Does Harvard offer free online classes?

Who wouldn’t like having studied at Harvard on their resume? Not everyone can access to study at this prestigious university, however, are there other options to study at this alternative institution in the traditional way?

In this brief guide, we’re going to answer the question “Does Harvard offer free online classes?’’ topics, requirements, how to apply, and what are the most popular courses.

Does Harvard offer free online classes?

Yes, Harvard University is offering free online courses for everyone who wants to learn new knowledge!

Harvard is one of the most prestigious universities in the world and thanks to the Internet you can access courses taught by this house of studies.

You can even get a certificate proving that you took a course taught by Harvard!

Harvard University is undoubtedly one of the most prestigious higher education institutions in the world and that’s why it has now bet on the socialization of knowledge through the network.

If you always dreamed of studying at Harvard University, this is your chance. The prestigious institution offers a wide range of online courses. The options are proposed by various schools, including Harvard Business School, Harvard Faculty of Arts & Science, Harvard Medical School, among others.

Although it offers a total of 138 courses, only the certificate will be obtained by paying a small fee.

The duration of the lessons ranges from two to 12 weeks. They’re taught by professors from the University itself in English, have multimedia and a certificate is awarded at the end.

Harvard offers courses related to art and design, business, computer science, data science, education, health and medicine, humanities, mathematics, programming, science, and social sciences, among others. Issues that are part of the daily life of the global movement today.

What topics are the courses on?

Harvard University offers a wide variety of free online courses, all focused on different fields. Next, we share some that might interest you:

  • Arts and Design.
  • Business Administration.
  • Computer science.
  • Economy and Finance.
  • Education and Organizational Development.
  • Government, Law, and Politics.
  • History.
  • Humanities.
  • Analysis of Mathematics and Data.
  • Medicine and Public Health.
  • Religion and Spirituality.
  • Science and Engineering.
  • Social Sciences.

What requirements does Harvard ask you to take the courses?

The only requirement is to have an Internet connection and the desire and commitment to complete the courses of your choice.

You can do them from a computer (recommended), tablet, or even your mobile phone.

  • It doesn’t matter what country you are from.
  • It doesn’t matter how old you are.
  • Not what knowledge or previous studies you have.

How to apply for one of Harvard University’s free courses?

Thanks to MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) and the internet, we increasingly find more options to obtain free quality training offered by the main universities in the world, reaching a large number of people who want to learn about different topics.

Harvard University has created a platform where it’s publishing all the free online courses that you can take with the American institution.

If you’re interested and want to know all the courses that are currently available, you have to access the Harvard University website.

What are the most chosen courses?

Although we all have student or work obligations, it doesn’t mean that we should waste time. The reality is that we’ve more space to be able to instruct ourselves in those things that interest us. The 3 most popular online courses at Harvard are:

The architectural imagination

This’s one of the most demanded courses since it allows you to learn about the most elementary precepts of architecture, from an academic or professional point of view.

What will you learn?

  • You’ll be able to understand architecture from a cultural point of view, and know the works of great architects and historians, and you’ll be doing practical exercises in drawing and modeling.
  • In addition, you’ll know what the concept of architectural imagination is about, and you will understand the perspective of drawing, and study the architectural typology.
  • You’ll 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’ll know how to read, analyze, and understand the different forms of architectural representation.

You’ll also be aware of the historical and social contexts behind the main works of architecture, and know the basic principles to make your own designs.

And if that wasn’t enough, you’ll learn how to produce your own architectural models, which will fuel your passion for architecture at an academic or professional level.

This course lasts 10 weeks, involves a study time of between 3 to 5 hours per week, it’s free (unless you want to add a verified certificate, which costs $ 99 USD)

If you want to know more about this course, don’t hesitate to click here.

CS50’s Introduction to Computer Science

This’s another of the courses currently available on edX. It’s kind of an introduction to Computer Science and the art of programming.

You can take advantage of it if you’ve programming knowledge or experience, or even if you have never been in contact with the programmatic field.

Additionally, your instructor, David J. Malan, who is a professor of Computer Science, will teach you to think algorithmically so that you can solve problems efficiently.

What will you learn?

  • Gain a solid and deep understanding of Computer Science and Programming.
  • You’ll also address important concepts: abstraction, algorithm, data structure, encapsulation, software engineering, web development, and more.
  • You’ll become familiar with a large number of programming languages ​​such as Python, SQL, HTML, JavaScript plus CSS, and more.
  • Know how to develop and present a programming project to your colleagues, colleagues, or subordinates, which will be very useful professionally.

