Educating leaders for societal impact: UChicago master’s programs at Harris and Crown Family School

When Lara Tamer tells people she works on quantitative models and statistical analysis as a University of Chicago master’s student at the Harris School of Public Policy, she often gets the same question.

“Aren’t you doing a public policy degree?” Tamer recalls them asking. She explains that blending policy with data is a unique aspect of the Harris Master of Policy Program.

“The Harris School understands that numbers matter,” Tamer said. “Data isn’t just supplementary. It’s foundational to building compelling, evidence-based stories that can shape policy and drive real change.”

The combination of analytical rigor and practical application is also central to the education provided through the Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy and Practice’s Master of Arts Program in Social Work, Social Policy, and Social Administration. 

Both programs prepare students to tackle complex social problems through critical inquiry, cutting-edge empirical methods and experiential knowledge. They exemplify the analytical depth, interdisciplinary focus, and commitment to impact that characterize UChicago graduate programs, where students learn from renowned faculty how to transform insight into action.

“Our brand of public policy is all about the fact that we think this work is serious business and requires careful thinking,” said Ryan Kellogg, the Ralph and Mary Otis Isham Professor and Deputy Dean for Academic Programs at Harris. “We pride ourselves on and emphasize how to think rigorously and analytically about policy alternatives, consequences and the choices that you make.”

Similarly, students at the Crown Family School learn to “act wisely and ethically, bringing critical thinking skills and the best available evidence to the table—whether working at the individual, organizational or policy levels,” said Julia Henly, the Samuel Deutsch Professor. “Our graduates are mission-driven leaders who understand the value of sound analysis and strong technical skills. They are passionate about addressing critical social challenges toward building a more just and humane society, where institutions and services make life better.”

Harris Master of Public Policy: From theory to data-driven leadership

Tamer said the Harris program’s structure—the specializations, courses and skills it instills—are what sets its students apart.

“We’re not just taught theory,” she said. “We’re trained to solve real-world problems with precision and purpose.”

Kellogg said the master program’s six core courses in data and statistics, microeconomics and analytical politics distinguishes it from other public policy programs.

“The skills we teach in our core courses are the key skills we think students need to command in order to grapple with complex policy problems,” Kellogg said. “They have been the skills that people like myself use in our research and policy interaction.”

The core courses integrate a wide range of disciplines and fields, including economics, ethics, political science, statistics, and econometrics. After developing analytical tools, students then move into electives and applied experiences that provide opportunities to deepen data analytic skills, build knowledge in specific policy domains, and put theory into practice, working alongside professionals to analyze urgent issues and design effective solutions.

That blend of academic rigor and practical application has helped Harris earn a global reputation as a powerhouse in public policy analysis. Alumni go on to careers in government, the private sector and nonprofits around the world.

“The unique coursework within my program, and the type of thinker that Harris trains you to be, have both been valuable assets in my career,” said Nicole Lee, MPP ’05. “Since entering public service, I’ve returned again and again to those critical analytical skills.”

 After starting her career as a consultant, Lee rose to a role as Director of Social Impact Optimization and Global Community Engagement at United Airlines. In 2022, she was appointed to the Chicago City Council, becoming the first Asian American woman and Chinese American to serve in that role.
 

“The unique coursework within my program, and the type of thinker that Harris trains you to be, have both been valuable assets in my career, since entering public service, I’ve returned again and again to those critical analytical skills.”

—Nicole Lee, MPP’05

A recent analysis found that 98 percent of Harris students secure job offers within six months of graduation in a wide range of careers throughout public policy. Employers span hundreds of organizations worldwide, from global NGOs to consulting firms and local governments.

“The Harris Master of Public Policy program consistently produces highly adaptable graduates who meet our business’ growing need for individuals who can bridge the gap between technologists and policymakers,” said Dave Sulek, senior vice president at Booz Allen Hamilton. “Harris graduates stand out as agile learners who can think critically, an essential skill in our emerging high-tech world.”

Master of Social Work, Social Policy and Social Administration: Inspiring change to shape the future

The Crown Family School’s Master of Arts Program in Social Work, Social Policy, and Social Administration is unique among MSW-equivalent degrees. Students acquire foundational knowledge in social science theories, research methods, and social work practice, administration, and policy modalities in their first year. 

From there, students choose an area of specialization in one of five curricular pathways:  Transforming Justice and Violence Prevention; Integrating Health, Mental Health, and Social Care; Disrupting Poverty, Economic Inequality, and Social Exclusion; Children and Families in System Contexts; and Global Health and Social Development. The tailored curriculum prepares graduates to work with diverse populations and tackle complex social problems, enabling them to pursue a wide range of careers from direct social work practice, non-profit management, community organizing, city planning, research and evaluation, public policy, and more.

The Crown Family School’s interdisciplinarity is the heart of its comprehensive approach, said Lisa Moore, director of the Master’s Program in Social Work, Social Policy and Social Service Administration. Scholars with backgrounds in psychology, sociology, economics, public policy, anthropology—as well as social work—teach at Crown, she said.

“You learn from experts who understand the interconnected systems that shape people’s lives,” said Moore. “Here, you’re engaging with scholars and practitioners who examine how our institutions operate—and how they can be transformed to better support people. That deeply interdisciplinary perspective is what makes our program not just distinct, but truly exceptional.”

That interdisciplinary perspective, combined with rigorous empirical training and deep field experience, gives graduates a powerful foundation for responding to change.

“As we see all these sociopolitical changes happening in the United States,” Moore said, “being flexible is critical.”

Crown Family School student Jessica Perez, who is planning for a career in public policy, said she valued the versatility of the Crown program. She said her exposure to direct social work practice, in addition to her policy training, will give her the skills to make policy more human-centered. 

“Social work encourages us to bring meaning, context, and people’s experiences into our work more authentically, she said. “I do appreciate how Crown is more holistic about social work.” 

Being taught by “brilliant and heartfelt” professors passionate about their work and the communities they serve, and just learning alongside my peers—often other students of color with diverse backgrounds—who consistently push and expand my thinking by bringing their experiences into the classroom” has been perhaps the most valuable part of the program, Perez added.

The intersection of practice and policy on critical social issues drew Abigail Erikson to the Crown Family School and continues to serve her well in her career. Erikson, MSW’07, works as a program specialist for UN Women’s Ending Violence Against Women and Girls Program.

Erikson said her experience at the Crown Family School helped her better understand social problems as systemic issues, while developing research and policy tools to uncover their root causes. 

“Crown taught me to see the bigger picture—to understand that social problems are rooted in complex systems,” Erikson said. “It also gave me the research and policy skills to identify those root causes and work toward lasting solutions. 

“And I feel like that ability enables me to be the most effective leader, regardless of where I’m at—whether it’s individual, family, community, or global policy work,” she said.