Harvard Kennedy School Master's Scholarships for Cambodia

Overview

Harvard Kennedy School will provide scholarships for Cambodians from both the public and private sector to pursue a Master in Public Administration in International Development (MPA/ID) program and a Mid-Career Master in Public Administration (MC/MPA) for the academic year 2012-2013 in the United States of America.

Master in Public Administration in International Development (MPA/ID)

The two-year Master in Public Administration in International Development (MPA/ID) program, Harvard Kennedy School's newest program, is designed to prepare the next generation of leaders in international development. It is an economics-centered, multi-disciplinary program, combining rigorous training in analytical and quantitative methods with an emphasis on policy and practice.

Mid-Career Master in Public Administration (MC/MPA)

The one-year Mid-Career Master in Public Administration (MC/MPA) is an intensive eight credit program, preceded by a one-month summer program exclusively for Mid-Career professionals. The MC/MPA is designed to increase the knowledge and skills of well established, high-performing professionals, who seek to enhance their public service careers or to move from the private sector to a leadership position in either the public or non-profit sectors.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must demonstrate competence in economics and quantitative analysis and the potential for leadership in international development. Although the MPA/ID program occasionally accepts applicants directly from undergraduate colleges and universities, most admitted candidates have at least three years of work experience in government, central and regional banks, international development institutions, non-governmental organizations, or private businesses.

The MPA/ID program has course prerequisites to ensure that students will be adequately prepared for the rigor of the core curriculum. The prerequisite course requirements are one university level course in each of the following:

• Microeconomics
• Macroeconomics
• Multivariable calculus (usually the third course in a university-level calculus sequence)


Eligible Candidates

- Cambodian citizen
- Hold an undergraduate degree
- have at least 3 years of work experience (MPA/ID) and 7 years of work experience (MC/MPA)
- Show high proficiency in English (minimum TOEFL score of 100 on the IBT, 250 on the CBT or 600 on the PBT)
- Have both good physical and mental health

MPA/ID Admissions

The MPA/ID Program Office administers the admissions process for the MPA/ID program. Information about other degree programs at the Kennedy School and instructions on how to apply online can be found on the main Admissions website.

The application for admission for Fall 2012 is now available here.

Criteria for Admission to the MPA/ID Program

The MPA/ID Program is a rigorous economics-centered program designed to prepare development practitioners. When evaluating an application, the Admissions Committee looks for:

• Strong academic record, including good grades in economics and mathematics courses.

• Required prerequisite courses, including at least one university-level course each in microeconomics and macroeconomics, and three university-level courses in calculus, which must include multivariable calculus. Statistics and linear algebra are desirable, but not required.

• Demonstrated commitment to the field of international development and compelling evidence of professional potential in the field. While work experience is not an absolute requirement, development work often serves to demonstrate this commitment.

• Strong recommendations from academic and professional recommenders who know you well and can comment on the qualities needed for this program.

• Competitive GRE or GMAT quantitative section score. In general, candidates who score in the top 80th percentile and above on the GRE or GMAT quantitative section are most competitive for admission.

• For applicants whose native language is not English, evidence of fluency in English as demonstrated by a minimum TOEFL score.

Please note that simply meeting the criteria above does not guarantee admission. The MPA/ID Program receives many more applications from candidates than can be admitted. All aspects of each application are carefully considered, and offers of admission are made to the strongest candidates.

Application Essays

The MPA/ID application includes several essays. The suggested length for all essays is 500-750 words.

1. The Admissions Committee is interested in your academic, professional and personal development. A copy of your resume or CV is sufficient, including the following information: employment held--including titles of jobs, start/end dates, responsibilities, salary (please include any gaps in employment history); academic degrees, achievements and honors; volunteer, public service, political work you have done; recent leadership experiences and awards; extracurricular activities and interests.

2. If you have any concerns about your prior academic background, or if you believe the Admissions Committee may have concerns, please give a brief explanation of your performance in college, or your standardized test scores (750 word limit).

3. Discuss your decision to choose international development as your professional career. Also, explain how developing your analytic skills relates to your career in development (750 word limit).

4. Describe an event or experience in which you exercised a significant decision-making, management, or leadership role (750 word limit).

5. Describe a public policy or public management problem related to international development and analyze a range of solutions (750 word limit).

6. At least one college level course in microeconomics, macroeconomics and multivariable calculus must be completed before enrollment. Statistics and linear algebra are desirable, but not required. Explain how you have met these requirements, or how you propose to meet them before enrolling in September. Please include descriptions of mathematics courses you have taken that covered calculus and multivariable calculus, as well as descriptions of any courses whose titles do not clearly indicate the content (e.g. Mathematics II or Advanced Mathematics). Official descriptions copied from your college's course catalogue or on-line course catalogue are preferred.

Application Deadline: December, 2011.

Details about the application

http://www.hks.harvard.edu/degrees/masters/mpa-id

http://www.hks.harvard.edu/degrees/masters/mc-mpa

MOEYS's scholarship announcement (Khmer version): http://www.moeys.gov.kh/Includes/Contents/scholarship/usa_2012.pdf


Please quote Scholarization.blogspot.com on your application when applying for this scholarship

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