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Events and Opportunities

Virtual events | on-campus events | additional opportunities |  recorded events, virtual events.

We invite you to join us for a virtual event. We offer virtual office hours and information sessions that cover the DrPH, MHCM, SM, and MPH degree programs. The Ph.D. programs are not covered in detail during these sessions. If you are interested in the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) programs, please visit the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Admissions Office site and we encourage you to set up a time to speak with the respective Ph.D. program.

Attendees will have an opportunity to learn about Harvard Chan School’s degree programs and the application process.

The PhD programs are not covered in detail during these sessions. If you are interested in the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programs, please visit the  Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Admissions Office site  and we encourage you to set up a time to speak with the respective  PhD program.

• Monday, April 8, 2024, 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada). Click here to register!
• Tuesday, May 14, 2024, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada). Click here to register!
• Wednesday, June 12, 2024, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada).  Click here to register!
• Tuesday, July 30, 2024, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada).  Click here to register!
• Thursday, August 22, 2024, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada).  Click here to register!
• Monday, September 16, 2024, 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada).  Click here to register!

Virtual Admissions Office Hours: Please complete this form to join . Once the form is submitted, you will receive a link to join the virtual office hour.

Participants must display their first and last name upon entering the waiting room.

Questions? Please join us for Admissions Office Hours to speak briefly with a member of the Admissions team. The waiting room will be enabled to facilitate one-on-one conversation regarding our master’s and DrPH programs. For any questions related to the PhD programs, please contact Harvard Griffin GSAS Admissions . These virtual office hours are for prospective students interested in programs beginning 2025 or later: 

• April 4th, 2024 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. (EDT)
• April 11th, 2024 from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. (EDT)
• April 18th, 2024 from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (EDT)
• April 25th, 2024 from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. (EDT)
• May 2nd, 2024 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. (EDT)
• May 9th, 2024 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. (EDT)
• May 16th, 2024 from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. (EDT)
• May 20th, 2024 from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. (EDT)
• May 30th, 2024 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. (EDT)
• June 6th, 2024 from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. (EDT)
• June 13th, 2024 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. (EDT)
• June 20th, 2024 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. (EDT)
• June 27th, 2024 from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. (EDT)

NEW! - Chat with Current Students

Please complete this form to join . Once the form is submitted, you will receive a link to join the chat:

• Please check back for upcoming sessions!

More opportunities to chat with current students:

Join the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Fellows from The Office of Diversity and Inclusion as they host drop-in hours for prospective students. No appointments necessary! Please feel free to join the conversation to learn more about the application process, summer research programs and the culture of the school. Drop-in hours are designed for prospective students to ask any questions about the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Tuesday April 2, 6 – 7pm

Register Here: https://harvard.zoom.us/meeting/register/ tJYtf-GuqjkoHdJOxKrBysEGhi8ye6F2Kqi5  

Wednesday April 17, 6 – 7pm

Register Here: https://harvard.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwqdO6gqzsjE9Cjhfqawjvp3MWNh0VkhpnR

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On-campus Events

Attendees will have an opportunity to learn about Harvard Chan School’s degree programs and the application process. A brief tour will be included as part of this information session.

Special Accommodations:   Harvard University welcomes individuals with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you would like to request accommodations or have questions about the physical access provided, please contact  [email protected]  in advance of your visit. Please note that the school will make every effort to secure services, but that services are subject to availability.

Click here to register for one of the following upcoming information sessions:

• Monday, April 22 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time
• Monday, May 6 at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time
• Friday, June 7 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time
• Tuesday, July 9 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time

Interested in visiting the Harvard Chan School in person? Join a current MPH or SM student for a tour of the Harvard Chan School to see our facilities and learn more about the graduate student experience. Tours last around 45 minutes.

Click  here to register for one of the following upcoming tours:

• Please note that all sessions are in Eastern Time:

Additional Opportunities

Recorded events.

Please view select recordings from our Fall Virtual Visit Week for Prospective Students on our Recorded Webinars page

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9 Things to See On Your Campus Visit to Harvard

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When you’re making your college list, it’s always a good idea to visit colleges in person if you’re able to do so. You can learn a lot about a college online and by speaking with students or alumni, but actually visiting campus can give you a much better idea of what it’s actually like to live, learn, and work there for four years of your life.

If you’re thinking about visiting Harvard University and possibly applying to the school, you’re not alone; the college is not only an educational powerhouse, but also a popular destination for visitors from around the world. Attending an information session and taking a guided tour through Harvard’s Office of Undergraduate Admissions is a good idea, but those activities may not tell you everything you want to know.

In this post, we’ll go over some options you may want to add to your agenda for your Harvard visit, both on campus and off. These sights and activities can give you a uniquely valuable perspective on whether Harvard is truly a good fit for your college plans.

Want to learn what Harvard University will actually cost you based on your income? And how long your application to the school should take?  Here’s what every student considering Harvard University needs to know.

A Brief Introduction to Harvard

As we describe in greater detail in our Ultimate Guide to Applying to Harvard , Harvard University is possibly the most recognizable institution of higher learning in this country, and is widely know as an exceptionally prestigious and accomplished school. It also holds the title of the oldest university in the United States, so it’s been a fixture of the American educational scene for a very long time.

Harvard’s main campus is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, just across the river from the city of Boston. Most of its undergraduate facilities and resources are nestled into this campus, which is both a historically significant site and a center of cutting-edge resources. Its ornate architecture is reminiscent of the venerable colleges of England, or, as some recent students have noticed, of J. K. Rowling’s Hogwarts.

As you would imagine, such a well-known and well-regarded school receives a huge number of applicants — nearly 40,000 per year in recent years. Consequently, its admissions rate is very low, and currently hovers around 5%. Still, many students dream of heading to Harvard after high school, and some number of them eventually will become students there.

Since Harvard is such a popular choice among college applicants, we’ve covered issues specific to the Harvard application process several times before on the CollegeVine blog .

In addition to our Ultimate Guide to Applying to Harvard , you may be interested in the following posts:

• What Does It Take to Get Into Harvard?
• How to Write the Harvard University Application Essays 2016-17
• Harvard College Sample Essay 2016-2017
• The Harvard Interview: What It’s Like From a Harvard Student
• Should You Submit the Harvard Optional Supplement Essay?

Things to See on Campus

Before we begin our list of things to see on Harvard’s campus, it’s necessary to mention a few items about how Harvard responds to and accommodates visitors, including prospective applicants touring the school. While, as we’ve said, Harvard is itself a tourist destination, it’s also a functioning university and community that has a lot going on besides entertaining guests.

