Some of our degree programs have specific academic and professional prerequisites that you must meet either before or while you are applying to Harvard Kennedy School.

  • Bachelor’s degree with a strong academic record 
  • Regardless of your undergraduate major, we would like to see evidence of quantitative proficiency such as success in undergraduate-level economics, statistics, or calculus courses. 
  • Work experience preferred, but not required. Incoming MPP students typically have 2-3 years of professional work experience. 
  • Competitive GRE or GMAT scores (see standardized test score policy for exceptions)
  • Demonstrated English language proficiency for non-native English speakers or for applicants who did not earn an undergraduate degree taught in English. Submission of satisfactory Test of English as Foreign Language (TOEFL), International English Language Testing System (IELTS, academic test only), or Cambridge English test scores satisfies this requirement.  

  • Bachelor’s degree with a strong academic record, including good grades in economics and mathematics courses 
  • Completion of at least one university-level course each in microeconomics, macroeconomics, and calculus through multivariable calculus (usually part of a three-course college sequence). Applicants may satisfy some of these prerequisites after submitting their application, as long as they are complete before the program starts. Statistics and linear algebra courses are desirable but not required.
  • Competitive GRE or GMAT scores, especially in the quantitative section. In general, you are most competitive for admission if your quantitative section score is 160 or above on the GRE, or 48 or above on the GMAT.
  • Demonstrated English language proficiency for non-native English speakers or for applicants who did not earn an undergraduate degree taught in English. Submission of satisfactory Test of English as Foreign Language (TOEFL), International English Language Testing System (IELTS, academic test only), or Cambridge English test scores satisfies this requirement. 

  • Bachelor’s degree with a strong academic record 
  • Three years of professional work experience by September 1 of the year you would enroll in the program
  • At least four graduate-level courses similar to those in the MPP core curriculum, including two courses that are quantitative in nature. Qualifying graduate-level courses may include: economics, financial management, international business, international development, management, mathematics, physical science involving math (chemistry or physics, for example), politics and advocacy, or quantitative analysis and statistics. Courses cannot have counted towards your undergraduate degree. 
  • If you already have a graduate degree, those that typically qualify for MPA consideration include:
    • Master of Business Administration
    • Master of International Business
    • Master of International Development
    • Master of International Economics
    • Master of Science in Engineering
  • Competitive GRE or GMAT scores (see standardized test score policy for exceptions)
  • Demonstrated English language proficiency for non-native English speakers or for applicants who did not earn an undergraduate degree taught in English. Submission of satisfactory Test of English as Foreign Language (TOEFL), International English Language Testing System (IELTS, academic test only), or Cambridge English test scores satisfies this requirement.

  • Bachelor’s degree with a strong academic record 
  • At least seven years of professional work experience by June 30 of the year you would enroll in the program.
  • Demonstrated English language proficiency for non-native English speakers or for applicants who did not earn an undergraduate degree taught in English. Submission of satisfactory Test of English as Foreign Language (TOEFL), International English Language Testing System (IELTS, academic test only), or Cambridge English test scores satisfies this requirement. 
  • Applicants to the Mid-Career MPA/Edward S. Mason Program typically hold primary citizenship from one of the countries, territories, non-self-governing states, cities, or areas listed here. However, we recognize that some applicants who have spent the majority of their academic and/or professional lives in countries with industrialized economies do not feel as though the Edward S. Mason Fellows program fits their individual background. Therefore, applicants who are eligible to apply as a Mason Fellow may choose to opt-out of consideration for the Mason Fellows co-curricular programming.
  • Applicants to the Mid-Career MPA through the PLC Pathway must earn the Public Leadership Credential prior to submitting an admission application and must apply to the MC/MPA program during the admission cycle that immediately follows the capstone experience.

Email the HKS Office of Admissions & Financial Aid with questions about prerequisites for the MPP, MPA, and MC/MPA Programs. For  questions about prerequisites for the MPA/ID program, email the MPA/ID Program office.

Review our How to Apply section for additional application requirements.