Admissions

Admissions for the PhD in Political Economy, offered jointly by the Division of the Social Sciences and the Harris School of Public Policy, is paused for the 2026-27 academic year. We will be using the year productively to further strengthen Chicago’s position as a preeminent center for the graduate study of political economy.

We encourage you to stay connected with us and to explore additional Harris degree offerings, including the Master of Public Policy, and additional SSD degree offerings, including the PhD in Political Science, the MA in International Relations, and the Master of Arts Program in the Social Sciences, that may match your graduate education interests. Although distinct in their curricula, these programs provide access to many of the same faculty and the same intellectual community as the PhD in Political Economy. Questions and requests for additional information should be sent to ssd-admissions@uchicago.edu. 

The PhD program in political economy draws prospective students with an interest in using game theory and empirical methods for causal inference to study political institutions and behavior.

Prospective students submit a single application directly to the PhD program in political economy through the Division of the Social Sciences. A complete application consists of transcripts from all post-secondary schools attended, three letters of recommendation, a candidate statement, a writing sample, official GRE scores, and (where required to demonstrate English proficiency) official TOEFL or IELTS scores. An application fee is also required; a waiver is possible in some limited circumstances. 

Information regarding PhD fellowships can be found on the Social Sciences Division website.