Harvard online courses: Learn how to access quality training for free.
Harvard online courses have helped millions of people around the world expand their knowledge and improve their professional practices in numerous areas.
In fact, the academic offer of this prestigious university is really wide and you can take advantage of it impressively.
Best of all, its programs are taught by highly trained professors and professionals to ensure comprehensive learning for students.
Today we will tell you which are the most popular and appealing Harvard online courses, as well as sharing more interesting details about this house of studies.
We will talk about its foundation and you will also learn why it is so important and influential in the academic and professional world in today’s society.
The history of Harvard University and edX
Named after its first benefactor, clergyman John Harvard, it was founded in 1636, and is considered the oldest university in the entire United States.
At present, it tops the list of the most important and prestigious universities in the world due to the quality of its education, along with the impact that its graduates have on modern society.
In 2012, in conjunction with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), it founded the platform of open, massive and online courses, known as edX.
The main purpose of this initiative was for everyone to have access to free online college-level courses, to promote learning and education.
Since then, more than 23 million people have benefited from its free online programs, allowing their academic and work lives to take a turn for the better.
Are you interested in taking a look at all the courses available on edX right now? We know you are, and that is why you should click on this link immediately.
Harvard online courses at your fingertips
In the following lines, we will describe the 10 most popular courses you can take in edX, but if you are interested in learning more, then you should review its catalog in depth.
So, let’s see the 10 most sought-after free programs on edX, which are fully sponsored by Harvard University and its main allies.
This is one of the most demanded Harvard online courses since it allows you to learn about the most elementary precepts of architecture, from an academic or professional point of view.
This course’s main differentiating element is that its focus on the study of the most symbolic and important buildings in history.
What you will learn
- You will understand architecture from a cultural point of view, along with studying the works of great architects and historians, while carrying out practical exercises in drawing and modeling.
- You will also learn what the concept of architectural imagination is about, and understand the perspective of drawing, as well as study architectural typology.
- You will have the opportunity to understand why technology is an indispensable component in the development of architecture, and why it allows you to discover and promote unique aesthetic experiences.
Once you complete your lessons, you will be able to read, analyze and understand the different forms of architectural representation.
You will also become aware of the historical and social contexts behind the main works of architecture, and you will know the basic principles to make your own designs.
In addition to all this, you will know how to produce your own architectural models, which will boost your passion for Architecture at an academic or professional level.
This course lasts 10 weeks, and it involves between 3 to 5 hours of study time per week. It is free (unless you want to add a verified certificate, which costs $ 99 USD), and is available in English with a close caption.
If you want to know more about this course, make sure to click here.
Another of the Harvard online courses currently available at edX, it’s a kind of an introduction to Computer Science and the art of programming.
You can take advantage of this course whether you have prior programming knowledge or experience or if you have never been in contact with the field of programming.
In addition, your instructor, David J. Malan, a professor of Computer Science, will teach you how to think algorithmically so that you can solve problems more efficiently.
What you will learn
- You will gain a deep and solid understanding of Computer Science and Programming.
- You’ll also tackle important concepts: abstraction, algorithm, data structure, encapsulation, software engineering, web development, and more.
- Furthermore, you will become familiar with a large number of programming languages such as Python, SQL, HTML, JavaScript plus CSS, and more.
Finally, you will learn how to develop and present a programming project to your colleagues, peers or subordinates, which happens to be a very useful professional tool.
These types of Harvard online courses are all taught in English. Since there are no pre-established delivery times or advances, you can take them at your own pace, and they are free (but if you want to take it to the next level by adding a certificate, there is a cost of $90 USD).
Remember that you can click here to start this course.
“Machine Learning”, is one of the most revolutionary scientific methodologies of the moment.
In essence, it is based on making algorithmic predictions using data, and today it is used in a great multiplicity of fields.
Voice recognition, movie recommendation systems, and spam detectors among others, use machine learning to operate successfully.
