AAAS E-119
Chocolate, Culture, and the Politics of Food
Carla D. Martin PhD, Lecturer on African and African American Studies, Harvard University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 25963 | Section 1
Description
This course examines the sociohistorical legacy of chocolate, with a delicious emphasis on the eating and appreciation of the so-called food of the gods. Interdisciplinary course readings introduce the history of cacao cultivation, the present day state of the global chocolate industry, the diverse cultural constructions surrounding chocolate, and the implications for chocolate’s future of scientific study, international politics, alternative trade models, and the food movement. Assignments address pressing real-world questions related to chocolate consumption, social justice, responsible development, honesty and the politics of representation in production and marketing, hierarchies of quality, and myths of purity.
Class Meetings:
Online
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: The recorded lectures are from the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences companion course African and African American Studies 119x. Registered students can ordinarily live stream the lectures Wednesdays, 3-5:00 pm starting January 23 or they can watch them on demand. The recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day. Class sessions for this course may include students enrolled in the FAS companion course. Accordingly, when you participate in live class sessions, you will do so alongside both Division of Continuing Education (DCE) and FAS students. If you participate in a way that causes you to appear in recordings of the class, those recordings may be shown to DCE students enrolled in this course or FAS students enrolled in the companion course, according to the policies of the two schools on accessing recordings of class sessions.
ANTH E-1000
Pyramid Schemes: What Can Ancient Egyptian Civilization Teach Us?
Peter Der Manuelian PhD, Barbara Bell Professor of Egyptology, Harvard University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 25007 | Section 1
Description
How much of your impression of the ancient world was put there by Hollywood, music videos, or orientalist musings out of the West? How accurate are these depictions? Does it matter? This course examines the quintessential example of the “exotic, mysterious ancient world” ancient Egypt to interrogate these questions. Who has used ancient Egypt as a construct, and to what purpose? Did you know that pyramids, mummies, King Tut, and Cleopatra represent just the (overhyped) tip of a very rich civilization that holds plenty of life lessons for today? Combine the ancient Egyptians’ explanations of the world’s natural forces with all the social complexity of human interaction and you have a fully formed society about four millennia of accumulated experience! Can investigating the real ancient Egypt unpack our current misconceptions about the land of the pharaohs? Hardly morose, tomb-building zombies, the Egyptians embraced life in all its messy details. Piety and corruption, imperialism and isolationism, divinity and mortality all played significant roles in life along the Nile. What can we learn about the nature of politics and society in our time by seeing the parallels between the ancient past and today? We explore archaeology, modern Egyptomania, repatriation, new digital visualization technologies, and international politics. What was ancient Egyptian racism? What is archaeological racism? Who owns the past? Who needs it? We take excursions into Egyptian art, history, politics, religion, literature and language (hieroglyphs), plus examine the evolution of Egyptology as a discipline.
Class Meetings:
Online
Required sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: The recorded lectures are from the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences companion course Gen Ed 1099. Registered students can ordinarily live stream the lectures Mondays and Wednesdays, 1:30-2:45 pm starting January 23 or they can watch them on demand. The recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day. Class sessions for this course may include students enrolled in the FAS companion course. Accordingly, when you participate in live class sessions, you will do so alongside both Division of Continuing Education (DCE) and FAS students. If you participate in a way that causes you to appear in recordings of the class, those recordings may be shown to DCE students enrolled in this course or FAS students enrolled in the companion course, according to the policies of the two schools on accessing recordings of class sessions.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 60 students
ANTH E-1050
Moctezuma’s Mexico Then and Now: Aztec Empire, Race Mixture, and Finding LatinX
DavÃd Carrasco PhD, Neil L. Rudenstine Professor for the Study of Latin America, Harvard University
William L. Fash PhD, Charles P. Bowditch Professor of Central American and Mexican Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16855 | Section 1
Description
This course provides students with the opportunity to explore how pre-Hispanic and Colonial Mexican and Latina/o cultures provide vital context for understanding today’s changing world. The emphasis is on the mythical and social origins, glory days, and political collapse of the Aztec Empire and Maya civilizations as a pivot to the study of the sexual, religious, and racial interactions of the Great Encounter between Mesoamerica, Africa, Europe, and the independent nations of Mexico and the United States. The study of the archaeology, artistic media, cosmovision, capital cities, human sacrifice, and the religious devotions of ancient Mesoamerica illuminate the Day of the Dead and Virgin of Guadalupe phenomena today. Objects at the Peabody Museum are used to examine new concepts of race, nation, and the persistence of Moctezuma’s Mexico in Latino identities in the Mexico-US Borderlands. This course empowers students to evaluate the ways the US is changing and struggling to define itself in relation to Latin America and especially the migration of peoples, ideas, arts, music, and food from and through Mexico.
Class Meetings:
Online
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: The recorded lectures are from the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences companion course Gen Ed 1148. Registered students can ordinarily live stream the lectures Mondays and Wednesdays, 10:30-11:45 am starting August 31 or they can watch them on demand. The recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day. Class sessions for this course may include students enrolled in the FAS companion course. Accordingly, when you participate in live class sessions, you will do so alongside both Division of Continuing Education (DCE) and FAS students. If you participate in a way that causes you to appear in recordings of the class, those recordings may be shown to DCE students enrolled in this course or FAS students enrolled in the companion course, according to the policies of the two schools on accessing recordings of class sessions.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 40 students
ANTH E-1054
Popular Devotion: Anthropology of Images in Mexico and the Americas
Myriam Lamrani Maria PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow in Anthropology, Harvard University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26510 | Section 1
Description
Popular Catholicism is alive and well in Mexico, where devotees often talk about the supernatural beings present in their daily lives, often saints, simply as their images. This course examines devotion to and through images three-dimensional effigies, prayer cards, dreams, visions, art, and representations in popular culture. By examining what an image is and how it operates for devotees and other audiences, the students of this course are encouraged to explore visual methodologies and alternative modes of anthropological thinking to consider devotion in Mexico and Latin America. Such a focus on images grounds our examination in a framework where the image becomes an ethnographic object and a mode of anthropological inquiry. It also considers other types of images to ask how popular religion connects to other social issues, thus reflecting political dynamics. In an era of proliferation of visual content, the question becomes: what can an anthropology of images bring to our understanding of devotion in connection to other domains of social life? What can an anthropology of the visual offer to the anthropological study of popular religion? Foregrounding a scholarship that traverses visual, cultural, religious studies, and anthropology, this course explores themes such as popular religion, intimacy, nationalism, and political violence in Latin America. Readings draw mainly from anthropology and ethnographic works on popular Catholicism, nationalism, politics, visual studies, and cultural theory.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Tuesdays, January 24-May 13, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 25 students
ANTH E-115
Class and Culture
James P. Herron PhD, Director of the Harvard Writing Project and Preceptor in Expository Writing, Harvard University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26405 | Section 1
Description
It is commonplace to note that in the United States a large portion of the population self-identifies as middle class, even though our society is marked by deep, persistent, and increasing class inequality. Such self-identification, however, can obscure the complex and often contradictory ways in which we experience social class in our everyday lives. This intensive January session course explores the cultural dimensions of social class in the US from an ethnographic perspective, focusing on the everyday lives and cultures of ordinary Americans. We consider questions such as the following: what is it like to be a working class person in a society heavily invested in ideas of individual advancement and meritocracy? How do professionals (the upper middle class) define themselves and how do they view those above and below them in the class structure? How does social class shape people’s values, political views, and tastes? How are class boundaries created and maintained? The course readings are drawn mainly from anthropology and sociology. Students may not take both ANTH E-115 and SSCI E-115 (offered previously) for degree or certificate credit.
Class Meetings:
On campus only
Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, January 3-21, 5:30pm-8:30pm, Harvard Hall 103
Term Start Date: January 03, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: Final papers due between January 19 and February 6. See course syllabus for details. International Students see important visa information. Because this course requires in-person attendance, students must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 45 students
ANTH E-118
Histories and Ethnographies of Capitalism
James P. Herron PhD, Director of the Harvard Writing Project and Preceptor in Expository Writing, Harvard University
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16813 | Section 1
Description
Karl Marx famously wrote that with the advance of capitalist social relations, “all that is solid melts into air.” Here Marx refers to the supposed power of capitalism to destroy pre-existing economic, social, and cultural orders. In the centuries since capitalism spread over the globe, it has indeed transformed the lifeways and cultures of peoples throughout the world. In more recent years, globalization understood as the widespread and accelerated movement of capital across national borders has radically altered the lives of many peoples, from peasants in China to industrial workers in Michigan. This course critically examines capitalism historically and ethnographically. In the first part of the course, we consider historical accounts of the origins, development, and transformation of American capitalism, focusing on the key themes of slavery, industrialization, and financialization. In the second part of the course, we consider ethnographic accounts of life under contemporary capitalism, focusing on the cultural responses of peoples experiencing the rapid social change, dislocation, opportunities, and hardships brought about by changing capitalist social relations. We consider questions such as how have people coped culturally with the demands of capitalist wage labor and work discipline? How have capitalist social relations transformed communities, families, and senses of ethnic and national identity? Students may not take both ANTH E-118 and SSCI E-118 (offered previously) for degree or certificate credit.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Tuesdays, August 30-December 17, 2:00pm-4:00pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 45 students
ANTH E-1180
Archaeology of Inequality
Jess Beck PhD, College Fellow in the Department of Anthropology, Harvard University
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16786 | Section 1
Description
In 2018, Oxfam reported that the 26 richest people on the planet had the same net worth as half of the global population. The rampant wealth disparities in the modern world lead us to ask whether inequality is an inescapable component of all societies. Through its unique access to the deep time of human prehistory, archaeology allows us to question myths and just-so stories about the origins and inevitability of inequality. In this course, we examine how different ways of making a living, from food procurement to economic and political organization, have worked to either amplify or diminish inequalities in human communities. This course covers topics that resonate in the past and present including how do elites justify their monopolization of power and resources? Are there alternatives to hierarchy in large-scale communities? What strategies have past people used to evade the inequitable demands of states and empires? This course explores how archaeologists draw upon multiple lines of evidence including material culture, architecture, and the remains of ancient plants, animals, and people to develop a holistic understanding of inequality in past societies.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Thursdays, September 1-December 17, 5:10pm-7:10pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 45 students
ANTH E-1410
The Storyteller in Flight: Migrant Narratives, Refugee Camp Cultures, and the Arts of Displacement
Lowell A. Brower PhD, Lecturer on Folklore, University of Wisconsin, Madison
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26306 | Section 1
Description
What are the effects of displacement on tradition, storytelling, and cultural belonging? How does forced migration influence narration, creative expression, and imagination? What are the powers and potentials of artistic communication after existential rupture? What is the role of the storyteller in flight? This course explores expressive cultures in motion, amid crisis, and out of place, and asks how tradition bearers and creative innovators adapt when the communities in which their preexisting cultural practices had once flourished are destroyed, uprooted, transformed, or dispersed. It also asks how researchers, aid workers, activists, and other outsiders might engage in ethical and beneficial ways with individuals and communities in exile. In examining the impacts of forced migration on cultural production, transmission, and innovation, we put classical theories of refugee and migration studies in conversation with recent ethnographies and folklore collections, as well as memoirs, novels, songs, and films by and about displaced persons. With case studies ranging from colonial Africa, to post-war Europe, to contemporary America, we explore what, if anything, holds together the refugee experience, while also interrogating our own neighborly obligations and scholarly commitments as we navigate what has famously been deemed the century of the migrant.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, January 23-May 13, 8:10pm-10:10pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 19 students
ANTH E-1645
Money and Power: Cultural Approaches to Economic Life
James P. Herron PhD, Director of the Harvard Writing Project and Preceptor in Expository Writing, Harvard University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26215 | Section 1
Description
This course considers how culture shapes the economic aspects of our lives. That is, we seek to understand the economy not as a separate realm with its own special logic and structure but instead as embedded in the social relations, identities, and cultural practices of everyday life. Our major course themes include exchange, money, debt, commodification, markets, and labor. We consider questions such as, how do the different kinds of exchanges we engage in gift exchanges versus market exchanges, for instance shape our relationships with others? We explore the social meaning of money and the role of the market in our lives. In a world where it is possible to rent a family, does money destroy love and intimacy? What aspects of our lives are governed by the logic of capitalism and what aspects escape capitalism’s grip? Why does it feel shameful to be in debt, and how has this shame been manipulated for political purposes? Why in the US do we consider work to be sacred and morally purifying even though many of us have tedious jobs? The course readings include theoretical and empirical works drawn mainly from the fields of anthropology, economic sociology, and heterodox economics. Our key texts include David Graeber’s Debt, Viviana Zelizer’s The Social Meaning of Money, and Sidney Mintz’s Sweetness and Power.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Tuesdays, January 24-May 13, 2:00pm-4:00pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 45 students
ANTH E-1660
Anthropology and Human Rights
Theodore Macdonald, Jr. PhD, Affiliate of the Department of Social Studies, Harvard University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26048 | Section 1
Description
This course combines an introduction to the formal, theoretical, and normative structures of human rights with analyses of contemporary case studies. It illustrates several critical human rights issues, debates, and practices that demonstrate the increasing significance of ethnographic field methods and related interpretive analysis. Accepting that agreement on and realization of human rights often require negotiation and compromise, the course illustrates why, and suggests how, realization of many broadly-defined human rights require specific contextualization.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Wednesdays, January 25-May 13, 6:00pm-8:00pm
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 50 students
ANTH E-1667
The Opioid Epidemic
Jason Bryan Silverstein PhD, Lecturer on Global Health and Social Medicine and Co-Director, Master of Science in Media, Medicine, and Health Program, Harvard Medical School
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16797 | Section 1
Description
More people die every year from opioid overdoses than gunshot wounds and car accidents, and the crisis appears to be worsening and rapidly changing. Making matters worse, understanding the crisis in real time is notoriously difficult, especially since most who overdose do not go to hospitals and death certificates are often unreliable. And while everyone agrees something must be done, what that something is leads us into heated debates over health care spending and harm reduction. While most medical research focuses on the biology of disease, this course takes a biosocial approach to unmask how social factors, economic insecurity, and the availability of massive amounts of pharmaceuticals have become an overdose crisis. We read social scientists, journalists, public health scholars, and first-hand accounts in order to understand the chronic emergencies (such as de-industrialization and despair) behind this acute crisis. By investigating the opioid epidemic in this way, students are encouraged to think boldly and creatively beyond the traditional boundaries of medicine: perhaps someone’s best medicine is a housing voucher, or a testing strip to detect fentanyl. By the end of the course, students understand the social roots of the opioid epidemic and how solutions may be implemented.
Class Meetings:
Online or On Campus
Tuesdays, August 30-December 17, 5:40pm-7:40pm, 1 Story Street 304
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: Students can attend in person on campus, participate live online at the time the class meets via web conference, or watch the recorded video asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day. Students who attend this course in person must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details. If you will not be coming to campus, documentation is not required.
APMA E-115
Mathematical Modeling
Zhiming Kuang PhD, Gordon McKay Professor of Atmospheric and Environmental Science, Harvard University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26062 | Section 1
Description
Mathematical models are ubiquitous, providing a quantitative framework for understanding, prediction, and decision making in nearly every aspect of life, ranging from the timing of traffic lights, to the control of the spread of disease, to resource management, to sports. They also play a fundamental role in all natural sciences and increasingly in the social sciences as well. This course provides an introduction to modeling through in-depth discussions of a series of examples, and hands-on exercises and projects that make use of a range of continuous and discrete mathematical tools.
Prerequisites: MATH E-21a and MATH E-21b or permission of instructor. Knowledge of some programming language is helpful, but not necessary, as we introduce Matlab to those with no previous experience. Students must have Matlab installed on their computers. Students proficient in Python are welcome to use that language instead of Matlab.
Class Meetings:
Online
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: The recorded lectures are from the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) companion course Applied Mathematics 115. Registered students can ordinarily live stream the lectures or they can watch them on demand. The recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day. Class sessions for this course may include students enrolled in the FAS companion course. Accordingly, when you participate in live class sessions, you will do so alongside both Division of Continuing Education (DCE) and FAS students. If you participate in a way that causes you to appear in recordings of the class, those recordings may be shown to DCE students enrolled in this course or FAS students enrolled in the companion course, according to the policies of the two schools on accessing recordings of class sessions.
ARAB E-1
Intensive Elementary Modern Standard Arabic I
Muhammad A. Habib PhD, Preceptor in Arabic, Harvard University
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 13547 | Section 1
Description
This course is designed for students who have not previously studied Arabic and introduces the script, sounds, and basic grammar of the language. Emphasis is placed on developing proficiency in all four skills (reading, speaking, listening, and writing), as well as an understanding and appreciation of Arabic culture.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Tuesdays, Thursdays, August 30-December 17, 6:00pm-8:00pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 25 students
ARAB E-3
Intermediate Modern Arabic I
Muhammad A. Habib PhD, Preceptor in Arabic, Harvard University
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16853 | Section 1
Description
This intermediate-level course is designed for students who have knowledge of the basic grammatical and lexical features of the Arabic language. It enables students to further strengthen their language skills in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) by increasing the degree of fluency and spontaneity of language use, and adequacy of interaction and understanding of key aspects of the Arab culture. Students broaden their range of vocabulary for active use, acquire control of higher-level Arabic grammar, and increase their listening and reading comprehension, interactive and creative speaking, and writing skills. The course incorporates individual and group work, oral presentations, in-class discussions, and debates. The course focuses on introducing different aspects of Arab culture and society. In addition, students are exposed to the contemporary language of the media. Also, students read selected short stories and poems by a number of prominent Arab writers.
Prerequisites: ARAB E-1 and ARAB E-2.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, Wednesdays, August 29-December 17, 6:00pm-8:00pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 25 students
ARAB E-4
Intermediate Modern Arabic II
Muhammad A. Habib PhD, Preceptor in Arabic, Harvard University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26519 | Section 1
Description
This intermediate-level course is designed for students who know the Arabic language’s basic grammatical and lexical features. It enables students to further strengthen their language skills in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) by increasing the fluency and spontaneity of language use and adequacy of interaction and understanding of critical aspects of Arab culture. Students broaden their range of vocabulary for active use, acquire control of higher-level Arabic grammar, and increase their listening and reading comprehension, interactive and creative speaking, and writing skills. The course incorporates individual and group work, oral presentations, class discussions and debates, and daily homework using digitized tools such as Flipgrid, Kahoot, Quizlet, and others. Arabic is the only medium of instruction and communication during the program. The course focuses on introducing different aspects of Arab culture and society. In addition, students are exposed to the contemporary language of the media.
Prerequisites: ARAB E-3 or the equivalent.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, Wednesdays, January 23-May 13, 6:00pm-8:00pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 25 students
ASTR E-8
The Emergence of Space and Time, Light and Matter: How Our Galaxy, Our Sun, and Our Earth Came to Be
Alessandro Massarotti PhD, Associate Professor of Physics, Stonehill College and Associate of the Department of Astronomy, Harvard University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26439 | Section 1
Description
From the birth of our universe, 14 billion years ago, the explosion of space into existence which led to the Big Bang, our knowledge is only recently beginning to give us more fundamental answers about our physical existence. In this course, we discuss how the expanding cosmos gave rise to galaxies, how stars are born and die, and how planets form. We explore black holes, neutron stars, and other mysterious states of matter. Students learn about the most recent developments in the field of astronomy, including the discovery of gravity waves coming from merging neutron stars and the first images from the huge black hole at the center of our galaxy. We look into the mystery of symmetry in the cosmic laws and explore the possible existence of portals between far away times and locations, wormholes. We delve into the near future of telescopic exploration, such as the Webb Telescope and many other upcoming space missions.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Tuesdays, January 24-May 13, 5:10pm-7:10pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
BIOS E-10
Introduction to Biochemistry
Robin Lynn Haynes PhD, Principal Associate in Pathology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School
Roopali Roy PhD, Instructor in Surgery, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 14563 | Section 1
Description
This course provides an overview of the main aspects of biochemistry by relating molecular interactions to their effects on the organism as a whole, especially as related to human biology. The organization of macromolecules is addressed through a discussion of their hierarchical structure, and a study of their assembly into complexes responsible for specific biological processes. Topics addressing protein function include enzyme kinetics, the characterization of major metabolic pathways, and their interconnection into tightly regulated networks.
Prerequisites: Introductory biology and chemistry.
Class Meetings:
On campus only
Fridays, September 2-December 17, 6:00pm-8:00pm, Science Center B
Required sections for graduate-credit students, optional sections for undergraduate-credit students to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: Because this course requires in-person attendance, students must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details.
BIOS E-10
Introduction to Biochemistry
Robin Lynn Haynes PhD, Principal Associate in Pathology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School
Roopali Roy PhD, Instructor in Surgery, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 24316 | Section 1
Description
This course provides an overview of the main aspects of biochemistry by relating molecular interactions to their effects on the organism as a whole, especially as related to human biology. The organization of macromolecules is addressed through a discussion of their hierarchical structure, and a study of their assembly into complexes responsible for specific biological processes. Topics addressing protein function include enzyme kinetics, the characterization of major metabolic pathways, and their interconnection into tightly regulated networks.
Prerequisites: Introductory biology and chemistry.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Fridays, January 27-May 13, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Required sections for graduate-credit students, optional sections for undergraduate-credit students to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
BIOS E-107
Introduction to Medical Neuroscience
Daniel L. Roe PhD, Lecturer on Oral Medicine, Infection, and Immunity, Part-time, Harvard School of Dental Medicine
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 24579 | Section 1
Description
This course presents students with an introduction to the major topics in neurological injury and disease. The student is introduced to the signs, symptoms, and underlying causes of a variety of conditions. Specific topics discussed include aneurysms, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, prosopagnosia, aphasia, contralateral neglect, neuropathy, meningioma, acoustic schwannoma, epidural and subdural hematoma, and pituitary tumor among others. Emphasis is on the neuroanatomical basis of injury and disease, and how this informs our understanding.
Prerequisites: Some background in basic biology is helpful.
Class Meetings:
On campus only
Thursdays, January 26-May 13, 7:40pm-9:40pm, Sever Hall 113
Required sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: Because this course requires in-person attendance, students must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details.
BIOS E-117
Human Impact and the Marine Environment
Daniel Hoer PhD, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University and Physical Scientist, United States Environmental Protection Agency
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 15790 | Section 1
Description
As human population grows, our collective influence is becoming an almost ubiquitous feature in the natural world, and the marine environment is no exception. Presently, more than fifty percent of the global human population lives within 120 miles of a coastline, exerting tremendous pressure on marine environments. Using approachable primary literature as our guide, this course addresses the vast and diverse ecosystems within the global ocean to develop an understanding of oceanic processes and how they are impacted by human activity. We address a variety of human-induced stressors with the goal of understanding their source, how their effects manifest themselves, and how society can work to remove these stressors and correct their impacts.
Prerequisites: High school chemistry and biology recommended but not required.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Tuesdays, August 30-December 17, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 35 students
BIOS E-12
Principles and Techniques of Molecular Biology
Alain Viel PhD, Senior Lecturer on Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 22965 | Section 1
Description
Students gain in-depth knowledge of nucleic acid structure, molecular genetics, and the biochemistry of transcription and protein synthesis. Working from this foundation, students explore mechanisms of gene regulation in prokaryotes, eukaryotes, and viruses. The roles played by gene regulation and rearrangement in diseases are also examined. One large project comprises three linked laboratory exercises that introduce students to important recombinant DNA and protein expression techniques. Students learn about the construction of an expression plasmid and assays for normal promoter function.
Prerequisites: BIOS E-1a or the equivalent.
Class Meetings:
On campus only
Tuesdays, January 24-May 13, 7:40pm-9:40pm, Science Center E
Required labs Thursdays, 7:40-9:40 pm. See syllabus for specific schedule.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: Because this course requires in-person attendance, students must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 58 students
BIOS E-123
Reproductive Biology: Physiological, Evolutionary, and Behavioral Aspects
Daniel Spratt MD, Professor of Medicine, Maine Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 25897 | Section 1
Description
This course undertakes a multidisciplinary exploration of reproductive function in humans, including physiology and evolution as well as the impact on behavior and society. Examples in other species ranging from seasonal reproductive physiology and behavior in deer to effects of testosterone on songbirds’ vocalizations and behavior help provide perspectives on the complex process of human reproduction and the intricacy of its regulation by hormones. The ability of humans to understand and manipulate the influence of these hormones has had an impact on our lives, healthcare system, and society. The impact on society ranges from significant advances in women’s health to passionate controversies on limiting reproduction to scandals involving androgen use in sports. The impact of androgens and estrogens on cognition and behavior is an evolving field in neuroscience, business, and politics.
Prerequisites: Introductory biology or physiology or BIOS E-163.
Class Meetings:
Online or On Campus
Mondays, January 23-May 13, 5:40pm-7:40pm, 1 Story Street 306
Optional sections Wednesdays, 7:30-8:30 pm.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: Students can attend in person on campus, participate live online at the time the class meets via web conference, or watch the recorded video asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day. Students who attend this course in person must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates site for details. If you will not be coming to campus, documentation is not required.
BIOS E-129
Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology
Julie Park PhD, Preceptor in Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University
Saige Lorraine Pompura PhD, Preceptor in Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 25750 | Section 1
Description
We are entering a new era in which a fundamental understanding of developmental biology and regeneration will play a critical role. In this course, embryonic and adult stem cells in different organisms are examined in terms of their molecular, cellular, and potential therapeutic properties. Genetic reprogramming and cloning of animals are critically evaluated. Ethical and political considerations are also considered.
Prerequisites: BIOS E-1a and BIOS E-1b, or the equivalent; knowledge of cell, molecular, or developmental biology is recommended.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Thursdays, January 26-May 13, 5:10pm-7:10pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
BIOS E-14
Principles of Genetics
Frederick R. Bieber PhD, Associate Professor of Pathology, Harvard Medical School
Chu Kwen Ho PhD, Instructional Consultant, STEM Education and Teacher Development, University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26516 | Section 1
Description
This is a general course in genetics providing a broad view of gene action from the molecular to the population levels, with emphasis on eukaryotes. Topics include bacterial and viral genetics, Mendelian genetics, mutation and DNA repair, forensic DNA technology, chromosome structure and function, genomics, and population and evolutionary genetics. The course also covers legal, ethical, and policy considerations for use of genetic technology.
Prerequisites: MATH E-8, BIOS E-1a and BIOS E-1b, and CHEM E-1a and CHEM E-1b, or the equivalent.
Class Meetings:
On campus only
Mondays, January 23-May 13, 6:00pm-8:00pm, Tosteson Medical Ed Center 128
Required sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets on the Longwood campus. Because this course requires in-person attendance, students must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details.
BIOS E-155
Medical Microbiology
Matthew Schaefers PhD, Instructor in Anaesthesia and Research Associate, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School
Nikolaus Jilg MD, PhD, Instructor in Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School
Sarah Osmulski MD, Resident Physician, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 24224 | Section 1
Description
This course introduces students to the microbial species that cause human disease. We cover bacteria, fungi, viruses, and protozoa, and discuss current topics including antibiotic resistance, public health threats, and the microbiome. There is no laboratory component to this course.
Prerequisites: Basic molecular and cellular biology (BIOS E-1a or equivalent).
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Wednesdays, January 25-May 13, 6:00pm-8:00pm
Required sections for graduate-credit students Wednesdays, 8-9pm.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 45 students
BIOS E-16
Cell Biology
Colles Price PhD, Senior Research Scientist, Head of Oncology, Vizgen
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 25918 | Section 1
Description
This course cultivates an understanding of eukaryotic cellular and subcellular structure, with close attention to structure/function relationships that govern cellular processes at the molecular level. We examine the differences between several eukaryotic model systems, including fission and budding yeast, slime mold, plants, and mammalian cells in culture. We further discuss the specific experimental techniques amenable to the study of cell biology in each system and how discoveries made using model organisms have influenced modern cell biology.
Prerequisites: BIOS E-1a, or the equivalent.
Class Meetings:
On campus only
Wednesdays, January 25-May 13, 6:00pm-8:00pm, Science Center 110
Required sections Wednesdays, 8-9 pm.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: Because this course requires in-person attendance, students must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details.
BIOS E-162b
Human Pathophysiology II
Nancy Long Sieber PhD, Adjunct Lecturer on Physiology, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16782 | Section 1
Description
This course focuses on the pathophysiology of the human nervous, endocrine, gastrointestinal, and reproductive systems. Common mechanisms of pathogenesis are examined, including injury, autoimmunity, and neoplasia. These systems are linked by our focused examination of several conditions as they affect the body as a whole. We focus on pain, stress, and spinal cord injuries, as well as the consequences of obesity. Please note that Human Pathophysiology I, offered in alternate years, is not a prerequisite for this course.
Prerequisites: A normal human or animal physiology course is recommended, but not required.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, August 29-December 17, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
BIOS E-163
Human Endocrine Physiology
Daniel Spratt MD, Professor of Medicine, Maine Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 25898 | Section 1
Description
This course delves into the fascinating ways in which hormones influence the body’s development and function. Initial lectures describe the nature of different hormones and how they exert their actions. Subsequent lectures explore how hormones regulate body functions including growth and reproduction, thyroid and metabolism, calcium and bones, nutrition, and salt/fluid balance. Clinical examples from both health and disease as well as evolutionary and historical perspectives are used liberally to illustrate points. We also explore how this physiology can be used to understand and treat diverse medical disorders such as diabetes, infertility, abnormal sexual differentiation and puberty, and osteoporosis.
Prerequisites: BIOS E-1a and BIOS E-1b, or introductory physiology.
Class Meetings:
Online or On Campus
Tuesdays, January 24-May 13, 5:40pm-7:40pm, 1 Story Street 306
Optional sections Thursdays, 7:30-8:30 pm.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: Students can attend in person on campus, participate live online at the time the class meets via web conference, or watch the recorded video asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day. Students who attend this course in person must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates site for details. If you will not be coming to campus, documentation is not required.
BIOS E-166
Cardiovascular and Cardiopulmonary Pathologies
Jennifer A. Carr PhD, Lab Instructor, Salem State University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26222 | Section 1
Description
This course reviews pathological conditions of the cardiovascular and respiratory system and how these conditions affect normal function of the organ systems. Students examine the causes, symptoms, and treatments for various cardiac and respiratory diseases and conditions at the cellular, organ, and organismal level. Cardiovascular topics covered include vascular pathobiology, aneurysm, myocardial ischemia, myocarditis, cardiac arrythmias, cardiomyopathies, valve disorders and replacements, and congenital heart diseases. Respiratory topics include obstructive lung diseases such as asthma, cystic fibrosis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); restrictive lung diseases such as pulmonary fibrosis and sarcoidosis; lung cancer; infectious pulmonary diseases such as COVID-19 and pneumonia; pulmonary vascular diseases; environmental lung diseases; neurorespiratory disorders; and conditions caused by acute trauma such as a pneumothorax. Clinical case studies and primary source literature are used to examine the effectiveness of particular medical procedures and treatments.
Prerequisites: BIOS E-65c or the equivalent.
Class Meetings:
Online or On Campus
Mondays, January 23-May 13, 5:50pm-7:50pm, Harvard Hall 101
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: Students can attend in person on campus, participate live online at the time the class meets via web conference, or watch the recorded video asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day. Students who attend this course in person must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates site for details. If you will not be coming to campus, documentation is not required.
BIOS E-179
Experimental Molecular Genetics
Alain Viel PhD, Senior Lecturer on Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26188 | Section 1
Description
This intensive January session course is designed to give students an opportunity to design experiments and analyze data. Under the guidance of the instructor and teaching assistant, students work in small teams to design experiments and test their designs online. The objective is to teach students basic techniques in molecular biology including recombinant polymerase chain reaction (PCR), cloning and protein expression in bacteria. Students assemble synthetic genes from parts and analyze the contribution of these parts in the regulation of gene expression, from transcription to translation. They develop analytical skills, learn how to design experiments, and how to work on open-ended questions. By the end of the course, students present a research paper detailing their findings. Students also submit a weekly description of their experimental designs. Relevant readings from reviews and primary literature are assigned.
Class Meetings:
On campus only
Tuesdays, Thursdays, January 3-21, 6:00pm-9:00pm, Northwest Science Building 152
Required sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 03, 2023
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $990, graduate credit $1,550.
Credits: 2
Notes: Because this course requires in-person attendance, students must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details. International students see important visa information.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 16 students
BIOS E-18
Evolution
Maria E. Miara PhD, Associate Professor of Biology, Brandeis University
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 14330 | Section 1
Description
Evolution is such a major tenet of modern biological theory that in 1973, evolutionary biologist Theodosius Dobzhansky penned that “nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution.” This course provides a comprehensive introduction to evolutionary biology. Students are introduced to both short-term and long-term evolutionary processes and they explore the patterns that result from those processes. Topics covered include the history of evolutionary theory, evidence for evolution, the origin of life, the origin of animals and the Cambrian explosion, genetic evolution, natural selection, sexual selection, species and speciation, human evolution, and evolutionary issues in modern society.
Prerequisites: An introductory organismal biology course such as BIOS E-1b.
Class Meetings:
Online or On Campus
Tuesdays, August 30-December 17, 3:00pm-5:00pm, 1 Story Street 306
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: Students can attend in person on campus, participate live online at the time the class meets via web conference, or watch the recorded video asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day. Students who attend this course in person must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details. If you will not be coming to campus, documentation is not required.
BIOS E-1a
Introduction to Molecular and Cellular Biology
Casey Roehrig PhD, Manager of Instructional Development, Office of the Vice Provost for Advances in Learning, Harvard University
Zofia Gajdos PhD, Manager of Instructional Development, Office of the Vice Provost for Advances in Learning, Harvard University
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 13096 | Section 1
Description
This introductory series focuses on the principles of cellular and organismal biology. BIOS E-1a topics include the molecular basis of life, energy and metabolism, and genetics. BIOS E-1b builds on the foundation established in BIOS E-1a and covers the origin of life and principles of evolution, and anatomy and physiology. Laboratory sections scheduled throughout the series allow students to reinforce concepts covered in lecture. The series fulfills current medical school requirements for one year of introductory biology.
Prerequisites: High school mathematics, chemistry, and biology; although CHEM E-1a and CHEM E-1b, or their equivalents, are not required, they are strongly recommended.
Class Meetings:
On campus only
Mondays, Wednesdays, August 29-December 17, 6:00pm-8:00pm, Science Center D
Required labs and optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980.
Credits: 4
Notes: Because this course requires in-person attendance, students must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details.
BIOS E-1b
Introduction to Organismic and Evolutionary Biology
Casey Roehrig PhD, Manager of Instructional Development, Office of the Vice Provost for Advances in Learning, Harvard University
Katherine Zink PhD
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 22957 | Section 1
Description
This introductory series focuses on the principles of cellular (BIOS E-1a) and organismal (BIOS E-1b) biology. BIOS E-1a topics include the molecular basis of life, energy and metabolism, and genetics. BIOS E-1b builds on the foundation established in BIOS E-1a and covers the origin of life and principles of evolution, and anatomy and physiology. Laboratory sections scheduled throughout the series allow students to reinforce concepts covered in lecture. The series fulfills current medical school requirements for one year of introductory biology.
Prerequisites: BIOS E-1a, or the equivalent.
Class Meetings:
On campus only
Mondays, Wednesdays, January 23-May 13, 6:00pm-8:00pm, Science Center D
Required labs and optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980.
Credits: 4
Notes: Because this course requires in-person attendance, students must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details.
BIOS E-200
Proseminar: Introduction to Graduate Studies in Biology
Mihaela G. Gadjeva PhD, Associate Director, Bacteriology, Moderna
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16872 | Section 1
Description
This proseminar is designed to teach students many of the writing and analytical skills that are required to succeed in graduate-level courses in the biological sciences. The course is organized around discussion of topics derived from peer-reviewed published research in the fields of mucosal immunology, microbiology, and virology. We discuss the COVID-19 pandemic and attempt to understand disease pathogenesis, innate responses, and vaccine design. We also learn about human microbiome and how its presence alters susceptibility to infection. We discuss how microbiome-derived metabolites can control the immune system and learn how diet, probiotics, and/or microbiota-released metabolites ensure health. Through critical reading and presentation of research articles, students practice asking research questions that can be addressed experimentally and write testable hypothesis. This course also addresses the process of experimental design and current experimental methodologies in biology. Students are given multiple opportunities to hone their writing skills on several short writing assignments and a final writing project due at the end of the semester. Because skills learned in this course are useful in subsequent courses, it is the first course that prospective Master of Liberal Arts (ALM) candidates should take toward the degree (or the second, if they are completing the expository writing prerequisite). While not designed to be a thesis or capstone proposal course, this course does serve as a foundation for eventual work on the thesis or capstone. This is the required admission course for the ALM, biology. Students interested in the ALM, biotechnology, should see BIOT E-200.
Prerequisites: A satisfactory score on the mandatory test of critical reading and writing skills or a B or higher grade in the alternate expository writing course. In addition, at the first class meeting students must complete a writing assignment that demonstrates their graduate-level reading comprehension and ability to write coherent, logical arguments. Molecular biology (BIOS E-12 or the equivalent) and EXPO E-42c are highly recommended.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, August 29-December 17, 6:30pm-8:30pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 15 students
BIOS E-200
Proseminar: Introduction to Graduate Studies in Biology
Margaret A. Lynch PhD, Director of Undergraduate-Faculty Research Partnerships, Brandeis University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 22950 | Section 1
Description
This proseminar is designed to teach students many of the writing and analytical skills that are required to succeed in graduate-level courses in the biological sciences. Through critical reading and presentation of research articles, students learn how to form questions that can be addressed experimentally and how to write a corresponding, testable hypothesis. This course also addresses the process of experimental design and current experimental methodologies in biology. Students are given multiple opportunities to hone their writing skills on several short writing assignments and a final writing project due at the end of the semester. Because skills learned in this course are useful in subsequent courses, it is the first course that prospective Master of Liberal Arts (ALM) candidates should take toward the degree (or the second, if they are completing the expository writing prerequisite). While not designed to be a thesis or capstone proposal course (students will complete the official proposal course later in their degree program), it does serve as a foundation for eventual work on the thesis or capstone. This is the required admission course for the Master of Liberal Arts, biology. Students interested in the Master of Liberal Arts, biotechnology, should see BIOT E-200.
Prerequisites: A satisfactory score on the mandatory test of critical reading and writing skills or a B or higher grade in the alternate expository writing course. In addition, at the first class meeting students must complete a writing assignment that demonstrates their graduate-level reading comprehension and ability to write coherent, logical arguments. Molecular biology (BIOS E-12 or the equivalent) and EXPO E-42c are highly recommended.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, January 23-May 13, 5:10pm-7:10pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 15 students
BIOS E-204
Developmental and Regenerative Biology
William J. Anderson PhD, Senior Lecturer on Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26504 | Section 1
Description
The field of developmental biology provides insights on a most interesting question: how do all of the cells in our bodies arise from a single cell, the fertilized egg? This graduate seminar probes this question through critical analysis of the primary literature. Both classical as well as contemporary papers are scrutinized. We cover topics ranging from fertilization, organogenesis, patterning, regeneration, and aging, with a focus on humans whenever possible.
Prerequisites: One year of introductory biology (BIOS E-1a and BIOS E-1b, or equivalent); developmental biology (BIOS E-55) and/or stem cell biology (BIOS E-129) strongly recommended. Graduate proseminar (BIOS E-200) recommended but not required.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Tuesdays, January 24-May 13, 6:00pm-8:00pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 19 students
BIOS E-207
Forensic Pathology
Dennis Cullinane PhD, Director, Science Instruction and Premedical Program, Harvard Extension School
Dana Stearns MD, Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine and of Surgery, Harvard Medical School
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26199 | Section 1
Description
This course explores injury analysis and the determination of trauma etiology and mechanics. Starting with an examination of injury and emergency department tables from the Centers for Disease Control, students move on to case analyses and self and team-run investigations. Topics include, but are not limited to, intentional versus unintentional trauma, ballistic trauma, child abuse, intimate partner violence, motor vehicle accidents, penetrating trauma, and various other methods of intentional trauma.
Prerequisites: BIOS E-65c or BIOS E-65d, or equivalent.
Class Meetings:
On campus only
Tuesdays, January 24-May 13, 6:00pm-8:00pm, Tosteson Medical Ed Center 128
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets on the Longwood campus. Because this course requires in-person attendance, students must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 40 students
BIOS E-245
CRISPR-Gene Editing Applications for Healthcare and Biotechnology
Alain Viel PhD, Senior Lecturer on Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 25920 | Section 1
Description
CRISPR is a recent gene-editing technology providing an efficient, effective, and precise solution to genetic engineering with applications in the healthcare, biotechnology, and agriculture industries. CRISPR has a promising potential to transform diseases treatments, contribute to food security, or even aid biofuel production. Using real-world case studies, the course illustrates CRISPR’s potential to cure inherited genetic disorders, to treat infectious diseases such as HIV, and to advance the fight against cancer. When applicable, the impact and possibilities of the outcomes of CRISPR’s applications on the healthcare industry are discussed. The course also discusses the applications of CRISPR in the biotechnology industry and their roles in the development of disease-resistant cultivars, improving food yields, and allowing biofuels to become a viable alternative energy source.
Prerequisites: BIOS E-1a or the equivalent.
Class Meetings:
On campus only
Wednesdays, January 25-May 13, 7:40pm-9:40pm, Northwest Science Building B109
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: Because this course requires in-person attendance, students must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 19 students
BIOS E-26
Clinical Comparative Medicine: Evolutionary Perspectives on Mental and Physical Health
Barbara Natterson Horowitz MD, Lecturer on Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16879 | Section 1
Description
The leading causes of mortality and morbidity in women from cardiovascular disease and mammary or ovarian cancers to infertility, sexual transmitted infections, and post-partum bio-behavioral disorders also impact female animals across the tree of life. This course explores the species-spanning and evolutionary origins of medical, surgical, and psychiatric illnesses, emphasizing issues in women’s health. Students develop skills in developing and analyzing phylogenetic models of a wide range of pathologies from mammary, ovarian, and endometrial cancer to heart failure, infertility, and osteoporosis. Mental health issues including post-partum depression are also placed in a broadly comparative and evolutionary context with this exploration of psychopathology in animals presented as an opportunity for students to examine the origins of human mental health stigma. Students gain in-depth exposure to one health and planetary health perspectives and a set of analytical tools they can apply to better understand the nature of health (women’s and general) and disease when they enter medical school.
Class Meetings:
Online
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: The recorded lectures are from the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences companion course HEB 1328. Registered students can ordinarily live stream the lectures Tuesdays, 6:00-8:00 pm starting September 6 or they can watch them on demand. The recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day. Class sessions for this course may include students enrolled in the FAS companion course. Accordingly, when you participate in live class sessions, you will do so alongside both Division of Continuing Education (DCE) and FAS students. If you participate in a way that causes you to appear in recordings of the class, those recordings may be shown to DCE students enrolled in this course or FAS students enrolled in the companion course, according to the policies of the two schools on accessing recordings of class sessions.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 51 students
BIOS E-30
Epigenetics, Epitranscriptomics, and Gene Regulation
Amy Tsurumi PhD, Assistant Professor of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16171 | Section 1
Description
This course is designed to introduce students to the field of epigenetics and epitranscriptomics, and gene regulatory mechanisms that occur without changes in the underlying DNA sequence. Molecular mechanisms we cover in depth include DNA and RNA modifications, histone modifications, chromatin remodeling, non-coding RNAs, and RNA editing. We discuss studies describing the role of epigenetics and epitranscriptomics in various developmental events, the natural aging process, environmental exposures, and malignancies such as cancer, obesity, neurological disorders, and inflammatory diseases. We also learn about molecular techniques and model organisms commonly used in epigenetics research.
Prerequisites: BIOS E-12 or the equivalent.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Thursdays, September 1-December 17, 7:40pm-9:40pm
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
BIOS E-40
Introduction to Proteomics
Alain Viel PhD, Senior Lecturer on Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 13099 | Section 1
Description
The completion of several genome projects, including the Human Genome Project, has further fostered a systems-based approach to biology. The goal is to determine how all the genes in a genome act and how their products interact to produce a functional organism. Proteomics seeks to identify and to characterize all the proteins synthesized in a cell or a tissue. Based on this information, one can then try to understand how individual proteins or protein collectives function within an organism. The first half of the course focuses on current methodology used to analyze and identify proteins. This includes protein electrophoresis, chromatography, mass spectrometry, and protein database analysis. The second half of the course focuses on case studies derived from the current scientific literature. This includes comparisons between healthy and diseased tissues, new approaches to analyze metabolic pathways, and the comprehensive analysis of protein-protein interactions in different cell types.
Prerequisites: BIOS E-1a, or the equivalent; BIOS E-12 recommended.
Class Meetings:
Online or On Campus
Tuesdays, August 30-December 17, 5:50pm-7:50pm, Northwest Science Building B108
Required review sessions Thursdays, 7-9 pm.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: On-campus meetings are recorded. A live stream is available at the time the class meets. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day. See minimum technology requirements. Students who attend this course in person must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details. If you will not be coming to campus, documentation is not required.
BIOS E-45
Introduction to Genomics
Arezou A. Ghazani PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26515 | Section 1
Description
This course provides an overview of human and comparative genomic studies, genomic architecture, numerical and structural variations, and regulatory mechanisms of the genome. The course topics include current and novel practices in genome interrogations, global copy number variation (CNV) assessment, sequencing, and data analysis. This course cultivates an understanding of functional genomics and genomic malfunction, genome-wide association studies (GWAS), and the new field of personal genomics, along with discussions on social and ethical impacts resulting from advances in genomics studies.
Prerequisites: BIOS E-1a and BIOS E-1b, CHEM E-1a and CHEM E-1b, or the equivalent.
Class Meetings:
On campus only
Mondays, January 23-May 13, 6:00pm-8:00pm, Tosteson Medical Ed Center 227
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets on the Longwood campus. Because this course requires in-person attendance, students must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details.
BIOS E-50
Neurobiology
Laura Magnotti PhD, Lecturer on Neuroscience, Harvard University
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 13097 | Section 1
Description
This course examines the structure and function of the mammalian nervous system by examining the molecules, cells, and circuits that are involved in directing our behavior. We explore how the nervous system is constructed during development, how it adapts with experience throughout life, how it functions in normal behavior, and how it can be disrupted by injury and disease.
Prerequisites: Introductory biology, or permission of the instructor. For graduate-credit students, successful completion of BIOS E-200 or equivalent.
Class Meetings:
On campus only
Wednesdays, August 31-December 17, 6:00pm-8:00pm, Science Center E
Required sections for graduate-credit students, optional sections for undergraduate-credit students to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: Because this course requires in-person attendance, students must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details.
