Harvard University courses

This proseminar introduces students to basic behavioral science research methods in psychology and anthropology. It teaches them how to read and evaluate research papers and translate their ideas into viable research projects. Topics include library and…

In order to understand both the causes of Russia's war on Ukraine and the drivers of Ukraine's ongoing resistance, we must look beyond great power politics and examine the changes in Ukrainian politics and society since independence in 1991. How did Ukraine…

In a world defined by rapid change and complexity, leadership demands more than just authority—it requires insight, adaptability, and the ability to inspire. This course is both dynamic and interdisciplinary, empowering students to explore the science and…

This course examines the leadership, operational, and curatorial frameworks that define forward-thinking museums and cultural centers. Through seminars, case studies, workshops, and applied projects, students explore innovative approaches that sustain…

This course covers the following topics: calculus of functions of several variables; vectors and vector-valued functions; parameterized curves and surfaces; vector fields; partial derivatives and gradients; optimization; method of Lagrange multipliers;…

Matrices provide the algebraic structure for solving myriad problems across the sciences. We study matrices and solutions to systems of linear equations as part of understanding linear transformations and general linear spaces. Using the notions of…

This course offers a practical, end-to-end framework for transforming biotechnology discoveries into viable commercial ventures. Students learn how to identify unmet medical needs, develop intellectual property strategies, form and structure biotechnology…

This is a practical software engineering course on building a minimum viable product or service from an interactive prototype for a mobile or web application, using agentic artificial intelligence (AI) development tools to make professional-grade software…

This course is for writers, journalists, communications specialists, and others interested in harnessing artificial intelligence in the rapidly evolving field of media and communications. It provides a wide overview of contemporary practices and industry…

In this course, students survey important contributions to modern American environmental literature. From the gritty social realism of the early 1900s to the post-pastoral lyricism of the early 2000s, we consider the diverse ways in which Americans have…

As sustainability shifts from an afterthought to the core of business, leaders need to make sound, evidence-based decisions about sustainability projects and initiatives. During this course, students develop the strategic, financial, and change-leadership…

The oceans contain 97 percent of the Earth's water, and host the most disparate ecosystems on the planet. This course provides an introduction to deep sea ocean habitats, animals, and microorganisms. Emphasis is placed on the physiological adaptations of…

Public humanities is a new field that happens whenever humanities scholarship interacts with public life. It starts with the interpretive thoughts and conversations that happen in our daily lives, on the internet, at the dinner table, in classrooms, on…

Schizophrenia is a neuro-developmental disorder that approximately one percent of people experience during their lives. Schizophrenia can be profoundly disabling, and even for people who are able to be very high functioning (for example, Professor Elyn Saks),…

This course explores how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the world of entrepreneurship, making it easier to launch and grow businesses. Students learn how to use AI-driven tools to streamline everything from product development to marketing.…

This course helps students develop critical thinking, scholarly writing skills, and research abilities while developing their individual thesis proposals. Class meetings feature lectures and discussions on different scientific approaches, group discussions,…

This is an introductory course in theoretical computer science, aimed at giving students the power of using mathematical abstraction and rigorous proof to understand computation. Thus equipped, students are able to design and use algorithms that apply to a…

This tutorial helps students execute academically strong and professionally successful internships. During the semester, students submit weekly reflections, schedule bi-weekly meetings, and submit drafts of the final reflection paper. Students are encouraged…

This course introduces economic, financial, and risk-based frameworks for managing complex engineering systems. Students learn to link economic theory with financial modeling, assess trade-offs, and optimize engineering investments. Key topics include…

This course fills a critical gap in biotechnology (biotech) education by explaining how commercial decision-making shapes the success of biotech and pharmaceutical companies. Students gain a practical understanding of how marketing, market analytics, and…

This course provides an overview of economic tools and analytic approaches available to the manager for business decision-making. It includes such topics as pricing, forecasting, demand analysis, production and cost analysis, and macroeconomic policy as it…

How do we know how humans evolved? This course investigates the evidence and methods used to reconstruct human evolution. We review eight million years of evolutionary history, focusing on the origins of defining features of our species such as bipedalism,…

This course introduces the basic principles, methods, and challenges of modern managerial accounting. It covers traditional topics such as job-order costing, cost-volume-profit analysis, budgeting and variance analysis, profitability analysis, relevant costs…

This course introduces the generally accepted principles that govern an entity's financial accounting system and the income statement and balance sheet that are the principal end products of the system. Students learn how accounting information is used to…

This course introduces students to fundamental concepts underlying the behavior of organic compounds, as well as common laboratory techniques undertaken to explore them. Emphasis is placed on physical properties (melting/boiling points, solubility, and…