As a result, this is one of the most popular and demanded Harvard online courses today, especially by those related to Data Science.
What you will learn
- You will learn the basic principles of machine learning, and you will discover how to perform cross-validation processes to avoid overtraining.
- Similarly, you will study the most popular algorithms of machine learning, and you will find out how to create a movie recommendation system.
- Finally, you will get to understand what regularization is and why it is so utilitarian today.
In addition, you will realize how to use data to discover potentially predictive relationships.
A big plus for the course is that it is dictated by Rafael Irizarry, a prestigious professor of Biostatistics at Harvard University.
The course lasts 8 weeks, requiring between 2 and 4 hours of study time per week, and it is free unless you want to pay $49 USD to receive a verified certificate.
It is dictated in English with closed captions.
If you want to enroll in this course, do not hesitate to click here.
Taught by Tarun Khanna, a professor at Harvard Business School, this course is known to be one of the most recommended Harvard online courses.
Through an interdisciplinary approach, you will understand the most complex social problems and comprehend how to solve them successfully.
What you will learn
- You will become more aware of the entrepreneurial opportunities that exist in emerging markets, or those which are growing at an accelerated rate.
- You will study the entire conceptual framework related to this subject, becoming able to identify and evaluate the best opportunities to undertake in emerging economies.
- You will learn to recognize the types of problems that motivate the best entrepreneurial solutions.
This course is designed to be completed in 6 weeks, requiring from 3 to 5 hours per week of study, and it is free, but if you want to obtain a certificate you can get it for $125 USD.
Remember that this course is taught in English with closed captions.
You can register and learn more about this course by clicking here.
Believe it or not, this is one of the most requested Harvard online courses, as it explains how early American politics influenced the creation of the Constitution of the United States.
Not only that, it also addresses why the promise of equality and freedom has not yet fully materialized. Interesting! Don’t you think?
What you will learn
- You will learn about the foundations of American political culture, and how the Constitution represented the idea of ”limited government.”
- You will also learn why the authors of the United States Constitution considered it necessary to limit popular influence.
- You will study the history of federalism as a constitutional factor, how the government is divided, and what individual rights Americans have today.
Finally, you will find out which policies have favored the expansion of the rights of the most disadvantaged groups, so the focus of the course is comprehensive.
This program is taught by Thomas E. Patterson, who is a professor at the John F. Kennedy School of Government.
The course lasts 4 weeks, it requires an academic effort of 2 to 4 hours a week, and it is free, but if you want to obtain a certificate you can pay $49 USD, and it is dictated in English with closed captions.
Don’t forget that you can register and learn more about this course by clicking here.
Through this online course you will explore and understand your own theories of learning and leadership.
It is designed for you to develop tools that allow you to build your own learning future.
It is one of the most iconic and popular Harvard online courses of the moment, as the education sector is transforming by leaps and bounds.
What you will learn
- You will find out how to define your personalized theory of learning, or what leadership looks like in different learning environments.
- Additionally, you will understand how the structure of an organization reflects its own learning theories, and you will even find out how neuroscience will affect the future of teaching.
This online training is taught by Richard Elmore, who is a distinguished professor and researcher in Educational Leadership.
The course lasts 10 weeks, requiring an academic effort of 2 to 4 hours a week, it is free, but if you want to obtain a certificate you can obtain it for $99 USD.
Likewise, it is dictated in English with a closed caption or subtitles in Spanish.
Don’t forget that you can register and learn more about this course by clicking here.
By enrolling in this course available in edX you will learn about interactive game development in 2D and 3D.
And the best of all? You will have the possibility to explore the design of emblematic games, such as Super Mario Bros, Angry Birds or Pokémon.
This is another one of the most popular Harvard online courses you can take today, and it is taught by David J. Malan, a professor of Computer Science, and Colton Ogden, a Harvard University Technologist.
What you will learn
- You will learn the principles of 2D and 3D graphics, sound, and animation while using frameworks such as LÖVE 2D or Unity.
