harvard economics phd student

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Professor Claudia Goldin awarded the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel 2023

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Undergraduate

The large number of professors and their diverse interests enable a student to study virtually any area of economics.  The extraordinary quality of Harvard undergraduates makes the classroom environment stimulating for teacher and student alike.

Supported by a diverse group of faculty who are top researchers in their fields and fueled by a vast array of resources, the PhD program is structured to train and nurture students to become leading economists in academia, government agencies, the technology industry, finance and banking, and global policy organizations.

At a Glance

Faculty Members

Areas of Study

Undergraduate Courses

Undergraduate Concentrators

Graduate Courses

Graduate Concentrators

The Department of Economics is part of the larger academe of teaching and research at Harvard University.

Faculty Spotlight

The Harvard economics department is a big tent – big enough to include many kinds of people working in many different fields, from finance to economic history, from behavioral economics to political economy, and so much more.  Our students and faculty combine these fields in creative ways that are hard to achieve anywhere else.

John Campbell

Morton l. and carole s. olshan professor of economics, news and events.

Prof. Edward Glaeser Helps Boston Mayor Michelle Wu '07 On Assessing Incentives for Housing in the City

Professor Edward Glaeser , Fred and Eleanor Glimp Professor of Economics and the Chairman of the Department of Economics, was interviewed by the Harvard Gazette for his work with assembling a team of economists to analyze the costs of creating tax incentives to building more housing in the city of Boston.  He was contacted to do so by his former student, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu '07. 

Professor Claudia Goldin Appears on NPR's Wait Wait Don't Tell Me

Professor Claudia Goldin , Henry Lee Professor of Economics and Lee and Ezpeleta Professor of Arts and Sciences,was on this week's episode of the NPR News Quiz show, Wait Wait Don't Tell Me. You can hear her interview as she plays "Not My Job", along with Professor Larry Katz , on NPR's website or whereever you listen to podcasts.

Professor Claudia Goldin Named One of Time's Women of the Year

Professor Claudia Goldin , Henry Lee Professor of Economics and Lee and Ezpeleta Professor of Arts and Sciences, was named one of Time's Women of the Year. 

Please read here for their interview with Professor Goldin on her work and winning the Nobel Prize .

ECON 3003 Graduate Student Workshop in Econometrics

Location: .

Chris Walker (Harvard University) "Semiparametric Bayesian Inference for a Conditional Moment Equality Model"... Read more about ECON 3003 Graduate Student Workshop in Econometrics

Seminar joint in International/Macro Econ

Ester Faia (Visiting Harvard) - " The Global (Mis)Allocation of Capital "... Read more about Seminar joint in International/Macro Econ

ECON 3005 Graduate Student Workshop in Economic Development

Dev Patel (Harvard) "The Bedrock of Gender Equality? The Legacy of Protective Legislation in Colonial India"

Joseph Melkonian (Harvard) "Labor Markets and Minority Emigration in North African Decolonization"... Read more about ECON 3005 Graduate Student Workshop in Economic Development

Fields of Study

The study of the application of using hypothetical quantitative economic models.

Political Economy

The study of production and trade and their relations with law, custom and government; and with the distribution of national income and wealth.

Econometrics

The study of developing and using statistical and mathematical tools to analyze economic issues and policy questions.

Macroeconomics

The study of the national economy and the determinants of national production, unemployment, and inflation.

Economic History

The study of how economies and economic outcomes have changed over history and how economic institutions have developed. 

International Economics

The study of the effects upon economic activity from international differences in productive resources and consumer preferences and the international institutions that affect them. 

Behavioral Economics

The study of the cognitive and emotional dimensions of economic decisions.

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Ph.D. Programs

The Harvard Environmental Economics Program (HEEP) does not grant degrees. Rather, students pursue a Ph.D. degree in Economics, Business Economics, Business Administration, Political Economy and Government, Public Policy, or Health Policy. Those whose dissertation interests focus on environmental and natural resource economics are invited to become Pre-Doctoral Fellows of HEEP.

If you are interested in pursuing a Ph.D. degree at Harvard focused on environmental economics, we encourage you to contact one or more of the following doctoral programs directly.

