Class Selection of HKS

Curriculum of MPA2

As the fall semester approaches, it has been very enjoyable to consider what courses I should take. HKS offers more than three hundred courses annually. Considering that I can take courses in other Harvard graduate schools, as well as cross-register courses in MIT and the Fletcher School of Tufts University, the options seem to be infinite. Since my program (MPA2) has no requisite courses, I can make my own two-year tailored curriculum by myself. This means that if I can make a curriculum wisely, the coming two years will be a supreme learning opportunity. On the other hand, were I to take courses without careful consideration, I would spend my two years totally in vain, with a  finger in every pot but only a shallow knowledge of many subjects.

In one semester, I can take no fewer than three classes and no more than six. MPA2 students usually average four courses per semester, completing a total of sixteen courses in two years. Looking at the syllabi of courses in HKS, I find that all the courses look intellectually stimulating. To be honest, I would like to take as many as five or six courses in a semester. At the same time, I am afraid that I would not  be able to digest any subjects if I take more than four courses in a semester, because this is my first time studying in an American graduate school, and I am not a native speaker of English.

In addition, I have to take into consideration how to balance policy-related courses and soft skills-related courses. The reason why I say this is that I chose to study at HKS because I thought I could take courses of distinguished professors in my fields of interest such as energy policy and economic policy, as well as courses on building soft skills such as leadership, negotiation and general management. I think this is one of the biggest advantages of HKS.

My Reflection on Graduate School Experience in Japan

When I look back on my graduate school days in Japan and consider which courses were impressive and taught me the most, the following three points come to my mind:

1 Having a Group-Work Exercise

Through group-work, I learned how to tackle issues as a  team and how to coordinate among people with different opinions. In addition, I deepened my understanding of subjects by discussing the issue with other group members. Moreover, I developed friendships with other group members and my social life at graduate school was enriched.

2 Having a Presentation

When I took courses which required me to make a presentation, I studied the subject hard and prepared for the presentation earnestly in order not to make a fool of myself in front of everyone. As a result, I remembered much of the content of these courses and learned a lot. Also, listening to presentations from other students allowed me to understand what my colleagues were thinking and to develop friendships.

3 A Small Class Size

In large classes, it was difficult for me to maintain my concentration during the class because I did not have many opportunities to get called on in class. On the other hand, in small classes, I could not help being actively involved and maintaining high concentration. As a result, I learned a lot from those classes. A small class size also enabled me to have close relationships with professors. In small classes, I had many opportunities to talk with professors directly and be given feedback from them.



I would like to choose courses considering the above perspective, and enrich the quality of my two-year study in HKS as much as I can.