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Apply to Harvard Kennedy School.
Now is the time.
Admission and financial aid decisions for the 2023-2024 academic year have now been released. You should log into your applicant status page to view your decision. Admitted students should carefully review the New Admit Portal, which contains important information and next steps. Thank you to all who applied for admission; we truly appreciate your interest in HKS.
The application for the 2024-2025 academic year will be available in September 2023. There is one admission application deadline and one start date for each degree program per year. You may apply to only one master's degree program per admissions cycle.
HKS Admissions News
If you are interested in applying to our doctoral programs, learn more here.
Your complete application to one of our master’s programs will include:
- Online application
- $100 USD application fee
- Essays, which vary by program
- Additional analytical and quantitative résumé 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, IELTS, and Cambridge English), which vary by program
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.
As future leaders in public service, your talent and energy are essential to reinvent how we lift up and support all members of our communities. Join us at Harvard Kennedy School to learn how to do this important work together.
Consent regarding Sensitive Personal Data
During the application process, you and others, such as recommenders, may provide Harvard Kennedy School with certain kinds of personal data about you that some laws regard as sensitive and deserving of special protection (“Sensitive Personal Data”). For example, in Europe, Sensitive Personal Data can include personal data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, or trade union membership; genetic or biometric data; data concerning health; data concerning a natural person’s sex life or sexual orientation; and personal data relating to criminal convictions and offences. You can find further information about how Harvard Kennedy School uses personal data of individuals in Europe in the admissions process here.
By submitting an application, you consent to Harvard’s processing Sensitive Personal Data about you in order to evaluate your application for admission and your eligibility for financial aid, if applicable. Sensitive Personal Data about you also may be processed for other purposes permitted by applicable law.
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.