Humanities Courses

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

Explore the ethical controversies of financial markets.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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