Visit Batten

Throughout the year, we are hosting a number of online and in-person events covering everything from the curriculum to life during and after Batten. You can see all upcoming admission events on our calendar. Additionally, we will send updates on upcoming events in our regular email communications. If you do not currently receive emails from us, please fill out this form to get on to our email lists.

At the undergraduate level, in addition to hosting in-person Open Office Hours every Friday from 2-4 PM in Garrett Hall, we offer a number of other information sessions throughout the academic year.

Our office is here to answer questions from you! We are currently hosting virtual meetings and advising sessions if you would like to speak with a member of the Admissions Office staff. If you are interested in the Postgraduate MPP, please book an appointment with or contact Jeff Chidester. UVA students interested in the Accelerated MPP, Bachelor of Arts, or minor programs should book an appointment with or contact Estrella Burks-Parra or Anne Carter Mulligan.

The Batten School is one of twelve schools at the University of Virginia, located in Charlottesville, Virginia. Attending the Batten School is not just about spending time inside the classroom, but also exploring and engaging in the vibrant local community. We encourage you to explore the area even with current limited in-person opportunities! The Rotunda is offering historic tours of Grounds during the academic year; more information about the tours can be found here.

Can't make it to Charlottesville, be sure to watch the virtual tour of Grounds and the virtual tour of Garrett Hall, the Batten School's main building!

If you are planning to visit the Batten School, please email BattenAdmissions@virginia.edu with your suggested visit dates, and we will work to plan a safe visit for you that can include lunch with a student.

All of our events are recorded and posted on our YouTube page. This is a great place to view past admissions and other Batten events, including Batten Expert Chats.

Our Batten Ambassadors are current students who are here to answer your questions! We will have updated Ambassador contact information on our Ambassador page soon. In the meantime, if you would like to speak with a current student, please email BattenAdmissions@virginia.edu, and we will work to connect you with one of our Ambassadors.

Our faculty has expanded to more than 70 of the nation's best scholar-practitioners in disciplines including political science, psychology, policy history, economics, and law. Their areas of focus reflect the drive and research of some of the sharpest minds at work in policy today, and life inside the classroom reflects this expertise and Batten’s interdisciplinary approach to policy work.

University of Virginia students can experience Batten classes even before applying! Students interested in our undergraduate major or minor programs can consider enrolling in one of our three introductory courses (LPPP 2200: Introduction to Public Policy, which is a pre-requisite for the major; LPPL 3210: Behavioral Sciences for Civic Leadership; or LPPP 3230: Public Policy Challenges of the 21st Century) or any of Batten’s open special topics courses (generally beginning with the LPPS mnemonic). Additionally, students interested in our undergraduate programs can take LPPL 2600 (previously LPPL 3100): Foundations of Behavioral Science instead of PSYC 2600: Social Psychology to satisfy their social psychology prerequisite.

Prospective students interested in our postgraduate MPP program can sit in on an in-person class on a case-by-case basis. Opportunities for class visits are limited at this time.  If you are interested in attending a course, please email BattenAdmissions@virginia.edu with an anticipated visit date, and we will provide you with the instructions on how to attend if possible.