Maidhof     Terms Offered: Spring Prerequisite(s): Please direct any questions to Professor Callie Maidhof ([email protected]) and Ethan Chen ([email protected]). Applications for the course are due by Tuesday, 12/12/2023 (11:59 pm CT), and students will receive notification about their enrollment status around the second week of the winter quarter. Equivalent Course(s): GLST 26383, ENST 26383, LLSO 26383, CHST 26383

PBPL 26400. Quantitative Methods in Public Policy. 100 Units.

This class will provide an introduction to quantitative analysis in public policy. Much of the class is devoted to learning about the effects of policies and answering empirical, policy-relevant questions from observational data. In doing so, the course provides an introduction to critical and quantitative thinking in general. Students will be introduced to the basic toolkit of policy analysis, which includes sampling, hypothesis testing, Bayesian inference, regression, experiments, instrumental variables, differences in differences, and regression discontinuity. Students will also learn how to use a statistical software program to organize and analyze data. More importantly, students will learn the principles of critical thinking essential for careful and credible policy analysis.

Instructor(s): Anthony Fowler     Terms Offered: Winter Equivalent Course(s): CEGU 26400

PBPL 26705. Economics of Education. 100 Units.

This course explores economic models of the demand for and supply of different forms of schooling. The course examines the markets for primary, secondary, and post-secondary schooling. The course examines numerous public policy questions, such as the role of government in funding or subsidizing education, the design of public accountability systems, the design of systems that deliver publicly funded (and possibly provided) education, and the relationship between education markets and housing markets.

Instructor(s): D. Neal Prerequisite(s): ECON 21020 or ECON 21030 Equivalent Course(s): ECMA 36700, EDSO 26700

PBPL 26831. Quantitative Evaluation for Public Policy. 100 Units.

How do we know whether a policy delivers its promised results or falls short? If it delivers, how do we know whether it was by chance or a true result that would replicate in a similar setting? If it is a true result, will it scale if implemented more broadly? This course is designed for enterprising high school students who want to join the work at the frontiers of data analysis, using the tools that economists and other social scientists use to determine the causal effects of different actions and make more informed decisions. Students will be introduced to the basic toolkit of quantitative policy analysis, which includes probability theory, sampling, hypothesis testing, regression, experiments, differences in differences, and regression discontinuity. Students will also learn how to use a statistical software program to organize and analyze data. Most importantly, students will learn the principles of critical thinking essential for careful and credible policy analysis. The goals of this course will be realized through various course activities including lectures, labs, group assignments and final presentations.

Terms Offered: Summer

PBPL 26930. Environmental Economics: Theory and Applications. 100 Units.

​This course presents a broad-based treatment of the theory and application of environmental economics. Topics are introduced in the context of real-world environmental policy questions (with special emphasis on energy policy), then translated into microeconomic theory to highlight the salient constraints and fundamental trade-offs faced by policymakers. Topics include property rights, externalities, Pigouvian taxes, command-and-control regulation, cap-and-trade, valuation of environmental quality, cost-benefit analysis, policymaking under uncertainty, and inter-regional competition. Students who have previously taken PBPL 28525 should not enroll in this course.

Instructor(s): Wang, S     Terms Offered: Winter Equivalent Course(s): PPHA 36930

PBPL 27000. International Economics. 100 Units.

This course covers international economics with an emphasis on international trade. The basic theories of international trade are introduced and used to analyze welfare and distributional effects of international trade, government policies, and technology diffusion. In addition, this course also discusses the main empirical patterns of international trade and international investment.

Instructor(s): F. Tintelnot     Terms Offered: Winter Prerequisite(s): ECON 20100/20110 Equivalent Course(s): ECON 27000

PBPL 27070. Philanthropy: Private Acts and Public Goods. 100 Units.

Under what conditions do philanthropy and other forms of private action come to be significant elements of the provision of public goods? What are the consequences of organizing society in this way? In this course, we will address the social role of philanthropy, its historical development as a significant economic and political institution, and the place of philanthropy in contemporary public policy and civic projects.

Instructor(s): E. Clemens     Terms Offered: Winter Prerequisite(s): Completion of at least 2 quarters of SOSC Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 20222

PBPL 27110. Animal Policy. 100 Units.

Brief Description: Humans share the Earth with countless multitudes of sentient, non-human beings. We categorize our fellow earthlings into, for example, farm animals; pets; wild animals; pests; and so on. For each of these animal categories, we have laws, policies, and norms that influence our interactions with our fellow creatures and also profoundly affect the births, lives, and deaths of animals. This discussion-based course examines animal-related policies. We will look at broad questions - should animal wellbeing be directly taken into account in policy analysis, or only accounted for via human interest in animal wellbeing? - as well as specific policies with respect to farm animals, zoo animals, companion animals, and so on.

