Enhance your portfolio & strengthen your skills.

Whether you are preparing for graduate school or seeking professional advancement, the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy credential programs prepare you with tangible skills you can use immediately.

Accelerate Your Path

Bridge gaps in your portfolio with a UChicago Credential

Four-eight weeks in length, our part-time programs provide you with tangible tools to apply immediately in your academic or professional space. Whether you are preparing for graduate school or seeking professional advancement, strengthen your portfolio with in-demand skills in data analytics, coding, persuasive writing, or current policy topics.

Our credential programs will enhance your skills in a part-time format, while offering the support and network of a full-time program. You’ll join a learning environment with interactive UChicago faculty discussions, collaborate with classmates, and practice the tools you learn in the classroom in applied exercises or research projects.

1100
+

Alumni across the globe

91
%

Alumni rated the program beneficial for their academic and professional growth

130
+

Alumni became graduate students at UChicago Harris

Tatiana Amaya
Meet Our Alumni

Tatiana Amaya

“DPSS was my first exposure to quantitative methods, R programming, and data analytics, which made it challenging at first. However, working with teaching staff 1-on-1 and collaborating with my peers made the learning curve less intimidating.”

 

Read Tatiana's Profile
mandy_helwig2_0
Meet Our Alumni

Mandy Helwig

“A big thing that drew me to the program was that it works both for people who want to enter policy and those who have been in the policy realm and want to write,”

Read Mandy's story
David Chrisinger
Hear From Faculty

David Chrisinger

“Since data cannot speak for itself, we’re here to help you craft stories based on persuasive evidence and rigorous data analysis to tell the policy stories that matters.”

Hear David's invitation
Students by Sign - Crop 1
Access Resources

Value of Credential Programs

What are credential programs? What are the benefits? How can I leverage this program for my professional path? Hear from Jenny Erickson, Senior Director of Enrollment Management and Marketing Strategy.

Read the blog post

Who Will Benefit

Credential programs add the most value if you are:

Considering a graduate degree or career in public policy or analysis.

Seeking a robust foundation in policy skills and topics.

icon-public

Building a global network with the UChicago community.

Recent Events

Anuja Shenoy

Ask Admissions: DPSS+PWC

March 28, 2023 | 8:30 AM — 9:30 AM

Ask Admissions sessions provide an opportunity for prospective students to ask questions regarding the application process, the coursework, and student experience of programs being offered by UChicago Harris. Join this session to get your questions answered about our Data & Policy Summer Scholar (DPSS) and Persuasive Writing Credential (PWC) programs.

Join Anuja Shenoy, Program Coordinator about the 6-week Persuasive Writing Credential and 7-week Data and Policy Summer Scholar Program. This is an interactive session and will not be recorded

lingyang_zhang

Ask Admissions: PKU-UChicago Summer School

March 29, 2023 | 8:00 AM — 8:45 AM

The 2023 PKU-UChicago Summer School offers three part-time, non-degree, in-person programs: International Policy Action Lab (IPAL)Monetary Policy and International Finance Program (MPIF), and Environmental Economics and Policy Lab (EEPL)

In this session, you can ask questions of Lingyang Zhang, the Assistant Director of Custom Programs, as you prepare to submit your PKU-UChicago Summer School application in advance of the application deadline. We'll help you understand the similarities and differences between the three programs under the 2023 PKU-UChicago Summer School and determine which program is the best fit for your goals.

Shilin Liu
Meet Your Team

Shilin Liu

Shilin, Executive Director of Partnerships and Credential Programs, curates global partnerships and designs meaningful short-term programs.

Read Shilin's biography
Andie Ingram Eccles - Harris Headshot-1
Meet Your Team

Andie Ingram Eccles

Andie, Associate Director of Credential Programs, supports students throughout their credential journey and collaborates with faculty for meaningful program design.

Read Andie's biography
Mauricio Villacres
Meet Your Team

Mauricio Villacres

Mauricio, Assistant Director of Credential Programs, supports prospective students, enrolled students, and program alumni.

Read Mauricio's biography.
Lingyang Zhang
Meet Your Team

Lingyang Zhang

Lingyang, Credential Program Manager, supports the design and development of Harris’ new credential programs and partnerships.

Read Lingyang's biography
Anuja Shenoy
Meet Your Team

Anuja Shenoy

Shenoy, Program Coordinator, supports prospective students from South Asia and the development of institutional partnerships in South Asia.

Read Shenoy's biography
The University of Chicago maroon shield
Meet Your Team

Chat With Us

The Harris Credential Programs team is delighted to chat with you! We can provide information about our programs, help determine which program best fits your goals, advise you through the application process, and more. Join an event or schedule an one-on-one appointment!

Connect with us

Take a step forward and accelerate your path.