BIOS E-52
The Neurobiology of Pain
Ryan W. Draft PhD, Lecturer on Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 15683 | Section 1
Description
This course explores the neurobiological systems and mechanisms underlying both acute and chronic pain. Topics include nociceptive and sensory systems, molecular basis and modulation of pain, neuroanatomy of peripheral and central pain circuits, pain pathologies, and pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments. The emphasis is on understanding basic neurobiological concepts underlying pain systems and reading and discussing the primary scientific research in the field.
Prerequisites: BIOS E-1a, or the equivalent.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Thursdays, September 1-December 17, 3:00pm-5:00pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 25 students
BIOS E-53
Brain Invaders: Pathogens of the Central Nervous System
Laura Magnotti PhD, Lecturer on Neuroscience, Harvard University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26229 | Section 1
Description
The brain has evolved a unique but very effective system to protect itself from invaders. In this course, we explore the specific defenses that the nervous system uses to protect itself. We also examine how some pathogens evade or breach those defenses and the impact of those invasions. Finally, we explore how scientists have been able to translate their understanding of these pathogenic mechanisms into technologies for research and therapeutic applications.
Prerequisites: BIOS E-1a or the equivalent.
Class Meetings:
On campus only
Wednesdays, January 25-May 13, 6:00pm-8:00pm, Sever Hall 203
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: Because this course requires in-person attendance, students must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 25 students
BIOS E-60
Immunology
Mihaela G. Gadjeva PhD, Associate Director, Bacteriology, Moderna
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 23186 | Section 1
Description
How does the immune system work? What are the molecular and cellular components and pathways that protect an organism from infectious agents or cancer? This comprehensive course answers these questions as it explores the cells and molecules of the immune system. The topics discussed during the first half of the course cover the structure, function, and genetics of the molecules of the immune system, including antibodies, B- and T-cell receptors, major histocompatibility complex (MHC) proteins, and cytokines; and processes of lymphocyte development and antigen presentation. During the second half of the course, the lectures focus on how the individual components of the immune system work together to fight bacterial, fungal, or viral infections. In addition to introducing basic concepts of tumor immunity and immune system deficiencies, special emphasis is placed on a COVID-19 pandemic. Through discussion of clinical case studies, we understand what measures need to be taken to design therapies and vaccines. The course emphasizes the research and development opportunities for therapeutic intervention arising from recent advances in immunology (for example the application of therapeutic antibodies and recombinant molecules such as CAR-T cell therapies as potential drug treatments). Upon completion of the course students have a sound understanding of the essential elements of the immune system, preparing them to engage further in this rapidly evolving field.
Prerequisites: Background in biology, biochemistry, genetics, and molecular biology is helpful.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, January 23-May 13, 6:30pm-8:30pm
Required sections Tuesdays, 7:30-8:30 pm or Thursdays, 7:30-8:30 pm.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
BIOS E-65c
Clinical Anatomy and Physiology I
Britt Stockton Lee MD, PhD, Clinical Simulation Faculty, MEDscience Simulation Lab, Harvard Medical School
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 13387 | Section 1
Description
This course is an immersive introduction to human anatomy and physiology from a clinical perspective. Students gain a functional understanding of the systems of the body and the structure and function of the tissues that comprise them. Using real-life clinical scenarios, students use their newfound basic science knowledge to assess and diagnose pathologies of the respiratory, cardiovascular, digestive, nervous, endocrine, urinary, immune, and musculoskeletal systems.
Prerequisites: BIOS E-1a and BIOS E-1b, algebra, introductory geometry.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Wednesdays, August 31-December 17, 6:30pm-8:30pm
Required sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 90 students
BIOS E-65d
Clinical Anatomy and Physiology II
Britt Stockton Lee MD, PhD, Clinical Simulation Faculty, MEDscience Simulation Lab, Harvard Medical School
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 23232 | Section 1
Description
This course is a continuation of BIOS E-65c. Students gain a functional understanding of the systems of the body and the structure and function of the tissues that comprise them. Using real-life clinical scenarios, students use their newfound basic science knowledge to assess and diagnose pathologies of the respiratory, cardiovascular, digestive, nervous, endocrine, urinary, immune, and musculoskeletal systems.
Prerequisites: BIOS E-1a, BIOS E-1b, BIOS E-65c, algebra, introductory geometry.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Wednesdays, January 25-May 13, 6:30pm-8:30pm
Required sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 80 students
BIOS E-67
Introduction to Pharmacology
Kate Ellen McDonnell-Dowling PhD, Lecturer on Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School and Associate Director of Curriculum, HMX
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16167 | Section 1
Description
It is often thought that studying pharmacology involves memorizing drug names and chemical pathways, but in reality this subject is built upon a few simple concepts. This course aims to cover these fundamental concepts of pharmacology including pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and toxicology. Learning materials are delivered online through HMX, a digital learning initiative from the faculty of Harvard Medical School. The HMX pharmacology course has been created by a highly skilled interdisciplinary team of Harvard Medical School educators and creative professionals. Using integrated multimedia elements and didactic visuals the HMX course focuses on bringing foundational concepts in pharmacology to life via real-world and clinical applications. Students also participate in a live component where they have the opportunity to dive deeper into these pharmacological concepts and work on problem-solving activities in weekly sessions with their instructor. In addition to receiving course credit, students have the opportunity to earn a certificate from Harvard Medical School. A certificate of achievement or a certificate of completion can be earned by those who attain certain thresholds within the course. Students registered in this course have access to the HMX pharmacology course. They should not enroll separately in the HMX course.
Prerequisites: Introductory biology and biochemistry are strongly recommended.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, August 29-December 17, 3:00pm-5:00pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
BIOS E-70
Introduction to Epidemiology
Jennifer Fonda PhD, Lecturer in Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Assistant Professor in Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, and Epidemiologist, Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 24809 | Section 1
Description
How can you design a study to evaluate the risk factors associated with the recent reversal in life expectancy in the United States? How do you assess the benefits and risks related to the recent cancer screening guidelines? This course introduces the basic principles and methods of epidemiology and demonstrates the applicability to public health and medicine. The goal of this course is to provide fundamental skills needed to begin to interpret and critically evaluate literature relevant to public health. Topics include measures of disease frequency and association, epidemiologic study designs, sources of bias and error, screening, and applications to public health.
Prerequisites: Basic quantitative skills essential; familiarity with medical terminology helpful.
Class Meetings:
On campus only
Thursdays, January 26-May 13, 6:00pm-8:00pm, Harvard Hall 202
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: Because this course requires in-person attendance, students must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details.
BIOS E-72
Infectious Diseases in a World of Changing Climate, Drug Resistance, and Vaccine Hesitancy
Narges Dorratoltaj PhD, Director, Life and Health Modeling, Verisk
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16122 | Section 1
Description
Despite the availability of control measures, infectious diseases are emerging and re-emerging. These outbreaks emphasize the importance of understanding the epidemiology of infectious diseases through qualitative and quantitative methods. This course introduces the basics of infectious disease epidemiology and modeling, disease surveillance methods, dynamics of transmission, and assessment of prevention and control measures. The epidemiology of different diseases based on route of transmission (food-borne, water-borne, vector-borne, or air-borne) along with common and recently emerged infectious diseases (COVID-19, influenza, malaria, Ebola, Zika, and antimicrobial resistance pathogens) are discussed. Finally, we explore some modeling techniques to understand the epidemiology and dynamics of infectious disease outbreaks to help public health officials make more informed decisions. We consider the political, demographic, and social changes that have an impact on public health.
Prerequisites: BIOS E-1a, MATH E-8, and MATH E-15, or the equivalent.
Class Meetings:
Online or On Campus
Thursdays, September 1-December 17, 5:40pm-7:40pm, 1 Story Street 304
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: Students can attend in person on campus, participate live online at the time the class meets via web conference, or watch the recorded video asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day. Students who attend this course in person must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details. If you will not be coming to campus, documentation is not required.
BIOT E-104
Introductory Bioinformatics
Soohyun Lee PhD, Senior Bioinformatics Scientist, Exact Sciences
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16716 | Section 1
Description
This course is designed to cover an introductory level overview of bioinformatics. It covers commonly used bioinformatics tools and algorithms as well as standard formats, with the focus on DNA/RNA sequence and sequencing data analysis. The topics include sequence alignment, motif detection, conservation analysis, Markov models, short-read sequencing data alignment, variant detection and visualization, peak calling, clustering methods, standard formats, random access tools, and performance analysis. Web-based tools and databases are also covered. Pipeline development frameworks and cloud-based approaches are discussed briefly. This course does not include artificial intelligence or machine learning techniques or theoretical analysis of algorithms. Programming is not the focus of the course, but students are welcome to apply their programming skills to the course material.
Prerequisites: Basic knowledge of molecular biology (DNA, RNA, and protein) required. Knowledge in genomics and epigenetics a plus but not required. Statistics and programming skills a plus but not required.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, August 29-December 17, 7:40pm-9:40pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
BIOT E-104
Introductory Bioinformatics
Soohyun Lee PhD, Senior Bioinformatics Scientist, Exact Sciences
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26531 | Section 1
Description
This course is designed to cover an introductory level overview of bioinformatics. It covers commonly used bioinformatics tools and algorithms as well as standard formats, with the focus on DNA/RNA sequence and sequencing data analysis. The topics include sequence alignment, motif detection, conservation analysis, Markov models, short-read sequencing data alignment, variant detection and visualization, peak calling, clustering methods, standard formats, random access tools, and performance analysis. Web-based tools and databases are also covered. Pipeline development frameworks and cloud-based approaches are discussed briefly. This course does not include artificial intelligence or machine learning techniques or theoretical analysis of algorithms. Programming is not the focus of the course, but students are welcome to apply their programming skills to the course material.
Prerequisites: Basic knowledge of molecular biology (DNA, RNA, and protein) required. Knowledge in genomics and epigenetics a plus but not required. Statistics and programming skills a plus but not required.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Thursdays, January 26-May 13, 7:40pm-9:40pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 35 students
BIOT E-120
Ethics and Trends in Biotechnology
Timothy Furlan PhD, Burnett Family Distinguished Chair in Ethics, University of St. Thomas, Director, Center for Ethical Leadership, and Senior Editor, Pediatric Ethicscope
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 15456 | Section 1
Description
Biotechnology offers exciting and promising prospects for healing the sick and relieving suffering. But exactly because of their impressive powers to alter the workings of body and mind, the dual uses of the same technologies also make them attractive to people who are not sick, but who would use them to look younger, perform better, or feel happier. These applications of biotechnology are already presenting us with some unfamiliar and very difficult challenges. In this course, we consider such possible beyond therapy uses and explore both their scientific basis and the ethical and social issues they are likely to raise. We consider how pursuing the goals of better children, superior performance, ageless bodies, or happy souls might be aided or hindered, elevated or degraded, by seeking them through a wide variety of technological means. Among the biotechnological techniques considered are techniques for screening genes and testing embryos, choosing sex of children, modifying the behavior of children, augmenting muscle size and strength, enhancing athletic performance, slowing senescence, blunting painful memories, brightening mood, and altering basic temperaments. Toward the end of the course, we begin to ask what kinds of human beings and what sort of society we might be creating in the coming age of biotechnology.
Prerequisites: BIOS E-1a, BIOS E-1b, BIOS E-12, or the equivalents.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Tuesdays, August 30-December 17, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 30 students
BIOT E-120
Ethics and Trends in Biotechnology
Masha Fridkis-Hareli PhD, President, ATR, LLC
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 25195 | Section 1
Description
Biotechnology offers exciting and promising prospects for healing the sick and relieving suffering. But exactly because of their impressive powers to alter the workings of body and mind, the dual uses of the same technologies also make them attractive to people who are not sick, but who would use them to look younger, perform better, or feel happier. These applications of biotechnology are already presenting us with some unfamiliar and very difficult challenges. In this course, we consider such possible beyond therapy uses and explore both their scientific basis and the ethical and social issues they are likely to raise. We consider how pursuing the goals of better children, superior performance, ageless bodies, or happy souls might be aided or hindered, elevated or degraded, by seeking them through a wide variety of technological means. Among the biotechnological techniques considered are techniques for screening genes and testing embryos, choosing sex of children, modifying the behavior of children, augmenting muscle size and strength, enhancing athletic performance, slowing senescence, blunting painful memories, brightening mood, and altering basic temperaments. Toward the end of the course, we begin to ask what kinds of human beings and what sort of society we might be creating in the coming age of biotechnology.
Prerequisites: BIOS E-1a, BIOS E-1b, BIOS E-12, or the equivalents.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Tuesdays, January 24-May 13, 7:40pm-9:40pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 30 students
BIOT E-140
RNA Biology and Therapeutics
Kaveh Daneshvar PhD, Principal Scientist, Tome Biosciences
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26313 | Section 1
Description
RNA molecules can store and transfer genetic information, as well as regulate cellular processes through enzymatic activity and their interaction with other biomolecules. In the past decade, advances in next-generation sequencing have revealed new classes of RNAs and the multiple layers of information and functions they carry. The newly discovered functions of different classes of RNA molecules and their roles in human development and disease have led to the emergence of RNA therapeutics. This course explores the intersection of modern basic and translational research on RNA biology along with the biotechnology industry’s drug development efforts around RNA therapeutics. The course offers a unique opportunity for students, researchers, and biotechnology innovators to expand their knowledge about the growing science of RNA therapeutics and to develop a deep understanding of RNA-focused drug development in the biotech industry. This course opens with an introduction to the RNA world, including evolutionary theories about biomolecules, fundamental concepts related to the structure and functions of RNAs, current classifications of RNA molecules, and modern tools and techniques for studying RNAs. The course then covers current classes of RNA molecules and their roles in normal biology and in disease. This course focuses on two classes of RNA therapeutics: drugs that target normal or abnormal RNA transcripts (for example, small molecules, siRNAs, and anti-sense RNAs) and RNA-editing systems; and drugs and vaccines composed of RNAs.
Prerequisites: BIOS E-12.
Class Meetings:
On campus only
Mondays, January 23-May 13, 6:00pm-8:00pm, Sever Hall 203
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: Because this course requires in-person attendance, students must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details.
BIOT E-200
Proseminar: Introduction to Graduate Studies in Biotechnology
Margaret A. Lynch PhD, Director of Undergraduate-Faculty Research Partnerships, Brandeis University
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 13645 | Section 1
Description
In this proseminar, we focus on science writing, data interpretation, and collaborative and independent experimental design. Students who successfully complete the course are those who demonstrate an ability to assess information from the primary scientific literature, a command of oral and written communication skills, and the ability to generate a logical progression of experiments to help validate or nullify their hypothesis. Reading materials include publications on scientific writing, experimental design, and peer-reviewed journal articles. Because skills learned in this course are useful in subsequent courses, it is the first course that prospective Master of Liberal Arts (ALM) candidates should take toward the degree (or the second, if they are completing the expository writing prerequisite). While not designed to be a thesis or capstone proposal course, this course does serve as a foundation for eventual work on the thesis or capstone. This is the required admission course for the ALM in biotechnology. Students interested in the ALM in biology should enroll in BIOS E-200.
Prerequisites: Instructors assume that students already have undergraduate degrees in an area of life, physical, or computer science, as well as professional scientific training. Scientists coming from a physical or computer science background should successfully complete BIOS E-1a and BIOS E-1b as well as BIOS E-12 or their equivalents before attempting to take BIOT E-200. EXPO E-42c is strongly recommended. Students must earn a satisfactory score on the mandatory test of critical reading and writing skills or a B or higher grade in the alternate expository writing course.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, August 29-December 17, 5:10pm-7:10pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 15 students
BIOT E-200
Proseminar: Introduction to Graduate Studies in Biotechnology
Elizabeth Wiltrout Leary PhD, Senior Program Manager, Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Tufts Medical Center
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 23457 | Section 1
Description
In this proseminar, we focus on science writing, data interpretation, and collaborative and independent experimental design. Students who successfully complete the course are those who demonstrate an ability to assess information from the primary scientific literature, a command of oral and written communication skills, and the ability to generate a logical progression of experiments to help validate or nullify their hypothesis. Reading materials include publications on scientific writing, experimental design, and peer-reviewed journal articles. Because skills learned in this course are useful in subsequent courses, it is the first course that prospective Master of Liberal Arts (ALM) candidates should take toward the degree (or the second, if they are completing the expository writing prerequisite). While not designed to be a thesis or capstone proposal course, this course does serve as a foundation for eventual work on the thesis or capstone. This is the required admission course for the ALM in biotechnology. Students interested in the ALM in biology should enroll in BIOS E-200.
Prerequisites: Instructors assume that students already have undergraduate degrees in an area of life, physical, or computer science, as well as professional scientific training. Scientists coming from a physical or computer science background should successfully complete BIOS E-1a and BIOS E-1b as well as BIOS E-12 or their equivalents before attempting to take BIOT E-200. EXPO E-42c is strongly recommended. Students must earn a satisfactory score on the mandatory test of critical reading and writing skills or a B or higher grade in the alternate expository writing course.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, January 23-May 13, 8:10pm-10:10pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 16 students
BIOT E-220
Regulatory Aspects of Drug Development
Jonathon Parker PhD, Vice President, Head of Regulatory Neurology, Ultragenyx
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 25749 | Section 1
Description
The course provides an overview of the prescription drug development process and regulatory considerations for this process, including small molecules, biologics, and gene therapy. It focuses on the phases of pharmaceutical development, aspects influencing the pharmaceutical industry, and the regulatory themes and healthcare concepts that shape the decisions having an impact on the entire process.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Wednesdays, January 25-May 13, 7:40pm-9:40pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 30 students
BIOT E-225
Biomedical Product Development
Sujata K. Bhatia PhD, MD, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 15756 | Section 1
Description
This course examines the design and development of new therapeutic products. Students learn through case-based studies of product development for pharmaceuticals, biologics, medical devices, and combination therapies. The course describes the steps of biomedical product development, from conceptualization, to design, to manufacturing, to regulatory approval and commercialization. The course discusses both technical and business factors that contribute to the success or failure of new biomedical products. Appropriate design of preclinical and clinical trials is also included. Students gain an appreciation for emerging technologies in stem cells, gene therapy, tissue regeneration, personalized medicine, and targeted therapies. Additionally, students learn about the special challenges presented by emerging biomedical technologies. By the end of the course, each student completes a project to propose a new biomedical device and identify the regulatory strategy, technical milestones, and business milestones for the new device.
Prerequisites: Background in introductory biology and chemistry.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Thursdays, September 1-December 17, 8:10pm-10:10pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 40 students
BIOT E-227
Immunoassay Design and Development
Masha Fridkis-Hareli PhD, President, ATR, LLC
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16674 | Section 1
Description
This introductory course explores assays commonly used in drug discovery and development. Immunoassays are key in characterization of drug candidates for efficacy and safety prior to market authorization. The overall goal of the course is to provide students with knowledge of different types of immunoassays including enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), flow cytometry, and cell-based assays. Topics include design and optimization process, reagent selection, assay validation, and implementation for various applications in drug profiling.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, August 29-December 17, 7:40pm-9:40pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 35 students
BIOT E-597
Precapstone: Business Ideas and Entrepreneurial Innovation
Steven Denkin PhD, Director and Research Advisor, Biotechnology, Harvard Extension School
Nicolas Labovitis ALM
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16815 | Section 1
Description
This precapstone course prepares students to write and present their business plan in the capstone. It is mandatory for candidates in the Master of Liberal Arts, biotechnology, who wish to register for BIOT E-599 in the spring. Through idea discovery, market research, and prototype development, students identify an innovative biotechnology product or application. In addition to idea generation and development, students receive guidance and advising to work effectively in teams to develop and propose a viable idea, and write a draft business plan. During the semester, students meet with industry experts to discuss best practices.
Prerequisites: Registration is limited to officially admitted candidates in Master of Liberal Arts, biotechnology, who are in their penultimate semester. Prospective candidates and students with pending admission applications are not eligible. Candidates must be in good academic standing and in the process of successfully completing all degree requirements except the capstone, BIOT E-599, which they must enroll in the upcoming spring term as their final course. Candidates who do not meet these degree requirements are dropped from the course.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Wednesdays, August 31-December 17, 5:10pm-7:10pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 20 students
BIOT E-599
Capstone: Business Ideas and Entrepreneurial Innovation
Steven Denkin PhD, Director and Research Advisor, Biotechnology, Harvard Extension School
Beth Zielinski-Habershaw PhD, Coordinator of Training, Pharmaceutical Development Institute, University of Rhode Island
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 25061 | Section 1
Description
This capstone course provides an opportunity for biotechnology professionals to create a business plan for a new biotechnology company, a ground-breaking drug, or an emerging technology such as a diagnostic or medical device. The biotech business plan includes background research on the idea and investigation of the following: market opportunity, market strategy, funding, intellectual property, patents, and management. In addition to the business plan report, each student writes his or her own executive summary. During the semester, students meet with industry experts to discuss best practices.
Prerequisites: Registration is limited to officially admitted candidates in the Master of Liberal Arts, biotechnology, capstone track. Candidates must be in good academic standing, ready to graduate in May with only the capstone left to complete (no other course registration is allowed simultaneously with the capstone). Prospective candidates and students with pending admission applications are not eligible. Candidates must have earned a B-minus or higher grade in BIOT E-597 in the prior fall term. Candidates who do not meet these requirements are dropped from the course.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Wednesdays, January 25-May 13, 5:10pm-7:10pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 20 students
CELT E-116
Irish Religious Folklore: A Woven Tradition
Kate Chadbourne PhD
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16787 | Section 1
Description
This course introduces students to the vibrant folklore of Irish religious life, belief, and practice. Sources range from tales found in the earliest Irish manuscripts to 19th- and 20th-century hagiographical folklore and contemporary memorates. Topics include saints; calendar customs including patterns and pilgrimages; holy wells, chapels, churches, and holy places; notions of heaven, hell, and divine justice; priests and nuns; and sacred language, including blessings and curses. We read and listen to narratives, songs, first-hand accounts, proverbs, and place lore, and we explore a range of sources that demonstrate the woven nature of Irish religious folklore which incorporates official stance with deeply personal experiences, perspectives, and beliefs.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Wednesdays, August 31-December 17, 6:30pm-8:30pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 40 students
CGRK E-1a
Beginning Ancient Greek
Stephen James Hughes AM, Doctoral Candidate in the Classics, Harvard University
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16868 | Section 1
Description
This course is the first of a four-part sequence providing a comprehensive introduction to the classical Greek language. Students develop a foundational understanding of morphology and syntax while reading texts inspired by or adapted from authors such as Aristophanes, Demosthenes, Herodotus, Homer, and Plato. Grammatical concepts covered include the declension of nouns and adjectives; pronouns (demonstrative, indefinite, and interrogative); the function of the cases; the conjugation of verbs in the present, imperfect, and future indicative (active and middle voices); and the present participle (active and middle voices).
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Thursdays, September 1-December 17, 7:40pm-9:40pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $750, undergraduate credit $990.
Credits: 2
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 28 students
CGRK E-1b
Beginning Ancient Greek
Stephen James Hughes AM, Doctoral Candidate in the Classics, Harvard University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26493 | Section 1
Description
This course is the second of a four-part sequence providing a comprehensive introduction to the classical Greek language. Students improve their understanding of morphology and syntax while reading texts inspired by or adapted from authors such as Aristophanes, Demosthenes, Herodotus, Homer, and Plato. Grammatical concepts covered include the conjugation of verbs in the aorist indicative (active and middle voices); the aorist participle (active and middle voices); the conjugation of verbs in the present and aorist optative (active and middle voices); the potential optative; comparative and superlative adjectives; relative clauses; particles; indirect statements; and the principal parts of common verbs.
Prerequisites: CGRK E-1a or previous study equivalent to the first half of a single 4-credit introductory course in classical Greek at the college level. Prospective students who have not completed CGRK E-1a should contact the instructor for advice regarding placement.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Thursdays, January 26-May 13, 7:40pm-9:40pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $750, undergraduate credit $990.
Credits: 2
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 28 students
CGRK E-2a
Intermediate Classical Greek I
Stephen James Hughes AM, Doctoral Candidate in the Classics, Harvard University
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16869 | Section 1
Description
This course is the third of a four-part sequence providing a comprehensive introduction to the classical Greek language. Students improve their understanding of morphology and syntax while reading texts inspired by or adapted from authors such as Aristophanes, Demosthenes, Herodotus, Homer, and Plato. Grammatical topics covered include the perfect tense, the conjugation of verbs in the passive voice, the conjugation of athematic verbs, the genitive absolute, indirect statements, conditional clauses, clauses of effort, the subjunctive mood, articular infinitives, and indefinite constructions.
Prerequisites: CGRK E-1b or previous study equivalent to a single 4-credit introductory course in classical Greek at the college level. Prospective students who have not completed CGRK E-1b should contact the instructor for advice regarding placement.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, August 29-December 17, 7:40pm-9:40pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $750, undergraduate credit $990.
Credits: 2
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 28 students
CGRK E-2b
Intermediate Classical Greek II
Stephen James Hughes AM, Doctoral Candidate in the Classics, Harvard University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26494 | Section 1
Description
This course is the fourth of a four-part sequence providing a comprehensive introduction to the classical Greek language. Students improve their understanding of morphology and syntax while reading texts inspired by or adapted from authors such as Aristophanes, Demosthenes, Herodotus, Homer, and Plato. Grammatical topics covered include: the conjugation of verbs in the pluperfect and future-perfect indicative (active, middle, and passive voices); the conjugation of athematic verbs; fear clauses; purpose clauses; result clauses; subordinate clauses in secondary sequence; deliberative and hortatory subjunctives; correlatives; and the dialects and syntax of Herodotus and Homer.
Prerequisites: CGRK E-2a or previous study equivalent to a single 4-credit introductory course in classical Greek at the college level. Prospective students who have not completed CGRK E-2a should contact the instructor for advice regarding placement.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, January 23-May 13, 7:40pm-9:40pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $750, undergraduate credit $990.
Credits: 2
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 28 students
CGRK E-31
Homer’s Odyssey
Jeremy Rau PhD, Professor of Linguistics and of the Classics, Harvard University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26071 | Section 1
Description
Reading of selections of Homer’s Odyssey, with an introduction to Homeric language and meter and the history of the poem. The course also includes a survey of Homeric linguistics, including the compositional background of the poems, the effect of meter and composition on Homeric language, and the dialect makeup of Homeric language.
Prerequisites: CGRK E-1a and CGRK E-1b, or the equivalent.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Wednesdays, January 25-May 13, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 25 students
CGRK E-5
Herodotus
Jeremy Rau PhD, Professor of Linguistics and of the Classics, Harvard University
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16790 | Section 1
Description
An introduction to Herodotus’ dialect and style, concept of history, authorial voice and narrative strategies, and his representation of non-Greek cultures. We read selections in Greek and all of the Histories in English.
Prerequisites: Elementary classical Greek.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Wednesdays, August 31-December 17, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 25 students
CHEM E-17
Principles of Organic Chemistry
Sirinya Matchacheep PhD, Lecturer on Chemistry and Chemical Biology and Director of Instructional Laboratory Programs, Harvard University
Brandon David Conley MA
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 15393 | Section 1
Description
This course is a one-semester introduction to organic chemistry, with an emphasis on structure and bonding, reaction mechanisms, stereochemistry, and chemical reactivity. Many of the major classes of organic compounds are covered, including alkenes, alkyl halides, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, and carboxylic acid derivatives. Students who succeed in this course are well prepared for more advanced organic chemistry courses as well as the MCAT/DAT/GRE exams. This course does not include a lab; students who need an organic chemistry lab should enroll in CHEM E-17LAB.
Prerequisites: CHEM E-1a and CHEM E-1b with grades of B-minus or higher, or equivalent preparation in general chemistry.
Class Meetings:
On campus only
Thursdays, September 1-December 17, 6:00pm-9:00pm, Science Center D
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,485.
Credits: 3
Notes: Because this course requires in-person attendance, students must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details.
CHEM E-17lab
Principles of Organic Chemistry: Laboratory
David W. Rose BA, Undergraduate Chemistry Lab Coordinator, Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16161 | Section 1
Description
This hands-on experimental laboratory course is intended to complement CHEM E-17. Practical applications of the reactions learned in a lecture such as those of carbonyls, amines, and aromatic compounds are expanded upon in the laboratory. A broad range of foundational organic chemistry techniques are emphasized, including acid-base extraction, recrystallization, spectroscopy, and chromatography.
Prerequisites: CHEM E-17 or equivalent (prior or concurrent). Prospective students who do not plan to concurrently enroll in CHEM E-17 should contact the course instructor to ensure that the necessary prerequisites are met.
Class Meetings:
On campus only
Tuesdays, August 30-December 17, 6:00pm-10:00pm, Science Center 210
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $495.
Credits: 1
Notes: Because this course requires in-person attendance, students must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 56 students
CHEM E-17lab
Principles of Organic Chemistry: Laboratory
David W. Rose BA, Undergraduate Chemistry Lab Coordinator, Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16162 | Section 2
Description
This hands-on experimental laboratory course is intended to complement CHEM E-17. Practical applications of the reactions learned in a lecture such as those of carbonyls, amines, and aromatic compounds are expanded upon in the laboratory. A broad range of foundational organic chemistry techniques are emphasized, including acid-base extraction, recrystallization, spectroscopy, and chromatography.
Prerequisites: CHEM E-17 or equivalent (prior or concurrent). Prospective students who do not plan to concurrently enroll in CHEM E-17 should contact the course instructor to ensure that the necessary prerequisites are met.
Class Meetings:
On campus only
Wednesdays, August 31-December 17, 1:30pm-5:30pm, Science Center 210
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $495.
Credits: 1
Notes: Because this course requires in-person attendance, students must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 56 students
CHEM E-17lab
Principles of Organic Chemistry: Laboratory
David W. Rose BA, Undergraduate Chemistry Lab Coordinator, Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16163 | Section 3
Description
This hands-on experimental laboratory course is intended to complement CHEM E-17. Practical applications of the reactions learned in a lecture such as those of carbonyls, amines, and aromatic compounds are expanded upon in the laboratory. A broad range of foundational organic chemistry techniques are emphasized, including acid-base extraction, recrystallization, spectroscopy, and chromatography.
Prerequisites: CHEM E-17 or equivalent (prior or concurrent). Prospective students who do not plan to concurrently enroll in CHEM E-17 should contact the course instructor to ensure that the necessary prerequisites are met.
Class Meetings:
On campus only
Saturdays, September 3-December 17, 9:00am-1:00pm, Science Center 210
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $495.
Credits: 1
Notes: Because this course requires in-person attendance, students must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 56 students
CHEM E-1a
General Chemistry I (Lecture and Lab)
Gregg Tucci PhD, Senior Lecturer on Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University
Justin McCarty MM, Head Teaching Fellow in General Chemistry, Harvard Division of Continuing Education
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 11918 | Section 1
Description
This course is an introduction to the structure and properties of atoms and molecules; chemical reactions and stoichiometry; quantum mechanics of light and particles, including the quantum structure of the periodic table; chemical bonding and photochemistry; coordination chemistry; properties of gases, liquids, and solutions; energy relationships in chemistry; and thermochemistry. This course includes a laboratory. Students should not register for CHEM E-1axl.
Prerequisites: Mathematics through high school algebra; considerable fluency in elementary mathematics. Previous study of chemistry is not required but is extremely helpful. Students with no previous background in chemistry should become acquainted with the material beforehand and be prepared to make extra efforts. A review of elementary algebra, particularly word problems, is highly recommended.
Class Meetings:
On campus only
Thursdays, September 1-December 17, 6:00pm-9:00pm, Science Center B
Required labs and sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980.
Credits: 4
Notes: Because this course requires in-person attendance, students must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details. Students in this course and in CHEM E-1ax and CHEM E-1axl may interact with one another, for example, in Canvas or labs. Accordingly, when students participate in live class sessions on campus or online, they will do so alongside students in other sections. If students participate in a way that causes them to appear in recordings of the class, those recordings may be shown to students enrolled in the other course.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 340 students
CHEM E-1ax
General Chemistry I (Lecture)
Gregg Tucci PhD, Senior Lecturer on Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University
Justin McCarty MM, Head Teaching Fellow in General Chemistry, Harvard Division of Continuing Education
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 14578 | Section 1
Description
This course is an introduction to the structure and properties of atoms and molecules; chemical reactions and stoichiometry; quantum mechanics of light and particles, including the quantum structure of the periodic table; chemical bonding and photochemistry; coordination chemistry; properties of gases, liquids, and solutions; energy relationships in chemistry; and thermochemistry. See CHEM E-1axl for the lab course.
Prerequisites: Mathematics through high school algebra; considerable fluency in elementary mathematics. Previous study of chemistry is not required but is extremely helpful. Students with no previous background in chemistry should become acquainted with the material beforehand and be prepared to make extra efforts. A review of elementary algebra, particularly word problems, is highly recommended.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Thursdays, September 1-December 17, 6:00pm-9:00pm
Required sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,485.
Credits: 3
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time. Students in this course and in CHEM E-1a may interact with one another, for example, in Canvas or in live sessions. Accordingly, when students participate in live class sessions online, they will do so alongside students in other sections. If students participate in a way that causes them to appear in recordings of the class, those recordings may be shown to students enrolled in the other course.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 100 students
CHEM E-1axl
General Chemistry I (Lab)
Justin McCarty MM, Head Teaching Fellow in General Chemistry, Harvard Division of Continuing Education
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 14587 | Section 1
Description
This laboratory class is only open to students who are concurrently enrolled in CHEM E-1ax or have previously taken CHEM E-1ax and earned a C-minus or higher grade. The course allows students to gain familiarity with laboratory techniques and apparatus, and to apply their knowledge of concepts from CHEM E-1ax in an actual laboratory situation. Prior to each lab, students read the lab experiment and complete a pre-laboratory report.
Prerequisites: Previous or concurrent enrollment in one semester of college-level general chemistry.
Class Meetings:
On campus only
Saturdays, September 3-December 17, 10:30am-12:45pm, Science Center 212
Labs meet roughly every other Saturday, 10:30 am-12:45 pm. Specific schedule to be announced.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $495.
Credits: 1
Notes: Because this course requires in-person attendance, students must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details. Students in this course and in CHEM E-1a and CHEM E-1ax may interact with one another, for example, in Canvas or labs. Accordingly, when students participate in the labs, they will do so alongside students in other sections.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 20 students
CHEM E-1axl
General Chemistry I (Lab)
Justin McCarty MM, Head Teaching Fellow in General Chemistry, Harvard Division of Continuing Education
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16859 | Section 2
Description
This laboratory class is only open to students who are concurrently enrolled in CHEM E-1ax or have previously taken CHEM E-1ax and earned a C-minus or higher grade. The course allows students to gain familiarity with laboratory techniques and apparatus, and to apply their knowledge of concepts from CHEM E-1ax in an actual laboratory situation. Prior to each lab, students read the lab experiment and complete a pre-laboratory report.
Prerequisites: Previous or concurrent enrollment in one semester of college-level general chemistry.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Saturdays, September 3-December 17, 10:30am-12:45pm
Labs meet roughly every other Saturday, 10:30 am-12:45 pm. Specific schedule to be announced.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $495.
Credits: 1
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time. Because this course requires in-person attendance, students must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details. Students in this course and in CHEM E-1a and CHEM E-1ax may interact with one another, for example, in Canvas or labs. Accordingly, when students participate in the labs, they will do so alongside students in other sections.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 40 students
CHEM E-1b
General Chemistry II (Lecture and Lab)
Gregg Tucci PhD, Senior Lecturer on Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University
Justin McCarty MM, Head Teaching Fellow in General Chemistry, Harvard Division of Continuing Education
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 20020 | Section 1
Description
This course is a continuation of CHEM E-1a. Topics include thermodynamics and electrochemistry; rates and mechanisms of chemical reactions; phase transitions, structure, and bonding in solids; acids and bases; buffers and titrations; and environmental chemistry. This course includes a laboratory. Students should not register for CHEM E-1bxl.
Prerequisites: CHEM E-1a with a grade of C or higher, or the equivalent. Students interested in taking CHEM E-1b without having taken CHEM E-1a should e-mail the instructors with a detailed syllabus and grade report from their previous general chemistry course.
Class Meetings:
On campus only
Thursdays, January 26-May 13, 6:00pm-9:00pm, Science Center B
Required labs and sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980.
Credits: 4
Notes: Students in this course and in CHEM E-1bx and CHEM E-1bxl may interact with one another, for example, in Canvas or in labs. Accordingly, when students participate in live class sessions on campus or online, they will do so alongside students in other sections. If students participate in a way that causes them to appear in recordings of the class, those recordings may be shown to students enrolled in the other course. Because this course requires in-person attendance, students must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 340 students
CHEM E-1bx
General Chemistry II (Lecture)
Gregg Tucci PhD, Senior Lecturer on Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University
Justin McCarty MM, Head Teaching Fellow in General Chemistry, Harvard Division of Continuing Education
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 24285 | Section 1
Description
This course is a continuation of CHEM E-1ax. Topics include thermodynamics and electrochemistry; rates and mechanisms of chemical reactions; phase transitions, structure, and bonding in solids; acids and bases; buffers and titrations; and environmental chemistry. See CHEM E-1bxl for the lab course.
Prerequisites: CHEM E-1ax with a grade of C or higher, or the equivalent. Students interested in taking CHEM E-1bx without having taken CHEM E-1ax should e-mail the instructors with a detailed syllabus and grade report from their previous general chemistry course.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Thursdays, January 26-May 13, 6:00pm-9:00pm
Required sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,485.
Credits: 3
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time. Students in this course and in CHEM E-1b may interact with one another, for example, in Canvas or in live sessions. Accordingly, when students participate in live class sessions online, they will do so alongside students in other sections. If students participate in a way that causes them to appear in recordings of the class, those recordings may be shown to students enrolled in the other course.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 100 students
CHEM E-1bxl
General Chemistry II (Lab)
Justin McCarty MM, Head Teaching Fellow in General Chemistry, Harvard Division of Continuing Education
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 24307 | Section 1
Description
This laboratory course allows students to gain familiarity with laboratory techniques and apparatus, and to apply their knowledge of concepts from CHEM E-1bx in a laboratory situation. Prior to each lab, students read the lab experiment and complete a pre-laboratory report.
Prerequisites: Previous or concurrent enrollment in two semesters of college-level general chemistry.
Class Meetings:
On campus only
Saturdays, January 28-May 13, 10:30am-12:45pm, Science Center 212
Labs meet roughly every other Saturday, 10:30 am-12:45 pm. Specific schedule to be announced.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $495.
Credits: 1
Notes: Students in this course and in CHEM E-1b and CHEM E-1bx may interact with one another, for example, in Canvas or in labs. Accordingly, when students participate in the labs, they will do so alongside students in other sections. Because this course requires in-person attendance, students must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 20 students
CHEM E-1bxl
General Chemistry II (Lab)
Justin McCarty MM, Head Teaching Fellow in General Chemistry, Harvard Division of Continuing Education
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26483 | Section 2
Description
This laboratory course allows students to gain familiarity with laboratory techniques and apparatus, and to apply their knowledge of concepts from CHEM E-1bx in a laboratory situation. Prior to each lab, students read the lab experiment and complete a pre-laboratory report.
Prerequisites: Previous or concurrent enrollment in two semesters of college-level general chemistry.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Saturdays, January 28-May 13, 10:30am-12:45pm
Labs meet roughly every other Saturday, 10:30 am-12:45 pm. Specific schedule to be announced.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $495.
Credits: 1
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time. Students in this course and in CHEM E-1b and CHEM E-1bx may interact with one another, for example, in Canvas or in labs. Accordingly, when students participate in the labs, they will do so alongside students in other sections.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 40 students
CHEM E-27
Organic Chemistry of Life
Sirinya Matchacheep PhD, Lecturer on Chemistry and Chemical Biology and Director of Instructional Laboratory Programs, Harvard University
Brandon David Conley MA
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 25022 | Section 1
Description
This course is a second-semester organic chemistry course focusing on organic chemistry reactivity processes in living systems. Emphasis is placed on reaction mechanisms of enzymes, carbohydrates, lipids, nucleic acids, cofactors, natural products, and the organic chemistry and metabolism of drugs and druglike molecules. This course does not include a lab; students who need an organic chemistry lab should enroll in CHEM E-27LAB.
Prerequisites: CHEM E-17 or equivalent preparation in organic chemistry. Basic knowledge of biology can be helpful.
Class Meetings:
On campus only
Thursdays, January 26-May 13, 6:00pm-8:00pm, Science Center D
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,485.
Credits: 3
Notes: Because this course requires in-person attendance, students must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details.
CHEM E-27lab
Organic Chemistry of Life: Laboratory
David W. Rose BA, Undergraduate Chemistry Lab Coordinator, Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 25722 | Section 1
Description
This experimental laboratory course is intended to complement CHEM E-27. Practical applications of the concepts learned in lecture such as chirality, enzyme catalysis, and pharmacology are expanded upon in the laboratory. Emphasis is place on the intersectionality of chemistry, biology, medicine, and the environment.
Prerequisites: Students must have taken one semester of organic chemistry lecture and one semester of organic chemistry laboratory. CHEM E-17LAB is recommended. If organic chemistry laboratory was taken at a different institution, students should contact the instructor to ensure that the necessary prerequisites are met. CHEM E-27 is recommended as a co-requisite.
Class Meetings:
On campus only
Tuesdays, January 24-May 13, 6:00pm-10:00pm, Science Center 210
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $495.
Credits: 1
Notes: Because this course requires in-person attendance, students must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 28 students
CHEM E-27lab
Organic Chemistry of Life: Laboratory
David W. Rose BA, Undergraduate Chemistry Lab Coordinator, Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 25723 | Section 2
Description
This experimental laboratory course is intended to complement CHEM E-27. Practical applications of the concepts learned in lecture such as chirality, enzyme catalysis, and pharmacology are expanded upon in the laboratory. Emphasis is place on the intersectionality of chemistry, biology, medicine, and the environment.
Prerequisites: Students must have taken one semester of organic chemistry lecture and one semester of organic chemistry laboratory. CHEM E-17LAB is recommended. If organic chemistry laboratory was taken at a different institution, students should contact the instructor to ensure that the necessary prerequisites are met. CHEM E-27 is recommended as a co-requisite.
Class Meetings:
On campus only
Wednesdays, January 25-May 13, 1:30pm-5:30pm, Science Center 210
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $495.
Credits: 1
Notes: Because this course requires in-person attendance, students must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 28 students
CHEM E-27lab
Organic Chemistry of Life: Laboratory
David W. Rose BA, Undergraduate Chemistry Lab Coordinator, Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 25724 | Section 3
Description
This experimental laboratory course is intended to complement CHEM E-27. Practical applications of the concepts learned in lecture such as chirality, enzyme catalysis, and pharmacology are expanded upon in the laboratory. Emphasis is place on the intersectionality of chemistry, biology, medicine, and the environment.
Prerequisites: Students must have taken one semester of organic chemistry lecture and one semester of organic chemistry laboratory. CHEM E-17LAB is recommended. If organic chemistry laboratory was taken at a different institution, students should contact the instructor to ensure that the necessary prerequisites are met. CHEM E-27 is recommended as a co-requisite.
Class Meetings:
On campus only
Saturdays, January 28-May 13, 9:00am-1:00pm, Science Center 210
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $495.
Credits: 1
Notes: Because this course requires in-person attendance, students must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 28 students
CLAS E-116
The Ancient Greek Hero
Gregory Nagy PhD, Francis Jones Professor of Classical Greek Literature and Professor of Comparative Literature, Harvard University
Kevin McGrath PhD, Associate in South Asian Studies, Harvard University
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 13404 | Section 1
Description
What does it mean to be human? This course takes a close look at the human condition as viewed through the lens of classical Greek civilization; the basic organizing principle is an objective study of a model of humanity, the hero. Students learn that there are different definitions of the hero in different historical times and places. In the end, though, the one true hero of this course is the logos or word of logical reasoning, as activated by Socratic dialogue. The logos of dialogue in this course requires careful thinking, realized in close reading and reflective writing. The last word about this logos comes from Plato’s memories of words spoken in dialogue by Socrates during the last days of his life, which is read towards the very end of the course. Such a last word, shaped by a deep understanding of the idea of the hero in all its varieties throughout the history of Greek civilization, becomes the latest word for students who earnestly engage in dialogue, by way of writing as well as reading, with heroic expressions of the human condition. This course is driven by a sequence of dialogues that lead to such an engagement, guiding the attentive reader through many of the major works of the ancient Greek classics. In this course, all readings (which are freely available via the course website) are translated into contemporary English and supplemented by selections from the ancient visual arts.
Class Meetings:
Online
Required sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: The recorded lectures are from the HarvardX course The Ancient Greek Hero.
CLAS E-116
The Ancient Greek Hero
Gregory Nagy PhD, Francis Jones Professor of Classical Greek Literature and Professor of Comparative Literature, Harvard University
Kevin McGrath PhD, Associate in South Asian Studies, Harvard University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 24099 | Section 1
Description
What does it mean to be human? This course takes a close look at the human condition as viewed through the lens of classical Greek civilization; the basic organizing principle is an objective study of a model of humanity, the hero. Students learn that there are different definitions of the hero in different historical times and places. In the end, though, the one true hero of this course is the logos or word of logical reasoning, as activated by Socratic dialogue. The logos of dialogue in this course requires careful thinking, realized in close reading and reflective writing. The last word about this logos comes from Plato’s memories of words spoken in dialogue by Socrates during the last days of his life, which is read towards the very end of the course. Such a last word, shaped by a deep understanding of the idea of the hero in all its varieties throughout the history of Greek civilization, becomes the latest word for students who earnestly engage in dialogue, by way of writing as well as reading, with heroic expressions of the human condition. This course is driven by a sequence of dialogues that lead to such an engagement, guiding the attentive reader through many of the major works of the ancient Greek classics. In this course, all readings (which are freely available via the course website) are translated into contemporary English and supplemented by selections from the ancient visual arts.
Class Meetings:
Online
Required sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: The recorded lectures are from the HarvardX course The Ancient Greek Hero.
CREA E-100r
Advanced Fiction: Writing the Short Story
Elizabeth Ames MFA, Writer
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16881 | Section 1
Description
This course is for writers who love to read short stories and wish to make their own short stories come alive on the page. Students should arrive with a commitment to and curiosity about the short story form; we build on that foundation through close reading and in-depth discussion of exceptional published short stories. To better understand and employ key craft elements, students complete in-class writing exercises, reflect and present on both their own short stories and published work, and offer clear-eyed critiques of their peers’ works-in-progress. Much of our time is spent in workshop. Students carefully read and thoughtfully respond to one another’s short stories and we work together to determine how best to filter and synthesize the feedback offered in a workshop setting. The skills honed via peer critique are crucial in editing one’s own work and students showcase their growth through the revision of one of two stories they write this semester.
