Free Humanities Courses

Explore the ethical controversies of financial markets.

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

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

Learn how to better understand the rich and complex ways that religions function in historic and contemporary contexts.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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