harvard mba after phd

Business Administration

Harvard Business School offers a two-year, full-time MBA program with a general management curriculum focused on real-world practice. Becoming a student at HBS means joining a global community that propels lifelong learning and career support alongside peers, faculty, and staff who will both challenge you and cheer you on as you find and accelerate your path. Learn about joint degree programs.

Jointly administered by HBS and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the Ph.D. in business administration grounds students in disciplinary theories and methods and trains them to apply these theories and methods in academic research on important business problems. The program has four areas of study: accounting and management, marketing, strategy, and technology and operations management. The program prepares students for a career in academia at top business schools and research institutions around the world.

| Graduate Students

Ms/mba program, ms/mba biotechnology: life sciences, a joint degree that blends business, ethics, and life science.

Harvard’s dual degree program, MS/MBA Biotechnology: Life Sciences , aims to prepare the next generation of industry leaders with advanced training in business, ethics, and life sciences. Built in response to student demand, this novel approach to a Harvard MBA is for people with both an undergraduate degree in the life sciences and at least two years of work experience.

This intensive, two-year dual degree program will offer MS courses developed and taught by  HSCRB faculty . The degrees are jointly offered by Harvard Business School (HBS) and the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS).

In the program, students will follow a core curriculum that focuses on business and includes courses in science and ethics. Intensive courses over the summer and in January, plus a broad range of electives in the second year, will ensure students can fulfil both business and science degree requirements.

“We want to provide leadership for the whole scientific and medical enterprise: biotechnology, pharma, venture capital, NGOs, and government. Our future leaders need to feel that the ethical component of what they’re doing is as important as the financial, so that medical needs worldwide can be addressed in an equitable way.” -Mark Fishman, M.D., Professor of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology and faculty co-chair of the program

“Our department has built into it a strong entrepreneurial spirit, with many biotech companies developed by our faculty. Our scientists don’t just ask and answer questions about how nature works, but further ask how do you make use of that information and commercialize it to help people. This dual degree expands on that, allowing us to train exceptional, ethical leaders in industry – or even in policy – who really understand the science and can be nimble in their decision making.” -Doug Melton, Ph.D., Xander University Professor, co-founder of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, and faculty co-chair of the program

“The idea is to collaborate with the best and brightest minds across Harvard who believe that it is within our scientific and economic grasp to reduce human suffering.  Students will have access to faculty members from HBS, the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and Harvard Medical School, who will be present in the classroom at the same time. The program will give them both an MBA and an amazing science education that allows them to lead the next generation of life-sciences companies.” -Amitabh Chandra, Ph.D., Ethel Zimmerman Wiener Professor of Public Policy at HKS, Henry and Allison McCance Professor of Business Administration at HBS, and faculty co-chair of the program

“I am so excited about the launch of this program. It is much needed – we aim to train the future leaders of biotech and pharma, providing them with business skills, scientific critical thinking, and an ethical framework. It’s also exciting for us to interact with a new type of student in HSCRB, expanding our educational community to include undergraduates, science graduate students, medical students, and now business students. It is a real pleasure to work with our colleagues at HBS. I cannot wait to meet our first cohort.” -Bill Anderson, Director of Education in HSCRB and program director for the degree program

Business Administration

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This program will set a solid research foundation in disciplinary theories and methods and train you to apply them in academic research on critical business problems. You will choose from four areas of study: accounting and management, marketing, strategy, and technology.

The accounting and management track examines how information impacts resource allocations and stakeholder behavior. The marketing track explores how goods, services, and information are exchanged to satisfy individuals and organizations. Researchers in strategy study the mechanisms through which firms create value and sustain superior performance. Technology and operations management prepares students to examine how and why firms create and deploy innovative products and services and how the diffusion of technological novelty generates economic growth and transforms society.

Examples of student projects include examining the hiring and organizational practices of firms and how they interact with the firms’ strategies, how information is used by capital market participants and how those forces shape the information production processes of firms, as well as conducting a study of sales compensation.

Graduates of the program have secured faculty positions at such prestigious institutions as Harvard Medical School, Duke University, London Business School, University of Hong Kong, and University of California, Berkeley.

Students in business administration are enrolled in and receive their degree from the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and work with faculty from both the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and  Harvard Business School  (HBS). Harvard Griffin GSAS has offered PhD programs in collaboration with HBS since 1916. In addition to business administration, Harvard Griffin GSAS and HBS collaborate on programs in  business economics ,  organizational behavior , and  health policy  (management track). 

Additional information on the graduate program is available from the Department of Business Administration , and requirements for the degree are detailed in Policies .

Areas of Study

Accounting and Management | Marketing | Strategy | Technology and Operations Management

Admissions Requirements

Please review admissions requirements and other information before applying. You can find degree program-specific admissions requirements below and access additional guidance on applying from the Department of Business Administration .

Academic Background

Applicants with bachelor’s degrees in the social sciences, engineering, sciences, and business are encouraged to apply.

Standardized Tests

GRE General or GMAT: Required iBT TOEFL preferred minimum score: 100 IELTS preferred minimum score: 7.5

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Why a Doctorate in Business Administration Is Becoming More Valuable

Sponsor content from upGrad.

At the turn of the 20th century, the world was industrializing at a rapid pace. Businesses were growing larger and more complex, with more employees working in more diversified divisions spread across more geographical boundaries.

As a result, demand grew for people who had special training in managing the general operations of a business, which led to the creation and proliferation of the Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree.

More than 100 years later, MBAs have become a commodity that no longer serve organizations’ core needs.

In today’s age of data and information, knowledge has become the most valuable resource. Companies don’t necessarily need more general managers who can assess broad patterns across multiple industries—they need people with deep expertise in specific domains who can analyze data and generate unique insights that lead to better business decisions.

That’s why Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) holders are becoming increasingly valuable in the modern workplace.