Instructor(s): James Leitzel     Terms Offered: Spring Equivalent Course(s): CEGU 27111

PBPL 27156. Urban Design with Nature. 100 Units.

This course will use the Chicago region as the setting to evaluate the social, environmental, and economic effects of alternative forms of human settlement. Students will examine the history, theory and practice of designing cities in sustainable ways - i.e., human settlements that are socially just, economically viable, and environmentally sound. Students will explore the literature on sustainable urban design from a variety of perspectives, and then focus on how sustainability theories play out in the Chicago region. How can Chicago's neighborhoods be designed to promote environmental, social, and economic sustainability goals? This course is part of the College Course Cluster program: Urban Design.

Instructor(s): Sabina Shaikh and Emily Talen     Terms Offered: Autumn Note(s): This course counts towards the ENST 4th year Capstone requirement. Restricted to 3rd and 4th year students Equivalent Course(s): CHST 27155, ENST 27155, BPRO 27155, CEGU 27155, GISC 27155

PBPL 27325. Urban Ecology in the Calumet Region. 100 Units.

This course will give students a foundation in the local ecology of the Calumet region. Students will use local research and habitats to understand fundamental concepts in ecology and explore some of these habitats during field trips with scientists and practitioners. As a class, we will examine the extent to which these fundamental ecological concepts are applicable in the urban ecology of the Calumet, and the role humans have had in modifying local habitats, as well as restoring natural and managing novel ecosystems. In 2022, the course focus will be on wetlands: their function ecologically, and their past, present, and future in the region.

Instructor(s): Alison Anastasio     Terms Offered: Spring. not offered in 2022-23 Note(s): Attendance at the first class session is a requirement for enrollment in this course. This course is part of the Chicago Studies Quarter: Calumet but may be taken as a standalone class. Students interested in enrolling in all three Calumet Quarter classes should contact [email protected]. For more information on the Calumet quarter, visit chicagostudies.uchicago.edu/calumet. This course will include mandatory Friday field excursions on 4/1, 4/8, 4/22, 5/6, 5/20, and 5/27. Equivalent Course(s): ENST 27325, CHST 27325, GEOG 27325

PBPL 27818. Philosophical Foundations of Public Policy. 100 Units.

Evidence-based policy making" sounds like a slogan everyone can get behind. But its central components, cost-benefit analysis and program evaluation, have each been subject to severe philosophical questioning. Does cost-benefit analysis ignore important ethical concerns? Does program evaluation ignore valuable kinds of knowledge? We will introduce each of these debates, and then take up the question of how evidence-based policy might be reconciled with democratic theory. Class discussion and assignments will consider these topics in the context of specific policy areas, including climate change, discrimination, and education.

Instructor(s): S. Ashworth     Terms Offered: Autumn Prerequisite(s): ECON 20000, PBPL 20000, ECON 20100, or PBPL 22200. Equivalent Course(s): PLSC 27818, DEMS 27818

PBPL 27900. Global-Local Politics. 100 Units.

Globalizing and local forces are generating a new politics in the United States and around the world. This course explores this new politics by mapping its emerging elements: the rise of social issues, ethno-religious and regional attachments, environmentalism, gender and life-style identity issues, new social movements, transformed political parties and organized groups, and new efforts to mobilize individual citizens.

Instructor(s): T. Clark     Terms Offered: Winter Equivalent Course(s): LLSO 20116, GEOG 30116, GEOG 20116, SOCI 20116, HMRT 20116, HMRT 30116, SOCI 30116

PBPL 27905. Global Health Metrics. 100 Units.

This course provides an overview of the causes of illness and injury in populations across the world and the most important risk factors. We will discuss how population health is measured using summary indicators that combine mortality and non-fatal health outcomes. We will use these indicators to compare and contrast the health of populations across global regions and in time. Sound measurement of the global burden of disease is essential for prioritizing prevention strategies. Therefore, there will be a strong emphasis on understanding how data sources in information-poor settings are used to generate estimates of population health.

Instructor(s): Kavi Bhalla     Terms Offered: Spring Prerequisite(s): N/A Note(s): PBHS 30910; Limited to 3rd & 4th yr undergrads Equivalent Course(s): HLTH 27905, PBHS 31900

PBPL 27919. Research in School Improvement. 100 Units.

Research evidence and data play an increasingly important and complex role in efforts to reform underperforming school systems in the United States. Both education policy and practice increasingly rely on sophisticated understandings of a dynamic interplay of complex organizations, systems, and policymaking. This course introduces students to cutting edge models for using research and data public school reform efforts, including examples of randomized control trials, district-based research, research-practice partnerships, and quality improvement strategies. The course includes concrete illustrations of research that reshaped educational practice drawn from the UChicago Consortium on School Research.

