Master in Public Policy (MPP)

Harvard University Harvard Kennedy School · Cambridge, MA

Field: Public Policy & Administration
Degrees: Master's
Application fee: $100
GRE: Required
Letters: 3 (recommendations)

Deadlines

Admission application, 2027-2028 academic year (12 p.m. noon ET): Dec. 1, 2026
Financial aid application (12 p.m. noon ET): Jan. 15, 2027

Essays

JFK Essay (750 words)

The Harvard Kennedy School motto, echoing the President for whom the School is named, is "Ask what you can do." Please share with the Admissions Committee how attending the Harvard Kennedy School fits into your broader plans to create positive change through public leadership and service, with a particular focus on how your program of choice connects with your career goals.

Perspectives essay (250 words)

Describe a time when interactions with others and/or an experience caused you to change your mind or expanded your point of view.

Personal History Essay (250 words)

Write a concise professional biography that highlights your background, key accomplishments, and areas of expertise. This statement should reflect how you would present yourself in a brief introduction in a professional setting, such as at a conference or a speaking engagement.

Optional statement (250 words)

If you have any concerns about your prior academic, professional, or personal background that you would like to share with the Admissions Committee, you may submit an explanation.

Résumé

Video essay (only for applicants required to submit English proficiency scores)

Editor's notes

The GRE/GMAT waiver window for this cycle has closed, so plan to have official scores in by December 1, 2026; HKS recommends testing at least a month before the deadline. The three essays total 1,250 words, and the 250-word personal history essay is a professional bio, not a life story, so keep it in the register you would use to be introduced at a conference. Use the 750-word JFK essay to tie a specific public problem to concrete career goals and to why the MPP, rather than another HKS degree, fits them, since you can apply to only one program per cycle.