Excellent grades, a high GMAT score, a tonne of extracurricular activities, and professional experience are all checked off your Harvard MBA checklist. Is that all it takes to get you accepted to the highly sought-after MBA program at Harvard Business School? If not, what are the requirements to get into Harvard? Let’s investigate!
The world’s top business school, Harvard Business School (HBS), consistently holds this title. It should come as no surprise that the Harvard MBA is one of the world’s top management programmes. Thus, getting accepted to Harvard Business School is a tremendously challenging but also rewarding endeavor.
A Harvard Business School MBA is regarded as one of the most rewarding management degrees because of its rigorous admission requirements, excellent teaching standards, highly qualified faculty, and impressive list of alumni. Add to that the fact that the Harvard MBA keeps improving thanks to the enormous endowment it consistently receives ($3,800,000,000 and growing). High-level positions are filled by HBS graduates at prestigious companies.
Rankings for Harvard MBA
According to the 2022 Financial Times Rankings, the MBA programme at Harvard Business School is ranked third.
The following are the institute’s specialization MBA rankings according to the QS Global 200 Business Schools Report:
| Specialization | Harvard MBA Ranking |
| Entrepreneurship | 1 |
| Corporate Social Responsibility | 1 |
| Leadership | 1 |
| Strategy | 1 |
| Operation Management | 2 |
| International Management | 2 |
| Information Management | 2 |
| Innovation | 3 |
| Marketing | 3 |
| Finance | 4 |
Harvard Business School MBA: Details
There are four semesters total in the two-year, full-time Harvard MBA programme: fall and spring for years one and two, respectively. All Harvard MBA students are required to take the foundational courses from the HBS Required Curriculum as well as the FIELD Global Immersion course during the first two semesters.
In addition, HBS MBA students have the opportunity to explore other fields through an elective curriculum that gives them the opportunity to select 5 subjects from a total of 120 options each semester. In addition to choosing any number of courses, students can cross-register for courses in particular graduate programmes.
Harvard MBA Program: Courses
In their first year of study, all MBA candidates at Harvard Business School adhere to the same core curriculum. Business, Government, and the International Economy (BGIE), The Entrepreneurial Manager (TEM), Strategy (STRAT), Leadership and Corporate Accountability (LCA), Finance 2 (FIN2), and Field Immersion are among the fundamental courses that must be taken in the first year.
Students may add up to five elective courses in any combination during their second year. In the second year, students may also take Immersive Field Courses (IFC).
The business school collaborates with six of Harvard University’s graduate schools to offer a variety of joint degree programmes. Each year, about 100 students pursue joint degrees. The following are the business schools and joint degrees:
| Graduate School | Harvard Joint Degree |
| Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences | MS/MBA in Biotechnology |
| Harvard Kennedy School | MBA/MPP (Master of Public Policy) MBA/MPA-ID (Master of Public Administration – International Development) |
| Harvard Law School | JD/MBA |
| Harvard Medical School | MD/MBA |
| Harvard School of Dental Medicine | DMD/MBA |
| Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences | MS/MBA |
Harvard Business School requirements for an MBA
| Qualification | Entry Criteria |
| 12th | No specific cutoff mentioned |
| Graduation | No specific cutoff mentionedThe applicant must have completed a four-year undergraduate degree program at an accredited institution in the United States, or its equivalent.International three-year bachelor’s degree programs count as equivalent degrees. |
| 3 year degree accepted | YesInternational three-year bachelor degree programs count as equivalent degree programs. |
| TOEFL | No specific cutoff mentionedAlthough there is no required minimum score for Harvard Business School, the MBA Admissions Board advises against applying if your TOEFL score is under 109. |
| GMAT | No specific cutoff mentioned |
| PTE | No specific cutoff mentionedAlthough there is no required minimum score for Harvard Business School, the MBA Admissions Board strongly advises against applying if your PTE score is less than 75. |
| IELTS | No specific cutoff mentionedThe MBA Admissions Board advises against applying if your IELTS score is less than 7.5, but Harvard Business School does not have a minimum test score requirement. |
| English Proficiency Waiver | ELP requirements are not applicable to students who earned their bachelor’s degree or any graduate degree from a university where English is the only language of instruction. |
| GRE | No specific cutoff mentioned |
| Duolingo | No specific cutoff mentionedAlthough there is no minimum test score required to apply to Harvard Business School, the MBA Admissions Board strongly discourages anyone with a Duolingo score of less than 130 from doing so. |
| Work Experience | Minimum: 24 Months Students who have at least two years of prior full-time work experience are eligible for the HBS MBA Program. Students have had opportunities during their work experience to hone their leadership and professional skills. Usually, this means working a full-time job that calls for an undergraduate degree (35 hours or more per week). Before attending college, work experience in the military or armed forces may count as professional experience. Candidates should concentrate on the roles, responsibilities, and lessons they learned from the different types of work experiences they were involved in rather than focusing on specific categories of work experiences. |
| Other eligibility criteria | It is advised but not necessary to submit one of the ELP tests. |
Harvard Business School’s MBA tuition
The annual cost of attending Harvard Business School is estimated using a nine-month academic calendar and a reasonable standard of living for students. Tuition and fees are just two examples of the direct and indirect costs associated with attendance (e.g., food and rent).
| Expense Type | Amount |
| TUITION | $73,440 |
| HUHS STUDENT HEALTH FEE (SHF) | $1,304 |
| STUDENT HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN (SHIP) | $4,080 |
| HUSHP FOR STUDENT SPOUSES/ DEPENDENTS | $0 |
| COURSE & PROGRAM MATERIALS FEE | $2,550 |
| ROOM & UTILITIES (9 MONTHS) | $14,850* |
| ($1,650/m) | LIVING EXPENSES (9 MONTHS) |
| $16,540 | ($1,838/m) |
| TOTAL | $112,764 |
| COMPUTER (VARIABLE; NOT INCLUDED IN ABOVE BUDGETS) | $1,500 |
Off-campus housing requires you to sign a 12-month lease, while student housing at HBS has a 9-month lease. If you choose to live off campus, you will be responsible for paying the extra 3 months’ worth of rent, indirect costs, and utilities.
Through scholarships, savings, and student loans, students can lower the cost of attending a Harvard Business School MBA program. You can submit applications for need-based scholarships, additional fellowships, outside scholarships, student loans, and third-party scholarships.
CONCLUSION
74% of the admitted applicants who submitted GMAT scores for their MBA from Harvard Business School were part of the class of 2024. It is suggested that the GMAT score is better suited for your MBA application, even though Harvard doesn’t specify a minimum required GMAT or GRE score or a necessitate for either of the exams.
You should aim for a GMAT score at least 20 points higher than Harvard Business School’s average GMAT score of 730 if you want to increase your chances of being accepted into an MBA program there. Consider retaking the GMAT if your previous attempt yielded a score below 700.
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