The Economics Ph.D.  program is the most traditional route for students interested in environmental economics. It is recommended for those applicants who wish to pursue an academic career in an economics department. It is one possible path for students who desire academic positions in professional schools or research positions in national or international agencies and research centers. The program is based in Harvard University’s Department of Economics in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. For general information about the Department, see its website . The Doctoral Program—including admissions requirements— is described here .

Business Economics

The Business Economics Ph.D.  program is offered jointly by the Department of Economics , in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and Harvard Business School, and combines economic analysis with practical aspects of business. This degree is primarily intended to prepare students for careers in research and teaching in business administration and related fields of economics. The general management approach of the Harvard Business School is an important ingredient in the program. For more information on the Business Economics program and for admissions requirements, please see the  Business Economics website.

Health Policy

The Health Policy Ph.D.  program is co-sponsored by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the Kennedy School of Government, the Harvard Medical School, and the Harvard School of Public Health. Students interested in environmental economics should consider the “Economics” track of the program. This program is recommended for students with a particular interest in the intersection of health and environmental policy and who desire academic and/or research careers in health policy. For more information on the Health Policy program and for admissions requirements please see the Health Policy website.

Political Economy and Government

The Political Economy and Government  (PEG) program is co-sponsored by the  Department of Economics and the  Department of Government in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences —and the Harvard Kennedy School . The PEG program is appropriate for the select group of students whose breadth of academic interests is not well served by doctoral studies confined to economics, political science, or public policy. The program is recommended for students whose research interests span the intersection of economics and political science and who desire academic careers in professional schools or research careers with national or international agencies and research centers. For more information on the PEG program and for admissions requirements, please see the program’s web page.  

Public Policy

The Ph.D. in Public Policy  is granted by the  Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and administered by the Harvard Kennedy School . This program is recommended for students who are interested in environmental economics as applied to the policy world and whose career goals include academic careers in professional schools, research positions in national or international agencies and research centers, or professional positions of various kinds in policy organizations. For more information on the Public Policy program and for admissions requirements and materials please see the program’s web site.

• Harvard Courses & Seminars

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• Doctoral Programs →

PhD Programs

• Accounting & Management
• Business Economics
• Health Policy (Management)
• Organizational Behavior
• Technology & Operations Management

Students in our PhD programs are encouraged from day one to think of this experience as their first job in business academia—a training ground for a challenging and rewarding career generating rigorous, relevant research that influences practice.

Our doctoral students work with faculty and access resources throughout HBS and Harvard University. The PhD program curriculum requires coursework at HBS and other Harvard discipline departments, and with HBS and Harvard faculty on advisory committees. Faculty throughout Harvard guide the programs through their participation on advisory committees.

How do I know which program is right for me?

There are many paths, but we are one HBS. Our PhD students draw on diverse personal and professional backgrounds to pursue an ever-expanding range of research topics. Explore more here about each program’s requirements & curriculum, read student profiles for each discipline as well as student research , and placement information.

The PhD in Business Administration grounds students in the disciplinary theories and research methods that form the foundation of an academic career. Jointly administered by HBS and GSAS, the program has five areas of study: Accounting and Management , Management , Marketing , Strategy , and Technology and Operations Management . All areas of study involve roughly two years of coursework culminating in a field exam. The remaining years of the program are spent conducting independent research, working on co-authored publications, and writing the dissertation. Students join these programs from a wide range of backgrounds, from consulting to engineering. Many applicants possess liberal arts degrees, as there is not a requirement to possess a business degree before joining the program

The PhD in Business Economics provides students the opportunity to study in both Harvard’s world-class Economics Department and Harvard Business School. Throughout the program, coursework includes exploration of microeconomic theory, macroeconomic theory, probability and statistics, and econometrics. While some students join the Business Economics program directly from undergraduate or masters programs, others have worked in economic consulting firms or as research assistants at universities or intergovernmental organizations.

The PhD program in Health Policy (Management) is rooted in data-driven research on the managerial, operational, and strategic issues facing a wide range of organizations. Coursework includes the study of microeconomic theory, management, research methods, and statistics. The backgrounds of students in this program are quite varied, with some coming from public health or the healthcare industry, while others arrive at the program with a background in disciplinary research

The PhD program in Organizational Behavior offers two tracks: either a micro or macro approach. In the micro track, students focus on the study of interpersonal relationships within organizations and the effects that groups have on individuals. Students in the macro track use sociological methods to examine organizations, groups, and markets as a whole, including topics such as the influence of individuals on organizational change, or the relationship between social missions and financial objectives. Jointly administered by HBS and GSAS, the program includes core disciplinary training in sociology or psychology, as well as additional coursework in organizational behavior.

