Harvard Faculty of Arts & Sciences

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.

Explore Higher Education Teaching and its practices offered by Harvard’s Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning. Learn to create a collaborative, engaging learning environment.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

Explore what makes cities energizing, amazing, challenging, and perhaps humanity’s greatest invention.

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

An in-depth look at the 1854 London cholera epidemic in Soho and its importance for the field of epidemiology.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

Think critically about social questions such as education policy, upward income mobility, and racial disparities, and understand how big data can answer these questions as well as impact policies that lead to improved outcomes around the world.

Explore the underlying structures of everyday arguments and develop the tools to communicate effectively.

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.

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.

Explore the risks and rewards of data privacy and collection.