Departments

Learn about a department, its culture, challenges, and what the attributes of successful staff members are:

Baker Library

The Baker Library staff are committed to excellence in all our work and collaborate with customers to ensure we meet their information needs in the dynamic climate of the information industry, knowledge-creating institutions such as Higher Education, and the changing global economy.

Business & Environment Initiative

The Business and Environment Initiative, launched in 2010, seeks to deepen business leaders’ understanding of today’s environmental challenges and to assist them in developing effective solutions. We aspire to help leaders think clearly about the design of economic and political institutions that will enable firms and societies to thrive while maintaining the physical and biological systems on which they ultimately depend.

Dean’s Office

The Dean’s Office is responsible for the strategic vision and overall management of HBS. The Dean works closely with a group of senior faculty members on faculty issues and with the senior associate deans who have oversight over major areas of the School. The executive directors and heads of all administrative departments report into the Associate Dean for Administration/Senior Executive Officer who reports to the Dean.

Division of Research & Faculty Development

The mission of the Division of Research & Faculty Development (DRFD) is to facilitate the creation of the scholarly knowledge necessary to achieve Harvard Business School (HBS)’s mission to educate business leaders who make a difference in the world. By providing unparalleled faculty support, the DRFD helps to build and develop the faculty, and facilitates the creation of enduring knowledge that shapes both business scholarship and the practice of business. To execute its mission, the DRFD funds and supports the faculty in their research efforts, which include both the development of high-quality course materials for use at HBS and elsewhere and the creation and dissemination of new knowledge.

Doctoral Programs

The mission of the Harvard Business School (HBS) Doctoral Programs is to develop leading scholars who create and disseminate ideas that draw on and influence management practice, and who will go on to careers as faculty members at leading business schools and universities. The HBS Doctoral Programs office provides administrative and program management support to five DBA program tracks and three Ph.D. programs. Flexibility in learning, independence in study, research with deep impact, outstanding faculty who are leaders in their fields, and the finest resources in academia—these qualities enable Harvard Business School to offer outstanding doctoral programs.

Executive Education

Harvard Business School (HBS) Executive Education brings together senior executives from the world’s most influential organizations, resulting in unparalleled diversity. We achieve this mission by working closely with faculty to design and deliver over 130 open enrollment and custom programs to over 13,000 participants annually, from over 130 countries.

Open enrollment programs range from a few days to over a period of months, while custom engagements help largely Fortune 1000 companies implement strategic changes and build organizational capabilities. Most programs are delivered on the HBS campus, where Executive Education has 9 dedicated classrooms and more than 500 dedicated bedrooms in three executive residences. To meet the diverse needs of our community, our programming now includes in-person, virtual, and blended options. The Executive Education department consists of open enrollment, global, and custom program portfolio management; guest services; marketing; corporate sales; program operations; technology services; enrollment and admissions; and finance.

External Relations

External Relations provides alumni with information about the work of the school, its faculty and graduates, and the impact that collective body of work has on individuals, organizations and society, so they can remain constructively connected and be effective ambassadors of the School’s mission around the world. The External Relations office also provides alumni and students with multiple touch points with the School and each other to reinforce the powerful role the Harvard Business School (HBS) alumni network plays in supporting career and life objectives of our graduates as well as the leadership role it plays in helping the School deliver on its mission.

Financial Office

The Financial Office oversees and manages Harvard Business School (HBS)’s financial and operational activities including, long-range planning, budgeting, financial operations, general accounting services, financial reporting, endowment fund management, support for international offices, internal control structure, risk management and compliance, policy development and enforcement and financial systems administration, implementation and training.

Global Initiative

Harvard Business School (HBS) faculty conduct research and develop cases that capture key business and management developments wherever they occur, with the support of the School's network of Global Research Centers in certain key regions: Asia-Pacific, China, Europe, India, Japan, Latin America, and Silicon Valley. Global Initiative is responsible for the oversight, coordination, and support for these Centers as well as providing guidance to the School regarding global activities.

For more information about our Global work visit: www.hbs.edu/global.

Health Care Initiative

The Health Care Initiative, launched in 2005, serves as a gateway for healthcare research, educational programs and collaboration. Through programs, events for faculty, students, alumni and Executive Education participants, the Initiative's mission is to disseminate knowledge that will help improve the performance of aspiring healthcare leaders in all sectors of this dynamic industry.

Human Resources

The Human Resources Department supports the academic and administrative departments of Harvard Business School (HBS) by providing a variety of services related to any aspect of employment, including organization design, staffing, employee and labor relations, training and career development, compensation and benefits, and interpretation of University and School policies and procedures.

Information Technology

The mission of Harvard Business School (HBS) Information Technology (IT) is to work in partnership with faculty and academic programs, students, and staff to leverage the strategy and operations of Harvard Business School through the innovative use of existing and emerging technologies, technology support, and end-user education. The environment in IT is innovative and continuously evolving so that technology is seamlessly woven into the fabric of the School, boosting the efficiency and effectiveness of the educational, administrative, and research processes.

Leadership Initiative

Learn about the Leadership Initiative.

Marketing & Communications

Marketing & Communications maintains and strengthens the Harvard Business School (HBS) brand worldwide by guiding the development and implementation of our marketing and communications outreach to all constituencies.

MBA

The MBA Program administrative team supports the design, development, and delivery of a world-class, two-year, full-time, residential MBA Program experience for over 1,800 students in a given year.

Online

Harvard Business School (HBS) Online offers a unique and highly engaging way to learn vital business concepts. Our online certificate and credential programs are offered via our innovative online platform and are designed to bring the Harvard Business School classroom to you—putting you at the center of the learning experience. What sets HBS Online apart? Our learning model is built around three key characteristics: active, case-based, and social. You complete coursework on your own time while meeting regular deadlines to ensure you’re progressing through the course in step with your peers and taking full advantage of every networking and social learning opportunity.

Operations

The Operations Group manages a broad array of activities on campus, including campus planning, design and construction, housekeeping, campus housing, administrative support services, food services, events management, telecommunications and moves, facilities operations and management, sustainability, utilities, emergency management/preparedness, fitness center, and campus security.

Social Enterprise Initiative

The Social Enterprise Initiative at Harvard Business School (HBS) generates and shares knowledge that helps individuals and organizations create social value in the nonprofit, private, and public sectors. Social Enterprise plays a critical role in supporting the School’s mission to educate leaders who make a difference in the world by integrating social enterprise-related research, teaching, and activities into the daily life of HBS.