Instructor(s): David Johnson     Terms Offered: TBD. Offered 2022-23 Equivalent Course(s): EDSO 37919, CHST 27919, EDSO 27919

PBPL 28029. Education Policy. 100 Units.

Which education policies work and which do not? How are these policies evaluated? The main goal of this course is to familiarize students with the methods and research frontier in the economics of education, with an emphasis on policies designed to improve students' outcomes. We will explore and discuss a wide range of educational policy issues, including the returns to schooling, student in- centives, teacher labor markets, school choice, accountability, school funding, and higher education. Throughout the course, we will pay close attention to the methods employed to evaluate the effects of education policies.

Instructor(s): Derek Rury     Terms Offered: Spring Prerequisite(s): PBPL 26400 recommended Equivalent Course(s): EDSO 28029

PBPL 28030. Higher Education Policy. 100 Units.

This course will examine major policy issues in higher education in both the United States and abroad. Topics covered will include models of individuals' educational investment decisions, rationale for government involvement in higher education markets, the effects of higher education on long-term social and economic outcomes, and the behavior of institutions that produce higher education. Students will use economic models and interpret experts' empirical findings to analyze current issues in higher education policy such as free community college, financial aid and student loans, affirmative action, higher education accountability, and student debt relief.

Instructor(s): Lesley Turner     Terms Offered: Spring Equivalent Course(s): EDSO 28030

PBPL 28031. Introduction to Economics of Education. 100 Units.

Education is integral in the human capital production for the economy, distribution of income, economic growth and civic society. This course is an introduction to the economics of education. It introduces microeconomic theories of returns to education and econometric methods that are employed in investigating issues in education. The course pays attention to causal inference and predictions about impact of education policies. The primary focus of is on early childhood and K-12 education in the US. It explores educational outcomes, effectiveness of school financing, teacher labor markets, accountability and school choice. It studies reforms and interventions to increase accountability and production in education.

Instructor(s): Atila Abdulkadiroglu     Terms Offered: Spring Equivalent Course(s): EDSO 28031

PBPL 28300. Health Economics and Public Policy. 100 Units.

This course analyzes the economics of health and medical care in the United States with particular attention to the role of government. The first part of the course examines the demand for health and medical and the structure and the consequences of public and private insurance. The second part of the course examines the supply of medical care, including professional training, specialization and compensation, hospital competition, and finance and the determinants and consequences of technological change in medicine. The course concludes with an examination of recent proposals and initiatives for health care reform. Must have completed PPHA 32300 Principles of Microeconomics and Public Policy I or equivalent to enroll.

Instructor(s): Meltzer, D     Terms Offered: Spring Prerequisite(s): PBPL 20000 or ECON 20000 and one undergraduate course in quantitative research methods (Statistics or Econometrics) or the equivalent or consent of the instructor Equivalent Course(s): PPHA 38300, ECON 27700, CCTS 38300

PBPL 28335. Health Care Markets and Regulation. 100 Units.

This course analyzes the economics of health care markets and the way regulations impact those markets. We will study the unique institutional arrangements found in the health care sector (primarily, though not exclusively, in the United States) and examine how market forces manifest themselves in this setting. We will consider the behavior of health care providers, insurers' roles both as intermediaries and risk managers, patients' health care demand, and geographic differences in medicine. The study of government regulations, including their theoretical and empirical impacts on health care markets, will be integrated throughout these topics.

Instructor(s): Gottlieb, J     Terms Offered: Autumn Equivalent Course(s): PPHA 37820, ECON 17710

PBPL 28350. Education and Economic Development. 100 Units.

This course covers policy issues related to education in developing contexts. We will analyze education policies and reforms, develop skills to be a critical consumer of relevant research on each topic, and examine implications of the findings to policy and practice. Topics include discrimination and inclusion in education, understanding factors that influence educational decisions, provision of basic needs in schools, teacher pay and incentives, education in emergency settings, and school choice.

Instructor(s): A. Adukia     Terms Offered: Winter Prerequisite(s): Recommended prerequisite courses: Microeconomics and econometrics. Students in their last years will be given priority. Equivalent Course(s): ECON 16710, EDSO 28350

PBPL 28410. Hooking Up, Shacking Up, Breaking Up: Public Policy and Intimate Relationships. 100 Units.

Instructor(s): Karlyn Gorski     Terms Offered: Winter

PBPL 28498. Women, Development and Politics. 100 Units.