Prerequisites: A beginning or intermediate fiction writing course or permission of the instructor. Students should bring a 10-page sample of their work to the first class.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Thursdays, September 1-December 17, 7:40pm-9:40pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 15 students
CREA E-100r
Advanced Fiction: Writing the Short Story
Gabriel Houck PhD, Creative Writing Fellow in Fiction, Creative Writing Program, Emory University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 24317 | Section 1
Description
This is an intensive workshop in the craft of writing short fiction for students who have read widely among past and contemporary masters of short fiction and who are accomplished in the elements of prose composition (mechanics, syntax, and structure). Students are expected to produce two new short stories (10 to 20 pages each) and to revise them during the term.
Prerequisites: A beginning or intermediate fiction writing course or permission of the instructor. Students should bring a 10-page sample of their work to the first class.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Tuesdays, January 24-May 13, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 15 students
CREA E-100r
Advanced Fiction: Writing the Short Story
Thomas Wisniewski PhD, Lecturer on Comparative Literature, Harvard University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26530 | Section 2
Description
This is an intensive workshop in the craft of writing short fiction for students who have read widely among past and contemporary masters of short fiction and who are accomplished in the elements of prose composition (mechanics, syntax, and structure). Students are expected to produce two new short stories (10 to 20 pages each) and to revise them during the term.
Prerequisites: A beginning or intermediate fiction writing course or permission of the instructor. Students should bring a 10-page sample of their work to the first class.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, January 23-May 13, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 15 students
CREA E-101r
Writing a Nonfiction Book
Christina Thompson PhD, Editor, Harvard Review, Harvard College Library
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16305 | Section 1
Description
This is a course for people who are embarked on a book-length work of nonfiction: biographers, memoirists, historians, journalists, science writers, and others who are writing for a non-specialist audience. Students should have a clearly formulated book idea or, ideally, be already working on a project. In the course we talk about voice, structure, audience, and how to pitch projects to agents and publishers. We also read samples from a wide variety of nonfiction books.
Prerequisites: At least one creative writing class; preferably beginning or advanced narrative (or creative) nonfiction.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Wednesdays, August 31-December 17, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 15 students
CREA E-101r
Writing a Nonfiction Book
Deirdre Mask JD, Writer
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16883 | Section 2
Description
This is a course for people who are embarked on a book-length work of nonfiction: biographers, memoirists, historians, journalists, science writers, and others who are writing for a non-specialist audience. Students should have a clearly formulated book idea or, ideally, be already working on a project. In the course we talk about voice, structure, audience, and how to pitch projects to agents and publishers. We also read samples from a wide variety of nonfiction books.
Prerequisites: At least one creative writing class; preferably beginning or advanced narrative (or creative) nonfiction.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Wednesdays, August 31-December 17, 3:00pm-5:00pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 15 students
CREA E-101r
Writing a Nonfiction Book
Christina Thompson PhD, Editor, Harvard Review, Harvard College Library
Elizabeth Greenspan PhD, Lecturer, University of Pennsylvania
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 25084 | Section 1
Description
This is a course for people who are embarked on a book-length work of nonfiction: biographers, memoirists, historians, journalists, science writers, and others who are writing for a non-specialist audience. Students should have a clearly formulated book idea or, ideally, be already working on a project. In the course we talk about voice, structure, audience, and how to pitch projects to agents and publishers. We also read samples from a wide variety of nonfiction books.
Prerequisites: At least one creative writing class; preferably beginning or advanced narrative (or creative) nonfiction.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Wednesdays, January 25-May 13, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 15 students
CREA E-105r
Advanced Fiction: Writing the Novel
Elisabeth Sharp McKetta PhD, Writer
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16475 | Section 1
Description
This is an advanced fiction-writing course. Class meetings run mainly as workshops: students respond to one another’s novel excerpts. We also discuss process, as well as elements of fiction that relate to the novel. Students are expected to produce two new chapters (10 to 20 pages each) and to revise them during the term.
Prerequisites: Students should have successfully completed other fiction-writing courses and begun writing a novel when the semester begins.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Tuesdays, August 30-December 17, 2:00pm-4:00pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 15 students
CREA E-105r
Advanced Fiction: Writing the Novel
Elizabeth Ames MFA, Writer
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16882 | Section 2
Description
This is an advanced fiction-writing course. Class meetings run mainly as workshops: students respond to one another’s novel excerpts. We also discuss process, as well as elements of fiction that relate to the novel. Students are expected to produce two new chapters (10 to 20 pages each) and to revise them during the term.
Prerequisites: Students should have successfully completed other fiction-writing courses and begun writing a novel when the semester begins.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Tuesdays, August 30-December 17, 7:40pm-9:40pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 15 students
CREA E-105r
Advanced Fiction: Writing the Novel
Elizabeth Ames MFA, Writer
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26259 | Section 1
Description
This is an advanced fiction-writing course. Class meetings run mainly as workshops: students respond to one another’s novel excerpts. We also discuss process, as well as elements of fiction that relate to the novel. Students are expected to produce two new chapters (10 to 20 pages each) and to revise them during the term.
Prerequisites: Students should have successfully completed other fiction-writing courses and begun writing a novel when the semester begins.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Tuesdays, January 24-May 13, 8:10pm-10:10pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 15 students
CREA E-105r
Advanced Fiction: Writing the Novel
William J. Holinger MA, Director, Secondary School Program, Harvard Summer School
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26407 | Section 2
Description
This is an advanced fiction-writing course. Class meetings run mainly as workshops: students respond to one another’s novel excerpts. We also discuss process, as well as elements of fiction that relate to the novel. Students are expected to produce two new chapters (10 to 20 pages each) and to revise them during the term.
Prerequisites: Students should have successfully completed other fiction-writing courses and begun writing a novel when the semester begins.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Wednesdays, January 25-May 13, 6:00pm-8:00pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 15 students
CREA E-105r
Advanced Fiction: Writing the Novel
Elizabeth Ames MFA, Writer
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26529 | Section 3
Description
This is an advanced fiction-writing course. Class meetings run mainly as workshops: students respond to one another’s novel excerpts. We also discuss process, as well as elements of fiction that relate to the novel. Students are expected to produce two new chapters (10 to 20 pages each) and to revise them during the term.
Prerequisites: Students should have successfully completed other fiction-writing courses and begun writing a novel when the semester begins.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Thursdays, January 26-May 13, 3:00pm-5:00pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 15 students
CREA E-110r
Advanced Poetry Writing: The Art of the Line
David Barber MFA, Poetry Editor, The Atlantic
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26361 | Section 1
Description
This intensive poetry workshop offers students the opportunity to further develop their aptitude and affinity for the practice of writing in verse lines. In this case verse is understood to mean any and all forms of writing in lines as opposed to prose sentences: metrical verse, blank verse, syllabic verse, free verse, and verse haunted by what T. S. Eliot called “the ghost of meter.” Students follow a structured sequence of writing assignments, readings, and exercises aimed at cultivating a sound working knowledge of the fundamental principles of prosody and the evolving possibilities of poetic form. The collective goal is to create the conditions for reading and writing poems with a stronger sense of technical know-how and expressive conviction as well as a renewed appreciation for the inexhaustible art of the line.
Prerequisites: A beginning poetry course or permission of the instructor.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Thursdays, January 26-May 13, 6:30pm-8:30pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 15 students
CREA E-114
Advanced Fiction: Writing Suspense Fiction
Christopher S. Mooney MA, Author
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16783 | Section 1
Description
Learn how techniques used in suspense fiction structure, pace, tension, and plot can be applied to your own writing. In addition to studying the bestselling works of both commercial and literary writers of suspense, students complete weekly writing assignments and participate in writing workshops. Writing samples will also be read and critiqued by a literary agent.
Prerequisites: An introductory and/or intermediate fiction course or permission of the instructor. Students should bring to class either a work in progress or an idea for a novel or short story.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Thursdays, September 1-December 17, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 15 students
CREA E-114
Advanced Fiction: Writing Suspense Fiction
Christopher S. Mooney MA, Author
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26367 | Section 1
Description
Learn how techniques used in suspense fiction structure, pace, tension, and plot can be applied to your own writing. In addition to studying the bestselling works of both commercial and literary writers of suspense, students complete weekly writing assignments and participate in writing workshops. Writing samples will also be read and critiqued by a literary agent.
Prerequisites: An introductory and/or intermediate fiction course or permission of the instructor. Students should bring to class either a work in progress or an idea for a novel or short story.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Tuesdays, January 24-May 13, 11:00am-1:00pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 15 students
CREA E-118r
Advanced Creative Nonfiction
Kurt Pitzer MFA, Author
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16366 | Section 1
Description
This workshop is for students who want to stretch their abilities as writers. The goal of the course is to produce publishable short memoirs, essays, profiles, literary nonfiction, or any of the other subgenres often called creative nonfiction. We develop pitches for editors; gather material through interviews, research, and observation; and then organize and rewrite our pieces until readers won’t put them down. Although we deal strictly in facts, we use literary devices such as scene, plot, character, and voice. We draw inspiration from masters of the craft such as Susan Orlean, Zadie Smith, David Foster Wallace, Virginia Woolf, and Ryszard Kapuscinski.
Prerequisites: A beginning writing course or permission of the instructor.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Wednesdays, August 31-December 17, 6:30pm-8:30pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 15 students
CREA E-118r
Advanced Creative Nonfiction
Brian Pietras PhD, Preceptor in Expository Writing, Harvard University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26118 | Section 1
Description
This workshop is intended for serious writers of creative nonfiction who want to produce publishable work. In the first half of the course, we study work by major authors in this capacious genre, including Virginia Woolf, James Baldwin, Joan Didion, Audre Lorde, and Jo Ann Beard. In the second half, we use what we have learned about scene, plot, character, and voice to produce new work. Students may write short memoirs, personal or lyric essays, profiles, literary nonfiction, and more. Toward the end of the course, we focus on strategies for getting published, including how to identify likely publication venues and how to effectively pitch editors.
Prerequisites: A beginning writing course or permission of the instructor.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Tuesdays, January 24-May 13, 1:30pm-3:30pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 15 students
CREA E-118r
Advanced Creative Nonfiction
Ian Shank MFA, Preceptor in Expository Writing, Harvard University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26417 | Section 2
Description
This is an intensive workshop in the craft of writing literary essays for students who have read widely among past and contemporary masters of the form and who are accomplished in the elements of prose composition (mechanics, syntax, and structure). Students are expected to produce two new essays (10 to 15 pages each) and to revise them during the term.
Class Meetings:
On campus only
Tuesdays, January 24-May 13, 6:00pm-8:00pm, Sever Hall 111
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: Because this course requires in-person attendance, students must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 15 students
CREA E-120r
Advanced Screenwriting
Wayne Wilson MFA, Screenwriter
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16668 | Section 1
Description
In this advanced screenwriting workshop, students watch films and discuss the work of workshop members. During the course, each student presents two 20- to 30-page acts from his or her screenplay for class discussion. The final project is a revision of one of these two workshop submissions.
Prerequisites: CREA E-45 or the equivalent, or permission of the instructor. Students should e-mail a sample of their own writing (ten pages or fewer) to Mr. Wilson before the first class.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Thursdays, September 1-December 17, 6:30pm-8:30pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 15 students
CREA E-121
Advanced Fiction: Writing the Middle Grade and Young Adult Novel
Mary Sullivan Walsh BA, Author and Freelance Editor
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 15776 | Section 1
Description
This is an intensive workshop for writers interested in developing a middle grade or young adult novel. During each class meeting, we workshop chapters of students’ novels-in-progress, focusing on elements of craft (character, point of view, dialogue, and plot). In addition, by reading and analyzing sections of work by such exemplary novelists as Angie Thomas, Lois Lowry, and Kwame Alexander, students learn to read like writers and to develop their own voices. Students are expected to have completed approximately 40 pages and a working synopsis of their novel by the end of the course.
Prerequisites: A ten-page writing sample to be submitted to mlswalsh@g.harvard.edu before classes begin.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, August 29-December 17, 12:30pm-2:30pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 15 students
CREA E-121
Advanced Fiction: Writing the Middle Grade and Young Adult Novel
Mary Sullivan Walsh BA, Author and Freelance Editor
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 25946 | Section 1
Description
This is an intensive workshop for writers interested in developing a middle grade or young adult novel. During each class meeting, we workshop chapters of students’ novels-in-progress, focusing on elements of craft (character, point of view, dialogue, and plot). In addition, by reading and analyzing sections of work by such exemplary novelists as Angie Thomas, Lois Lowry, and Kwame Alexander, students learn to read like writers and to develop their own voices. Students are expected to have completed approximately 40 pages and a working synopsis of their novel by the end of the course.
Prerequisites: A ten-page writing sample to be submitted to mlswalsh@g.harvard.edu before classes begin.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, January 23-May 13, 12:30pm-2:30pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 15 students
CREA E-122
Advanced Fiction: Writing Fairy Tales
Katie Beth Kohn MA, Doctoral Candidate, Visual and Environment Studies, Harvard University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 25809 | Section 1
Description
Fairy tales have inspired authors for centuries and we are still very much under their spell. In the first part of this course, we study classic as well as contemporary fairy tales, including works by Helen Oyeyemi, Neil Gaiman, Margaret Atwood, and Kelly Link. In the second part, students workshop their own original prose fiction fairy tale, which may be a piece of short-form fiction or an excerpt from a longer work in progress. Throughout, we explore how fairy tales have encouraged authors to develop their own style and voice, even as they seem to speak in a language all their own.
Prerequisites: A beginning creative writing course or permission of the instructor.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Wednesdays, January 25-May 13, 6:00pm-8:00pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 15 students
CREA E-122
Advanced Fiction: Writing Fairy Tales
Katie Beth Kohn MA, Doctoral Candidate, Visual and Environment Studies, Harvard University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26536 | Section 2
Description
Fairy tales have inspired authors for centuries and we are still very much under their spell. In the first part of this course, we study classic as well as contemporary fairy tales, including works by Helen Oyeyemi, Neil Gaiman, Margaret Atwood, and Kelly Link. In the second part, students workshop their own original prose fiction fairy tale, which may be a piece of short-form fiction or an excerpt from a longer work in progress. Throughout, we explore how fairy tales have encouraged authors to develop their own style and voice, even as they seem to speak in a language all their own.
Prerequisites: A beginning creative writing course or permission of the instructor.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Thursdays, January 26-May 13, 6:00pm-8:00pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 15 students
CREA E-125r
Advanced Playwriting
Bryan Delaney MA, Playwright and Screenwriter
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26260 | Section 1
Description
This course is intended for students who have some experience with playwriting or dramatic writing in general so that they can refine the skills they have already acquired and take them to the next level. Topics covered include techniques for approaching the first draft, in-depth characterization, dramatic structure, conflict, shaping the action, language and dialogue (including subtext, rhythm, imagery, and exposition), how to analyze students’ own work as playwrights, dealing with feedback, the drafting process, techniques for rewriting, collaboration (with directors and actors) and the business of the art working with theaters, agents, literary managers, and dramaturges. The focus of the course is more on what might be called the classical principles of dramatic writing rather than the more avant-garde approaches to the art.
Prerequisites: Ideally, students come to the first class with an idea for a one-act play to write throughout the course, although this is not mandatory, as the first class explores techniques for generating ideas.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Thursdays, January 26-May 13, 11:00am-1:00pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 15 students
CREA E-126
Advanced Fiction: Writing Horror
Katie Beth Kohn MA, Doctoral Candidate, Visual and Environment Studies, Harvard University
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16669 | Section 1
Description
How do authors achieve the spine-tingling, bone-chilling, nightmare-inducing effects of great horror fiction? In addition to studying works of classic and contemporary horror, students in this course complete two works of short fiction before workshopping and presenting a final work. Throughout, we consider the diversity of the genre, from the gothic romanticism of Bram Stoker and Nathaniel Hawthorne to the paranoiac parables of Shirley Jackson and Ira Levin as well as the blockbuster works of Stephen King. We also pay considerable attention to emerging voices in the genre, studying selected works from Tananarive Due, Paul Tremblay, Carmen Maria Machado, Otessa Moshfegh, Emily Carroll, and Iain Reed. For final works, students are invited to workshop standalone works of short form fiction or selections from larger projects (novels, anthologies, scripts) provided these works are developed and drafted during the course.
Prerequisites: A beginning-level creative writing course or permission of the instructor.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Tuesdays, August 30-December 17, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 15 students
CREA E-128
Advanced Memoir: Mythic Structures
Elisabeth Sharp McKetta PhD, Writer
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26042 | Section 1
Description
Both myth and memoir share a structure: somebody goes into the woods and comes out wiser about the ways of the world, emerging with an elixir (real or symbolic) to bring healing and hope. In sharing a memoir with readers, we share our lessons, the morals of our stories, the keys to our versions of happily ever after. Yet memoir writers often get stuck choosing which stories (from all of the stories we have lived) to include. In this course, we study myths and fairy tales, and write memoirs. We read short memoirs by writers who use these imaginary stories as a framework to examine their own lives, including Linda Grey Sexton, Sabrina Mark, Alexander Chee, and Michael Mejia. Students borrow structure from the great pool of myth and fairy tale lore and then fill in their stories with the particulars of their human-sized lives. Using mythic structure to help shape ordinary life events helps writers to combine universal themes with their own true voice a way to write our lives and make it matter. Students must craft new material for this course or develop new material for an existing project, such as a chapter in a longer memoir.
Prerequisites: A beginning-level creative writing course or permission of the instructor.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Tuesdays, January 24-May 13, 2:00pm-4:00pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 15 students
CREA E-143
Advanced Fiction: Writing the Murder Mystery Novel
David Freed ALM, Novelist and Journalist
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26475 | Section 1
Description
Murder mysteries have become the most popular realm of commercial fiction, with an insatiable demand for new titles each year among the millions of the genre’s loyal devotees. This course guides students in conceiving their own murder mystery, from plot outline to the execution of a commercially viable first chapter.
Prerequisites: At least one advanced writing course, or by prior permission from the instructor.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Wednesdays, January 25-May 13, 7:40pm-9:40pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 15 students
CREA E-148
Advanced Fiction: Writing Flash Fiction
Thomas Wisniewski PhD, Lecturer on Comparative Literature, Harvard University
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16891 | Section 1
Description
How can you tell a story in a single paragraph? In a page? In three? This advanced writing course explores one of the hottest forms of fiction published today: flash fiction. Students read widely and experiment freely with the form, which offers a range of possibilities both in style and in length. In weekly writing workshops, students receive regular feedback on their work-in-progress and significantly revise 20-25 pages of prose with the aim of publication. As students draft their work, we study and dissect models of masterful very short fiction by writers both classic and contemporary, including Colette, Guy de Maupassant, Franz Kafka, Jorge Luis Borges, Clarice Lispector, Ernest Hemingway, Yasunari Kawabata, Dorothy Parker, Jamaica Kincaid, Lydia Davis, Charles Baxter, Anne Carson, Keith Taylor, Joyce Carol Oates, and Amy Hempel. We discuss these texts with the eye of a writer attentive to elements of craft, including dramatic structure, tone, point of view, suspense, prose style, rhythm, characterization, and plot. Working in this genre pushes students to write with economy and to polish their sentences as they aspire towards the hallmarks of excellent prose fiction: precision and economy, clarity and urgency. The course concludes with a conversation about how to break into publishing by working in a form that offers many opportunities for literary contests, awards, and first publications.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, August 29-December 17, 5:10pm-7:10pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 15 students
CREA E-153
Advanced Nonfiction: Writing Biography
Maggie Doherty PhD, Biographer and Critic
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26362 | Section 1
Description
The biography is one of the most popular and enduring genres of nonfiction writing. This course teaches students the skills needed to bring people to life through biographical writing. Students read excerpts from different types of biography scholarly, popular, and experimental as well as read about the process of writing biography. Students practice interviewing, learn about accessing archival resources, and work on aspects of prose and style that bring characters to life. Students work to complete one chapter of a biography in progress. By the end of the course, students have the skills to enhance all their nonfiction writing projects, making them more marketable to editors and agents and more engaging to readers.
Prerequisites: A beginning writing course or permission of the instructor.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, January 23-May 13, 5:10pm-7:10pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 15 students
CREA E-156
The Art of the Pitch
Catherine Eaton BA, MFA, Director and Writer
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 25949 | Section 1
Description
You have an idea or you have created a brilliant piece of work: a novel, a screenplay, a concept for a TV series, maybe even a scripted nonfiction podcast. Now what? How do you convince others to jump on board to buy or create or collaborate or publish or produce your story? How do you move it out of your desk drawer or hard drive or imagination and into the world? In this course, we break down the making of a pitch into its core elements generating the idea, developing the story, and stress-testing the material as we practice strategies for producing pitch materials and for pitching your project, in the room, to a live audience. Students write and revise two treatments: one for a work they have created and one for an idea they have yet to develop. Students build one look book and one pitch deck and do three live pitches. Students develop an insider’s perspective on industry practices and etiquette, essential knowledge for anyone interested in the business of creation.
Prerequisites: An advanced creative writing course or the equivalent, or permission of the instructor.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, January 3-21, 10:00am-1:00pm
Term Start Date: January 03, 2023
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time. Final papers due between January 19 and February 6. See course syllabus for details.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 15 students
CREA E-156
The Art of the Pitch
Catherine Eaton BA, MFA, Director and Writer
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 25774 | Section 2
Description
You have an idea or you have created a brilliant piece of work: a novel, a screenplay, a concept for a TV series, maybe even a scripted nonfiction podcast. Now what? How do you convince others to jump on board to buy or create or collaborate or publish or produce your story? How do you move it out of your desk drawer or hard drive or imagination and into the world? In this course, we break down the making of a pitch into its core elements generating the idea, developing the story, and stress-testing the material as we practice strategies for producing pitch materials and for pitching your project, in the room, to a live audience. Students write and revise two treatments: one for a work they have created and one for an idea they have yet to develop. Students build one look book and one pitch deck and do three live pitches. Students develop an insider’s perspective on industry practices and etiquette, essential knowledge for anyone interested in the business of creation.
Prerequisites: An advanced creative writing course or the equivalent, or permission of the instructor.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Thursdays, January 26-May 13, 11:00am-1:00pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 15 students
CREA E-22
Introduction to Creative Nonfiction
Margaret Deli PhD, Preceptor in Expository Writing, Harvard University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26257 | Section 1
Description
This is a workshop-based course for students interested in creative nonfiction: reading it, discussing it, and writing it for yourself (perhaps for the first time). Drawing on a wide variety of forms and voices, we close read for craft by analyzing the internal mechanics of style. The focus of these discussions is exemplary work by authors like Zadie Smith, Chang-Rae Lee, Susan Orlean, and James Baldwin. These conversations are the jumping off point for students’ own writing: by the end of term, students produce two different essays to be workshopped by their peers.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Thursdays, January 26-May 13, 5:10pm-7:10pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 15 students
CREA E-24
Story Development
Shelley Evans MFA, Screenwriter
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 24510 | Section 1
Description
This workshop introduces the unique challenges of longform storytelling, and helps writers develop strategies for approaching long projects, either screenplays or novels. Many writers are drawn to the page by character or language or theme, but story is the scaffold on which movies and novels depend. Over the course of the semester, we learn to work creatively with the tasks of story building. We begin with ideas where and how do we find them? What kinds of ideas can carry a story? How can you turn a wobbly idea into one that works? We then consider character who does the story belong to? How do their desires, problems, and drives give the story its essential energy? Then we turn to story development and structure, the primary work of the course: how do you keep an idea alive for two-hundred pages, or two hours? What elements help a story build energy and momentum, and deliver us to a satisfying close? We explore these essential story energies using writing exercises, examples from film and literature, and the shared experience of working writers.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, January 23-May 13, 6:30pm-8:30pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 18 students
CREA E-25
Introduction to Fiction Writing
William J. Holinger MA, Director, Secondary School Program, Harvard Summer School
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16814 | Section 1
Description
A workshop for writers with little or no experience in writing fiction. The class focuses on the elements of fiction: dialogue, voice, image, character, point of view, and structure. Students are asked to read and discuss fiction by major writers, to critique each other’s work, and to write and revise at least one short story. Requirements also include several short writing exercises.
Class Meetings:
On campus only
Wednesdays, August 31-December 17, 6:00pm-8:00pm, Sever Hall 112
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980.
Credits: 4
Notes: Because this course requires in-person attendance, students must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 18 students
CREA E-25
Introduction to Fiction Writing
Randy S. Rosenthal MTS, Editor
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16665 | Section 2
Description
A workshop for writers with little or no experience in writing fiction. The class focuses on the elements of fiction: dialogue, voice, image, character, point of view, and structure. Students are asked to read and discuss fiction by major writers, to critique each other’s work, and to write and revise at least one short story. Requirements also include several short writing exercises.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Thursdays, September 1-December 17, 5:10pm-7:10pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 18 students
CREA E-30a
Beginning Poetry: Listening to Lines
David Barber MFA, Poetry Editor, The Atlantic
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16374 | Section 1
Description
This intensive workshop offers students the opportunity to develop their aptitude and affinity for the practice of poetry. Students follow a structured sequence of writing assignments, readings, and exercises aimed at cultivating a sound working knowledge of the fundamental principles of prosody and the evolving possibilities of poetic form. There is a special emphasis on listening to lines and saying poems aloud, in concert with an eclectic assortment of audio archives. Another principal focus is the verse line through time, as we turn for instruction and inspiration to what the critic Paul Fussell calls the “historical dimension” of poetic meter and poetic form. The collective goal of the course is to create the conditions for reading and writing poems with a stronger sense of technical know-how and expressive conviction as well as a renewed appreciation for why poetry matters.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Tuesdays, August 30-December 17, 6:00pm-8:00pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 18 students
CREA E-45
Beginning Screenwriting
Susan Steinberg PhD, Filmmaker, Writer
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 13975 | Section 1
Description
This is an intensive course that provides members with a command of basic screenwriting elements and creative methods. The course goal is to promote each member’s originality, voice, knowledge, and screenwriting technical skills, and to give scripts a written script structure and an act one of which they feel proud and can use to advance their work. Students are welcome to write an entire script, should they wish to and some have. During the semester, students produce a completed feature film or television treatment and the film first act in script format, as well as the film logline or pitch. Those who wish to use the course to write an entire screenplay or to rewrite a screenplay may pursue these goals, but must notify the instructor to arrange a writing schedule. Students need not enter with a script concept. Ideas are developed in class. Each person is encouraged to develop a creative approach and method appropriate to their working style. Alternative narrative styles and methods are presented in class.
Class Meetings:
On campus only
Tuesdays, August 30-December 17, 7:40pm-9:40pm, Harvard Hall 102
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980.
Credits: 4
Notes: Because this course requires in-person attendance, students must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 18 students
CREA E-597
Precapstone: Building the World of the Book: Fiction
Leah De Forest MFA, Writer
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16821 | Section 1
Description
In this course, students engage in a series of structured creative writing exercises that make it possible for them to delve deeply into their characters what they look like, what they want and need, and how they interact with the world in which they live as they structure the imaginative world of their fiction. Students draft the first chapter of their capstone novel or the first story in their capstone collection (15-20 pages). Students also write a plan for their projects (5-10 pages) in which they create a roadmap of their book, bringing the plot and key characters into focus and defining the audience for their stories.
Prerequisites: Registration is limited to officially admitted candidates in Master of Liberal Arts, creative writing and literature, who are in their penultimate semester. Prospective candidates and students with pending admission applications are not eligible. Candidates must be in good academic standing and in the process of successfully completing all degree requirements except the capstone, CREA E-599, which they must enroll in the upcoming spring term as their final course with the same instructor. Candidates are allowed to complete the summer residency after the capstone. Candidates who do not meet these degree requirements are dropped from the course.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Tuesdays, August 30-December 17, 11:00am-2:00pm
Course meets roughly every other Tuesday. See syllabus for specific meeting dates.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 12 students
CREA E-597
Precapstone: Building the World of the Book: Fiction or Nonfiction
Elisabeth Sharp McKetta PhD, Writer
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16656 | Section 2
Description
In this course, students engage in a series of structured writing exercises that make it possible for them to delve deeply into their characters what they look like, what they want and need, and how they interact with the world in which they live as they structure the world of their fiction or nonfiction. Students draft the first chapter of their capstone novel, memoir, or nonfiction book, or the first story or essay in their capstone collection (15-20 pages). Students also write a plan for their projects (5-10 pages) in which they create a roadmap of their book, bringing the narrative arc and key characters into focus and defining the audience for their work.
Prerequisites: Registration is limited to officially admitted candidates in Master of Liberal Arts, creative writing and literature, who are in their penultimate semester. Prospective candidates and students with pending admission applications are not eligible. Candidates must be in good academic standing and in the process of successfully completing all degree requirements except the capstone, CREA E-599, which they must enroll in the upcoming spring term as their final course with the same instructor. Candidates are allowed to complete the summer residency after the capstone. Candidates who do not meet these degree requirements are dropped from the course.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Wednesdays, August 31-December 17, 10:00am-1:30pm
Course meets roughly every other Wednesday. See syllabus for specific meeting dates.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 12 students
CREA E-599
Capstone: Developing the Manuscript: Fiction
Leah De Forest MFA, Writer
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26418 | Section 1
Description
This course is meant to follow CREA E-597, in which students built the imaginative world of their books and produced the first story or chapter of them. In this workshop, students write two additional chapters or stories, or approximately 30 pages of new work. The capstone project in total should be about 50-60 pages the equivalent of a thesis. Students submit the entire manuscript the plan and the three chapters developed during both the precapstone and capstone courses at the end of the second semester, but instructors read and comment on only the two new chapters.
Prerequisites: Registration is limited to officially admitted candidates in the Master of Liberal Arts, creative writing and literature. Candidates must be in good academic standing, with only the capstone and the on-campus summer residency left to complete (no other course registration is allowed simultaneously with the capstone), and have successfully completed the precapstone course, CREA E-597, with the same instructor in the previous fall term. Candidates are allowed to complete the summer residency after the capstone. Candidates who do not meet these requirements are dropped from the course.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Tuesdays, January 24-May 13, 11:00am-2:00pm
Course meets roughly every other Tuesday. See syllabus for specific meeting dates.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 12 students
CREA E-599
Capstone: Developing the Manuscript: Fiction or Nonfiction
Elisabeth Sharp McKetta PhD, Writer
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26250 | Section 2
Description
This course is meant to follow CREA E-597, in which students built the imaginative world of their books and produced the first story, essay, or chapter of them. In this workshop, students write two additional chapters, stories, or essays, or approximately 30 pages of new work. The capstone project in total should be about 50-60 pages the equivalent of a thesis. Students submit the entire manuscript the plan and the three chapters, stories, or essays developed during both the precapstone and capstone courses at the end of the second semester, but instructors read and comment on only the two new chapters.
Prerequisites: Registration is limited to officially admitted candidates in the Master of Liberal Arts, creative writing and literature. Candidates must be in good academic standing, with only the capstone and the on-campus summer residency left to complete (no other course registration is allowed simultaneously with the capstone), and have successfully completed the precapstone course, CREA E-597, with the same instructor in the previous fall term. Candidates are allowed to complete the summer residency after the capstone. Candidates who do not meet these requirements are dropped from the course.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Wednesdays, January 25-May 13, 10:00am-1:30pm
Course meets roughly every other Wednesday. See syllabus for specific meeting dates.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 13 students
CREA E-90
Fundamentals of Fiction
Christopher S. Mooney MA, Author
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16784 | Section 1
Description
This intensive, immersive course is designed for graduate-credit students with strong writing skills and an interest in becoming fiction writers but little formal experience, students who would like to develop a solid foundation in story and scene structure before embarking on an advanced fiction writing course. The first part of the course focuses on a close analysis of plot and structure in several short stories and novels. Students then apply these techniques and methods to generate and shape their own ideas, build a solid narrative foundation, and use scene structure to craft a dramatic story. Using Janet Burroway’s Writing Fiction: A Guide to Narrative Craft, students explore and learn the fundamentals of character, dialogue, showing versus telling, and point of view. By the end of the course, students complete a short story or the first chapter of a novel (about 15 to 20 pages of fiction), which is workshopped in class.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, August 29-December 17, 11:00am-1:00pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 15 students
CREA E-90
Fundamentals of Fiction
Christopher S. Mooney MA, Author
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26368 | Section 1
Description
This intensive, immersive course is designed for graduate-credit students with strong writing skills and an interest in becoming fiction writers but little formal experience, students who would like to develop a solid foundation in story and scene structure before embarking on an advanced fiction writing course. The first part of the course focuses on a close analysis of plot and structure in several short stories and novels. Students then apply these techniques and methods to generate and shape their own ideas, build a solid narrative foundation, and use scene structure to craft a dramatic story. Using Janet Burroway’s Writing Fiction: A Guide to Narrative Craft, students explore and learn the fundamentals of character, dialogue, showing versus telling, and point of view. By the end of the course, students complete a short story or the first chapter of a novel (about 15 to 20 pages of fiction), which is workshopped in class.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, January 23-May 13, 11:00am-1:00pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 15 students
CREA E-90
Fundamentals of Fiction
Tracy L. Strauss MFA, Preceptor in Expository Writing, Harvard University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26063 | Section 2
Description
This intensive, immersive course is designed for graduate-credit students with strong writing skills and an interest in becoming fiction writers but little formal experience, students who would like to develop a solid foundation in story and scene structure before embarking on an advanced fiction writing course. The first part of the course focuses on a close analysis of plot and structure in several short stories and novels. Students then apply these techniques and methods to generate and shape their own ideas, build a solid narrative foundation, and use scene structure to craft a dramatic story. Using Janet Burroway’s Writing Fiction: A Guide to Narrative Craft, students explore and learn the fundamentals of character, dialogue, showing versus telling, and point of view. By the end of the course, students complete a short story or the first chapter of a novel (about 15 to 20 pages of fiction), which is workshopped in class.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Thursdays, January 26-May 13, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 15 students
CREA E-91
Fundamentals of Dramatic Writing
Shelley Evans MFA, Screenwriter
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16697 | Section 1
Description
This course is designed for students with strong writing skills who have an interest in writing plays and/or screenplays, but little formal experience. The course introduces basic principles of dramatic writing and provides a foundation for advanced playwrighting and screenwriting courses. Using both plays and screenplays as study texts, we elucidate the elements of dramatic writing and consider how those elements work differently in different mediums. Plays and screenplays are similar but not the same both genres create narrative using character and dialogue, but plays lean more heavily on the inner life and voice of characters, while screenplays unfold in the external world, building stories with images and action. Weekly exercises guide students through the process of developing different kinds of scripts assessing potential story ideas, doing pre-draft character and backstory exploration, finding structure, and writing scenes. By the end of the semester, students have completed a short outline and the first twenty pages of a play or screenplay, which are workshopped in class.
Prerequisites: This course is intended for students with strong writing skills, not beginning writers.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, August 29-December 17, 6:30pm-8:30pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 15 students
CSCI E-101
Foundations of Data Science and Engineering
Bruce Huang EdD, PhD, Director of Master’s Degree Program in Information Technology, Harvard Extension School
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16602 | Section 1
Description
Most data scientists spend 20 percent of their time building data models and analyzing model results. What do they do with the remaining 80 percent of their time? The answer is data engineering. Data engineering is a subdiscipline of software engineering that focuses on the transportation, transformation, and management of data. This course takes a comprehensive approach to explore data science, which includes data engineering concepts and techniques. Key topics include data management and transformation, exploratory data analysis and visualization, statistical thinking and machine learning, natural language processing, and storytelling with data, emphasizing the integration of Python, MySQL, Tableau, development, and big data analytics platforms. Students cannot earn Harvard Extension School degree credit for CSCI E-101 if it is taken after CSCI E-29.
Prerequisites: CSCI E-7, CSCI E-50, or the equivalent.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, August 29-December 17, 3:00pm-5:00pm
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
CSCI E-101
Foundations of Data Science and Engineering
Bruce Huang EdD, PhD, Director of Master’s Degree Program in Information Technology, Harvard Extension School
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26190 | Section 1
Description
Most data scientists spend 20 percent of their time building data models and analyzing model results. What do they do with the remaining 80 percent of their time? The answer is data engineering. Data engineering is a subdiscipline of software engineering that focuses on the transportation, transformation, and management of data. This course takes a comprehensive approach to explore data science, which includes data engineering concepts and techniques. Key topics include data management and transformation, exploratory data analysis and visualization, statistical thinking and machine learning, natural language processing, and storytelling with data, emphasizing the integration of Python, MySQL, Tableau, development, and big data analytics platforms. Students cannot earn Harvard Extension School degree credit for CSCI E-101 if it is taken after CSCI E-29.
Prerequisites: CSCI E-7, CSCI E-50, or the equivalent.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, January 23-May 13, 3:00pm-5:00pm
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
CSCI E-102
Econometrics and Causal Inference with R
Dmitry V. Kurochkin PhD, Senior Research Analyst, Faculty of Arts and Sciences Office for Faculty Affairs, Harvard University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26343 | Section 1
Description
Supervised learning algorithms, such as support-vector machines, random forests, and neural networks have demonstrated phenomenal performance in the era of big data. However, they often fail in answering the question, what would happen if the world changed in some specific way while holding other variables fixed? Such problems arise in many business applications including in finance, policymaking, and healthcare. This course covers modern econometric techniques for evaluating causal effects based on observational (that is, non-experimental) data. Topics covered in the course include multivariate linear regression, heteroscedasticity and weighted least squares (WLS), dummy variables and interactions, difference in differences (DD), logistic regression, probit model, censored regression models, exact matching, propensity score matching (PSM), regression discontinuity design (RDD), fuzzy regression discontinuity (FRD), synthetic control, instrumental variables (IV), and two-stage least squares (2SLS). Students get hands-on experience using R.
Prerequisites: Multivariate calculus equivalent to MATH E-21a, introductory probability and statistics, and familiarity with linear regression. Prior programming experience, preferably in R, is helpful but not required.
Class Meetings:
Online or On Campus
Tuesdays, January 24-May 13, 5:50pm-7:50pm, Sever Hall 102
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: On-campus meetings are recorded. A live stream is available at the time the class meets. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day. See minimum technology requirements. Students who attend this course in person must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates site for details. If you will not be coming to campus, documentation is not required.
CSCI E-103
Data Engineering for Analytics to Solve Business Challenges
Eric Gieseke ALM, Principal Software Engineer, Algorand
Anindita Mahapatra ALM, Solutions Architect, Databricks
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16694 | Section 1
Description
In today’s world, data is generated at an ever-increasing rate. The analytic platforms need to match this pace of generated data, digest it, and generate useful insights. The best decisions are made with informed data and as it changes, one needs to follow the signals and indicators embedded in the data. The technology space is evolving rapidly and choosing the right technology fit for the data at hand is an important decision. The next decision is to select the best architecture to provide the solution for technical challenges and helps the business improve its growth, revenue, and time to market. Spark provides a swiss army knife to handle the entire data life cycle, from ingestion to consumption. Newer offerings from the open source community around Delta and MLFlow help strengthen the data platform by making it performant, reliable, and repeatable. Often, innovation is left in proof of concept stages and does not see production because of the lack of foundational architectural components necessary for hardened and mature enterprise-grade deployments. This lost innovation translates to lost revenue and missed opportunities. This course helps students to appreciate the power of technology and skillfully apply it in practical situations in the real world. It leverages the Databricks platform on Amazon web services (AWS) to simplify the cluster setup so that students can focus on the data engineering aspects of getting the data ready for analytics.
Prerequisites: Familiarity with Amazon Web Services, structured query language (SQL), and Python. Some experience with big data, Spark, and data stores is good to have.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Tuesdays, August 30-December 17, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Required sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 45 students
CSCI E-104
Advanced Deep Learning
Zoran B. Djordjevic PhD, Senior Enterprise Architect
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26435 | Section 1
Description
Deep learning techniques and architectures have proliferated and are becoming increasingly specialized in dealing with practical challenges in software, science and engineering. This course makes an attempt to illustrate those trends and to make it possible for students to engage in advanced research and development activities in some of the popular areas of deep learning. Most of the lectures concentrate on the analysis of two broad groups of deep learning networks: graph neural networks (GNNs) and generative adversarial networks (GANs). For both classes of networks, we explain the fundamental mechanisms that govern their operations. We show that most of the basic classes of deep learning networks can be understood as a specialization of GNNs, where each class observes specific symmetry principles. We provide a series practical illustrations of the use of GNNs and GANs. For GNNs, we dive into the analysis of neural fingerprints of chemical molecules, proteins, and drugs. We learn to use GNNs for quantitative structure property relationships in physical systems, such as the simulations of fluid motion. For GANs, we examine in full detail the generation of realistic human images and speech, paintings and music. We learn how to impose constraints that are reflections of various physical or geometric laws governing the behavior of analyzed or generated systems. Concepts introduced in every lecture are illustrated by practical examples. Examples used in the course and homework assignments are written in Keras (TensorFlow 2.x) and PyTorch application programming interfaces (APIs).
Prerequisites: CSCI E-89 or any other introductory deep learning course. Proficiency with Python.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, January 23-May 13, 6:00pm-8:00pm
Optional sections Tuesdays, 6 pm.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
CSCI E-106
Data Modeling
Hakan Gogtas PhD, Head of US Model Validation Group, Deutsche Bank
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 15765 | Section 1
Description
This course explores data modeling methodologies with the goal of understanding how to choose, apply, and interpret appropriate statistical designs and analyses for practical data problems. Topics covered include understanding the relationships in the data, theory and application of linear and non-linear regression models, model building steps, diagnostic of models, and remedial measures. Students can count one of the following three courses CSCI E-106, STAT E-109, or STAT E-139 (offered previously) toward a degree or certificate.
Prerequisites: Proficiency in R programming, introductory probability and statistics, multivariate calculus equivalent to MATH E-21a, and linear algebra equivalent to MATH E-21b.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, August 29-December 17, 6:30pm-8:30pm
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 90 students
CSCI E-106
Data Modeling
Hakan Gogtas PhD, Head of US Model Validation Group, Deutsche Bank
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26017 | Section 1
Description
This course explores data modeling methodologies with the goal of understanding how to choose, apply, and interpret appropriate statistical designs and analyses for practical data problems. Topics covered include understanding the relationships in the data, theory and application of linear and non-linear regression models, model building steps, diagnostic of models, and remedial measures. Students can count one of the following three courses CSCI E-106, STAT E-109, or STAT E-139 (offered previously) toward a degree or certificate.
Prerequisites: Proficiency in R programming, introductory probability and statistics, multivariate calculus equivalent to MATH E-21a, and linear algebra equivalent to MATH E-21b.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, January 23-May 13, 6:00pm-8:00pm
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 90 students
CSCI E-108
Data Mining, Discovery, and Exploration
Stephen Elston PhD, Principal Consultant, Quantia Analytics LLC
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26492 | Section 1
Description
The goal of data mining is to find and exploit valuable insights and relationships in large, complex data sets. The massive size and high complexity of data sets has transformed the practice of data mining in the twenty-first century. Data mining algorithms have advanced rapidly to address this growth in size and complexity. Applications of data mining include web search, interactions in social networks, finding relationships in large internet-of-things (IoT) sensor networks, and finding interactions between drugs. This course surveys a range of algorithms used for key applications of data mining. The emphasis of the course is on unsupervised learning, semi-supervised learning, and graph algorithms. Scaling and computational efficiency of data mining algorithms is addressed. Lectures and readings introduce core theoretical concepts. Students apply the theory and methods using Python tools in hands-on exercises and projects. For the hands-on component of the course, students use a variety of libraries in the Python language. Examples include Scikit-Learn, Surprise, Neo4J, and NetworkX. Students may not take both CSCI E-96 and CSCI E-108 for degree or certificate credit.
Prerequisites: Students enrolling in this course are expected to have some background in Python programming equivalent to CSCI E-7 or CSCI E-50 and statistical modeling equivalent to CSCI E-63c, CSCI E-101, CSCI E-106, or STAT E-109. Knowledge of basic linear algebra, equivalent to MATH E-21a, is essential.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Tuesdays, January 24-May 13, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
CSCI E-109a
Introduction to Data Science
Pavlos Protopapas PhD, Scientific Program Director and Lecturer, Institute for Applied Computational Science, Harvard University
Natesh S. Pillai PhD, Professor of Statistics, Harvard University
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16877 | Section 1
Description
This course focuses on the analysis of messy, real life data to perform predictions using statistical and machine learning methods. Material covered integrates the five key facets of an investigation using data: data collection data wrangling, cleaning, and sampling to get a suitable data set; data management accessing data quickly and reliably; exploratory data analysis generating hypotheses and building intuition; prediction or statistical learning; and communication summarizing results through visualization, stories, and interpretable summaries. Students who have previously completed CSCI E-107 or CSCI E-109 (both offered previously) may not count CSCI E-109a or CSCI E-109b toward a degree or certificate.
Prerequisites: Programming knowledge at the level of CSCI E-50 or above, statistics knowledge at the level of STAT E-100 or above, and calculus (MATH E-15 or the equivalent) required. It is recommended that students have received a grade of B+ or better in these courses before enrolling in CSCI E-109a. Introductory probability is recommended.
Class Meetings:
Online
Required sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: The recorded lectures are from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences companion course Computer Science 109a. Registered students can ordinarily live stream the lectures Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, 9:45-11:00 am starting August 31 or they can watch them on demand. The recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day. Class sessions for this course may include students enrolled in the FAS companion course. Accordingly, when you participate in live class sessions, you will do so alongside both Division of Continuing Education (DCE) and FAS students. If you participate in a way that causes you to appear in recordings of the class, those recordings may be shown to DCE students enrolled in this course or FAS students enrolled in the companion course, according to the policies of the two schools on accessing recordings of class sessions.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 93 students
CSCI E-109b
Advanced Topics in Data Science
Mark Glickman PhD, Senior Lecturer on Statistics, Harvard University
Pavlos Protopapas PhD, Scientific Program Director and Lecturer, Institute for Applied Computational Science, Harvard University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26501 | Section 1
Description
Building upon the material in CSCI E-109a, the course introduces advanced methods for statistical modeling, representation, and prediction. Topics include multiple deep learning architectures such as convolutional neural networks (CNNs), recurrent neural networks (RNNs), transformers, language models, autoencoders, and generative models, as well as basic Bayesian methods and unsupervised learning. Students are strongly encouraged to enroll in both the fall and spring course within the same academic year. Students who have previously completed CSCI E-107 or CSCI E-109 may not take CSCI E-109a or CSCI E-109b for degree or certificate credit.
Prerequisites: A grade of B- or higher in CSCI E-109a. Students who have not completed CSCI E-109a should contact the instructors before registering.
