Student sitting on a chair and studying with a group students sitting on risers in the background.

Harvard Kennedy School welcomes a new class of changemakers

Our admitted students join a community working every day to improve policies, strengthen institutions, and serve communities around the world.

Discover Programs That Fit Your Career Goals

Master’s Programs

Master’s Programs

One- and two-year master’s degree programs in public policy or public administration prepare students to lead.

How to Apply
Executive Education

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.

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Doctoral Programs

Doctoral Programs

Full-time PhD programs in public, health, and social policy prepare candidates for careers in academia, research, or policymaking.

How to Apply
Public Leadership Credential

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.

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Ideas at HKS

A collage of overlapping handwritten postcards addressed to The White House in Washington, DC, each with red, white, and blue Statue of Liberty stamps. Several cards contain personal messages about everyday concerns, creating the impression of many citizens sending letters to the president.

Postcards to the president: Young voters share their thoughts

A wide-ranging discussion in North Carolina hosted by the HKS Institute of Politics found that 20-somethings had plenty to say to President Trump.

A composition of a robot hand and human hand reaching for each other.

AI for governments and policymakers

Harvard Kennedy School experts discuss how AI can help or harm—from service delivery to regulation.

A group of protestors stands outside a building holding signs that read, “Stop Blocking Free & Simplified Tax Filing for Me.” In front, three people hold a large board styled like a 2022 U.S. individual income tax return with the message, “IRS: Help Make Tax Filing Free and Simplified.”

Explainer: Why is it so hard to file taxes in the United States?

Filing taxes in the United States is harder and more expensive than in many countries; we spoke with Mina Hsiang, the third administrator of the Untied States Digital Service (USDS) and a fellow at Harvard Kennedy School’s Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Public Policy. Hsiang talked with us about why tax filing looks different for Americans and about the push to create a government free-file system in the United States.

Ken Burns speaking on stage with Nancy Gibbs during March 25, 2026 John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum event.

“Democracy is an unintended consequence”: Ken Burns on the story of American history

The celebrated documentarian Ken Burns spoke at Harvard Kennedy School about the American Revolution, a divided nation, and over four decades of filmmaking.

From a single course to over 60 offerings for public policy students: Inside Harvard Kennedy School’s unique communications program

Students in the Harvard Kennedy School Communications Program learn from professionals to create policy memos, speeches, op-eds, data visualization, briefings, and even how to publish a book.

A healthcare worker wearing blue gloves administers a vaccine injection into a young girl’s upper arm while she sits in a chair, her hair in braids and wearing a face mask.

Behind the scenes at the Department of Public Health: How a Harvard physician is supporting child well-being in Massachusetts

Through Harvard Impact Labs’ Public Service Leave, Dr. Ingrid Bassett is working directly with practitioners and communities. Harvard Impact Labs is housed at Harvard Kennedy School.

Zanny Minton Beddoes MPA 1992 to give 2026 HKS graduation address on May 27

Zanny Minton Beddoes has led The Economist since 2015, when she became the first woman to hold the editor-in-chief position in the publication's more than 180-year history.