This course will explore the dominant and emerging trends and debates in the field of women and international development. The major theoretical perspectives responding to global gender inequities will be explored alongside a wide range of themes impacting majority-world women, such as free market globalization, health and sexuality, race and representation, participatory development, human rights, the environment and participation in politics. Course lectures will integrate policy and practitioner accounts and perspectives to reflect the strong influence development practice has in shaping and informing the field. Course materials will also include anti-racist, postcolonial and post-development interruptions to dominant development discourse, specifically to challenge the underlying biases and assumptions of interventions that are predicated on transforming "them" into "us". The material will also explore the challenges of women participating in politics and what are the consequences when they do or do not.

Instructor(s): Bautista, M. and Chishti, M.      Terms Offered: Autumn Equivalent Course(s): GNSE 28498, LACS 28498

PBPL 28502. Policing in America: Black, White and Blue. 100 Units.

The course will focus on policing issues in Chicago and across the nation. It will feature guest speakers and class discussions. This course satisfies the Public Policy practicum Windows requirement.

Instructor(s): Clayton Harris     Terms Offered: Autumn Spring Note(s): This course satisfies the Public Policy practicum windows requirement. Equivalent Course(s): CHST 28502, CRES 28502

PBPL 28525. Environmental Economics: Theory and Applications. 100 Units.

This course presents a broad-based treatment of the theory and application of environmental economics. Topics are introduced in the context of real-world environmental policy questions (with special emphasis on energy policy), then translated into microeconomic theory to highlight the salient constraints and fundamental trade-offs faced by policymakers. Topics include property rights, externalities, Pigouvian taxes, command-and-control regulation, cap-and-trade, valuation of environmental quality, cost-benefit analysis, policymaking under uncertainty, and inter-regional competition.

Instructor(s): Shaoda Wang     Terms Offered: Winter Note(s): Recommended prior coursework: Microeconomics or PBPL 20000

PBPL 28528. Household Finance: Theory and Applications. 100 Units.

This course will examine the choices households make about important financial decisions and how these individual choices can impact the aggregate economy. Each week, basic predictions from economic theory will be discussed and compared with empirical findings. Topics will include: asset market participation and household portfolio choice; human capital and student loans; housing and mortgages; retirement planning; credit card debt; payday loans; and the gig/sharing economy. Focus will also be placed on government policies affecting these topics, including so-called household financial engineering, the creation of Government Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs) like "Fannie" and "Freddie," and regulatory agencies like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The course will provide an introduction to structural modeling for conducting policy counterfactuals. Assessment will be based on problem sets, a midterm and a final. These problem sets will require students to work in R, Stata or other statistical package of the student's choice (with permission of instructor).

Instructor(s): D. Koustas     Terms Offered: Spring Prerequisite(s): Prerequisite(s): PBPL 20000 (PBPL 22200 preferred) or ECON 20000 and one undergraduate course in quantitative research methods (Statistics or Econometrics) or the equivalent or consent of the instructor. Equivalent Course(s): ECON 13110

PBPL 28550. Methods of Data Collection: Social Experiments, Quasi-Experiments and Surveys. 100 Units.

The pressure in many fields (notably medicine, health research, politics, and education) for evidence-based results has increased the importance of the design and analysis of social investigations in providing a basis for policy decisions. This course will address: (i) the design of experiments, quasi-experiments, and surveys; and (ii) the use of these social investigations to provide data for generalization. Randomized clinical trials in medicine, field experiments in economics, psychology and political science, tests of quasi-experimental interventions, and national sample surveys will be among the examples. The course will explore the relative relevance of evidence from these different sources in formulating policy. This course satisfies the Public Policy practicum METHODS requirement.

Instructor(s): C. O'Muircheartaigh     Terms Offered: Winter

PBPL 28633. Policy Evaluation. 100 Units.

Correlation isn't causation -- so what is? In this course students will learn about the statistical tools deployed in contemporary quantitative research, and how to implement them in R. Furthermore, they will learn about research methods used to identify causation, such as randomized control trials, which underpin much of public policy research.

Instructor(s): Navin Kumar     Terms Offered: Spring Prerequisite(s): Stats and PBPL 20000 Economics for Public Policy (or equivalent) required. PBPL 26400 or equivalent recommended.

PBPL 28670. Markets and Regulation. 100 Units.

This is an applied industrial organization course that examines economically regulated market structures. We will analyze: a) types of market structures that particularly generate economic regulation; b) common methods used by regulatory agencies given a particular market structure; and c) models of the supply of and the demand for regulation of markets, with emphasis on maximizing behavior on the part of both suppliers (regulators) and demanders (firms, consumers, political representatives). We will focus on non-financial markets, as financial markets are well-covered in other courses.

