HARVARD KENNEDY SCHOOL

t 617-495-1161

CAREER ADVANCEMENT

t 617-495-1161

t career_advancement@hks.harvard.edu

t www.hks.harvard.edu/career

Introduction

OFFICE OF CAREER ADVANCEMENT

t career_advancement@hks.harvard.edu

t www.hks.harvard.edu/career

This Employment Overview report reflects the diverse employment choices of Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) alumni who
graduated in May 2014. The overview is just a snapshot, not
a definitive reflection, of the many different career journeys
of HKS graduates and the professional paths they choose to
help serve the public good around the world.
Data reflected in the overview was collected from March to
October 2014. The HKS Office of Career Advancement (OCA)
used a variety of data collection techniques, including an
exit and follow-up survey in September as well as individual
email inquiries. By the end of October, 88 percent of 2014
graduates responded to the OCA survey.

Class of 2014 Highlights

554

2014 EMPLOYMENT
OVERVIEW

total graduates

The class reported employment in 56

countries, and in 26 U.S. states and
Washington, DC.

55 hired by 24 U.S.
departments and
agencies
The U.S. federal government remained
top employer of HKS graduates. The
World Bank Group was the top employer
in international development, engaging 17 graduates. Strategy consulting
continued to be a draw for graduates,
with McKinsey & Company and Boston
Consulting Group hiring 28 graduates for
positions in seven countries.

1 White
House
Fellow

An MPA graduate is one of six HKS alumni

currently serving as White House Fellows.

U.S. Presidential
Management Fellows
Program finalists
Six accepted PMF positions.

2% Rise in Public Sector

and NGO/Nonprofit
Employment

94%
settled

Graduates reported they were either employed, running for office, or continuing
their education by the end of October.*

83%

Employers engaged just one

graduate
This highlights HKS graduates diverse
interests and career trajectories.

* 88% of 2014 graduates responded to the OCA survey.

There was an additional 2 percent jump

in unspecific sector employment,
including graduates launching new ventures not yet associated with a sector.
4/15

PAGE 2

HARVARD KENNEDY SCHOOL

CAREER ADVANCEMENT

t 617-495-1161

t career_advancement@hks.harvard.edu

HARVARD KENNEDY SCHOOL

t www.hks.harvard.edu/career

CAREER ADVANCEMENT

t 617-495-1161

t career_advancement@hks.harvard.edu

t www.hks.harvard.edu/career

Class of 2014

20052014 Employment
Sector Comparison
Over the past 10 years, the breakdown of employment sectors among our graduates has remained
fairly consistenttwo-thirds take on positions in
the public or nonprofit sectors immediately following graduation. The adjacent bar graph illustrates a
noticeable increase in 2009 in the NGO and public
sector, following the financial crisis and the 2008
U.S. presidential election.

Employment Sector Comparison

NGOs/Nonprofits
Private
IGOs/Public

Unspecified
Private

2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005*

20

40

60

80

100

* Data collected annually by October, with the exception of 2005; data was collected in August.

Of the some 50 industry areas reported by the Class

of 2014, the Office of Career Advancements survey
reflected that graduates top job focus areas were in
finance or public finance, international development,
education, health, public administration, security,
policy and research, and diplomacy.

Energy and Environment

International Development
International Security
Public Affairs/Politics/Communication
Public Finance
Social Policy
Urban Economic Development

Employment sector comparison between U.S. citizens and

international students over the past five years.
NGOs/Nonprofits
Private

36%
47%

International
0

20

40

Private

2014

31%

17%
60

31%
5%
100

80

3%

36%

U.S.
International
0

26%
42%

20

2013

35%

18%

40

39%

60

1%
100

80

2%

33%

U.S.

27%
48%

International
20

40

2012

38%
19%

60

30%
3%
100

80

5%

34%

U.S.

