DAC teaches students how to code with R Programming. This is an introductory course in programming and data analysis for students with no prior coding experience. We will walk students through their first step of installing R Studio up to building and running their first regressions and creating informative data visualizations.
Read our new blog post, an interview with the DAC Faculty Director, Austin Wright.
How to retrieve, clean, visualize, and analyze data
How to write and share code in R Programming
How to translate self-contained questions into R
View some example data visualizations from previous students:
Data visualization from Sean Griffin, DAC 2022
Data visualization from Funke Aderonmu, DAC 2022
Data visualization from Sean Griffin, DAC 2022
Austin Wright is an Assistant Professor at the Harris School of Public Policy, and faculty affiliate of The Pearson Institute for the Study and Resolution of Global Conflicts at the University of Chicago.
Wright is the DAC Faculty Director, who originated, designed, and teaches the program. Students watch Wright's recorded lectures and engage with him in interactive office hours.
Participants will receive a Certification of Completion, issued electronically, upon successful completion of the credential program. The Certification of Completion will include the grade earned. The certification can be shared in future job applications, graduate school applications, or share on professional platforms such as LinkedIn.
The virtual program allows you to engage with lectures at your own pace and log in for designated office hours with faculty and graduate teaching assistants from anywhere in the world. You will also leverage a virtual discussion board for quick communication with peers and teaching assistants.
You can anticipate a commitment of approximately 5-10 hours per week. This weekly estimate is based on three-four hours of lecture (viewed at your own pace), two-three hours for assignments, and one-two hours of live office hours with faculty and teaching assistants.
This part-time format makes the program more compatible for those in full-time jobs or degree programs.
The live office hours accommodate various time zones and occur multiple times throughout the week. You can anticipate live office hours to be held in the evening of Central Standard Time (Chicago Time, UTC-6).
Orientation will be held on Monday, March 27, 2023 - one week before the program begins. Orientation is an interactive introduction to your teaching and administrative teams, and how to navigate the virtual learning environment. Orientation, conducted virtually in Zoom, is mandatory for all enrolling students. Details, such as time and registration link, will be sent to enrolling students.
This program is open to the public and UChicago community. This program is available for undergraduate and graduate students, and working professionals. We welcome domestic and international applicants from all around the world.
To enroll in the program, you must be at least 18 years old and have finished at least one year full-time study in an undergraduate institution one month prior to the start of the program. There are no prerequisites as this program is available for all academic backgrounds. All applicants are required to complete an online application.
Students are expected to have a stable internet connection and computer access to complete the virtual program.
Sign up to receive updates about next years program through this form.
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Application Deadline
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Notification
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Reply Deadline | |
| Early Action | December 6, 2022 | mid December | January 24, 2023 |
| Priority Deadline | January 24, 2023 | early February | February 28, 2023 |
| Final Deadline* | March 7, 2023 | mid March | March 20, 2023 |
Admissions notifications are issued approximately two weeks after the deadline. Notifications are issued by email.
We encourage you to apply early to take advantage of the early action discount and longer timeline to confirm acceptance.
*Please note the Final Deadline has a short timeline for admitted students to confirm acceptance and submit the enrollment deposit. The application may close before this date if space is no longer available.
Reply deadline is the date for admitted students to confirm their intent to enroll by submitting the Admission Reply Form and non-refundable Enrollment Deposit. Details are noted in the letter of admission.
The program fee for the 2023 program is $2,000.
Applicants who apply by the Early Action or Priority Deadline will receive $300 off their program fee.
The program offers some discounted program fees. See below for the eligibility and discounted fees:
There is no scholarship available for the program.
Admitted students are required to submit a non-refundable $800 USD enrollment deposit to confirm their seat in the program by the deadline listed in their admission letter. The enrollment deposit is applied to the total program fee. Students who fail to submit the deposit by the deadline listed in their admission letter will be viewed as voluntarily giving up the seat to attend the program.
The remaining balance is due March 31, 2023 - before the program begins. Payment for the deposit and remaining balance is submitted by credit card in the application portal. Admitted students will receive details on the payment process.
We encourage you to expand and diversify your funding sources. For example, past students received support from their current academic institution or employer. Other students found external scholarships based on their academic study, career goal, citizenship or other affiliations.
DAC Alums
Countries Represented
U.S. states Represented
Our 2022 DAC cohort at a glance:
Average age of the 2022 cohort
Balanced a full-time job or internship
Had no prior experience with R programming
Completed DAC during their undergraduate study
Completed DAC during or after their graduate study
Considered DAC an exploration or preparation for graduate study
The top undergraduate majors of the 2022 cohort include:
Visit the events webpage for upcoming events!
Please use the links below to access recordings of our recent webinars. You can request a transcript of the recording by contacting us at harriscredential@uchicago.edu.
Meet Data Analytic Credential alumni and hear of their experiences.
“I wanted to have something beyond my personal projects,” Griffin said. “They look okay on your resume, but I wanted something with greater visibility. As I was shopping around, I came across Harris’s program and the curriculum drew me in straight away.”
“You don’t see it taught very often in programs. A lot of analytical courses I’ve taken in the past drop you straight into the coursework without teaching you about important things like causation and eliminating bias from an experiment. That’s what made this program stand out for me. That and the team-oriented approach to learning and assignment completion.”
"I really liked the flexibility of the program: the self-paced learning and virtual instruction allowed me to balance work and learning while working full-time.”
“For someone like me—who had no prior experience in coding, stats or econ—the structure and pace of the course still allowed me to understand it all. Professor Austin Wright structured the curriculum well, and he was very patient and supportive. He was willing to review everything over and over again until we got it.”
” Chen also said many of the skills and concepts she learned in the DAC prepared her well for the Core curriculum of the MPP. “DAC proved to be excellent preparation for the coursework at the beginning of my Harris career.”
“Short credential programs like this are incredibly valuable and practical. I recommend them to anyone who wants to quickly gain or develop a new skill."
