As the first STEM program in public policy in the world, the Master of Science in Computational Analysis and Public Policy program encourages a rigorous quantitative approach to public policy. Students in the College now have the opportunity to pursue a joint B.A./M.S. in Computational Analysis and Public Policy.
The program draws on faculty from both the Department of Computer Science and the Harris School of Public Policy. Following four years of study in the College, this two-year curriculum at the Harris school combines a wide range of traditional social science areas of study, including economics, sociology, political science, statistics, econometrics, political economy, organizational theory, and program evaluation, with computer science courses in programming, data analytics and machine learning, and database management.
Students take this academic knowledge and apply it to real-world problems in the summer between their first and second years. Students work with partners including the City of Chicago, the Knight Lab, Exelon, NORC, Chapin Hall, Data Science for Social Good, the Center for Data Science and Public Policy, and the University of Chicago Urban Labs. Students applying to the program need not have any computer science experience, and the program allows participants to pursue a wide range of passions and future career opportunities.