The master’s degree programs at Harvard Kennedy School are designed to equip you with the essential skills to shape public policy, champion impactful ideas, and elevate your leadership potential. If you are ready to engage and are passionate about creating a better world, HKS offers an unparalleled opportunity to turn your aspirations into action.
Explore Our Programs
Master in Public Policy
The two-year MPP Program prepares you to understand complex public problems and craft concrete solutions.
Master in Public Administration in International Development
The MPA/ID Program offers two years of rigorous economics and quantitative training with an emphasis on policy and practice.
Master in Public Administration
The two-year MPA Program teaches the skills you need to be an even more effective leader in solving public problems.
Mid-Career Master in Public Administration
The one-year MC/MPA Program allows established professionals to hone skills and pursue specialized interests.
Combined Degrees
Explore how the world’s challenges can be addressed at the intersection of public policy and business, law, medicine, design, or other fields.
Data and Research Methods Track
MPP, MPA, and MC/MPA students can pursue the STEM-designated Data and Research Methods track.
From the Admissions Blog
Which HKS master’s degree program is the right fit?
If you are considering applying to an HKS master’s degree program, you may still be asking yourself which degree program is the right fit. This is ultimately a personal decision that hinges on your personal, educational, and professional goals.
“HKS has been the first place in my entire educational and professional career where we are discussing what I really want to be talking about: how me and my classmates can solve the world’s problems.”
Recent Student Stories
For Sisay Lelissa MPA/ID 2026, opportunity comes with responsibility
Sisay Lelissa MPA/ID 2026 reflects on the journey that brought him from Ethiopia to Harvard Kennedy School—and on his commitment to turning opportunity into impact for communities across Africa.
Reimagining how cities work
Cesar R. Hernandez MC/MPA 2026 is building a democratic “civic operating system” so smart cities of the future are equitable, accountable, and human-centered.
Studying how Black media shaped the Great Migration
Avi Moorthy reflects on his childhood in Toronto, his parents’ journey from India to North America, and his quest to understand how Black newspapers like the Chicago Defender enabled one of the largest mass migrations in American history.
Learn More About the HKS Community
Virtual Tour
Explore the HKS campus from wherever you are. Navigate to the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum, where you may one day attend a panel discussion with heads of state and political leaders. Look inside a classroom. Stop in the Student Lounge.
Student Life
There is an electric feeling of possibility on our campus, and students are at the heart of it. Explore the options and craft your HKS experience.
Admissions & Financial Aid Blog
Read the HKS Admissions & Financial Aid blog for admissions tips and updates, information on financial assistance, reflections on the HKS student experience, and more.
Apply for HKS Master’s Programs
Learn how you can join us at Harvard Kennedy School. Now is the time.