DBA is a professional degree representing the highest level of qualification in management. In contrast to an MBA, it takes students on a different path toward acquiring and using business knowledge.

For an MBA, students spend two years taking a broad range of practical courses to learn about several pillars of business—such as accounting, finance, marketing, leadership, operations, strategy, and ethics—to help them become effective leaders across many industries.

By contrast, DBAs spend up to two years studying academic literature across several domains and up to two additional years designing and executing an original research project: a dissertation focused on one domain. The primary goal of a DBA is to produce scholarly individuals who have deep expertise in a field of management.

When seeking executive-level positions, DBAs’ “Dr.” titles are likely to help them stand out from their peers. DBAs can also pursue high-level positions in areas such as consulting by becoming subject-matter experts—or maintain ties with academia as full-time or adjunct professors.

DBAs’ training gives them diverse career options. The academic literature they read gives them expertise in understanding management theories that can help them analyze real-world situations and differentiate the signal from the noise. A DBA specializing in innovation can assess whether newcomers to a market pose a credible threat as a disruptive innovation to an existing company.

Students then learn advanced scientific techniques in quantitative and/or qualitative methodologies, which trains them in analyzing data to generate valid inferences that their organizations can use for decision-making purposes. Rather than relying on gut feel and graphs, DBAs can use powerful techniques such as sampling data to reduce bias, using statistical regressions to identify the strongest factors that influence an outcome, or designing an experiment to gain 100% certainty over the causal relationship between variables.

Finally, DBAs combine their business knowledge with analytical skills to design and execute original research studies, making them the world’s leading experts in particular domains.

DBAs also stand out because they represent only 2% of all people who hold higher degrees in business. In 2021, more than 250,000 students graduated with MBAs or specialist degrees in business; only 5,000 graduated with doctorates.

While a DBA may represent an attractive option that can be highly valuable to organizations today, they are not necessarily recommended for everyone.

To help you determine whether a DBA is right for you, the most important question to ask yourself centers on whether you’re satisfied with the tools and frameworks you use to analyze data and information to make important business decisions. If you’ve ever found yourself wondering where these frameworks come from—or whether there might be a better way to make decisions—consider applying to a DBA program. These programs are designed to channel deep intellectual interests and passions toward producing business knowledge that’s both theoretically novel and practically relevant.

DBA training may help you develop deeper knowledge than an MBA program will while opening doors to more ambitious careers in industry or academia. While MBA degrees are designed to meet the needs of 20th-century businesses, DBAs can help meet the needs of organizations today—and well into the future.

Learn more about how earning a DBA can help you step up your career.

How to get into Harvard Business School

So you’re thinking about applying to earn your MBA. And not just any MBA—but a degree from Harvard Business School , consistently ranked as one of the country’s elite programs .

Your application checklist is primed with a high GPA, top GMAT test scores , and professional experience to match. But each year, thousands of Harvard hopefuls don’t make the cut. The time, effort, and thought it takes to prove to Harvard that you’ve earned that coveted spot is just as rigorous as its two-year, full-time MBA program .

UNC Kenan-Flagler’s top-ranked online MBA

What sets the application process apart is its “introspective” nature, HBS officials, students, alumni, and MBA experts agree. Harvard doesn’t want to hear about how great it is, but how you, as an MBA candidate, can make it even better. 

In 2020, Harvard received 9,304 applications for its full-time MBA program and extended admission to 859 candidates (that’s a nitpicky 9% acceptance rate). What’s the secret to competing among the world’s future business leaders? 

“It’s more of an art than it is a science,” says Shaifali Aggarwal, an HBS graduate who is the founder and CEO of Ivy Groupe, an MBA admissions consulting firm.

Through interviews with current students, alumni, consultants and the HBS admissions director this article seeks to unpack the “art” of getting into Harvard Business School in 6 steps:

• Consider why you want the degree
• Don’t focus solely on test scores and GPA to carry your application
• Choose your recommenders carefully
• Tell your story
• Memorize your application & practice explaining your “whys”
• Reflect on your interview

1. Consider why you want the degree

The HBS process requires applicants to be forward-thinking. Consider not only why you’re looking to earn your MBA , but also what you’re going to do with it once you have it.

“If you know you want to go to HBS, you need to know what you will do at HBS,” says John Okemah, who was admitted in 2020. 

Harvard employs the case study method, using scenarios from real business leaders . Students debate approaches for protagonists to take in a variety of situations and challenges across multiple industries. Students tackle a whopping 500 cases during their two years at Harvard.

“As an admissions team, we’re thinking about the pedagogy and who’s going to lean into that kind of environment,” says Chad Losee, managing director of HBS MBA admissions. Cold-calling and fast-paced debates are an essential component of an HBS education. Consider whether that’s an environment where you would sink or swim.

“It can be easy to fall into the trap of applying to Harvard solely based on the name recognition,” says Ayo Ekhator, another member of HBS’s MBA class of 2023. “But I think the most successful process is had by those who take the time to both research what Harvard offers on an academic, social, and professional level and to next understand how that fits with the applicant’s goals.”

2. Don’t focus solely on test scores and GPA to carry your application

Students admitted to Harvard Business School in 2020 on average had a 3.7 undergrad GPA, 4.7 years of work experience, and a 730 median GMAT score. While these numbers can indicate success, they don’t guarantee admission. HBS students come from engineering, economics, social sciences, business/commerce, and math and physical science backgrounds, with no one undergrad program representing a majority of admitted students.

Focus on your letters of recommendation, essay, interview, and post-interview reflection. These will differentiate your candidacy.

“We’re not doing anything in an algorithmic way,” HBS admissions director Losee says. “We also see our application process as a two-way street. Those who are applying to HBS want to learn more about the school as they go through the process. And we want to learn more about the applicants.”