One factor to keep in mind when visiting Harvard is that many campus buildings aren’t open to the public. For example, Annenberg Hall, the ornate first-year dining hall, is among these private facilities. Harvard’s libraries, while fascinating, are also very strict in their admission policies, with even some visiting scholars having to jump through hoops to get access. For some facilities, if you’re visiting with a current student, you can be admitted as a guest, but that isn’t true everywhere.

Another important reminder is that Harvard’s campus is a place where people live and work year-round, so as a visitor, you’ll need to be respectful of those who call the school home. In the past, students have complained of visitors blocking important pathways — a real hassle when you’re rushing to class — or even taking pictures through dorm windows. New policies posted on campus make the rules clear , but it’s mostly a matter of common sense.

Now that we’ve dispensed with the practical advice, here are a few things you may like to add to your agenda while you’re on Harvard’s campus.

Harvard Yard

It may seem like a bit of a cliché to start with Harvard Yard, as it’s arguably the most recognizable part of the Harvard campus. However, this area is genuinely important for you to see as a prospective applicant, not least because it’s the area in which all first-year students live. If you attend Harvard, you’ll spend a lot of time in Harvard Yard that year — there’s no way around it.

After the first year, Harvard’s students enter residential colleges that are scattered across the campus, but they still have plenty of reasons to go back to the Yard. Not only do student events take place there, but it’s a great place to kick back and read a book. It’s also centrally located, so walking through the Yard is often the most convenient way to get somewhere you need to be.

Allston Campus

Right across the Charles River from Harvard Square, you’ll find Allston, a neighborhood that’s technically part of Boston. This area has long had a Harvard presence — it’s the location of the Harvard Business School campus, as well as Harvard’s stadium and other athletic facilities.

More recently, the Allston campus has become the site of a great deal of expansion and development on Harvard’s part. Ongoing projects and those in the planning stages will move many of the university’s engineering and computer science resources to Allston under the auspices of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. These are popular and expanding fields, so you may well spend time on that side of the river as a student.

The Allston campus is still a work in progress, but if you’d like to explore it, it’s easy to get to from Harvard Square. Multiple bridges make the area accessible on foot, by bus, or by car. Students, faculty, and staff also enjoy the use of a free shuttle that runs at regular intervals throughout the day.

Graduate School Campuses

As you may know, Harvard University is made up of twelve distinct degree-granting schools , most of which are graduate or professional programs. Each of these schools, from the Law School to the Divinity School to the School of Public Health, has spaces of its own on campus, whether large or small. Some are restricted to students from those programs, but some are open to the entire Harvard community.

You most likely won’t take courses at the graduate or professional schools while you’re an undergraduate at Harvard, but you may find yourself heading there for an event or navigating that section of campus on the way to somewhere else. These less central areas of campus can also be great places to find new study spots, explore different dining options, or see some impressive architecture and landscaping.

Harvard Museum of Natural History

Tucked away on the third floor of one of Harvard’s academic buildings, this small museum is nonetheless a gem — and not just because it’s home to a wide variety of mineral samples. You’ll also find treasures like massive whale skeletons, meteorites you can touch, an interactive simulation of the process of natural selection, and a world-renown collection of incredibly delicate glass models of plant specimens.

The Harvard Museum of Natural History is open to the public, and students and other Harvard affiliates enjoy free admission. Your ticket also gives you access to Harvard’s Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology , which houses an exceptional collection of historic artifacts from around the world.

Things to See Off Campus

Though Harvard is primarily located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the city of Boston itself is just across the river, easily accessible by bus or subway. (Driving is also possible, but traffic in the area is often heavy.) Cambridge has many of its own amenities, but the proximity of the larger city opens up additional possibilities, both for you as a student in the future and for you as a visitor right now.

Harvard Square

It would be nearly impossible to visit Harvard without walking through Harvard Square, which refers to the neighborhood around the Harvard Square subway and bus station. Located right in the center of campus, the square is an entertainment hub as well as a place where the Harvard community takes care of everyday errands, so if you end up attending Harvard, you’ll spend a lot of time here.

There’s always something new and exciting going on in Harvard Square, but you’ll also find fixtures like charming cafes, eclectic shops, and restaurants across the spectrum from cheap bites to exceptional cuisine. In the center of everything, don’t miss Out of Town News, an iconic news kiosk carrying a huge variety of periodicals.

Of course, being so close to such an intellectual powerhouse, Harvard Square’s amenities tend toward the intellectual side of life. The Harvard Coop, the official bookstore, is right down the street from The Harvard Book Store, which is not affiliated with Harvard. Both, however, are interesting places to browse, buy souvenirs, and get a better sense of Harvard Square’s atmosphere.

The Charles River

As we’ve mentioned, the Charles River acts as a boundary line between the cities of Cambridge and Boston. Besides being an unavoidable geographical feature of the Boston area, the river and its adjacent green spaces are popular for recreation, with paths for pedestrians and cyclists as well as boating, sightseeing, and picnicking opportunities.

Festivals and other public events also take place along the Charles, the best-known of which may be the annual Head of the Charles Regatta . This major annual rowing competition attracts huge crowds and competitors from around the world each October. Even if you’re not particularly interested in rowing, it’s an exciting and traditional part of life in Cambridge.

The Freedom Trail

One of the Boston area’s greatest claims to fame is its long history, particularly its importance during the American Revolutionary War. Many visitors to the area are eager to see what relics remain in existence from those foundational times. The Freedom Trail , a designated path through the city that passes by 16 important historical sites, is a convenient way to get a cohesive look at Boston’s past.

The Freedom Trail, which is marked along its length with a red-painted line on the ground, is a 2.5-mile-long walking trail that winds from Boston Common on one end to the Bunker Hill Monument and the U.S.S. Constitution on the other end. Y ou can take an official walking tour with a costumed tour guide or explore the trail on your own. Either way, you’ll have a unique opportunity to see the real-life sites of the events you’ve learned about in your American history classes.

Boston Common

This lovely public park in the center of Boston is a popular destination, both for casual relaxation and for large-scale community events like festivals, rallies, parades, and performances. Across the street, there’s even more green space: the Boston Public Gardens, another public park that’s more formally landscaped than the Common. It’s easily accessible by public transit and close to many other attractions in downtown Boston.

On the Common, you’ll find a number of different features, including public art, memorials and monuments, and a playground. In the winter, it’s home to an outdoor ice-skating rink and the city’s annual Christmas tree. It’s also a great place to view the Massachusetts State House, a beautiful historical building topped with an impressive golden dome.

Newbury Street

If you’re in the mood for some retail therapy in a classically Bostonian setting, Newbury Street is the place to be. This street in the Back Bay area of downtown Boston is packed with shops, cafes, restaurants, and other destinations, many of them in charming brick-and-stone row houses built in the late 1800s and later converted into retail space. 