Accounting & Management  

Business economics  , health policy (management)  , management  , marketing  , organizational behavior  , strategy  , technology & operations management  .

Have questions about applying? Please check our FAQ page  before emailing us at [email protected] . We partner with Harvard Economics to connect prospective students from underrepresented groups with graduate student mentors. Details of this Application Assistance and Mentoring Program are available below.

Application requirements

The application to our doctoral program is open annually from September 15-December 15 for admission the following September. The application for September 2024 admission is now closed.

Your application is considered complete when you have successfully submitted the following requirements by the December 15 application deadline:

• Online application
• $75 application fee
• Scanned copy of college transcripts
• Three letters of recommendation
• TOEFL, IELTS, or Cambridge English Qualification (C1 & C2) test score (any one) for international students whose native language is not English
• The GRE is required as part of applications for the 2025-2026 cycle (for September 2025 admission)

To request a fee waiver, please complete MIT's application fee waiver form . You should carefully review the eligibility criteria prior to applying. A representative from MIT’s Office of Graduate Education will be in touch about the outcome of your request.

Transcripts

Please upload one copy of each transcript from all universities you have attended. If you're admitted to the program, we'll require you to have an official copy of your transcript(s) sent to us from the university's registrar. Your transcript will be verified upon receipt and any discrepancy between the transcript you uploaded and the official transcript will result in a withdrawal of our offer of admission.

Letters of recommendation

Letters must be submitted/uploaded by the letter writers by December 15. Please send the email request to your letter writers via the 'Letter Status' section in your application.

TOEFL, IELTS, or Cambridge English Qualification scores

International students whose first language is not English are required to submit   English language proficiency test scores unless they are a US citizen or permanent resident. The department will also waive the requirement for international non-native speakers of English who have spent three or more years studying in an accredited school or university where English is the language of instruction.  (Please note: verification of the institution’s language of instruction may be requested.)

We accept the following test scores:

• Cambridge English C1 Advanced
• Cambridge English C2 Proficiency

If you meet the criteria for a waiver, you can make a request to waive the English proficiency exam requirement on the online application, under the "test scores" section.

TOEFL, IELTS, and Cambridge English Qualification scores are valid or accepted for two years. Scores that expire while an application is under review will be considered valid.

Submitting your scores

Your online application will prompt you to attach a scanned copy of your test scores. Your scores must also be sent directly to MIT from ETS, IELTS, or Cambridge. MIT's school code for the TOEFL is 3514. The TOEFL code for the Department of Economics is 84. IELTS and Cambridge do not require a code. Please enter "Massachusetts Institute of Technology- Graduate Admissions."

Official scores must be received from ETS, IELTS, or Cambridge by December 15. Please take your proficiency exam of choice by November 30 to allow for proper reporting time. If your score report arrives shortly after the deadline, it will be accepted, but your application may not be reviewed until your scores are received.

Minimum score requirements

The minimum requirement for the TOEFL is PBT: 600, iBT: 100. The minimum requirement for the IELTS is 7.  The minimum requirement for the Cambridge English Qualifications is a CEFR score of 185.

Your online application will give you the option to attach a scanned copy of your test scores or a screenshot of the scores from the ETS website. You can also send a score report directly to MIT from ETS. MIT's school code for the GRE is 3514. The code for the Department of Economics is 1801.

To allow for your scores to arrive by the application deadline, you should take the GRE by November 30 to allow for reporting time.

Personal statement (optional)

We encourage applicants to include a statement of objectives/personal statement with their application, though it is not required. The statement is an opportunity to explain what makes you a good candidate for the program. You should describe why you wish to attend graduate school, what you would like to study, and any research experience. Describe one or more accomplishments you are particularly proud of that suggest that you will succeed in your chosen area of research. You can also share any unique perspective or life experience that would contribute to the program.   Statements are typically two single-spaced pages.

Application Assistance and Mentoring Program

Many students interested in an economics PhD experience disparate degrees of support in the application process. The Application Assistance and Mentoring Program (AAMP) aims to mitigate these gaps by helping students from underrepresented groups connect with a graduate student mentor in MIT or Harvard’s PhD economics programs.

