Free Courses

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

Join Harvard University instructor Pavlos Protopapas in this online course to learn how to use Python to harness and analyze data.

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

A human-centered approach to the fundamentals of cell biology with a focus on the power plants of the cell - mitochondria.

Take your introductory knowledge of Python programming to the next level and learn how to use Python 3 for your research.

Develop skills in digital research and visualization techniques across subjects and fields within the humanities.

Increase your quantitative reasoning skills through a deeper understanding of probability and statistics, with the engaging “Fat Chance” approach that’s made this course a favorite among learners worldwide.

Learn about the Earth, life, and how we can search for life elsewhere in the universe.

Discover Handel’s Messiah in this installment of First Nights, which will explore five masterpieces of western music.

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.

An overview of divination systems, ranging from ancient Chinese bone burning to modern astrology.

Learn about Claudio Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo, one of the first operas ever written.

Learn the skills and tools of improvement science to make positive changes in health, healthcare, and your daily life.

  Demonstrate your chemistry knowledge in the final exam.  

Learn about China’s origins, its integral early thinkers, and competing states and schools of thought.

Apply tools of single-variable calculus to create and analyze mathematical models used by real practitioners in social, life, and physical sciences.

Learn the fascinating history of Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, one of the most challenging and rewarding ballets ever written.

This introduction to moral and political philosophy is one of the most popular courses taught at Harvard College.

Learn about Christianity through a study of its sacred scriptures. We will explore how diverse Christians have interpreted these writings and practiced their teachings over a 2000 year, global history.

Explore and understand your own theories of learning and leadership.

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

Study Baroque and Classical opera through Handel’s Giulio Cesare and Mozart’s Don Giovanni

Learn about the key beliefs and practices of Judaism through an examination of its sacred texts and their interpretation.

Explore how entrepreneurship and innovation tackle complex social problems in emerging economies.

Learn about Hector Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique, an iconic Romantic symphony that ushered in an era of narrative “program music.”

Explore the ethical controversies of financial markets.

Learn about the opioid epidemic in the United States, including information about treatment and recovery from opioid addiction.

Learn to use R programming to apply linear models to analyze data in life sciences.