Newbury Street is well known as home to some of Boston’s chicest — and most expensive — shopping destinations, but there are options along this block of shops for every budget. Even if you’re just window-shopping, it’s an enjoyable place to spend an afternoon enjoying the sights and sounds of Boston.

While we can’t possibly list everything there is to see when you visit Harvard, we hope this post can get you started on planning a trip that really helps you get to know the college and the surrounding community. We encourage you to do your research, seek out more destinations that reflect your interests, and have a great time!

If you’re currently embroiled in the process of preparing for and applying to college, you know full well that it can be complex and stressful — especially if you’re applying to prestigious, highly competitive schools with low acceptance rates and high standards.

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• Completing Your Application

Prospective applicants to the Visiting Students Program should carefully prepare the components of the application.

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In your Visiting Students Program application, you should demonstrate strong educational reasons for studying at Harvard Griffin GSAS, providing evidence of academic strength, personal integrity, and your level of academic preparation, demonstrated in your statement of purpose or research proposal. The GRE is not required. Please note that the application for admission, including all supporting materials, becomes the property of Harvard Griffin GSAS. 

If you are denied admission, you may reapply, but you must submit a new application for admission and pay an additional application fee. Please be aware that Harvard Griffin GSAS will not accept more than three unsuccessful applications from any individual during the course of their academic career.

Please note that participants of the Visiting Students Program are responsible for finding their own housing. Admitted students are eligible to apply for limited campus housing at the Cronkhite Graduate Center or in the Harvard Griffin GSAS residence halls, though married couples and other family members cannot be accommodated.

Statement of Purpose or Research Proposal

SPECIAL STUDENTS: PROVIDE A STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

VISITING FELLOWS: PROVIDE A RESEARCH PROPOSAL

Your statement or proposal should be focused, informative, and concise and convey your research interests and qualifications. It should provide a vivid picture of your intellectual profile: how you formulate research topics, how you pursue them, and how you articulate any interesting findings. As you convey this information, it is important to emphasize how these experiences have influenced both your decision to undertake graduate study and your goals within a graduate program.

Letters of Recommendation

SPECIAL STUDENTS: PROVIDE THREE RECOMMENDATIONS

VISITING FELLOWS: PROVIDE ONE RECOMMENDATION

Harvard Griffin GSAS requires recommenders to use the online recommendation process. Applicants provide the names and emails of faculty members willing to provide letters of recommendation. The recommender will then be prompted to submit their recommendation letter and answer questions about the applicant via an online form. Applicants may not use a recommendation dossier service.

For special student applications, at least two of the three recommendations should come from teachers or professors who recently taught you in academic subjects. If you have not attended school recently, you may ask employers, colleagues, or other individuals who know you well to write your recommendations. You may consider enrolling in some demanding college courses before applying. Your success in those courses will help demonstrate your academic ability and enable you to achieve the strong academic recommendations that Harvard prefers.

English Proficiency

SPECIAL STUDENTS AND VISITING FELLOWS: PROVIDE TEST SCORES

Non-native English speakers must demonstrate their English language proficiency to be accepted. 

Applicants who have attended a university full-time or have participated in a year-long program in which English is the language of instruction do not need to provide test scores.

All other non-native English speakers must provide official test scores from one of the following two tests:

• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) – Request that ETS send an official score report to the Visiting Students Program Office at the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences using code 3478 (a department code is not required). Applicants must receive a minimum score of 80; some programs may require a higher score.
• The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test (the minimum accepted score is 7).

If you feel that you meet this prerequisite in another way, please explain why in your application. Please note that if you require a J-1 visa and you have not taken the TOEFL nor have attended an English-speaking institution, then you may be required to demonstrate adequate English proficiency by means of an official interview before acceptance into the program.

Transcripts

SPECIAL STUDENTS AND VISITING FELLOWS: PROVIDE TRANSCRIPTS FROM HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

Harvard Griffin GSAS requires that you upload an unofficial copy of your transcript from each college or university you attended to your online application, as well as transcripts of any previous work done at Harvard or from institutions from which the applicant has received credit for courses taken (whether for a degree or not). If you are reapplying within three years of your original application, you do not need to submit another set of transcripts, but you must add a transcript noting any courses taken for credit as a special student. For Harvard University Division of Continuing Education degree-seeking students, the most recent transcripts should also be requested. You do not need to provide transcripts from high school (secondary school).

If your institution does not provide transcripts for current students, request an official letter confirming your current standing with the institution to upload to your application. If you are admitted, you will need to request that the institution send an official transcript to Harvard Griffin GSAS.

Foreign transcripts—records of all courses, seminars, and examinations, including grades, scores, grading scales, and conferrals of degrees—must be in English. If records are not available in English, original records must be uploaded with certified English translations. All translations must be literal and complete versions of the original records.

If you are accepted as a special student or visiting fellow, you must request that your academic institution send official transcripts to the Visiting Students Program Office prior to registration:

Visiting Students Program Office       The Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences      Richard A. and Susan F. Smith Campus Center      1350 Massachusetts Avenue, Suite 350      Cambridge, MA 02138      USA

Please note that materials must be submitted to the Visiting Students Program Office and not to the Harvard Griffin GSAS degree-seeking Office of Admissions; materials will not be forwarded.

Application Fee

The application fee is $105 payable by credit card. 

Supporting Materials

If you have supporting materials that cannot be included in the online application, mail them to:

Visiting Students Program       The Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Richard A. and Susan F. Smith Campus Center      1350 Massachusetts Avenue, Suite 350      Cambridge, MA 02138      USA

No materials will be returned to the applicant or forwarded to other schools or agencies.

Visiting Students Program Office

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Arts First to kick off biggest festival yet

Eileen O’Grady

Harvard Staff Writer

Departing longtime leader reflects on two decades of growth  

Arts First, Harvard’s annual festival showcasing campus creativity, kicks off its biggest year yet on Wednesday featuring five days of concerts, plays, dance performances, visual art displays, and more. Making this year’s celebration particularly poignant is the announcement that the Office for the Arts’ longtime leader — director Jack Megan — will step down on June 30 after 23 years.

During Megan’s tenure, Arts First steadily grew in size and ambition, adding more public art displays and performance opportunities with every passing year. The 2024 schedule will be the largest to date, with an additional day of fun added to the week.

“It’s like an ‘exclamation point’ on the arts year,” Megan said about the festival. “It calls attention in a very large, campus-wide way to the richness of the Harvard arts scene and how vibrant it really is.”