Class Meetings:
Online
Required sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: The recorded lectures are from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences companion course Computer Science 109b. Registered students can ordinarily live stream the lectures Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, 9:45-11:00 am starting January 23 or they can watch them on demand. The recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day. Class sessions for this course may include students enrolled in the FAS companion course. Accordingly, when you participate in live class sessions, you will do so alongside both Division of Continuing Education (DCE) and FAS students. If you participate in a way that causes you to appear in recordings of the class, those recordings may be shown to DCE students enrolled in this course or FAS students enrolled in the companion course, according to the policies of the two schools on accessing recordings of class sessions.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 85 students
CSCI E-10a
Introduction to Computer Science Using Java I
Henry H. Leitner PhD, Senior Lecturer on Computer Science, Harvard University
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 14289 | Section 1
Description
Intended for students with no previous programming background, this course introduces problem-solving methods and algorithm development using Java, one of the most popular high-level programming languages in the world. Students learn how to design, code, debug, and document programs using modern engineering techniques in a cloud-based Linux environment. Related topics include programming using iterative constructs, the basic aspects of arrays and recursion, string manipulation, parameter passing, information hiding and encapsulation using classes, and the functional decomposition of methods to enable object-oriented design. Some applications are chosen for their relevance to more advanced coursework in computer science while others involve nonscientific and business-related areas. Students can count two of the following three courses CSCI E-10a, CSCI E-10b, and CSCI E-50 toward a degree. They may not count all three toward a degree.
Class Meetings:
Online
Required sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes:
CSCI E-10b
Introduction to Computer Science Using Java II
Henry H. Leitner PhD, Senior Lecturer on Computer Science, Harvard University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 24027 | Section 1
Description
This course is a continuation of CSCI E-10a, with an emphasis on object-oriented programming using Java, one of the world’s most popular programming languages. We begin with the implementation of abstract data types using classes, focusing on encapsulation of procedures and data, inheritance hierarchies, and polymorphism across different object types. Other topics include string processing, multidimensional arrays, ArrayLists, Vectors, and linked lists; streams and file I/O; recursion; exception handling; threads and event-driven programming; and graphical user interface design using the Swing classes. The course concludes with an introduction to RISC machine architecture and aspects of compilers and operating systems. Programming exercises are conducted in a cloud-based Linux environment. Students can count two of the following three courses CSCI E-10a, CSCI E-10b, and CSCI E-50 toward a degree. They may not count all three toward a degree.
Prerequisites: CSCI E-10a, or the equivalent experience in a high-level programming language such as C, C++, or Java.
Class Meetings:
Online
Required sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes:
CSCI E-11
The Frontiers of Computer Science: Big Data, the Internet of Things, and Cybersecurity
Brian Subirana PhD, Director, Auto-ID Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26067 | Section 1
Description
In this course, we review use cases and challenges of three interrelated areas in computer science: artificial intelligence (AI), the internet of things (IoT), and cybersecurity. Students gain an overview of the possibilities and challenges of building complex information systems that take advantage of recent advances in these fields. The course is divided into three parts, each focused on the instructor presenting the research conducted by leading Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) experts in their fields. Students gain an understanding of what is possible and what not today, as well as what MIT researchers are trying to make possible in the near future. The course provides a framework to analyze the frontiers in computer science. The first part surveys state-of-the-art topics in designing AI products and services. The focus of this part of the course is to understand where the rapidly evolving frontier in AI areas is. It covers machine learning (including neural networks), speech processing, robotics computer vision, and natural language processing. Topics in this first section also include existing hurdles for successful AI design such as explainability, visualization, adversarial attacks, and institutional review board (IRB) approval. The AI segment has two weeks entirely devoted to healthcare, covering neural implants, ingestible robotics, multi-modal longitudinal diagnosis with deep neural networks, mechanical limbs including grasping, and wi-fi surveillance. The second part of the course looks at the IoT. While the promise of the IoT brings many new business prospects, it also presents significant challenges ranging from technology architectural choices to security concerns. This part of the course offers important insights into how to overcome these challenges and thrive in this exciting space. The concept of IoT has begun to make an impact in industries ranging from industrial systems to home automation to healthcare. MIT researchers continue to conduct ground-breaking research on topics that are presented ranging from radio frequency identification (RFID) to cloud technologies, and from sensors to the world wide web. The third and final part of the course covers cybersecurity issues related to hardware, software, cryptography, blockchain, and policy to make better, safer decisions. Topics include systems (secure architectures, network security, secure programming languages, and system verification); algorithmic solutions (public key cryptography, multi-party computation, secret sharing, distributing trust, and computing on encrypted data); public policy issues in cybersecurity; and case studies (BitLocker, web security, and mobile phone security).
Prerequisites: An introductory computer science course (for example, CSCI E-3, CSCI E-7, or CSCI E-10a) plus familiarity with precalculus mathematics (MATH E-10 or the equivalent).
Class Meetings:
Online
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes:
Enrollment limit: Limited to 200 students
CSCI E-114
Web Application Development with Jamstack
David P. Heitmeyer AM, Director of Academic Platforms and Development, Harvard University Information Technology
Arthur J. Barrett BSc, Senior Technical Architect, Harvard University Information Technology
Laurence P. Bouthillier MS, Executive Director, University of British Columbia Extended Learning
Michael D. Hilborn MS, Director, Platform Engineering and Operations, Harvard Business School Online
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26437 | Section 1
Description
This course provides an introduction to web application development through the Jamstack (Javascript, application programming interfaces [APIs], and Markup) approach. Jamstack is a development architecture for modern website and application development that is increasingly popular due to performance, reliability, scalability, and security advantages. This course focuses on learning and implementing key aspects of the Jamstack approach, including pre-built HTML markup created with static site generators, client-side JavaScript, the use of APIs for back-end data and content, and automated deployment workflows. While specific frameworks and services are used in project work, the course examines how they align with Jamstack architecture principles and how they relate to alternative tools in the Jamstack landscape.
Prerequisites: Knowledge of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to the level of CSCI E-12 is required, and knowledge of Javascript to the level of CSCI E-3 is preferred. Comfort working from the command line to install tools and packages, including troubleshooting.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Tuesdays, January 24-May 13, 8:10pm-10:10pm
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 70 students
CSCI E-116
Dynamic Modeling and Forecasting in Big Data
William Yu PhD, Economist, Anderson Forecast, University of California, Los Angeles, Anderson School of Management
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16856 | Section 1
Description
Most machine learning models focus on cross-sectional data, while most time-series models focus on time series with few variables and low-frequency data. This course covers the skills and models to handle big data that are both rich in variables and time. We discuss both structural models and reduced-form models. Students learn dynamic regression model, dynamic factor model, vector autoregressions model, error correction model, dimensional reduction tools for fat dataset, and state-space model. Students also learn advanced methods to decompose trend, cycle, and seasonality in high-frequency data and to make more reliable time series forecasting.
Prerequisites: One programming course in any programming language. An introductory machine learning course, such as linear regression or machine learning in general.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Tuesdays, August 30-December 17, 8:10pm-10:10pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
CSCI E-116
Dynamic Modeling and Forecasting in Big Data
William Yu PhD, Economist, Anderson Forecast, University of California, Los Angeles, Anderson School of Management
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26469 | Section 1
Description
Most machine learning models focus on cross-sectional data, while most time-series models focus on time series with few variables and low-frequency data. This course covers the skills and models to handle big data that are both rich in variables and time. We discuss both structural models and reduced-form models. Students learn dynamic regression model, dynamic factor model, vector autoregressions model, error correction model, dimensional reduction tools for fat dataset, and state-space model. Students also learn advanced methods to decompose trend, cycle, and seasonality in high-frequency data and to make more reliable time series forecasting.
Prerequisites: One programming course in any programming language. An introductory machine learning course, such as linear regression or machine learning in general.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Tuesdays, January 24-May 13, 6:30pm-8:30pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
CSCI E-12
Fundamentals of Website Development
David P. Heitmeyer AM, Director of Academic Platforms and Development, Harvard University Information Technology
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 15078 | Section 1
Description
This course provides a comprehensive overview of website development. Students explore the prevailing vocabulary, tools, and standards used in the field and learn how the various facets including HTML5, CSS, JavaScript, Ajax, multimedia, scripting languages, HTTP, clients, servers, and databases function together in today’s web environment. The course provides a solid web development foundation, focusing on content and client-side (browser) components (HTML5, CSS, JavaScript, multimedia), with an overview of the server-side technologies. In addition, software and services that are easily incorporated into a website (for example, maps, checkout, blogs, content management) are surveyed and discussed. Students produce an interactive website on the topic of their choice for the final project and leave the course prepared for more advanced and focused web development studies.
Prerequisites: Basic familiarity working with computers, including file management.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Wednesdays, August 31-December 17, 8:10pm-10:10pm
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
CSCI E-121
Introduction to Theoretical Computer Science
Boaz Barak PhD, Gordon McKay Professor of Computer Science, Harvard University
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 14302 | Section 1
Description
Computation occurs over a variety of substrates including silicon, neurons, DNA, the stock market, bee colonies, and many others. In this course we study the fundamental capabilities and limitations of computation, including the phenomenon of universality and the duality of code and data. We touch upon the following questions: Are there functions that cannot be computed? Are there true mathematical statements that can’t be proven? Are there encryption schemes that can’t be broken? Is randomness ever useful for computing? Can we use the quirks of quantum mechanics to speed up computation?
Prerequisites: CSCI E-20 or the equivalent.
Class Meetings:
Online
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: The recorded lectures are from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences course Computer Science 121. Registered students can ordinarily live stream the lectures Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11:15-12:30 pm starting September 1 or they can watch them on demand. The recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day. Class sessions for this course may include students enrolled in the FAS companion course. Accordingly, when you participate in live class sessions, you will do so alongside both Division of Continuing Education (DCE) and FAS students. If you participate in a way that causes you to appear in recordings of the class, those recordings may be shown to DCE students enrolled in this course or FAS students enrolled in the companion course, according to the policies of the two schools on accessing recordings of class sessions.
CSCI E-124
Data Structures and Algorithms
Adam Hesterberg PhD, Lecturer on Computer Science, John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University
Madhu Sudan PhD, Gordon McKay Professor of Computer Science, John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 21462 | Section 1
Description
This is a rigorous course on the design and analysis of efficient algorithms and their associated data structures. Algorithm design methods, graph algorithms, approximation algorithms, and randomized algorithms are covered.
Prerequisites: CSCI E-22 or the equivalent, and some knowledge of discrete mathematics (CSCI E-20 or the equivalent).
Class Meetings:
Online
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: The recorded lectures are from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences companion course Computer Science 124. Registered students can ordinarily live stream the lectures or they can watch them on demand. The recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day. Class sessions for this course may include students enrolled in the FAS companion course. Accordingly, when you participate in live class sessions, you will do so alongside both Division of Continuing Education (DCE) and FAS students. If you participate in a way that causes you to appear in recordings of the class, those recordings may be shown to DCE students enrolled in this course or FAS students enrolled in the companion course, according to the policies of the two schools on accessing recordings of class sessions.
CSCI E-125
Crypto and Blockchain: Understanding the Technology and the Challenges It Presents
Daniel Garrie JD, Founder and Managing Director, Law and Forensics, LLC
David Cass MBA, Vice President, Cyber and IT Risk, Supervision Group, Federal Reserve Bank of New York
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16836 | Section 1
Description
This course aims to unpack the hype behind the cryptocurrency craze and give students the facts through the eyes of leading regulators, technologists, lawyers, and experts. Students learn what blockchains and cryptocurrencies are, how they can be used, and where the future of this technology is headed. The course covers multiple areas, including the basics of blockchain technology and how it works; how to create, transact, and store cryptocurrencies; regulatory and legal challenges that come with the adoption of a digital currency; surveys of how different regulatory agencies define securities in the US; and technical pieces that are underpinning secure software, system interactions with cryptocurrencies, and distributed consensus for reliability.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Tuesdays, August 30-December 17, 6:30pm-8:30pm
Required sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
CSCI E-142
Foundations of Technology Risk Management and Assessment
David Cass MBA, Vice President, Cyber and IT Risk, Supervision Group, Federal Reserve Bank of New York
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16682 | Section 1
Description
Technology risk refers to any risk of financial loss, disruption, or damage to the reputation of an organization as a result of the failure of its information technology (IT) systems. This course covers the foundations of technology risk management, IT risk identification, IT risk assessment, risk mitigation, and risk and control monitoring and reporting.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Thursdays, September 1-December 17, 6:30pm-8:30pm
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
CSCI E-145
Networking at Scale
Minlan Yu PhD, Gordon McKay Professor of Computer Science, Harvard University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26496 | Section 1
Description
Modern networks have grown to extremely large scale, connecting millions of servers, and high speed, with terabits per second, to meet the needs of a variety of cloud applications in business and society (for example, social media, public health, and entertainment). In this course, we study not only basic concepts in networking but also how these concepts are applied and extended for networking at scale. We discuss the recent technology trends and design choices of performance, scalability, manageability, and cost faced by companies who own large-scale networks such as Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Facebook. This course includes lectures and system programming projects.
Prerequisites: System programming at the level of CSCI E-61.
Class Meetings:
Online
Optional sections Fridays, time to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: The recorded lectures are from the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences companion course Computer Science 145. Registered students can ordinarily live stream the lectures Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:45-11:00 am starting January 23 or they can watch them on demand. The recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day. Class sessions for this course may include students enrolled in the FAS companion course. Accordingly, when you participate in live class sessions, you will do so alongside both Division of Continuing Education (DCE) and FAS students. If you participate in a way that causes you to appear in recordings of the class, those recordings may be shown to DCE students enrolled in this course or FAS students enrolled in the companion course, according to the policies of the two schools on accessing recordings of class sessions.
CSCI E-149a
Software Applications: Security Lifecycle Threats
Heather Hinton PhD, Chief Information Security Officer, RingCentral
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16691 | Section 1
Description
Ever wonder how to apply threat-based thinking to a user- and usability-centered application lifecycle throughout the entire lifecycle? In this course students learn about the cradle to grave lifecycle of software applications and how to review for security implications at each stage. Starting from a product pitch, we walk through the entire product lifecycle, including design, prototyping, testing, deployment, and ongoing management including operational concerns, through to eventual decommission. We look at scenarios drawn from in the market products and development realities.
Prerequisites: Basic computer programming skills, such as CSCI E-50 or the equivalent.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Tuesdays, August 30-December 17, 8:10pm-10:10pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
CSCI E-14a
Building Interactive Web Applications for Data Analysis
Zona Kostic PhD
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16444 | Section 1
Description
This course introduces students to essential aspects of data-driven web applications and covers techniques for creating custom solutions with the ML programming language. Python-based frameworks and visualization libraries are used to build fully functional project architectures for interactive exploratory data analysis. Students learn how to process data into a web application taking care of both front-end visual attractiveness and back-end functionality. Specifically, the course covers understanding the web and its components, working with supervised machine learning techniques and frameworks, designing of effective interactions and data visualizations, and working with relational and non-relational databases. Upon completion, project setups are deployed to the cloud infrastructure, leveraging the dynamic nature of data-intensive applications.
Prerequisites: Familiarity with Python programming language, basic data science concepts, and experience with front-end development. Some experience with data visualization is useful, but not required.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Wednesdays, August 31-December 17, 11:00am-1:00pm
Required sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 48 students
CSCI E-15
Web Server Frameworks with Laravel/PHP
Susan Buck MPS, Web Programmer
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 24574 | Section 1
Description
The needs of modern web applications vary greatly depending on the business/product the application is serving, but certain functionality is common to most applications. Such functionality includes registration/authentication, form processing and validation, routing, caching, and database interfacing. While this functionality can be built from scratch with any server-capable language, it is more efficient to use a framework that provides this common functionality out of the box, allowing developers to focus on the specific business needs of their application. In this course, students learn about framework-based web application development via the lens of the PHP framework Laravel. Along the way, we explore paradigms common to web frameworks beyond Laravel, such as routing, controllers, models, views, and object-relational mapping. Over the course of the semester, we build stand-alone web applications and also look at how to build web services that can act as the backend to single-page applications built using tools such as Angular, React, or Vue.js.
Prerequisites: DGMD E-2 or equivalent foundation in programming. Students should also be comfortable with HTML/CSS and basic website publishing (CSCI E-12 or equivalent). For more information about the prerequisites, see http://hesweb.dev/e15/prereq.
Class Meetings:
Online
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes:
Enrollment limit: Limited to 120 students
CSCI E-171
Visualization
Hanspeter Pfister PhD, An Wang Professor of Computer Science, Harvard University
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16477 | Section 1
Description
The amount and complexity of information produced in science, engineering, business, and everyday human activity is increasing at staggering rates. The goal of this course is to expose students to visual representation methods and techniques that increase the understanding of complex data. Good visualizations not only present a visual interpretation of data, but do so by improving comprehension, communication, and decision making. In this course, students learn how the human visual system processes and perceives images, good design practices for visualization, tools for visualization of data from a variety of fields, and programming of interactive web-based visualizations using D3.
Prerequisites: Students are expected to have programming experience (for example, CSCI E-50) and ideally some experience with web development.
Class Meetings:
Online
Required sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: The recorded lectures are from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences course Computer Science 171. Registered students can ordinarily live stream the lectures Wednesdays, 2:15-3:30 pm starting September 7 or they can watch them on demand. The recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day. Class sessions for this course may include students enrolled in the FAS companion course. Accordingly, when you participate in live class sessions, you will do so alongside both Division of Continuing Education (DCE) and FAS students. If you participate in a way that causes you to appear in recordings of the class, those recordings may be shown to DCE students enrolled in this course or FAS students enrolled in the companion course, according to the policies of the two schools on accessing recordings of class sessions.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 40 students
CSCI E-19
Software Testing and Test-Driven Development
Aline Yurik PhD, Director, Information Technology, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16404 | Section 1
Description
In this course we review the traditional software testing techniques that are applicable to any software product, as well as learn techniques for behavior-driven development and testing. The agile development paradigm of test-driven development is discussed. We also discover how innovative companies are able to build testing and quality into every stage of the development process and deliver a multitude of releases with a relatively small testing organization. We practice test creation and testing techniques through discussions and assignments. An option to apply behavior-driven development and testing techniques with Cucumber framework is available in assignments. Use of testing in continuous delivery/continuous integration software delivery approach is explored. Concepts covered include test cycles, testing objectives, testing in the software development process, types of software errors, reporting and analyzing software errors, problem tracking systems, test case design, testing tools, test planning, test documentation, and managing a test group.
Prerequisites: CSCI E-10b, or the equivalent.
Class Meetings:
Online
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes:
Enrollment limit: Limited to 50 students
CSCI E-1a
Understanding Technology
David J. Malan PhD, Gordon McKay Professor of the Practice of Computer Science, Harvard University
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 15513 | Section 1
Description
This course is for students who don’t (yet) consider themselves computer persons. Designed for students who work with technology every day but don’t necessarily understand how it all works underneath the hood or how to solve problems when something goes wrong, this course fills in the gaps, empowering students to use and troubleshoot technology more effectively. Through lectures on hardware, the internet, multimedia, security, programming, and web development as well as through readings on current events, this course equips students for today’s technology and prepares them for tomorrow’s as well.
Class Meetings:
Online
Required sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course is also available for noncredit as OpenCourseWare at cs50.edx.org/technology.
CSCI E-1b
Computer Science for Business Professionals
David J. Malan PhD, Gordon McKay Professor of the Practice of Computer Science, Harvard University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 25393 | Section 1
Description
This course is a variant of Harvard College’s introduction to computer science, CS50, designed especially for business professionals. Whereas CS50 itself takes a bottom-up approach, emphasizing mastery of low-level concepts and implementation details thereof, this course takes a top-down approach, emphasizing mastery of high-level concepts and design decisions related thereto. Ultimately this course empowers students to make technological decisions even if they are not technologists themselves. Topics include cloud computing, networking, privacy, scalability, security, and more, with an emphasis on web and mobile technologies. Students emerge from this course with first-hand appreciation of how it all works and all the more confident in the factors that should guide their decision making. This course is designed for managers, product managers, founders, and decision makers more generally.
Class Meetings:
Online
Required sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course is also available for noncredit as OpenCourseWare at cs50.edx.org/business.
CSCI E-20
Discrete Mathematics for Computer Science
Rebecca Nesson PhD, Associate Senior Lecturer on Computer Science and Dean for Academic Programs, Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26502 | Section 1
Description
This course teaches all the math not taught in the traditional calculus/linear algebra sequence that is needed to take more advanced courses in theory of computation and/or algorithms. That is, it teaches discrete mathematics, logic, and basic probability, but does not teach calculus or linear algebra. It also gives a good introduction to reading mathematical notation and writing formal proofs. A principal objective of the course is to not just teach a set of mathematical topics, but also to prepare students to think mathematically and to read and write mathematics.
Prerequisites: MATH E-10 or the equivalent.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Thursdays, January 26-May 13, 7:40pm-9:40pm
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time. The recorded lectures are from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences companion course Computer Science 20. Class sessions for this course may include students enrolled in the FAS companion course. Accordingly, when you participate in live class sessions, you will do so alongside both Division of Continuing Education (DCE) and FAS students. If you participate in a way that causes you to appear in recordings of the class, those recordings may be shown to DCE students enrolled in this course or FAS students enrolled in the companion course, according to the policies of the two schools on accessing recordings of class sessions.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 60 students
CSCI E-210
Algorithms at the End of the Wire
Michael Mitzenmacher PhD, Thomas J. Watson, Sr. Professor of Computer Science, Harvard University
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16780 | Section 1
Description
This is an advanced, rigorous course on recent research related to algorithms and data structures focusing on networks, data transmission, data storage, and data communication. Topics may run the breadth from the science that led to the founding of Google, data and video compression tools, coding, and data stream algorithms for network telemetry.
Prerequisites: CSCI E-124, or the equivalent, is very helpful.
Class Meetings:
Online
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: The recorded lectures are from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences companion course Computer Science 222. Registered students can ordinarily live stream the lectures Mondays and Wednesdays, 9:45-11:00 am starting August 31 or they can watch them on demand. The recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day. Class sessions for this course may include students enrolled in the FAS companion course. Accordingly, when you participate in live class sessions, you will do so alongside both Division of Continuing Education (DCE) and FAS students. If you participate in a way that causes you to appear in recordings of the class, those recordings may be shown to DCE students enrolled in this course or FAS students enrolled in the companion course, according to the policies of the two schools on accessing recordings of class sessions.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 40 students
CSCI E-22
Data Structures
David G. Sullivan PhD, Master Lecturer on Computer Science, Boston University
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 14309 | Section 1
Description
This course is a survey of fundamental data structures for information processing, including lists, stacks, queues, trees, and graphs. It explores the implementation of these data structures (both array-based and linked representations) and examines classic algorithms that use these structures for tasks such as sorting, searching, and text compression. The Java programming language is used to demonstrate the topics discussed; and key notions of object-oriented programming, including encapsulation and abstract data types, are emphasized.
Prerequisites: A good working knowledge of Java (CSCI E-10b, or the equivalent).
Class Meetings:
Online or On Campus
Wednesdays, August 31-December 17, 8:00pm-10:00pm, 1 Story Street 304
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: Students can attend in person on campus, participate live online at the time the class meets via web conference, or watch the recorded video asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day. Students who attend this course in person must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details. If you will not be coming to campus, documentation is not required.
CSCI E-23a
Introduction to Game Development
Colton T. Ogden Chief Technology Officer, From Zero LLC
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16214 | Section 1
Description
This course focuses on the development of 2D and 3D interactive games. Students explore the design of such childhood games as Super Mario Bros., Legend of Zelda, and Portal in a quest to understand how video games themselves are implemented. Via lectures and hands-on projects, the course explores principles of 2D and 3D graphics, animation, sound, and collision detection using frameworks like Unity and L VE 2D, as well as languages like Lua and C#. By course’s end, students have programmed several of their own games and gained a thorough understanding of the basics of game design and development.
Prerequisites: CSCI E-7, CSCI E-10a, CSCI E-10b, CSCI E-50, CS50x, or prior programming experience in any language.
Class Meetings:
Online
Required sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course is also available for noncredit as OpenCourseWare at cs50.edx.org/games.
CSCI E-23a
Introduction to Game Development
Colton T. Ogden Chief Technology Officer, From Zero LLC
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26415 | Section 1
Description
This course focuses on the development of 2D and 3D interactive games. Students explore the design of such childhood games as Super Mario Bros., Legend of Zelda, and Portal in a quest to understand how video games themselves are implemented. Via lectures and hands-on projects, the course explores principles of 2D and 3D graphics, animation, sound, and collision detection using frameworks like Unity and L VE 2D, as well as languages like Lua and C#. By course’s end, students have programmed several of their own games and gained a thorough understanding of the basics of game design and development.
Prerequisites: CSCI E-7, CSCI E-10a, CSCI E-10b, CSCI E-50, CS50x, or prior programming experience in any language.
Class Meetings:
Online
Required sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course is also available for noncredit as OpenCourseWare at cs50.edx.org/games.
CSCI E-25
Computer Vision
Stephen Elston PhD, Principal Consultant, Quantia Analytics LLC
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26285 | Section 1
Description
Computer vision is an exciting and rapidly changing field. In a little over ten years, deep learning algorithms have revolutionized several aspects of computer vison. Applications that were infeasible or impractical a few years ago are now in routine production. These advances allow intelligent systems to interact with the real-world using vision. Examples of modern computer vision (CV) applications include digital photography, robotic or autonomous vehicles, medical imaging, and scientific imaging. This course is a fast-moving survey of both fundamental theory of CV algorithms along with hands-on practical assignments applying these methods using Python. Successfully deploying CV applications often requires a combination of classical methods and state-of-the-art algorithms. Therefore, this course includes classical image processing and CV techniques which are the basis of many standard CV applications. From this foundation the course moves to the deep learning approaches that have revolutionized computer vision. Students apply tools drawn from the extensive universe of Python CV related packages in the hands-on assignments. Major topics covered in the course include: algorithms used to prepare images, transform images and extract features; statistical properties of images and methods of decomposition; classification of objects in images; optimization and regularization for machine learning algorithms; deep neural networks for image classification; motion in images and optical flow; advanced deep neural network architectures; object detection and tracking algorithms; models of stereo vision; segmentation of images; and generative models.
Prerequisites: Experience programming using the Python language, equivalent to CSCI E-7 or CSCI E-29. For people with limited Python programming experience, some experience programming, in any language, such as R, Matlab, or C++ is helpful. Some exposure to basic machine learning and data science methods, equivalent to CSCI E-101, is helpful but not essential. Knowledge of linear algebra, including eigenvalue-eigenvector decomposition and a bit of differential and integral calculus is essential.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Thursdays, January 26-May 13, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Optional sections Mondays, 5:30-7:30 pm.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
CSCI E-26
Introduction to C, Unix/Linux Programming, and Web Interfaces
Bruce Molay AB, Lecturer in Extension, Harvard University
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 14294 | Section 1
Description
Designed for students with some programming experience, this course provides a rigorous introduction to writing and using software tools in the Unix and GNU/Linux programming environments to build command-line and web-based programs. The course teaches students how to write C programs and Unix shell scripts, and how to create web interfaces to those programs. Topics include text processing, memory management, files and pipes, and processes and protocols. Students write programs to analyze data and generate reports, use shell scripts to combine tools into applications, and use HTML, CGI, and Ajax to provide web access to those applications and data.
Prerequisites: A working knowledge of a structured programming language such as C++, Java, JavaScript, or Python; a data structures course such as CSCI E-22.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Wednesdays, August 31-December 17, 7:40pm-9:40pm
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 45 students
CSCI E-265
Big Data Systems
Stratos Idreos PhD, Associate Professor of Computer Science, Harvard University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26522 | Section 1
Description
Big data is everywhere. A fundamental goal across modern business and science is to be able to utilize as many machines as possible, to consume as much information as possible and as fast as possible. The big challenge is how to turn data into useful knowledge. This is a moving target as both the underlying hardware and our ability to collect data evolve. In this course, we discuss how to design data systems, data structures, and algorithms for key data-driven areas, including relational systems, distributed systems, graph systems, noSQL, newSQL, machine learning, and neural networks. We see how they all rely on the same set of very basic concepts, and we learn how to synthesize efficient solutions for any problem across these areas using those basic concepts.
Prerequisites: CSCI E-61, and CSCI E-66 or CSCI E-165, or the equivalent.
Class Meetings:
Online
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: The recorded lectures are from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences companion course Computer Science 265. Registered students can ordinarily live stream the lectures Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:45-11:00 am starting January 24 or they can watch them on demand. The recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day. Class sessions for this course may include students enrolled in the companion course. Accordingly, when you participate in live class sessions, you will do so alongside both Division of Continuing Education (DCE) and SEAS students. If you participate in a way that causes you to appear in recordings of the class, those recordings may be shown to DCE students enrolled in this course or SEAS students enrolled in the companion course, according to the policies of the two schools on accessing recordings of class sessions.
CSCI E-28
Unix/Linux Systems Programming
Bruce Molay AB, Lecturer in Extension, Harvard University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 24040 | Section 1
Description
As an introduction to the fundamental structure and services of the Unix and Linux operating systems, this course combines theory with programming at the system call level. Topics include files and directories, device control, terminal handling, processes and threads, signals, pipes, and sockets. Examples and exercises include directory management utilities, a shell, and a web server.
Prerequisites: Solid knowledge of C or C++ at the level of CSCI E-26 and a data structures course such as CSCI E-22; some experience using Unix helpful.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Wednesdays, January 25-May 13, 7:40pm-9:40pm
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 45 students
CSCI E-3
Introduction to Web Programming Using JavaScript
Laurence P. Bouthillier MS, Executive Director, University of British Columbia Extended Learning
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 15118 | Section 1
Description
This course provides an introduction to web development by way of the essential language and runtime environment that powers modern web interfaces. Through a series of examples and projects, students learn basic programming concepts while building an understanding of the power and complexities of JavaScript, which can perplex even experienced web developers. The course provides a solid foundation in computer programming in JavaScript: syntax and data structures, conditionals, objects, scope and closures, Ajax, the DOM, and event handling. Students gain an understanding of the popular libraries that power rich web applications such as jQuery, VueJS, and others. Upon completion, students are prepared to use JavaScript libraries in their projects, write their own or extend existing JavaScript libraries, and build rich web applications using these powerful tools. No computer programming experience is required, though exposure to basic HTML and CSS is helpful.
Class Meetings:
Online
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes:
CSCI E-300
Randomized Algorithms and Probabilistic Analysis
Michael Mitzenmacher PhD, Thomas J. Watson, Sr. Professor of Computer Science, Harvard University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26359 | Section 1
Description
This advanced course focuses on randomized algorithms and probabilistic analysis of algorithms. Topics include Chernoff Bounds, Markov Chains, the probabilistic method, and hashing.
Prerequisites: CSCI E-20, CSCI E-22, or CSCI E-124, and basic probability.
Class Meetings:
Online
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: The recorded lectures are from the John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences course Computer Science 223. Registered students can ordinarily live stream the lectures or they can watch them on demand. The recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day. Class sessions for this course may include students enrolled in the FAS companion course. Accordingly, when you participate in live class sessions, you will do so alongside both Division of Continuing Education (DCE) and FAS students. If you participate in a way that causes you to appear in recordings of the class, those recordings may be shown to DCE students enrolled in this course or FAS students enrolled in the companion course, according to the policies of the two schools on accessing recordings of class sessions.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 40 students
CSCI E-31
Web Application Development using Node.js
Laurence P. Bouthillier MS, Executive Director, University of British Columbia Extended Learning
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 25038 | Section 1
Description
This course provides an introduction to web application development by way of JavaScript and the node.js environment. Students learn the basics of server-side web development using the MEAN stack (MongoDB, Express.js, Angular, node.js). Using the MEAN stack, the course introduces students to models of software development that can apply to any web development environment, including the application server (node.js), Model View Controller (MVC) frameworks using Express.js, front-end frameworks (Angular), and databases (MongoDB). The course includes setting up a node.js environment, building representational state transfer (REST) application programming interfaces (APIs) and full-stack JavaScript applications using the MEAN stack, and following good application development practices. Experience with server-side application development is not required, though knowledge of client-side web development (HTML/CSS/JavaScript) is important.
Prerequisites: Basic HTML/JavaScript. CSCI E-3 and CSCI E-12 are excellent preparations for this course.
Class Meetings:
Online
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes:
CSCI E-33a
Web Programming with Python and JavaScript
Brian Paul Yu EdM, Software Engineer, Automattic
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16215 | Section 1
Description
This course examines the design and implementation of web applications with Python, JavaScript, and SQL using frameworks like Django, React, and Bootstrap. Topics include database design, scalability, security, and user experience. Through hands-on projects, students learn to write and use application programming interfaces (APIs), create interactive user interfaces (UIs), and leverage cloud services like GitHub and Heroku. By semester’s end, students emerge with knowledge and experience in the principles, languages, and tools that empower them to design and deploy applications on the internet.
Prerequisites: CSCI E-50, CS50x, or prior programming experience in any language.
Class Meetings:
Online
Required sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course is also available for noncredit as OpenCourseWare at cs50.edx.org/web.
CSCI E-33a
Web Programming with Python and JavaScript
Brian Paul Yu EdM, Software Engineer, Automattic
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 25184 | Section 1
Description
This course examines the design and implementation of web applications with Python, JavaScript, and SQL using frameworks like Django, React, and Bootstrap. Topics include database design, scalability, security, and user experience. Through hands-on projects, students learn to write and use application programming interfaces (APIs), create interactive user interfaces (UIs), and leverage cloud services like GitHub and Heroku. By semester’s end, students emerge with knowledge and experience in the principles, languages, and tools that empower them to design and deploy applications on the internet.
Prerequisites: CSCI E-50, CS50x, or prior programming experience in any language.
Class Meetings:
Online
Required sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course is also available for noncredit as OpenCourseWare at cs50.edx.org/web.
CSCI E-34
User Experience Engineering
David S. Platt ME, President, Rolling Thunder Computing, Inc.
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 14557 | Section 1
Description
Success in today’s software marketplace requires excellent user experience (UX). This course presents the foundations of excellent UX in a platform-agnostic manner. This course requires no programming. Instead, we focus on deciding what to program to make our users happier and more productive. Students learn to start with the user, not the toolkit. Who are our users and how do we represent them with personas? What problems are these users trying to solve, what would they consider a good solution, and how do we represent that with stories? How should the user interaction flow and how do we represent it with quick, inexpensive mockups? How can we test different designs on users? How can we learn what users really do, instead of what they can remember or will admit to? Students work on a term project of their choosing, performing all steps of the UX design process. We use modern design tools such as Figma. We examine in-depth case studies and hear from industry-leading guest speakers. Students finish this course with a starter portfolio to show potential employers.
Prerequisites: One year of computer science education (CSCI E-10a and CSCI-10b, or CSCI E-12 and CSCI E-15, or CSCI E-26), or equivalent software development experience. Familiarity with the client program development system of your choice. This can be any development tool with which you can complete the term project. See the project description in the syllabus.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, August 29-December 17, 7:40pm-9:40pm
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
CSCI E-39
Design Principles in React
Nicolas Javier Tejera Aguirre ALM, Chief Technology Officer, Tolemi
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16734 | Section 1
Description
This course teaches students how to implement usable and understandable applications using ReactJS, including core concepts of design like typography, color theory, and visual hierarchy. The first weeks cover introduction to font families, color palettes, and design principles, and how to apply the right ones based on context. We then deep dive into ReactJS and build simple yet complete components, applying the acquired knowledge to produce user-friendly and proportionally designed objects. We finalize by building a small web application, leveraging existing component libraries and frameworks.
Prerequisites: Proficiency in Javascript, HTML, and CSS.
Class Meetings:
Online or On Campus
Thursdays, September 1-December 17, 8:00pm-10:00pm, 1 Story Street 306
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: Students can attend in person on campus, participate live online at the time the class meets via web conference, or watch the recorded video asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day. Students who attend this course in person must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details. If you will not be coming to campus, documentation is not required.
CSCI E-40
Communication Protocols and Internet Architectures
Len Evenchik SM, Lecturer in Extension, Harvard University
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 14296 | Section 1
Description
Networks are now too large, complex, and diverse to be built on an ad hoc basis. This course provides a structured approach to the design, analysis, and implementation of networks and protocols. We study various protocols, including TCP/IP, WWW/HTTP, e-mail/SMTP, domain name system (DNS), multimedia protocols for voice and video, routing protocols (RIP, OSPF, and BGP), and the IEEE 802 LAN protocol suite. In each case, the protocol’s functions and the underlying reference model are discussed. LAN architecture and design, network security and encryption, and the design and analysis of both private networks and the internet are presented. The course discusses new areas of work, including real-time voice and video on the internet, quality of service (QoS), gigabit wireless networks, internet of things (IoT), software-defined networks (SDN), and network functions virtualization (NFV).
Prerequisites: Programming or networking experience; a basic understanding of the principles of communication protocols.
Class Meetings:
Online or On Campus
Mondays, August 29-December 17, 5:40pm-7:40pm, 1 Story Street 304
Required sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: Students can attend in person on campus, participate live online at the time the class meets via web conference, or watch the recorded video asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day. Students who attend this course in person must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details. If you will not be coming to campus, documentation is not required.
CSCI E-40
Communication Protocols and Internet Architectures
Len Evenchik SM, Lecturer in Extension, Harvard University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 24033 | Section 1
Description
Networks are now too large, complex, and diverse to be built on an ad hoc basis. This course provides a structured approach to the design, analysis, and implementation of networks and protocols. We study various protocols, including TCP/IP, WWW/HTTP, e-mail/SMTP, domain name system (DNS), multimedia protocols for voice and video, routing protocols (RIP, OSPF, and BGP), and the IEEE 802 LAN protocol suite. In each case, the protocol’s functions and the underlying reference model are discussed. LAN architecture and design, network security and encryption, and the design and analysis of both private networks and the internet are presented. The course discusses new areas of work, including real-time voice and video on the internet, quality of service (QoS), gigabit wireless networks, internet of things (IoT), software-defined networks (SDN), and network functions virtualization (NFV).
Prerequisites: Programming or networking experience; a basic understanding of the principles of communication protocols.
Class Meetings:
Online
Required sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: The recorded lectures are from the fall course.
CSCI E-43
How to Assess and Communicate Risk in Information Security
Derek Brink MBA, Vice President and Research Fellow, Aberdeen Strategy and Research
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 24587 | Section 1
Description
In simple terms, risk is the likelihood of something bad taking place, and the resulting business impact if it does in fact occur. We often talk about the bad things that could happen that is, the threats, vulnerabilities, and exploits, and the technologies that are used to defend against them but these are not risks. Senior business leaders need their subject-matter experts in cyber security to advise them not about the technical details (the “what”), but about the risk (the “so what”), and about how an incremental investment in recommended security controls quantifiably reduces that risk. This course covers how to assess security risks, properly defined, how to use these risk assessments to make better-informed recommendations regarding what to do about them, and how to communicate these risks more effectively to business decision makers.
Prerequisites: CSCI E-45a, CSCI E-45b, or the equivalent.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Wednesdays, January 25-May 13, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 35 students
CSCI E-45a
The Cyber World: Hardware, Software, Networks, Security, and Management
Scott Bradner
Benoit Gaucherin Maitrise, Senior Director of Information Technology, Campus Systems, Harvard University
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 14299 | Section 1
Description
Today we all live and work in a participatory cyberspace. Computers, the data networks that interconnect them, and the services available over the networks make up this cyberspace. As cyberspace invades almost all areas of modern day living, playing, and working, it is becoming more important that people understand its technical and political underpinnings and operations, as well as its capabilities, threats, and weaknesses. This is a companion course to CSCI E-45b. The goal of this pair of courses is to give students the tools they need to understand, use, and manage the technologies involved, as well as the ability to appreciate the legal, social, and political dynamics of this ever expanding universe and the interplay between the cyber and physical worlds. The pair of courses covers the essential elements of computing and the history, structure, operation, and governance of the internet. This course focuses on the fundamental workings of the digital world. From individual computing devices to the broader internet, students learn how each piece in this gigantic puzzle comes together to create the digital infrastructure that is the cyberspace of today and tomorrow. In addition, we explore the fundamental concepts, technologies, and issues associated with managing and securing cyberspace.
Class Meetings:
Online
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes:
CSCI E-45b
The Cyber World: Governance, Threats, Conflict, Privacy, Identity, and Commerce
Scott Bradner
Benoit Gaucherin Maitrise, Senior Director of Information Technology, Campus Systems, Harvard University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 24037 | Section 1
Description
Today we all live and work in a participatory cyberspace. Computers, the data networks that interconnect them, and the services available over the networks make up this cyberspace. As cyberspace invades almost all areas of modern day living, playing, and working, it is becoming more important that people understand its technical and political underpinnings and operations, as well as its capabilities, threats, and weaknesses. This is a companion course to CSCI E-45a. The goal of this pair of courses is to give students the tools they need to understand, use, and manage the technologies involved, as well as the ability to appreciate the legal, social, and political dynamics of this ever expanding universe and the interplay between the cyber and physical worlds. The pair of courses covers the essential elements of computing and the history, structure, operation, and governance of the internet. This course explores the technical and legal aspects of the interactions and tensions between security, usability, privacy, and surveillance in a post NSA-revelation world. We also look at the technical and legal underpinnings that affect the use of cyberspace for businesses. Finally, we explore the rapidly changing dangers of cyberspace from viruses to state-sponsored cyber-conflict.
Class Meetings:
Online
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes:
CSCI E-49
Cloud Security
Ramesh Nagappan MS, Security Technologist, Amazon
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 24557 | Section 1
Description
Cloud computing infrastructure has become a mainstay of the information technology industry, opening the possibility for on-demand, highly elastic, and infinite computer power with scalability and supporting the delivery of mission-critical secure enterprise applications and services. This course provides ground-up coverage on the high level concepts of cloud landscape, architectural principles, development techniques, design patterns, and real-world security best practices as applied to cloud service providers and consumers. It also addresses regulatory compliance requirements critical to design, implement, deliver, and manage secure cloud-based services. The course delves into the secure cloud-based application development processes that build on DevOps and DevSecOps processes, proactively identifying and mitigating risks with threat models, protection, and isolation of physical and logical infrastructures including computer storage (cloud-hosted virtualization, containerization using Docker and Kubernetes) and network topologies; comprehensive data protection with applied cryptography; end-to-end identity management and access control; monitoring, auditing, intrusion detection, and incident response processes; fraud detection (using machine learning and artificial intelligence techniques); and complying with industry and regulatory mandates. The course leverages cloud computing security guidelines set forth by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), European Union Agency for Network and Information Security (ENISA), and Cloud Security Alliance (CSA).
Prerequisites: One of the following courses: CSCI E-7, CSCI E-12, CSCI E-33a, CSCI E-45a, CSCI E-45b, CSCI E-46, CSCI E-90, CSCI E-94, or the equivalent. Additional web application development and/or systems administration knowledge will be very helpful.
Class Meetings:
Online or On Campus
Mondays, January 23-May 13, 8:00pm-10:00pm, One Brattle Square 204
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: Students can attend in person on campus, participate live online at the time the class meets via web conference, or watch the recorded video asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day. Students who attend this course in person must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates site for details. If you will not be coming to campus, documentation is not required.
CSCI E-49a
Cryptography and Identity Management for Cloud and Internet of Things (IoT) Applications
Ramesh Nagappan MS, Security Technologist, Amazon
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16685 | Section 1
Description
Confidentiality, integrity, availability, authentication, authorization, and accountability are the most critical security requirements that serve as the basis for deploying and delivering trustworthy information technology (IT) applications and services in on-premise enterprises, cloud provider hosted platforms, and network-centric devices that are connected to the internet. Adopting cryptography and identity management solutions for data protection and access control addresses these security requirements and has become a vital part of all business applications, electronic transactions, IT networks, cloud providers, and internet of things (IoT). This course provides a ground-up coverage on the high-level concepts, applied mechanisms, architecture, design, and real-world implementation practices of using cryptography and identity management solutions as they apply to cloud-hosted applications, services, and IoT devices.
Prerequisites: CSCI E-49, CSCI E-90, CSCI E-118, or equivalent. Experience with web application development and/or systems administration using a cloud provider is helpful.
Class Meetings:
Online or On Campus
Mondays, August 29-December 17, 8:00pm-10:00pm, 1 Story Street 306
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: Students can attend in person on campus, participate live online at the time the class meets via web conference, or watch the recorded video asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day. Students who attend this course in person must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details. If you will not be coming to campus, documentation is not required.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 45 students
CSCI E-50
Intensive Introduction to Computer Science
David J. Malan PhD, Gordon McKay Professor of the Practice of Computer Science, Harvard University
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 14290 | Section 1
Description
This course is an intensive introduction to the intellectual enterprises of computer science and the art of programming. It teaches students how to think algorithmically and solve problems efficiently. Topics include abstraction, algorithms, data structures, encapsulation, resource management, security, software engineering, and web programming. Languages include C, Python, and SQL plus HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Problem sets are inspired by the arts, humanities, social sciences, and sciences. The course culminates in a final project. Students can count two of the following three courses CSCI E-10a, CSCI E-10b, and CSCI E-50 toward a degree. They may not count all three toward a degree.
Class Meetings:
Online
Required sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: The recorded lectures are from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences course Computer Science 50 (CS50). Registered students can ordinarily live stream the lectures Mondays, 1:30-4:15 pm starting August 31 or they can watch them on demand. The recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day. Class sessions for this course may include students enrolled in the FAS companion course. Accordingly, when you participate in live class sessions, you will do so alongside both Division of Continuing Education (DCE) and FAS students. If you participate in a way that causes you to appear in recordings of the class, those recordings may be shown to DCE students enrolled in this course or FAS students enrolled in the companion course, according to the policies of the two schools on accessing recordings of class sessions. This course is also available for noncredit via EdX.
CSCI E-50
Intensive Introduction to Computer Science
David J. Malan PhD, Gordon McKay Professor of the Practice of Computer Science, Harvard University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 24107 | Section 1
Description
This course is an intensive introduction to the intellectual enterprises of computer science and the art of programming. It teaches students how to think algorithmically and solve problems efficiently. Topics include abstraction, algorithms, data structures, encapsulation, resource management, security, software engineering, and web programming. Languages include C, Python, and SQL plus HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Problem sets are inspired by the arts, humanities, social sciences, and sciences. The course culminates in a final project. Students can count two of the following three courses CSCI E-10a, CSCI E-10b, and CSCI E-50 toward a degree. They may not count all three toward a degree.