Instructor(s): Kathryn Ierulli     Terms Offered: Autumn Prerequisite(s): PQ: PBPL 20000 or equivalent Equivalent Course(s): ECON 28030

PBPL 28681. Financial Investments for Public Policy. 100 Units.

Central banks, Treasury departments, the IMF, and sovereign wealth funds use financial data and tools to inform their decisions. This class covers the main concepts of finance theory for stocks, bonds, and investment portfolios and applies them in the public policy context. Topics covered include the following: present value, real and nominal interest rates, optimal portfolio choice, Value-at-Risk and Growth-at-Risk, risk and return, the Capital Asset Pricing Model, performance evaluation, market efficiency, and return predictability.

Instructor(s): Pfleuger, C     Terms Offered: Autumn Note(s): Students should not take PPHA 36101 and PPHA 42510 Applied Financial Management. Equivalent Course(s): PPHA 36101

PBPL 28683. Introduction to Corporate Finance. 100 Units.

This course presents an introduction to the principles of corporate finance and its applications. These principles are critical to understanding the nature of how corporations and many government entities present their financial condition, finance themselves and manage their financial risks. We will examine corporate structure, evaluation of new projects, financial planning and governance. Perspectives will include those of the debt the shareholders and key management members, including the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer. Additional material relating to the public policy issues that certain corporate decisions create will be considered. There will be problem sets, graded and ungraded, to support most areas.

Instructor(s): Schabes, D.      Terms Offered: Winter Prerequisite(s): This course requires no prior finance or business knowledge.

PBPL 28728. Climate Change and Society: Human Impacts, Adaptation, and Policy Solutions. 100 Units.

Time is running out to prevent the worst impacts of climate change. The next decade will be critical both for the transformation of society and learning to adapt to changes that cannot be avoided, and climate change will be a key part of everyday life. This class discusses how we face this global challenge. During the course, our focus will be on the impacts of climate change upon society, and the necessity of solutions that deal with the global scope, local scales, and often unequal nature of the impacts. This interdisciplinary course covers the tools and insights from economic analysis, environmental science, and statistics that inform our understanding of climate change impacts, the design of mitigation and adaptation policies, and the implementation of these policies. Students will develop a mastery of key conceptual ideas from multiple disciplines relevant for climate change and acquire tools for conducting analyses of climate impacts and policies. The latter parts of the course will hone students' ability to apply and communicate these insights through practical analysis of national policies and writing op-eds about climate-related issues. The goal is to help students from any background become informed and critically-minded practitioners of climate-informed policy making, able to communicate the urgency to any audience.

Instructor(s): Jina, A.      Terms Offered: Winter Note(s): This course is intended to be accessible to people from all disciplines and backgrounds interested in climate solutions. Some introduction to statistics and economics (e.g., PBPL 20000 or ECON 20000) may be helpful, but definitely not essential. Equivalent Course(s): ENST 28728, CEGU 28728

PBPL 28750. Conflict: Root Causes, Consequences and Solutions for the Future. 100 Units.

The goals of this course are to introduce you to key concepts in the study of conflict, and to help you develop the analytical skills you need to understand and assess key arguments advanced in this arena. Drawing primarily on economics and political science, as well as psychology, we will seek to understand: Why do human beings engage in acts of violence? How can armed groups compel atrocities? How do we prevent cycles of violence, and aid countries recovering from war? Specifically: We will examine the role of economic shocks and ethnic divisions on civil war. We will also discern whether similar factors explain the rise of terrorism. In addition, we will study the consequences of conflict on socio-economic development, and examine the role of foreign aid and post-conflict reconciliation in helping countries recover from conflict. The class will examine these questions while focusing on analytical skills needed to understand cutting edge research in this area. Thus a major emphasis of the course is on learning how to think critically about empirical evidence, and learning the methods used in quantitative empirical analysis, such as fixed effects models, differences-in-differences research designs, and instrumental variables estimation. It is ideal for students who want to learn substantively about conflict while developing an understanding of the methodology used to produce key empirical findings.

Instructor(s): Oeindrila Dube     Terms Offered: Winter Note(s): Note: While the course sets out to teach these skills, you do not need previous coursework in statistics. Equivalent Course(s): PLSC 28750, ECON 16950

PBPL 28765. The Politics of Authoritarian Regimes. 100 Units.

This course provides an overview of topics related to politics in authoritarian regimes. We begin by introducing the concept of authoritarianism: how it differs from democracy and how authoritarian regimes differ from each other. We then investigate the tools authoritarian rulers employ to maintain power, including institutions, policies, and tactics, and we examine the effects and side effects of these tools. Finally, we study transitions of power and of institutions, both on the way out of authoritarianism (democratization) and on the way in (democratic backsliding). Students who take this course will acquire a broad understanding of authoritarian politics and how it is covered in the literature.