On Thursday, the festival’s first-ever drag show, “Into the Wild,” featuring a cast of Harvard performers donning fashions inspired by nature and the outdoors, will be emceed by environmental activist and acclaimed drag artist Pattie Gonia.

“Since the beginning of time, art has been one of our biggest ways to take action for what we care about and to bring people together,” Gonia said in an interview. “In every single social justice movement in America’s history, art’s been at the center of liberation and community and change.”

Environmental themes also run through student public art displays, including a fiber piece displayed around a red maple tree in Harvard Yard called “ Leaf Litter ,” by Graduate School of Design student Sophie Chien. The tufted piece represents the natural ecosystem of a tree base without interruption from landscaping.

“It’s not just a piece you look at and think about,” said Chien ’24, who is pursuing a dual master’s in landscape architecture and urban planning. “You can touch it, feel it, understand it.”

“What I’m feeling is not a sense of looking back but looking forward.” Jack Megan

Other highlights of the week include a talk with Oscar-nominated filmmaker and screenwriter Ava DuVernay; an electronic drone concert composed on vintage synthesizers; and an open rehearsal by dance company RootsUprising of a work in progress called “Witness Trees” that explores relationships between nature and enslaved Africans on a South Carolina plantation. See the full Arts First lineup .

“I am excited for this year’s Arts First celebrations,” said Rakesh Khurana, Danoff Dean of Harvard College. “First, we celebrate our students, their unique gifts and talents, and all those who support our students as scholars and artmakers. Second, we celebrate the students, staff, and volunteers who generate Arts First and all their work behind the scenes and onstage to bring this gathering to our campus. Third, we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Office for the Arts funding and the tremendous progress we’ve seen that inspires the next generation of artmakers at Harvard College.”

It’s also a landmark year for the Office for the Arts itself, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

“What I’m feeling is not a sense of looking back but looking forward,” Megan said. “I’m incredibly happy about the arts at Harvard and joyful that we get to mark it in this way every year. Marking 50 years to me is not the end of 50 years, but the beginning.”

Since Megan was named the Office for the Arts’ second-ever director in 2001, extracurricular arts have become one of Harvard’s most popular student activities. Under his leadership, the Office created the Artist Development Fellowship fund and reimagined campus spaces such as Farkas Hall and the Ceramics Program studio. Most recently, he led the office in a strategic planning process, setting up a future for extracurricular arts on campus.

“We are on the precipice of the next great era in Harvard arts and, with the strategic goals set forth in the report, the OFA is positioned to play a major role in that,” Megan said.

The Harvard Arts Medal , established in 1995, has remained a key tradition. Receiving the honor this year, with a public ceremony slated for Wednesday evening, is poet, scholar, and director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture Kevin Young ’92 .

Megan leaves with many great memories — like the time he had to fix a giant egg sculpture that toppled over in the Yard, or when he got to watch students perform “Sing Out, March On” in honor of the late Congressman John Lewis when Lewis was Commencement speaker in 2018.

But Megan’s favorites are the simple memories — all the times he saw students collaborate and create good art.

“I feel enormous gratitude to have anything to do with supporting the creative journey that our students go on,” Megan said. “That journey is going to continue and it’s going to get stronger in the years ahead.”

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Master in Public Administration

Prepare for greater responsibility across sectors with this flexible two-year program

Key Program Information

Program Length: Two years (varies for students pursuing concurrent degrees)

Degree Awarded: Master in Public Administration

Admission Application Deadline: December 2024

Financial Aid Application Deadline: January 2025

Contact the MPA Program

79 John F. Kennedy Street Littauer Building, Room 126 Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138

Elevate your impact as a public leader

The Master in Public Administration Program is for aspiring leaders with real-world experience and graduate-level coursework in economics, public policy, or management.

The Master in Public Administration (MPA) curriculum is flexible. You create a study plan that reflects your academic interests, focuses on your personal and professional aspirations, and integrates across disciplines.

You may also decide to pursue a concurrent degree in business, law, medicine, or other professional fields. You’ll earn two degrees in less time and acquire even more skills you can use to make a difference in the world.

“HKS provided opportunities for me to expand the narrative of what diversity looks like in foreign policy and foreign service.” —Korde Innis MPA 2023

About the MPA Program

The MPA curriculum is flexible. You’ll create your own 64-credit study plan that reflects your academic interests and professional aspirations.

As an MPA student, you’ll take eight credits in a Policy Area of Concentration as well as four credits in each of these key areas:

• Economics and Quantitative Analysis
• Management, Leadership, and Decision Sciences
• Public Ethics and Political Institutions

You’ll select your remaining credits to support your unique intellectual and professional objectives. You can take classes across academic disciplines at HKS and cross-register into courses at other Harvard graduate schools as well as at MIT Sloan School of Management and The Fletcher School at Tufts University. 

Sample Courses

• MLD-223: Negotiating Across Differences
• API-135: Economics of Climate Change and Environmental Policy
• DPI-640: Technology and the Public Interest: From Democracy to Technocracy and Back

Concurrent Degrees

You might consider  pursuing a second degree concurrently  if you’re interested in how the world’s public challenges can be addressed at the intersection of business, law, medicine, design, or other fields.

Pursuing a concurrent degree reduces coursework and residency requirements and makes it possible to earn two degrees in a shorter amount of time.

Concurrent degree students complete 48 credits at HKS, including four credits in each of the key areas:

Concurrent degree students are not required to fulfill the Policy Area of Concentration requirement.

Degree Requirements

The MPA Program consists of four semesters of full-time coursework in residence at HKS.

To graduate, you must:

• Earn at least 64 credits
• Finish with a GPA of B or better
• Earn a B- or higher in all courses counting towards the distribution requirements
• Matriculate as a full-time, in-residence student and take between 12-20 credits per semester
• Fulfill a Policy Area of Concentration requirement by taking eight credits in one of the policy areas at HKS
• Economics and Quantitative Analysis

HKS  faculty members  are among the most influential leaders and thinkers in their fields. They have contributed vital research and scholarship to their fields. Served in U.S. administrations. Founded learning labs to assist local communities. Led negotiations to reduce nuclear stockpiles. Reported on human rights abuses. Led efforts to address climate change. Advised governments and companies on gender equality.

They are doers as well as thinkers, shaping public policy and devising entrepreneurial approaches to public problems at the local, national, and international levels.  

MPA Faculty Chair

Kessely Hong

Mpa at a glance.

*Statistics are based on a five-year average.

Employment Snapshot:  MPA Class of 2023 Employment Sectors

* The number of private sector jobs secured by MPA graduates is, in large part, a reflection of the program’s many concurrent degree graduates.

