Humanities Courses

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

Prepare your student for college-level writing now.

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

Traces Albert Einstein’s engagement with relativity, quantum mechanics, Nazism, nuclear weapons, philosophy, the arts, and technology.

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

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.

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.

Reimagine global health problems with some of the leading global health thinkers and actors through a case-based biosocial framework.

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

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

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 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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