Class Meetings:
Online
Required sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: The recorded lectures are from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences course Computer Science 50 (CS50). This course is also available for noncredit via EdX.
CSCI E-59
Designing and Developing Relational and NoSQL Databases
Gregory Thomas Misicko ALM, Engineering Manager, NetApp Cloud Solutions
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 25690 | Section 1
Description
This course focuses on the design and development of databases using a very practical and hands-on approach to learning. Students begin by learning how to set up and configure a database server, followed by a thorough understanding of how to design and develop a real-world database built for stability and performance. Structured query language (SQL) is taught starting from the most basic level and leading up to an advanced level. As many projects today evaluate NoSQL options, students also learn about the more popular NoSQL options available and work with MQL and Cypher.
Prerequisites: Capable of learning new programming languages (such as SQL, MQL, or Cypher) from the beginning.
Class Meetings:
Online or On Campus
Thursdays, January 26-May 13, 8:00pm-10:00pm, One Brattle Square 204
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: Students can attend in person on campus, participate live online at the time the class meets via web conference, or watch the recorded video asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day. Students who attend this course in person must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates site for details. If you will not be coming to campus, documentation is not required.
CSCI E-597
Data Science Precapstone
Bruce Huang EdD, PhD, Director of Master’s Degree Program in Information Technology, Harvard Extension School
Stephen Elston PhD, Principal Consultant, Quantia Analytics LLC
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 25390 | Section 1
Description
This intensive January session course helps students develop an academically strong capstone proposal. It is mandatory for candidates in the Master of Liberal Arts, data science, who wish to register for CSCI E-599a in the spring. It prepares students to explore interdisciplinary research topics from a variety of industries and areas. Through workshops and collaborating with experts from different disciplines, students identify research topics, apply the appropriate data science methods, and use data to advance innovative solutions. Students receive guidance and advising to work effectively in teams, refine project proposals, and build the domain knowledge necessary in their selected area. By the end of the course, each team submits a detailed research proposal, including project rationale, methods, and expected outcomes, which they intend to execute during CSCI E-599a.
Prerequisites: Registration is limited to officially admitted candidates in Master of Liberal Arts, data science, who are in their penultimate semester. Prospective candidates and students with pending admission applications are not eligible. Candidates must be in good academic standing and in the process of successfully completing all degree requirements except the capstone, CSCI E-599a, which they must enroll in the upcoming spring term as their final course. Candidates who do not meet these degree requirements are dropped from the course.
Class Meetings:
On campus only
Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, January 3-21, 1:00pm-4:00pm, One Brattle Square 203
Term Start Date: January 03, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: Because this course requires in-person attendance, students must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 46 students
CSCI E-599
Software Engineering Capstone
Eric Gieseke ALM, Principal Software Engineer, Algorand
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 25901 | Section 1
Description
This course examines how current software engineering methods approach structuring and managing software projects, from requirements gathering to production release. Formal methods in software engineering have a long history, from the older waterfall method to the current agile methods. Students collaborate in teams to define an architectural model and a project plan, and then implement a system while practicing techniques in software engineering. They present to the Extension School’s Master of Liberal Arts, software engineering faculty committee based on the course project. The programming is primarily in Java but may include other languages.
Prerequisites: Registration is limited to officially admitted candidates in the Master of Liberal Arts, software engineering, capstone track. Prospective candidates and students with pending admission applications are not eligible. Candidates must be in good academic standing, have completed nine courses in the concentration including the software design requirement, and have proficiency in Java. Candidates who do not meet these degree requirements are dropped from the course.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, January 23-May 13, 5:10pm-7:10pm
Required sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 25 students
CSCI E-599
Software Engineering Capstone
Peter Vaughan Henstock PhD, Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence Lead, Pfizer, Inc.
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 24531 | Section 2
Description
This course examines how current software engineering methods approach structuring and managing software projects, from requirements gathering to production release. Formal methods in software engineering have a long history, from the older waterfall method to the current agile methods. Students collaborate in small teams to define an architectural model and a project plan, and then implement a system while practicing techniques in software engineering. They present to the Extension School’s Master of Liberal Arts, software engineering faculty committee based on the course project.
Prerequisites: Registration is limited to officially admitted candidates in the Master of Liberal Arts, software engineering, capstone track. Prospective candidates and students with pending admission applications are not eligible. Candidates must be in good academic standing, have completed nine courses in the concentration including the software design requirement, and have proficiency in programming. Candidates who do not meet these degree requirements are dropped from the course.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Wednesdays, January 25-May 13, 6:00pm-8:00pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 26 students
CSCI E-599a
Data Science Capstone
Bruce Huang EdD, PhD, Director of Master’s Degree Program in Information Technology, Harvard Extension School
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16091 | Section 1
Description
This course is the culmination of the Master of Liberal Arts, data science, where students execute their research proposal from CSCI S-597. It gives students the opportunity to collaborate on a complex research topic using their data science skills. At the completion of the capstone, students are able to demonstrate their ability to think critically about data, communicate with diverse audiences, and advance innovation in ways that benefit society.
Prerequisites: Registration is limited to officially admitted capstone track candidates in the Master of Liberal Arts, data science. Candidates must be in good academic standing, ready to graduate in March with only the capstone left to complete (no other course registration is allowed simultaneously with the capstone), and have successfully completed the Harvard Summer School precapstone course, CSCI S-597, in the previous summer term. Candidates who do not meet these requirements are dropped from the course.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Tuesdays, August 30-December 17, 3:00pm-5:00pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 26 students
CSCI E-599a
Data Science Capstone
Bruce Huang EdD, PhD, Director of Master’s Degree Program in Information Technology, Harvard Extension School
Stephen Elston PhD, Principal Consultant, Quantia Analytics LLC
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 25391 | Section 1
Description
This course is the culmination of the Master of Liberal Arts, data science where students execute their research proposal from CSCI E-597. It gives students the opportunity to collaborate with industry, government, or academic partners to investigate a real-world research topic using their data science skills. At the completion of the capstone, students are able to demonstrate their ability to think critically about data, communicate with diverse audiences, and advance innovation in ways that benefit society.
Prerequisites: Registration is limited to officially admitted capstone track candidates in the Master of Liberal Arts, data science. Candidates must be in good academic standing, ready to graduate in May with only the capstone left to complete (no other course registration is allowed simultaneously with the capstone), and have successfully completed the precapstone course, CSCI E-597, in the previous January term. Candidates who do not meet these requirements are dropped from the course.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Thursdays, January 26-May 13, 3:00pm-5:00pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 46 students
CSCI E-61
Systems Programming and Machine Organization
Eddie Kohler PhD, Microsoft Professor of Computer Science and Harvard College Professor, Harvard University
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 13836 | Section 1
Description
This course covers the fundamentals of computer systems programming. It provides a solid background in data representation, systems programming, operating systems, and machine organization and design. The course centers on C++ programming, with some assembly language. Topics include data representation, assembly and machine programming, storage hierarchy and caching, kernel programming and virtual memory, process management, and concurrency (including threads and networking).
Prerequisites: CSCI E-26, CSCI E-50, or some experience programming in C++ or C.
Class Meetings:
Online
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: The recorded lectures are from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences course Computer Science 61. Registered students can ordinarily live stream the lectures Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, 2:15-3:30 pm starting August 31 or they can watch them on demand. The recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day. Class sessions for this course may include students enrolled in the FAS companion course. Accordingly, when you participate in live class sessions, you will do so alongside both Division of Continuing Education (DCE) and FAS students. If you participate in a way that causes you to appear in recordings of the class, those recordings may be shown to DCE students enrolled in this course or FAS students enrolled in the companion course, according to the policies of the two schools on accessing recordings of class sessions.
CSCI E-63
Big Data Analytics
Zoran B. Djordjevic PhD, Senior Enterprise Architect
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 25759 | Section 1
Description
The explosion of social media and the computerization of every aspect of social and economic activity resulted in the creation of huge volumes of semi-structured data: web logs, videos, speech recordings, photographs, emails, and Tweets. In a parallel development, computers keep getting ever more powerful and storage ever cheaper. Today, with the cloud, Spark, and other technologies, we can reliably and cheaply store huge volumes of data, efficiently analyze them, and extract business and socially relevant information. The emphasis of this course is on mastering the most important software frameworks, procedures, and algorithms for the processing of big data. Apache Spark 3 is the key big data technology. Spark is a result of the evolution of Hadoop and Map/Reduce ideas with significant speedup and scalability improvements. Students learn the most essential of Spark’s application programming interfaces (APIs) like Spark Core, Spark SQL, GraphX, Structured Streaming, and other non-Spark computational, statistical, and machine-learning frameworks and algorithms, which make up the backbone of big data processing. In this course, students learn how to organize data in massive data lakes and create massive data pipelines using Spark SQL and other APIs both in batch mode and in real-time streaming mode. Students learn how to analyze highly connected data using Neo4J and Spark GraphX, in-memory graph databases. Students acquire practical skills with Kafka, a highly scalable messaging system, and learn to integrate Spark with NoSQL systems. Students conduct exercises in Amazon web services cloud (AWS) and master the most important AWS services.
Prerequisites: Proficiency in Python is recommended. All assignments could be done in Java, Scala, or R. Some familiarity with Linux is helpful. Students need access to a computer with a 64-bit operating system and at least 8 GB of RAM (32 GB is highly recommended).
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Fridays, January 27-May 13, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Optional sections Saturdays, 12-1 pm.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
CSCI E-63c
Elements of Data Science and Statistical Learning with R
Andrey Sivachenko PhD, Scientist IV, Head of Bioinformatics, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Therapeutics Lab
Victor A. Farutin PhD, Director of Computational Sciences, Precede Biosciences
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 15123 | Section 1
Description
One of the broad goals of data science is examining raw data with the purpose of identifying its structure and trends, and of deriving conclusions and hypotheses from it. In the modern world awash with data, data analytics is more important than ever to fields ranging from biomedical research, space and weather science, finance, business operations and production, to marketing and social media applications. This course introduces various statistical learning methods and their applications. The R programming language, a very popular and powerful platform for scientific and statistical analysis and visualization, is introduced and used throughout the course. We discuss the fundamentals of statistical testing and learning, and cover topics of linear and non-linear regression, clustering and classification, support vector machines, and decision trees. The datasets used in the examples are drawn from diverse domains such as finance, genomics, and customer sales and survey data.
Prerequisites: Good programming skills, preferably in R or solid experience in other languages; good understanding of probability and statistics at the level of CSCI E-106 or STAT E-109. See the syllabus for the recommended pretest.
Class Meetings:
Online or On Campus
Mondays, August 29-December 17, 8:00pm-10:00pm, Harvard Hall 101
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: Students can attend in person on campus, participate live online at the time the class meets via web conference, or watch the recorded video asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day. Students who attend this course in person must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details. If you will not be coming to campus, documentation is not required.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 200 students
CSCI E-63c
Elements of Data Science and Statistical Learning with R
Andrey Sivachenko PhD, Scientist IV, Head of Bioinformatics, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Therapeutics Lab
Victor A. Farutin PhD, Director of Computational Sciences, Precede Biosciences
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 24748 | Section 1
Description
One of the broad goals of data science is examining raw data with the purpose of identifying its structure and trends, and of deriving conclusions and hypotheses from it. In the modern world awash with data, data analytics is more important than ever to fields ranging from biomedical research, space and weather science, finance, business operations and production, to marketing and social media applications. This course introduces various statistical learning methods and their applications. The R programming language, a very popular and powerful platform for scientific and statistical analysis and visualization, is introduced and used throughout the course. We discuss the fundamentals of statistical testing and learning, and cover topics of linear and non-linear regression, clustering and classification, support vector machines, and decision trees. The datasets used in the examples are drawn from diverse domains such as finance, genomics, and customer sales and survey data.
Prerequisites: Good programming skills, preferably in R or solid experience in other languages; good understanding of probability and statistics at the level of CSCI E-106 or STAT E-109. See the syllabus for the recommended pretest.
Class Meetings:
Online or On Campus
Mondays, January 23-May 13, 8:00pm-10:00pm, Harvard Hall 101
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: Students can attend in person on campus, participate live online at the time the class meets via web conference, or watch the recorded video asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day. Students who attend this course in person must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details. If you will not be coming to campus, documentation is not required.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 200 students
CSCI E-66
Database Systems
David G. Sullivan PhD, Master Lecturer on Computer Science, Boston University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 24046 | Section 1
Description
This course covers the fundamental concepts of database systems. Topics include data models (entity-relationship, relational, and others); query languages (relational algebra, SQL, and others); implementation techniques of database management systems (index structures, concurrency control, recovery, and query processing); management of semistructured and complex data; distributed and noSQL databases.
Prerequisites: CSCI E-22 or the equivalent, and strong programming skills in Java.
Class Meetings:
Online or On Campus
Wednesdays, January 25-May 13, 8:00pm-10:00pm, 1 Story Street 306
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: Students can attend in person on campus, participate live online at the time the class meets via web conference, or watch the recorded video asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day. Students who attend this course in person must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates site for details. If you will not be coming to campus, documentation is not required.
CSCI E-7
Introduction to Computer Science with Python
Jeff Parker PhD, Lecturer in Extension, Harvard University
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 15376 | Section 1
Description
Python is a language with a simple syntax and a powerful set of libraries. It is an interpreted language, with a rich programming environment, including a robust debugger and profiler. While it is easy for beginners to learn, it is widely used in many scientific areas for data exploration. This course is an introduction to the Python programming language. We cover data types and control flow and introduce the analysis of program performance. The examples and problems used in this course are drawn from diverse areas such as text processing and simple graphics creation. Graduate-credit students implement a final project of their own design.
Prerequisites: Comfort with computers, text editors, and the command line.
Class Meetings:
Online or On Campus
Thursdays, September 1-December 17, 5:50pm-7:50pm, Maxwell-Dworkin G115
Required sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: On-campus meetings are recorded. A live stream is available at the time the class meets. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day. See minimum technology requirements. Students who attend this course in person must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details. If you will not be coming to campus, documentation is not required.
CSCI E-7
Introduction to Computer Science with Python
Henry H. Leitner PhD, Senior Lecturer on Computer Science, Harvard University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 25531 | Section 1
Description
This course is an introduction to computer science for students without prior programming experience. We explore problem-solving methods and algorithm development using the high-level programming languages Python and Scratch. Python is a language with a simple syntax, and a powerful set of libraries. While it is easy for beginners to learn, it is widely used in many scientific areas for data exploration. We cover data types and control flow and introduce the analysis of program performance. The examples and problems used in this course are drawn from diverse areas such as text processing and simple graphics creation. We also examine theoretical and practical limitations related to unsolvable and intractable computational problems. Graduate-credit students implement a final project of their own design.
Class Meetings:
Online
Required sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: The recorded lectures are from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences companion course Computer Science 1. Registered students can ordinarily live stream the lectures or they can watch them on demand. The recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day. Class sessions for this course may include students enrolled in the FAS companion course. Accordingly, when you participate in live class sessions, you will do so alongside both Division of Continuing Education (DCE) and FAS students. If you participate in a way that causes you to appear in recordings of the class, those recordings may be shown to DCE students enrolled in this course or FAS students enrolled in the companion course, according to the policies of the two schools on accessing recordings of class sessions.
CSCI E-71
Agile Software Development
Richard Kasperowski ALB, Chief Technology Officer, Thrivelution
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16441 | Section 1
Description
This course is an immersive experience in agile software development. We study both the technical and cultural/social aspects of agile, including pair and mob programming, high performance teams with the core protocols, test-driven development (TDD), behavior-driven development, continuous delivery, refactoring, extreme programming, scrum, kanban, and agile project management.
Prerequisites: CSCI E-22 or the equivalent. Students must have a computer suitable for software development.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference with Required On-Campus Weekend
Mondays, August 29-December 17, 3:00pm-5:00pm
Saturday, Sunday, September 10-11, 9:00am-5:00pm, One Brattle Square 203
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time. Along with the web-conference meetings, this course also includes an intensive—and mandatory—weekend residency. Students must be present for the entire on-campus weekend session to earn credit for the course. The course begins via web conference during the first week of the term and continues to meet throughout the term. Please see the syllabus for the specific course meeting dates. Tuition does not include hotel accommodations, transportation, or meals for the on-campus weekend session. International students see important visa information. Because this course requires in-person attendance, students must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 30 students
CSCI E-72
Introduction to 3D Computer Graphics
Michael Shah MS, Assistant Teaching Professor, Khoury College of Computer Sciences, Northeastern University
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16452 | Section 1
Description
This course teaches the fundamentals of 3D computer graphics to learners who want to make games, 3D simulations, and have an interest in image processing. We use C++ and OpenGL to explore computer graphics programming and understand how to utilize the graphics processing unit (GPU). Additional guidance on using C++ and a refresher of linear algebra and its application in graphics is provided.
Prerequisites: Previous experience with trigonometry and exposure to linear algebra.
Class Meetings:
Online
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes:
CSCI E-79
The Art and Design of Information
Zona Kostic PhD
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 25487 | Section 1
Description
Complex data has been translated into many visual forms in order to facilitate understanding of its content. However, not every transformation turns out to be effective. To compose a visual message and improve information communication, design practice is needed. This course introduces the strategies of visual thinking as an efficient method to convey complex data. It covers the fundamentals of visual communication and applies graphics design principles in the context of diverse media. Information design overlaps with other areas such as graphic design, communication design, data visualization, human-computer interaction design, and instructional design. The course combines the best practices from these intersections while focusing on effectiveness and visual clarity.
Prerequisites: Familiarity with Adobe Illustrator and experience working with Java Script.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Wednesdays, January 25-May 13, 11:00am-1:00pm
Required sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 40 students
CSCI E-8
Web GIS: Principles and Technologies
Pinde Fu PhD, Platform Engineering Team Lead and Senior Principal Software Developer, Esri
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 25121 | Section 1
Description
Web GIS, the combination of the web and geographic information systems (GIS), is a promising field. It has extended online maps and geospatial intelligence to the offices of millions and the hands of billions. This course aims to provide students with the principles and essential knowledge needed for managing web GIS projects, teach students the latest geospatial cloud technologies needed for building modern web GIS applications, and inspire students with real-world case studies. Technologies taught in this course include cloud GIS (ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Enterprise), browser-based web applications (ArcGIS Instant applications, StoryMaps, Experience Builder, and Dashboards), mobile GIS applications (Survey123 and Field Maps), 3D web scenes, imagery services, spatial temporal data, and spatial data science. Virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), big data analysis, and deep learning are also discussed in the context of web GIS. Access to Harvard ArcGIS Online and other ArcGIS software is provided.
Prerequisites: Basic experience with online maps or mobile maps.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Thursdays, January 26-May 13, 6:30pm-8:30pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 50 students
CSCI E-80
Introduction to Artificial Intelligence with Python
Brian Paul Yu EdM, Software Engineer, Automattic
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16393 | Section 1
Description
This course explores the concepts and algorithms at the foundation of modern artificial intelligence, diving into the ideas that give rise to technologies like game-playing engines, handwriting recognition, and machine translation. Through hands-on projects, students gain exposure to the theory behind graph search algorithms, classification, optimization, reinforcement learning, and other topics in artificial intelligence and machine learning as they incorporate them into their own Python programs. By course’s end, students emerge with experience in libraries for machine learning as well as knowledge of artificial intelligence principles that enable them to design intelligent systems of their own.
Prerequisites: CSCI E-50, CS50x, or at least one year of experience with Python.
Class Meetings:
Online
Required sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes:
CSCI E-80
Introduction to Artificial Intelligence with Python
Brian Paul Yu EdM, Software Engineer, Automattic
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 25793 | Section 1
Description
This course explores the concepts and algorithms at the foundation of modern artificial intelligence, diving into the ideas that give rise to technologies like game-playing engines, handwriting recognition, and machine translation. Through hands-on projects, students gain exposure to the theory behind graph search algorithms, classification, optimization, reinforcement learning, and other topics in artificial intelligence and machine learning as they incorporate them into their own Python programs. By course’s end, students emerge with experience in libraries for machine learning as well as knowledge of artificial intelligence principles that enable them to design intelligent systems of their own.
Prerequisites: CSCI E-50, CS50x, or at least one year of experience with Python.
Class Meetings:
Online
Required sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes:
CSCI E-80a
Introduction to Artificial Intelligence
Brian Subirana PhD, Director, Auto-ID Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16439 | Section 1
Description
This course introduces artificial intelligence (AI) programming tools inspired by our understanding of the human brain. The course includes four programming assignments in Python covering the four units of the brain as proposed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Center for Brain, Minds and Machines (CBMM): sensor stream, brain operating system, cognitive core, and symbolic compositional models. Collectively the four assignments introduce a set of tools and computer science concepts, with a focus on deep learning, spanning a basic skill set to program complete models able to perform AI tasks. Part of the assignments include comparing the deep learning tools implemented with other AI tools not based on neural networks. The focus of the assignments is to build models reproducing as closely as possible the complex cognitive tasks humans do naturally. Human intelligence can be characterized in a variety of ways and as part of the course, we review how various computer engineering applications may benefit from these different advances in modeling human intelligence. We discuss various integrative approaches aiming at combining experimental techniques in neuroscience and cognitive science, with computational modeling in order to elucidate the architecture of intelligence. The course provides background to understand some of the current limitations in our progress towards a general artificial intelligence machine.
Prerequisites: Some basic computer skills to install and program with Python, for example CSCI E-7.
Class Meetings:
Online
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes:
CSCI E-82
Advanced Machine Learning, Data Mining, and Artificial Intelligence
Peter Vaughan Henstock PhD, Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence Lead, Pfizer, Inc.
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 15407 | Section 1
Description
The course is intended to combine the theory with the hands-on practice of solving modern industry problems with an emphasis on image processing and natural language processing. Topics include outlier detection, advanced clustering techniques, deep learning, dimensionality reduction methods, frequent item set mining, and recommender systems. Topics also considered include reinforcement learning, graph-based models, search optimization, and time series analysis. The course uses Python as the primary language, although later projects can include R and other languages. The course also introduces some industry standard tools to prepare students for artificial intelligence jobs.
Prerequisites: This course builds upon topics covered in CSCI E-63c and CSCI E-109a and CSCI E-109b with either CSCI E-63c or CSCI E-109a as a prerequisite. Students should be proficient in Python including Pandas and readily able to load, parse, and manipulate data. A course such as CSCI E-7 or a course on Python and machine learning would be useful.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Wednesdays, August 31-December 17, 6:00pm-8:00pm
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 60 students
CSCI E-83
Fundamentals of Data Science
Stephen Elston PhD, Principal Consultant, Quantia Analytics LLC
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16768 | Section 1
Description
This course builds on CSCI E-101, giving students a solid foundation for advanced data science modeling, machine learning, and artificial intelligence (AI). The course focuses on the modern computational statistical modeling methods, providing the path to understand advanced data science. The course employs a combination of theory and hands-on experience using Python programming tools. The focus is on foundational computational statistical analysis and effective visualization methods. The hands-on component of the course uses the Python packages NumPy, Pandas, Seaborn, Statsmodels, and PyMC3, along with selected other open-source packages. Basic computational statistical inference employing three approaches, maximum likelihood, bootstrap resampling, and Bayesian are addressed. An overview is presented of the properties and behavior of the rich family of linear models, foundational to many machine learning and AI algorithms. The course reviews probability theory, with an emphasis on conditional probability as a foundation of modern computational statistical methods, machine learning, and AI. Additionally, Bayesian models, inference, and time series methods are explored. An independent project is required of all students registering for graduate credit.
Prerequisites: Some exposure to basic machine learning and data science methods, equivalent to CSCI E-101. Experience programming using the Python language, equivalent to CSCI E-7 or CSCI E-29. For people with limited Python programming experience, some experience programming, in any language, such as R, Matlab, or C++, is essential. Knowledge of linear algebra, including eigenvalue-eigenvector decomposition and a bit of differential and integral calculus is essential.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Thursdays, September 1-December 17, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Optional sections Mondays, 7-9 pm.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
CSCI E-87
Big Data and Machine Learning in Healthcare Applications
Oleg Pianykh PhD, Assistant Professor of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, and Director of Medical Analytics, Massachusetts General Hospital
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16459 | Section 1
Description
While large volumes of digital healthcare data have been captured for decades, we are only starting to mine them for information that can significantly advance healthcare delivery and quality. Built from many practical experiences, this course teaches students how to apply big data analytics and machine learning to the most challenging problems found in modern hospitals. We cover several important areas operational, clinical, and imaging using hands-on examples and real problems. Students not only learn how to build efficient data models, but also how to implement them in different healthcare environments, avoiding the most common pitfalls and achieving meaningful results.
Prerequisites: Basic understanding of statistics and machine learning. Programming in Python or Matlab is required for most homework assignments.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Thursdays, September 1-December 17, 5:10pm-7:10pm
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 30 students
CSCI E-88
Principles of Big Data Processing
Marina Yu Popova ALM, Engineer, TechTarget
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16804 | Section 1
Description
The goal of this course is to learn core principles of building highly distributed, highly available systems for processing large volumes of data with historical and near real-time querying capabilities. We cover the stages of data processing that are common to most real-world systems, including high-volume, high-speed data ingestion, historical and real-time metrics aggregation, techniques to address unique counts, data de-duplication and reprocessing, storage options, distributed data indexing, and search. We review approaches to solving common challenges of such systems and get hands-on experience implementing some of them. We look at trends and the evolution of data processing and analytics with special attention to the modern data stack and the resulting advances in data warehousing, data lakes, and data mesh solutions. The focus of this course is on understanding the challenges and core principles of big data processing, not on specific frameworks or technologies used for implementation. We review a few notable technologies for each area with a deeper dive into a few select ones. The course is structured as a progression of topics covering the full, end-to-end data processing pipeline typical in real-world scenarios.
Prerequisites: Students must be comfortable with intermediate programming in at least one language, preferably Java, Python, or Scala, including basic data structures, functions, and build and dependency management tools (Maven or Gradle for Java, virtualenv for Python). Familiarity with the basic multi-threading is helpful. Most of the examples in lectures are in Java and Python. Students should be familiar with basic usage, package/software installations, and administration and troubleshooting on Unix-like systems (Linux, any flavor, MacOS), cloud environments like Amazon web services (AWS) cloud and container frameworks like Docker. Their laptops should have 64-bit operating systems and have at least eight central processing units (CPU) and 8G random-access memory (RAM). Students should complete the self-assessment assignment, available on the syllabus, to determine if they are ready to take the course. Courses such as CSCI E-7, CSCI E-10a, CSCI E-88a, and CSCI E-90, or equivalents, are also recommended.
Class Meetings:
Online or On Campus
Tuesdays, August 30-December 17, 5:40pm-7:40pm, 1 Story Street 306
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: Students can attend in person on campus, participate live online at the time the class meets via web conference, or watch the recorded video asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day. Students who attend this course in person must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details. If you will not be coming to campus, documentation is not required.
CSCI E-88a
Introduction to Functional and Stream Programming for Big Data Systems
Marina Yu Popova ALM, Engineer, TechTarget
Edward S. Sumitra MS, Associate Director, Curriculum Associates
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26380 | Section 1
Description
This course is an introduction to the basic concepts of functional programming (FP) and its application to stream and distributed processing of large volumes of data in real time. In order to do this type of processing, highly scalable systems have to be designed and developed that are capable of performing data- and compute-intensive operations in a distributed manner over hundreds of physical servers. This course focuses on building the foundation of such systems, which are applications capable of processing data in a highly parallel fashion. In this course, students learn core functional programming concepts, understand how they are used as a foundation of parallel and distributed programming, learn about challenges and approaches to handling state in the aggregation and other stream operations and learn how they are used in high-level stream processing frameworks like Kafka, Akka streams, and Flink, as well as serverless architectures. At the conclusion of the course, we review how all the learned concepts are used in the real-world stream processing architectures of a few well-known companies. Students reinforce the learned concepts by completing hands-on assignments and practicing building simple stream processing pipelines (with and without high-level stream processing frameworks) using Java, Scala, and Python languages.
Prerequisites: Basic experience with any programming language, preferably Java or Scala. Basic Unix and Unix-like system experience (as a user). Basic container (Docker) experience is helpful but not required. Students should complete the self-assessment, which is not graded, to determine whether they are ready to take this course.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Wednesdays, January 25-May 13, 6:30pm-8:30pm
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
CSCI E-88c
Programming in Scala for Big Data Systems
Edward S. Sumitra MS, Associate Director, Curriculum Associates
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16769 | Section 1
Description
Scala is a strongly typed, versatile programming language that has emerged as one of the de-facto languages in big data systems. Scala supports multiple programming paradigms, including familiar object-oriented programming (OOP) and functional programming (FP) techniques. This hands-on course covers types and data structures, build tools, functional programming concepts with higher-order functions, pattern matching, concurrency, and parallel processing. Popular libraries in the Scala ecosystem are introduced and applied. Students learn unit testing libraries and reinforce techniques taught in lectures by completing weekly programming assignments. Students apply their knowledge to develop batch processing applications in Apache Spark and stream processing applications in Apache Flink in the latter part of the course.
Prerequisites: Familiarity with a programming language like Java, Python, Javascript, C#, or C++.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Thursdays, September 1-December 17, 6:00pm-8:00pm
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
CSCI E-89
Deep Learning
Zoran B. Djordjevic PhD, Senior Enterprise Architect
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16392 | Section 1
Description
The ability of computerized systems to acquire vast amounts of data and display them in informative ways raises our expectations for fast, accurate identification or recognition of events or objects and for predictions about future events. Machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) have fulfilled those needs to some degree. Over the last 10 years, a versatile architectural style of artificial neural networks called deep learning has emerged as the most promising answer to those expectations. Today, deep learning is the primary technique for analysis and resolution of many issues in data analyses and natural sciences, linguistics, and engineering. We use deep learning for image classification, manipulation and generation, speech recognition and synthesis, natural language translation, sound and music manipulation and generation, navigation of self-driving cars, and many other activities. In this course, students master several key architectures for implementation of deep learning networks, such as convolutional neural networks (CNNs), recurrent neural networks (RNNs), long short-term memory networks (LSTMs), autoencoders, generative adversarial networks (GANs), transformers with attention, and graph neural networks. We provide references to many practical applications where those architectures are successfully used. The course starts with a review of the theoretical foundations of the neural networks approach to machine learning including auto-differentiation and backpropagation. The emphasis of the course is on practical applications of deep learning using Keras (packages within TensorFlow 2.x framework) and PyTorch.
Prerequisites: Proficiency with Python. We assume no familiarity with Linux and introduce all essential Linux features and commands. Students need access to a computer with a 64-bit operating system and at least 8 GB of RAM. Having a machine with NVIDIA card is a plus but not required. All complex examples given as assignments could be run on Google Collaboratory.
Class Meetings:
Online or On Campus
Fridays, September 2-December 17, 5:50pm-7:50pm, Science Center B-10
Optional sections Saturdays at noon.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: On-campus meetings are recorded. A live stream is available at the time the class meets. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day. See minimum technology requirements. Students who attend this course in person must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details. If you will not be coming to campus, documentation is not required.
CSCI E-89c
Deep Reinforcement Learning
Dmitry V. Kurochkin PhD, Senior Research Analyst, Faculty of Arts and Sciences Office for Faculty Affairs, Harvard University
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16817 | Section 1
Description
This course introduces deep reinforcement learning (RL), one of the most modern techniques of machine learning. Deep RL has attracted the attention of many researchers and developers in recent years due to its wide range of applications in a variety of fields such as robotics, robotic surgery, pattern recognition, diagnosis based on medical image, treatment strategies in clinical decision making, personalized medical treatment, drug discovery, speech recognition, computer vision, and natural language processing. Deep RL can be seen as the third area of machine learning, in addition to supervised and unsupervised algorithms, in which the learning of an agent occurs as a result of its own actions and interaction with the environment. Such learning processes do not need to be guided externally, but it has been difficult until recently to use RL ideas practically. This course focuses on foundations of deep RL and applications to problems that emerge in healthcare and social science applications.
Prerequisites: Introductory probability and statistics, multivariate calculus equivalent to MATH E-21a, and proficiency in Python programming equivalent to CSCI E-7. We formulate value (cost) functions and perform optimization. Students are expected to be comfortable taking derivatives. Basic knowledge of probability theory (in particular, conditional probability distributions and conditional expectations) is necessary. Understanding matrix vector operations and notation is helpful but not required. All coding exercises are performed in Python. Students are required to take a short pretest at the beginning of the course. The pretest score does not count toward the final grade but helps you understand whether your background in calculus, probability theory, as well as command of coding positions you for success in this course.
Class Meetings:
Online or On Campus
Tuesdays, August 30-December 17, 5:50pm-7:50pm, Emerson Hall 108
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: On-campus meetings are recorded. A live stream is available at the time the class meets. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day. See minimum technology requirements. Students who attend this course in person must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details. If you will not be coming to campus, documentation is not required.
CSCI E-8b
Mobile GIS
Pinde Fu PhD, Platform Engineering Team Lead and Senior Principal Software Developer, Esri
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16696 | Section 1
Description
We live in the post-PC era. We have far more smartphones, tablets, and wearable devices than desktops and laptops. With their advantages in mobility and location awareness, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of geographic information systems (GIS) solutions in sustainable development, health and human services, emergency management, and utilities. Consumer mobile GIS applications, such as Google Maps, Google Earth, Waze, and Zillow, have put the basic GIS capabilities in everyone’s hands. This course focuses on enterprise mobile GIS, which offers a much wider variety of capabilities. Students learn the foundational principles, in-depth knowledge, and state-of-the-art technologies to manage, design, and implement mobile GIS projects. This course teaches students how to design GIS data, layers, maps, and smart logics for online and offline spatial data visualization, data collection, assets and users tracking, and field operation coordination based on Esri’s mobile GIS products, including Survey123, Field Maps, QuickCapture, AuGeo, ArcGIS 360 VR, AuGeo, ArcGIS Earth, Indoors, and AppStudio. The course explores the popular types of applications and the frontiers in mobile GIS, including location-based services (LBS), volunteered geographic information (VGI), virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR). Access to Harvard ArcGIS Online and Mobile ArcGIS applications is provided.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Thursdays, September 1-December 17, 7:40pm-9:40pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 50 students
CSCI E-90
Cloud Services, Infrastructure, and Computing
Gregory Thomas Misicko ALM, Engineering Manager, NetApp Cloud Solutions
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 15865 | Section 1
Description
Off-premise/cloud services, infrastructure, and computing have replaced in-house data centers across businesses of every size. Businesses rely on cloud services because of their extremely high efficiency, ease of setup, and their ability to scale with demand. It is essential for today’s engineers to understand how robust architectures can be implemented on a cloud platform, and to understand in depth which services and tools are available for them to use. This course does not require any prior experience working with cloud services and does not require any programming skills.
Prerequisites: Ability to read and write simple code in either Java or Python is a plus.
Class Meetings:
Online or On Campus
Thursdays, September 1-December 17, 8:00pm-10:00pm, 1 Story Street 304
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: Students can attend in person on campus, participate live online at the time the class meets via web conference, or watch the recorded video asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day. Students who attend this course in person must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details. If you will not be coming to campus, documentation is not required.
CSCI E-92
Principles of Operating Systems
James L. Frankel PhD, Lecturer in Extension, Harvard University
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16808 | Section 1
Description
This course examines the role of operating systems: process synchronization and scheduling; memory management including virtual memory, swapping, paging, and segmentation; file management; protection and security; input/output techniques, buffering, and resource allocation; deadlock detection and avoidance; system modeling; performance measurement and evaluation; and operating system case studies. An extensive lab project is required of all students.
Prerequisites: Knowledge of data structures and programming experience, such as CSCI E-22 or the equivalent. An advanced algorithms course, such as CSCI E-124 or equivalent, is preferred but not required. Students must have sufficient experience to write large programming projects in the C programming language that utilize a wide variety of data structures.
Class Meetings:
Online or On Campus
Tuesdays, August 30-December 17, 8:00pm-10:15pm, 53 Church Street L01
Optional sections Tuesdays, 6:45-7:45 pm.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: Students can attend in person on campus, participate live online at the time the class meets via web conference, or watch the recorded video asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day. Students who attend this course in person must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details. If you will not be coming to campus, documentation is not required.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 40 students
CSCI E-93
Computer Architecture
James L. Frankel PhD, Lecturer in Extension, Harvard University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26397 | Section 1
Description
This course is a study of the fundamental concepts in the design and organization of modern computer systems. Topics include computer organization, instruction-set design, processor design, memory system design, timing issues, interrupts, microcoding, and various performance-enhancing parallel techniques such as prefetching, pipelining, branch prediction, superscalar execution, and massive-parallel processing. We also study existing architectures using CISC, RISC, vector, data parallel, and VLIW designs. An extensive lab project encompassing the design and implementation of a new instruction set and CPU using an FPGA is required of all students.
Prerequisites: Knowledge of data structures and programming experience (CSCI E-22, or the equivalent) with a Boolean/digital logic course preferred, but not required.
Class Meetings:
Online or On Campus
Tuesdays, January 24-May 13, 8:00pm-10:15pm, 53 Church Street L01
Required sections Tuesdays, 6:45-7:45 pm.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: Students can attend in person on campus, participate live online at the time the class meets via web conference, or watch the recorded video asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day. Students who attend this course in person must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates site for details. If you will not be coming to campus, documentation is not required.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 40 students
CSCI E-94
Fundamentals of Cloud Computing with Microsoft Azure
Joseph Ficara ASEE, Lead Architect, The Predictive Index
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 25152 | Section 1
Description
This course starts by introducing the student to the fundamentals of cloud computing and serverless computing. We contrast the challenges and benefits offered by cloud computing, serverless cloud computing, and traditional self-managed cloud and on-premises solutions. We cover the fundamental architecture and design patterns necessary to build highly available and scalable solutions using key Microsoft Azure platform as a service (PaaS) and serverless offerings. This course guides students in when to use one service over another based on performance, maintainability, complexity, and cost. Key services covered include Azure Front Door, Azure Application Services, Azure Application Configuration and KeyVault, Azure SQL, Azure application programming interface (API) management, Azure Functions, Azure Logic Applications, Azure active directory (AD) for authentication, Azure storage, Azure Service Bus, Azure Cosmos DB, Azure Cognitive Search, and macro and microservices. In addition to Azure services and guidance, the course covers how to implement processes to streamline development such as continuous integration, continuous deployment (CICD) and automated testing using Azure DevOps. Coverage would not be complete without examining the fundamentals necessary to make a system ready for users, including always-up architecture and deployment strategies, rollback strategies, A/B testing, testing in production, monitoring, alerting, performance tuning, snapshot debugging in production, and system health analysis using Application Insights and Azure Monitor.
Prerequisites: Basic C#, C++, or Java development skills. CSCI E-10a or the equivalent. This course involves a substantial amount of programming in C# and .NET Core.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Thursdays, January 26-May 13, 7:40pm-9:40pm
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 45 students
CSCI E-96
Data Mining for Business
Edward Kwartler MBA, Vice President, Trusted Artificial Intelligence, DataRobot
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 15736 | Section 1
Description
This course introduces non-mathematical business professionals to data science principles widely used in today’s corporations. Quantitative methods affect many of today’s interactions for business leaders, students, and consumers. Emphasis is placed on practical uses and case studies utilizing data to inform business decisions rather than theoretical or complex mathematics. Case study topics include understanding customer demand, marketing, new market forecasting, revenue projections, and data mining to improve decisions. Learning goals include quantitative business application, basic programming, algorithm development, and process workflow. The course highlights methods that business leaders and data scientists have found to be the most useful. It introduces the basic concepts of R for data mining. This course is for students who want an introduction to how data science improves business outcomes.
Prerequisites: Since this course utilizes R throughout the semester students should complete the 4-hour free online course Introduction to R at DataCamp.com found here: https://www.datacamp.com/courses/free-introduction-to-r.
Class Meetings:
Online or On Campus
Mondays, August 29-December 17, 8:00pm-10:00pm, 1 Story Street 304
Optional labs Fridays, time to be arranged. Labs will be recorded for students who are not able to attend live.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: Students can attend in person on campus, participate live online at the time the class meets via web conference, or watch the recorded video asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day. Students who attend this course in person must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details. If you will not be coming to campus, documentation is not required.
CSCI E-97
Software Design: Principles, Models, and Patterns
Eric Gieseke ALM, Principal Software Engineer, Algorand
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 15356 | Section 1
Description
This course approaches object-oriented software design from three perspectives: the software engineering principles that enable development of quality software, the modeling of software components using the Unified Modeling Language (UML), and the application of design patterns as a means of reusing design models that are accepted best practices. These patterns include both the original software patterns as well as more recent modularization patterns for software construction. There is at least one significant modeling exercise and a set of programming assignments that require the application of design principles and good programming technique. Students are expected to write a detailed description of the design for each of their programs, incorporating UML models as appropriate. Students implement their programs in the Java programming language. In addition, there is at least one significant assignment that requires designing and documenting a software subsystem without implementation.
Prerequisites: CSCI E-22, or the equivalent, and proficiency in Java.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, August 29-December 17, 5:10pm-7:10pm
Required sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 70 students
DEVP E-102
Proseminar: Critical Analysis of Global Development Systems
Joshua Ellsworth MS, Adjunct Lecturer, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16433 | Section 1
Description
Understanding the interrelated environmental, social, and economic dynamics within global development contexts and then identifying barriers to achieving positive change are formidable challenges. Practitioners and policymakers must be able to assess the limitations of their own perspectives, learn from those living and working directly with “wicked” problems, and evaluate information from a wide range of sources including randomized control trials (RCTs), field observations, and established and emerging participatory tools and methods. To catalyze positive impact at the project, program, or policy level, practitioners must grasp technical aspects of global development as well as the softer skills of leadership, listening, self-reflection, and how to balance competing demands from multiple stakeholders with differing levels of power. Global development practitioners need to develop both the mindset and the skill set to analyze complex sociopolitical contexts, work with diverse actors to identify specific problems and opportunities, create practicable solutions, and lead others to achieve objectives. Through lectures, in-class exercises, and team projects, this course focuses on developing, in an integrated manner, the analytic skills to assess qualitative and quantitative data, and the creative thinking and planning skills to identify and innovate solutions to tough challenges. It covers systems and problem analysis, theory of change mapping, participatory design, and tools for effective teamwork.
Prerequisites: A satisfactory score on the mandatory test of critical reading and writing skills or a B or higher grade in the alternate expository writing course. EXPO E-42b is strongly recommended. Experience manipulating data and algebraic equations on spreadsheets is helpful.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Wednesdays, August 31-December 17, 8:10pm-10:10pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 35 students
DEVP E-102
Proseminar: Critical Analysis of Global Development Systems
Joshua Ellsworth MS, Adjunct Lecturer, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 25998 | Section 1
Description
Understanding the interrelated environmental, social, and economic dynamics within global development contexts and then identifying barriers to achieving positive change are formidable challenges. Practitioners and policymakers must be able to assess the limitations of their own perspectives, learn from those living and working directly with “wicked” problems, and evaluate information from a wide range of sources including randomized control trials (RCTs), field observations, and established and emerging participatory tools and methods. To catalyze positive impact at the project, program, or policy level, practitioners must grasp technical aspects of global development as well as the softer skills of leadership, listening, self-reflection, and how to balance competing demands from multiple stakeholders with differing levels of power. Global development practitioners need to develop both the mindset and the skill set to analyze complex sociopolitical contexts, work with diverse actors to identify specific problems and opportunities, create practicable solutions, and lead others to achieve objectives. Through lectures, in-class exercises, and team projects, this course focuses on developing, in an integrated manner, the analytic skills to assess qualitative and quantitative data, and the creative thinking and planning skills to identify and innovate solutions to tough challenges. It covers systems and problem analysis, theory of change mapping, participatory design, and tools for effective teamwork.
Prerequisites: A satisfactory score on the mandatory test of critical reading and writing skills or a B or higher grade in the alternate expository writing course. EXPO E-42b is strongly recommended. Experience manipulating data and algebraic equations on spreadsheets is helpful.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Wednesdays, January 25-May 13, 8:10pm-10:10pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 35 students
DEVP E-110
Foundations of Sustainable Development
Patrick Walsh PhD, Full Professor of International Development Studies, School of Politics and International Relations, University College Dublin
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16389 | Section 1
Description
The broad goal of this course is to introduce students to the foundations of sustainable development including food and nutritional security, social service delivery, energy policy, water resource management, urbanization, infrastructure, human rights, biodiversity, adaptation to climate change, mitigating greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), sustainable business, ethics, governance, and education. Through a global classroom, lectures are attended virtually with academic, policy and practice partners of the Global Association from around the world. The course consists of weekly live global classroom broadcasts featuring international experts. The broadcasts are facilitated and recorded by Lehigh University and available for asynchronous viewing within 24 hours; however, live participation is encouraged. Topics presented in the global classroom broadcasts are discussed on during mandatory weekly online live web conference sessions.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, August 29-December 17, 5:10pm-7:10pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 75 students
DEVP E-120
Making Change Happen: Sustainable Development in Theory and in Practice
Alex Puutio PhD, Senior Expert, Office of the Assistant Secretary-General, United Nations
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16873 | Section 1
Description
This course covers the theoretical foundations of development in the twenty-first century and introduces students to the practical reality of development work, from project development to delivery in the field. During the course, students acquire a deep theoretical understanding of development and its principles and prerequisites. From there, students learn how to create, deliver, and measure the results of development projects with a particular focus on areas such as agriculture, education and training, governance, human rights, information and communication technology, safety and security, and humanitarian aid. Students assess and analyze the results of past development initiatives against a robust theoretical framework as well as political and organizational objectives. Real-life projects implemented by organizations such as the United Nations, the World Bank Group, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Department for International Development (DFID) are used as case studies and entry points for discussion. This course is divided into the following four broad thematic areas that guide the discussions and analysis in class: theory of development and principles and prerequisites; project design and planning; operational delivery and coordination; and impact measurement and sustaining results. Students prepare a case study of a real-life development project implemented by a global development organization and the results of the study are published in support of the global community of practice.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Thursdays, September 1-December 17, 5:10pm-7:10pm
Optional labs to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 75 students
DEVP E-150
Racial Equity and Economic Development
LaChaun Banks MBA, Director for Equity and Inclusion, Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, Harvard Kennedy School and Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26282 | Section 1
Description
This intensive January session course addresses the organizational, institutional, and public policy foundations of stratification and racial inequality in the United States, particularly racial equity as a key value, measure, and framework for preparing and implementing local economic development plans and policies. The course examines theory as well as the implementation of local policy initiatives for racial equity in US cities. Investigating a wide range of contemporary theory and practice in the field of urban economic development, students propose new recommendations and executive strategies for cities currently pursuing pro-growth agendas. The course focuses on the Harvard Bloomberg City Leadership Initiative’s Guide to Equitable Economic Development as a framework for discussion and the adoption of a city for further examination and recommendations. From redevelopment to entrepreneurship approaches, the course provides students with a working knowledge of local government approaches to more equitable economic development strategies; a critical point of view on the merits and limitations of these strategies; and formal opportunities to present new views to public and political actors in the field.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, January 3-21, 6:00pm-9:00pm
Term Start Date: January 03, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 45 students
DEVP E-599
Global Development Practice Capstone
Judith Irene Rodriguez MA, Senior Research Associate, Zofnass Program for Sustainable Infrastructure, Harvard Graduate School of Design
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 25972 | Section 1
Description
This course is a capstone designed for students earning a Master of Liberal Arts, global development practice. The course approach is learner-centered, whereby students create a development plan for a client by applying skills and knowledge gained from their graduate school experience. This course builds upon the student’s guided prework completed in DEVP E-598. The course deliverables include a detailed actionable and measurable plan, as well as a presentation to be given to the class and to client stakeholders. Appropriate clients may include communities, corporations, nongovernment organizations (NGOs), governmental agencies, schools, universities, and hospitals. Students work with a client with one or more stakeholders to develop and deliver a customized development plan focused on one or more of these areas: community development, human rights, labor practices, education, environmental sustainability, and fair operating practices. Listings of prior projects may be viewed at the Global Development Practice Capstone website.
