MBA/MPP & MBA/MPA-ID Harvard Kennedy School

MBA/MPP & MBA/MPA-ID Harvard Kennedy School

Joint degrees with Harvard Kennedy School.

The HBS/HKS joint degree programs serve a growing need of critical importance to global society: their mission is to develop leaders, skilled in management and the shaping of innovative public policy, who will assume positions of influence spanning business, government, and nonprofit organizations, through which they will contribute significantly to the well-being of society.

In 2007, Harvard Business School (HBS) and Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) created two joint degree programs in business and government: the Master in Business Administration/Master in Public Policy (MBA/MPP) and the Master in Business Administration/Master in Public Administration-International Development (MBA/MPA-ID). The first cohort accepted to these joint degree programs matriculated in fall 2008.

By participating in the HBS/HKS joint degree programs, structured to be completed in three years, candidates will have demonstrated exceptional aptitude in the complementary areas of policy expertise and cross-disciplinary management. Graduates will be prepared for complex issues that call for the collaboration of the public, nonprofit, and private sectors—and for leadership effective in each.

Watch this webinar to learn more about the joint degree program.

Program Brochure

Curriculum 

The MBA/MPP and MBA/MPA-ID are three-year programs that combine the core curricula of the HBS MBA and HKS degrees with a wide range of elective options from both schools. The two joint degree programs are structurally similar but differ largely in the HKS courses required and in the elective options in the final year.

Admissions & Financial Aid 

Students interested in the MBA/MPP or MBA/MPA-ID joint degree programs apply to HBS and HKS separately and are selected independently within the same application cycle of a given year. When applying, students must identify their interest in the joint degree program in each school's application and submit a joint degree program application essay to both schools.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, we have an active Joint Degree Leadership Council with the HKS/HBS joint degree students. Please reach out to current Joint Degree students with your questions about the program at JDLC@hbs.edu.
To develop leaders, skilled in management and the shaping of innovative public policy, who will assume positions of influence spanning business, government, and nonprofit organizations, through which they will contribute significantly to the well-being of society.
Graduates of the joint degree programs will be prepared to address some of the world's most pressing issues—issues that call for collaboration of the public and private sectors and require leaders who can effectively operate in both. If you have a career vision that spans the public and private sectors and want to have a greater impact on the world, you should consider the HBS/HKS joint degree programs. In addition, many students who have graduated from the joint degree program have highlighted the benefits of having a tight-knit group of students who have shared interests and experiences.