3. Choose your recommenders carefully

Accompanying your application are two letters of recommendation, which should illustrate HBS pillars: a habit of leadership (stepping up for yourself and others), analytical aptitude and appetite (strong academic performance), and engaged community citizenship (what you’re giving back as your success grows). Someone who’s been close enough to your work to provide constructive feedback makes the best recommender, Losee says. 

Although a good recommender could be an HBS alum, it’s more important to have someone who knows you well to speak on your behalf. 

“Don’t undervalue how important selecting the right composition of recommendation writers is,” says Tess Michaels, HBS class of 2020 and founder and CEO of Stride Funding, a platform that offers income share agreements, an alternative to traditional student loans. Having multiple letters of recommendation from one job is “less interesting to HBS than them getting to see different dimensions of you,” she adds.

Recommenders should articulate how you’ve shown leadership in an academic, professional, or extracurricular setting—or a mix of these, says Michaels, who applied under HBS’s 2+2 Program during her time in undergrad at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. The deferred program requires two years of work experience followed by two years in the regular HBS MBA Program. Its application process is identical to the traditional HBS; it’s just under a different timeline.

4. Tell your story

Admissions officers don’t ask, “Why Harvard?” 

Harvard (not so simply) asks, “As we review your application, what more would you like us to know as we consider your candidacy for the Harvard Business School MBA program?”

This isn’t something you can respond to quickly or in one sitting, Harvard students, officials, and MBA experts agree. It takes time to reflect on your past and plan your future—and to illustrate it through a well-crafted story.

“While HBS is of course looking for certain qualities, it’s really in the context of your own experiences, your perspectives, your values,” MBA consultant Aggarwal says. “It’s really important to tell your story.” And HBS values people who are not purely bookish, she adds.

“So much of what I wrote about was the power of learning by doing, which had helped me propel my career,” HBS alum Michaels says of the essay.

Critical points to hit in your essay : Why now is the right time to pursue your MBA, what your goals are, what you’re hoping to get from the program to get you where you want to be, and (in a non-generic way) why you want to earn your MBA.

Life can be very busy and fast-paced for those applying to an MBA program. Take a cue from Ferris Bueller: It’s important during the essay process to stop, take a step back, and look within to tell your story through your essay instead of approaching it as a longer version of your résumé.

“That reflection, I think, can really help you hit the ground running when you get to business school, and it can help us get to know you and what you would bring to HBS,” Losee says.

5. Memorize your application & practice explaining your “whys”

HBS typically invites one in five applicants to an on-campus interview, Losee says, and of those interviewees, about half are eventually admitted. 

Unlike other programs, only HBS admissions board members conduct interviews. And believe it or not, these officials likely spend more time preparing than you. 

Your interviewer will know your application to a T. They’ll know the classes you took your freshman year of college, where you had your first internship, in which clubs you were involved—and even where you went to high school. They know your story from your essay. 

To nail the interview is to know yourself and to justify your decisions.

“A lot of the prep was asking myself all these ‘why’ questions that I hadn’t really considered before,” Okemah says. These questions included why he worked for the company he did after graduating from Williams College and why he left that company to go to another one. Looking at his decisions from a high level and forming responses for an admissions officer made it “really tough,” he says.

Googling HBS interview questions won’t be very helpful, as every interview is tailored to the applicant. To prepare for the hot seat, memorize your application and practice explaining your “whys.”

“That’s about you and not about what was asked to someone else who submitted a different application,” Losee says.

6. Reflect on your interview

Within 24 hours of the interview, applicants must submit a follow-up letter—the last piece of the puzzle.

The post-interview reflection takes the traditional thank-you note a step further and allows applicants to have the last word, Losee says. Applicants can expand on topics addressed during their interview and bridge any gaps in their application. It’s also another opportunity for HBS to understand how applicants synthesize conversations, says Aggarwal, who counsels prospects for top MBA programs.

There’s no prescription for the structure or length of the letter, but it should be concise and reflective. It’s not something that you can prepare for since no two HBS interviews are alike.

“It’s not meant to be intimidating or prescriptive,” Losee says. “It’s not something to be overthought or overwrought.”

A final word on applying to Harvard Business School

Any MBA program is a huge investment —of both your time and money. The decision to apply could take months or years. 

Before and during the application process, do your research, speak with current students and professors, listen to information sessions and webinars, and spend time on campus. Think beyond the two years you’ll spend at HBS. Investigate industries you’re interested in pursuing and connect with HBS alum to hear their stories. 

“HBS is such an interesting process because there’s so many people every single year who have such fantastic backgrounds who are rejected,” Aggarwal says. “We can never really know exactly why. But that’s why it’s really important to just not let a decision from HBS to derail you in any way.”

See how the schools you’re considering landed in Fortune’s rankings of the best  part-time ,  executive ,  full-time ,  and  online  MBA programs.

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What do Harvard MBA graduates do? How much do they make?

Today, living HBS MBA alumni are a 47,000-strong community that contributes skills and knowledge to spur the growth and excellence of various organizations around the world, some of which they themselves launched or incubated.

Many, nearly two-thirds of them, build their careers in the US. Financial services, consulting , and technology are now the top industries for most HBS MBAs.

Whatever it is that interests them, and whatever their pursuits, HBS alumni seldom seem to ignore the question that their alma mater taught them to ask themselves: What difference will you make to the world?

For many of the around 900 MBAs who graduate every year from HBS, “making a difference” is a life mission.

Here, we look at the career paths of a few of them, some usual and some unusual.  

Life after Harvard MBA: What do HBS graduates do?

Veteran behind a start-up

A veteran management wizard who has served in top positions at Walt Disney, DreamWorks, Procter and Gamble, and eBay for many years is now the spark behind a start-up.

Meg Whitman (MBA, 1979) is the CEO of Quibi (from “Quick Bites”), a short-form mobile video platform, which hopes to transform cellphone storytelling, come April 2020.