Mentors can provide:

• Advice on graduate school and fellowship applications, including questions about the application process and feedback on application materials.
• Information about economics research, life as a PhD student or in an academic career, for students who are deciding whether a PhD in economics is the right choice for them.

The AAMP aims to increase the pipeline of diverse talent in economics PhD programs and welcomes participation from all groups underrepresented in economics, including but not limited to: Black, Hispanic-Latinx, Native American, low-income, and LGBTQ+ students, women, students with disabilities, and students who are the first in their families to go to college. The AAMP welcomes participation among students at various stages of their economics studies, including undergraduates and college graduates. The AAMP is open to students who are curious about the academic economics experience and interested in figuring out if it’s right for them. 

Interested participants should fill out the application linked below. We will accept applications until July 17, 2023. Mentorship will begin over the summer and continue through Fall 2023. Mentees who prefer to meet for a single “coffee chat” may indicate their preference on the form. We will do our best to match all interested applicants with a mentor; however, demand may exceed the availability of mentors.

Please note that the MIT / Harvard Economics AAMP is a volunteer-based, student-run program. This program is not considered part of the admissions process for the Economics PhD at MIT or Harvard, nor will any student's participation in the AAMP be considered by the Graduate Admissions Committee at either school.

Please direct any questions to [email protected] . To join the program, please click the link below to fill out the form.

Click here for the application form If you are a faculty, program advisor/coordinator, or student interested in being notified when 2024-2025 AAMP applications open, please fill out this form .

Master in Public Administration in International Development

Join the next generation of global development leaders in this two-year, economics-centered program

Key Program Information

Program Length: Two years (varies for students pursuing joint or concurrent degrees)

Degree Awarded: Master in Public Administration in International Development

Admission Application Deadline: December 2024

Financial Aid Application Deadline: January 2025

Contact the MPA/ID Program

79 John F. Kennedy Street Rubenstein Building, Rooms 122, 124, and 126 Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138

Be a leader in global development

The Master in Public Administration in International Development Program combines rigorous training in economics and quantitative methods with an emphasis on policy and practice.

The Master in Public Administration in International Development (MPA/ID) Program offers unparalleled training for a professional career in development. The mix of theoretical rigor with practical approaches has proven to be a powerful combination. Our graduates hold influential policy, advocacy, and management positions at international organizations, national governments, non-governmental organizations, and private sector companies.

The right fit

The MPA/ID Program may be the right fit for you if you:

• Demonstrate commitment to solving the economic, social, or political problems facing low-income communities, regions, or nations 
• Work in the development field, whether in government, nonprofits, central or regional banks, international development institutions, research organizations, or the private sector
• Want to deepen and broaden your understanding of development problems and acquire the analytical tools and global perspectives to design and implement effective solutions

“The MPA/ID Program expanded my perspectives and equipped me with a set of analytical tools to make the impact I seek to have in the world.” — Jiawen Tang MPA/ID 2021

About the MPA/ID Program

Training for development practitioners.

The MPA/ID Program is a rigorous, economics-centered program designed to train the next generation of practitioners and leaders in the field of global development.

Within a multidisciplinary core curriculum,  you will take advanced economics and quantitative methods sequences  with an emphasis on key policy applications to development. You will also complete core courses in economic development, politics, political philosophy, and management—integrated with the theory and practice of development.

In your second year, you’ll choose from elective options at HKS, at the other graduate schools at Harvard—such as  Business ,  Design ,  Education ,  Law , and  Public Health  as well as the  Faculty of Arts and Sciences —and at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Core Curriculum

• Advanced Microeconomics ( API-109 ,  API-110 )
• Advanced Macroeconomics  ( API-119 ,  API-120 )
• Advanced Statistics and Econometrics ( API-209 ,  API-210 )
• Economic Development: Theory and Evidence ( DEV-101 ,  DEV-102 )
• Applications and Cases in International Development ( DEV-401 )
• The Politics of Development ( DPI-410 )
• Political Philosophy for Development ( DPI-411 )
• Getting Things Done: Management in a Development Context ( MLD-102 )
• Second Year Policy Analysis Seminar ( DEV-250 )

You will gain professional expertise through the case workshop and speaker series, a required summer internship , and an integrative capstone paper .