Instructor(s): Alexei Zakharov     Terms Offered: Spring Prerequisite(s): Note(s): Prior recommended coursework for undergraduates: one semester in Statistics (Stats 220 or equivalent) and current or prior training in game theory (PBPL 222, Social Science Inquiry core, or equivalent.) Equivalent Course(s): PLSC 28765

PBPL 28785. Value Creation: Social Capital, Negotiation Strategy, and Getting Things Done. 100 Units.

This new course empowers students to understand and navigate the complex intersections of social networks, negotiation, and value creation within organizational structures. In the initial weeks, we dive into the principles of social organization, applying social network analysis as a central framework. You'll learn to recognize and coordinate divergent interests within a social organization, optimizing for the best outcome. Our focus is not just on how you identify valuable opportunities within these networks but also on how to mobilize resources to actualize these opportunities. As the course progresses, we transition into the art of negotiation. Through simulated exercises, you will develop an 'interpersonal toolkit,' learning to persuade and collaborate with others effectively to achieve your objectives. We'll delve into key aspects of negotiation, such as overcoming communication obstacles, maximizing multiple interests, and tactics for coalition building. The course culminates by bringing these themes together: harnessing your social capital, leveraging effective negotiation strategies, and ultimately getting things done. Whether you're planning a future in business, policy, law, social work, academia, or beyond, these skills will prove invaluable. The goal is to equip students with the knowledge and tools to create value and drive outcomes, setting the foundation for a successful career.

Instructor(s): John Burrows     Terms Offered: Autumn

PBPL 28791. Behavioral Science and Public Policy. 100 Units.

Many policies are aimed at influencing people's behavior. The most well-intentioned policies can fail, however, if they are not designed to be compatible with the way people actually think and make decisions. This course will draw from the fields of cognitive, social, and environmental psychology to (1) examine the ways in which human behavior deviates from the standard rational actor model typically assumed by economics, and (2) provide strategies for improving the design, implementation, and evaluation of public-facing policies. The basic premise of this course is that a foundational understanding of human behavior can lead not only to more effective policies, but enhanced decision-making and well-being.

Instructor(s): K. Wolske     Terms Offered: Spring Equivalent Course(s): PSYC 28791

PBPL 28805. Behavioral Economics and Policy. 100 Units.

The standard theory of rational choice exhibits explanatory power in a vast range of circumstances, including such disparate decision making environments as whether to commit a crime, have children, or seek to emigrate. Nonetheless, shortfalls from full rationality seem not to be uncommon, and are themselves, to some extent, systematic. Behavioral economics documents and tries to account for these departures from full rationality. This course looks at areas in which some modification of the traditional rational choice apparatus might most be warranted; these include decisions that unfold over time, involve low probability events, or implicate willpower. To what extent should public policy respond to shortfalls from rationality or concern itself with promoting happiness?

Instructor(s): J. Leitzel     Terms Offered: Autumn Equivalent Course(s): ECON 26920

PBPL 28829. Artificial Intelligence for Public Policy. 100 Units.

It is hard to name a sector that will not be dramatically affected by artificial intelligence (or machine learning). There are many excellent courses that teach you the mechanics behind these innovations -- helping you develop an engineering skill set. This course takes a different approach. It is aimed at people who want to deploy these tools, either in business or policy, whether through start-ups or within a large organization. While this requires some knowledge of how these tools work, that is only a small part of the equation, just as knowing how an engine works is a small part of understanding how to drive. What is really needed is an understanding of what these tools do well, and what they do badly. This course focuses on giving you a functional, rather than mechanistic, understanding. By the end, you should be an expert at identifying ideal use-cases and thereby well-placed to create new products, businesses and policies that use artificial intelligence.

Terms Offered: Autumn

PBPL 28925. Health Impacts of Transportation Policies. 100 Units.

Governments invest in transport infrastructure because it encourages economic growth and mobility of people and goods, which have direct and indirect benefits to health. Yet, an excessive reliance on motorized modes of transport harms population health, the environment, and social well-being. The impact on population health is substantial: Globally, road traffic crashes kill over 1.3 million annually. Air pollution, to which transport is an important contributor, kills another 3.2 million people. Motorized modes of transport are also an important contributor to sedentary lifestyles. Physical inactivity is estimated to cause 3.2 million deaths every year, globally. This course will introduce students to thinking about transportation as a technological system that affects human health and well-being through intended and unintended mechanisms. The course will examine the complex relationship between transportation, land use, urban form, and geography, and explore how decisions in other sectors affect transportation systems, and how these in turn affect human health. Students will learn to recognize how the system level properties of a range of transportation systems (such as limited-access highways, urban mass transit, inter-city rail) affect human health.