Featured MPA stories

Elevating the stories of diverse, unsung women.

Jamie Mittleman MPA 2022 launched her COVID-adapted dream job: a platform for women Olympians and Paralympians.

A long military heritage shapes a desire for peace

Clark Yuan MPA 2022 wants unique perspectives to have a seat at the table when critical decisions are being made.

From Santiago to Cambridge to Paris

For Ingrid Olea MPA 2020, a journey that started with a career change has led to remarkable achievements in education policymaking.

Applying to the MPA Program

Prerequisites.

There are specific academic and professional prerequisites required to apply to the MPA Program. You must have:

• A bachelor’s degree with a strong academic record 
• Three years of professional work experience by September 1 of the year you would enroll in the program
• Master of Business Administration
• Master of International Business
• Master of International Development
• Master of International Economics
• Master of Science in Engineering

How to Apply

A complete application to the MPA Program includes the following: 

• Online application
• Three letters of recommendation
• GRE or GMAT required
• Non-native English speakers who did not earn an undergraduate degree conducted in English must submit results of the TOEFL, IELTS, or Cambridge English exam
• Academic transcripts
• $100 application fee or waiver

Read more about how to apply . 

The application for the 2025-2026 academic year will be available in September 2024. There is one admission application deadline and one start date for each degree program per year. You may apply to only one master's degree program per admissions cycle. 

Tuition & Fees

The cost of attendance for the 2024-2025 academic year is outlined in  Funding Your Master ’ s Education  to help you plan financially for our master’s degree programs. Living expense costs are based on residence in Cambridge. The 2025-2026 academic year rates will be published in March 2025. HKS tuition and fees are subject to change without notice. 

At HKS, we consider financing your education to be a partnership and are here to help guide you. We encourage you to explore all opportunities for funding .

Learn more about the HKS community

Student life, student stories, admissions & financial aid blog.

Alumni Digest Midwest

Visiting Clinical Professor & Director of Intellectual Property Clinic – Washington University School of Law

Location:  St. Louis, MO Deadline:  June 15, 2024 Learn more about the  Visiting Clinical Professor  position. This job posting has not been vetted by our office and the employer has not given assurances of non-discrimination or compliance with our recruitment policies .

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LIVE UPDATES

College protests live updates: Police crackdown leads to hundreds of arrests

Hundreds were arrested at USC, Emerson and UT Austin in the last day.

Protests have broken out at colleges and universities across the country in connection with the war in Gaza.

Many pro-Palestinian protesters are calling for their colleges to divest of funds from Israeli military operations, while some Jewish students on the campuses have called the protests antisemitic and said they are scared for their safety.

The student protests -- some of which have turned into around-the-clock encampments -- have erupted throughout the nation following arrests and student removals at Columbia University in New York City. Students at schools including Yale University, New York University, Harvard University, University of Texas at Austin, University of Southern California and more have launched protests .

Latest headlines:

Arizona state university arrests 69 people, clears pro-palestinian encampment, northeastern university detains 100 protesters, removes encampment, nyu students set up new encampment days after over 130 students, faculty arrested.

• Students arrested, charged with trespass at Ohio State University
• DPS says they used a Taser, pepper balls at Emory, but not tear gas

36 protesters arrested at Ohio State University

Ohio State University police have arrested 36 people -- 16 of whom were students -- and charged them with criminal trespassing for encampments that remained overnight.

"Well established university rules prohibit camping and overnight events. On Thursday, April 25, demonstrators, a number of whom were not students, faculty or staff at Ohio State, exercised their First Amendment rights for several hours and were then instructed to disperse," OSU said in a statement.

"Individuals who refused to leave after multiple warnings were arrested and charged with criminal trespass. Arrests are not an action that we take lightly, and we appreciate the support of all of our law enforcement partners to disperse the encampment for the safety of our university community. We have always, and always will, take the action that is in the best interest of our community," OSU said.

Arizona State University announced that campus police have arrested 69 people for trespassing after protesters refused to leave a pro-Palestinian encampment that the university says was "unauthorized."

"Encampments are prohibited on Arizona State University property. Lawful demonstrations can take place except overnight between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.," ASU said in a statement.

"A group of people – most of whom were not ASU students, faculty or staff – created an encampment and demonstration that continued until 11 p.m. when the group was instructed multiple times to disperse. Individuals who refused to leave after multiple warnings were arrested and charged with criminal trespass," ASU said.

Northeastern University has removed an encampment of pro-Palestinian protesters, with police detaining about 100 people. The university says students who produced valid Northeastern ID were released and will face disciplinary proceedings within the university.

"Earlier this morning the Northeastern University Police Department -- in cooperation with local law enforcement partners - began clearing an unauthorized encampment on the university's Boston campus. What began as a student demonstration two days ago was infiltrated by professional organizers with no affiliation to Northeastern. Last night, the use of virulent antisemitic slurs including "Kill the Jews," crossed the line. We cannot tolerate this kind of hate on our campus," the university said in a statement.

The university added, "As part of clearing the site, approximately 100 individuals were detained by police. Students who produced valid Northeastern ID were released. They will face disciplinary proceedings within the university, not legal action. Those who refused to disclose their affiliation were arrested."

Massachusetts State Police said they responded to Northeastern's request for assistance removing protesters.

"Officers directed protesters to disperse and MSP members assisted in removing protesters who refused to leave. Approximately 102 protesters who refused to comply with orders to disperse were arrested and will be charged by NUPD with trespassing and disorderly conduct. They are being transported to the Suffolk County House of Correction to be booked and processed," MSP said in a statement.

New York University students set up a new pro-Palestinian encampment Friday, after over 130 students and faculty were arrested at an encampment earlier this week.

The protesters are calling on the university to divest and cut ties with Israel and companies profit from its onslaught on Gaza — including shutting down the NYU Tel Aviv campus and a boycott of Tel Aviv University. They are also calling for full amnesty for pro-Palestinian activism and for IOF-trained cops to leave campus.

"Despite the violent repression students have face, we will not back down. We have no reason to fear when Palestinians demonstrate their courage and resiliency in the face of far greater danger. Our fear has turned into resolve," the NYU Palestine Solidarity Coalition said in a statement Saturday.

Protesters say they were removed and arrests were made at a "100% peaceful" protest earlier this week, refuting the university's allegation that there was "antagonizing behavior" and a security breach caused it to invite New York police onto campus and make arrests, a representative for the NYU PSC told ABC News.

Protesters say they calmly entered the encampment after the university did not follow through on providing a timeline of when they would allow more students into the plaza, according to the student who was at the protest outside the encampment, but was not arrested.