Second Year Policy Analysis : Using Your Toolkit 

The Second Year Policy Analysis (SYPA) serves as the capstone experience for the MPA/ID Program. You will choose a current development issue of interest to you; select your faculty advisor; and draw on the tools of economics, management, and political analysis to define the problem, analyze the evidence, develop alternatives, and provide specific policy recommendations for a concrete development problem.

Summer Internships : Out of the classroom, into the field

During the summer between your first and second year, you will engage in a development project, typically in a low- to middle-income country other than your own. This field experience allows you to apply the skills you’ve acquired during your first year and explore a new organization, substantive area of interest, or part of the world.

STEM Eligibility

The MPA/ID Program is a designated STEM-eligible program (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). Students with F-1 visas may apply to work in the United States for two additional years  beyond the standard 12-month Optional Practical Training (OPT)  following graduation.

Degree Requirements

The MPA/ID Program consists of four semesters of full-time coursework in residence at HKS. The coursework includes the core curriculum, a minimum of six electives (24 credits), a development-related internship, and the Second-Year Policy Analysis.

To graduate, you must:

• Matriculate as a full-time, in-residence student and take 12-24 credits per semester
• Earn at least 76 credits, which must include the required courses, SYPA, and electives
• Finish with a GPA of B or better
• Earn a B- or higher in all required MPA/ID courses

Combined Degrees

You might consider  pursuing a second degree jointly or concurrently  if you’re interested in how the world’s challenges can be addressed at the intersection of international development and business, law, medicine, design, or other fields.

Pursuing a joint or concurrent degree reduces coursework and residency requirements and makes it possible to earn two degrees in a shorter amount of time.

Joint Degrees

As an MPA/ID student, you can pursue a  joint degree —either an MBA at  Harvard Business School  or a JD at  Harvard Law School —that involves carefully crafted and integrated coursework.

Concurrent Degrees

You can pursue a concurrent degree in business, law, medicine, design, or another field—as long as it is:

• A professional degree (for example, an MBA, MD, or JD; not a PhD or an academic master’s degree)
• At least a two-year program
• Completed at a partner school

The concurrent degree program allows you to pursue degrees at HKS and at a partner school; however, the coursework is not as closely integrated as the joint degree program. As a concurrent degree student, you are responsible for weaving together the two halves of your learning experience.

Faculty & Research

Where ideas meet practice.

Our faculty members are changing the ways in which poverty and underdevelopment are analyzed and approached.

MPA/ID faculty members are scholars  and  practitioners working with governments, international organizations, and NGOs. They are  diagnosing economic woes and helping develop cures , bringing  real-world development and political experience  to bear on complex challenges, and helping people  escape poverty  by understanding what hinders development progress.

MPA/ID Faculty Research

Why taxes are vital to development

Economist Anders Jensen has long been intrigued by differences in state capacity and the role of public finance in building and boosting capacity. 

Looking at the world through a wider lens

The thread running through Professor of Public Policy Eliana La Ferrara’s work is an unwillingness to limit herself to traditional microeconomic models.

Diagnosing economic woes and helping develop cures

Professor Ricardo Hausmann’s Growth Lab is training students and practitioners to develop prescriptions for economic growth.

Bringing real-world experience to bear

Juan Jimenez MPA/ID 2010 has returned to HKS to share valuable wisdom gained from high-level development policy positions in the government of the Dominican Republic.

MPA/ID Core Faculty Members

Dani Rodrik

MPA/ID Faculty Chair; Ford Foundation Professor of International Political Economy

Matthew Andrews

Edward S. Mason Senior Lecturer in International Development

Arthur Applbaum

Adams Professor of Political Leadership and Democratic Values

Luis Armona

Assistant Professor of Public Policy

Jeffrey Frankel

James W. Harpel Professor of Capital Formation and Growth

Jeffrey Cheah Professor of South-East Asia Studies

Ricardo Hausmann

Rafik Hariri Professor of the Practice of International Political Economy

Anders Jensen

Associate Professor of Public Policy

Juan Jimenez

Lecturer in Public Policy

Asim Khwaja

Director, Center for International Development;  Sumitomo-FASID Professor of International Finance and Development

Eliana La Ferrara

Professor of Public Policy

Senior Lecturer in Public Policy

Celestin Monga

Adjunct Professor of Public Policy

Gautam Nair

Carmen Reinhart

Minos A. Zombanakis Professor of the International Financial System

Federico Sturzenegger

Our alumni do development differently

Around the world, MPA/ID graduates are in pivotal roles, leading development.

