Your Harvard MBA application includes the items excellent grades, a high GMAT score, a ton of extracurricular activities, and work experience. Is that all it takes to be accepted into Harvard Business School’s highly coveted MBA program? What are the prerequisites for Harvard if not? Let’s look into it!
This distinction is constantly held by Harvard Business School (HBS), the world’s best business school. The Harvard MBA is among the best management programs in the world, which shouldn’t come as a surprise. As a result, applying to Harvard Business School is a very difficult yet worthwhile process.
Because of its demanding admission standards, superb teaching standards, highly trained staff, and remarkable list of graduates, the Harvard Business School MBA is considered as one of the most rewarding management degrees. Also, the Harvard MBA continues to advance as a result of the massive endowment it routinely gets ($3,800,000,000 and expanding). HBS alums work for prestigious companies in high-level positions.
Rankings for Harvard MBA
Harvard Business School’s MBA program is placed third in the 2022 Financial Times Rankings.
The institute’s MBA specialization rankings, as reported by the QS Global 200 Business Schools Report, are as follows:
| 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
The two-year, full-time Harvard MBA program has four semesters in total, with the first and second years each having a fall and spring semester. The HBS Required Curriculum’s basic courses and the FIELD Global Immersion course must be completed by all Harvard MBA students over the first two semesters.
Also, HBS MBA students have the chance to learn about various professions thanks to an elective curriculum that allows them to choose 5 courses from a total of 120 alternatives each semester. Students can cross-register for courses in specific graduate programs in addition to selecting any number of courses.
Harvard MBA Program: Courses
All MBA candidates at Harvard Business School follow the same core curriculum during their first year of study. Among the core courses that must be taken in the first year are Business, Government, and the International Economy (BGIE), The Entrepreneurial Manager (TEM), Strategy (STRAT), Leadership and Corporate Accountability (LCA), Finance 2 (FIN2), and Field Immersion.
During their second year, students may add up to five elective courses in any order. Students have the option to enroll in immersive field courses their second year (IFC).
In order to offer a variety of combined degree programs, the business school works in collaboration with six of Harvard University’s graduate schools. About 100 students pursue combined degrees yearly. The business schools and combined degrees are as follows:
| 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 cut-off mentioned Although 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, although Harvard Business School does not have a minimum test score requirement. |
| English Proficiency Waiver | Students who obtained their undergraduate or graduate degrees from an institution where English is the only language of instruction are exempt from the ELP requirements. |
| 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 MonthsStudents who have at least two years of prior full-time work experience are eligible for the HBS MBA Program.Students have had opportunity during their work experience to hone their leadership and professional skills. Usually, this entails doing a full-time job that calls for an undergraduate degree (35 hours or more per week). Working in the military or armed forces prior to starting college may qualify as professional experience.Candidates should concentrate on the roles, responsibilities, and lessons they have gained from the different sorts of work experiences they have engaged in rather than focusing on specific categories of work experiences.You can list any internships, co-ops, or other employment you had while in school on your application, but usually these experiences won’t be taken into account. |
| Other eligibility criteria | It is recommended to submit one of the ELP tests, but it is not required |
| Conditional Offer | Not mentioned |
Harvard Business School’s MBA tuition
We calculate the annual cost of attendance at Harvard Business School using a nine-month academic year and an average student standard of living. Just two examples of the direct and indirect expenditures related to attendance are tuition and fees (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/mo) | LIVING EXPENSES (9 MONTHS) |
| $16,540 | ($1,838/mo) |
| 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 preference 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.