Prerequisites: Registration is limited to officially admitted candidates in the Master of Liberal Arts, global development practice. Candidates must be in good academic standing, ready to graduate in May with only the capstone left to complete (no other course registration is allowed simultaneously with the capstone), and have successfully completed the precapstone course, DEVP E-598, in the previous fall term. Candidates who do not meet these requirements are dropped from the course.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference with Required On-Campus Weekend
Thursdays, January 26-May 13, 6:00pm-8:00pm
Saturday, February 4, 9:00am-5:00pm, One Brattle Square 204
Sunday, February 5, 9:00am-1:00pm, One Brattle Square 204
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time. Along with the web-conference meetings, this course also includes an intensive—and mandatory—weekend residency. Students must be present for the entire on-campus weekend session to earn credit for the course. The course begins via web conference during the first week of the term and continues to meet throughout the term. Please see the syllabus for the specific course meeting dates. Tuition does not include hotel accommodations, transportation, or meals for the on-campus weekend session. International students see important visa information.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 20 students
DGMD E-1
Digital Media: From Ideas to Designs and Prototypes
Bakhtiar Mikhak PhD, Co-Founder, Media Modifications, Ltd.
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16151 | Section 1
Description
This is a practical design course on perspectives, tools, and methods for going from an idea for a product or service powered by a mobile and/or web application to an interactive design prototype ready for handoff to a development team. We start with brainstorming and iteratively refining the core concept for your product or service, based on which we create the brand identity along with detailed personas and stories that capture why and for whom your product or service is developed. We then translate those personas and stories into storyboards that illustrate the application’s experiential flow in real-world contexts in terms of concrete visual and interaction design elements. The design and development of a component-based pattern library for creating interactive prototypes with live data is a central focus of this course. We introduce a varied, growing collection of third-party component libraries that can help give your prototypes a professional and polished quality. We create prototypes with a visual design tool that also allows creating and enhancing components with code for imagining and realizing even richer interactions and experience flows. The work in this course is based on significant use of a mix of the following tools and technologies: Notion, Milanote, and Framer (with Figma, Play, HTML, CSS, Javascript, React, Next.js, Github, and Visual Studio Code).
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference with Required On-Campus Weekend
Thursdays, September 1-December 17, 6:00pm-8:00pm
Friday, October 28, 5:30pm-8:30pm, Harvard Hall 202
Saturday, October 29, 9:00am-5:00pm, Harvard Hall 202
Sunday, October 30, 9:00am-1:00pm, Harvard Hall 202
Required sections and optional studio sessions to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time. Along with the web-conference meetings, this course also includes an intensive—and mandatory—weekend residency. Students must be present for the entire on-campus weekend session to earn credit for the course. The course begins via web conference during the first week of the term and continues to meet throughout the term. Please see the syllabus for the specific course meeting dates. Tuition does not include hotel accommodations, transportation, or meals for the on-campus weekend session. International students see important visa information. Because this course requires in-person attendance, students must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 40 students
DGMD E-10
Advanced Digital Photography
Gregory S. Marinovich MS, Master Lecturer, Journalism, Boston University
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16834 | Section 1
Description
This course explores storytelling through the genres of photojournalism, documentary, and art photography. We look at photographic books with the goals of expanding students’ approaches, techniques, and aesthetic possibilities for their semester-long projects. The course constantly refers to the software tools we use to ensure reliable workflow and archive management. It addresses advanced color management as well as the science of converting images from color to black and white. Through lectures, hands-on assignments, and critiques, students expand their understanding of digital photography while exploring their creativity to broaden the possibilities and improve the quality of their photographs. Documentary photography and long-form photojournalism predominate, but we also explore art. This is a bridging course between accidental art while doing documentary work and art for art’s sake. We look at various types of photography that are defined or self-defined as art. We dive into portraiture outside of the studio, shooting stories involving people and discussing how to get the picture when everyone does not want you to. This course explores conflict and documentary photography extensively, with an emphasis on narrative photography, but it does not preclude students from any genre of photography they wish to pursue. The goal of the course is for each student to produce a body of work or a photographic essay in electronic book form. The skill of editing one’s own work is a key learning goal.
Prerequisites: Students should have an intermediate to advanced knowledge of photography, or have completed DGMD E-9 or the equivalent. Students need access to a camera where they can control aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. Students need access to the internet and a computer with software like Adobe Lightroom to tone and edit images. Please note that Photoshop is not an editing tool, it is a retouching tool.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Thursdays, September 1-December 17, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 22 students
DGMD E-10
Advanced Digital Photography
Gregory S. Marinovich MS, Master Lecturer, Journalism, Boston University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 25615 | Section 1
Description
This course explores storytelling through the genres of photojournalism, documentary, and art photography. We look at photographic books with the goals of expanding students’ approaches, techniques, and aesthetic possibilities for their semester-long projects. The course constantly refers to the software tools we use to ensure reliable workflow and archive management. It addresses advanced color management as well as the science of converting images from color to black and white. Through lectures, hands-on assignments, and critiques, students expand their understanding of digital photography while exploring their creativity to broaden the possibilities and improve the quality of their photographs. Documentary photography and long-form photojournalism predominate, but we also explore art. This is a bridging course between accidental art while doing documentary work and art for art’s sake. We look at various types of photography that are defined or self-defined as art. We dive into portraiture outside of the studio, shooting stories involving people and discussing how to get the picture when everyone does not want you to. This course explores conflict and documentary photography extensively, with an emphasis on narrative photography, but it does not preclude students from any genre of photography they wish to pursue. The goal of the course is for each student to produce a body of work or a photographic essay in electronic book form. The skill of editing one’s own work is a key learning goal.
Prerequisites: Students should have an intermediate to advanced knowledge of photography, or have completed DGMD E-9 or the equivalent. Students need access to a camera where they can control aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. Students need access to the internet and a computer with software like Adobe Lightroom to tone and edit images. Please note that Photoshop is not an editing tool, it is a retouching tool.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Thursdays, January 26-May 13, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 22 students
DGMD E-11
Digital Media: From Prototypes to Products and Services
Bakhtiar Mikhak PhD, Co-Founder, Media Modifications, Ltd.
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 25712 | Section 1
Description
This is a practical software engineering course on creating a minimum viable product or service based on an interactive prototype for a mobile or web application designed in Framer (or Figma). We begin with a detailed review of the designs with particular attention to the underlying design system, and in particular, its component or pattern library. The first half of the course is dedicated to building a fully functioning demo of your application, where the the front-end user experience is powered by these components and the backend is implemented on a platform like 8base. We dedicated the second half of the course to either enriching your demo with novel features or preparing a version of your application for launch as a product or service. In the former case, the work on final deliverables may focus on iterative refinements to interaction and interface design or integration with third-party services for real-time interactivity and working with cloud storage and live data. In the latter case, the work would focus on deployment, security, and scaling. Your work in this course is based on significant use of a mix of these tools: Notion, Framer, HTML, CSS, Javascript, React, Next.js, Remix, Github, and Visual Studio Code.
Prerequisites: DGMD E-1 or equivalent with permission of the instructor.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference with Required On-Campus Weekend
Thursdays, January 26-May 13, 6:00pm-8:00pm
Friday, March 24, 5:30pm-8:30pm, One Brattle Square 202
Saturday, March 25, 9:00am-5:00pm, One Brattle Square 202
Sunday, March 26, 9:00am-1:00pm, One Brattle Square 202
Required sections and optional studio sessions to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time. Along with the web-conference meetings, this course also includes an intensive—and mandatory—weekend residency. Students must be present for the entire on-campus weekend session to earn credit for the course. The course begins via web conference during the first week of the term and continues to meet throughout the term. Please see the syllabus for the specific course meeting dates. Tuition does not include hotel accommodations, transportation, or meals for the on-campus weekend session. International students see important visa information. Because this course requires in-person attendance, students must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 20 students
DGMD E-14
Wearable Devices and Computer Vision
Nabib Ahmed AM, Software Engineer, Machine Learning Research, Meta
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16693 | Section 1
Description
This course explores the field of wearable devices and computer vision, and exposes students to hands-on practical exercises based on real-life situations and industry problems. Wearable technologies is currently a 50 billion dollar industry, with estimated annual growth of 10 percent year over year. It is experiencing explosive growth with exciting applications in many fields, from medicine to sports to fitness to entertainment, empowering people to interact, communicate, and experience the environment around them in new, innovative ways. Some prominent examples are smart watches, medical trackers, and augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) headsets. Underlying these advances in wearable devices is computer vision, which is an exciting field of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning enabling computers to derive information from images, videos, and other inputs. In this course we explore advances in wearable devices and utilize computer vision to tackle emerging problems (for example assistive devices, educational applications, and health monitoring). Students learn about sensors, signal processing, data analytics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, computational optical analysis, simultaneous localization and mapping, lighting and material estimation, and robust algorithms for modeling. Students may not take both DGMD E-13 and DGMD E-14 for degree or certificate credit.
Prerequisites: Basic experience with programming, technical and code documentation, and data (any language will do; some example languages are Python, R, Java, C or C++). Familiarity with algebra and geometry required. No background needed in machine learning, computer vision, or wearable devices.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Thursdays, September 1-December 17, 5:10pm-7:10pm
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
DGMD E-17
Robotics, Autonomous Vehicles, Drones, and Artificial Intelligence
Nabib Ahmed AM, Software Engineer, Machine Learning Research, Meta
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26008 | Section 1
Description
This course explores the field of robotics, autonomous vehicles, and drones, and exposes students to the core technologies and systems through practical exercises and simulation. These are fields with tremendous growth and opportunities in the next 10-50 years; billions of dollars are being invested and the market size is expected to grow 10-15 percent annually. The impact of these technologies can fundamentally revolutionize a multitude of industries and transform our society, from self-driving cars to same-day drone delivery, to robotic assistants and laborers. This course explores the theories, tools, and processes that enable these technologies and the challenges, limitations, and capabilities of modern robotics, autonomous vehicles, and drone technologies. Students learn about sensor technologies for automation, autonomy from a systems perspective, vision-based perception and techniques, modern machine learning and artificial intelligence algorithms, mathematical modeling and abstraction, and engineering design. The goal is to develop a fundamental toolkit to advance the next generation within the field.
Prerequisites: Basic experience with programming, technical and code documentation, and data (any language will do, some example languages are Python, R, Java, C and C++). Familiarity with algebra and geometry. No background needed in machine learning, robotics, autonomous vehicles, or drones needed.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Wednesdays, January 25-May 13, 5:10pm-7:10pm
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
DGMD E-2
Web Programming for Beginners with PHP
Susan Buck MPS, Web Programmer
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16121 | Section 1
Description
This course introduces students to the fundamentals of programming via the lens of web development using PHP. We start by learning about basic programming paradigms such as data types, variables, conditionals, loops, functions, classes, and more. Next, we apply these concepts to build simple web applications that involve form processing and basic database interaction. In addition to coding, students are also introduced to universal programming tools such as command line, Git version control, server management, and software testing. Emphasis is also placed on troubleshooting strategies and technical communication. While we primarily work with PHP, we address how the concepts we are working with apply to other web-capable programming languages. Additionally, we take a broad look at numerous tools and frameworks used on the web and learn about when and how each tool is most appropriate. By looking at the field as a whole, students leave this course with a big picture understanding of the many technologies used on the web, so that they can make informed decisions on what courses to take next and what tools to use in their next project.
Prerequisites: See https://hesweb.dev/e2/prereq.
Class Meetings:
Online
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes:
DGMD E-20
Modern and Mobile Front-End Web Design I
Rupa Misra EdD, Assistant Professor and User Experience Design Program Coordinator, Professional Science Master’s Program, Rutgers University
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 14283 | Section 1
Description
In this course, students learn HTML, cascading style sheets (CSS), and JavaScript, which are three fundamental web development technologies. Students learn hands-on and practical knowledge of how to create responsive design websites that would run on any modern browser and mobile device. The course explores advanced topics in CSS such as complex motion, games using HTML Canvas, JavaScript document object model (DOM), and JavaScript libraries such as jQuery and Bootstrap. Students use version control software such as GitHub.
Prerequisites: Basic computer knowledge.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, August 29-December 17, 7:40pm-9:40pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
DGMD E-20
Modern and Mobile Front-End Web Design I
Rupa Misra EdD, Assistant Professor and User Experience Design Program Coordinator, Professional Science Master’s Program, Rutgers University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26270 | Section 1
Description
In this course, students learn HTML, cascading style sheets (CSS), and JavaScript, which are three fundamental web development technologies. Students learn hands-on and practical knowledge of how to create responsive design websites that would run on any modern browser and mobile device. The course explores advanced topics in CSS such as complex motion, games using HTML Canvas, JavaScript document object model (DOM), and JavaScript libraries such as jQuery and Bootstrap. Students use version control software such as GitHub.
Prerequisites: Basic computer knowledge.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, January 23-May 13, 7:40pm-9:40pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
DGMD E-23
Planning Successful Websites and Applications
Lisa DiOrio MS, Owner and Lead Developer, Fembot Creative
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16308 | Section 1
Description
There are many options to build a website, from website builders to coding a site from scratch. Regardless of the option you choose to build the site, a solid planning process is crucial to produce an effective site. Questions such as what is significant about the product, for whom the product exists, and how should the product information be organized need to be addressed upfront. In this course, students learn to plan and design a website or web application, including choosing a target audience, defining site goals and reconciling these with user and business goals, establishing a brand and a tone of voice, and designing a page architecture. We also touch on many related topics including creating proposals, working with clients, marketing, understanding how users consume information, motivating user behavior, and design principles. The capstone for the course is a complete website specification including business goals, branding, and wireframes. This is not a coding course. It focuses on the other aspects of website and web application creation to set the stage for building sites that get results.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, August 29-December 17, 6:30pm-8:30pm
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 30 students
DGMD E-25
Developing Websites with WordPress
Lisa DiOrio MS, Owner and Lead Developer, Fembot Creative
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16681 | Section 1
Description
A content management system (CMS) facilitates rapid website development and allows for easy updates, often requiring minimal coding. Some of the key features of a CMS include separation of content from page formatting by utilizing a database, taxonomy to provide classification for posts and pages, themes to provide a foundational structure, plugins and modules which are building blocks that quickly add on functionality, and templates to define the structure of a related set of pages. In this hands-on course, we explore these concepts and more using the WordPress CMS to create engaging, mobile-friendly sites with compelling, meaningful content that meets the goals of a business or organization. The course is project-based; students build several sites over the term, culminating in a final project to build a complete website of their choosing.
Prerequisites: CSCI E-12 or permission of the instructor. Students should have a solid understanding of HTML and CSS fundamentals.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Thursdays, September 1-December 17, 7:40pm-9:40pm
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
DGMD E-26
WordPress Programming
Lisa DiOrio MS, Owner and Lead Developer, Fembot Creative
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26268 | Section 1
Description
This hands-on course helps students gain an understanding of how to utilize client-side and server-side web programming to create customized online solutions, rich user experiences, e-commerce, and mobile friendly websites. Programming concepts are practiced using the WordPress platform, a free, open source content management system (CMS). Students hone programming skills by customizing the WordPress backend. Course topics include programming in PHP, relational databases, SQL and MySQL, database programming, programming WordPress theme files, adding custom code to a WordPress site, the WordPress CODEX/function library, WordPress filters and hooks, plugin development, programming WordPress shortcodes, site migration, and site maintenance. Project assignments help students gain proficiency with individual concepts culminating in a comprehensive final project to create an interactive website.
Prerequisites: A working knowledge of web technologies, including HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Familiarity with programming concepts including conditionals, loops, functions, and arrays. Experience working with WordPress is helpful, but not required.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, January 23-May 13, 6:30pm-8:30pm
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
DGMD E-27
Modern and Mobile Front-End Web Design II
Rupa Misra EdD, Assistant Professor and User Experience Design Program Coordinator, Professional Science Master’s Program, Rutgers University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 24269 | Section 1
Description
In this course the students learn the technologies that will power the next generation of web and mobile applications. Using TypeScript syntax, students learn to develop programs using popular libraries and frameworks such as Angular and React.js. The course covers static type checking, class-based objects, modularity, and ES6 features. The students learn about the concept of blockchain technology and develop a sample blockchain application.
Prerequisites: DGMD E- 20, basic knowledge of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, or permission of the instructor.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Wednesdays, January 25-May 13, 11:00am-1:00pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
DGMD E-28
Developing Single-Page Web Applications
Lisa DiOrio MS, Owner and Lead Developer, Fembot Creative
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 25694 | Section 1
Description
In this course, students learn how to build interactive, single-page applications (SPAs) and interfaces for the web. An SPA is a special classification of a website or web application in which the user can navigate between different screens without loading a new web page. Instead, new content is accessed directly from the server using an application programming interface (API). This results in performance improvements and a more dynamic experience. Well constructed SPAs include a rich user interface to provide a seamless interactive user experience. Two well known examples of SPAs are Gmail and Twitter, which both provide dynamic page views without the need to reload the page. SPAs can be created with Javascript as well as various frameworks including as React, Angular, Node.js, and Vue.js. We explore the pros and cons of SPAs, as well as their effective design, and then explore several mechanisms involved in SPA development such as components, routing, and state management. This hands-on course includes many coding assignments to help students master the techniques used to build an SPA, culminating in a final project of building a complete single-page web application.
Prerequisites: JavaScript and/or a strong foundation in programming. Comfort with HTML/CSS (CSCI E-12 or equivalent). For the best chance of success in this course, students should understand the fundamentals of creating a website and have some coding experience.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Thursdays, January 26-May 13, 6:30pm-8:30pm
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
DGMD E-30
Introduction to Media Production
Nicholas J. Manley MFA, Co-Founder, The Ebiz Institute
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 14285 | Section 1
Description
Building skills from the ground up, we demystify the technology and techniques, giving students everything they need to make professional-level video content in their fields. Cinematography, audio recording, editing, production management, and lighting for documentary and narrative film are all covered in a project-based approach. Students learn how to light an interview like a pro, make the most of their equipment in the field, conduct interviews, break down scenes, storyboard, plan, and produce video projects. We screen and critique students’ work as it evolves and refine methods for strengthening stories by looking at successful movies that have cracked the code. This course is designed for anyone who wants a crash course in producing quality video on a shoestring budget and for storytellers who want to translate their ideas into compelling videos of any kind.
Prerequisites: Students may use most available video capture devices including video cameras, DSLR/mirrorless cameras, or smartphones (additional applications may be required). Specific approaches for each device are covered. Additionally, a tripod, audio recording device (or smartphone), and access to video editing software is required. In this course we use Adobe Premiere CC.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Wednesdays, August 31-December 17, 6:00pm-8:00pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 30 students
DGMD E-35
Video Editing and Digital Design
Allyson Sherlock MFA, Senior Affiliated Faculty in Visual and Media Arts, Emerson College
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 15362 | Section 1
Description
The ability of the film editor to shape a story is one of the most exciting and rewarding parts of the filmmaking process. This course serves as an introduction to the art of video post-production. We explore the theory and practice of various editing styles in order to gain a better understanding of how stories are most effectively constructed in the editing room. Through demonstrations and hands-on experience, students learn advanced editing techniques with an in-depth examination of Adobe Premiere. To further enhance projects, students create animated motion graphics using Adobe After Effects and learn how to enhance their audio recordings with Adobe Audition. Strong emphasis is placed on post-production techniques that improve the sound and image quality of the videos. Footage is provided for all exercises and projects, and students are given the option to shoot new material for their final projects if desired.
Prerequisites: General comfort with computers.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Tuesdays, August 30-December 17, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 29 students
DGMD E-35
Video Editing and Digital Design
Allyson Sherlock MFA, Senior Affiliated Faculty in Visual and Media Arts, Emerson College
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 24026 | Section 1
Description
The ability of the film editor to shape a story is one of the most exciting and rewarding parts of the filmmaking process. This course serves as an introduction to the art of video post-production. We explore the theory and practice of various editing styles in order to gain a better understanding of how stories are most effectively constructed in the editing room. Through demonstrations and hands-on experience, students learn advanced editing techniques with an in-depth examination of Adobe Premiere. To further enhance projects, students create animated motion graphics using Adobe After Effects and learn how to enhance their audio recordings with Adobe Audition. Strong emphasis is placed on post-production techniques that improve the sound and image quality of the videos. Footage is provided for all exercises and projects, and students are given the option to shoot new material for their final projects if desired.
Prerequisites: General comfort with computers.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Tuesdays, January 24-May 13, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 29 students
DGMD E-37
Introduction to Motion Graphics and Story Visualization
Jason Wiser MFA, Creative Director, Yaya Play Games
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16169 | Section 1
Description
How do we share a concept before the real counterpart has been created? How do we visualize a new piece of software, a business model, or a story dynamically? Motion graphics allows us to design enormously engaging visual experiences to communicate complex ideas. This course explores principles of visual narrative development toward an understanding of well-edited stories and effects.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Wednesdays, August 31-December 17, 8:10pm-10:10pm
Optional sections Wednesdays, 7-8 pm.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 45 students
DGMD E-41
Universal Design in the Digital Landscape
Christina Inge MS, Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Thoughtlight
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16420 | Section 1
Description
Designing future-proof digital media means designing for all users. With 80 million Americans living with a temporary or permanent disability, technologies must be designed for users with different visual, auditory, and other requirements. In this course, we learn the foundations of universal design for digital media.
Prerequisites: Prior experience in graphic design, web design, and/or web development.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, August 29-December 17, 3:00pm-5:00pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 45 students
DGMD E-42
Making the Short Film: Innovations and Practices for the Digital Age
Allyson Sherlock MFA, Senior Affiliated Faculty in Visual and Media Arts, Emerson College
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 14730 | Section 1
Description
Short films are an exciting and ever-evolving form of storytelling. This course explores the strong tradition short films have in our culture, as well as the new and innovative techniques filmmakers are currently using to tell and distribute their stories. In this course, students devote the entire semester to the creation and completion of one short film narrative, documentary, or animation with the intent of festival submission and/or online release. Students work in a collaborative atmosphere with classmates and the instructor to refine scripts and treatments, plan productions, and create the final film. Students may work individually or partner in a collaborative team. Either way, the course serves as a support system for each student, offering advice, critiques, and resources so that each member is an integral part of a fully realized short. In addition to supporting traditional filmmaking approaches, innovative storytelling techniques are strongly welcomed and supported. These can include interactive online documentaries, hybrid approaches (blending fiction and nonfiction), webisode pilots, and experimental techniques. Additionally, the course demystifies the online distribution process and the film festival circuit, exploring the many avenues filmmakers can take to get their work shown to a wider audience.
Prerequisites: Experience with video editing and production strongly encouraged but not required.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, August 29-December 17, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 22 students
DGMD E-45
Introduction to 3D Animation and Virtual Reality
Jason Wiser MFA, Creative Director, Yaya Play Games
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 25799 | Section 1
Description
This course introduces students to the fundamentals of 3D modeling, surfacing, and animation. Students learn to model and texture objects, compose and light scenes, animate, and render as movies, learning techniques applicable to work in video games and augmented reality (AR), architectural and medical visualization, and television and feature films.
Prerequisites: Online students must have the following software, hardware, operating systems, and peripherals. For software: Autodesk Maya, Unity, Adobe Photoshop, and After Effects (see syllabus for details). For hardware: 4 GB of RAM (8-16GB recommended), 64-bit Intel or AMD multi-core processor, a webcam, a microphone (headset recommended), and 15 GB of free hard-drive space for installing programs. For operating systems, one of the following: Apple Mac OS X 10.8.5 or higher Microsoft Windows 7 (SP1) or higher. For peripherals: a three-button mouse (a two-button mouse will not work with Maya). A digital drawing tablet and pen, such as a Wacom Intuos, is recommended.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Wednesdays, January 25-May 13, 8:10pm-10:10pm
Optional sections Wednesdays, 7-8 pm.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 35 students
DGMD E-5
Exploring Digital Media
Daniel P. Coffey ALM, Senior Product Manager, Dolby Laboratories
Ian C. Sexton MA, Senior Technologist in Production, Harvard Division of Continuing Education
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 24583 | Section 1
Description
This is a practical, introductory course that gives a fast-paced overview of a broad range of topics related to contemporary media. The course aims to equip students with an understanding of the basics of exposure and composition which are vital for the closely related fields of digital photography and digital cinematography. Topics also include fundamental lighting techniques, video technology, video production processes with practical exercises in each stage of the workflow, audio production, and more. Beyond traditional digital media, the course also addresses the fundamentals of computer-based digital media design through software (via web development). Given the power of modern personal computers, all course topics apply to both professional production environments and personal media projects alike. By the end of the course, students can expect to understand common production workflows for a wide array of digital media including digital photography, video production, audio recording, and web design.
Class Meetings:
Online
Required sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: The recorded lectures are from the 2019 course.
DGMD E-50
Introduction to Visual Communication Design
Athir Mahmud PhD, Consultant
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 15157 | Section 1
Description
This course introduces students to a theory-driven, hands-on approach to visual communication design. Students learn about vector and raster graphics, designing for target audiences and accessibility, and editing photographs using some of the most commonly used photo editing software in the visual design industry. Topics include elements and principles of design, color theory, visual perception, typography, symbolism, brand identity, logos, and information design. Connections to current and historical contexts of visual communication and the graphic arts are interwoven throughout the course. Students share design work and take part in design critiques and written discussions, as both designers and peers.
Class Meetings:
Online with required weekend meeting
Saturday, October 15, 9:00am-5:00pm, 53 Church Street 202
Sunday, October 16, 9:00am-1:00pm, 53 Church Street 202
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course includes an intensive—and mandatory—weekend residency and online videocasts. Students must be present for the entire on-campus weekend session to earn credit for the course. The course begins during the first week of the term, and continues to meet throughout the term. Please see the course website or syllabus for the specific information about the online lectures. Tuition does not include hotel accommodations, transportation, or meals for the on-campus weekend session. See Visiting Campus and Finding Housing for information about visiting Cambridge. International Students see important visa information. Because this course requires in-person attendance, students must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 30 students
DGMD E-50
Introduction to Visual Communication Design
Athir Mahmud PhD, Consultant
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 24839 | Section 1
Description
This course introduces students to a theory-driven, hands-on approach to visual communication design. Students learn about vector and raster graphics, designing for target audiences and accessibility, and editing photographs using some of the most commonly used photo editing software in the visual design industry. Topics include elements and principles of design, color theory, visual perception, typography, symbolism, brand identity, logos, and information design. Connections to current and historical contexts of visual communication and the graphic arts are interwoven throughout the course. Students share design work and take part in design critiques and written discussions, as both designers and peers.
Class Meetings:
Online
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes:
Enrollment limit: Limited to 30 students
DGMD E-55
Designing Educational Media
Kerry Foley EdM, Director of Online Pedagogy and Course Design, Department of Teaching and Learning, Division of Continuing Education, Harvard University
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16405 | Section 1
Description
In a society saturated with media and technology, what makes a great learning tool stand out among the rest? This course explores the many types of informal and formal educational media being developed for children, K-12, higher education, adult learners, and workplace training, and examines the cognitive processes that drive the learning. Together we explore theoretical models for learning and teaching, fundamentals of user experience, and techniques for effective product development as they relate to the creation of educational media. Over the course of the semester, students evaluate existing educational media, participate in design challenges, and design a prototype for an educational media product of their own. No prior experience in educational technology is necessary for the course, but a willingness to explore new technologies is a must.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Tuesdays, August 30-December 17, 7:40pm-9:40pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 30 students
DGMD E-58
Design of Computational Media for Formal and Informal Learning
Bakhtiar Mikhak PhD, Co-Founder, Media Modifications, Ltd.
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26457 | Section 1
Description
Through hands-on activities and extended case studies, this intensive January session course explores the principles underlying the design of technologies for supporting critical and creative thinking in mathematics, science, and engineering education. Special projects provide participants with opportunities to design and implement new learning experiences with computational media. Teachers in particular develop concrete starting points for integrating technology in their own classroom practice in a hands-on way. Technologies introduced include Framer, Processing, D3.js, Wolfram, Cylon.js, and a variety of physical computing toolkits.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, January 3-21, 6:00pm-9:00pm
Term Start Date: January 03, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 45 students
DGMD E-599
Capstone Design Studio
Karina Lin-Murphy EdM, Manager of Faculty Development, Division of Continuing Education, Harvard University
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 15752 | Section 1
Description
This capstone course is designed for students whose research projects focus on instructional design with an optional focus on web development and front-end design. Students apply knowledge and skills obtained in the program to design a significant individual project in a collaborative environment. At the end of the semester, they make a formal oral presentation to their peers and visiting faculty and field professionals.
Prerequisites: Registration is limited to officially admitted candidates in the Master of Liberal Arts, digital media design. Candidates must be in good academic standing, ready to graduate in March with only the capstone left to complete (no other course registration is allowed simultaneously with the capstone), and have successfully completed the precapstone tutorial, DGMD S-598, in the previous Harvard Summer School term. Candidates who do not meet these requirements are dropped from the course.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Tuesdays, August 30-December 17, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 20 students
DGMD E-599
Capstone Design Studio
Bakhtiar Mikhak PhD, Co-Founder, Media Modifications, Ltd.
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 14731 | Section 2
Description
This capstone course is designed for students whose research projects focus on web development with a focus on front-end design. Students apply knowledge and skills obtained in the program to design a significant individual project in a collaborative environment. At the end of the semester, they make a formal oral presentation to their peers and visiting faculty.
Prerequisites: Registration is limited to officially admitted candidates in the Master of Liberal Arts, digital media design. Candidates must be in good academic standing, ready to graduate in March with only the capstone left to complete (no other course registration is allowed simultaneously with the capstone), and have successfully completed the precapstone tutorial, DGMD S-598, in the previous Harvard Summer School term. Candidates who do not meet these requirements are dropped from the course.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Wednesdays, August 31-December 17, 6:00pm-8:00pm
Required sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 20 students
DGMD E-599
Capstone Design Studio
Allyson Sherlock MFA, Senior Affiliated Faculty in Visual and Media Arts, Emerson College
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 24247 | Section 1
Description
This capstone course is designed for students whose research projects focus on video production and web development with a focus on front-end design. Students apply knowledge and skills obtained in the program to design a significant individual project in a collaborative environment. At the end of the semester, they make a formal oral presentation to their peers and visiting faculty.
Prerequisites: Registration is limited to officially admitted candidates in the Master of Liberal Arts, digital media design. Candidates must be in good academic standing, ready to graduate in May with only the capstone left to complete (no other course registration is allowed simultaneously with the capstone), and have successfully completed the precapstone tutorial, DGMD E-598, in the previous fall term. Candidates who do not meet these requirements are dropped from the course.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, January 23-May 13, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 20 students
DGMD E-599
Capstone Design Studio
Karina Lin-Murphy EdM, Manager of Faculty Development, Division of Continuing Education, Harvard University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 25332 | Section 2
Description
This capstone course is designed for students whose research projects focus on instructional design with an optional focus on web development and front-end design. Students apply knowledge and skills obtained in the program to design a significant individual project in a collaborative environment. At the end of the semester, they make a formal oral presentation to their peers and visiting faculty and field professionals.
Prerequisites: Registration is limited to officially admitted candidates in the Master of Liberal Arts, digital media design. Candidates must be in good academic standing, ready to graduate in May with only the capstone left to complete (no other course registration is allowed simultaneously with the capstone), and have successfully completed the precapstone tutorial, DGMD E-598, in the previous fall term. Candidates who do not meet these requirements are dropped from the course.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Tuesdays, January 24-May 13, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 20 students
DGMD E-60
Designing Online Courses
Karina Lin-Murphy EdM, Manager of Faculty Development, Division of Continuing Education, Harvard University
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16625 | Section 1
Description
In this course, students explore the fundamental elements of online course design and how to be practitioners of pedagogy and instructional design in a world where online learning is constantly changing. Students examine and establish the qualities of a good online course through the lenses of foundational learning theories, design-thinking principles, and the practical realities of course design. Over the course of the semester, students create and workshop an online learning project of their choice. Course topics include working with subject matter experts, creating student connection, translating face-to-face learning experiences, course organization, evaluating online learning tools, designing assessments, and measuring course success. Students may not take both DGMD E-60 and EDUC E-113 for degree or certificate credit.
Prerequisites: DGMD E-55, EDUC E-103, EDUC E-115, or the equivalent.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Wednesdays, August 31-December 17, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 30 students
DGMD E-70
Introduction to Game Design
Jason Wiser MFA, Creative Director, Yaya Play Games
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26274 | Section 1
Description
This course introduces students to the dynamic field of game design and development. Games are an enormously effective tool to motivate problem solving, inspire community interactions, and improve personal well-being. This course uses paper prototyping and game industry digital design tools to explore the creation of meaningful play experiences with the goal of understanding the game development process.
Prerequisites: An interest in digital art, programming, or digital sound is recommended, but no prior experience is required. Online students are expected to have access to a computer each week, capable of running Unity and the Adobe Suite. This course includes weekly team work on tabletop and digital game development.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Thursdays, January 26-May 13, 8:10pm-10:10pm
Required sections Thursdays, 7-8 pm.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 35 students
DGMD E-9
Fundamentals of Digital Photography
Leonie Marinovich BA, Documentary Photographer
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16307 | Section 1
Description
This course is aimed at students wishing to master the fundamentals of photography. It gives students the opportunity to learn photography using their digital camera (DSLR or mirrorless) and acquire the skills to use manual settings and use the different shooting modes available on their cameras. Topics covered in this course include the fundamentals of exposure, composition, lighting, editing techniques, color correction, delivery for print and digital media, metadata creation, and digital workflow management. We reference classical art that has heavily influenced photography in the way that images are composed and lighted. The course is helpful to students who wish to explore digital photography as a way to document their field work and other work in progress and enhance their visual literacy, enabling them to assess images and other visual media. Students are taught Lightroom to manage their digital archives and learn to use editing techniques to enhance their images. Coursework is structured along two main components: technical mastery and aesthetic development. During the semester students are first taught the technical skills which they then apply in practical exercises to consolidate those skills. Upon completion of this course, students are expected to have mastered their camera and their images should look more polished. Students have the option to create a learning portfolio to present their work.
Prerequisites: Students do not need to have previous experience as a photographer, but learning the craft also requires a commitment to mastering other associated technologies. Students need to have a digital camera (DSLR or mirrorless) with the ability to manually control aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. A compact camera or a smartphone will not be adequate. A tripod suitable for the weight of your camera is required. Students need a computer with Lightroom Classic CC installed. Photoshop is not required. Along with a computer, students need an external hard drive and memory card for their camera.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Tuesdays, August 30-December 17, 6:00pm-8:00pm
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 40 students
DGMD E-9
Fundamentals of Digital Photography
Leonie Marinovich BA, Documentary Photographer
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26416 | Section 1
Description
This course is aimed at students wishing to master the fundamentals of photography. It gives students the opportunity to learn photography using their digital camera (DSLR or mirrorless) and acquire the skills to use manual settings and use the different shooting modes available on their cameras. Topics covered in this course include the fundamentals of exposure, composition, lighting, editing techniques, color correction, delivery for print and digital media, metadata creation, and digital workflow management. We reference classical art that has heavily influenced photography in the way that images are composed and lighted. The course is helpful to students who wish to explore digital photography as a way to document their field work and other work in progress and enhance their visual literacy, enabling them to assess images and other visual media. Students are taught Lightroom to manage their digital archives and learn to use editing techniques to enhance their images. Coursework is structured along two main components: technical mastery and aesthetic development. During the semester students are first taught the technical skills which they then apply in practical exercises to consolidate those skills. Upon completion of this course, students are expected to have mastered their camera and their images should look more polished. Students have the option to create a learning portfolio to present their work.
Prerequisites: Students do not need to have previous experience as a photographer, but learning the craft also requires a commitment to mastering other associated technologies. Students need to have a digital camera (DSLR or mirrorless) with the ability to manually control aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. A compact camera or a smartphone will not be adequate. A tripod suitable for the weight of your camera is required. Students need a computer with Lightroom Classic CC installed. Photoshop is not required. Along with a computer, students need an external hard drive and memory card for their camera.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Tuesdays, January 24-May 13, 8:10pm-10:10pm
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 40 students
DRAM E-10
Introduction to Acting
Remo Airaldi AB, Lecturer on Theater, Dance, and Media, Harvard University
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 12954 | Section 1
Description
Through individual and group exercises, monologues, improvisations, and scene studies, this workshop eclectic in method helps students develop their acting potential and sharpen their performing skills. Students are expected to write two performance journals after attending professional theatrical performances. Previous theater study is not required.
Class Meetings:
On campus only
Mondays, August 29-December 17, 7:40pm-9:40pm, Parish House, 3 Church Street BARN
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: Because this course requires in-person attendance, students must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 20 students
DRAM E-10
Introduction to Acting
Remo Airaldi AB, Lecturer on Theater, Dance, and Media, Harvard University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26372 | Section 1
Description
Through individual and group exercises, monologues, improvisations, and scene studies, this intensive January session workshop eclectic in method helps students develop their acting potential and sharpen their performing skills. Previous theater study is not required.
Class Meetings:
On campus only
Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, January 3-21, 6:00pm-9:00pm, Parish House, 3 Church Street BARN
Term Start Date: January 03, 2023
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: Because this course requires in-person attendance, students must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details. International students see important visa information.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 20 students
DRAM E-10
Introduction to Acting
Karen MacDonald BFA, Lecturer on Theater, Dance, and Media, Harvard University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 20544 | Section 2
Description
Through individual and group exercises, monologues, improvisations, and scene studies, this course is eclectic in method. It helps students to develop their acting potential and performing skills. Students are asked to attend three live performances and write reflection papers on what they saw. No previous theater study is required.
Class Meetings:
On campus only
Mondays, January 23-May 13, 5:30pm-7:30pm, Parish House, 3 Church Street BARN
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: Because this course requires in-person attendance, students must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 20 students
DRAM E-12
Acting Shakespeare
Remo Airaldi AB, Lecturer on Theater, Dance, and Media, Harvard University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 24418 | Section 1
Description
This course is an intensive study of Shakespeare’s dramatic works from the point of view of the actor. It is important to remember that Shakespeare’s verse dramas were written to be performed and that only when they are approached this way as playable, theatrical texts do they have their maximum impact. Through text analysis, scene study, vocal work, and acting exercises we attempt to find, not only the meaning, but the music and theatrical power of Shakespeare’s words. We spend a great deal of class time discussing blank verse and the different techniques for speaking it out loud and work to develop the end-of-line breath support needed to perform this language. We also study such topics as scansion, phrasing, word emphasis, antithesis, and imagery.
Class Meetings:
On campus only
Mondays, January 23-May 13, 7:40pm-9:40pm, Parish House, 3 Church Street BARN
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: Because this course requires in-person attendance, students must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 20 students
DRAM E-20
Advanced Acting
Marcus Stern MFA, Head of Directing and Lecturer on Theater, Dance and Media, Harvard University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 23479 | Section 1
Description
This is an acting course designed both for people who have no previous acting, performance, or arts experience, as well as for students who have had a fair amount of acting experience and are interested in honing their work in pursuit of a career in acting. The focus is on scene and monologue work and audition techniques. The texts for the scenes and monologues come from contemporary theater, television, and film scripts. Core components of the course include the idea of simply working from yourself, action-based acting (how one person is trying to change/affect another person in a scene), how to read a scene or monologue to figure out what your character might want from that situation, and how to choose material that best suits the individual actor for auditions and scene work. The course is designed around very tangible and concrete ideas and techniques so that those who might be intimidated by the idea of an acting course, or an arts course in general, feel comfortable. It is important to note that while the course is intentionally designed to be as un-intimidating and accessible as possible, it does require a good deal of work outside of class time.
Prerequisites: Audition. Registered students must bring a contemporary two-minute monologue to the first class. The instructor will determine who is in the class after the first day of audition monologues.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Tuesdays, January 24-May 13, 6:00pm-8:00pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 16 students
DRAM E-27
The Songs of Stephen Sondheim
Pamela J. Murray MusM, Part Time Faculty, Music Department, Boston College
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26236 | Section 1
Description
Few musical theater composers have been as prolific as Stephen Sondheim. Many people are familiar with the popular Into the Woods or the lavish Sunday in the Park with George, but Sondheim’s work includes a wider range of styles than many people realize and spans five decades. In this performance workshop each student studies and prepares a song from the repertoire of Sondheim, working on both vocal and dramatic aspects. Songs are chosen to represent the different eras and styles of his works, as well as tailored to the individual student’s skill level. Throughout the semester, we discuss Sondheim’s unique lyric writing and dig deep into the dramatic intention and character study beneath the text. We also compare his various musical styles.
Prerequisites: Some music experience helpful but not required.
Class Meetings:
On campus only
Thursdays, January 26-May 13, 7:40pm-9:40pm, Music Building PH9
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: Because this course requires in-person attendance, students must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 20 students
ECON E-1000
Essentials of Economics
Bruce D. Watson MA, Master Lecturer on Economics, Boston University and Lecturer in Extension, Harvard University
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16740 | Section 1
Description
This course provides an analytic and applied overview of both microeconomics and macroeconomics. In the microeconomic portion of the course, we examine exactly how prices are determined in competitive markets and what can distort that determination. Market structure is analyzed, including the fundamentals of firm pricing and production decisions. Using examples from various industries, we analyze what happens when market conditions change. Furthermore, we examine how these changes affect overall social welfare. Issues concerning trade are addressed, for example, when should countries, or even individuals, trade? Who gains or loses from trade? Turning to macroeconomics, we investigate the key economic statistics that you read about in the business press and other media, such as gross domestic product (GDP), the consumer price index (CPI), and the unemployment rate. For so many around the world, economic development is literally a matter of life and death. While economic growth is primarily a long-run phenomenon, short-run fluctuations in the economy cycles of expansion and recession are often the focus of short-run planning decisions by consumers, firms, and government. We examine in detail what causes these fluctuations and how government policies monetary and fiscal policy can dampen these cycles. An understanding of the Federal Reserve and monetary policy must be predicated on an understanding of the banking and financial system. Therefore, we delve into that in the course of our study of actions by the monetary authority. Recent events have also thrust fiscal policy to the fore. We talk in detail about how fiscal policy works and its implications for the economy in both the short and long term. Economics is not primarily a set of answers, but rather a method of reasoning. By the end of the course, students are able to use the framework they have learned to form their own judgments about the major economic problems faced by the United States and other countries. Indeed, after completing the course, students often find that they are better able to read and interpret the business press and other media and are better equipped to evaluate the economic policies promulgated by governments and other institutions. More importantly, however, the analytical skills students acquire in the course are instrumental in their continued success in the pursuit of a graduate degree or certificate. Students may not take both ECON E-10a and ECON E-1000 for degree or certificate credit.
Prerequisites: Exposure to graphing and elementary algebra.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Wednesdays, August 31-December 17, 8:10pm-10:10pm
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
ECON E-1000
Essentials of Economics
Bruce D. Watson MA, Master Lecturer on Economics, Boston University and Lecturer in Extension, Harvard University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26348 | Section 1
Description
This course provides an analytic and applied overview of both microeconomics and macroeconomics. In the microeconomic portion of the course, we examine exactly how prices are determined in competitive markets and what can distort that determination. Market structure is analyzed, including the fundamentals of firm pricing and production decisions. Using examples from various industries, we analyze what happens when market conditions change. Furthermore, we examine how these changes affect overall social welfare. Issues concerning trade are addressed, for example, when should countries, or even individuals, trade? Who gains or loses from trade? Turning to macroeconomics, we investigate the key economic statistics that you read about in the business press and other media, such as gross domestic product (GDP), the consumer price index (CPI), and the unemployment rate. For so many around the world, economic development is literally a matter of life and death. While economic growth is primarily a long-run phenomenon, short-run fluctuations in the economy cycles of expansion and recession are often the focus of short-run planning decisions by consumers, firms, and government. We examine in detail what causes these fluctuations and how government policies monetary and fiscal policy can dampen these cycles. An understanding of the Federal Reserve and monetary policy must be predicated on an understanding of the banking and financial system. Therefore, we delve into that in the course of our study of actions by the monetary authority. Recent events have also thrust fiscal policy to the fore. We talk in detail about how fiscal policy works and its implications for the economy in both the short and long term. Economics is not primarily a set of answers, but rather a method of reasoning. By the end of the course, students are able to use the framework they have learned to form their own judgments about the major economic problems faced by the United States and other countries. Indeed, after completing the course, students often find that they are better able to read and interpret the business press and other media and are better equipped to evaluate the economic policies promulgated by governments and other institutions. More importantly, however, the analytical skills students acquire in the course are instrumental in their continued success in the pursuit of a graduate degree or certificate. Students may not take both ECON E-10a and ECON E-1000 for degree or certificate credit.
