Application
The next Master's degree admission application deadline, for fall 2017 admission consideration, will be in December of 2016. HKS does not offer spring admission. To stay up-to-date with admissions news, please sign up for our prospective student database. The fall 2017 application will open in September 2016.
A complete application includes:
a submitted online application
payment of the $100 application fee
essays, which vary by degree program (essays for 2016 admission consideration are detailed here, advice on writing effective essays is detailed in an Admissions Blog series). Essay word limits are firm and should not be exceeded.
a résumé or CV (advice offered here)
an additional analytic/quantitative résumé/statement (requirements vary by program, click here for more information)
three letters of recommendation (information on instructions for recommenders here)
official academic transcripts (more details here)
standardized test scores (GRE, GMAT, TOEFL, and/or IELTS - moredetails here)
The HKS Admissions Blog is a helpful resource for updates and advice on the application process. During the summer we ran a 2016 application long-term planning series and we recommend that applicants subscribe to the Admissions Blog by visiting this page.
Applicants to the Doctoral Programs in Political Economy and Government, Public Policy, Health Policy, or Social Policy must submit their applications to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences by the stated deadline.
Standardized Test Scores
GRE/GMAT
Applicants to the MPP, MPA/ID, MPA, and MC/MPA degree programs must submit their Graduate Record Exam (GRE) or Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) test scores, even if they already hold an advanced degree. GRE or GMAT scores must be less than five years old as of the application deadline. HKS only reviews the general test, and does not accept or require GRE subject test scores.
When completing their online applications, applicants will be asked to self-report their test scores. If admitted, they must have their official test scores sent directly from the testing service to HKS. The last date applicants can take the GRE or GMAT to be considered for 2016 admission is December 1, 2015. Applicants who have not received official scores by the December 1 deadline should read this admissions blog entry for details on score submission.
LSAT and MCAT
Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) scores will only be accepted from applicants who are first-year Harvard Law School students applying to the HKS/HLS joint degree program. They should report their LSAT scores on the HKS application when applying.
Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) scores will only be accepted from applicants who are applying to the MD/MPP concurrent degree program at Harvard. Applicants who are applying to medical schools other than Harvard must take the GRE or GMAT exam.
TOEFL or IELTS
The Test of English as Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS - Academic Test format only) is required of all degree program applicants who do not speak English as a native language; HKS does not accept the TOEFL ITP test or the IELTS General Training test. Valid TOEFL or IELTS scores must be less than two years old as of the application deadline. Applicants are not required to submit a TOEFL or IELTS score only if their:
Native language is English, or
Four-year undergraduate degree was conducted entirely in English
Applicants are required to have a minimum cumulative TOEFL or IELTS score of:
100 on the Internet-Based TOEFL (iBT)
600 on the Paper-Based TOEFL (PBT), or
7 overall band score on the IELTS
For MPP applicants, in addition to meeting the cumulative TOEFL or IELTS scores above, the MPP Admissions Committee requires that they achieve the following minimum scores on the English tests’ subsections as well to be considered for admission:
TOEFL iBT: a minimum score of 25 on each section
TOEFL PBT: a minimum score of 58 on the reading section, 59 in the listening section, 61 in the writing section
IELTS: a minimum score of 7 in each section
For MPA/ID, MPA, MC/MPA, and MC/MPA Mason applicants, the programs’ Admissions Committees strongly prefer they meet the MPP minimum score requirements listed above; however, they may still be considered for admission if they do not meet the subsection scores.
School codes
GRE and TOEFL (3454)
GMAT (HRL-27-69)
There is no department code
The IELTS does not have a code; indicate “Harvard Kennedy School” when taking the test
Important note: The HKS admissions office cannot retrieve test scores and academic transcripts sent to other schools at Harvard University. When submitting your documents, please ensure that you are selecting “Harvard Kennedy School” or “John F. Kennedy School of Government.”
If you are admitted to HKS and accept our offer of admission, your official test scores must be sent directly from the testing service to the HKS admissions office. The last date applicants can take the TOEFL or IELTS to be considered for 2016 admission is December 1, 2015. Applicants who have not received official scores by the December 1 deadline should read this admissions blog entry for details on score submission.
Copies of your academic transcript(s) must also be sent directly from the issuing institution(s) to our office as well. If possible, we advise that you submit the required official documentation during the application process.
