At Harvard Kennedy School, we bring together the world’s best students—from the United States and across the world—and train them to tackle the world’s biggest problems. We are committed to supporting our students, even if some are unable to make it to campus due to visa or entry restrictions.  

For returning international students who cannot make it to campus, we are offering HKS at Munk School as an alternate option this year.  

For incoming international students who cannot make it to campus, we have worked out a set of options for those in each degree program. We will not be launching HKS Global at this time, though we are prepared to do so in the event circumstances change. 

 

HKS at Munk School (for returning students only)

Through an arrangement with the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Toronto, returning international students can continue their HKS education from Canada. 

  • Participants will complete their HKS degree by taking a mix of online and in-person courses taught by both HKS and University of Toronto faculty.
  • Students will be enrolled as full-time, non-degree special students at the Munk School.  
  • Students will have access to co-curricular activities and the ability to participate fully in student life.
  • Upon completion, students will graduate with their HKS master’s degree.  

This program preserves the academic continuity and community of the HKS experience from the Munk School’s campus in Toronto.    
 

Next Steps

We have reached out to international students directly with more information, but please feel free to contact your program team with any immediate questions.
 

Frequently Asked Questions

HKS at Munk School is available to returning two-year students who cannot make it to the United States this year.  

There is not enough student demand to launch HKS Global at this time. At the anticipated levels of participation, the cohorts would have been too small and the class offerings too few to ensure the world-class HKS experience that our students deserve. In lieu of this program, we have created a set of options for the small group of students who would have pursued HKS Global, which are outlined in the following Q+A.  

In every case, we’re going to support these students however we can, and we encourage all students who are still working to obtain visas to continue doing so. We also remain ready to launch HKS Global as a contingency plan for the future, in the event anything changes and significantly more students need alternative options this year. 

  • Defer the start of your studies to January 2026. Because your curriculum is comprised of elective courses, we can provide some flexibility in your start date. As long as you complete new student orientation online later this month, you can defer your start to next semester (J-term or spring 2026) if you are able to obtain a visa later this fall.  
  • Defer the start of your studies to academic year 2026/27. If you would prefer to defer your studies to next academic year (beginning Fall 2026), you can do so now and do not need to participate in new student orientation online this summer.
  • Switch now to the Public Leadership Credential pathway. If you follow this path, you will begin your studies online through our PLC program. As long as you complete the credential in the next two years, we will then allow you to complete your MC/MPA without having to reapply for the program. By completing the credential, you will earn 12 credits and satisfy the MC/MPA distribution requirements and will only need to be on campus for one semester, during which you will need to complete another 5 classes (20 credits).
  • Withdraw from HKS. While we sincerely hope that this is not the option you choose, we understand that it may be the only path forward for some of you. If that’s the case, we will refund your deposit and any tuition you may have already paid. 

  • Defer the start of your studies to January 2026. Because your curriculum is comprised of elective courses, we can provide some flexibility in your start date. As long as you complete new student orientation online later this month, you can defer your start to next semester (J-term or spring 2026) if you are able to obtain a visa later this fall.  
  • Defer the start of your studies to academic year 2026/27. If you would prefer to defer your studies to next academic year (beginning Fall 2026), you can do so now and do not need to participate in new student orientation online this summer.  
  • Withdraw from HKS. While we sincerely hope that this is not the option you choose, we understand that it may be the only path forward for some of you. If that’s the case, we will refund your deposit and any tuition you may have already paid. 

  • Extended deadline for on-campus arrival: Normally, we expect students to be on campus and attending classes by the last day of the course add period (September 11 this year) at the very latest. However, recognizing that wait times for visas have been lengthy for some of you and that you are still working hard to try to travel to the U.S., we are extending the latest possible arrival date for MPP students to the first day of the Fall 2 module (October 20, 2025). If you find yourself in this position, you will be able to access your student orientation and all of your core courses via livestream until your arrival on campus. (Note: There will be one exception in the core curriculum: MLD-220m will be livestreamed until the halfway point in that module (because of a pivot to interactive activities), at which point either you will have arrived or will need to complete the requirement in the second year.) If you are unable to arrive by October 20, you will have the opportunity to defer your start date to Fall 2026, and any tuition or fees that you have already paid will be reimbursed.  
  • Defer the start of your studies to academic year 2026/27. If you would prefer to defer your studies to next academic year (beginning fall 2026), you can do so now.  
  • Withdraw from HKS. While we sincerely hope that this is not the option you choose, we understand that it may be the only path forward for some of you. If that’s the case, we will refund your deposit and any tuition you may have already paid. 

  • Extended deadline for on-campus arrival: Normally, we expect students to be on campus and attending classes by the last day of the course add period (September 11 this year) at the very latest. However, recognizing that wait times for visas have been lengthy for some of you and that you are still working hard to try to travel to the U.S., we are extending the latest possible arrival date for MPAID students to the first day of the Fall 2 module (October 20, 2025). If you find yourself in this scenario, you will be able to access math camp and all of your core courses via livestream until your arrival on campus. If you are unable to arrive by October 20, you will have the opportunity to defer your start date to fall 2026, and any tuition or fees that you have already paid will be reimbursed.  
  • Defer the start of your studies to academic year 2026/27. If you would prefer to defer your studies to next academic year (beginning fall 2026), you can do so now.  
  • Withdraw from HKS. While we sincerely hope that this is not the option you choose, we understand that it may be the only path forward for some of you. If that’s the case, we will refund your deposit and any tuition you may have already paid. 

To receive an HKS degree and fulfill accreditation requirements, incoming two-year students and MC/MPAs must take a certain percentage of their courses exclusively with HKS faculty—which they could not do as a part of this program. Returning students have already taken a full year of courses at HKS, so this issue does not impact them.      

Yes. Students who successfully complete all the necessary requirements will receive a degree from Harvard Kennedy School.  

Base tuition will not change, and we are committed to keeping your costs as low as possible. For HKS at Munk School, you will need to pay a health services fee to the University of Toronto. The HKS student activity fee, the Harvard University Health Services fee, and the Harvard University Student Health Insurance Plan fee will all be waived for students visiting at Munk. 

Yes. Those who have been awarded financial aid from the Kennedy School will be able to apply their award to HKS at Munk School. Your financial aid officer will be able to support you in this process.   

Yes. Both programs feature instruction from HKS faculty, online and/or in person. HKS at Munk School program will also include instruction from their faculty.  

No matter where you are studying, we will make as many HKS resources available to you as possible; this will include access to faculty, program support staff, events on campus, digital library collections, career coaches, our jobs database, and advisors. 

We will work through this with you on a case-by-case basis. Please reach out to your program team to discuss your individual circumstances.  

No, you will receive a Harvard Kennedy School degree.  

If you elect to participate in HKS at Munk School, you can pivot to attending classes on campus at HKS in Cambridge anytime up to September 11, 2025. 

Once that date has passed, students will generally need to remain in HKS at Munk until the conclusion of the semester to ensure the best educational experience. If visa issues resolve during that semester, we would welcome those students back to campus at the beginning of the following semester.  

All HKS students who are enrolled as visiting students at the University of Toronto – Munk will be on the University Health Insurance Plan (UHIP) at the University of Toronto. To learn more about the services provided at the University of Toronto, please see:  

Students enrolled in the Munk visiting student program must take three courses per term at Munk.