In November of 1978, 909 members of the idealistic People's Temple perished in the jungles of Guyana after being pressured by their leader into drinking poison. On March 26, 1997, 39 followers of the Heaven's Gate cult died in a mass suicide, sincerely…

This is an intensive creative writing course for serious memoir writers ready to tackle one of the genre's most powerful—and difficult—topics: family. What are the ethics of writing about your parents, siblings, children, and other loved ones? How can you be…

Short films are an exciting and ever-evolving form of storytelling. This course explores the strong tradition short films have in our culture, as well as the new and innovative techniques filmmakers are currently using to tell and distribute their stories. In…

This course trains students in the skills of critically engaging the scholarly literature in their field of study. They learn how to assess the presuppositions, argumentation, methodology, evidence, and conclusions of scholarly writing in their discipline.…

Oral histories are sources that offer perspectives, life experiences, and ways of knowing that official written records can overlook or actively seek to erase from the historical record. This course explores the methods, theories, practices, and controversies…

This course provides a holistic framework for understanding and managing systemic risks in urban environments. Drawing from integrated lenses of sustainability, disaster resilience, and public health, the course moves from foundational theory to applied…

Data science, artificial intelligence (AI), and creative systems are transforming how organizations make decisions, generate content, and interact with the world. These technologies operate across a full stack—from data collection and model development to…

Despite attempts to mitigate today's largest global challenges, including climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution and waste, wealth and income inequality, social polarization and geopolitical conflict, and economic precarity and financial fragility, what…

This intensive workshop-style course is for strong writers who wish to write creative nonfiction—that is, nonfiction prose that makes use of literary techniques to tell true stories—but who have little formal experience with the genre. We read exemplary works…

Artificial intelligence (AI) is fundamentally reshaping management consulting, creating both unprecedented opportunities and existential challenges for the industry. This course equips students to thrive in this transformation by understanding how AI is…

Harvard University presents 'The Essay,' a foundational course in Writing & Literature designed to master the art of essay composition. Through critical analysis and practical exercises, students will enhance their writing proficiency, learning to craft…

There have always been tales of sea monsters. For as long as we humans have ventured into the ocean, our imaginations have conjured images of serpents, krakens, leviathans, and other creatures, all of whom seem bent on the destruction of those who dare set…

This course introduces economic, financial, and risk-based frameworks for managing complex engineering systems. Students learn to link economic theory with financial modeling, assess trade-offs, and optimize engineering investments. Key topics include…

Harvard University offers an engaging course on Video Storytelling for Social Media, designed for aspiring professionals in the field of Marketing & Communications. This course delves into advanced techniques for crafting compelling narratives, leveraging…

This course introduces the basic concepts and theories of ethics and applies them to some of the most widely discussed issues of the day. Students examine ethical issues that arise in a biomedical context, such as euthanasia, eugenics, reproductive control,…

Students learn and practice the fundamentals of writing fiction—character, plot, dialogue, description, style—in a workshop setting. By discussing and analyzing published short fiction (our list may include such writers as James Baldwin, Junot Diaz, and…

This is an intensive course in the craft and analysis of prose from a writer's perspective. The focus of this course is to teach prose writers how to read well. Students explore the potential and possibilities of different approaches to writing, and, by the…

This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the concept and types of negotiation. It is designed for students who wish to manage individual and organizational conflict and negotiations more effectively based on the premise that those in management…

This course examines global history from the colonization of the Americas to the end of the cold war through a normative lens, using the admission timeline of the 193 United Nations (UN) member states as a framework. Students explore the historical…

This course aims to provide students with an overview of issues relating to the relationships between digital technologies, politics, and law. It also introduces students to theoretical frameworks for examining the mutually interactive relationships between…

The digital age has arrived. The fourth industrial revolution—driven by artificial intelligence (AI) combined with a fusion of cutting-edge technologies—is blurring the boundaries between the physical and digital worlds. Accelerated by the recent pandemic,…

While a near consensus has been reached on the existence and impact of climate change, the question now turns to what can be done to address the problem. Sustainability challenges increasingly offer unparalleled opportunities for innovative solutions. This…

This course aims to introduce student to normative, ethical, and philosophical debates around the place of science and technology in human societies. Political theory brings a specific set of questions, problems, approaches, and conceptual tools for thinking…

This course explores how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the world of entrepreneurship, making it easier to launch and grow businesses. Students learn how to use AI-driven tools to streamline everything from product development to marketing.…

Mathematical models are ubiquitous, providing a quantitative framework for understanding, prediction, and decision-making in nearly every aspect of life, ranging from the timing of traffic lights, to the control of the spread of disease, to resource…