26%

45%

International
20

2011

35%

18%

40

33%

60

National/Federal
Government 27%

Private Sector 31%

State/Provincial
Government 4%
Local/Regional
Government 3%
IGOs 7%

NGOs and Nonprofits

24%

Reported Salaries
Annual median salary for U.S.-based employment

SECTOR

mpp

mpa/id

mpa

mc/mpa

Public/National $54,000

n/a

n/a $110,000

Public/State $62,500

n/a

n/a $96,000

Public/Local $74,050 n/a n/a

Unspecified 2%

30%

Unspecified 4%

OCA identified policy areas that broadly reflect the

career interests of HKS students. Graduates reported
they are employed in the following policy areas:

Employment Sector and Citizenship

U.S. IGOs/Public

Employment Sector

80

Joint and Concurrent

Degrees
The two-year MPP, MPA/ID, or MPA programs also
provide a joint or concurrent track for HKS students
to earn a second graduate degreean MBA, MD,
or JD, for examplefrom a professional school
either at Harvard or at a partner academic institution.
Nearly half of MPA students are enrolled in a concurrent degree program. Alumni surveys show our
combined degree graduates often enter the private
sector immediately following HKS but later move
between sectors throughout their careers.

Public/igo

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a $96,000*

Nonprofit/ngo $60,000 $60,000 $68,500* $80,000

Private

$110,000

$135,000

$135,000

$170,000*

Based on 192 reports, including concurrent or joint degree graduates

n/a: fewer than three reports
*Five reports or fewer

5%
100
1%

36%

U.S.

29%
50%

International
0

20

40

33%

18%
60

2010

30%
80

1%
100

PAGE 4

HARVARD KENNEDY SCHOOL

Class of

2014

IGOs and Public Sector

City of Atlanta
City of Boston
City of Buenos Aires
City of Cambridge

students

53

international

City of Los Angeles

National/Federal
Government 24%

Private Sector 32%

NGOs and Nonprofits

30%

NGOs/Nonprofits
Private
IGOs/Public

Unspecified
Private

2014
2013
2012
2011
2010

Bridgewater Associates*

Memunatu Magazine

Cohen Group

Commonwealth of
Massachusetts

World Bank

Mercy Corps

Compass Partners LLC

Neighborhoods, Inc.

Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP*

New Teacher Project

Deloitte Consulting LLP

Edelman

Avaaz

New York Presbyterian Hospital

Columbia University Medical
Center*

Bill Wilson Center

Oxfam America

Government of Singapore

Brigham and Womens Hospital*

Princeton University

GE Capital Energy Financial

Services*

Government of the United

Kingdom

California Charter Schools

Association

Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi

Foundation for Policy Research

Google

Port Authority of New York

and New Jersey

Center for a New American

Security

Social Finance

State of Minnesota

Center for Policy Studies

Stimson Center for Global

Security

Center on Budget and Policy

Priorities

Success Academy Charter

Schools

McKinsey & Company

State of Tennessee

Committee for a Responsible

Federal Budget

Teach for America

Nepal Republic Media

Third Sector Capital Partners

Next Street

Corporation for Enterprise Development

University of Michigan Health

System*

PatientPing*

Crime and Justice Institute (Community Resources for Justice)

Vera Institute of Justice*

PVH

Weill Cornell Medical College

Roland Berger Strategy

Consultants

U.S. Department of Energy

U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services

U.S. Department of State

U.S. District Court for the
Northern District of Ohio*

MPP Employment Sector Comparison

Boston Consulting Group

U.S. Treasury

U.S. Department of Homeland

Security*

IGOs 2%

Booz Allen Hamilton

City of New York

U.S. Air Force

Local/Regional
Government 5%

Massachusetts General Hospital*

Bloomberg New Energy Finance

U.S. Senate

State of Virginia*
State/Provincial
Government 5%

Living Goods

Bessemer Venture Partners*

CALIBRE Systems

Government of the Republic

of Korea

Unspecified 2%

U.S. Office of the United States

Trade Representative

LEAD Mercator Capacity Building Center for Leadership and

Advocacy

Massachusetts Budget and

Policy Center

Government of Mexico

Employment Sector for MPP Class of 2014

U.S. Office of Management and

Budget

City of Chicago

Government of Japan

18 MBA 1 Design
13 Law 1 Divinity
6 MD

U.S. Navy

U.S. Overseas Private Investment Corporation

Government of China

Joint or Concurrent
Degrees

Twenty-five percent of the Class of 2014 was international, representing 24 countries, and 19 percent
pursued either joint or concurrent degrees. Graduates reported their top job focus areas were in
health, education, finance or public finance, security, law, energy, diplomacy, and policy or research.