Inside governments and traditional development organizations, and outside the box in startups and social enterprises, MPA/IDs are changing the way development is done.

Our graduates hold influential policy and management positions in a wide range of international organizations, national governments, central and regional banks, nonprofit and research organizations, and private sector companies. 

Where do MPA/ID graduates work?

Learn more about how MPA/ID alumni are shaping development.

Dalia Al Kadi MPA/ID 2011

Dalia Al Kadi MPA/ID 2011 is a Senior Economist in the Macroeconomics, Trade and Investment Global Practice at the World Bank in Washington, D.C. Prior to joining the World Bank, Dalia worked as a Project Manager at the Abu Dhabi General Secretariat of the Executive Council.

Abdulhamid Haidar MPA/ID 2021

Abdulhamid Haidar MPA/ID 2021 is the founder of  Darsel , a non-profit aimed at bridging the digital divide. In Haidar’s words, “The [MPA/ID] curriculum, faculty, and incredible student community all played an integral role in Darsel’s development and its positive impact on education in developing countries.”

Katherine Koh MPA/ID-MBA 2008

Katherine Koh MPA/ID-MBA 2008 is the Principal Investment Officer and Global Climate Lead for Infrastructure at the International Finance Corporation (IFC).  In  Putting Climate at the Heart of IFC Infrastructure Business , she describes “the transition to a low-carbon and resilient global economy—and the need for climate-smart infrastructure solutions—(as) among the most urgent and important issues of our time.”

Johannes Lohmann MPA/ID 2017

Johannes Lohmann MPA/ID 2017 is an Executive Director at Pollination.  Johannes advises a range of public and private sector clients on their transition to net zero, and on decarbonization and nature positive strategies. Previously, Johannes worked as Head of Work and Financial Behaviour at the Behavioural Insights Team, advising public and private sector partners on topics such as green jobs and sustainable pensions.

He “Charlie” Tian MPA/ID 2015

He “Charlie” Tian MPA/ID 2015 is a Senior Professional/Project Team Leader at New Development Bank in the Project Sector Department. He joined the New Development Bank a few weeks after its establishment in 2015. Since then, he has worked on projects in renewable energy, green transportation, and social infrastructure, totaling $5 billion of the Bank’s investments.

Information sessions

Mpa/id at a glance.

*Statistics are based on a five-year average.

Featured MPA/ID stories

A mission to develop equality.

Economist Ganchimeg Ganpurev MPA/ID 2021 was moved to shift her focus by the startling inequality she saw in her homeland.

Complementing economics with soft skills

Isidro Guardarucci MPA/ID 2018 adds soft skills to his economics toolkit.

Delving deeper into development

A desire for more grounding in economic theory led Zainab Raji MPA/ID 2022 to  the HKS/HBS joint degree program.

“Every day is an opportunity to weave together economic theory and development practice using the insights from my professors and classmates’ own professional and personal experiences.”

Miguel ventura mpa/id 2024 (philippines), applying to the mpa/id program, what we look for, career focus.

Most students admitted to the MPA/ID Program have at least two years of development-related work experience in government, nonprofits, central or regional banks, international development institutions, research organizations, or private businesses. Usually at least some of the work has been in developing countries.

Quantitative Analysis

We also look for applicants who are interested in applying quantitative analysis and economics to development policy design.

Prerequisites

To apply to the MPA/ID Program, y ou must have:

• A bachelor’s degree with a solid academic record, including strong 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 an application as long as they are completed before the program starts. Statistics and linear algebra courses are desirable, but not required. 

How to Apply

A complete application to the MPA/ID Program includes: 

• Online application
• Three letters of recommendation
• GRE or GMAT required; 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.
• Non-native English speakers who did not earn an undergraduate degree conducted in English must submit TOEFL, IELTS, or Cambridge English exam results. We recommend an overall TOEFL score of at least 100 on the iBT or an overall band score of 7 on the IELTS.
• Academic transcripts
• $100 application fee or waiver

Read more about how to apply .

The application for the 2025-2026 academic year will be available in September 2024. There is one admission application deadline and one start date for each degree program per year. You may apply to only one master’s degree program per admissions cycle. 

