If you are ready to make a career move now, we have a path for you. McKinsey is actively seeking APD candidates for our Class of 2026 Associate cohort.

Eligibility: graduated or plan to graduate by October 2026
Deadline: June 26, 2026

All applicants should be able to start in the role this calendar year.

If you're completing your advanced degree program in 2027 and are interested in learning more about McKinsey through events, newsletters and other recruiting activities, please complete our Connect with APD 2026 Interest Form.

Catalyze connections and start networking with

• current McKinsey consultants and firm leaders
• representatives from our offices in North America and across the globe
• affinity networks including Access McKinsey, Asians at McKinsey, the McKinsey Black Network, Equal, the Hispanic and Latino Network, Indigenous at McKinsey, Prism, Veterans@McKinsey, and Women at McKinsey
• a peer network of fellow students from APD programs across the US and Canada

Prepare for the recruiting season and your McKinsey journey through

• a sneak peek of 2027 Associate opportunities and guidance on navigating the recruiting process
• Resume workshops, to support you having the best version of your experiences.
• chats and check-ins with your McKinsey recruiters
• priority access to our innovative assessment game, Solve

For now, we encourage you to register to “Connect with APD 2026” - so you can explore and have time to understand the recruiting details. But in case you’d like to have more visibility of roles and graduation dates, see below.

• Graduating before November 2026: Apply to our Associate role by June 26, 2026. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.
• Graduating between December 2026 - Fall 2027: The full-time Associate deadline will be August 11, 2026. Please apply between July 1 and August 11 for consideration. Applications will be processed after the deadline.
• Graduating after Fall 2027: Thanks for connecting with us early! Your application deadline will be in 2027

Please note - while we ask you to indicate your office preferences as part of the application, please know that this is not a final decision. You will have the opportunity to update your preferences later as you learn more about the firm. Similarly, it’s okay if your resume isn’t in its final form—you can always refine it later. We encourage you to apply with the information you have now, and we’ll support you in exploring your options and refining your application along the way.

Advanced Professional Degree (APD) represents candidates who are postdocs or working toward the following degrees: PhD, MD (including medical interns, residents and fellows), JD, PharmD, Nursing, and non-MBA Masters. APDs typically join us as full-time associates. They can work as generalists or expert consultants if they have a specific function or industry on which they would like to focus such as digital, analytics, or operations.

Non-MBA Master candidates must have at least four years between the completion of their undergraduate degree and graduate degree to qualify as an APD. If a non-MBA Masters candidate does not have four years between completion of their undergraduate and graduate degrees, they would qualify for our Business Analyst position.

We encourage APD candidates to explore all job openings—consulting or non-consulting—that fit their professional interests and academic or research expertise. These roles include data scientists, software engineers, product managers, data engineers, designers, agile coaches, digital marketers, and a variety of other positions.