Prerequisites: Exposure to graphing and elementary algebra.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Wednesdays, January 25-May 13, 8:10pm-10:10pm
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
ECON E-1005
Foundations of Real-World Economics
John Komlos PhD, Professor of Economics, Emeritus, University of Munich
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16840 | Section 1
Description
The course discusses complex economic processes in straightforward terms so that they can be understood without the use of mathematics and without prior knowledge of economics. The focus is on understanding the way the economy works in the real world in contrast to conventional economics, which relies excessively on assumptions, theorizing, and abstract models of the economy. We apply the concepts we learn to contemporary controversial topics such as minimum wage legislation, the function of unions, and why the free market overcharges for healthcare. We explore why Noble Prize winning economists such as Paul Krugman and Joe Stiglitz are so critical of the current economic situation for its dizzying inequality, its endemic underemployment, humongous trade and government deficits, stagnating wages, and lack of inclusive growth that is unable to provide a dignified life for so many millions of its citizens. Mainstream economists do not have the answers to the challenges of globalization and technological unemployment because they are unable to think creatively about new institutional structures that would enable us to transition to a full-employment, high quality-of-life economy in which the focus is not on production and consumption, but the achievement of a high quality of life. In contrast, this course weaves ideas from psychology, sociology, and political science into a common-sense economic perspective in order to explore these issues. We also discuss the achievements of Nobel Prize winning behavioral economists and discuss the impact of the financial crisis of 2008, the economic roots of the rise of populism, and ends by outlining the main impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, August 29-December 17, 11:00am-1:00pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 36 students
ECON E-1010
Microeconomic Theory
Dorian Klein MBA
Marion Laboure PhD, Analyst, Thematic Research, Deutsche Bank
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16651 | Section 1
Description
This course presents the basic analytical tools of microeconomics. We start by looking at the decision making of individual consumers and ask how these decisions can be optimized or improved. Next, we look at the ways firms make and coordinate their decisions under varying market structures, including perfect competition and monopoly. Then we look at strategic behavior in imperfectly competitive markets, making use of concepts from game theory such as Nash equilibrium. Finally, we take up topics including bargaining theory, information economics, environmental externalities, and public goods.
Prerequisites: A satisfactory score on the mandatory test of critical reading and writing skills or a B or higher grade in the alternate expository writing course. ECON E-10a, ECON E-1000, or the equivalent; MATH E-8, or the equivalent understanding of introductory college-level algebra.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Wednesdays, August 31-December 17, 3:00pm-5:00pm
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 45 students
ECON E-1010
Microeconomic Theory
Zinnia Mukherjee PhD, Associate Professor of Economics, Simmons University
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16157 | Section 2
Description
This course presents the basic analytical tools of microeconomics. We start by looking at the decision making of individual consumers and ask how these decisions can be optimized or improved. Next, we look at the ways firms make and coordinate their decisions under varying market structures, including perfect competition and monopoly. Then we look at strategic behavior in imperfectly competitive markets, making use of concepts from game theory such as Nash equilibrium. Finally, we take up topics including bargaining theory, information economics, environmental externalities, and public goods.
Prerequisites: A satisfactory score on the mandatory test of critical reading and writing skills or a B or higher grade in the alternate expository writing course. ECON E-10a, ECON E-1000, or the equivalent; MATH E-8, or the equivalent understanding of introductory college-level algebra.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Thursdays, September 1-December 17, 7:40pm-9:40pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 100 students
ECON E-1010
Microeconomic Theory
Bruce D. Watson MA, Master Lecturer on Economics, Boston University and Lecturer in Extension, Harvard University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 23285 | Section 1
Description
This course presents the basic analytical tools of microeconomics. We start by looking at the decision making of individual consumers and ask how these decisions can be optimized or improved. Next, we look at the ways firms make and coordinate their decisions under varying market structures, including perfect competition and monopoly. Then we look at strategic behavior in imperfectly competitive markets, making use of concepts from game theory such as Nash equilibrium. Finally, we take up topics including bargaining theory, information economics, environmental externalities, and public goods.
Prerequisites: A satisfactory score on the mandatory test of critical reading and writing skills or a B or higher grade in the alternate expository writing course. ECON E-10a, ECON E-1000, or the equivalent; MATH E-8, or the equivalent understanding of introductory college-level algebra.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, January 23-May 13, 8:10pm-10:10pm
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
ECON E-1017
Financing Community and Economic Development
James Carras MPA, Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 25617 | Section 1
Description
This course provides an understanding of financing mechanisms, tools, policies, and programs available to community and economic development professionals. The course focuses on access and availability of capital, both public and private, for businesses and real estate development projects that have an impact particularly on low opportunity communities. The course covers how capital markets operate and are structured; challenges for community economic development professionals to access those markets, business, and real estate financing fundamentals; public development finance tools including Opportunity Zone Funds, New Market Tax Credits and Community Development Financial Institutions; and capital access strategies such as Community Reinvestment Act research and advocacy. The course also addresses sustainable development and the role of development finance and impact investing. We explore the relationship between local community economic development, environmental sustainability, cultural vitality, and trends in the regional and national economies. Specifically, we focus on how to make community and economic investments that yield development outcomes that contribute to economic, environmental, and cultural vitality. This approach extends a triple bottom line approach that seeks to benefit profits, people, and the planet.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Tuesdays, January 24-May 13, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 55 students
ECON E-1035
Behavioral Economics and Decision Making
David S. McIntosh MBA, Founder, Creative Business Breakthroughs
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 15713 | Section 1
Description
In this course we study how people actually make decisions, what rationality lies behind seemingly irrational behavior, and how decision making can be influenced. Building on economic principles useful in understanding business and consumer decision making, we study forces that prevent efficient and rational outcomes from occurring, as well as tools for influencing decisions.
Prerequisites: Introductory economics (ECON E-10a, ECON E-1000, or equivalent) required.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference with Required On-Campus Weekend
Thursdays, September 1-December 17, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Friday, October 28, 5:30pm-8:30pm, Harvard Hall 201
Saturday, October 29, 9:00am-5:00pm, Harvard Hall 201
Sunday, October 30, 9:00am-1:00pm, Harvard Hall 201
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time. Along with the web-conference meetings, this course also includes an intensive—and mandatory—weekend residency. Students must be present for the entire on-campus weekend session to earn credit for the course. The course begins via web conference during the first week of the term and continues to meet throughout the term. Please see the syllabus for the specific course meeting dates. Tuition does not include hotel accommodations, transportation, or meals for the on-campus weekend session. International students see important visa information. Because this course requires in-person attendance, students must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 40 students
ECON E-1057
Game Theory and Social Behavior
Erez Yoeli PhD, Lecturer in Economics, Harvard University and Research Associate, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Management
Moshe Hoffman PhD, Visiting Lecturer on Economics, Harvard University
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16090 | Section 1
Description
Game theory is the formal toolkit for analyzing situations in which payoffs depend not only on your actions (say, which TV series you watch), but also that of others (whether your friends are watching the same show). You’ve probably already heard of some famous games, like the prisoner’s dilemma and the costly signaling game. This course teaches students to solve games like these, and more, using tools like Nash equilibrium, subgame perfection, Bayesian Nash equilibrium, and the one-shot deviation principle. Game theory has traditionally been applied to understand the behavior of highly deliberate agents, like heads of state, firms in an oligopoly, or participants in an auction. However, we apply game theory to social behavior typically considered the realm of psychologists and philosophers, such as why we speak indirectly, in what sense beauty is socially constructed, and where our moral intuitions come from.
Prerequisites: We make frequent use of probability theory (Bayes’s Rule, conditional probabilities), set theory notation, and proofs. Students without a background in these tools have historically found some of the later problem sets to be challenging. Not sure if this class is for you? Take our self-assessment, then see how your answers compare with ours. STAT E-100 and MATH E-10 recommended.
Class Meetings:
Online
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: The recorded lectures are from the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences course Economics 1057. Registered students can ordinarily live stream the lectures Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:00-10:15 am starting September 1 or they can watch them on demand. The recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day. Class sessions for this course may include students enrolled in the FAS companion course. Accordingly, when you participate in live class sessions, you will do so alongside both Division of Continuing Education (DCE) and FAS students. If you participate in a way that causes you to appear in recordings of the class, those recordings may be shown to DCE students enrolled in this course or FAS students enrolled in the companion course, according to the policies of the two schools on accessing recordings of class sessions.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 60 students
ECON E-10a
Principles of Economics
Rand Ghayad PhD, Economic Advisor
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16609 | Section 1
Description
The course deals with basic economic principles that help us understand the process of decision making by individuals and societies. We analyze the fundamental economic activities of production, distribution, exchange, and consumption at both the micro and macro level. Besides developing an understanding of the functioning of a free market system, we also critically examine the controversies that surround the use of public policies for the greater common good. Students may not take both ECON E-10a and ECON E-1000 for degree or certificate credit.
Prerequisites: A working knowledge of elementary algebra and geometry is required. Students registering in this course for graduate credit are also required to have some basic knowledge of calculus, preferably a college-level course in calculus.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Tuesdays, August 30-December 17, 6:30pm-8:30pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 35 students
ECON E-10a
Principles of Economics
Stacey Gelsheimer PhD, Lecturer on Economics, Boston University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 25979 | Section 1
Description
This course provides an introduction to current economic issues and to basic economic principles and methods. The economist John Maynard Keynes wrote that, “the ideas of economists and political philosophers, both when they are right and when they are wrong, are more powerful than is commonly understood.” Economics is not primarily a set of answers, but rather a method of reasoning. By the end of the semester, students are able to use the analysis practiced in the course to form their own judgments about many of the major economic problems faced by the United States and other countries. In the first part of the semester, we focus on microeconomics, which is the study of the interaction of people and firms in markets. Since we live in a market economy, this study helps students to understand how American society organizes its economic affairs. We examine how the forces of supply and demand operate in the markets for goods and services. Students learn powerful tools that enable them to understand a great deal about the economy and how it works. Using these tools, we develop a framework to evaluate social policies. Trade always a controversial subject is analyzed, along with measures, such as tariffs, designed to restrict trade. Theories concerning firm behavior are then examined how companies decide how much to produce, and the profits which result. During the second half of the semester, we focus on macroeconomics, the study of the economy as a whole. We study economic growth and development, business cycles, and the impact of both monetary and fiscal policy on inflation, unemployment, interest rates, investment, the exchange rate, and international trade. Students may not take both ECON E-10a and ECON E-1000 for degree or certificate credit.
Prerequisites: A working knowledge of elementary algebra and geometry is required.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Tuesdays, January 24-May 13, 3:00pm-5:00pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
ECON E-1500
The Economics of Financial Markets
Mark Tomass PhD, Independent Scholar
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 23271 | Section 1
Description
This intensive January session course studies the money market, the bond market, the foreign exchange market, the stock market, and the derivatives market. It provides the analytical skills necessary to understand forces that determine prices of financial and real assets. It also develops a system of tools to show how interest rates, prices of bonds, international capital flows, and exchange rates are simultaneously determined. Finally, it demonstrates how firms use financial derivatives, such as futures, options, and swaps to hedge against risk.
Prerequisites: ECON E-10a or the equivalent.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, January 3-21, 12:00pm-3:00pm
Term Start Date: January 03, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 40 students
ECON E-1533
Monetary Policy After the Financial Crisis
Dorian Klein MBA
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16828 | Section 1
Description
This course closely examines the path of public policy, whether fiscal stimulus plans or the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy, through the nuts and bolts of the actual operations and from the viewpoint of the capital markets. When the Fed or the European Central Bank announces a monthly $85 billion securities buying program, how exactly does this money flow through the markets? When the government bails out a major bank, how does this action affect the bank, its competitors, the markets, future perceptions, and the economy at large? How can central banks affect the economy in an environment of zero and even negative interest rates? Should regulation influence the behavior of firms or individuals? Using the 2008 financial crisis and policy responses thereto as a backdrop, we explore how (and whether) the new capital markets created over the past thirty years as a result of greatly increased financial innovation, globalization, and communication are distorting the economic effect of traditional government monetary and/or fiscal influence. The role of important constituents (commercial and investment banks, exchanges, regulators, hedge funds, and government interventions) are reviewed and evaluated for both past performance and future relevance. The course addresses important current topics in both economics and public policy, such as too big to fail, moral hazard, globalization of markets, currency unions, liquidity traps, efficiency of markets, the role of credit rating agencies, shadow banking, regulation of derivatives and hedge funds, Glass-Steagall, and the Volcker Rule. Following deliberations and analysis of the financial crisis of 2008-2009, we then examine the monetary and fiscal policy responses to the pandemic crisis of 2020-2022. Were these policy responses even more extreme? Did central banks overshoot? Were lessons learned from the financial crisis? Was it too much, leading to inflation and too much debt?
Prerequisites: ECON E-10a or ECON E-1000, and basic algebra.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference with Required On-Campus Weekend
Thursdays, September 1-December 17, 6:00pm-8:00pm
Saturday, December 3, 9:00am-5:00pm, One Brattle Square 205
Sunday, December 4, 9:00am-1:00pm, One Brattle Square 205
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time. Along with the web-conference meetings, this course also includes an intensive—and mandatory—weekend residency. Students must be present for the entire on-campus weekend session to earn credit for the course. The course begins via web conference during the first week of the term and continues to meet throughout the term. Please see the syllabus for the specific course meeting dates. Tuition does not include hotel accommodations, transportation, or meals for the on-campus weekend session. International students see important visa information. Because this course requires in-person attendance, students must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 50 students
ECON E-1615
Managerial Economics
Aleksandar Tomic PhD, Associate Dean for Strategy, Innovation, and Technology and Program Director of Master of Science in Applied Economics, Woods College of Advancing Studies, Boston College
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26198 | Section 1
Description
This course provides an overview of economic tools and analytic approaches available to the manager for business decision making. It includes such topics as pricing, forecasting, demand analysis, production and cost analysis, and macroeconomic policy as it affects the business environment. The purpose of this course is to develop an economic perspective that is appropriate for students aspiring to manage business units or entire companies in a wide variety of industries. Students may not take both ECON E-1600 and ECON E-1615 for degree or certificate credit.
Prerequisites: A satisfactory score on the mandatory test of critical reading and writing skills or a B or higher grade in the alternate expository writing course. ECON E-10a, ECON E-1000, or the equivalent.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Thursdays, January 26-May 13, 8:10pm-10:10pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 60 students
ECON E-1661
Environmental Economics: Perspectives on Climate Change
Ashley Nunes PhD, Fellow, Labor and Worklife Program, Harvard Law School
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26251 | Section 1
Description
The course is designed as a broad survey covering the most critical topics in environmental economics today. Economics, the science of how scarce resources are allocated, is at the core of many of our most challenging environmental issues, and therefore vitally important. In a world of increasing scarcity and competing demands, economic analysis can guide public policy to efficient utilization of resources. Market failures are the cause of many of our most serious environmental problems but can be remedied with economic tools. Getting prices to reflect true costs, providing productive incentive structures, and explicitly valuing environmental amenities are the primary goals.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, January 23-May 13, 2:00pm-4:00pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 30 students
ECON E-1700
Urban Development Policy
James Carras MPA, Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 15079 | Section 1
Description
This course reviews development policy making in urban areas, focusing on differing economic, demographic, institutional, and political settings. Course topics include a critical analysis of the continuing viability of cities in the context of current economic and demographic dynamics, fiscal stress, governance, economic development, poverty and race, drugs, homelessness, federal urban policy, and survival strategies for declining cities. The course considers economic development, social equity, and job growth in the context of metropolitan regions, and addresses federal, state, and local government strategies for expanding community economic development and affordable housing opportunities. Of special concern is the continuing spatial and racial isolation and concentration of low-income populations, especially minority populations, residing in urban communities including older, industrial cities. The course examines how market forces and pressures affect the availability of affordable housing, exacerbate the impacts of gentrification, and inhibit the availability of capital for affordable housing and economic development. It also examines how issues around growing housing affordability problems, the changing structure of capital markets, the reduction of low-skilled jobs in central city locations, and racial discrimination combine to limit housing and employment opportunities.
Prerequisites: Courses in sociology, political science, urban planning, architecture, public policy, and economics are helpful but not required.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Tuesdays, August 30-December 17, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 55 students
ECON E-1920
Capital Markets and Investments
Dorian Klein MBA
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16611 | Section 1
Description
Students are exposed to the framework of modern portfolio theory and investment analysis with which they can critically evaluate alternatives relating to investing in financial securities and construct portfolios with desired risk/return characteristics. The course examines capital markets and fundamental models used in securities analysis and portfolio management. Topics include financial instruments, the organization of securities markets and trading, modern portfolio theory, asset pricing models, market efficiency, behavioral finance and technical analysis, bond valuation and the management of bond portfolios, valuation of equities, active versus passive investing, the role of derivative securities in investing, and performance evaluation.
Prerequisites: MGMT E-2000 or the equivalent course or experience; a course or courses in quantitative methods such as basic statistics or college algebra.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference with Required On-Campus Weekend
Mondays, August 29-December 17, 6:30pm-8:30pm
Saturday, September 24, 9:00am-5:00pm, One Brattle Square 205
Sunday, September 25, 9:00am-1:00pm, One Brattle Square 205
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time. Along with the web-conference meetings, this course also includes an intensive—and mandatory—weekend residency. Students must be present for the entire on-campus weekend session to earn credit for the course. The course begins via web conference during the first week of the term and continues to meet throughout the term. Please see the syllabus for the specific course meeting dates. Tuition does not include hotel accommodations, transportation, or meals for the on-campus weekend session. International students see important visa information. Because this course requires in-person attendance, students must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 45 students
ECON E-1920
Capital Markets and Investments
Bruce D. Watson MA, Master Lecturer on Economics, Boston University and Lecturer in Extension, Harvard University
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 14510 | Section 2
Description
Students are exposed to the framework of modern portfolio theory and investment analysis with which they can critically evaluate alternatives relating to investing in financial securities and construct portfolios with desired risk/return characteristics. The course examines capital markets and fundamental models used in securities analysis and portfolio management. Topics include financial instruments, the organization of securities markets and trading, modern portfolio theory, asset pricing models, market efficiency, behavioral finance and technical analysis, bond valuation and the management of bond portfolios, valuation of equities, active versus passive investing, the role of derivative securities in investing, and performance evaluation.
Prerequisites: MGMT E-2000 or the equivalent course or experience; a course or courses in quantitative methods such as basic statistics or college algebra.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Tuesdays, August 30-December 17, 8:10pm-10:10pm
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day. Because this course requires in-person attendance, students must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details.
ECON E-1920
Capital Markets and Investments
Aleksandar Tomic PhD, Associate Dean for Strategy, Innovation, and Technology and Program Director of Master of Science in Applied Economics, Woods College of Advancing Studies, Boston College
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16764 | Section 3
Description
Students are exposed to the framework of modern portfolio theory and investment analysis with which they can critically evaluate alternatives relating to investing in financial securities and construct portfolios with desired risk/return characteristics. The course examines capital markets and fundamental models used in securities analysis and portfolio management. Topics include financial instruments, the organization of securities markets and trading, modern portfolio theory, asset pricing models, market efficiency, behavioral finance and technical analysis, bond valuation and the management of bond portfolios, valuation of equities, active versus passive investing, the role of derivative securities in investing, and performance evaluation.
Prerequisites: MGMT E-2000 or the equivalent course or experience; a course or courses in quantitative methods such as basic statistics or college algebra.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Wednesdays, August 31-December 17, 8:10pm-10:10pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time. Because this course requires in-person attendance, students must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 80 students
ECON E-1920
Capital Markets and Investments
Dorian Klein MBA
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 25654 | Section 1
Description
Students are exposed to the framework of modern portfolio theory and investment analysis with which they can critically evaluate alternatives relating to investing in financial securities and construct portfolios with desired risk/return characteristics. The course examines capital markets and fundamental models used in securities analysis and portfolio management. Topics include financial instruments, the organization of securities markets and trading, modern portfolio theory, asset pricing models, market efficiency, behavioral finance and technical analysis, bond valuation and the management of bond portfolios, valuation of equities, active versus passive investing, the role of derivative securities in investing, and performance evaluation.
Prerequisites: MGMT E-2000 or the equivalent course or experience; a course or courses in quantitative methods such as basic statistics or college algebra.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, January 23-May 13, 6:30pm-8:30pm
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time. Because this course requires in-person attendance, students must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 80 students
ECON E-1925
Emerging Markets: Investment Theories and Practice
Peter Marber PhD, Chief Investment Officer for Emerging Markets, Aperture Investors, and Adjunct Instructor, Finance, Johns Hopkins Carey Business School
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26465 | Section 1
Description
Globalization is no longer an academic theory; it is a reality that affects all of our lives. From the foods we eat to the goods we buy, the ubiquity of developing countries from Latin America, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and former Soviet Union those frequently referred to as emerging markets intensifies daily. Yet beyond the well-documented commercial and cultural impacts of globalization, there are strong but less visible trends toward greater global financial and investment integration. What makes emerging financial markets different from those in the US, Europe, or Japan? What are the benefits of adding these markets to a traditional investment portfolio? How do policies shape these markets? Why invest in certain countries versus others? Within a country, which asset class should we invest in? How do hedge funds approach these markets vs. traditional investors? How has COVID-19 pandemic altered the trajectories of developing and industrialized countries? From the practical perspective of a US institutional investor, this course is geared to help answer these questions. This course has an optional, concurrent on-campus active learning weekend, ECON E-1925w. In a noncredit format, you can extend your learning on the topic while engaging with peers and faculty on the Harvard University campus. If you successfully participate in the entire weekend, ECON E-1925 and ECON E-1925w fulfill four credits of on-campus course work for the Bachelor of Liberal Arts (ALB) or Master of Liberal Arts (ALM), management or finance degrees.
Prerequisites: Basic knowledge of finance and a modest competency with Microsoft Excel and/or a financial calculator. Prior course work or work experience in finance would also be useful.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Tuesdays, January 24-May 13, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time. For Harvard University TAP eligible employees, please note that the optional on-campus active learning weekend component is considered a separate course and will be counted as such for the purposes of TAP limits and fees.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 45 students
ECON E-1925w
Emerging Markets: Active Learning Weekend
Peter Marber PhD, Chief Investment Officer for Emerging Markets, Aperture Investors, and Adjunct Instructor, Finance, Johns Hopkins Carey Business School
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26500 | Section 1
Description
What makes investing in emerging markets countries from Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe different from investing in developed markets in the United States, West Europe, or Japan? What are the benefits of adding these markets to a traditional investment portfolio? How have these markets been shaped by COVID-19 and the recent Russian invasion of Ukraine? How do frontier markets fit into the mix? As a companion course to ECON E-1925, this active learning weekend helps explore emerging markets through a mix of guest speakers, case studies, and problem sets. Students strengthen their quantitative and qualitative skills to improve their investment acumen in these burgeoning markets. Over the weekend, the course dive deep into the practical aspects and limitations of trading and investing in the asset mix covered in ECON E-1925 as both an individual and institutional investor. Students examine investment indices and strategies that professional investors use to outperform them. We also investigate the rise of China and state capitalism, and how this trend may rival traditional market-based systems.
Prerequisites: Students must be concurrently enrolled in ECON E-1925 in order to enroll in this course.
Class Meetings:
Active Learning Weekend
Friday, March 31, 5:30pm-8:30pm, One Brattle Square 204
Saturday, April 1, 9:00am-5:00pm, One Brattle Square 204
Sunday, April 2, 9:00am-1:00pm, One Brattle Square 204
Term Start Date: March 31, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $750.
Credits: 0
Notes: Students must be present for the entire three-day weekend to earn residency credit for ECON E-1925. Tuition does not include hotel accommodations, transportation, or meals. See Visiting Campus and Finding Housing for information about visiting Cambridge. Because this course requires in-person attendance, students must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details. International students see important visa information. For Harvard University TAP eligible employees, please note that this optional on-campus active learning weekend component is considered a separate course and will be counted as such for the purposes of TAP limits and fees.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 45 students
ECON E-1944
History of Financial Crises 1637-2022
John Komlos PhD, Professor of Economics, Emeritus, University of Munich
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26443 | Section 1
Description
The goal of this course is to discuss the 385-year history of financial crisis culminating in the financial crisis of 2008. We ascertain recurring historical patterns of financial bubbles without, however, overlooking critical differences. If history repeats itself, why can’t we avoid making the same mistakes repeatedly? The great meltdown happened at a time when most mainstream macroeconomists (including none other than the former Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke) were writing about how great everything was going since business cycles had vanished for all practical purposes. They were obviously dead wrong. The historical evidence enables us to gain a more thorough understanding of global finance, which influences our lives to such a great extent. Our primary aim is not to concentrate on facts, theorems, or numbers, but rather to see the big picture in a multi-disciplinary and long-run perspective, integrating the knowledge gained from the work of such Nobel Prize-winning behavioral economists as Robert Shiller and Daniel Kahneman. We also explore our current economic situation, including the aftermath of the Wall Street bailouts that forgot to bail out the people on main street and stood by as nine million people were evicted from their homes. We also discuss the aftermath of the crisis, its effect on the rise of populism, and ends by outlining the main impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the financial world.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Thursdays, January 26-May 13, 11:00am-1:00pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 32 students
EDUC E-103
Introduction to Instructional Design
Stacie Cassat Green MEd, Principal, 64 Crayons
Denise M. Snyder ALM, Director of Learning Design and Digital Innovation, Union College
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 14021 | Section 1
Description
Behind every good learning tool be it a website, application, webinar, online course, workshop, or interactive museum exhibit is the work of an instructional designer. Instructional design is a creative process that uses learning theories and frameworks, project planning, content expertise, communication, writing, and technology to architect experiences for today’s learners. The best instructional designers are agile and adaptable; they can quickly synthesize unfamiliar content, evaluate new technologies, and develop learning solutions that best meet the needs of a diverse audience. In this course, students work together to produce learning experiences using today’s media and technologies. The gap between theory and practice is an issue in many fields. By using a project-based approach, we work to close that gap by learning about instructional design theories and frameworks while developing a series of products; students submit a project every two weeks. This course is helpful for those professionals who work directly or indirectly to support and improve learning in their organizations, or those lifelong learners who want to better understand how to use technology to manage their own learning.
Class Meetings:
Online
Required sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: The orientation to the course opens mid-August. See course syllabus for details.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 60 students
EDUC E-103
Introduction to Instructional Design: The Art and Science of Building Knowledge
Valerie Mann EdD, Associate Professor, College Success, Johnson County Community College
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26467 | Section 1
Description
In this course, students learn application skills melding the best of learning strategies, learning theory, and mind-brain education research. This course is intended to provide managers, trainers, learning designers, and teachers with skills to manage their instructional design and teaching tools while infusing learning strategies to maximize knowledge for varied types of learning preferences and needs. With practical application at the fore, students engage with current research, strategies for effective learning, and design principles to explore how these concepts can be applied to help learners achieve their best in the classroom and workplace, both face to face and online.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Wednesdays, January 25-May 13, 5:10pm-7:10pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 20 students
EDUC E-103
Introduction to Instructional Design
Stacie Cassat Green MEd, Principal, 64 Crayons
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 25190 | Section 2
Description
Behind every good learning tool be it a website, application, webinar, online course, workshop, or interactive museum exhibit is the work of an instructional designer. Instructional design is a creative process that uses learning theories and frameworks, project planning, content expertise, communication, writing, and technology to architect experiences for today’s learners. The best instructional designers are agile and adaptable; they can quickly synthesize unfamiliar content, evaluate new technologies, and develop learning solutions that best meet the needs of a diverse audience. In this course, students work together to produce learning experiences using today’s media and technologies. The gap between theory and practice is an issue in many fields. By using a project-based approach, we work to close that gap by learning about instructional design theories and frameworks while developing a series of products; students submit a project every two weeks. This course is helpful for those professionals who work directly or indirectly to support and improve learning in their organizations, or those lifelong learners who want to better understand how to use technology to manage their own learning.
Class Meetings:
Online
Required sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: The orientation to the course opens mid-January. See course syllabus for details.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 20 students
EDUC E-113
Applied Learning Design
Stacie Cassat Green MEd, Principal, 64 Crayons
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 24800 | Section 1
Description
In this course, students use a design thinking methodology to design and develop an authentic learning product or experience. Each student prepares a product, such as a course or workshop, social learning community, website, or software application. Using rapid prototyping, students present several iterations of their designs to the class, participate in peer critiques, and continually improve their products over the semester. As instructional designers work in a team, each student contributes to, and benefits from, a class consulting bank. They use their skills to help others and to gain currency that they can exchange for help on their own projects. Students also explore additional instructional design frameworks and learning theories to improve fluency and flexible thinking in the field. Students may not take both EDUC E-113 and DGMD E-60 for degree or certificate credit.
Prerequisites: DGMD E-55, EDUC E-103, EDUC E-111, or the equivalent.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Tuesdays, January 24-May 13, 3:00pm-5:00pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 20 students
EDUC E-113
Applied Learning Design
Dustin Liu MEd
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26539 | Section 2
Description
In this course, students engage as designers to scope and prototype learning experiences that apply the principles of adult learning and development. Throughout the semester, students practice key components of the learning design process such as determining need and learning objectives, and testing prototypes. Course topics include design thinking, instructional design models, learning technology, and learner engagement. The goal of the course is to equip students with the tools, mindsets, and frameworks to approach their work as designers of in-person, hybrid, and online learning.
Prerequisites: DGMD E-55, EDUC E-103, EDUC E-111, or the equivalent.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Tuesdays, January 24-May 13, 7:40pm-9:40pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 20 students
EDUC E-115
Adult Learning Theories
Cindy Joyce MA, Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Pillar Search and Human Resources Consulting
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16407 | Section 1
Description
Learning opportunities for adults are often modeled after our classes in grade school and high school. However, adults learn much differently from children, and their motivation to learn is vastly different as well. This course explores adult learning theory and how to apply those theories in a practical manner, engage the adult learner, and provide learning opportunities that both motivate and challenge. This course is taught using a combination of learning methods including course discussion, case studies, reading, group activities, and guest speakers with experience working with adult learners.
Prerequisites: Educational or work experience in education, teaching, organizational behavior, human resources, training, or instructional design.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, August 29-December 17, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 30 students
EDUC E-127
Ludic Learning: Designing Playful Learning Experiences
Adeeb Syed MEd, Technical Instructional Designer, Springboard
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26433 | Section 1
Description
Gaming is poised to become the dominant form of media in the twenty-first century, overtaking the film, television, and music industries. Unsurprisingly, there has been a newfound respect and increased enthusiasm for educational games. However, the curious problem with much of the academic discourse around educational games is that they are still viewed as mere content-delivery mechanisms from the lens of formal schooling environments. On the other hand, the corporate-technology world is also having a profound influence on the discourse of educational games with newly coined buzzwords such as gamification permeating through all sorts of informal learning environments. To make matters worse, there has been a constellation of new and emerging technologies that are constantly shifting what it means to learn. What is most curious, however, is that while modern schools have only been around for a few hundred years and various forms of digital edutainment for even less, games and play are thousands of years old. If we instead shift our mindset to understanding games and play as a sort of natural literacy as tools for thinking, discovery, reflection, and expression we might better understand how to design educational games in the twenty-first century. Instead of calling them video games, we consider how gaming technologies afford new possibilities for representing learning. To take full advantage of these affordances, we embark on thoughtful critiques of traditional ideas of learning that come from formal environments and also parse through some of the outlandish claims of tech companies. We explore alternative pedagogies, alternative ways of measurement, and the best lessons learned from informal learning environments. At the same time, all these alternatives are still very much steeped in research-backed findings from the learning sciences. While we explore much of the research in the learning sciences, this course is less interested in debating the particulars of the research findings and more interested in distilling and creatively translating these findings into playful design in a variety of learning contexts.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Thursdays, January 26-May 13, 6:30pm-8:30pm
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 30 students
ENGL E-102
Introduction to Old English Literature
Daniel Donoghue PhD, John P. Marquand Professor of English, Harvard University
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16766 | Section 1
Description
This course introduces the earliest English literature, building up to selections from poems such as The Wanderer, The Dream of the Rood, The Battle of Maldon, and various prose texts. Because the language has changed so much over 1,000 years, Old English has to be learned as a foreign language (hence the emphasis on grammar) but by the end of one term of study, students read the most challenging and beautiful literature it has to offer. Secondary readings supplement the Old English texts.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Thursdays, September 1-December 17, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 45 students
ENGL E-106
Beowulf and Seamus Heaney
Daniel Donoghue PhD, John P. Marquand Professor of English, Harvard University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26363 | Section 1
Description
Seamus Heaney’s translation of Beowulf has provoked renewed interest in the poem among the general public and, among medievalists, in his principles of translation. This seminar includes a detailed study of the Old English poem and a crash course on the language to allow students to translate set passages on their own. We put Heaney’s translation in the context of his other poems and poetic translations.
Prerequisites: Prior knowledge of Old English is helpful but not required.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Tuesdays, January 24-May 13, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 19 students
ENGL E-134
Shakespeare and Game of Thrones
Jeffrey Robert Wilson PhD, Lecturer in Extension, Harvard University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26486 | Section 1
Description
The hit franchise Game of Thrones is based on the Wars of the Roses, a bloody fifteenth-century civil war between feuding English families. This intensive January session course shows how that connection was mediated by William Shakespeare, and how a knowledge of the Shakespearean context enriches our understanding of the literary elements of Game of Thrones. On the one hand, Shakespeare influenced Game of Thrones indirectly because his history plays significantly shaped the way the Wars of the Roses are now remembered, including the modern histories and historical fictions George R.R. Martin drew upon. On the other, Game of Thrones also responds to Shakespeare’s first tetralogy directly by adapting several of its literary strategies (such as shifting perspectives, mixed genres, and metatheater) and tropes (including the stigmatized protagonist and the prince who was promised). By comparing contextual circumstances of composition, such as collaborative authorship and political currents, this course also lodges a series of provocations about writing and acting for the stage in the Elizabethan age and for the screen in the twenty-first century. Readings and viewings include some of Shakespeare’s history plays, selections from Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire, episodes of HBO’s Game of Thrones, and key criticism and theory that illuminate our texts.
Class Meetings:
On campus only
Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, January 3-21, 6:00pm-9:00pm, Harvard Hall 201
Term Start Date: January 03, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: Because this course requires in-person attendance, students must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details. International students see important visa information.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 45 students
ENGL E-142
Decadence, Degeneration, Decline: The Popular British Novel
Margaret Deli PhD, Preceptor in Expository Writing, Harvard University
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16802 | Section 1
Description
The British Empire controlled roughly a quarter of the world by the beginning of the twentieth century; its literature, however, was increasingly haunted by decline. This course explores why, by way of writers like Joseph Conrad, Oscar Wilde, Rebecca West, Elizabeth Bowen, T.S. Eliot, and Graham Greene. The focus of our analysis is the novel’s response to three kinds of breakdown: aesthetic decadence, imperial decline, and aristocratic degeneration. We draw on contemporary periodicals, paintings, films, and poetry to understand what makes these narratives so good for literary business. We also think about decline as a shaper of modernism, the relationship between decline and nationalism, and the cultural afterlives of the texts we encounter.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Thursdays, September 1-December 17, 6:00pm-8:00pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 40 students
ENGL E-151
World Shakespeare
David Nee PhD, Preceptor in Expository Writing, Harvard University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26451 | Section 1
Description
How did the son of a glove-maker from a small town in rural England come to be one of the world’s best-known writers, read and performed internationally four hundred years after his death? The answer to this question is complex. Some of the causes for William Shakespeare’s rise to global prominence are historical, like the unique conditions of commercial theater in Shakespeare’s day, the eighteenth-century cult of bardolatry and Shakespeare worship, or the intertwinement of Shakespeare with British colonialism. Other causes could be called aesthetic and intrinsic, stemming from the poetic and dramatic qualities which give Shakespeare’s plays their lasting power to move and astonish. Still other grounds for Shakespeare’s global success lie in the myriad ways actors, writers, and directors from around the world have adapted Shakespeare’s plays, combining them with local theatrical and literary traditions. This course explores these and other reasons for Shakespeare’s status as a global playwright in the twenty-first century, while also providing an introduction to some of Shakespeare’s greatest plays and to a small selection of modern adaptations from around the world. Plays read in the class may include Romeo and Juliet, The Merchant of Venice, Antony and Cleopatra, King Lear, Macbeth, and The Tempest. Modern adaptations read may include West Side Story, Aim C saire’s Une Temp te, Akira Kurosawa’s Ran, Toni Morrison’s Desdemona, and Vishal Bhardwal’s Maqbool.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Wednesdays, January 25-May 13, 6:30pm-8:30pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 40 students
ENGL E-159
Reading James Joyce’s Ulysses
Theoharis C. Theoharis PhD, Associate Scholar, Comparative Literature, Harvard University
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16315 | Section 1
Description
James Joyce’s Ulysses is the most admired novel of the twentieth century in English. In this course, we try to see why that is true by reading the book closely, chapter by chapter, looking at how Joyce made one story on one day in Dublin the universal story of how humane men and women prevail over the violence bent on destroying them. We pay special attention to how Joyce elaborately combined detailed realistic story lines and characters with symbolism, allusion, references, and off-kilter comparisons, such as the book’s title, which names an obscure and peaceful man after a notoriously sly and vindictive one, Ulysses.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, August 29-December 17, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 45 students
ENGL E-182a
Poetry in America: From the Mayflower to Emerson
Elisa New PhD, Powell M. Cabot Professor of American Literature, Harvard University
Jesse Benjamin Raber PhD
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 15383 | Section 1
Description
This course covers American poetry in cultural context through the year 1850. The course begins with Puritan poets, some orthodox, some rebel spirits, who wrote and lived in early New England. Focusing on Anne Bradstreet, Edward Taylor, and Michael Wigglesworth, among others, we explore the interplay between mortal and immortal, Europe and wilderness, solitude and sociality in English North America. The second part of the course spans the poetry of America’s early years, directly before and after the creation of the Republic. We examine the creation of a national identity through the lens of an emerging national literature, focusing on such poets as Phillis Wheatley, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Edgar Allen Poe, and Ralph Waldo Emerson, among others. Distinguished guest discussants include writer Michael Pollan, economist Larry Summers, Vice President Al Gore, Mayor Tom Menino, and others.
Class Meetings:
Online
Required sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Noncredit, undergraduate, graduate credit $1,000.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course is offered in partnership with the Poetry in America (PiA) initiative. Teachers may apply for Poetry in America scholarships.
ENGL E-182h
Poetry in America: Whitman and Dickinson
Elisa New PhD, Powell M. Cabot Professor of American Literature, Harvard University
Jesse Benjamin Raber PhD
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26410 | Section 1
Description
This course focuses on the poetry of Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson, two influential and iconic American poets of the nineteenth century. First, we encounter Walt Whitman, a quintessentially American writer whose work continues to bear heavily upon the American poetic tradition. We explore Whitman’s relationship to the city, the self, and the body through his life and poetry. Then, we turn to Emily Dickinson, one of America’s most distinctive and prolific poets. While Dickinson wrote nearly 2,000 poems during her lifetime, she chose never to publish, opting instead to revisit and revise her works throughout her lifetime. Keeping this dynamic of self-revision in mind, we consider a number of Dickinson’s poems concerned with nature, art, the self, and darkness. We travel to the Dickinson Collection at Harvard’s Houghton Library, and to Amherst, Massachusetts, paying a visit to the house in which the poet lived and wrote until her death in 1886.
Class Meetings:
Online
Required sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit, undergraduate, graduate credit $1,000.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course is offered in partnership with the Poetry in America initiative. Teachers may apply for Poetry in America scholarships.
ENGL E-182m
Poetry in America: From the Civil War through Modernism
Elisa New PhD, Powell M. Cabot Professor of American Literature, Harvard University
Jesse Benjamin Raber PhD
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 25016 | Section 1
Description
This course spans a critical era in American literature, beginning with antebellum and Civil War poetry, entering the twentieth century, and traversing the transformative modernist era. This course begins with the poetry of the American Civil War and the series of major events and social movements that followed it including Reconstruction, the Jim Crow Era, and Manifest Destiny. Encountering such poets as Herman Melville, Julia Ward Howe, Walt Whitman, Edward Arlington Robinson, Paul Laurence Dunbar, James Weldon Johnson, Francis Ellen Watkins Harper, Emma Lazarus, and W.E.B. DuBois, we examine the language of patriotism, pride, violence, loss, and memory inspired by the nation’s greatest conflict. As we enter the twentieth century, we encounter modernism, a movement that spanned the decades from the 1910s to the mid-1940s, and whose poetry marked a clear break from past traditions and past forms. We read such poets as Robert Frost, T.S. Eliot, Marianne Moore, Langston Hughes, William Carlos Williams, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Claude McKay, Dorothy Parker, and Wallace Stevens. We study how these poets employed the language of rejection and revolution, of making and remaking, of artistic appropriation and cultural emancipation. Traveling to the homes and workplaces of Robert Frost and Wallace Stevens; to the Poetry Foundation in Chicago, where the institution of American modernism was born; and even exploring the River Thames in the London of Eliot’s The Waste Land, we see the sites that witnessed and cultivated the rise of American modernism.
Class Meetings:
Online
Required sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit, undergraduate, graduate credit $1,000.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course is offered in partnership with the Poetry in America (PiA) initiative. Teachers may apply for Poetry in America scholarships.
ENGL E-183b
Seeing Nature in the Twentieth Century
Collier Brown PhD, Preceptor in Expository Writing, Harvard University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 25983 | Section 1
Description
In this course, students survey important American contributions to modern American environmental nonfiction. From the founding of the National Park Service (1916) to the first Earth Day (1970) and onward to America’s withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement in 2017, we consider the diverse ways in which modern Americans have grappled with environmental issues. Our readings include writers like Mary Austin, Aldo Leopold, Annie Dillard, Leslie Marmon Silko, and Evelyn White.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Wednesdays, January 25-May 13, 3:00pm-5:00pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 19 students
ENGL E-195
The Lives of Women Portrayed by Women in the 20th Century American Novel
Theoharis C. Theoharis PhD, Associate Scholar, Comparative Literature, Harvard University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26354 | Section 1
Description
From 1905, when Edith Wharton’s The House of Mirth was published, until 1991, when How The Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents, by Julia Alvarez, was published, the lives of women in America had in many ways changed drastically. From not being able to vote or own substantial property at the beginning of the century, women had moved to wielding power in the highest ranks of professional and corporate life and of elected office. All this change disrupted but did not dislodge traditional social and cultural norms which drew a firm boundary around women’s lives, locating their value and happiness exclusively in the domestic world as men’s wives and mothers to their children; “angels of the house,” as the clich put it. What kind of lives were possible for women who broke through that boundary, or who tried to, make up the stories Willa Cather, Edith Wharton, Alice Walker, and Julia Alvarez tell in the novels comprising this course: The Song of the Lark (1915), The House of Mirth (1905), The Color Purple (1982), and How The Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents (1991).
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, January 23-May 13, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 45 students
ENGL E-207
The Culture of Capitalism
Martin Puchner PhD, Byron and Anita Wien Professor of Drama and of English and Comparative Literature, Harvard University
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16442 | Section 1
Description
The course asks how cultural products, including literature, theater, and film have captured the spirit of capitalism fueling its fantasies, contemplating its effects, and chronicling its crises. More than just an economic system, capitalism created new habits of life and mind as well as new values, forged and distilled by new forms of art. Core readings by Franklin, O’Neill, Rand, Miller, and Mamet and background readings by Smith, Marx, Taylor, Weber, Keynes, and Schumpeter.
Class Meetings:
Online
Required sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: The recorded lectures are from the 2013 Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences course Culture and Belief 56.
ENGL E-234
Art of the Personal Essay
Collier Brown PhD, Preceptor in Expository Writing, Harvard University
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16581 | Section 1
Description
In this course, we look at the art of the essay from the sixteenth-century to the present, making important stops along the way at the works of Michel de Montaigne (who first popularized the genre), William Hazlitt, Virginia Woolf, and James Baldwin, right up to today’s most innovative essayists writers like Rebecca Solnit, Janet Malcolm, and Ross Gay. This course would be of interest to nonfiction writers curious about the history of their craft and the evolution of the form over time.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Wednesdays, August 31-December 17, 3:00pm-5:00pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 19 students
ENGL E-237
Myth and Mystery in Post-World War II US Fiction
Patrick Whitmarsh PhD, Lecturer in Extension, Harvard University
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16701 | Section 1
Description
This course focuses on expressions of mystery and the unknown in post-World War II US fiction and how these expressions address the American mythos: the nation’s self-constructed history of exceptionalism and progress. After the triumphal sensationalism of Allied victory in the war and the accompanying economic boom in the US, there began a period of cultural uncertainty with the dawn of the cold war, the civil rights movement, and the uneven rise of global financial markets. Moving chronologically through a mixture of canonical and popular texts including novels by Thomas Pynchon, Toni Morrison, Octavia Butler, and others we explore the ways that literature taps into this uncertainty. Some central questions this course asks are: what does it mean to think of America as a myth? How does mythic imagery inform national identity? How do different literary genres (science fiction, the detective novel, and the neo-slave narrative) offer unique expressions of the ambiguities that reside in American history and culture? We rely heavily on in-class activities and discussion, complemented by mini-lectures to expand on historical context and background. Assignments include periodic journal reflections, short essays, and a final project.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Tuesdays, August 30-December 17, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 19 students
ENGL E-300
Poetry in America for Teachers: The City from Whitman to Hip Hop
Elisa New PhD, Powell M. Cabot Professor of American Literature, Harvard University
Jesse Benjamin Raber PhD
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16639 | Section 1
Description
In this course, we consider those American poets whose themes, forms, and voices have given expression to visions of the city since 1850. Beginning with Walt Whitman, the great poet of nineteenth-century New York, we explore the diverse and ever-changing environment of the modern city from Chicago to London, from San Francisco to Detroit through the eyes of such poets as Carl Sandburg, Emma Lazarus, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Langston Hughes, Marianne Moore, Frank O’Hara, Gwendolyn Brooks, Allen Ginsberg, Robert Hayden, and Robert Pinsky, as well as contemporary hip hop and spoken word artists. This course introduces content and techniques intended to help students and educators learn how to read texts of increasing complexity. Readings and activities were chosen and designed with the Common Core English Language Arts (ELA) standards in grades six through 12 in mind. Enrollment is not limited to teachers. Students with an interest in education, or with the poets and poems covered in this course, are welcome to enroll.
Class Meetings:
Online
Required sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Noncredit, undergraduate, graduate credit $1,000.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course is offered in partnership with the Poetry in America (PiA) initiative. The course is also offered in partnership with the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE). Teachers enrolled for noncredit who are interested in professional development can earn certificates of participation for 90 professional development hours from HGSE’s Professional Education. Teachers may apply for Poetry in America scholarships.
ENGL E-597
English Precapstone: The Novel and Its Contexts
Duncan E. White DPhil, Lecturer on History and Literature, Harvard University
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 15775 | Section 1
Description
This course prepares students to write their Master of Liberal Arts (ALM) capstone project. We read novels from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries that both reflected and shaped the historical moment of their creation. In doing so we attended to the history and evolution of the novel as a form while also exploring the different approaches literary critics have taken to interpreting and analyzing works of narrative fiction. As we read these novels closely, we think about how they raise pressing social, economic, and political questions, consider their circulation and reception, and reflect on the role of representation, including questions of race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality. By the end of the semester, students are equipped with the critical tools to embark on writing an independent scholarly research paper for their capstone project in the spring semester.