t www.hks.harvard.edu/career

See a five-year sampling of employment

208

The two-year MPP Program prepares students to

understand complex policy problems and craft concrete solutions. The core curriculum is the defining
feature of the program, where students study policy
analysis, economics, management and leadership,
empirical analysis, negotiation, ethics, and politics.
Through courses, exercises, and fieldwork, students
master a conceptual tool kit that draws on the social sciences but is adapted for action.

t career_advancement@hks.harvard.edu

Employers of 2014 MPP Graduates

MPP

Master in
Public Policy

t 617-495-1161

CAREER ADVANCEMENT

U.S. District Court for the

Southern District of Texas*
U.S. Federal Bureau of
Investigation
U.S. Federal Communications
Commission
U.S. General Services
Administration

NGOs and Nonprofits

AchieveMission

Democratic National Committee

Equal Justice Initiative of Alabama*
FSG Social Impact Advisors
Harvard University
The Health Trust

Workforce Development
Corporation

Advisory Board Company

Airbnb

IDEA Public Schools

ARKK FZC

ideas42

Artimus Construction
Aurora Healthcare Research
Institute
BC Partners*

2009

U.S. Marine Corps

2008

U.S. Military Academy

International Rescue Committee

Facebook
Freedman Consulting

HSBC
IDP
McGraw Hill Financial
Mulesoft, Inc.

Promontory Financial Group

Rothschild
ShoutAbout, Inc.

Private Sector

The Hospital of the University of

Pennsylvania*

Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy

Castlight Health*

Arborbridge

Sidley Austin LLP*

Sonosky, Chambers, Sachse,
Endreson and Perry LLP*
Standard & Poors
Strategy&
UPD Consulting
Wood Mackenzie
Xylem*

2007
2006
2005*
annually by October,
in August.
0* Data collected20
40 with the exception
60 of 2005; data
80 was collected
100

* hired a joint or concurrent degree graduate

hired multiple graduates, some who earned joint
or concurrent degrees

PAGE 6

HARVARD KENNEDY SCHOOL

t 617-495-1161

CAREER ADVANCEMENT

Class of

2014

t career_advancement@hks.harvard.edu

Employers of 2014 MPA/ID Graduates

See a five-year sampling of employment

MPA/ID

64

IGOs and Public Sector

Federal Reserve Bank of New
York
Government of Andhra Pradesh,
India

students

NGOs and Nonprofits

Private Sector

Center for Clean Air Policy

APOYO Consultora

Consejo Privado de Competitividad

Babson Capital

EarthEnable

Boston Consulting Group

Bright Vision Consulting

Government of Ecuador

Families First

Government of the Hong Kong

SAR

Covington & Burling LLP*

Harvard University

Credit Suisse*

ideas42

DaVita Healthcare Partners*

IDinsight

EagerSquare

London School of Economics

Goldman Sachs

Save the Children

Google*

Harvard Capital Ventures, LLC

39

Government of Indonesia

international

Government of Peru

Government of Japan
Government of Vietnam

Joint or Concurrent
Degrees

International Finance Corporation

10 MBA
1 Law

U.S. Navy

Mathematica Policy Research

UNICEF

McKinsey & Company

World Bank

SANY Heavy Industry

Master in Public
Administration/

Infusive

Employment Sector for MPA/ID Class of 2014

Unspecified 5%
National/Federal
Government 19%

Private Sector 40%

State/Provincial
Government 2%

International Development
The two-year MPA/ID Program is designed to
prepare the next generation of leaders in international development. It is an economics-centered,
multidisciplinary program that combines rigorous
training in analytic and quantitative methods
with an emphasis on policy and practice. As part
of the multidisciplinary core curriculum, MPA/IDs
take microeconomics, macroeconomics, and
econometrics sequences.

t www.hks.harvard.edu/career

IGOs 9%

NGOs and Nonprofits

26%

MPA/ID Employment Sector Comparison

NGOs/Nonprofits
Private
IGOs/Public

Unspecified
Private

2014
2013
2012

Sixty-one percent of the Class of 2014 was international, representing 24 countries, and 17 percent
pursued either joint or concurrent degrees. Graduates reported their top job focus areas, within
the context of international development, were in
finance or public finance, community or economic
development, and policy or research.

