Public leadership starts here.
Public leadership starts here.
World-class education. Groundbreaking research. Real-world impact. Apply today to make your mark on the world.
Our Impact
Read about how our students, alumni, and faculty are driving change in the world.
Governors’ chiefs of staff explain what the job entails
Brandon Tatum, Fagan Harris, and Kate Cook discussed leadership, ego, and decision-making at a recent Harvard Kennedy School Taubman Center event.
Field notes: Community engagement
Louise Engohang MPP 2027 and Katherine Izzo MPP 2027 reflect on their summer internship experiences in community engagement.
A police chief explores innovative ways to make his community a better place to live
American Service Fellow Patrick Daley MC/MPA 2027 hopes to take what he learns at HKS back to Norwich, Connecticut, where he serves as chief of police.
A Foreign Service Officer’s opportunity to recalibrate—and then get back to service
American Service Fellow Siena Fleischer MC/MPA 2027 spent 15 years as a Foreign Service Officer at USAID. Now at HKS, she is recalibrating and then getting back to service.
Research & Insights
The ideas that shape the future often start here. HKS experts translate insight into impact — in city halls, capitals, and communities. Here’s what they are finding, and what it means for the world.
Does the top of the ticket influence down-ballot races?
Research indicates that top-of-the-ticket candidates may not influence how voters view down-ballot candidates as much as conventional wisdom suggests.
Featuring Benjamin Schneer
Long wait to see a medical specialist? The cure’s not so simple.
Patients often face long wait times to see specialists. The solution might seem simple: hire more of them. But according to recent research from Leemore Dafny, professor of public policy at Harvard Kennedy School and Bruce V. Rauner Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, it’s not so simple. In fact, she and her co-authors have found that increasing the amount of specialists can backfire, leading to even longer wait times.
Featuring Leemore S. Dafny
For better early childhood education, says HKS professor, raise teacher pay
In new research, Harvard Kennedy School Professor Jeffery Liebman identifies the gaps in capacity, quality, and affordability of early child care in Massachusetts and offers a path forward with higher pay for teachers.
Featuring Jeffrey Liebman
Discover Programs That Fit Your Career Goals
Whether you want to get a graduate degree or take a course that helps you further your career, we have the right program for you.
Master’s Programs
One- and two-year master’s degree programs in public policy or public administration prepare students to lead.
Executive Education
Short, intensive open-enrollment and custom programs, on campus and online, that equip public leaders to tackle urgent challenges, build new skills, and drive change.
Doctoral Programs
Full-time PhD programs in public, health, and social policy prepare candidates for careers in academia, research, or policymaking.
Public Leadership Credential
A series of online courses that builds leadership and policymaking skills, with the potential to serve as a pathway to a future master’s degree.
Announcing HKS 2036, a vision for the School’s future
The problems of government and governance have never been more urgent. Read more about how HKS plans to meet this moment.
The Latest
Insights & Analysis
Does the top of the ticket influence down-ballot races?
Featuring Benjamin Schneer
A former NAACP leader and an architect of Project 2025 debate the need for diversity in higher education and American life
Featuring Cornell William Brooks, Julia Minson
In the fight for human dignity, Nobel Peace Prize recipient Nadia Murad explains the importance of bearing witness
Featuring Jeremy Weinstein, Samantha Power
Insight. Policy. Action.
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