Harvard University courses

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…

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…

As the media landscape continues to shift, podcasting has evolved to become one of the most popular, accessible, and engaging ways to reach audiences. With their low barrier to entry, podcasts provide everything from news to drama to comedy and beyond for…

This course is designed primarily for graduate students of humanities who wish to acquire a reading knowledge of Ukrainian for research purposes. A variety of texts from different fields are used to allow students to learn about Ukrainian culture and history…

This course is an introduction to differential and integral calculus in one variable. The course begins with a study of limits and derivatives, and culminates with the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus as well as some integration techniques. The topics covered…

Harvard University's Physics I (Lab): Mechanics, Elasticity, Fluids, and Diffusion course offers an in-depth exploration of fundamental physical principles within the Emerging/Needs Review category. Through hands-on laboratory experiences, students analyze…

Harvard University's Business Rhetoric course delves into the art of persuasive communication in professional settings, a pivotal skill in today's dynamic business landscape. As part of our Emerging/Needs Review category, this program equips students with…

The thesis is an opportunity to work with an assigned thesis director on a software engineering research project that may involve requirements gathering and prototype development to evaluate the research hypotheses. You emerge from the thesis process with a…

Off-premise or cloud services, infrastructure, and computing have replaced in-house data centers across businesses of every size. Businesses rely on cloud services because of their extremely high efficiency, ease of setup, and their ability to scale with…

This course is the first of a four-part sequence intended to introduce the student to the language and world of classical Greece. The main goal of the course is to provide the student with a comprehensive introduction to the classical Greek language. Students…

Real estate development is the process by which ingenuity and financial capital are transformed into the built environments that shapes our cities and lives. This course takes students through the real estate development process. Starting with inception…

In just over two decades, George Saunders has achieved the kind of literary prominence that eludes most writers for life. Widely recognized as the best short-story writer in English alive today, Saunders has won the Man Booker Prize, the National Book Award,…

The study of artificial intelligence (AI) and human cognition is a rapidly evolving and interdisciplinary field. It spans computer science, statistics, and big data, as well as cognitive science, psychology, and philosophy. As a transformative technology, AI…

This course provides students with a deep understanding of the strategic, economic, and financial aspects related to mergers and acquisitions (M&A). We explore the entire M&A process, from identifying potential targets to post-deal integration. The course…

Should we pursue happiness, and if so, what is the best way to do it? This course critically assesses the answers to these questions given by thinkers from a wide variety of different places, cultures, and times, including Stoicism, Epicureanism, Buddhism,…

This tutorial helps students develop an academically strong thesis proposal. During the semester, they map critical issues of project design such as scope, background, methodology, and expected outcomes. Students are encouraged to contact their research…

Traumatic experiences vary in part due to the different adversities and experiences people from diverse cultures throughout the world face. And even though most of our understanding of psychological trauma is built on samples found in western, educated,…

This course is designed for students seeking preparation for EXPO E-25 , which is a course required for admission to the undergraduate program at the Harvard Extension School . Students review such basics of academic argument as thesis, claims, evidence, and…

The public increasingly relies on instant news and artificial intelligence (AI) overviews for information, but there is one human enterprise that still cuts through the noise: storytelling. Students learn to craft feature stories for top-tier outlets by…

This course prepares students to write their Master of Liberal Arts (ALM) capstone project. We read British and American novels across three centuries that reflect and shape the historical moment of their creation, with particular focus on the gothic novel,…

This course provides a comparative analysis of political corruption in rich and poor countries around the world. Why do countries vary in the extent of corruption they experience and with what consequences? This course explores this question using empirical…

This course builds on CSCI E-101 , giving students a solid foundation for advanced data modeling, machine learning, and artificial intelligence (AI). The focus of this course is data exploration and inference methods for understanding and interpreting complex…

This course is a variant of Harvard College's introduction to computer science, CS50, designed especially for business professionals. Whereas CS50 itself takes a bottom-up approach, emphasizing mastery of low-level concepts and implementation details thereof,…

The personal essay inspires both readers and writers to discover new perspectives for looking at the world, to understand their own lives, and to discover meaning. Personal essays educate and illuminate readers through stories of overcoming obstacles, facing…

This course helps develop the skills to design, fund, and implement renewable energy projects in the United States and around the world. It is aimed at anyone who would like to understand the relationship between energy and the environment, but is…

The cold war was the crucible by which the United States was transformed into a global superpower and laid the basis for the national security state. The ideological and geopolitical competition between the United States and the Soviet Union shaped the global…

This course considers some of the ways that scholars, artists, and activists have attempted to address key problems in the study of Black life and slavery in the early Americas, especially the early United States. Namely, how can one begin to tell the story…

Including a visit to two local historic house museums to use as models, this course features a hands-on approach to understanding the methodologies from strategy to practice that house museums and small cultural institutions employ to attract and engage a…

Harvard University's Advanced Practical Data Science course delves into the rapidly evolving field of data science, categorized under Emerging/Needs Review. This rigorous program equips students with cutting-edge techniques and hands-on experience, preparing…

In this course, students dive deep into the craft of writing a compelling television pilot for an episodic series. With focus on structure, character development, and pacing, the course guides students through the essentials of creating an engaging story that…

Harvard University's Case Studies in Biotechnology course delves into the dynamic field of Emerging / Needs Review, offering students an in-depth exploration of cutting-edge biotechnological advancements. This rigorous academic program examines real-world…

Harvard University's Qualitative Organic Chemistry: Virtual Laboratory course offers an immersive exploration into the Emerging/Needs Review category, focusing on practical applications and theoretical foundations. This program provides students with hands-on…

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 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…

This course covers the basic principles of public speaking. Students learn how to handle nerves, organize and deliver a formal presentation, and use verbal and non-verbal communication to connect with their audience. During the course, students learn to use…

There is a saying that culture eats strategy for breakfast, meaning that no strategy can succeed if it is not supported by an organization's culture. Many senior executives want to change the culture of their organizations, yet the popular press tells us that…

Today's professionals understand that to achieve career success they need to know what they want and to be able to negotiate effectively to get it. However, studies show that many people on their career journey are unclear about what they want and why they…

The capstone course is designed for students whose research projects focus on video production and web development, front-end design, or emerging technologies. Students apply knowledge and skills obtained in the program to design a significant individual or…

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.…