In the venture launched by Jeffrey Katzenberg, former chairman, Walt Disney Studies, she looks for support from Tricia Lee (Head of Product, MBA 2013) and Greg Gioia (Financial Planning and Analysis, MBA 2015), among others as they race toward the deadline with a budget of $1 billion.

About all the stress and expectations, Whitman says she doesn’t feel risk the way most people do. “I think it’s because of my mom,” Red Cross Volunteer during WWII Margaret Whitman.  

Investing in society

John Paulson (MBA 1980) was a successful entrepreneur at 19, employing 50 people in his father’s home country of Ecuador.

When his business outgrew his skills, he decided to do a BS in Finance at NYU’s School of Business and went on later to HBS for MBA.

After stints at BCG and Bear Sterns, he launched his own investment fund, Paulson & Co., in 1994, which attracted $6 billion under management by 2006.

Inspired by his mother, he focuses on “giving back”: he has made a landmark contribution to the Central Park Conservancy besides supporting educational and cultural initiatives in New York.

“Central Park is the heart and soul of New York. People of all ages, income levels, races, and nationalities walk through the park every day. Everyone is smiling and it’s all free,” Paulson, for whom the HBS School of Engineering and Applied Science is named after, for his historic contribution, says.  

East to West

Before joining HBS, Thai Lee (MBA 1985) Thailand-born Korean American, had three personal targets: gain corporate experience in her 20s, launch her own company in her 30s, and have a child by 40.

She met all these goals: she worked for Procter & Gamble and American Express, took over an ailing business and gradually built it into a $5 billion tech company, SHI International, which is now headquartered in New Jersey and employs 2,300 people, and had two children, now 15 and 10.

SHI, the largest minority- and woman-owned business in the US, has 28 offices around the world and partners such as Microsoft and Dell.

Lee, who helped her elder sister overcome cancer, provides hope and care to cancer patients through her philanthropy programs.

Intensely committed to her family, Lee finds inspiration from her late father, and says she and her two sisters have “followed in his footsteps to achieve our own version of the American dream.”  

Explorer extraordinaire

Victor Lance Vescovo (MBA 1994) is a private equity investor, a co-founder of Insight Equity Holdings, and the chairman of four firms providing a range of services from precision machining to defense electronics assembly.

But Vescovo is also an undersea explorer who has travelled deeper into the sea than any human before him: he descended to 10,928 meters in the Marina Trench of the Pacific Ocean on April 28, 2019.

At the bottom of the ocean, ensconced inside a $48 million submersible vehicle built with his own money, Vescovo radioed the 200 crew members on his support ship, Pressure Drop, and the scientists who made the mission possible: “Congratulations to you all, you made this happen.”

By the way, this Harvard MBA graduate has also scaled Mount Everest at 8,484 meters.  

Race to road safety

Scaling down road-accident deaths through self-driving automation is a cause to which Dhivya Suryadevara (MBA 2003), GM’s CFO, and her company are deeply committed.

Suryadevara, who had potential annual earnings of $5 million as CFO, was named in Fortune’s “40 under 40” in 2015 and 2018.

“Building a safe, self-driving car is the greatest engineering challenge of our lifetime. I think we’re going to get there sooner than we think.”  

Empowering African artists

Helping talented artistes from Africa get to a favorable market sooner is the mission of Nana Quagraine (MBA 2008).

She has created a website, 54kibo, to provide a platform for the most talented emerging designers from the continent to unveil their work to US customers, including home and interior decorators.

“Many designers reach out to us because they appreciate our aesthetic and trust that their products will be in good company and presented well,” says Quagraine.  

Family matters

Some HBS MBAs are called upon to help their business families right after leaving school.

Nicolas Ibañez (MBA 2011) stepped in with the new skills he had gained at HBS to enable his family to manage $1.6 billion that Walmart had paid them for the sale of their Chilean supermarket chain in 2009.

A year after completing his MBA, Ibañez launched a New York-based property investment firm, Drake Real Estate Partners, which raised interest among Latin American investors and now owns assets worth $1.5 billion.

Ibañez is now looking to set up a $400 million investment fund.  

Right on the ball

Domonique Foxworth (MBA 2015) is a seven-year veteran cornerback of the National Football League of the US, former president of the NFL Players Association, and former COO of the National Basketball Players Association.

He is now an ESPN contributor and co-host of ESPN’s weekly radio show “The Morning Roast.” Foxworth retired from NFL in 2012 because he felt he would be more comfortable as a players’ union representative.

He went to HBS because he knew he was smarter than the NFL negotiators.

After MBA, he joined the corporate world as he thought that was what HBS graduates were supposed to do. But he quit when he realized that he had enough to look after his family and pursue happiness for them and for himself.

Foxworth loves to speak freely on issues that matter to people. “I don’t fear failure. You can’t be a professional cornerback and be scared to get burnt a couple of times,” he says about his latest career move.  

What are the fresh HBS MBA grads up to?

Now let’s see the first career moves that fresher HBS MBAs make after leaving school.

According to HBS statistics for the Class of 2018, the latest available, 75% of the graduates sought employment; 95% of them received offers and 89% accepted an offer.

Of the 25% who did not seek employment:

• 12% were company-sponsored students or were already employed
• 8% were starting their own business
• 2% were postponing their job search
• 1% were continuing their education
• The remaining had other reasons

Preferred sectors, salaries

Which sectors did the newly minted business brains favor?

The top three industry destinations for Harvard MBA were:

• financial services (29%)
• consulting (25%)
• technology (19%)

Following them were healthcare with 6%, manufacturing 5%, entertainment/media 4%, consumer products, services, and retail/trading 3%, and non-profit/government 2%.  

How much did the Class of 2018 make in their first jobs after graduation?

Of the 75% students of the Class of 2018 who accepted employment, the median base salary was $140,000, the median signing bonus was $25,000, and the median “other guaranteed compensation was $28,750 across all industries and functions.

