Just this week, HBS announced the approval of a new joint degree program to be offered by the Business School and the Kennedy School of Government. This new three-year program will enable students to earn an MBA in conjunction with either a Masters in Public Policy or a Masters in Public Administration-International Development. The school reports that the aim of the program is to provide practical training to individuals who must operate in both corporate policy and public affairs; HBS Dean Jay Light explains, “from tax policies and trade agreements to a wide range of laws and regulations, the interaction between business and government for the greater good of society has never been more important,.”
While the two schools had already offered a concurrent degree program, the new joint degree program seems much more structured and integrated than the previous option. As is the case with joint and dual degrees at many business school, the first two years of the program will primarily focus on core curricula from the two programs, with the third year spent completing electives from both programs. Features that make this program unique, meanwhile, include a joint degree seminar with faculty from both schools, a practical capstone project in the third year, and two summer internships. After their first year, students will work in a position focused on public service or policy, and obtain an internship at a nonprofit or in the private sector in the summer after their second year.
It seems that the program is particularly timely now, as we see global leaders increasingly required to facilitate the interaction between the public and private sectors. Among other hot topics, Harvard cites natural catastrophes and national security issues as being particularly relevant to this kind of public/private interaction and part of the motivation behind the program’s design.
On the timing of Harvard’s announcement, the program will begin enrolling students in Fall of 2008, giving prospective MBA students who have an interest in the public sector plenty of time to reflect on their goals and consider this option.
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