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Both the quantity and complexity of data available for public policy formulation and evaluation has grown enormously. This has led to the growing importance of supplementing policy analysis with data. The certificate in data analytics seeks to prepare students for careers where data analysis plays a central role.
Students who complete this certificate will be able to:
- Skillfully work with the modern, open-source languages of data analysis: Python or R
- Develop a grasp of good programming principles that will allow them to flexibly gain understanding of other platforms when necessary
- Organize and clean data from disparate, messy, or unstructured sources
- Describe, plot, and analyze data for the evaluation of policy
The certificate requires completion of four total courses, one of which is an elective. Students must achieve a grade of B- or better in each course, and the pass/fail option does not qualify. Students should contact their advisor to indicate their intention to pursue the certificate.
For students entering in 2020-2021:
- Spring 2020: PPHA 30535 Data and Programming for Public Policy I
- Fall 2020: PPHA 30536 Data and Programming for Public Policy II
- Winter 2021: PPHA 30545 Machine Learning
Plus one of the following elective options:
- PPHA 34600 Program Evaluation
- PPHA 38820 Machine Learning and Policy
- PPHA 41400 Applied Regression Analysis
- PPHA 42000 Applied Econometrics I
- PPHA 42100 Applied Econometrics II
- PPHA 60000 Policy Labs projects, with permission of certificate head
It is important that you plan with your advisor well in advance if you are interested in purusing this certificate, since many of the classes are offered only once each academic year. For more details, see the Harris Courses page.
For students who began the certificate in 2019 or earlier, see the previous description here (ARCHIVED LINK TO CURRENT PAGE).
For the first time beginning Spring 2020, Harris will be offering students the option of which language to learn in the first two courses of the sequence. Unless you know in advance which language you prefer, it is recommended you take whichever course fits best in your schedule.
In the professional world, both options are equally viable, and it is in fact useful to know both. Our philosophy is that learning one of Python or R very well will allow you to easily transition to the other should the need arise. Therefore, you should plan to take the same language in both 30535 and 30536, but with the knowledge that you're learning fundamentals that apply equally well to both languages.
Currently, Python-based sections are taught by Jeffrey Levy and R-based sections are taught by Peter Ganong. All sections are carefully aligned as much as possible based on subject matter covered, workload, and grading, so that students have as similar an experience as possible regardless of language choice.
The certificate is open to any University of Chicago graduate student. Harris students please indicate your intent to pursue this certificate during the application period open in October and June of each academic year. If you are a non-Harris student and intend to complete the requirements for the Data Analytics certificate please submit the Harris Certificate Application for Non-Harris Students to indicate you are pursuing this certificate.