Police started making arrests Monday after Muslim protesters began Maghreb prayer -- a daily Muslim prayer made during the sunset hour -- according to the student.

"Our peaceful protest was met with complete and utter violence green lighted by our university president and her administration," the student, who asked that ABC News conceal their identity for safety, said.

The university pushed back against the protester's account, saying "there is no right to create encampments of tents on the University's property."

"Despite repeatedly being told no additional protesters would be permitted on the plaza - early on Monday afternoon protesters on West 4th Street breached the barricades we had set up, nearly doubling the number of people on the plaza, with hundreds of additional demonstrators in the street," NYU said in a statement to ABC News.

"Those on the plaza urged them onwards and that Campus Safety Officers were shoved and forced out of the way by people attempting to gain entry to the plaza," NYU said.

-ABC News' Nadine El-Bawab

Harvard University students begin encampment in Harvard Yard

Pro-Palestinian students at Harvard University began an encampment in Harvard Yard on Wednesday, despite the university closing it through Friday.

The encampment comes after Harvard suspended the Harvard Palestine Solidarity Committee -- an on-campus group that has been under a spotlight -- amid debates on campuses over the war. The ACLU of Massachusetts, which represents the group, has called for the university to lift the suspension.

Students and student workers released a statement Wednesday announcing their encampment, calling for the university to divest and accusing it of "relentlessly suppress[ing] voices in its community speaking out against the actions of the Israeli state and for the rights of the Palestinian people," the suspended group said in a statement on Instagram.

The group is also demanding that the university "drop all its charges against students for their organizing and activism, and commit to ending the weaponization of disciplinary policy," the statement said.

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Private tour group providers

This information is for private tour providers not associated with Harvard University. If you are an individual looking for a tour, please visit our Tours page.

At this time, Cambridge and Boston tour companies who wish to lead tours of visitors through Harvard Yard are required to register with the Harvard University Visitor Center.

For further inquiry, please contact: [email protected]

Registration process

Apply to be a registered Harvard Yard Tour Provider

To register:

• Fill out the application.
• Submit a copy of a business license (in Cambridge or Boston) and proof of insurance.
• Allow up two weeks for the authorization process.

Once approved:

• The Harvard University Visitor Center will provide a physical “Welcome Packet” to the tour company.
• Sign the Harvard Yard Use Agreement.
• The tour company will be directed to the online payment system, where tour passes must be purchased at least three days in advance for the desired tour date (currently through the end of the semester).

Before the tour:

• Prior to coming to campus, the tour company must review the Harvard Yard Guidelines and go to Visit Harvard for any updated campus information.
• The tour company will use Touchnet, the online payment system, to purchases passes for the current semester at least three days in advance of the desired tour date.
• A Harvard Yard Tour Pass purchase requires a non-refundable payment of $1.50 per tour attendee.
• The tour company will receive a PDF file of the Harvard Yard Tour Pass within three business days.
• The tour company must print the Harvard Yard Tour Pass in color and it must be visibly worn on the tour group leader at all times while in Harvard Yard. Lanyards and other tour materials may be found in the “Welcome Packet.”

Keep in mind:

• Occasionally the Yard closes for University activities. If this conflicts with a tour you have sign up for, your payment will be refunded.
• Tour groups can include up to 35 people.
• The tour company may offer up to one tour per day in Harvard Yard, as space is available.
• The tour company may offer tours in Harvard Yard between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
• The tour company must remain in good standing in order to annually renew the Harvard Yard Use Agreement.

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• Harvard Library
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Thomas C. Owen collection on Russian social, economic, and business history since 1800. (1972-2005)

• About the Donor
• About the collection
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About Thomas C. Owen

Publications by thomas c. owen.

Thomas C. Owen (PhD in history, Harvard, 1973) is an Associate of the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, Harvard University (since 2005) and a former professor of history at Louisiana State University (1974-2005). He became interested in Russian social history as a graduate student at Harvard, and he wrote his doctoral dissertation on the social and ideological evolution of the Moscow merchants, 1840-70 ( The social and ideological evolution of the Moscow merchants, 1840-1870, HOLLIS Number : 003894231 ). His collection of materials on Russian social and economic history after 1800 began in 1971, when he, then a PhD student seeking primary sources for his research, purchased from the Lenin Library (Moscow) a microfilm of the 1850-73 portion of Fedor V. Chizhov's diary which was relevant to the dissertation.

After the publication of his first book, on the Moscow merchants in 1981 ( Capitalism and politics in Russia : a social history of the Moscow merchants, 1855-1905 , HOLLIS Number : 000949332 ), Owen widened the scope of his research to include corporations and business organizations throughout the Russian Empire. He continued his study of primary materials during subsequent visits to Moscow again in 1980, 1992, and 1996. Gaining access to and obtaining copies of the desired materials often meant facing challenges that were unusual for a Western researcher, as well as seeking the help of American library professionals. Thus, Marianna Tax Choldin, of the University of Illinois Library, was instrumental in helping Owen obtain the microfilm copies of Chizhov’s diary (the 1825-50 and 1873-77 portions) from the Lenin Library. Eventually, Fedor V. Chizhov became the subject of Thomas C. Owen's fourth book ( Dilemmas of Russian capitalism : Fedor Chizhov and corporate enterprise in the railroad age , HOLLIS Number : 009439804 )

Dilemmas of Russian Capitalism: Fedor Chizhov and Corporate Enterprise in the Railroad Age . Harvard Studies in Business History, no. 44.  Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2005. HOLLIS Number : 009439804

Russian Corporate Capitalism from Peter the Great to Perestroika .  New York: Oxford University Press, 1995. HOLLIS Number : 005835322

The Corporation under Russian Law, 1800-1917: A Study in Tsarist Economic Policy .  New York: Cambridge University Press, 1991. HOLLIS Number : 002072257

Capitalism and Politics in Russia: A Social History of the Moscow Merchants , 1855-1905 .  New York: Cambridge University Press, 1981.  Japanese trans. Tokyo: Bunshindo Press, 1987. HOLLIS Number : 000949332

Selected Articles

“Measuring Business Cycles in the Russian Empire.” Economic History Review 66, no. 3 (Aug. 2013): 895-916.

“The Death of a Soviet Science: Sergei Pervushin and Economic Cycles in Russia, 1850-1930.” The Russian Review 68, no. 2 (Apr. 2009): 221-39.

“Chukchi Gold: American Enterprise and Russian Xenophobia in the Northeastern Siberian Company.”  Pacific Historical Review 77, no. 1 (Feb. 2008): 49-85.

“Autocracy and the Rule of Law in Russian Economic History.”  In The Rule of Law and Economic Reform in Russia , edited by Jeffrey D. Sachs and Katharina Pistor, 23-39.  Boulder, Colo.: Westview Press, 1997.

