Watch the November 2021 Mini-Class with David Chrisinger (50-minutes) to sample the curriculum. The recording includes 30-minutes of lecture and 20-minutes of question and answer.
Develop a writing portfolio to showcase your strength in persuasive, evidence-based storytelling. Through the program you will engage in a case study and build a portfolio with high-value pieces such as a policy brief, memo, op-ed, grant proposal, personal statement, etc. Your portfolio will grow using the strategies gained in the lectures, case study exercises, and personalized support from peer groups and individual coaching.
Use your new portfolio to:
Read the Persuasive Writing Credential: What Sets It Apart Blog Post where you can learn the 4 factors, according to students, in what makes this program unique.
David Chrisinger is the Executive Director and Writing Director of the Writing Program and Lecturer at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy. He is also the author of Public Policy Writing That Matters, a book for analysts, advocates, and policymakers who are passionate about using writing to effect real and lasting change.
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 lectures are 100% virtual with synchronous, interactive sessions conducted in Zoom Video Conferencing. You can expect active engagement with faculty and peers each session. The virtual program allows you to engage with the class from anywhere as long as you have a stable internet connection.
The lectures hours for the 2023 Persuasive Writing Credential will be Mondays and Wednesdays from 6:30-8:00 PM Central Daylight Time (Chicago Time, UTC-5).
You can anticipate a commitment of approximately five to eight hours per week. This weekly estimate is based on three hours of live lecture, two hours for assignments, and two hour of live office hours with faculty, teaching assistants and peer group review.
Virtual office hours accommodate various time zones and schedules of working professionals. You can anticipate live office hours to be held in the mornings and evenings.
This program welcomes undergraduate and graduate students, recent graduates, and working professionals. The program will offer value to learners at any level, from beginning to advanced.
This program is open the public and UChicago community. We welcome domestic and international applicants from around the world.
To enroll in the program, you must be at least 18 years old and have completed at least one year of full-time study in an undergraduate institution one month prior to the start of the program.
There are no prerequisites, as this program is appropriate for individuals from all academic backgrounds. All applicants are required to complete an online application and are expected to have a stable internet connection, consistent access to a computer, and proficiency in communicating in English.
Start your application then follow these steps:
|
Application Deadline
|
Notification
|
Confirm Acceptance/ Deposit Due |
|
| Early Action | January 24, 2023 | Late January | February 28, 2023 |
| Priority Deadline | March 28, 2023 | early April | May 2, 2023 |
| Round 3 | April 25, 2023 | early May | May 30, 2023 |
| Round 4* | June 6, 2023 | Mid June | June 27, 2023 |
Admissions notifications are issued approximately two weeks after the deadline.
We encourage you to apply early to take advantage of the early action discount and longer timeline to confirm acceptance.
*Please note Round 4 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.
The program fee for the 2023 program is $1,500 USD.
Applicants who apply by the Priority Deadline will receive a discount off their program fee. See the Discount section below for details.
The program offers some discounted program fees. See below for the eligibility and discounted program fee:
There is no scholarship available for the program.
Admitted students must submit a non-refundable $500 enrollment deposit to confirm their seat in the program by the deadline listed in their admission letter. The remaining balance is due one week before the program start date. Admitted students will receive details on the payment process.
Payment is accepted by credit card through the application portal. If you are unable to submit payment by credit card, then please contact us before the deadline at harriscredential@uchicago.edu.
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.
PWC alums worldwide
Countries represented
program satisfaction
Our 2022 PWC cohort at a glance:
Average age
Undergraduate schools represented
had 5+ years of professional work experience
The top policy areas of interest of the 2022 cohort include:
Visit the events webpage for the full list of 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.
A researcher and environmental lawyer, Helwig plans to use the tools she learned in the 2021 Persuasive Writing Credential to communicate with a broader audience.
“There is a missing link between public policy and what is communicated to the public. I would encourage anybody to take this course—even if you have been writing for years, it adds a component of communicating to the broader public that is incredibly helpful.”
An education executive, Pilot, found community and inspiration in the 2021 Persuasive Writing Credential, leading to her publication in the Chicago Policy Review.
“I felt connected to a like-minded group of people who were trying to solve a myriad of problems facing our world today. There was a lot of passion and commitment in the 'room' to make something positive happen and make the world a better place. That energy was really motivating.”
Huff, a communication specialist, enhanced their writing toolkit in the 2021 Persuasive Writing Credential.
“I've never been in a class like this, which broke down the mechanics of policy writing in such clear and practical ways. It made me a better writer!”
The 2021 Persuasive Writing Credential helped Rakus-Wojciechowski to find her voice and pivot to international education.
“This Credential Program ended up being much more than just a writing class to me. Part of the reason why is because they did such an amazing job in empowering students to find their voice. If you plan on doing any sort of policy writing, academic or otherwise, this class should be on your radar.”
Hear from Rakus-Wojciechowski in December 2021 Roundtable with Alumni.
Lee intends to use the skills he gained through the 2021 Persuasive Writing Credential and Data Analytics Credential to better advocate for educational policy.
“I’ll be using a policy brief I wrote as part of my PWC work for graduate school admissions. And because I pursued both of these credentials, the effect is two-pronged: not only can I analyze and understand data, but I can write effectively about these issues as well.”
Writer and journalist Ana Clara Gobbes Faria pursued the Persuasive Writing Credential to enhance her policy writing skills and to consider her next steps.
“Even though I don’t explicitly have a background in public policy, I felt so well-guided that it didn’t even matter. Writing Program Director David Chrisinger often provided example texts so we could not only get a sense of the policy question but also of how to structure the specific type of writing piece we were working on.”
Litkowski, a policy fellow and researcher, leveraged the 2021 Persuasive Writing Credential to improve her communication skills on how to disseminate the findings of her research and impact policy decisions.
“It was valuable experience to learn how to craft persuasive and clear arguments. I especially enjoyed working with my peer review group and hearing about their different policy interests, and then seeing how their work evolved over time.”
Domicolo, a researcher with a background in statistics, wanted something that would allow her to have a more immediate impact. The Persuasive Writing Credential shaped her decision to pursue a Master of Public Policy from UChicago Harris.
"The biggest strength of the Persuasive Writing Credential was its approach—taking data-driven solutions and presenting them in a way that could affect policy," said Domicolo. "It was about taking numbers with no personality and making them accessible to people’s sensibilities."
Watch the December 2021 Roundtable with Alumni full conversation (40-minutes) or highlight reel (7-minutes) to hear from 2021 Program Alums: Caroline Rakus-Wojciechowski, Sam Schmidt, and Gabriel Swank.
Watch the January 2022 Roundtable with Alumni (25-minutes) to hear from 2021 Program Alums: Carly Domicolo and Molly Smith.
Watch the February 2022 Roundtable with Alumni (35-minutes) to hear from 2021 Program Alums: Caroline Rakus-Wojciechowski, Molly Smith, and Gabriel Swank.
