Drive, passion, and intellectual curiosity define the best MSCAPP candidates. You want to make the world better with data, technology, and whatever else is required to get it done. This is the case whether you are building on your politics, policy, or economics background, or looking to transition from a computer science or statistics role in industry into public policy. Show us that you have excelled in whatever you have done in the past, and we’ll be excited to have you join us.

Sometimes, this will be reflected in a strong undergraduate academic history and work (or volunteer) experience in policy, governance, or mission-driven organizations. Other times you’ll need to connect the dots for us – use the motivation statement to tell us a story about why you’re invested in public service. Further, demonstration of your quantitative prowess is a factor.

No – although many students come in with some background in economics, statistics, or computer science, no such degree is required. The explicit goal of this degree is to build a pipeline of technical talent into the public realm; therefore, we do not expect you to have these skills upon applying to or entering the degree.

If you are unsure about the quality of your application and want to strengthen it, consider taking (and excelling in) a mathematics or computer science course, especially in linear algebra or programming in Python. Additional work or volunteer experience in public policy, governance, and in mission-driven organizations will also strengthen your application. You might also consider getting involved (however you can – coding is not always required) in a project in your local data or tech community, like through Code For America or DataKind.

CAPP students take most of the core classes from the Master of Public Policy (MPP), although they do not take a second Analytical Politics course. Instead, they are required to take Program Evaluation. Further, CAPP students are required to take a five-part series in computer programming, mathematics for data analysis, databases and machine learning. This five-course series is built into the first year of the CAPP degree, enabling students to take advanced electives in computer science, statistics, and econometrics in the second year. You can see more information on our curriculum page.

One of the great strengths of the MSCAPP degree is the wide range of electives available to students. By your second year, you will have taken a rigorous and thorough core of econometrics, statistics, and computer science, which enables you to take advanced courses in all of these fields. In addition to CAPP-specific electives like Data Visualization for Policy Analysis, Advanced Machine Learning for Public Policy, and the Civic Data and Technology Clinic; the graduate courses at Harris Public Policy, as well as many in the Masters Program in Computer Science and the Computer Science department, are available.

Additionally, many CAPP students take courses in the Booth School of Business; the Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice; the Department of Economics; the Department of Statistics; the Division of Social Sciences; the Law School; and the Toyota Technological Institute at Chicago. Some specific electives include:

• Data Visualization for Policy Analysis
• Advanced Machine Learning for Public Policy
• Natural Language Processing
• Spatial Data Science
• Algorithms
• Mobile Software Development
• Computer Vision
• Large Scale Data Methods
• Policy Labs
• Technology for Public Policy: Building Connected, Engaged, and Empowered Communities
• Addressing Technology’s Wake: Emerging Risks and the Public Policy Imperative
• Democracy Hacked: Cyber Threats to Modern Governments in the Digital Age
• Attaining Equity in K-12 Education: Theory and Practice
• Management Matters: Leadership, Strategy, and Getting Things Done
• Health Economics
• Macroeconomic Policymaking
• Energy Policy and Human Behavior
• Behavioral Science and Public Policy
• Cost Benefit Analysis
• Environmental Science and Policy
• Survey Questionnaire Design
• Fiscal Issues in Latin America
• Writing for Public Policy

A comprehensive list of elective courses that CAPP students have taken in past academic years can be found here: Historical CAPP Student Elective Choices 2020.pdf

The MSCAPP degree is a joint program and thus has a home base in both the Department of Computer Science and the Harris School of Public Policy.

The Department of Computer Science resides in the newly renovated John Crerar Library, the campus hub for computation and data science. Harris Public Policy is housed in the Keller Center, which is LEED-NC Platinum and Living Building Challenge™ Petal certified for Materials, Beauty, and Equity, making it one of the most sustainable buildings in higher education and the city of Chicago.

Common jobs chosen by MSCAPP graduates include roles as data scientists, policy researchers, and data engineers. Other alumni have gone on to become data visualization specialists, data team leaders, and technical project managers. In the longer term, we expect that MSCAPP graduates will become Chief Data Scientists, Chief Data Officers, Chief Technology Officers, and Chief Information Officers of prominent public institutions.