 “Impediments to a Bourgeois Consciousness in Russia, 1880-1905: The Estate Structure, Ethnic Diversity, and Economic Regionalism.”  In Between Tsar and People: Educated Society and   the Quest for Public Identity in Late Imperial Russia , edited by Edith W. Clowes, Samuel D. Kassow, and James L. West, 75-89.  Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1991.

“A Standard Ruble of Account for Russian Business History, 1769-1914: A Note.”   Journal of   Economic History 49, no. 3 (Sep. 1989): 699-706.

“The Russian Industrial Society and Tsarist Economic Policy, 1867-1905.”  Journal of Economic History 45, no. 3 (Sep. 1985): 587-606.

“Entrepreneurship and the Structure of Enterprise in Russia, 1800-1880.”  In Entreprepreneurship in Imperial Russia and the Soviet Union , edited by Gregory Guroff and Fred  V. Carstensen, 59-83.  Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1983.

RUSCORP: A Database of Corporations in the Russian Empire, 1700-1914.  Ann Arbor, Mich. : Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research, [1993]. HOLLIS Number :  007702503 Internet Link : Data File http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:hul.eresource:harvmitd

Edited Publications

Polunov, Aleksandr.  Russia in the Nineteenth-Century: Autocracy, Reform, and Social Change, 1814-1914 .  Translated by Marshall S. Shatz.  Armonk, N.Y.: M. E. Sharpe, 2005.  (Co-edited with Professor Larissa G. Zakharova of Moscow State University.)

Roosa, Ruth A.  Russian Industrialists in an Era of Revolution: The Associa­tion of Industry and Trade, 1906-1917 .  Armonk, N.Y.: M. E. Sharpe, 1997.

Russian Studies in History 35, no. 1 (Summer 1996), on entrepreneurship in the Russian Empire, 1861-1914, and 34, no. 1 (Summer 1995), on tsarist economic policy, 1893-1914. 

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Index of Botanical Publications

The harvard university herbaria hold 25 type specimens of taxa described in this publication, the harvard university herbaria hold 1 type specimens of taxa cited in this publication.

How the Columbia protests sparked campus demonstrations across the country

It just added fuel to the fire.

The decision by Columbia University’s president, Nemat “Minouche” Shafik, to call in the New York Police Department to clear pro-Palestinian protesters from the campus last week appears to have sparked the spate of increasingly strident demonstrations that have erupted at universities in New York City and across the country in recent days, students and faculty members said.

Since Thursday, when police arrested 108 Columbia University demonstrators, including Rep. Ilhan Omar’s daughter, Isra Hirsi, similar protests have erupted on campuses across the country, from New York University and Yale University to the University of Illinois and out west to the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Southern California, which shut its gates late Wednesday because of the growing demonstrations.

The encampment at Columbia sprung up April 17, the day Shafik was grilled about on-campus antisemitism by the Republican-led House Committee on Education and the Workforce. Shafik faced questions about her handling of antisemitism on campus after Hamas' attack on Israel on Oct. 7 alongside two members of Columbia’s Board of Trustees and the head of its antisemitism task force. The next day, Shafik had police clear the encampment; more than 100 protesters were arrested.

That got Rachel, 19, a Columbia student who asked to be identified only by her first name because of fear of retaliation or suspension by the school, off the fence and into one of the tents that pro-Palestinian demonstrators had raised on the campus in upper Manhattan.

“I think that that was sort of the straw that broke the camel’s back, because students had already been feeling incredibly suppressed and censored by President Shafik,” Rachel said.

Noting that the last time a Columbia University president summoned the police to disperse student demonstrators was back in 1968, at the height of the Vietnam War, Rachel said what she called Shafik’s attempt to intimidate them was backfiring.

“Movements inherently boil when they’re facing extra suppression,” she said.

The Columbia students protesting the war have demanded that the school cut financial ties with Israel and divest from Israeli companies. And they have inspired students across the country to do the same.

“This is about solidarity," said Alex, a Jewish student at the University of Michigan who is part of the pro-Palestinian movement and asked to be identified only by his first name out of fear of retaliation. "We have colleges all across the nation performing a synchronized act because we work together. This is a collective movement far beyond the United States."

Organizers say they were also inspired by protests against the apartheid government of South Africa that an earlier generation of Michigan students took part in.

“It’s never been bigger than it is right now,” said a masked male organizer, who asked to remain anonymous out of fear of retaliation. “We’ve seen that this has been effective in achieving concessions from the administration towards divestment from Israel, apartheid and genocide.”

But it has also sparked a backlash, particularly from politicians on the right who have been urging university administrators to crack down hard on the protesters.

"You have to have law and order on campus," House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told NBC News' Stephanie Gosk after he met with Jewish students at Columbia. "Listen, taxpayer funding comes to institutions like this. The American people are demanding that we bring order to this chaos. We have this kind of thing mushrooming around the country right now."

Encampments have continued on Columbia's campus into this week, with Shafik calling for classes to be held virtually Monday and initially giving the demonstrators a deadline of midnight Tuesday to fold up their tents and disperse before she announced that conversations would continue over the next 48 hours without forcing the encampment to be removed.

“We are making important progress with representatives of the student encampment on the West Lawn,” a college spokesperson said.

Marianne Hirsch, a Columbia University English professor, said Shafik has been "squashing peaceful protest, squashing open debate, not allowing students to express their opinions and debate their opinions."

And the fact that Shafik summoned the police last Thursday, a day after she was questioned at the congressional hearing, is no coincidence, she said.

"I’m extremely concerned about antisemitism my entire life, and I’m extremely distressed right now to see how antisemitism is being weaponized and used, misused ... under the guise of safety and security," Hirsch, whose parents were Holocaust survivors, said Tuesday.

Later, Hirsch said she “cannot but agree this is motivated by trying to pacify congressional members who are trying to interfere in the running of this school.”

Early Monday, Shafik said that classes would be held virtually Monday and that school leaders would come together to discuss a way to bring an end to “this crisis.”

Several Jewish students at Columbia have told NBC News the antisemitism they experienced was very real and that they're steering clear of the campus for their own safety.

“The tension is so high,” said Itai Dreifuss, 25, a junior and an Israeli who says he has been spat on and taunted by campus protesters waving Hamas flags. “It’s definitely frustrating to be a part of this campus right now. You feel so helpless, and you feel so exposed.”

Speaking with reporters, Johnson said he heard that Jewish students had been "running for their lives."

Gosk challenged that assertion, telling Johnson that while some Jewish students she spoke with "are certainly afraid for their safety," they are "not running for their lives."

