Humanities Courses

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

Explore acts of storytelling in Shakespeare’s Othello alongside world-class artists who interpret Othello’s story in new forms and contexts today.

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.

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

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

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.

Join the first Harvard University–affiliated continuing education course in sports cardiology and gain practical, case-based insights that empower you to deliver evidence-driven care to athletes and active individuals across every level of performance.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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