Humanities Courses

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

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.

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.

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

An exploration of the magnetic and ambivalent character of Shylock in William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice.

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

Explore the ethical controversies of financial markets.

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

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

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

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

Learn about the Quran, the central sacred text of Islam, through an exploration of the rich diversity of roles and interpretations in Muslim societies.

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

Learn about Beethoven’s monumental 9th Symphony and forms of orchestral music.

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

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

Learn how to read William Shakespeare's plays through his biography, Elizabethan and Jacobean history, and modern performance.

Build a foundational understanding of AI concepts with this course from Harvard Business School (HBS) Online.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

Study Japanese scroll art as text and as "little movies" that immerse the viewer through visual narration. 

Power and Influence for Positive Impact, a Harvard Business School (HBS) Online course, helps individuals develop their own power to gain influence and make an impact.

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.

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