Harvard Kennedy School 2022-2023 Admissions: Programs, Deadlines, Requirements & FAQs

The school offers four master’s programs in the field of public policy and administration. The university provides similar deadlines and application procedures for domestic undergraduate applicants as well as international applicants. Even the application fee and the admission requirements are also similar. 

The international applicants can visit the respective online portals to apply for the courses at their desired degree level. However, the program-specific requirements are mentioned below:

Harvard Kennedy School Doctoral Admissions

Harvard Kennedy School offers four full-time doctoral programs under Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Science. The students are directed to submit their admissions materials directly to the GSAS Office of Admissions. Therefore, the students are required to submit the following documents while applying for the admissions:

• Completed application form
• Payment of application fee
• Academic transcripts
• Resume/ CV
• One writing sample
• 3 Letters of Recommendation
• Statement of Purpose
• GRE scores

English Language Proficiency 

Harvard Kennedy School Executive Programs Admissions

Harvard Kennedy School offers more than 35 open-enrollment programs led by Harvard faculty, Executive Education along with the Executive Certificates in four concentrations areas:

• Economic Development
• Nonprofit Leadership
• Public Leadership
• Public policy

It becomes mandatory for students to complete 3 programs in 6 years to earn an Executive Certificate from HKS. Students are also required to fulfill the general admission requirements such as:

• Experience – A minimum of 5 years of professional experience
• Education – HKS do not require any formal educational requirements.
• Language – Candidates must be fluent in spoken and written English.

Applicants are recommended to check the official website of the university for the admission deadlines of graduate programs. Applicants are required to expect the arrival of the decision in March. Students are notified about the application status through an email notification with the confirmation which includes information about the application review process of the university and instructions laid down by it to check the status of the application online. 

The curriculum at the institute is very demanding and the applicants should be equally competitive, merely meeting the general requirements does not guarantee an applicant a place. It is observed that the college looks for leadership qualities and students who demonstrate public service.

The Harvard Kennedy School, one of the top colleges in the USA, also seeks applicants who can demonstrate good writing and speaking skills. Even after meeting the general admission requirements, it might so happen that an applicant is not selected because the applications received are far more than the numbers that can be admitted. Therefore, early applications are advised with all the required admission documents.