Senior Executive Fellows

On Campus

Faculty Chair

Dana Born

Program Director
Horace Ling

Program Fee

$25,000

Session Date

October 15, 2023 - November 09, 2023

Application Deadline

August 21, 2023

Program Fee

$25,000

Faculty Chair

Dana Born

Program Director

Horace Ling

Request Brochure

Apply

Session Date

April 01, 2024 - April 26, 2024

Application Deadline

February 05, 2024

Program Fee

$25,000

Faculty Chair

Dana Born

Program Director

Horace Ling

Request Brochure

Apply

For information about requirements to participate in an executive program on the Harvard Kennedy School campus, please visit this page.

Program Fee: The program fee includes tuition, housing, curricular materials and most meals.
Executive Certificate: This program is a core program in the Public Leadership and Public Policy concentrations. This program can also be used as a third program for any concentration in the Executive Certificate series.
Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs): This program aligns with one or more Executive Core Qualifications.
Online

Faculty Chair

Dana Born

Program Director
Horace Ling

Program Fee

$18,600

Session Date

January 16, 2024 - February 09, 2024

Application Deadline

December 18, 2023

Program Fee

$18,600

Faculty Chair

Dana Born

Program Director

Horace Ling

Request Brochure

Apply

Session Date

June 03, 2024 - June 28, 2024

Application Deadline

May 13, 2024

Program Fee

$18,600

Faculty Chair

Dana Born

Program Director

Horace Ling

Request Brochure

Apply

Executive Certificate: This program is a core program in the Public Leadership and Public Policy concentrations. This program can also be used as a third program for any concentration in the Executive Certificate series.
Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs): This program aligns with one or more Executive Core Qualifications.

Program Overview

In today’s ever-changing world, management expertise is not enough to drive change and ensure success: You must also be a leader. That means you need a skill set defined by the ability to build coalitions, drive results and performance and guide organizational change.

Senior Executive Fellows is the unparalleled professional development program for executives who want to sharpen their leadership and managerial skills. It's designed for GS-14/GS-15 federal employees and their corporate sector, international, non-profit, multi-lateral, and military counterparts.

Led by renowned Harvard faculty and expert practitioners, this immersive four-week executive leadership skills program will provide you with a framework for problem-solving, conditioning you to ask the right questions and find the most strategic approach to your challenge. You'll immediately take on a leadership role in the classroom and gain the tools necessary to look at issues from a new perspective.

This leadership skills program incorporates the Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) for Senior Executive Service (SES). Many government agencies offer it as part of their Senior Executive Services (SES) Candidate Development Programs (CDPs).

Program Curriculum

You'll explore issues such as cooperative versus competitive interactions with governmental agencies, political appointees, the media, as well as private sector organizations and individuals. Through analysis of the experience and interactive discussions about the critical choices made by key players along the way, you'll gain valuable insights, training and practice in making challenging leadership decisions about actual situations in real time.

Learning Objectives

The Senior Executive Fellows curriculum will help you to:

Identify and analyze the challenges and opportunities facing your organization—and master them both politically and technically.
Develop strategic plans of action using communication, negotiation and coalition-building skills.
Manage the tensions between long-term policy goals and short-term political pressures.
Create an organizational environment that is responsive to change, but also true to its purpose and tradition.

Application Information

Recommended Applicants

The Senior Executive Fellows program is designed for top-level managers who aspire to be executives in all types of organizations.

Recommended applicants include:

Top managers from the U.S. federal government (GS-14 and 15)
Senior officials from the military (O-5 and O-6)
Executives from the corporate and nonprofit sectors
International participants from backgrounds similar to the above

The typical composition of a cohort is 70-80% U.S. federal government and military; the balance comprises leaders from the corporate and nonprofit sectors, state and local governments and those outside the U.S.

Online vs On-Campus Schedule

The intensive online program provides a more flexible format where you can apply concepts directly to your work while experiencing the rigor of Harvard remotely. Through an array of online modalities, you will be immersed in the curriculum and make progress on your individual challenges, while connecting with your peers and developing a robust network of colleagues that will last a lifetime. Access a sample online program schedule.

The on-campus program is an immersive and intense learning experience on Harvard’s historic Cambridge campus. During the week, you’ll experience lectures firsthand and connect with peers both in and outside of the classroom. The fee includes tuition, housing, curricular materials, and most meals. Access a sample on-campus program schedule.

Hear Dana Born Discuss the SEF Program Experience

Senior Executive Fellows Faculty Chair Dana Born and Program Director Horace Ling discuss the differences between the SEF online offering and the SEF on-campus offering, and how SEF can be effective in helping you meet your objectives.