2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005*
annually by October,
in August.
0* Data collected20
40 with the exception
60 of 2005; data
80 was collected
100

* hired a joint or concurrent degree graduate

hired multiple graduates, some who earned joint
or concurrent degrees

PAGE 8

HARVARD KENNEDY SCHOOL

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CAREER ADVANCEMENT

Class of

2014

See a five-year sampling of employment

83

IGOs and Public Sector

students

NGOs and Nonprofits

Alpha Public Schools

Amazon*

Government of Colombia

Fundacin IDEA / C230 Consultores

Apple*

Government of Japan
Government of Turkey

Harvard University

Bracewell & Giuliani LLP

U.S. Department of State*

Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services

Dalberg Global Development

Advisors*

Leuphana University of Lneburg

Deloitte Consulting

U.S. District Court for the District

of Maryland

Mass Insight Education*

international

UNICEF

Scholar Academies

University of Vermont

Third Way*

Concurrent Degrees

World Bank

Unitarian Universalist Service

Committee

33 MBA 1 Design
4 Law 1 Divinity

Fifty-one percent of the Class of 2014 was international, representing 24 countries, and 47 percent
pursued concurrent degrees, most often in business
or law with schools outside of Harvard University.
Graduates reported their top job focus areas were in
education, public administration, finance or public
finance, and health.

Private Sector

Government of Canada

U.S. Department of Veterans

Affairs*

42

The two-year MPA Program equips students who have

prior work experience and have taken graduate-level
courses with the skills, perspectives, and nuanced
understanding they need to be effective leaders in
the public, nonprofit, and private sectors. The curriculum is designed to be flexible, allowing students to
create study plans that reflect their academic,
personal, and professional interests.

t www.hks.harvard.edu/career

Employers of 2014 MPA Graduates

MPA

Master in Public
Administration

t career_advancement@hks.harvard.edu

Boston Consulting Group

Exane BNP Paribas

Google*
India Internet Group*
Intesa Sanpaolo
Long Wharf Real Estate Partners*
McKinsey & Company
Monitor Deloitte*
Pacific Alternative Asset Management Company*

Employment Sector for MPA Class of 2014

Unspecified 5%

Rocket Internet/EatFirst

National/Federal
Government 14%

Samsung*
Seratis*

Private Sector 54%

State/Provincial
Government 2%

IGOs 11%

Strategy&*
Travelclub Inc.
Uber Technologies*
ZS Associates*
Zynga Inc.*

NGOs and Nonprofits

14%

MPA Employment Sector Comparison

NGOs/Nonprofits
Private
IGOs/Public

Private

Unspecified
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005*

annually by October,
in August.
0* Data collected20
40 with the exception
60 of 2005; data
80 was collected
100

* hired a joint or concurrent degree graduate

hired multiple graduates, some who earned joint
or concurrent degrees

PAGE 10

HARVARD KENNEDY SCHOOL

Class of

2014

IGOs and Public Sector

CARICOM Secretariat

Government of Rwanda
Government of Sierra Leone

Ascend: Leadership Through

Athletics

ARS Humano, S.A.

Central American Bank for

Economic Integration

Government of Singapore

Asian Community Development

Corporation

Care.com

Government of the UAE

Center for Policy Alternatives

Government of the United

Kingdom

Charles Stark Draper Laboratory

Unspecified 4%
Private Sector 16%
National/Federal
Government 39%

NGOs and Nonprofits

22%

State/Provincial
Government 6%
IGOs 9%

Local/Regional
Government 3%

Cignifi
Deloitte Consulting
Entrepreneurship Policy Advisors

Education Divide Reform

Goldman Sachs

Education Pioneers

Harvard Capital Ventures

International Monetary Fund

EU-Russia Civil Society Forum

HSBC

Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat

Harvard University #

Inversiones RFM, Inc.

Pennsylvania State University

ideas42

JKL Group

Fulton County, Georgia

(United States)