Tuition & Fees

The cost of attendance for the 2024-2025 academic year is outlined in  Funding Your Master’s Education  to help you plan financially for our master’s degree programs. Living expense costs are based on residence in Cambridge. The 2025-2026 academic year rates will be published in March 2025. HKS tuition and fees are subject to change without notice. 

Financing your education is a partnership—we are here to help guide you. You are strongly encouraged to explore all funding opportunities .

Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program

The MPA/ID Program is a  participating program  of the  Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program  (JJ/WBGSP). The scholarship provides tuition, a monthly living stipend, round-trip airfare, health insurance, and travel allowance. The JJ/WBGSP is open to citizens of certain  developing countries  with relevant professional experience and a history of supporting their countries’ development efforts.

Learn more about the HKS community

Center for international development (cid).

CID is the intellectual home of MPA/ID students and faculty members. It seeks to advance the understanding of development challenges and offer viable solutions to problems of global poverty.  Learn more from its director, Professor Asim Khwaja , and read about the work and perspectives of those in the CID community.

Student Life

Student stories, admissions & financial aid blog.

Business Economics

Jointly administered by HBS and the Department of Economics in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, students in the program are both economics and business school students, receiving the benefits of a PhD from Harvard’s world-class Economics Department along with specialized access to HBS faculty and resources.  The program combines theoretical analysis with in-depth, interdisciplinary research rooted in real-world applications.

Liya Haefner

Liya Haefner is a PhD candidate in political theory in the Harvard Department of Government. Her research interests include the history of modern political thought, early American political thought, and the politics of historical memory, forgiveness, and forgetting. Liya received a B.A. in Political Science and Economics at the University of California, Berkeley.

Contact [email protected]

1737 Cambridge Street

Subfields Political Thought and its History

Academic Interests Ancient and Medieval Political Thought | Modern and Contemporary Political Thought

Research Methods Historical Methods | Normative Political Thought

Entrepreneurship

New PhD course focuses on intersection of climate economics, sustainability

Rising to a critical need for more research and leadership in climate finance, Berkeley Haas has joined a group of top universities worldwide in offering an innovative online PhD course focused on the intersection of climate economics and sustainability.

Professors Adair Morse and Panos Patatoukas , co-faculty directors of the Sustainable & Impact Finance Initiative (SAIF) at Haas , have signed on to teach the online class called “Financial Economics of Climate and Sustainability.” 

Ten schools, including Stanford, Harvard, Yale, Columbia, and Oxford, are now offering the global doctoral course for free to their PhD students. Nearly 1,000 students from 127 schools across 30 different countries are participating in the 10-week course.

The goal is to inspire a new generation of climate leaders to embark on new research that leads to innovative ways of thinking about climate finance, Patatoukas said. “Our job as instructors will be to give them the tools and the frameworks and provide ways for them to start asking interesting questions,” he said. “Overall, it’s a really good time to more formally train our students in this space. It’s rapidly evolving, it’s messy, it’s not perfect, but that makes it interesting and exciting and an area of growth that is full of opportunities.”

The course will help create change in two areas. First, it encourages students to work outside of their academic silos and come together to share ideas. “Sometimes, in a business school, we’re thinking about these problems in isolation, but this is definitely a field where everybody has to work with each other to come up with better solutions,” Patatoukas said. Second, the course will encourage students to publish cutting-edge research. “We feel like our students will have an easier time getting published in an area that is so impactful and new where basic questions remain open,” he said. 

Each week, professors from different institutions will teach topics including climate, sustainability, and economic theory; corporate carbon disclosure; introduction to climate science; climate and asset pricing; and climate and investment management. All students enrolled in the course for credit will be required to submit an idea for a research project or a plan to review a set of sustainability papers from outside of the course by the last class.

“The timing is perfect for this course,” Patatoukas said. “Because as consensus has grown worldwide over the climate crisis, a transition to net zero isn’t happening fast enough.”

That’s where mobilizing massive amounts of capital to fight climate change comes into play.  An estimated $4 trillion to $5 trillion a year in resources will need to be financed and distributed to address climate global needs, said Terhilda Garrido , interim executive director of SAIF. “Only a fraction will be provided by governments,” she said. “This course addresses our need to mobilize innovative climate finance quickly, train leaders in finance, and learn from each other, globally. Climate is a global issue requiring global collaboration.”

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