Industry-wise, the biggest median salary of $150,000 went to Harvard MBAs in financial services (investment management, hedge funds , venture capital , private equity , and LBO) and consulting , as reported by students.

They were followed by those in the aero/auto/transport equipment manufacturing with $145,000 and consumer electronics technology with $140,000, software technology with $135,000, and entertainment and biomed/pharma (healthcare) with $130,000.

The top median signing bonus of $50,000 went to those who went into investment banking and sales and trading (under financial services) and consumer electronics and e-commerce (technology), followed by $35,000 in investment management / hedge fund and consumer products.

The top median “other guaranteed compensation” of $150,000 went to investment management / hedge fund along with VC/PE/LBO.  

Preferred job functions, salaries

What job function did the Class of 2018 choose?

The top five functions, chosen by the largest number of Harvard MBAs of the Class of 2018 were finance 29%, consulting 26%, general management 16%, marketing 11%, and business development and strategic planning both 8%. “Other” functions accounted for the rest.

The top median base salary of $150,000 by function went to those in consulting, investment management / hedge fund, VC/PE/LBO. They were followed by product management professionals with $137,500, then by those in business development, project management, other general management, and strategic planning with $130,000.

Harvard MBAs serving in the function of investment banking / sales & trading received the highest median signing bonus of $50,000, followed by corporate finance ($35,000), and “other general management ($30,000). The highest median “other guaranteed compensation” by function went to MBAs in investment management / hedge fund ($168,000), followed by those in VC/PE/LBO ($112,000).  

Job locations: Where do Harvard Business School graduates work?

Most of the Class of 2018 remained in the US for work (86%), 5% went to Europe, and 4% to Asia. The best place to work in terms of salary was the US with a median base salary of $142,000 (Atlanta $152,000, Washington DC and Texas $150,000, California/LA area $147,000, California Bay Area $145,000), followed by Canada with $138,500, and Europe and Asia with $125,000.  

Alumni salary, location, top skills

The average HBS MBA alumni salary three years after graduation is $205,846, according to Financial Times. The average difference between pre-MBA salary and post-MBA salary was 112%.

Payscale reports that MBA and Economics degrees from HBS earns alumni the highest salaries in the range of $300,000 (data on the career stage at which these salaries are earned isn’t available).

Other top-earning positions for HBS alumni (though the MBA degree is not specifically mentioned) include chief executive officer (medial annual salary $252,000), president ($282,000) and chief operating officer ($239,000).

At the bottom of the scale are executive directors, who make an average of $121,000.

According to Payscale, New York is a popular destination for HBS alumni. So also is Seattle, where the median annual pay for HBS alumni is $159,000. Although alumni earn the lowest pay in Washington, DC (median salary $130,000), it is a common destination. Other cities preferred are San Francisco and Boston.

Leadership skills bring 5% bigger paychecks for HBS alumni. Other skills most in demand among employers are strategic planning, project management, and financial analysis.

Also read: – What to expect as a Harvard MBA student – 16 things every Harvard Business School MBA student should know – Harvard MBA vs Stanford GSB vs Wharton MBA: Which one is right for you?   References: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18

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5 thoughts on “What do Harvard MBA graduates do? How much do they make?”

Hello I am Payal Rathore, I am doing my MBA in Paris. Will my degree be worth it at the end. Can I get a good job in India. My university name is Schiller International University. Please help me. Thank you

 Dear Sameer,

I am an IT Professional with 5.2 years of experience as an SAP Consultant. I want to pursue MBA and have been going through various MBA Programs offered at different esteemed premiere institutes. Upon some initial research, I came across, ISB PGP and ISB PGP Pro, programs. The Eligibility criteria for ISB PGP Pro on the ISB website is given as greater than 5 and lesser than 12 yrs, but on certain blogs and cover stories the best experience considered would be greater than 6/ 7 yrs. Kindly suggest would it be ideal for me to apply for ISB PGP Pro program or ISB PGP ?

Hello Sameer I have done B.com in India now I am in US and wanted to do masters in finance here can I get admission for that here?and what procedure I have to do my education pattern was 12+3 please guide

Hello sir , I am a CA FINAL student, After completing CA I want to join MBA in Finance. I have completed CFA L 1 and also looking to give FRM L1. Doing CFA and FRM will help me in MBA Admissions looking a background of CA ?

@Payal: The degree you’re aiming for isn’t ranked among the top 100. We’ve written about the value of an international degree in India here: https://www.mbacrystalball.com/blog/2016/05/20/value-foreign-mba-india/

@Nikhila: ISB PGP would be a better fit. Full-time programs from top bshcools have a better market value than their executive MBA degrees.

@Pranjali: Here’s a list of universities that accept 3-year bachelors degrees: https://www.mbacrystalball.com/blog/2018/08/06/universities-accepting-3-years-bachelors-degree-usa-canada/

@Saurav: We’ve covered the value of a CFA in MBA admissions here: https://www.mbacrystalball.com/blog/2018/07/04/cfa-in-mba-admissions/

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Is it Possible to Get My PhD After My MBA?

In academia, numerous accomplishments can be achieved. You can earn a dual degree and have expertise in multiple fields, or further your career potential by going back to school . But what about progressing from an MBA to a PhD? 

In regards to higher education, many consider earning a PhD, or doctorate degree, the pinnacle of success. Usually, due to passion for a particular industry or subject, a PhD candidate will spend years of rigorous research to unpack its intricacies and become a leading expert in the field.  At the end of their studies, they are able to finally see their work come to fruition when they receive their doctorate and join alongside other scholars. However, is it typical for an MBA graduate to move onto pursuing their PhD? And is there a specific purpose? Are there different types of PhD programs? What is the difference between a PhD and DBA?