U.S. Air Force

U.S. Army

Nippon Television Network

Corporation

Government of Bhutan

International Federation of
Red Cross and Red Crescent
Societies

U.S. Coast Guard

Government of Brazil

John A. Reisenbach Foundation

U.S. Department of State

Government of Cambodia

Lien Center for Social Innovation

Government of Canada

U.S. Federal Communications

Commission

National Democratic Institute

Government of Chile

U.S. Navy

Government of Denmark

U.S. Office of Naval Intelligence

Government of the Hong Kong

SAR

UNICEF

Government of Israel

University of Haifa

Government of Italy
Government of Japan

University of the Philippines

Los Baos

Government of Liberia

World Bank #

Federal Reserve Bank of Boston

Employment Sector for MC/MPA Class of 2014

Capstone Advisory Services

Crittenton Womens Union

European Securities and

Markets Authority

Edward S. Mason
Program Fellows

Fifty-nine percent of the Class of 2014 was international, representing 62 countries, and included
Edward S. Mason Program Fellows from developing,
newly industrialized, and transitional economy countries. Some 55 percent of MC/MPAs returned to their
pre-HKS employers, 75 percent of whom were public
servants primarily at the national or federal level.
Graduates reported that their top job focus areas,
often in international development, were in security,
public administration, education, finance or public
finance, energy, health, and diplomacy.

ACCS Consultores

European Bank for

Reconstruction and
Development

83

Private Sector

100 Resilient Cities

Commonwealth of
Massachusetts

international

NGOs and Nonprofits

African Union

City of New York

118

Government of the Philippines

Government of the Republic
of Korea

City of Curridabat, Costa Rica

students

The intensive one-year MC/MPA Program is designed

to increase the knowledge and skills of established,
high-performing professionals looking to take the
next step to enhance their public service careers or
transition from the private sector to leadership positions in the public or nonprofit sectors.

t www.hks.harvard.edu/career

See a five-year sampling of employment

199
Master in Public
Administration

t career_advancement@hks.harvard.edu

Employers of 2014 MC/MPA Graduates

MC/MPA

Mid-Career

t 617-495-1161

CAREER ADVANCEMENT

Government of Turkey
Inter-American Development
Bank

United Nations Population Fund

Rothschild
Sina Corp
Specto Consulting

National Trades Union Congress

Swedish Institute for Public

Administration

One Summit

Veracity Worldwide

Raising The Village

Webber Wentzel

Sammaan Foundation
Union Capital Boston
World Economic Forum
World Vision International

Government of Malaysia
Government of Nepal

MC/MPA Employment Sector Comparison

NGOs/Nonprofits
Private
IGOs/Public

Unspecified
Private

2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005*

annually by October,
in August.
0* Data collected20
40 with the exception
60 of 2005; data
80 was collected100

# hired multiple MC/MPA graduates

PAGE 12

HARVARD KENNEDY SCHOOL

CAREER ADVANCEMENT

617-495-1161

career_advancement@hks.harvard.edu

HARVARD KENNEDY SCHOOL

www.hks.harvard.edu/career

CAREER ADVANCEMENT

Employment Location

Employment Within the U.S.

Where Class of 2014 graduates are working around the world*

Where Class of 2014 graduates are working in the United States*

617-495-1161

career_advancement@hks.harvard.edu

www.hks.harvard.edu/career

Washington
2

Vermont

Minnesota
1

Norway

2
1

Canada
6

Belgium
2

United Kingdom

Denmark

9
Ukraine

Italy
7

Mexico

2
2

Iraq

Israel

Mali
1

Venezuela

Panama

Colombia

Guyana

Sierra Leone
Liberia

Nigeria

Japan

Afghanistan

1
1

Pakistan

Bhutan

Hong Kong SAR

1
1

Ethiopia

Cambodia

Sri Lanka

Singapore
3

Utah

Chile

California

Virginia

Maryland

73

Tennessee

Arizona

Washington DC

10
1

South
Carolina
Georgia

Texas

Fiji

KEY

Alabama

8+ employed
2 to 7

Number of 2014
graduates per country

Florida

Hawaii
* 144 graduates reported their employment location.

2
1
New Jersey
Delaware

2 to 7
South
Africa

Connecticut

Colorado

Washington

Pennsylvania
Ohio

Illinois

Indonesia

8+ employed

Vietnam

Malaysia

KEY

Argentina

Republic of Korea

Brazil

Peru

New York

25

India

Sudan

Rwanda
2

United Arab
Emirates

Nepal

15

China

Philippines
1

Ecuador

Kazakhstan

Dominican
Republic

Costa Rica

Armenia

Turkey

Massachusetts

Honduras

France
2

Michigan

Switzerland

(see U.S. map)

41

Wisconsin

Sweden

Germany
2

69

*264 graduates reported their U.S. employment location.

Number of 2014
graduates per state