Humanities Courses

Explore the fundamental principles that guide ethical decision-making within health care environments: patient autonomy, the obligation to do good, the obligation to avoid harm, and justice.

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.

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

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

Learn how global warming impacts human health, and the ways we can diminish those impacts.

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

Learn how American women created, confronted, and embraced change in the 20th century while exploring ten objects from Radcliffe’s Schlesinger Library.

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.”

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

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

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.

Learn how businesses thrive and grow while simultaneously solving some of the world's biggest challenges in this course from Harvard Business School (HBS) Online.

Learn about the forces in American politics that seek to influence the electorate and shift the political landscape.

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.

Build a viable, valuable tech venture that can profitably scale in this course from Harvard Business School (HBS) Online.

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

Learn about the Qin and Han dynasties, and how Buddhism and ideas of self-realization influenced the medieval period.

Learn how early American politics informed the U.S. Constitution and why its promise of liberty and equality has yet to be fully realized.

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.

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.

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.

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

This course examines the Sikh scripture from a doctrinal and historical perspective by providing an overview of Sikh teachings as well as the historical context within which the scripture evolved and became canonized.

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.

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

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

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