• Spring Exercise
• Policy Analysis Exercise
• International and Global Affairs Concentration

Curriculum

Harvard Kennedy School Curriculum

Teaching and Learning at HKS

Classes at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University (HKS) are taught by the case method, the more traditional lecture format, or a mixture of both. Students work together in small groups on projects and will have assistance from course assistants, teaching fellows, and faculty members in a collaborative and non-competitive working environment.

Methodological Areas at HKS

The HKS curriculum is built around the concept that future leaders and policy makers need to be adept in analytical, management, and leadership skills in order to serve the public good. The three foundational methodological areas at HKS are:

• Quantitative Analysis
• Strategic Management
• Leadership and Advocacy

Whether as distribution requirements for graduation or as part of a core curriculum, these three areas are the foundation upon which the HKS education is built. No matter what policy area students focus on while studying, HKS graduates depart the school with a powerful complement of skill to increase their effectiveness in working in their chosen field.

Policy Areas at HKS

Teaching and research at HKS are organized around a framework of policy areas that reflect the evolving research of the HKS faculty, the needs of policy makers, and the interests of the HKS student body. Please see HKS Policy Areas for listing.

MPP Requirements

The MPP and MPP/UP programs require two years (four terms) of full-time study in residence at HKS. MPP candidates complete eighteen units of academic credit, eight of which are required courses. MPP candidates also need to complete distribution requirements in Leadership and Financial Management.  Of the remaining ten credits, two must be earned in a specific Policy Area of Concentration.

Our required course work builds a broad perspective and sharpens specific skills. First-year required courses develop the following core skills to prepare our students for public service:

• Economics
• Quantitative analysis
• Politics and advocacy
• Financial management
• Strategic management
• Ethics
• Leadership

Additional requirements of the program such as Spring Exercise, selection of a PAC, the PAC Seminar, and the Policy Analysis Exercise (PAE) are described below.

Spring Exercise

During the last two weeks of the spring semester, all first-year MPP students participate in Spring Exercise.  This simulation provides practice in integrating the skills of the core by requiring students to develop and present a professional simulation of a real policy problem.

Selecting a PAC

In most cases, students select a Policy Area of Concentration (PAC) by selecting an introductory survey course in their first term from the list of HKS Policy Areas. They develop the concentration further in the second year through the required PAC seminar focusing on advanced topics and related methods in their chosen PAC.   Beyond these electives, the choice of courses is entirely up to the individual.

Policy Analysis Exercise

In the second year, all MPP students engage in the Policy Analysis Exercise (PAE) in which they examine an existing public or nonprofit sector problem presented by a real-life client organization. The PAE is a professional product, usually around 40 pages in length, where second-year MPP students have the opportunity to integrate the technical skills and specialized knowledge they have gained primarily from the MPP core (required) curriculum.

Each student serves as an unpaid consultant to the client organization where, through working with the client, the student defines the problem, designs a strategy to address the problem, gathers data, formulates and evaluates options, and finally, makes recommendations to the client to solve the problem. The PAE is carried out within each student’s chosen policy area of concentration.

Additional MPP/UP Requirements

Students in the MPP/UP program are required to participate in a two-week preparatory module at the Graduate School of Design in September before starting their second year of coursework. The additional course requirements include a studio design course, two courses from an approved list, and two or more other courses with special relevance to urban planning.

MPP/UP candidates write their Policy Analysis Exercise (PAE) on an urban planning topic.

Joint and Concurrent Degrees

Students in the MPP program frequently pursue joint or concurrent degrees allowing them to work toward two degrees simultaneously.

Please review Joint and Concurrent Degrees for further information.