- You will also study both Lua and C# languages, and therefore, at the end of the course, you will be able to program your own games.
Through this online training, you will gain a thorough understanding of the fundamentals involved in game design and development, which sounds fantastic.
This is one of the most fun and ambitious Harvard online courses you can find on edX, as it allows you to explore the design of the following games:
- Pokemon
- Angry Birds.
- Legend of Zelda.
- Super Mario Bros.
- Flappy Bird and many more.
The idea is for you to manage to understand how the games are implemented and you can have a better understanding of the whole process. Great! Right?
The course lasts 12 weeks, requires an academic effort of 6 to 9 hours a week, and it is free but if you want to obtain a certificate you can get it for $90 USD, and it is taught in English closed captions.
Don’t forget you can register and learn more about this course by clicking here.
This course is specially designed for high school students who are interested in Computer Science and Programming.
It is taught by several professors from Harvard University, specialized in informatics, Computer Science, and Chemistry.
Essentially, the instructors will be in charge of teaching you to think algorithmically in order to solve problems successfully and efficiently through these types of Harvard online courses.
What you will learn
- You will acquire a solid knowledge in programming and computing, and you will become familiar with languages such as PHP, CSS, C, JavaScript plus SQL, and more.
- You will understand concepts such as algorithm, security, software engineering, web development, resource management, and more.
- You will know how to develop and present a totally professional final programming project.
Notably, high school students can receive credit for this course, and the highest achievers can be chosen to receive a Harvard certificate.
The course lasts 36 weeks, requires 5 to 6 hours of study per week, it is free, but if you want to obtain a certificate you can pay $90 USD.
It is dictated in English closed captions.
Remember that you can register and learn more about this course by clicking here.
This online training will introduce you to the Government of the United States and its policies: its bases, institutions, and organizations.
This course is part of the Harvard XSeries Program, which comprises a series of courses that provide a great understanding of a certain area of study.
It is highly relevant and popular in the edX community, being one of the Harvard online courses with the highest number of students.
What you will learn
- You will study public policies in America, as well as their dynamics, and you will also understand how the 3 great branches of the Federal Government of the United States work.
- You will learn about the forces of American politics that are capable of changing the political landscape.
- Finally, with these types of online courses, Harvard will teach you how the early politics of North America shaped the Constitution of the United States.
The purpose of this program is for you to be able to promote real and significant changes in your community, all thanks to the understanding of the topics addressed in it.
The program is made up of 4 courses with each of them lasting 4 weeks.
Each course costs $49 USD, and all are taught in English with closed captions.
Remember that you can enroll in this course and learn more about it by clicking here.
With this type of Harvard online course, you will learn the basic elements of data science, including machine learning or R.
In fact, you will have access to real case studies that will boost your career as a brilliant computer scientist.
It is part of the Professional Certification Program, which comprises a series of 9 courses focused on developing important skills in the computing industry.
What you will learn
- You will acquire the elementary programming skills of R, as well as statistical concepts such as probability, inference, or modeling.
- You will learn what data visualization is all about with ggplot2, and you will become familiar with the tools used by data scientists such as Unix / Linux, RStudio or GitHub.
- You will implement machine learning algorithms and study real cases that will allow you to understand the concepts of data science much better.
This program is made up of 9 courses and each of them lasts a maximum of 8 weeks. Its total price is $441.90 USD, and it is dictated in English closed captions.
Learn more about this course by clicking here.
Take advantage of these Harvard online courses
Online learning has revolutionized the education sector to unimaginable levels, and the edX platform has undoubtedly played a fundamental role in this process.
Accordingly, we invite you to take advantage of these and other Harvard online courses as soon as possible, so that you expand your knowledge and improve your work experience to the fullest.
Are you willing to take advantage of these free online programs? If so, make sure you check all the academic offers that Harvard presents to you, so that you do not miss any details.