History Courses

Explore the history of navigation, from stars to satellites.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

Explore Chinese history and culture from the perspective of the individual through philosophical texts, literary works, and art.

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.

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

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