Harvard Faculty of Arts & Sciences

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

Led by Harvard Instructors and historians, you will discover China’s return to power through political, social, and economic growth in relation to other countries.

Taught by Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. with insights from actor and singer Cynthia Erivo

Learn how the Manchus conquered the Qing and established the last of the imperial dynasties.

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

Examine how cultures of the ancient world defined themselves through literature and how their vision of literature contributes to our understanding of civilization, culture, and literature today.

Examine how great modern writers capture the intricacies of our globalized world and how their works circulate within that world to find their own audiences.

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

Gain critical communication skills in writing and public speaking with this introduction to American political rhetoric.

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

Explore acts of storytelling in Shakespeare’s Othello alongside world-class artists who interpret Othello’s story in new forms and contexts today.

Learn about the development of 2D and 3D interactive games in this hands-on course, as you explore the design of games such as Super Mario Bros., Pokémon, Angry Birds, and more.

Why should we care about Confucius? Explore ancient Chinese philosophy, ethics, and political theory to challenge your assumptions of what it means to be happy, live a meaningful life, and change the world.

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.

An overview of modern Chinese history, including the fall of the Qing and the end of imperial China.

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

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.

Join Harvard faculty in this online course to discover the physical history of the Jewish bible.

Live Faculty Access, Now Included

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

Explore the impact of the conquest dynasties and the world of the Ming.

Taught by Harvard Professor Michael Sandel with insights from actor Michael B. Jordan

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

Discover what makes your brain tick in this third course in our introductory series in neuroscience.

Facilitate Learning in the Age of AI

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

Gain a foundational knowledge of American constitutional democracy while crafting your own civic voice and identity.

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

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 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.