Instructor(s): Bhalla, Kavi     Terms Offered: Spring Equivalent Course(s): CEGU 28925, ARCH 28925, HLTH 28925, ENST 28925

PBPL 29070. Nuclear Policy. 100 Units.

While issues arising from technologies that have both military and civilian applications are not new, the nearly incomprehensible destruction from exploding nuclear weapons focuses the mind as few other dual-use technologies can. This course will examine the development of national policies and the international regimes on the uses of nuclear energy. We will review military doctrine and the plans for nuclear war-fighting as well as the effects on societies of developing and using nuclear weapons. We will review the history of international proliferation of nuclear technology and fissile material and examine efforts to curtail the spread of weapons. In the second part of the course, we will focus on the development of civilian nuclear power and on current policy to prevent accidents and dispose of nuclear waste materials. Political leaders often face policy dilemmas because nuclear technology and materials offer great benefit, as well as presenting great danger. We will explore these dilemmas throughout the course.

Instructor(s): Benedict, K     Terms Offered: Winter Equivalent Course(s): PPHA 33510

PBPL 29404. Inequality, Household Finance, and Tax Policy: A Practicum. 100 Units.

The first component of this course will feature seminar discussions of inequality in the US, with respect to income, gender and race, and how these interact with US tax policy. We will have a focus on income transfers to low-income households such as the Earned Income Tax Credit. We will also review current policy topics in Household Finance, the study of how households save, borrow, and/or use insurance to overcome unexpected changes in household income. In addition, we will discuss the process of filing tax returns, the prevalence of income tax refunds, and the various industries, both non-profit and for-profit, that have arisen around this phenomenon. Next, students will go into the field, and work as volunteer tax preparers for a local, Chicago non-profit, Ladder Up. Students will be trained as tax preparers (which requires a 3-hour training session), learn how these services are delivered, and will also learn about the various social goals and public benefits that are often coupled with this process. Tax season begins in late January, and the students will volunteer weekly for about 6 weeks, until the end of the quarter. Students are also encouraged, though not required, to continue to volunteer until the end of the tax season, April 15th. Finally, students will produce a final project as a part of a group project. This course satisfies the Public Policy windows practicum requirement.

Instructor(s): Jones, Damon     Terms Offered: Winter Equivalent Course(s): CHST 29404

PBPL 29500. BA Project Seminar. 100 Units.

The BA Project Seminar is a required course for public policy majors who are completing the BA Capstone Project. Students must attend one quarter of PBPL 29500 and submit a project by end of quarter to satisfy the project capstone requirement.

Instructor(s): Autumn: Jim Leitzel; Winter: Karlyn Gorski; Spring: Chad Broughton     Terms Offered: Autumn Spring Winter Note(s): Restricted to 4th year public policy studies majors. 3rd year students allowed with faculty consent.

PBPL 29600. Internship: Public Policy. 100 Units.

Students write a paper about their experience working for a government agency or nonprofit organization.

Instructor(s): J. Leitzel     Terms Offered: Autumn Spring Winter Prerequisite(s): PQ: Open only to Public Policy majors; students are required to submit the College Reading and Research course form. Consent of Program Director is required and must be obtained prior to beginning internship; P/F grades only. Note(s): The College Reading and Research Course Form is required. Must be taken for P/F grading.

PBPL 29700. Reading and Research: Public Policy. 100 Units.

This is a reading and research course for independent study not related to BA research or BA thesis preparation.

Instructor(s): STAFF     Terms Offered: Autumn Spring Winter Prerequisite(s): Open only to Public Policy majors. Must be taken for a letter grade. Note(s): The College Reading and Research Course Form is required.

PBPL 29800. BA Thesis Seminar: Public Policy. 100 Units.

This Seminar is designed to provide students with the resources, support, and structure to successfully complete a senior BA thesis in Public Policy Studies. During Autumn, students will articulate their research question, develop hypotheses or arguments, construct a review of the literature and consider what methods will provide answers to the hypotheses or questions (data collection and analysis). The Seminar will meet once a week for the main lecture and once a week for a separate TA session in small groups. The class will continue to meet during winter to consolidate the progress students have made in these different areas and to work on refining their research. The required winter workshop sessions with the Professor and TAs will follow autumn quarter schedule. Attendance in both autumn and winter is required. Final grade for PBPL 29800 will be provided in spring and will be based on one quarter of seminar registration, required attendance in Autumn and Winter quarters, and successful completion of the BA paper.

