Harvard University courses

In Rabelais and His World , Mikhail Bakhtin argues that the grotesque—the exaggerated, the excessive, the strange, and the malformed—lowers what is elevated and elevates what is low, collapsing distinctions between sacred and profane, ruler and fool, and…

This course is intended to provide a thorough introduction to the poetry of Archaic Greek lyric. Readings cover the major Archaic Greek lyric poets, from Archilochus through Bacchylides and Pindar. Over the course of the semester, students become proficient…

This advanced fiction-writing course focuses on writing thrillers—dark, engrossing, and suspenseful plot-driven stories involving the push and pull between protagonist and antagonist. The course is intended for students who want to write a thriller novel; it…

This course tackles one of the most urgent questions in global politics today: what should societies do after mass violence, civil war, or state repression? Focusing on truth and reconciliation commissions as a central tool of transitional justice, we explore…

This course helps business professionals improve their writing so that they are better equipped to accomplish their educational and professional goals. Students practice some of the essential forms of business writing, including e-mail messages, cover…

This course is designed for students seeking preparation for EXPO E-25 and for others wanting to review such basics of academic argument as thesis, evidence, and structure. Short writing assignments help students develop the skills essential for producing…

The goal of this course is to introduce abstract mathematical thought and formal proof writing. We begin by introducing logic and proof strategies, with emphasis on proofs related to sets, relations, functions, and elementary number theory. Then, we study…

Our brains make us what we are. How did they get that way? How are they different from other animals' and how are they similar? This course explores the structure and function of the modern human brain and examines the selective pressures that have impacted…

Geometry is about symmetry, shape, and space. This course emphasizes mathematical reasoning and the role of mathematical discourse in geometry classrooms. Our explorations begin with the classic work on geometry, Euclid's The Elements . We study straightedge…

During the early modern period, episodes of feverish witch hunts gripped both Britain and America. In this interdisciplinary course, students explore three of the most infamous and well-documented witch crazes, specifically: North Berwick, Scotland in 1590;…

What is the connection between physical and mental health? How does this relationship affect our performance, potential for disease development, and overall wellness? Drawing on research from historical, philosophical, psychological, and medical perspectives,…

This course explores injury analysis and the determination of trauma etiology and mechanics. Starting with an examination of injury and emergency department tables from the Centers for Disease Control, students move on to case analyses and self and team-run…

What do babies know about the world? How does that early knowledge transform into the rich, complex thinking of older children and adults? And how do scientists answer these questions? This course covers several of the big topics in developmental psychology.…

This course is a broadly-based investigation into the psychological, sociological, and literary functions of laughter and humor. Socrates notoriously never got around to explaining how comedy and tragedy are actually two versions of the same thing (like the…

This intensive poetry workshop offers students the opportunity to further develop their aptitude and affinity for the practice of writing in verse lines. In this case verse is understood to mean any and all forms of writing in lines as opposed to prose…

Although nature often appears as the most fixed and self-evident category in social and political thought, its meaning, like other foundational concepts, has been historically constructed and politically contested. This course examines how ideas of nature…

This course examines the foundations and applications of sustainable economic growth, with an emphasis on public value, development finance, inequality, and place-based policy. Students engage with theoretical and empirical frameworks to understand how cities…

This course is meant to follow CREA E-597 , in which students built the imaginative world of their books and produced the first story or chapter of them. In this workshop, students write two additional chapters or stories, or approximately 30 pages of new…

The First World War was one of the largest and most devastating conflicts the world has ever seen. It was also one of the first wars that was waged across the entire earth—from Europe to Africa, China, and the Middle East. This course examines the First World…

"All men would be tyrants if they could." You would have seen this on many bumper stickers in 1776 if there were such things. How did the Revolutionary generation address this problem of power? How did they create a system which would protect individual…

In the last ten years, many new discoveries were made about the origin and initial development of Mahayana Buddhism. This course aims at reading major Mahayana texts against the historical and archeological background of Buddhism in ancient India, and by…

War hardly seems to be the best setting for love stories. Nonetheless, Homer's Iliad puts the criminal love of Helen and Paris front and center in his tale of the Trojan War and Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace foregrounds the unlikely love of Pierre Buzukhov for…

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…

Infrastructures make their social impact felt in a variety of ways, including through the technologies they use, the materials from which they are made, and their sensory and aesthetic presence in our everyday lives. What does a bridge do besides allow a…

This course equips a broad spectrum of professionals—including clinic staff, faculty members seeking to update their expertise, physicians and providers, technology leaders, and start-up executives—with a strategic framework to harness artificial intelligence…