To answer the budding question: yes, you can pursue your PhD after earning your MBA, and choosing to earn a doctorate is entirely up to you and your aspirations. To help you better understand if getting a PhD is the right choice, we look at the path an MBA graduate can take to earn their PhD, one of the higher purposes of a doctorate, and the different types of academic programs. 

What is a PhD, and What is it Used For? 

By definition, a PhD is a Doctor of Philosophy in a particular discipline, which is why it's also referred to as a doctorate. This focus is typically for individuals highly passionate about a specific subject matter, driven by the pursuit to understand it better through rigorous research. A majority of students seeking their PhD are eager researchers, although there are always exceptions, and each carries out years of highly intensive research to conclude their original thesis and earn their doctorate. 

In terms of translating your education into a career, a doctorate can be used in a plethora of fields, especially if one’s thesis is around a wider subject matter and can be a discipline applied to various industries (take organizational development, for example). For those who are passionate about a career in research, a doctoral degree is a perfect fit. Possibly the most popular field for those with a doctorate is a fruitful career in academia, teaching their subject matter to others interested in the same area. Many graduates become faculty members at business schools upon completing their PhD and provide their expertise to their students. Regardless of which industry you choose, you can be assured that a PhD will provide you with numerous opportunities. 

How Long Does it Take to Progress from an MBA to PhD?

The timeframe for earning your PhD can vary depending on program and location. Many countries have varying timelines of how long the completion of a doctoral program will take. In the United States, the average is around 4-5 years of completion after receiving your Master of Business Administration. 

Do You Need an MBA to Get a PhD?

To be accepted into a doctoral program, you must have a master’s degree. It does not have to be a Master of Business Administration, but it does need to be a master’s of some form. Depending on your area of specialization, it could be advantageous to earn your MBA in pursuit of a PhD if you are planning to embark on a career in business upon completion of your doctorate. Additionally, one important aspect to consider is the program itself. It is important to look into a program’s requirements before applying to meet the eligibility criteria. 

The Difference Between a DBA and a PhD 

For those specifically interested in a career in business, a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) is a highly beneficial doctoral program. A DBA focuses on a broader spectrum of business disciplines, dedicating research toward multiple corporate facets, and practical implementation. On the contrary, a PhD narrows into a specific area of discipline and research, emphasizing theory, and it’s potential implications. While both are heavily centered around research and implementation, a DBA sets business executives and leaders on a path to discover new possibilities for their organizations and businesses. In a way, it allows established business professionals to “trailblaze” the way for new and innovative ideas that can disrupt the market and set a precedent for the future of business.

Get Your MBA or DBA at Pepperdine Graziadio Business School

At Pepperdine Graziadio, we proudly offer degrees to accommodate business professionals at any stage of their lives and careers. Our full and part-time MBA programs are designed to prepare candidates for a successful career in values-based business leadership. All of our MBA programs offer a personalized learning approach executed by our world-class faculty. Each program is characterized by its top-ranked business curriculum that can be coupled with an academic concentration. 

Our Executive Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) program has been carefully designed for the tenured business leader looking to drive groundbreaking innovations. This rigorous program allows candidates to gain in-depth knowledge and finetune their expertise through applied research. Also, executives enjoy learning alongside changemakers in various industries and participating in exclusive opportunities available only to DBA candidates.

Learn more about which programs fit your career aspirations and academic interests.

Learn more about how to achieve your career goals with a degree from Pepperdine Graziadio Business School.

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MBA after PhD

• Updated on  
• Apr 14, 2023

A qualification, regardless of level and field of study, will never be a waste; one just needs to realize how to use it wisely and appropriately. As we navigate through life we shift our perspective and interests, our education choices, therefore, need to reflect this. Usually, students with PhD do not plan to study ahead, but MBA is an opportunity that it is not easy to let go, especially as it allows professionals to enter the corporate world with great opportunities ahead. In this blog, let us understand what it takes to study MBA after Ph.D . 

This Blog Includes:

Benefits of mba after ph.d., who earns more mba or ph.d., top mba entrance exams, top indian universities for mba, top foreign universities for mba, top 6 countries to study mba after phd.

Ph.D. armed you with tenacity, discipline, critical analysis of information, and the knowledge unparalleled by anyone else in the exact topic of your research. It qualified one as a specialist . It provides sound research focus, whereas MBA on other hand provides sound business and leadership focus.

It is understandable that a Ph.D. is the highest degree that one can have, but there is no hard and fast rule that one cannot pursue MBA after completing their Ph.D. Ph.D. might restrict you in one field and does not let you explore a job in another field. Also, some upper management positions may require some business expertise and if your Ph.D. is not based on the business field, considering MBA can give you that push in the business area. MBA after PhD not only offers great career opportunities but also guarantees a highly paid job and also lets you develop a strong professional network. MBA will offer you a wealth of advantages, especially when it’s from a well-reputed business school . There are many good reasons for pursuing MBA after PhD and here is a detailed guide about how doing an MBA can benefit your career:

• Develop advanced and flexible management skills.
• It gives you greater business network opportunities.
• It helps you make the transition from academia to industry.
• One can start their own company from scratch.

Here is a table containing general differences between an MBA and a PhD

Incorporate sector a Ph.D. holder draws an average salary of 10 Lakhs in India. Whereas with 1 to 4 years of experience, early career MBA salary in India can grow up to 7-8 Lakhs.

There are various MBA entrance exams that are open with admission opportunities in top B-School. The list for top MBA exams are given below:

• National Level: CAT , CMAT , and MAT
• International Level: GMAT, GRE , IELTS , and TOEFL
• University/College Level: XAT , SNAP , IIFT

The table below lists the application dates and exam date of top MBA exams:

When we talk about MBA in India, the first university which struck our mind is IIM. However, with time numerous universities had made it to the list of top MBA colleges. Below are the top B-Schools in India with their flagship program, entrance exams, and great salary package post-MBA.

