Free Courses

An introduction to the intellectual enterprises of computer science and the art of programming.

Learn how to protect children from violence, exploitation, and neglect through law, policy, and practice in a human rights framework.

This introduction to biochemistry explores the molecules of life, starting at simple building blocks and culminating in complex metabolism.

Explore the reunification of China under the Tang with a focus on aristocratic culture — from poetry to calligraphy to literature.

Gain an understanding of history, museum studies, and curation by looking at, organizing, and interpreting art, artifacts, scientific curiosities, and the stuff of everyday life.

Combine literary research with data science to find answers in unexpected ways. Learn basic coding tools to help save time and draw insights from thousands of digital documents at once.

Learn about the rich diversity of Hindu sacred texts – hymns, narratives, philosophical thought – and their interpretations.

An exploration of the haunting figure at the heart of one of William Shakespeare’s most famous plays.

Perform RNA-Seq, ChIP-Seq, and DNA methylation data analyses, using open source software, including R and Bioconductor.

Embark on a global journey to explore the past, present, and future of world literature.

Explore the birth of modern China with a focus on the time between the fall of the Qing and the end of World War II.

Learn how to protect your own data, devices, and systems from today's threats.

A quantitative introduction to the energy system and its environmental impacts.

Learn how a Culture of Health can transform your business by integrating worker, customer, community, and environmental well-being for sustainable success.

Learn about the rich and diverse beliefs and practices of Buddhists across time and place. Experience Buddhism through its scriptures, both relationally as well as academically.

HKS Executive Education and Harvard's John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences present a webinar featuring Harvard faculty Martin Wattenberg and Fernanda Viégas.

Watch an information session featuring award-winning actress and PLC alumna Uzo Aduba.

Learn what is involved in using data wisely to build a culture of collaborative inquiry. 

Learn the principles guiding humanitarian response to modern emergencies, and the challenges faced in the field today.

An introduction to the study of bioethics and the application of legal and ethical reasoning.

Explore China’s imperial period, with a focus on the Song dynasty and the role of the exam system in government.

Explore the archaeology, history, art, and hieroglyphs surrounding the famous Egyptian Pyramids at Giza. Learn about Old Kingdom pharaohs and elites, tombs, temples, the Sphinx, and how new technology is unlocking their secrets.

Top chefs and Harvard researchers explore how everyday cooking and haute cuisine can illuminate basic principles in chemistry, physics, and engineering. Learn about food molecules and how chemical reactions can affect food texture and flavor.

Explore the Maoist period of China, from the Communist Party to the death of Mao and the reopening of China.

Use the case study method to study China from the rise of Deng Xiaoping to the present.

Contracts are a part of our everyday life, arising in collaboration, trust, promise and credit. How are contracts formed? What makes a contract enforceable? What happens when one party breaks a promise?

Examine best practices in child and family policies, advocacy, financing, and pathways to scale.

Explore the roles that microbes play in the production, preservation, and enhancement of diverse foods in a variety of culinary traditions, and learn about the history of food fermentations.

Explore the ethical controversies of financial markets.

Learn how to use decision trees, the foundational algorithm for your understanding of machine learning and artificial intelligence.