Humanities Courses

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

Explore the reunification of China under the Tang with a focus on aristocratic culture — from poetry to calligraphy to literature.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 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.

Explore the ethical controversies of financial markets.

Prepare your student for college-level writing now.

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

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

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

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