"I had standing room only with a house full of Jewish students talking about the intimidation and threats that they experienced," Johnson replied.

Sueda, a graduate student who helped organize the pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia and asked to be identified only by her first name to avoid reprisals, said students escalated pressure on the university and started the tent encampments after previous forms of protest did not lead to the intended results.

"Have those protests yielded any material results from the university? Have they yielded an acknowledgment of the pain felt by Palestinians and by the community that is in solidarity with them? Have they yielded any statements of sorrow or regret by the university for their overly punitive treatment of pro-Palestinian students? No," she said.

Oren Root, a longtime New York City lawyer and Columbia University graduate who was at the school when anti-Vietnam War protests rocked it in 1968, said Shafik's summoning of police was "an extraordinary miscalculation."

"President Shafik and her advisers clearly didn't learn from history," said Root, who was a top editor at The Spectator, the Columbia student newspaper, in 1968 and 1969. “Calling in the cops was clearly a mistake. Things have not gotten any calmer.”

The decision in 1968 by university President Grayson Kirk to have the police forcibly remove protesters from the buildings they were occupying only inflamed the situation and tarnished Columbia's reputation for many years, Root said.

Root, who called for Shafik's resignation in an opinion piece in The Spectator on Monday , said Columbia also appears to have chosen a side in the Gaza battle.

In response, a spokesperson for Shafik did not address Root's criticisms or the calls for her resignation.

"President Shafik is focused on deescalating the rancor on Columbia’s campus," the spokesperson said in a statement Tuesday. "She is working across campus with members of the faculty, administration, and Board of Trustees, and with state, city, and community leaders, and appreciates their support."

New York police also arrested more than 100 protesters at NYU's Gould Plaza on Monday night.

Pro-Palestinian encampments have also been established at other schools that have been the sites of anti-Israel demonstrations, like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Texas and California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt.

New York Mayor Eric Adams said this week he believed "outside agitators" were using the Israel-Hamas war as an excuse to cause violence and mayhem in the city.

“We can’t have outside agitators come in and be destructive to our city," Adams said at a news conference Tuesday. "Someone wanted something to happen at that protest at NYU."

It was not clear how many of those arrested at Columbia were students and how many were outsiders. Police did not respond to two requests for comment on the arrests.

Meanwhile, a group of 25 Senate Republicans sent a letter Tuesday to Attorney General Merrick Garland asking the Biden administration to address the protests across the nation.

“These pro-Hamas rioters have effectively shut down college campuses and have literally chased Jewish students away from our schools," the letter read. "You need to take action to restore order and protect Jewish students on our college campuses."

The letter did not ask Garland to take steps to protect the pro-Palestinian protesters.

Doha Madani is a senior breaking news reporter for NBC News. Pronouns: she/her.

Selina Guevara is an NBC News associate producer, based in Chicago.

Corky Siemaszko is a senior reporter for NBC News Digital.

Harvard protesters get organized, and continue to grow

CAMBRIDGE — Around 50 Harvard students and others affiliated with the university who camped in Harvard Yard as part of a pro-Palestinian protest spent Thursday getting organized as they awaited the administration’s next move.

Although shock over student arrests at Emerson reverberated here, it was an otherwise peaceful morning Thursday in the “Harvard Liberated Zone,” which consists of about two dozen tents pitched on Harvard Yard’s central lawn between University Hall and Massachusetts Hall.

As church bells tolled out 11 a.m., several dozen protestors draped in keffiyeh scarfs gathered for a meeting, calling it to order with chants of “Free, free Palestine!” Near the campsite, the John Harvard statue was draped in a Palestinian flag and a red keffiyeh scarf; the American flag flew above it.

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Under a blue canopy in the center of the zone, folding tables held supplies including instant noodles, sandwich cookies, and sleeping bags. Other Harvard affiliates periodically shuttled additional supplies into the campsite; one man unloaded a pack of bottled water from his tote bag, saying, “Good luck.”

The encampment, organized by the student coalition Harvard Out of Occupied Palestine, follows many such encampments at university campuses around the country and the globe. Harvard organizers hope to pressure university administration to meet their demands: disclosing and divesting from any investments in Israel and dropping any charges against students related to the current or previous protests.

“We are forcing people to confront the fact that this university is both morally and materially complicit in the genocide of Palestinian people,” said Violet Barron, 19, a sophomore who organizes with the coalition and was a founding member of the student group Jews for Palestine. “We’re all tired of our tuition money going towards bloodshed.”

In an email to the campus Thursday afternoon, Dean of Students Thomas Dunne acknowledged the encampment and wrote that “erecting structures, tents, and tables without authorization is a violation of rules,” but stopped short of condemning the measure.

Dunne also wrote that “disruption or interference that hinder members of our community from performing their normal duties and activities” would lead to “disciplinary consequences.”

Despite the risk of punishment, student organizers have said they intend to stay put until their demands are met, and their numbers are growing. Following a protest Wednesday, new prospective campers requested to join, prompting organizers to obtain new tents and expand to a second grassy area.

“We had so much demand for people to show their solidarity for Gaza right now and want to occupy the space, so we actually had to get eight new tents last night,” said first-year student Mahmoud Al-Thabata, 19, who is of Palestinian descent and has family members in Gaza.

The encampment has dual missions of expressing solidarity and of educating the Harvard community, organizers said. On Thursday afternoon, for example, organizers held a teach-in titled “Palestine 101.″ Planned upcoming events include crafting, open-mic nights, and dance performances.

“Both of those components are super, super key to the project of the encampment itself,” said Asmer Safi, 23, a Harvard senior and pro-Palestinian organizer. “We realize that a lot of this education is not necessarily something that we are provided in the classroom.”

The gates to Harvard Yard were staffed by security guards who only admit people with campus IDs.

Though temperatures dropped to 32 degrees overnight Wednesday, and some campers were awakened by automatic sprinklers at around 4 a.m., morale remains high, Barron said.

“I feel very hopeful, because we’ve seen divestment campaigns in the past, many of which have included encampments like these, and they have been successful,” she said. “I think it takes big actions like this to push the needle.”

Organizers emphasized that they want their protest to draw attention not to themselves, but to victims of the war in Gaza.

“We’re not here to have a party — we’re here today because of the ongoing genocide,” Al-Thabata said. “Disclosure and divestment is our demand, and we will not leave until we get it.”

Timothy J. Colton

Morris and anna feldberg professor of government and russian studies and faculty associate at davis center.

• Moscow: Governing the Socialist Metropolis

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• Transitional Citizens: Voters and What Influences Them in the New Russia
• The Dilemma of Reform in the Soviet Union

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