Receive updates from the HKS admissions office
Applying to graduate school is an exciting process.
It is also time intensive. Stay informed of all the steps you’ll need to take to meet our academic and professional prerequisites and submit a competitive—and complete—application to Harvard Kennedy School. Explore these pages. Now is the time.
Our application deadline for admission to the 2019-2020 academic year was December 3, 2018 at 5 p.m. EST. If you submitted an application, you will be notified of our admissions decision in mid-March 2019.
The application for admission to the 2020-2021 academic year will be available on this page in September 2019. There is one application deadline each year for fall enrollment only. We do not offer spring admission.
Your complete application to one of our master’s programs will include the following:
- Online application
- $100 USD application fee
- Essays, which vary by program (see previous essay topics)
- Additional analytic resume or statement, which vary by program
- Three strong letters of recommendation from individuals in academia or other professional sectors who know you well and can tell us about your qualifications for our programs
- Academic transcripts that include your institution's name, course names, grades you received, and proof of your degree (if received)
- Standardized test scores (GRE, GMAT, TOEFL, and IELTS)
Each year, we receive more applications from qualified candidates than we are able to admit, but we review and consider all applications submitted before admitting the strongest applicants. You cannot assume you’ll be admitted to HKS even if you meet our admissions criteria.
HKS admissions news
HKS admissions news
Annual Security and Fire Safety Report Availability
The University is required by federal law (The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, 20 U.S.C. 1092(f), known as the “Clery Act”) to publish an Annual Security Report and an Annual Fire Safety Report. Read more about these reports.