This course is meant to follow CREA E-597a , in which students developed the dramatic world of their projects and wrote the opening pages of their screenplay or television pilot episode. In this workshop, students continue to write, building on the work begun…

This course prepares secondary mathematics teachers to design and implement equitable, responsive remediation and intervention in their own classrooms. Participants examine root causes of mathematics learning challenges and analyze gaps between instructional…

This course is meant to follow CREA E-597 , in which students built the imaginative world of their books and produced the first story or chapter of them. In this workshop, students write two additional chapters or stories, or approximately 30 pages of new…

This course surveys the archaeology of China from the Paleolithic (circa one million years before present) up to and including the Shang Dynasty (circa 1050 BC), with an emphasis on great transitions in human history. The course focuses both on specific,…

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 treats human resources (HR) as a core strategic lever rather than an administrative function. We focus on aligning human capital strategy with organizational goals across the employee life cycle, including workforce planning, talent acquisition,…

Looking at the world around us, we see computers solving problems on incredibly large scales: finding webpages relevant to our internet searches and returning them in sorted order, computing the quickest way to reach a destination given current traffic…

This course equips students with the skills to utilize artificial general intelligence (AGI) tools to create professional-quality media content. Whether students are beginners or have experience in media production, this course guides them through the entire…

This course is designed to strengthen students' command of Spanish across four basic skills: listening, reading, speaking and writing. Through authentic materials such as websites and film, students explore key cultural themes from the Spanish-speaking world.…

This proseminar is designed to teach students many of the science writing, data interpretations, and analytical skills that are required to succeed in graduate-level courses in the life sciences. Through critical reading and presentation of research articles,…

This proseminar is designed to teach students many of the science writing, data interpretations, and analytical skills that are required to succeed in graduate-level courses in the life sciences. Through critical reading and presentation of research articles,…

How would you choose the ideal worker out of 400 applicants? Is it possible to predict employee motivation? Are virtual teams more effective than in-person teams? Questions like these can be answered through the help of industrial and organizational (I/O)…

This course builds upon the foundation established in GERM E-1a , further enhancing proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The curriculum progresses from structured exercises focused on refining grammar and syntax to more creative and…

Great design begins with a deep understanding of the humans it serves. Every digital experience a designer puts into the world—whether a product interface, a video experience, a learning environment, or a piece of interactive media—succeeds or fails on…

Offered by Harvard University, the Strategic Speech Communication for Scientists course equips participants with advanced communication strategies tailored for scientific professionals. This Emerging/Needs Review category program focuses on enhancing public…

Harvard University's Introduction to Systems Engineering course offers a rigorous exploration of the Emerging / Needs Review field, designed to equip students with foundational knowledge and practical skills. This program delves into systems thinking, design…

This course is the culmination of the Master of Liberal Arts, cybersecurity, where student teams execute their capstone proposal from CSCI E-597b . It gives students the opportunity to collaborate with industry partners and other students on complex capstone…

Why do sports move us so deeplymdash;bringing ecstasy, heartbreak, devotion, and even a sense of transcendence? Why do athletes and fans speak of sacrifice, faith, destiny, and redemption in language that often sounds religious? This course explores sports as…

This course covers the following topics: solving systems of linear equations; matrices and linear transformations; image and kernel of a linear transformation; matrices and coordinates relative to different bases; determinants; eigenvalues and eigenvectors;…

This course is a continuation of BIOS E-65c . Students gain a functional understanding of the systems of the body and the structure and function of the tissues that comprise them. Using real-life clinical scenarios, students use their newfound basic science…

This course presents the basic analytical tools of microeconomics. We start by looking at the decision-making of individual consumers and ask how these decisions can be optimized or improved. Next, we look at the ways firms make and coordinate their decisions…

Explore how museums are at the forefront of digital innovation, integrating cutting-edge technologies to enhance visitor experiences and operational efficiency. This course delves into the transformative impact of emerging technologies such as augmented…

This course provides students with the opportunity to complete a capstone project related to their professional interests. Capstone projects can include an analysis of a compelling and hotly debated issue within the field of museum studies or, perhaps,…

In this comprehensive and practical introduction to marketing management, students improve their ability to make effective marketing decisions, including assessing marketing opportunities and developing marketing strategies and implementation plans. Course…

This course introduces students to the demands and conventions of academic reading and writing. It focuses on analyzing texts, building effective arguments, and using evidence and secondary source material. Instruction on the stages of the writing process,…