Entrance Requirements for Harvard Business School

Harvard Business School is one of the most prestigious business schools in the world. Highly selective, Harvard's Business School only accepted 12 percent of applicants for the class of 2015. Consistently ranked by "U.S. News and World Report" as a top academic institution, a degree from Harvard can lead to an extremely successful career in the corporate world.

Harvard Business School

Harvard University offers a Master of Business Administration degree, doctoral programs in business and an executive education program. Each year, thousands of students apply to Harvard Business School; however, the institution only accepts the most qualified scholars. Harvard does not require students to have a specific grade point average or specific test scores to be admitted. Instead, a prospective student's application materials are thoroughly evaluated as a whole by the admissions committee, and students are selected based on evidence of leadership potential, a desire to impact their communities and ability for intellectual growth.

Master of Business Administration

Students applying to the Master of Business Administration program at Harvard University must have an accredited four-year degree from an American college or university or an equivalent international degree. Students planning to apply for admission to Harvard must also register for the GMAT or GRE as early as possible. M.B.A. applicants desiring to attend Harvard must submit an online application, test scores, transcripts, a resume, an essay and two recommendations from recent supervisors or individuals qualified to speak about the applicant's personal skills and qualities. As of 2013, the essay question requires applicants to share additional information about themselves not included in the other admission materials. Some candidates may be invited to participate in an interview session with an M.B.A. Admissions Board member. All application forms are available online. International students who did not attend an undergraduate institution where the primary language of instruction is English must take the TOEFL.

Doctoral Programs

Students can earn a Doctor of Business Administration degree and a Ph.D. in business at Harvard. Potential doctoral candidates must have earned an undergraduate degree and graduating seniors are encouraged to apply. Application materials can be accessed online. Potential doctoral candidates should submit an application, a resume, a statement of purpose, transcripts and three letters of recommendation, including at least one from an academic source. Also, scholars must also submit their test scores from the GMAT or GRE. Applicants whose native language is not English and who do not hold an undergraduate degree from an institution at which English is the language of instruction must submit TOEFL scores.

Executive Education Program

Harvard's Executive Education Program prepares executives for leadership roles. Executive Education at Harvard involves numerous training programs and courses focusing on topics related to such issues as corporate social responsibility, leading global businesses and strategic negotiations. As of 2013, 79 programs are available and each program has separate admission requirements. The Executive Education Program has no formal educational prerequisites except fluency in written and spoken English so that participants can complete assignments and participate in classroom discussions. Generally, Harvard accepts individuals based on professional achievement and organizational responsibility who show evidence of business talent and leadership potential.