Skip to Main Content
HBS Home
  • About
  • Academic Programs
  • Alumni
  • Faculty & Research
  • Baker Library
  • Giving
  • Harvard Business Review
  • Initiatives
  • News
  • Recruit
  • Map / Directions
Research Associates
  • Who We Are
  • What We Do
  • Research Associates
  • Benefits & Compensation
  • Apply
  • …→
  • Harvard Business School→
  • Research Associates→
  • Research Associates→
As a Research Associate, you’ll find yourself meeting people and exploring issues and topics that open up new worlds, both professionally and personally.

Many RA opportunities are ideal for pre-doctoral candidates as these positions represent a powerful opportunity for qualified candidates to expand their research resume before pursuing doctoral studies. Although these positions are not affiliated with the school’s doctoral program, they offer a wide variety of faculty-driven research challenges - from the collection and analysis of data to sourcing and support for academic publications -plus a generous Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) benefit toward pre-requisite courses.

Research Associates are an integral part of the community who typically complete two, 1-year terms with more than one faculty member, supporting analytics, quantitative research, and field research, for a broad range of faculty initiated studies in areas such as finance, strategy, and behavioral science. Appropriate candidates will demonstrate strong GPAs from leading academic institutions, and for some roles, should be familiar with either data manipulation tools such as STATA, Python, MATLAB or R, or other methodologies such as lab experience or experimental design.

Former RAs have told us that the skills they develop in researching, writing, interviewing, analysis, and project management create a springboard to a wide range of options. In addition, a close working relationship with faculty members who are generous teachers and mentors is often cited as one of the greatest advantages of a position.

Pre-Doctoral Research

  • 13 Dec 2018
  • Harvard Business School

Sample Next Steps

Doctoral Programs

  • PhD, Harvard Business School
  • PhD, Stanford University
  • PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  • PhD, London School of Economics
  • JD, Harvard Law School
  • JD, Yale University
  • MBA, Harvard Business School
  • MBA, Dartmouth Tuck School of Business
  • MPP, Harvard Kennedy School

Companies

  • McKinsey
  • Boston Consulting Group
  • World Bank
  • Google
  • Creative Arts Agency
  • Burning Glass
  • Wayfair

Positions

  • Project Leader
  • Senior Industry Analyst
  • Research Analyst
  • Economic Research Consultant
  • Vice President of Finance
  • Consultant
“As an RA, I came into an organization as an outsider and interviewed managers at every level of the company. That experience has given me confidence as a healthcare management consultant because I know I can go into a new situation, ask the right questions, and represent my firm well.”
Ayesha Kanji
BA, Biology, Wellesley College,
MA, Harvard School of Public Health
“As an RA, I came into an organization as an outsider and interviewed managers at every level of the company. That experience has given me confidence as a healthcare management consultant because I know I can go into a new situation, ask the right questions, and represent my firm well.”
Ayesha Kanji
BA, Biology, Wellesley College,
MA, Harvard School of Public Health
“The position offered the flexibility I needed to develop and launch a start-up outside my duties as an RA. It was a great stepping stone to the next phase of my career as an entrepreneur.”
Boyd Bishop
BS U.S. Military Academy, West Point,
MBA, Harvard Business School
“The position offered the flexibility I needed to develop and launch a start-up outside my duties as an RA. It was a great stepping stone to the next phase of my career as an entrepreneur.”
Boyd Bishop
BS U.S. Military Academy, West Point,
MBA, Harvard Business School
ǁ
Campus Map
Research Staff Services
Harvard Business School
Baker Library Bloomberg Center Suite 80
Boston, MA 02163
Phone: 1.617.495.6932
Email: rss@hbs.edu
→Map & Directions
→More Contact Information
  • Make a Gift
  • Site Map
  • Jobs
  • Harvard University
  • Trademarks
  • Policies
  • Accessibility
  • Digital Accessibility
Copyright © President & Fellows of Harvard College