Why Attend

The Urban Institute Summer Academy is uniquely designed to offer students the specialized knowledge and skills required to begin a dynamic career in the world of policy research – especially research on policies and programs that disproportionately affect minorities and distressed communities.

Students who have concrete research experience in a professional environment – as provided by the Summer Academy – are likely to develop the experience, practical knowledge, and skills valued by employers and graduate school admissions committees. The content and structure of the UI program also provides extensive exposure to the wide variety of careers in policy research. This experience will allow participants to make more informed decisions regarding the kind of policy career they would like to pursue – thereby enabling them to choose the job and then the graduate program that offers the best fit with their individual skills and interests.

Students who successfully complete the Summer Academy program will be attractive job candidates for highly sought after research positions or graduate school in public policy or related fields upon graduation from college. More importantly, we believe that this program will empower future leaders to make a difference through a career in policy research.

summeracademy@urban.org

The UI Summer Academy is supported by a generous grant from the Ford Foundation