There are many different types of organizations that are actively looking for (and currently struggling to find) highly technical talent with interest and exposure to public policy. Some examples include:

• Public Policy Research Organizations – This group includes think tanks like the Urban Institute and Pew Research Center, as well as policy research firms like Mathematica Policy Research, the American Institutes for Research, and the RAND Corporation.
• City and State Analytics Teams – Many cities are building their analytics capacity. CAPP students and graduates have interned and gone on to work on data teams in New York City, Minneapolis, Boston, Los Angeles, and the states of Illinois and Massachusetts.
• Civic Data Science Companies – This category includes Civis Analytics, BlueLabs, Elder Research, and Clarity Campaign Labs.
• Federal Government – Agencies such as the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Center for Health Statistics, as well as data teams within cabinet agencies, like the Commerce Data Service and FEMA’s Enterprise Analytics Division, might fall into this category. The federal government is also forming new technology organizations, like 18F, the US Digital Service, and the US Defense Digital Service.
• Government Consultancies – Booz Allen Hamilton, Deloitte, Accenture, and West Monroe Partners all have large analytics teams.
• International Non-Governmental Organizations – the World Bank, J-PAL, Innovations for Poverty Action, the United Nations Global Pulse, and Oxfam International are turning more and more towards data and technology to aid in international development and conflict resolution.

Yes – the MSCAPP degree is a STEM-certified program, which means international students qualify for the STEM OPT Extension.

Due to the sequential nature of the CAPP core curriculum, students must enroll in the program full time.

Yes – you can read detailed information on the course waivers page. Some students in the MSCAPP degree have a background in one of its three foundational pillars (economics, statistics, or computer science). In order to offer more flexibility in coursework and allow students to challenge themselves, certain course waivers are available. 

All of the support services of Harris Public Policy and the Department of Computer Science are available to MSCAPP students. In Harris, this includes the Dean of Students office, Student Life team, the Career Development Office (CDO), the Harris Writing Program, and Alumni Relations. General university services, like UChicagoGRAD, also support MSCAPP students.

All MSCAPP students work closely with an academic adviser throughout the program. As part of the Harris Dean of Students team, the MSCAPP Program Director, Associate Program Director, and Assistant Program Director serve as academic advisers for CAPP students. They can help students select courses that are a fit for their academic and professional goals; identify resources for support; make connections within the CAPP and university networks; find internships, part-time work, and career opportunities after graduation; and more. 

Most students augment their coursework with a part-time internship or research assistantship while at the University of Chicago.

University of Chicago-affiliated organizations include:

• Amyoli Internet Research (AIR) Lab
• Argonne National Laboratory
• Behavioral Insights and Parenting (BIP) Lab
• The Center for Effective Government
• The Center for Health and the Social Sciences (CHeSS)
• The Center for Spatial Data Science
• Chapin Hall
• Data Science Institute
• Energy Policy Institute at UChicago (EPIC)
• The Knowledge Lab
• Mansueto Institute for Urban Innovation
• NORC at the University of Chicago
• The Pearson Institute for the Study and Resolution of Global Conflict
• UChicago Urban Labs
• Full list of Harris-affiliated Policy Centers

To learn more:

• Check out the MSCAPP Program Brochure
• Watch the “Zoom Into MSCAPP” informational webinar
• Follow MSCAPP on Twitter and LinkedIn
• Visit campus or attend an Admissions event

You may also reach out to our team.

You can apply through the Harris website and learn more about the process on the requirements and deadlines page, as well as the Admissions Frequently Asked Questions page.

For questions about application requirements, deadlines, and the process in general, you may reach out to the Harris Admissions team at harrisadmissions@uchicago.edu. 

The deadlines for applying to the MSCAPP degree are the same as for all Harris master’s degrees. You can see those deadlines on Harris’s application requirements and deadlines page.