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Home > Degree Programs > Registrar > Academic Procedures and Requirements > Degree Requirements > Master in Public Policy
Master in Public Policy
Core Curriculum Required Courses (First Year)
API-101 A, B, C, or D Markets and Market Failure (1 credit)
API-102 B, C, or D Economic Analysis of Public Policy (1 credit)
API-201 A, B, C, or D Quantitative Analysis and Empirical Methods (1 credit)
API-202 A, B, C, or D Empirical Methods II (1 credit)
API-500X Spring Exercise (0.5 credit)
DPI-101 A, B, C, or D Mobilizing for Political Action - American Politics & Comparative Politics (1 credit)
DPI-201 A, B, C, D, or E The Responsibilities of Public Action (1 credit)
MLD-101 A, B, C, or D The Strategic Management of Public Organizations (1 credit)
Core Curriculum Choices
First year Master in Public Policy (MPP) students take four core courses in the fall semester plus one elective credit, and 3.5 core courses in the spring semester (including the Spring Exercise) plus 1.5 additional elective credits. The total number of credits taken during the first year is 10. Students who earn exemptions from core requirements need to replace those courses with an equal number of electives during the first year.
During their two years at HKS, MPP students will need to take a minimum of one module to satisfy the MPP Financial Management distribution requirement. Please refer to the MPP Core Course Requirements- approved list of courses fulfilling this distribution requirement.
Core Curriculum Required Courses (Second Year):
Policy Analysis Exercise and year long seminar (1 credit)
2 Policy Area of Concentration electives* (2 credits)
5 additional electives (5 credits)
*NOTE: Students in the IGA concentration must complete three foundational courses and three elective courses (6 credits) in addition to the PAE and the PAC seminar. Students in the SUP concentration must complete two foundational courses and two SUP electives (4 credits) in addition to the PAE and the PAC seminar.
Requirements for MPP/UP Students
Please note: The MPP/UP degree is available only to students who enrolled in the MPP program in the fall of 2009 or earlier. Students who enroll after fall 2009 can apply for concurrent MPP and MUP degrees. This concurrent degree program requires separate admission by the Graduate School of Design (GSD) and the Kennedy School and takes three years.
1. To complete the MPP/UP degree, students must pass 18 one-credit courses during four semesters at HKS. Eight credits are from MPP-required courses. All must pass or exempt out of API-101 (or API-105), API-102, API-201, API-202, DPI-201, DPI-101, MLD-101, and participate in the Spring Exercise during the first year. In addition, students must take one course in financial management from a list of approved courses.
MPP/UP students must also fulfill the following requirements:
2. GSD-1121, a double-credit studio entitled, “Core Urban Planning Studio I” is taken by MPP/UP students in their third semester.
3. GSD-3329, a single-credit course entitled, “Methods of Urban Planning” that teaches skills required for the GSD-1121 studio is also taken by MPP/UP students in their third semester.
4. One course from the following set:
a. HUT-201 A or B, Urban Politics and Land Use Policy
b. HUT-209, Histories and Theories of Urban Interventions
c. HUT-263, Planning and Environmental Law
d. HUT-268, Public and Private Development
5. Two other pertinent electives, which may include courses listed above unless they have already been used to satisfy the requirements. Additional examples of pertinent course topics include: urban economics and sociology, state and local public finance, real estate development and finance, comparative urban policy, and substantive policy fields such as housing, transportation, environmental protection and urban economic development.
6. A Policy Area of Concentration (PAC) Seminar – normally HUT-150Y – and the Policy Analysis Exercise (PAE) on a topic pertinent to urban planning.
Note: Items (4), (5), and (6) in combination satisfy the MPP requirement for a Policy Area of Concentration.
Minimum Credits Required for Graduation
18 credits to graduate
Grade Requirements
B- or better in all required core courses, including two Policy Area of Concentration (PAC) courses and the Policy Analysis Exercise (PAE) for that PAC.
B average or better for 18 HKS credits. The 18 must include the required courses, the courses in the student’s policy area of concentration (PAC), and electives.
Requirements for Joint/Concurrent MPP Students
Joint Harvard Business School MBA Students
- First Year: Follow the MPP core curriculum required courses, plus one elective and the joint degree seminar
- Second Year: Follow the MBA core curriculum required courses, plus the joint degree seminar
- Third Year: Students will take elective courses at both HKS and HBS, including a required integrative Business-Government course, and undertake a significant Capstone Exercise in their final term.
Joint Harvard Law School JD Students
HKS/HLS students complete 13 credits at HKS. They then complete one full year at HKS and finish their remaining HKS credits during their last two years at HLS.
Concurrent Harvard Medical School MD Students
Concurrent HMS students spend one year as a full-time HKS student and the remaining years of their program at HMS, cross-registering to complete their HKS requirements. Concurrent students are required to be in full-time residence at HKS for three semesters.
Concurrent Harvard Divinity School Students
HKS/HDS program students spend one year at each school and split the third year. Concurrent students are required to be in full-time residence at HKS for three semesters.
Other Concurrent Business School Students
Students enrolled in a concurrent program with an approved business school will be required to complete three semesters at HKS and three semesters at their business school. Concurrent students are required to be in full-time residence at HKS for three semesters.
Please note requirements for MIT's Sloan School of Management.
Other Concurrent Law School Students
Students enrolled in a concurrent program with an approved law school will be required to complete three semesters at HKS and two and a half years at their law school. The duration of the program is four years. Concurrent students are required to be in full-time residence at HKS for three semesters.
Other Concurrent Medical School Students
Students enrolled in a concurrent program with an approved medical school will be required to complete three semesters at HKS.
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