• IIM Ahmedabad
• IIM Bangalore
• IIM Calcutta
• XLRI Xavier School of Management, Jamshedpur
• Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad
• SPIMJR, Mumbai
• IIM Kozhikode

Pursuing an MBA in a foreign university offers you the opportunity to have a globally recognized degree and explore job opportunities abroad with a higher salary, and career growth. MBA abroad requires a Bachelor’s degree and work experience for at least 4-5 years. Here we have listed some of the top universities you can consider for pursuing an MBA:

• The Wharton School, Pennsylvania
• London Business School, London (UK)
• Stanford Graduate School of Business, Stanford (MA)
• MIT Management, Cambridge (MA)
• Harvard Business School, Boston (MA)
• UC Berkeley, Berkeley (CA)
• Columbia Business School, New York
• F rankfurt School of Finance & Management, Germany
• Nanyang Technological University (NTU)

For aspirants who are planning to get an MBA degree, here is the list of best places to study MBA for a successful career in the future:

• United Kingdom
• United States

The Ph.D. is a research-oriented path, while MBA is a practice of business. Learning more about non-profit marketing through a business program might help you advance in your career.  An MBA is very general/broad in nature, it covers many subjects, most of which have an entire master’s degree path in and of itself whereas a Ph.D. is so much more about only one thing.

Leading business schools in India like IIMs, XLRI, NMIMS, etc. offer financial help to deserving candidates to complete their management studies. Different universities offer different scholarship programs for students belonging to every category. Candidates who have obtained a first degree of at least upper second class honors standard, or a second-class degree and a Master’s degree or relevant postgraduate qualification are eligible for the Ph.D. scholarships of this program.

The most basic requirement for pursuing an MBA abroad is a Bachelor’s degree from a recognized university; preferably a full-time degree from a reputed institute. The second major pre-requisite of a foreign MBA is substantial work experience of a minimum of 3-5 years.

Yes, anyone can pursue an MBA after their doctoral degree. An MBA can boost your career journey, and skills learned through MBA are geared towards the industry.  

We hope you understand that it is possible to study MBA after PhD in this blog. Follow   Leverage Edu India’s no. 1 leading educational platform for related informative blogs. Please put your comments below in the comment section. 

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What salary can you get after the harvard mba.

The typical Harvard MBA salary after graduation amounts to around $150,000 ©Harvard Business School FB

The MBA program at Harvard is one of the most prestigious in the world—but what does a Harvard MBA salary actually look like? We take a deep dive into Harvard employment data to find out

Fri May 27 2022

At nearly $150,000 for two years of tuition, the Harvard MBA is not cheap —but is it a worthwhile investment? 

According to the Harvard Business School's most recent MBA employment statistics , 96% of 2021 Harvard MBA grads received a job offer within three months of graduating. 

Not only that: the median Harvard MBA salary in 2021 was $150,000, meaning most recent graduates are likely to pay back their tuition within a year. 

Once you include signing and performance bonuses—over half of the class of 2021 received $30k and $37k on average for each—the Harvard MBA begins to look like a very lucrative choice for ambitious professionals. 

Here’s what you could earn by studying on the Harvard MBA program, broken down by industry, function, and location.

Average Harvard MBA salary by industry

Almost half of prospective MBA students target careers in consulting according to a recent Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) survey , and 17% of the current Harvard MBA class were in consulting before enrolling. 

It’s no surprise, then, that consulting is the most popular industry for grads from the top M7 business school . Around a quarter of Harvard’s MBA class graduated into consultancy roles in 2021, earning a median base salary of $165k. 

Signing and performance bonuses are also more common in consulting than other fields. Among the Harvard grads who went into the sector, 81% received a signing bonus and 75% a performance bonus, both of which were around $30k on average. 

The next most-common career path for Harvard grads was technology, with almost a fifth of MBAs entering the sector.

The median base salary for Harvard MBAs in tech was $150k, with signing and performance bonuses of $33k and $26k respectively.

Finance was the third most-popular career route for Harvard MBAs in 2021, and it was perhaps the most lucrative across the board.

Across private equity, investment and hedge fund management, and venture capital, median base salaries were at least $160k, while private equity salaries were around $150k. 

But while salaries were slightly lower than in consulting the median performance bonus for a Harvard MBA grad in private equity was a whopping $175k, the highest across all sectors.

READ: BCG, McKinsey & 25 Top Consulting Firms With The Highest Salaries

  Average Harvard MBA salary by function

Henry Paulson, former US secretary of the Treasury and CEO of Goldman Sachs, is one of Harvard Business School’s most famous alumni . With such financial pedigree among the school’s alumni, it’s no surprise that many Harvard MBAs land finance jobs after graduation. 

In fact, a third of 2021 grads took up finance roles across several industries, with 17% going into venture capital and private equity. Finance salaries held steady with an overall average of $150k, though the median signing and performance bonuses dipped below, at $26k and $21k respectively.

General Management

Harvard is the home of the MBA program, which is famously a generalist degree that prepares graduates to thrive in a variety of business contexts and general management roles.

In 2021, the school helped 11% of the cohort find roles in general management, earning a median base salary of $140k. Grads were awarded a median signing bonus of $20k, along with the promise of a median $20k performance bonus.

Marketing roles made up for 11% of Harvard’s class of 2021 graduate destinations, with 7% going into product management.

The median Harvard MBA salary for those in marketing roles was $140k—slightly higher for product managers at $144k—with median signing packages of $25k and performance bonuses of $20k.

Go to   Page 2   to find out the average Harvard MBA salary by location

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The Ph.D. Program in the Department of Economics at Harvard is addressed to students of high promise who wish to prepare themselves in teaching and research in academia or for responsible positions in government, research organizations, or business enterprises. Students are expected to devote themselves full-time to their programs of study.