These types of Harvard online courses are taught in English, you can take them at your own pace, since there are no pre-established delivery times or advances, and they’re free (although in this case if you want to raise the level you will have to pay $ 90 USD).

Remember that you can click here to start this course.

Entrepreneurship in emerging economies

It’s taught by Tarun Khanna, who is a professor at Harvard Business School, and this is known to be one of the most recommended Harvard online courses.

Through an interdisciplinary approach, you’ll understand the most complex social problems and know how to solve them successfully.

What will you learn?

  • You’ll be more aware of the entrepreneurial opportunities that exist in emerging markets, or that are growing at an accelerated rate.
  • You’ll study the entire conceptual framework related to the subject, and thus you’ll be able to identify and evaluate the best opportunities to undertake in emerging economies.
  • You’ll learn the types of problems that motivate the best entrepreneurial solutions.

The course is designed to be completed in 6 weeks, requires an academic effort of 3 to 5 hours per week, it’s free, but if you want to obtain a certificate you can pay $ 125 USD.

You can register and learn more about this course by clicking here.

Should I do free online classes at Harvard?

Harvard University is a private university located on the East Coast of the United States, in the city of Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Harvard University is the oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the most prestigious in the world. It emerged in 1636 under the name ‘’New College’’ and later changed its name to ‘’Harvard College’’ in recognition of its main benefactor, John Harvard of Charleston, who donated his library and all his savings to the institution. In 1870 it changed its name again to acquire its current name.

Its prestige and academic excellence are recognized nationally and internationally, and it’s considered one of the best universities in the world according to different university rankings. Its library, with a collection of 20.4 million volumes and 5.4 terabytes of digital files, is the largest academic library in the world.

Harvard is known for its world-class teaching staff. All of its programs are taught by highly trained professors and professionals to guarantee comprehensive learning for students. 

Very important characters for the history of humanity have passed through Harvard classrooms, including more than 40 Nobel laureates and 32 presidents of State. On the alumni list, you can find names like Theodore Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Barack Obama, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Ban Ki-moon, and T. S. Elliot.

Harvard University has an acceptance rate of 5%. This means that, out of every 100 students, only 5 manage to be admitted. Now that this university has opened a series of virtual courses and that you can learn from the comfort of your home, it’s without a doubt, that it’s an opportunity that you can’t miss.

FAQSs: Does Harvard offer free online classes?

What free classes is Harvard offering?

Harvard has 113 courses available so far, some of the topics consist of:
Marketing.
Programming.
Professional Development.
Health & Medicine.
Business.
Mathematics.

How much do Harvard online courses cost?

Typically online classes at Harvard are over $50-$200 per course. However, there’s also a wide range of free online classes. but if you’d like full access to the course materials and a certificate probably will have to pay. 

What is the number 1 university in the world?

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is the best university in the world, Stanford University takes second place, and Harvard University takes third place.

Is Oxford better than Harvard?

According to US News Best Global Universities 2017, Harvard is better than Oxford because it has more extracurricular activities offered, lower cost of room and board, a bigger library collection, more highly cited researchers.

Can a poor person go to Harvard?

Yes, Harvard’s purpose is to find the best students no matter what family they come from or their income levels. That is why 70 percent of students receive financial support. More than 50 percent have a scholarship, according to their economy, making students pay, on average, $ 12,000 per year, according to information from the same university.

In this brief guide, we answered the question “Does Harvard offer free online classes?’’ topics, requirements, how to apply, and what are the most popular courses.

So, are you ready to be part of one of the best universities in the world?

If you have any questions or comments please let us know.

References

Harvard. (2015). Retrieved October 1, 2020, from Harvard University website: https://www.harvard.edu/about-harvard/frequently-asked-questions/faq-free-courses

Harvard University. (2020). Retrieved October 1, 2020, from edX website: https://www.edx.org/school/harvardx

How Does Harvard University Rank Among America’s Best Colleges? (2014). Retrieved October 1, 2020, from @USNews website: https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/harvard-university-2155

Leighton, M. (2020, June 30). 31 free Harvard University classes you can take online through edX – Business Insider. Retrieved October 1, 2020, from Business Insider website: https://www.businessinsider.com/harvard-free-online-courses