Instructor(s): Maria Angelica Bautista     Terms Offered: Autumn Winter Prerequisite(s): Open only to fourth-year Public Policy majors. Note(s): Students are required to register for PBPL 29800 during Autumn of their 4th year but must attend in both autumn and winter to satisfy the requirement of the major. Must be taken for a letter grade.

PBPL 29900. BA Paper Preparation: Public Policy. 100 Units.

This is a reading and research course for independent study related to BA research and BA thesis preparation.

Instructor(s): Staff     Terms Offered: Autumn Spring Winter Prerequisite(s): Open only to 4th year Public Policy majors. Must be taken for a letter grade. The College Reading and Research Course Form is required.

Undergraduate Primary Contacts

Senior Lecturer and Executive Director Jim Leitzel Keller 3022 773.702.8555 Email

Program Director Milvia Rodriguez Keller 3018 Email

Faculty Director

Philip K. Pearson Professor of Global Conflict Studies and Professor, Faculty Director of Undergraduate Studies Oeindrila Dube Keller 2015 773.702.8400 Email

Undergraduate Secondary Contacts

Instructional Professor, Social Sciences Collegiate Division Chad Broughton Keller 3024 773.834.9810 Email

Senior Research Associate, BA Thesis Faculty Lead Lead Maria Angelica Bautista Keller 2013 Email

Assistant Instructional Professor Karlyn Gorski Keller 3026 Email

[email protected]

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PhD in Public Policy

In this section.

• Economics Track
• Judgment and Decision Making Track
• Politics and Institutions Track
• Science, Technology and Policy Studies Track
• Current Students
• Doctoral Student Handbook
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As an exceptional scholar, you want an exceptional graduate program.

The PhD in Public Policy (PPOL) program provides the advanced graduate training you need to successfully launch yourself into a research or related position in academia, government, a nongovernmental organization, or the private sector. 

You will get the training you need to conduct analytical research, help shape and execute policy, and teach the next generation of educators, researchers, and practitioners. The program encourages scholarly research that empowers public policy practitioners like you to make informed decisions and be leaders in their fields. 

Finding firm grounding for research in environmental economics

PPOL PhD alumnus Todd Gerarden’s fascination with bike mechanics mingled with his love of cycling and the outdoors; what emerged was a budding interest in energy and environmental policy. An undergraduate professor suggested he read  Economics of the Environment,  a collection of selected readings edited by HKS professor  Robert N. Stavins . That suggestion changed the course of his career.

Todd Gerarden PPOL PhD 2018

The complete phd.

The PPOL admits students to one of four tracks: Economics ; Judgment and Decision Making ; Politics and Institutions ; and Science, Technology and Policy Studies .    

PPOL graduates enter the workplace prepared to teach, carry out research, and make a profound impact in academia, while for others the degree leads to productive careers in think tanks, multinational organizations, NGOs, or the private sector.

"I've joined two research labs at HKS: Jennifer Lerner's and Julia Minson's. The brainstorming, feedback, and mutual pursuit of important research that comes from working in the labs is truly fulfilling."

Brad dewees ppol phd 2019, doctoral program admissions, funding your doctoral education.

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Democracy in Peril: Biden and the 2024 Presidential Election

Monday, May 27th, 2024  -  Alex Newhall

China’s Economic Woes

Thursday, May 9th, 2024  -  Richard Campo

From Gang Rule to Iron Fist: Questioning Progress in Bukele’s El Salvador

Wednesday, May 1st, 2024  -  Natalie Reyes

Two Years after Dobbs: My Body has Always Been Inherently Political

Tuesday, April 30th, 2024  -  Isabeau Dasho

Research Analysis

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We Don’t Need More ‘Terror on Repeat’

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America Is Leading the Global Arms Trade, but at What Cost?

Popular reads.

• America Is Leading the Global Arms Trade, but at What Cost? by R | posted on February 27, 2024
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• Teachers Wanted: A Nationwide Staffing Crisis Impacts Illinois by Madeleine Greene | posted on April 22, 2024
• The Future of Food Aid: Looking at the Egypt Case by Joshilyn Binkley | posted on February 21, 2024
• Culture and the Environment: How Cultural Values Influence Global Ecologic Practices by Marianne Waas | posted on December 4, 2014
• The Rise of Digital Lending by Richard Campo | posted on April 8, 2024
• Does Foreign Aid Have an Effect on Economic Growth? New Research Adds to the Debate by Ivonne Acevedo | posted on June 15, 2016
• From Gang Rule to Iron Fist: Questioning Progress in Bukele’s El Salvador by Natalie Reyes | posted on May 1, 2024

Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon on Rural America, Climate Policy, and the Future of ESG

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