The program prepares students for productive and stimulating careers as economists. Courses and seminars offered by the department foster an intellectually active and stimulating environment. Each week, the department sponsors more than 15 different seminars on such topics as environmental economics, economic growth and development, monetary and fiscal policy, international economics, industrial organization, law and economics, behavioral economics, labor economics, and economic history. Top scholars from both domestic and international communities are often invited speakers at the seminars.  The Harvard community outside of the department functions as a strong and diverse resource. Students in the department are free to pursue research interests with scholars throughout the University. Faculty of the Harvard Law School, Kennedy School of Government, and Harvard Business School, for example, are available to students for consultation, instruction, and research guidance. As a member of the Harvard community, students in the department can register for courses in the various schools and have access to the enormous library resources available through the University. There are over 90 separate library units at Harvard, with the total collections of books and pamphlets numbering over 13 million.  Both the department and the wider University draw some of the brightest students from around the world, which makes for a student body that is culturally diverse and likely unequaled in the range of intellectual interests of its members. These factors combine to add an important dimension to the educational process. Students are able to learn from one another, collaborate on research projects and publications, and form bonds that are not broken by distance once the degree is completed and professional responsibilities lead them in different directions.

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Two Years After My Harvard MBA

Lessons learned:

1. Not all Harvard MBA students are raking in the dough.

While some graduates do command incredible salaries eventually, none that I am aware of made millions their first year after school.

Furthermore, in many anecdotal cases, those who choose jobs making less money than their peers were often the happiest and found their jobs most rewarding.

2. Men still make more than women in some fields, but not all.

There is an earning variance between men and women, but it’s not universal that men make more. As you can see above, while women do make less than men in most fields, they command larger wages in non-profits and HR.

3. Prepare to hop jobs.

I changed jobs less than two years after graduation. Many of us did. Some people changed for personal reasons (geographic preference or relationships), and others moved after being exposed to unexpected opportunities for learning or places they could leverage their expanding skills. Moreover, many dozens of my peers found something amazing, unexpected, and risky, and yet were comfortable making a leap into the unknown given the confidence in their future derived in large part from graduating from HBS.

4. A Harvard MBA is not a ticket to Easy Street.

Some people believe a myth that with a Harvard MBA you can start slacking and still succeed. The truth is the opposite. No matter your education, your work ethic will be the deciding factor in your success. Someone else without your academic background may feel they have something to prove, and they could be prepared to work rings around you. Putting in the work, even after a grueling education, is still required for  success, as well as gaining the trust of others for increased responsibility and authority. Your MBA sends a powerful positive signal. But it does not show up in the morning and work. Only you can do that.

5. Your network is everything.

The combination of your proven abilities and your access to influential people in their fields matters. Regardless of the industry or function you enter, there is a strong chance that at some point early in your career another alum will be able to help you out in a meaningful manner. In my own case, a friend of a friend from HBS helped me secure a call with a potential client only a few months into my first job after school. Without his support this prospective client might have never spoken to me (as they had turned down calls with other sales representatives from my company for months). With this kind introduction a relationship was formed, and eventually a deal was closed, and later on this client was one of the largest revenue drivers for my entire business unit.

6. You don’t have to be seen as an elitist.

You can be snobby about your MBA if you want. But why? I have found that staying humble and learning from everyone is the best course of action. Using the knowledge I gained from business school to help others has made a lasting difference in both business relationships as well as personal ones. Helping a friend polish his or her resume or prepare for an interview, and then watching them get a job offer, is a pretty exciting experience.

7. Business school habits die hard.

Time management, wellness, healthy living, and a lifelong pursuit of learning and growth are all traits you can develop or refine at business school. For many (myself included), basic habits that I honed daily during HBS continue to be invaluable today in terms of maintaining balance and health. I found the two years critical  to establishing many of the building blocks in my career.

8. B-school buddies are priceless.

No one will be able to convince you that the expense of B-school , roughly $200K in direct costs at most full-time programs today (not to mention opportunity cost, which you hopefully learn about in business school), is cheap. Business School is a huge investment. However, amazing friendships that enrich your life are not an item you should put a price tag on. The unquantified items from business school — time spent reflecting, time with wonderful friends, and the forging of new relationships — will have more lasting value than you can imagine right now.

Related Resources:

•  Harvard Business School 2016 MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines •  An HBS Student Helping HBS Applicants • 2016 GMAC Alumni Perspectives Survey Report

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PhD and Master’s Students:

“This workshop is open to graduate students, but is particularly targeted at those getting ready to graduate and enter the workforce.  We strongly encourage graduating PhD and master’s students for this pilot on a new grad school-to-workforce workshop.

You have done the hard steps: finishing your degree and landing that job.

But are you ready for what’s next?

Being successful after graduate school requires more than just hard work and ambition, and the rules and expectations are often unwritten. In other words, in your next chapter…what got you here may not get you there.

In this session, we will equip you with the career management concepts and tools fundamental to successfully launching and navigating the next steps in your career.

This workshop will help you gain familiarity and approaches to managing…

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Light food, snacks and beverages will be provided.

Speaker Bio: Juliette Han is the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer at Cambrian Bio, building a portfolio of innovative drug development programs. Han was previously the Chief of Staff at Two Sigma Private Investments Group, the Private Investments division of the Two Sigma. Prior to Two Sigma, Han was a Chief Operating Officer of People – Human Resources Operations at Citadel, where she led strategic thinking behind performance and teams. Prior to Citadel, Han was Chief of Staff for McKinsey New Ventures at McKinsey & Company and a strategy consultant in the New York office’s healthcare practice. Han holds a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Harvard University, as well as an M.S. in Physiological Sciences and B.S. in Neuroscience and Physiological Science, both from UCLA. She serves on the alumni advisory council of Harvard Medical School, Division of Medical Sciences, and is a CNBC contributor and Forbes Leadership Strategy contributor.”

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