HKS MPA2 Academic Prerequisite

[Ken528]

Hi, everyone.

I have a query on academic prerequisite of HKS MPA2 program. According to HKS homepage, applicants are required to have substantial graduate-level coursework similar to core MPP courses. 

 

Situation:

WRT this requirement, I did not take lectures in graduate schools; but, I passed the Higher Civil Services Exam, which consists of several subjects including micro/macro/international economics, and international politics, and the exam needs graduate-level understanding on each subject. As wiki says, it's really challenging exam, and my recommenders, including Former Minister of Finance of Korea, will guarantee the authority and the level of difficulty of it. Plus, I was runner-up at the moot court competition, held by Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Korea; since most participants were graduate students, I think that it would also prove my capability.

WRT working experience, I worked as a policy consultant for Myanmar government with OECD; and currently, as a deputy director at the Ministry of Finance, I developed and implemented industrial and corporate restructuring plan of Korea, including establishment of a $4bn bailout program for global largest shipbuilder. I'm wondering whether the HKS committee consider these experiences indication of graduate-level understanding on economics, international politics, and relative laws.

 

Question:

Does anyone know whether my case can be regarded to qualify the academic prerequisite of HKS MPA2? 

 

I hope to get valuable advice, opinion, or knowledge from you. Good luck to all!

[Damis]

Hey. I'll also be applying for this program next year (joint MBA hopefully). I'm going to eventually give them admissions a call after the admissions deadline passes to get a bit of clarity, but I would also encourage you to take a look at this site which details a bit of what they're looking for. 

I wonder if these courses have always been a requirement? I've been researching programs for a while and don't remember seeing this before.  

I would also encourage you to not conflate work experience with, what seems to be, an emphasis on the acquisition of a purely academic background before entering the program. 

Edited November 23, 2016 by Damis

[Kaneisha]

Hi @Ken528 and @Damis,

As Damis mentioned, after this year's deadline, you should email (I always recommend emailing over calling so that you have a written record of what you were told) HKS Admissions to get a definitive answer on your eligibility. Clearly spell out how many/which graduate-level courses you have completed and how many years of full-time professional work experience you will have at time of your application.

Currently, the MPA2 requires that you have 3 years full-time work experience at time of application and 4 qualifying graduate-level courses. Ken, from your post, it sounds like you're hoping to sub in the Higher Civil Services exam for those 4 courses. In my opinion, this will not meet the qualification. It was unclear from your post how many years of full-time professional work experience you will have when you apply, but there isn't much (if any) flexibility there either.

Damis: the course and work experience eligibility has been around for at least 3 years, as I've been working with clients to apply to the MPA2 for the last 6 (and also was an MPA2 myself).

Best of luck to both of you!

Kaneisha

 

[Damis]

Thank you Kaneisha! One question. How did you fulfill the graduate coursework requirement? Did you simply take grad level coursework after the fact or did you fulfill it during your undergrad?

[Kaneisha]

@Damis you are welcome! I applied back when you could still do the Harvard MPA/MBA, so once I was admitted to HBS, I simply made a call and asked to be switched over to the MPA2. Note that when I first called, someone told me "You can't do that," which I knew was incorrect, so I just called again and spoke to someone else. These strange things happen occasionally in large, busy institutions, which is why I always suggest sending in questions and requests in writing and to the actual decision-maker.

I suggest folks fulfill the requirement by taking graduate-level courses at a reputable university (does not have to be super-prestigious; just nationally accredited and not a for-profit school). Make sure you take the type of courses that HKS lists. Don't just take courses that "sound" like what HKS would want you to take. Refer to that same link we both linked to. Since you're applying to Wharton, Tuck, Stanford, and/or MIT, at the same time as you're applying to HKS, you simply apply directly to the MPA2.

[Damis]

Thanks so much! Look forward to working with you in the near future. 

[Kaneisha]

@Damis I would love that!