HKS students working

School Year Project Work

Armed with training in economic, statistical, and financial analysis, second-year students in the Master in Public Policy (MPP) take part in the Policy Analysis Exercise (PAE), the capstone of the MPP curriculum.

The PAE is a public policy or management study completed for a client organization. It provides the students the opportunity to apply and integrate skills they have gained at the Harvard Kennedy School through work on a real-world problem, and provides a transition from the academic to the professional world. The exercise has students work with clients to define the problem, then gather and organize pertinent data, identify and evaluate a course of action, and propose recommendations.

The PAE provides an opportunity for a client organization to receive high-quality consulting services at a very low cost. There is no charge to participate in the program other than to sponsor travel if needed, and incidental expenses.

For information on becoming a client and to view sample PAE projects, please visit the PAE website.

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