Prerequisites: Registration is limited to officially admitted candidates in Master of Liberal Arts, English, capstone track, who are in their penultimate semester. Prospective candidates and students with pending admission applications are not eligible. Candidates must be in good academic standing and in the process of successfully completing all degree requirements except the capstone, ENGL E-599, which they must enroll in the upcoming spring term as their final course. Candidates who do not meet these degree requirements are dropped from the course.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, August 29-December 17, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 15 students
ENGL E-599
English Capstone: The Novel and Its Contexts
Duncan E. White DPhil, Lecturer on History and Literature, Harvard University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 25383 | Section 1
Description
This course guides students through every step of writing their independent research paper. Building on the work done in the prior precapstone course, students work through the progressive stages of writing a research paper, incorporating peer workshop feedback, and skill-building exercises to help them produce work that reaches the high standards of an academic journal article. Students write proposals, conduct a literature review, develop theses and scholarly interventions, and work through multiple drafts, before producing their final capstone paper.
Prerequisites: Registration is limited to officially admitted capstone track candidates in the Master of Liberal Arts, English, capstone track. Candidates must be in good academic standing, ready to graduate in May with only the capstone left to complete (no other course registration is allowed simultaneously with the capstone), and have successfully completed the precapstone course, ENGL E-597, in the previous fall term. Candidates who do not meet these requirements are dropped from the course.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, January 23-May 13, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 15 students
ENSC E-110
Applied Design Thinking for Scientists and Engineers
Anas Chalah PhD, Assistant Dean for Teaching and Learning, John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 25995 | Section 1
Description
Design thinking is widely considered to be an essential skill for twenty-first century leaders and innovative thinkers. Engineering programs should graduate engineers who can design effectively to meet social and environmental needs. However, the role and perception of design across a wide range of educational disciplines has improved markedly in recent years. One of the defining characteristics of design thinking is that there is rarely a single correct answer to a complex problem. Design thinking is an iterative and interdisciplinary collaborative process toward crafting acceptable solutions. This intensive January session course enables students to exercise and practice different thinking styles, including divergent, convergent, critical, analytical, and integrative. It guides students through the different steps of the design thinking process, starting with empathy, into problem definition, ideation, prototyping, building, measurement, and analysis. On the technical side, this course focuses on teaching systems and system controls to emphasize the importance of interdisciplinary collaborations in solving complex challenges. As some students want to bring forward their innovative ideas to the commercialization stage, the course aims to support their aspirations by including aspects of innovation and entrepreneurship in some of the course’s hands-on projects.
Class Meetings:
On campus only
Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, January 3-21, 4:00pm-7:00pm, Science/Engineering Complex 1.413
Term Start Date: January 03, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: Because this course requires in-person attendance, students must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details. International students see important visa information.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 60 students
ENSC E-123
Laboratory Electronics: Digital Circuit Design
Oliver Saunders Wilder PhD, Research Affiliate, MIT Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 25768 | Section 1
Description
This course covers digital design, emphasizing microprocessors and microcontrollers as well as programmable logic devices, and provides an understanding of the fundamentals of computer circuitry. After examining analog-digital interfacing issues, students build a microcomputer from the chip level. They apply this computer first to assigned tasks and later to individual projects. The student’s microcomputer is based on an 8051-derivative microcontroller, chosen because it allows an easy transition, after the course is completed, from the course’s pedagogically useful transparent design (using external buses and memory) to practical single-chip implementations. Each meeting includes a laboratory session.
Prerequisites: High school algebra and some familiarity with analog electronics.
Class Meetings:
On campus only
Thursdays, January 26-May 13, 6:00pm-10:00pm, Science Center 206
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: Because this course requires in-person attendance, students must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 22 students
ENSC E-132
Tissue Engineering for Clinical Applications
Sujata K. Bhatia PhD, MD, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 25367 | Section 1
Description
Tissue engineering is now recognized as a way to lessen the global disease burden: novel methods for pancreatic islet regeneration can address diabetes; autologous cells for heart muscle regeneration can address coronary artery disease; and nerve regeneration technologies can be used to treat stroke. This course describes strategies of tissue engineering and focuses on the diseases tissue engineering can address. Each lecture identifies a specific disease (coronary artery disease, stroke, diabetes) and describes tissue-engineered scaffolds that can alleviate the disease. Students learn the underlying pathology of the disease, understand the latest advances in tissue engineering for treating the disease, and discuss prospective research areas for novel biomaterials to modify the disease process. In addition, students gain an appreciation of clinical trials of tissue-engineered scaffolds, as well as commercialization of tissue engineering.
Prerequisites: Introductory biology and chemistry.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Tuesdays, January 24-May 13, 8:10pm-10:10pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 30 students
ENSC E-150
Introduction to Nanobiotechnology: Concepts and Applications
Anas Chalah PhD, Assistant Dean for Teaching and Learning, John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 12806 | Section 1
Description
Nanobiotechnology is a new frontier for biology with important applications in medicine. It bridges areas in physics, chemistry, and biology and is a testament to the new areas of interdisciplinary science that are becoming dominant in the twenty-first century. This course provides perspective for students and researchers who are interested in nanoscale physical and biological systems and their applications in medicine. It introduces concepts in nanomaterials and their use with biocomponents to synthesize and address larger systems. Applications include systems for visualization, labeling, drug delivery, and cancer research. Technological impact of nanoscale systems, synthesis, and characterizations of nanoscale materials are discussed.
Prerequisites: Introductory courses in chemistry, physics, and biology; an introductory course in nanoscale science would be helpful.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, August 29-December 17, 5:10pm-7:10pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 45 students
ENVR E-100
Introduction to Sustainability
Michaela J. Thompson PhD, Lecturer in Anthropology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26485 | Section 1
Description
This course explores contemporary understandings and practical implications of the idea of sustainable development. Throughout the semester we investigate the meanings and measures that different groups have given to sustainable development; explore tools for analyzing the complex social-environmental systems that we seek to develop sustainably; and examine how societies have avoided depleting resources while instituting practical action that advances sustainable development effectively and equitably.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Wednesdays, January 25-May 13, 8:10pm-10:10pm
Required sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 60 students
ENVR E-101
Proseminar: Introduction to Graduate Studies in Sustainability and Global Development
Lindi Dorothee von Mutius JD, Director, Sustainability and Global Development Practice, Harvard Extension School
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 11925 | Section 1
Description
The twin goals of this course are to introduce concepts of development, sustainability science, law, policy, and economics and prepare students to take further courses in sustainability and global development practice; and to prepare students to master writing and research competency commensurate to graduate-level scholarship at Harvard University. Students learn about six emerging topics in the fields of sustainability and global development. They conduct their own research project over the course of the semester, culminating in a final paper. The process of research and writing that students learn in this course should serve them well as they journey through these two programs and their thesis, capstone, or consulting capstone project.
Prerequisites: Proficiency in English and knowledge of APA citation format. A satisfactory score on the mandatory test of critical reading and writing skills or a B or higher grade in the alternate expository writing course. EXPO E-42b or EXPO E-42c are highly recommended.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Saturdays, September 3-December 17, 10:00am-12:00pm
Required sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
ENVR E-101
Proseminar: Introduction to Graduate Studies in Sustainability and Global Development
Lindi Dorothee von Mutius JD, Director, Sustainability and Global Development Practice, Harvard Extension School
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 25505 | Section 1
Description
The twin goals of this course are to introduce concepts of development, sustainability science, law, policy, and economics and prepare students to take further courses in sustainability and global development practice; and to prepare students to master writing and research competency commensurate to graduate-level scholarship at Harvard University. Students learn about six emerging topics in the fields of sustainability and global development. They conduct their own research project over the course of the semester, culminating in a final paper. The process of research and writing that students learn in this course should serve them well as they journey through these two programs and their thesis, capstone, or consulting capstone project.
Prerequisites: Proficiency in English and knowledge of APA citation format. A satisfactory score on the mandatory test of critical reading and writing skills or a B or higher grade in the alternate expository writing course. EXPO E-42b or EXPO E-42c are highly recommended.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Saturdays, January 28-May 13, 10:00am-12:00pm
Required sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
ENVR E-102
Design of Renewable Energy Projects
Ramon Sanchez ScD, Research Associate, Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16714 | Section 1
Description
This course helps develop the skills to design, fund, and implement renewable energy projects in the United States and around the world. It is aimed at anyone who would like to understand the relationship between energy and the environment, but is particularly helpful for energy developers and current or future professionals in the practice of renewable energy. Students learn the basics of how to design photovoltaic, wind, biomass, geothermal, small-hydro, wastewater to energy, solid waste to energy, and other large scale sustainable energy operations. Students also learn about the best global practices for engaging rural and indigenous communities in renewable energy projects while maximizing economic development and social equity. They learn how to deal with other important issues like negotiating land rights for renewable energy projects, how to encourage public utilities and private corporations to sign long-term agreements for purchasing renewable energies, how to prepare project proposals for international financial institutions and private investors who fund these projects, how to estimate the basic health and environmental benefits derived from proposed renewable energy projects, how to monetize health effects of renewable energy projects, and how to quantify the social benefits of such projects in the community.
Prerequisites: High school math and science.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Tuesdays, August 30-December 17, 8:10pm-10:10pm
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 75 students
ENVR E-102a
Innovative Technologies and Practices for Climate Change Resilience
Ramon Sanchez ScD, Research Associate, Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26276 | Section 1
Description
Students in this course learn how to analyze emerging innovative technologies and practices comprehensively, how to assess their climate change and health impacts, recommendations to facilitate their implementation, and how to use green and social financial instruments to foster equitable social development while decreasing community vulnerabilities and increasing climate change resilience. Among some of the technologies and practices analyzed are advanced low-energy desalination systems, rainwater traps, advanced sustainable aquaculture systems, sustainable irrigation and soil reforming for sustainable agriculture, techniques to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in meat and protein production, biodegradable solar systems, bladeless wind generation technologies, microalgae farming for food and fuels, biodegradable plastics manufacturing, plasma gasification of agricultural and municipal waste for electricity generation, carbon capture and sequestration technologies in power plants, lithium extraction from fossil saltwater in fracking operations, advanced hydrogen production systems using renewable energies, and advanced electric vehicles and geoengineering technologies. Students also assess community vulnerabilities and recommend risk reduction technologies and practices to increase resilience. Additionally, students learn how to monetize health, environmental, and social benefits for each technology or sustainable practice to use municipal bonds, green financing mechanisms from banks, carbon offset exchanges, and some government grants to fund their implementation in the community.
Prerequisites: Basic high school math and science.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, January 23-May 13, 8:10pm-10:10pm
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 75 students
ENVR E-104
Confronting Climate Change
Daniel Schrag PhD, Sturgis Hooper Professor of Geology and Professor of Environmental Science and Engineering, Harvard University
Thomas Andrew Laakso PhD, Science Teacher, Boston College High School
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16388 | Section 1
Description
This course considers the challenge of climate change and what to do about it. Students are introduced to the basic science of climate change, including the radiation budget of the Earth, the carbon cycle, and the physics and chemistry of the oceans and atmosphere. We look at reconstructions of climate change through Earth history to provide a context for thinking about present and future changes. We take a critical look at climate models used to predict climate change in the future and discuss their strengths and weaknesses, evaluating which forecasts of climate change impacts are robust, and which are more speculative. We spend particular time discussing sea level rise and extreme weather (including hurricanes, heat waves, and floods). We look at the complex interactions between climate and human society, including climate impacts on agriculture and the relationship between climate change, migration, and conflict. We also discuss strategies for adapting to climate change impacts and the implications of those strategies for sub-national and international equity. The second half of the course considers what to do about climate change. First, we review the recent history of greenhouse gas emissions, as well as various national and international efforts to limit them in the future. We discuss reducing carbon emissions using forestry, agriculture, and land use, and then focus on how to transform the world’s energy system to eliminate CO2 emissions. We conclude by examining different strategies for accelerating changes in our energy systems to limit greenhouse gas emissions. The course emphasizes the scientific and technological aspects of climate change (including the clean energy transition), but in the context of current issues in public policy, business, design, and public health.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Thursdays, September 1-December 17, 8:10pm-10:10pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
ENVR E-110
Sustainable Ocean Environments
George D. Buckley MS, Consultant
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 21784 | Section 1
Description
The world’s oceans provide food, careers, climate moderation, oxygen, recreation, and other vital services to humankind. This course explores the diversity of marine life and habitats in the oceans and sustainable management practices to protect them. Course topics include the ecology and management of estuaries, coral reefs, and the deep seas; the importance of seaweeds, fisheries, and aquaculture; coastal resilience, marine biodeterioration, and emerging blue technologies; and the impacts of development, pollutants, and tourism, while investigating nature-based solutions to environmental problems.
Prerequisites: High school biology.
Class Meetings:
Online or On Campus
Mondays, January 23-May 13, 5:40pm-7:40pm, One Brattle Square 205
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: Students can attend in person on campus, participate live online at the time the class meets via web conference, or watch the recorded video asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day. Students who attend this course in person must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates site for details. If you will not be coming to campus, documentation is not required.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 50 students
ENVR E-113
International Political Economy of Decarbonization
Juergen Braunstein PhD
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26231 | Section 1
Description
Starting with the economic aspects of global decarbonization, this course examines emerging issues raised by the transition to a low carbon economy its impact on jobs, inequality, finance, trade, mobility, and infrastructure for citizens, societies, and nations. Choices about global decarbonization are highly contested in terms of material interests and ideologies, and they raise a set of new questions at the intersection of climate change, geo-economics, national policies, and global politics. These questions include: how does the energy transition affect the global economic order? Will a greener future lead to fewer resource conflicts around carbon resources? Is green the new gold? How does the low carbon transition affect the value of carbon assets? Is the US equipped to sustain its role as global leader in finance? How does the sustainable transition affect international trade flows? Is a carbon adjustment tax a stepping stone towards decarbonized trade? What is the prospect of green trade wars erupting?
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Thursdays, January 26-May 13, 11:00am-1:00pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 45 students
ENVR E-116
The Carbon Economy: Calculating, Managing, and Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Richard Goode MBA, Managing Director, Alvarez Marsal
Marlon Robert Banta ALM, Director, Product Definition, Dassault Systemes SolidWorks Corporation
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 23508 | Section 1
Description
The global economy is undergoing a fundamental transformation to low-carbon technologies from electric vehicles becoming mainstream and large-scale solar, wind, and even battery installations. Many countries and companies understand that this fourth industrial revolution will change everything, and face risks as well as opportunities. Some countries are establishing policies that decarbonize their economy to avoid the worst effects of a 2 degrees Celsius rise in temperatures. Organizations should start to develop and implement a 2 degrees Celsius strategy by clearly understanding their exposure to climate-related risks and identifying best practices for adapting to new carbon regulation, along with transforming their businesses by deploying sustainable energy practices. Understanding greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, including how to calculate them and the importance of reporting them publicly, is vital to understanding how to identify sources of emission and how to reduce them. This course teaches students how to measure, report, and reduce GHG emissions with an eye toward understanding the roles that energy choices and usage play in reducing emissions.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, January 23-May 13, 6:00pm-8:00pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 85 students
ENVR E-116a
Measuring and Mitigating Indirect Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Michael Macrae PhD, Director of Regulatory Affairs, Enel North America
Marlon Robert Banta ALM, Director, Product Definition, Dassault Systemes SolidWorks Corporation
Richard Goode MBA, Managing Director, Alvarez Marsal
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16165 | Section 1
Description
This course allows students to investigate the best approaches to measuring and mitigating indirect greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. These emissions include all indirect GHG emissions that occur in a value chain, and therefore outside the direct control of a typical organization. Supply chain emissions frequently are the largest overall source of an organization’s GHG emissions and are becoming an increasingly relevant topic as more and more companies outsource manufacturing, logistics, and other key functions to third parties. Waste, water use, and greenhouse gas emissions are still incurred in bringing products and services to consumers, but they are often not fully accounted for. Proper accounting for these emissions that are known contributors to climate change is coming under increasing scrutiny. Students investigate how to gather data from disparate sources, how to calculate or estimate emissions, and how the procurement of supplies, services, and travel can be managed to mitigate or even reduce indirect emissions. The course also familiarizes students with leading measurement and goal setting standards (that is, The Climate Registry, Science Based Targets, and the Carbon Disclosure Project) and investigates indirect emissions reduction efforts that are underway at several leading Fortune 500 companies as well as universities, municipalities, and government agencies.
Prerequisites: ENVR E-116 is encouraged but not necessary.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Thursdays, September 1-December 17, 5:10pm-7:10pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 72 students
ENVR E-117
Sustainability Leadership for the Twenty-First Century
Leith Sharp MEd, Director, Executive Education for Sustainability Leadership, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health
Jack Spengler PhD, Akira Yamaguchi Professor of Environmental Health and Human Habitation, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 13543 | Section 1
Description
This course is designed to enhance individual change agency skills as applied to a variety of organizational contexts including education, business, government, nonprofit, church, and community. The course explores what change leadership for sustainability is and guides students to advance their related capabilities, competencies, and strategies. The personal, interpersonal, organizational, and technical dimensions of change leadership for sustainability are addressed. A variety of specific case studies and examples of sustainability in practice, including everything from green building design and renewable energy to environmental purchasing are explored. Interdependencies between finance, politics, relationships, capacity building, and technology are discussed. Students leave with an experiential knowledge of change management because they are required to complete a project involving a real-life change leadership project of their choice.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Tuesdays, August 30-December 17, 7:40pm-9:40pm
Required sections Wednesdays, 7:40-9:40 pm.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 40 students
ENVR E-118c
Sustainable Tourism
Wendy Purcell PhD, Research Associate, Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16642 | Section 1
Description
Travel and tourism (T T) was growing at pace and scale before the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019, the T T sector contributed 10.3 percent to global gross domestic product (GDP), over US $8.9 trillion, supporting one in ten jobs (330 million) worldwide, and one in five new jobs over the last five years, with 3.5 percent growth in 2019 compared to the global economy at 2.5 percent. The sector had seen six decades of consistent growth, with tourism outpacing the United Nations (UN) growth projections over the period 2010-2019 and 45 percent of international travel arrivals to emerging economies in 2017. Late 2019 forecasts predicted that these trends would continue, with tourism arrivals forecast to grow 3-4 percent globally in 2020, despite a number of expected economic, political, and health disruptions. For many countries, T T is the dominant sector generating income, tax revenues, and economic security for millions of individuals and their families. The health and economic crises of the pandemic threw the disruptive forces acting on T T into sharp relief, drawing attention to the interconnected and hyper-dependent nature of sustainability, health, and business. It is clear that the negative impacts of T T on people and the planet cannot continue as the sector recovers and seeks to build back better. This means that sustainability needs to be positioned as a strategic driver within the industry. Indeed, this global sector has enormous potential to drive fulfilment of the UN sustainable development goals (SDGs). The unique interdependency of T T with many other sectors, such as energy, transportation, buildings, and food systems create challenges and opportunities for advancing sustainability systemically. This course presents innovative case studies and expert speakers from the sector and challenges students to surface the tensions and dilemmas inherent in driving growth and recognize the technical, economic, and political dimension in scaling sustainability solutions. It widens the view of sustainability beyond immediate operational impacts to consider the broader systems in which T T operates, and the sustainability leadership practices that drive innovation. It pays attention to the trade-offs and dilemmas presented by T T activities and the enormous potential of the sector to educate the traveler and drive conservation. This course encourages student to re-imagine the sector and pursue more sustainable T T, focused on attenuating its negative impacts and advancing the contribution T T makes to global citizenship and a more balanced economy and equitable society.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Wednesdays, August 31-December 17, 1:30pm-3:30pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 45 students
ENVR E-119
Transforming the Built Environment for Resilience and Sustainability
Grey Lee MPA, Business Development Manager for Sustainability, Environmental, Social, and Governance Specialist, S P Global
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16111 | Section 1
Description
How can real estate and buildings become more responsive to climate risk and other challenges to our communities? The greening of buildings has grown exponentially over the past decade, but is the transition fast enough to meet the needs of our communities in the dynamic times ahead? Can urban resilience become an intrinsic dimension of real estate development to prevent widespread disruptions caused by climate change? The built environment of our communities creates energy and material utilization patterns and subsequent ecological effects. Climate change challenges existing buildings and infrastructure, which has led to new policies and professional responses. Building design and location are a critical determinant of wellness, comfort, and productivity for occupants. This course introduces students to the principles of sustainability and resilience in our communities with a focus on systems dynamics. We use the framework of social equity and basic environmental, social, and governance (ESG) metrics to explore how urban design and policy can embrace priorities for human well-being. Students become familiar with international standards for sustainable design, operations, and management of buildings more favorable to the integrity of communities such as the US Green Building Council’s LEED certifications, passive house, WELL Building Standard, the Living Building Challenge, and other concepts related to sustainable design. We ensure hands-on engagement with local policy protocols and meet practitioners who have participated in the advancement of best practice in sustainability and resilience.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Tuesdays, August 30-December 17, 12:30pm-2:30pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 45 students
ENVR E-119d
Decarbonizing the Building Sector
Paul Ormond MS, Efficiency Engineer, Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 24776 | Section 1
Description
We can decarbonize the building sector within the next few decades. This can be accomplished with a combination of better buildings, such as Passivehouse, and a renewably powered grid. Buildings can also be built with their own on-site renewables to create a net zero energy building. This course provides a comprehensive exploration of our greening grid, zero energy buildings, and Passivehouse buildings. Topics include grid fundamentals, building energy dynamics, emissions profiles, renewable systems, energy economics, passive architecture, energy budgets, site and source energy, policy, codes, financing, and incentive structures. A variety of assignments, projects, and teaching tools are used in this course. These include analysis assignments, a team pitch, weekly report-outs, a textbook and numerous references, live guest speakers, and a guest speaker library.
Class Meetings:
Online or On Campus
Thursdays, January 26-May 13, 5:40pm-7:40pm, One Brattle Square 204
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: Students can attend in person on campus, participate live online at the time the class meets via web conference, or watch the recorded video asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day. Students who attend this course in person must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates site for details. If you will not be coming to campus, documentation is not required.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 50 students
ENVR E-119e
Sustainable Infrastructure
Cristina Contreras Casado ALM, Founder and Managing Director, Sinfranova LLC
Judith Irene Rodriguez MA, Senior Research Associate, Zofnass Program for Sustainable Infrastructure, Harvard Graduate School of Design
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 25775 | Section 1
Description
Sustainable infrastructure (SI) has been recognized as the central pillar of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Sustainable infrastructure strives to enhance access to basic services, promote environmental sustainability, and support inclusive growth through its endeavor to meet the sustainable development goals (SDGs), while looking for pathways to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, as reported by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). This course introduces students to the current landscape of sustainability assessment tools and explores the benefits that sustainable projects bring to public and private entities, to local communities, and to the planet in general. We ask the following key questions: what is sustainable infrastructure? What are the main features of a sustainable project? How do these features overlap or differ from the SDGs? How can infrastructure and urban development projects align with both SI practices and the SDGs? To answer these questions, we use real-world case studies. Considering the mandate of the 2030 agenda, “leave no one behind,” specific attention is given to how different stakeholders participate in the process.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Wednesdays, January 25-May 13, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 45 students
ENVR E-119g
Sustainable Cities
Julio Lumbreras PhD, Visiting Scientist, Exposure, Epidemiology, and Risk Program, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health
Fernando Fernandez-Monge MPA, Research Fellow, Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative, Harvard Kennedy School
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 15759 | Section 1
Description
More than half of the world’s population (54 percent according to the World Health Organization) live in urban areas, and this share is expected to grow in the future (65 percent by 2050 according to the United Nations). However, urban life is currently far from sustainable due to inequality, poverty, poor air quality, high risk of natural disasters and climate change, and lack of access to energy, water, and waste treatment. Faced with these challenges, member countries of the United Nations adopted in 2015 an agenda for 2030, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), with one of these goals focused on “making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.” Therefore, the future of urban societies, and thus of most of the world’s population, depends on our ability to design, build, and run cities in a sustainable manner. This course aims at contributing to this goal by surveying the scientific principles of sustainability at the urban level, exploring cities and their metabolism as systems of systems. It covers the main challenges that cities of every size are facing: governance, inclusive urban economic development, national/regional development planning, safety, citizen participation, risk and vulnerability reduction, air quality, resource efficiency, and access to universal basic services, housing, and infrastructures. By paying attention to the contextual factors in which these challenges play out for different types of cities, students not only gain a general understanding of the key dimensions of urban sustainability, but they also learn tools to further analyze and tackle urban sustainability challenges. Some of the tools presented are life cycle assessment, social impact assessment, cost-benefit analysis, multi-criteria decision making, and urban indicators. Special attention is also paid to fundamental governance aspects in cities, such as the need to create partnerships and establish radical collaborations between diverse stakeholders to foster urban transformations.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, August 29-December 17, 3:00pm-5:00pm
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 50 students
ENVR E-125
Improving Corporate Environmental, Social, and Governance Reporting
Kevin Hagen MBA, Vice President, Environment, Social and Governance Strategy, Iron Mountain
Kevin Wilhelm MBA, Chief Executive Officer, Sustainable Business Consulting
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16436 | Section 1
Description
Transparency and accountability are the cornerstones of a corporate sustainability environmental, social, and governance (ESG) program. But how do you implement a reporting program that meets the ever increasing demands of investors and other stakeholders while creating the most value for the business? From global reporting initiative (GRI) to carbon disclosure project (CDP), task force on climate-related financial disclosures (TCFD), sustainability accounting standards board (SASB) and more, this course unravels the alphabet soup of corporate reporting frameworks and guidelines. Offering practical steps and process to help company executives, functional managers, and corporate responsibility leaders’ design, implement, or accelerate an ESG reporting program. The course work is grounded with case studies and leverages the real world experience of guest speakers and the instructors.
Prerequisites: A firm understanding of change management in the business setting, climate change, and other environmental issues.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Tuesdays, August 30-December 17, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 35 students
ENVR E-129a
Local to Global Agroecology
Daniel Goldhamer MS, County Director and Horticulture Agent, Colorado State University Extension
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16158 | Section 1
Description
Agriculture is one of humanity’s oldest pursuits and yet it is far from perfected. In this time of climate change and ecological degradation, a significant amount of greenhouse gas emissions and damage to ecosystems can be traced back to the way in which humans produce food, feed, fuel, and fiber. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimates that 10-12 percent of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions are due to agriculture. Agriculture is also tied to ecological degradation including deforestation, depletion and contamination of water and soil resources, and chemical pollution. However, many individuals and organizations are discovering innovative and tailored solutions to these problems. Addressing the ecological and climate change challenges of agriculture in the next ten years will be essential to ensure a meaningful reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and to creating resilient production systems. This course provides a broad introduction to the underlying biology and ecology of crop and animal agricultural production systems. We explore how different production techniques including conventional, organic, and regenerative, operate in both a dryland and irrigated setting. Students in this course gain a greater understanding of the realities that agricultural producers must face every day in their quest to feed themselves and the world. The goal of this course is to equip students with a basic understanding of the ecology of agricultural systems, gain applicable vocabulary and concepts related to agriculture, and an understanding of the challenges and opportunities farmers face when seeking sustainable solutions. We explore crop and animal agriculture at scales ranging from kitchen gardens to thousands of acres. We also explore the various tools, techniques, and technologies farmers employ throughout the globe.
Prerequisites: Course work in biology and environmental studies. High school biology and chemistry.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, August 29-December 17, 8:10pm-10:10pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
ENVR E-129c
The Role of Soil Health in Creating Sustainable Food Systems
Emily Lynn Holleran ALM, Instructor, Arizona State University School of Sustainability
Helen D. Silver JD, Principal, Silver Sustainability Strategies
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 25791 | Section 1
Description
Ninety-five percent of the world’s food is grown in topsoil, but current farming techniques are eroding this soil and stripping it of essential minerals, microbes, and nutrients needed to support human and planetary health. The United Nations has stated that if soil degradation continues, we may only have 60 years of farming left. Loss of topsoil through agricultural practices is a major contributor to water and air quality degradation and biodiversity loss. Replenishing degraded soils may be a critical element in battling burgeoning health crises such as micronutrient deficiencies, obesity, and related diseases. Increasing soil health will also be a critical response to combating and adapting to the climate crisis. Though strong market, political, and social forces perpetuate the status quo, policymakers, agricultural producers, and the general public are taking note and developing, examining, and implementing a wide array of interventions to reverse soil degradation. This course explores the global food system from food production to disposal from the premise that agricultural soil health must underlie any sustainable food system that supports public and planetary health and social equity. We address the current state of agricultural soil health globally and the current and future effects on public and planetary health, including effects on water, air, climate, and nutrition, and social and economic equity. We explore whether adopting sustainable agricultural practices that support and enhance soil health can feed the growing global population while simultaneously buttressing achievement of the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Finally, we examine the key interventions put forth to support agricultural soil health, including direct farmer education and subsidies, social movements such as food sovereignty, labeling requirements, corporate initiatives, consumer education, and increased organic waste recycling.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Wednesdays, January 25-May 13, 12:30pm-2:30pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 45 students
ENVR E-135b
Sustainable Business in the Twenty-First Century
Matthew Gardner PhD, Managing Partner, Sustainserv, Inc.
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 25745 | Section 1
Description
. These three modules (the business case for change, driving change at scale, and purpose driven systemic change) are expanded upon with guest speakers, real world case studies, and in-depth discussions. Each week students analyze examples from companies in a variety of industries to show how sustainability is integrated into their business models and to explore what opportunities still exist for companies to improve. The course uses case studies from publicly traded companies, augmented by links to various forms of information for students to compare and contrast throughout the semester. Information is presented from academic research, white papers published by respected scholars and experts, and the actual disclosures of major multinational companies. The case method is used to provide a participative and realistic forum that enables students to learn about sustainability while also developing the skills to use the information. In addition to receiving course credit, students who successfully complete this course for undergraduate or graduate credit can earn a certificate of completion from Harvard Business School Online.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, January 23-May 13, 7:40pm-9:40pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
ENVR E-138
Introduction to Sustainable Finance and Investments
Carlos Alberto Vargas PhD, Faculty, EGADE Business School
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16637 | Section 1
Description
Sustainable finance is a main topic on the international agenda. Financial decisions worldwide are increasingly influenced by the scarcity of resources, the search for profits through efficiency, and climate change. We observe an increasing investment appetite for green bonds. Investment funds and asset managers worldwide search for innovative products that increase profitability but also create environmental and social value. This course studies finance and sustainability as integrated subjects beginning with an introduction of financial and investment principles and moving through financial analysis, financing, and valuation. The course covers diverse aspects of sustainable investments and offers tools for effective financial valuation and risk assessment.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Thursdays, September 1-December 17, 6:30pm-8:30pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 50 students
ENVR E-138a
Sustainable Investing in Practice
Graham Sinclair MBA, Senior Responsible Investment Strategist, Parametric
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26244 | Section 1
Description
Making the sustainable investing case is a crucial skill for every type of professional, whether in private, public, or not-for-profit sectors. Every investment has implicit environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors, because every decision on planet earth relies upon humans to buy, make, or do something and employs the rules of law to govern contractual relationships. This course takes lessons from the professional investment industry and makes them accessible to every kind of profession. Investment decisions are made in the investment industry, but capital allocations are also made every day by governments, companies, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The investment decision for any investor pulls forward to today the prospects for the firm and values the investment in today’s money. ESG may surpass $41 trillion assets under management in 2022. ESG scrutiny can shine a light on issues like climate pollution; workplace safety; employee health and wellness; diversity, equity and inclusion; executive compensation; business ethics; and corruption. In every sector and situation, one is increasingly expected to identify, measure, and report material ESG risks. The course blends the academic literature with current industry research and activities to ensure students learn the most modern material. The course is grounded in industry experience, investment policies and portfolios, cross-disciplinary academic literature, and Harvard Business School case studies. We leverage the real-world experience of the instructor and industry experts from around the world to examine multiple perspectives. Students work on their own and in groups, with short work assignments and very short presentations. This course uses the novel approach of promoting students’ experiential learning by building up components of their own simulated investment recommendations. Students have many opportunities to explore topics and situations of interest to them, including those drawn from news headlines and that apply to course curriculum.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Thursdays, January 26-May 13, 8:10pm-10:10pm
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 45 students
ENVR E-140
Fundamentals of Ecology for Sustainable Ecosystems
Mark Leighton PhD, Associate Director and Senior Research Advisor, Sustainability, Harvard Extension School
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 12779 | Section 1
Description
Conserving and managing biodiversity and ecosystem services in diverse landscapes across the globe is a major sustainability challenge of this century. Solutions critically rest on fundamental concepts and principles in ecology. This course adopts an unusual, holistic approach by embedding understanding and integration of these principles through a series of ecosystem case studies focused on desert, savanna and mountain ecosystems, wetlands and other aquatic systems, boreal, temperate, and tropical forests, and agroecosystems. These ecosystems exemplify different challenges, but similar ecological processes at work for successful management, whether the goal is protection of natural systems and biodiversity, ecological restoration, or maintaining ecosystem services in agricultural and other human-dominated landscapes. Through this approach, the fundamental topics covered in typical ecology courses are exemplified. The historical, evolutionary, and ecological processes determining the distribution of ecosystems, habitats, and species are introduced. Evolutionary processes responsible for the adaptations of individuals are examined to understand the diversity of species and their features. Ecological processes of competition, predation, disease, and mutualism help explain the functioning of biological communities and larger ecosystems. Among other activities, teams of students conduct background research on specific ecosystem sites to understand the ecological, economic, sociocultural, and multistakeholder context of sustainability challenges and integrated solutions.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Wednesdays, August 31-December 17, 7:40pm-9:40pm
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 50 students
ENVR E-143
Evaluating Sustainable Food Systems and other Enterprises in Rural Areas, With a View from Tuscany
Mark Leighton PhD, Associate Director and Senior Research Advisor, Sustainability, Harvard Extension School
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 25371 | Section 1
Description
Globally, metropolitan areas have prospered economically while rural areas have been left behind. The course focuses on sustainability opportunities and enterprises in these rural landscapes. Emphasis is on the benefits of regenerative farming and small-scale organic farm enterprises, typically with diverse production systems, common historically and now resurgent in the farm to table and local food movements as alternatives to industrial agriculture. Although of global relevance, the course focuses on comparisons between New England and Tuscany; in both these regions, ecological and economic sustainability challenges in the rural landscape include producing food and forest products for niche markets, managing watersheds, conserving biodiversity and other environmental services, such as carbon sequestration, and diversifying income streams with ecotourism. Optimizing this mix of functions while minimizing greenhouse gas emissions and other forms of pollution addresses sustainability goals. Online required class sessions discuss readings on models and analysis of sustainable food production systems, including organic, permaculture, and forest farming systems. Assignments and readings develop skills in spreadsheet modeling of production integrated with financial analysis of small-scale enterprises. The centerpiece of the course is an intensive and mandatory week long learning experience, May 1-May 8, in residence at Spannocchia, a historical Tuscan farming estate near Sienna. The educational mission of the Spannocchia Foundation is to promote sustainability in organic agriculture and animal husbandry, forestry, biodiversity conservation, ecotourism, and energy and waste management practices. Students work in small teams, conducting fieldwork on the 1,200 acres of the estate, evaluating models for these practices from ecological, economic, and policy perspectives, and debating creative ideas for sustainability futures in this inspirational setting with local experts. Students may also help establish experimental trials to test hypotheses about improved production and financial performance. These field exercises and discussions at Spannocchia are augmented with an all-day field trip to a nearby biodynamic winery site and onwards for the afternoon to the hill town of San Gimignano. Students should not have other work or study commitments during this period. Participating students must have proof of complete COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters before registering, and then comply with any Harvard, Italy, and Spannocchia-specific additional vaccine boosters and required testing before traveling to Italy and while at Spannocchia. The course involves some hiking and fieldwork on several days over uneven ground; because these are critical course activities, students must be physically able to participate. Although mild, sunny spring weather is common, unusually cold and rainy or hot days can occur, not unlike New England. Students are housed at Spannocchia in either the Fattoria or Villa rooms in the main building; rooms are typically shared doubles, spacious and historical. Meals feature organic products from the estate. View the Spannocchia website for photos and descriptions of accommodations, programs, and the estate property. Students with documented disabilities should contact the Accessibility Services Office no later than two weeks before the course begins. In addition to completing all required assignments for the course, students must attend the entire week at Spannocchia to pass the course (you cannot arrive late or leave early). If you neglect to register with Spannocchia or miss their deadlines, you will not pass the course. Harvard Extension School (HES) spring term registration, drop, and withdrawal deadlines apply to ENVR E-143. See the calendar. If students drop the course, HES will refund tuition payment according to standard refund policy. HES is not responsible for payments made to Spannocchia, travel, or other expenses that students may incur. Costs: in addition to the course tuition, students are responsible for: Approximately $900-$1,000 USD paid to Spannocchia by January 10. This includes room and board for May 1-May 8 (seven nights) and educational fees. Course members rendezvous in Siena on Monday, May 1, and then share taxis to Spannocchia after a group dinner. US health insurance that provides coverage outside the United States. Transportation to and from Spannocchia (via Siena). Shared per capita cost of bus/van rental and driver for the field trip, and shared taxi or van to and from Siena or Florence to Spannocchia. (Students also have some miscellaneous individual costs: for example, meals in Siena and San Gimignano, and a wine tasting fee if students participate). The cost of passports and visas (if the latter is needed). Costs of any required COVID-19 vaccinations, boosters, and tests, both in home country and Italy, depending on regulations at the time.
Prerequisites: No previous courses are required; however, ENVR E-129 (offered previously), ENVR E-129a, ENVR S-129b, ENVR E-129c, ENVR E-140, and ENVR E-210 are relevant sustainability courses providing background. Familiarity with Excel spreadsheets is helpful, but not required. Students must be at least 18 years old.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference with Required On-Campus Weekend
Wednesdays, January 25-May 13, 7:40pm-9:40pm
This course meets via live web conference Wednesdays, 7:40-9:40 pm; and in Tuscany, Italy, May 1-8, 2023. Optional review sessions to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time. Because this course requires in-person attendance, students must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 27 students
ENVR E-151
Life Cycle and Supply Chain Sustainability Assessment
Gregory A. Norris PhD, Director, Sustainability and Health Initiative for NetPositive Enterprise (SHINE), Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 13749 | Section 1
Description
The field of industrial ecology includes advanced tools and methods to assist practitioners seeking to redesign and realign industrial systems and activities to be more ecologically and socially sound. Central within the field of industrial ecology is life cycle assessment (LCA), which involves systems analysis of the full range of environmental impacts, product life cycles, and supply chains. Social impacts are also being addressed in life cycles and supply chains, leading to the definition of life cycle sustainability assessment. This course enables participants to develop a hands-on, in-depth understanding of the frameworks, principles, tools, and applications of life cycle assessment. As part of the course, students learn to use and apply professional software tools and databases that address sustainability-relevant impacts in global supply chains. We also review the state of life cycle practice and current initiatives involving companies, governments, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). We ground the entire course on the goal of making human activities, from the personal to the global, truly sustainable.
Prerequisites: College math, and/or chemistry are helpful, but students have thrived in this class without that background.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Wednesdays, August 31-December 17, 3:00pm-5:00pm
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
ENVR E-154
Sustainable Product Design and the Innovation Ecosystem
Ramon Sanchez ScD, Research Associate, Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 14518 | Section 1
Description
This course is for anyone who would like to learn how to design and launch a new product with the smallest environmental footprint. Students acquire many tools and skills in the course: how to do market intelligence (technological benchmarking and reverse engineering), how to incorporate real sustainability into new products (and identify green washing), how to use structured tools to enhance creativity and innovation to conceive and develop new products, how to design and implement a new product introduction process, how to do and implement the design of experiments to select the most robust features for products, how to write and submit a patent application to decrease legal costs, how to protect copyrights and trademarks, how to fund intellectual property by using funds from business incubators and accelerators, how to select the right materials and processes to minimize the product’s environmental impacts (using green chemistry principles, sustainable sourcing of components, and sustainable certification for raw materials to promote conservation), how to reduce energy use by new products, how to build and test prototypes in an inexpensive way, and how to reduce the environmental impacts of packaging and transportation. Students also learn the basic components of an innovation ecosystem and how high technology hubs such as Silicon Valley, Boston, and New York work.
Prerequisites: High school math.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, August 29-December 17, 6:30pm-8:30pm
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 50 students
ENVR E-156
Environmental Justice
Lindi Dorothee von Mutius JD, Director, Sustainability and Global Development Practice, Harvard Extension School
David Mears JD, Executive Director, Audubon Vermont and Vice President, National Audubon Society
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16849 | Section 1
Description
Within the United States and globally, there continue to be stark racial and economic differences in the distribution of environmental harms and goods, and the determination of who meaningfully participates in environmental decision-making processes. This course examines how environmental processes and policies interact with race and class to differentially affect people’s exposure to environmental harms and their ability to participate in environmental decision making. We review the history of the environmental justice movement in the US and use an environmental justice framework to examine various case studies and responses to environmental injustice. Through these examinations, students enhance their ability to analyze the impact of environmental work on vulnerable communities and improve their ability to work with diverse social groups in the US.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Wednesdays, August 31-December 17, 6:00pm-8:00pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 40 students
ENVR E-158b
Applied Circular Economics
Manuel Maqueda MS, JD, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, SUPER.ngo
Brian J. Bauer ALM, Director of Circular Economy and Institutional Partnerships, Algramo
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16829 | Section 1
Description
This course gives students the essential concepts, tools, and skills needed to take part in the transition to a circular economy in a wide variety of economic sectors and areas of human activity. Ecosystems tend toward a stable equilibrium, or homeostasis, and have the ability to regenerate and thrive for thousands of years. Likewise, the circular economy seeks to maintain the value and preserve the stocks of materials, components, and goods, while eliminating waste and pollution and restoring natural capital. The circular economy allows for a better economic and ecological performance than today’s prevailing economy which follows a take-make-waste linear model that destroys value, depletes stocks, and degrades living systems. The transition to a circular economy is mandated by the ecological and physical boundaries of our planet. Without an accelerated transition it will be impossible to meet the Paris Agreement targets. At the same time, the transition to a circular economy is a tremendous opportunity that would unleash global economic growth and create an estimated 95 million new jobs worldwide while also boosting economic resilience. The European Union, Canada, China, and other leading economies have outlined aggressive roadmaps towards a circular economy. In the United States, 60 percent of chief executive officers plan to transition to a circular economy framework. This course challenges not only what, but how students think about sustainability. Students are encouraged to think in systems and material flows, while embracing a radical collaboration mindset. Along the way we visit different areas of opportunity that range from biomass management to industrial symbiosis; examine circularity in sectors as diverse as food, electronics, and plastics; outline the role of related disciplines such as biomimicry and permaculture; and discuss innovative business models where products are servitized, dematerialized, and completely redesigned to foster modularity, repairability, upgradeability, and cradle-to-cradle life cycles.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Thursdays, September 1-December 17, 1:30pm-3:30pm
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 75 students
ENVR E-158c
Toxics in Consumer Products
Kathleen Sellers MS, Technical Fellow, Environmental Resources Management
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26471 | Section 1
Description
Concerned about toxics in consumer products? This course demystifies underlying scientific concepts, including the science that drives outrage and brings concerns over toxics to the fore. We explore what it means for a chemical to be toxic and take a systems approach to understanding exposures to chemicals that can result in risks to human health and the environment. Case studies of headline issues and guest speakers from the industry make abstract concepts come alive. This course provides students with the tools to support effective action to make products more sustainable and to make better choices as a consumer.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Tuesdays, January 24-May 13, 6:30pm-8:30pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 45 students
ENVR E-158e
Sustainable Fashion
Kelly A. Burton ALM, Chief Sustainability Officer, Material Exchange
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26051 | Section 1
Description
The global fashion and apparel industry has changed dramatically in the last 20 years to become an industry that today produces between six and ten percent of the world’s greenhouse gases. This course explores the historical, social, and environmental aspects of the global fashion industry and the current tools and methodologies available to improve it. It enables students to understand the connection between sustainable development and the apparel industry; think critically about both the common and less discussed aspects of the apparel industry, including consumption, durability, and sustainable design; appreciate the complexities of the economic impacts of externalities both positive and negative on the industry; and explore the social and environmental impacts and the tools available to monitor and measure positive impact.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Saturdays, January 28-May 13, 10:00am-12:00pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 45 students
ENVR E-158f
Regenerative Economics
Manuel Maqueda MS, JD, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, SUPER.ngo
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26427 | Section 1
Description
In this course we examine ways to accelerate the transition towards an economy that enriches, restores, and regenerates the Earth’s biosphere at scale while reversing climate change. Although regenerative economics is still an emergent field, this course focuses on praxis rather than on theory, seeking to equip participants with ideas and tools to solve real-world problems and to create innovative, regenerative economy initiatives in a variety of sectors. To this effect, we illustrate the topics with case studies and are joined by guest speakers who are leading practitioners in their domains. In this course, we visit different areas of regenerative opportunity that include regenerative agriculture and permaculture, agroforestry, and large-scale ecosystem restoration; as well as labriculture (in vitro food production) and bio-based materials and products (grown instead of made). In addition to the circular economics framework, we discuss the planetary boundary framework, and look at several large-scale human-Earth models, including National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA). Earth observation, the internet of things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), and blockchain are discussed as technologies to foster, manage, and measure regeneration, both locally and at planetary scale. Other emerging technologies such as synthetic biology, nanotechnology, and geo-engineering are examined with a precautionary, biomimetic, and critical lens.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Thursdays, January 26-May 13, 2:00pm-4:00pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 75 students
ENVR E-161b
Global Land Conservation Practice
Frank Lowenstein MS, Senior Director, Make It Personal, Rare
Henry Tepper MA, Conservation Consultant
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16645 | Section 1
Description
Land conservation drives sustainable development and biodiversity conservation around the world. This applied course is one of only a very few courses in the academic world that focuses on the skills and intellectual frameworks necessary to effectively secure and manage protected areas. Today, more than 15 percent of the world’s terrestrial area and 10 percent of coastal waters are encompassed within protected areas. Their management is likely to strongly influence the future richness of global biodiversity, the economic future particularly of rural and indigenous communities, and the severity of future global climate change. The course covers the global origins and growth of land conservation tools and strategies and their relationship to other social movements such as the expansion of national independence movements, free trade, climate action, democratic and multilateral institutions, and the movements supporting women’s rights, indigenous and community rights, and environmental justice. Land conservation is examined in the context of global change, including changes in biogeochemical cycles, climate, land use and cover, population, education, and economic attainment. The course includes a detailed examination of the advantages and limitations of major tools of international land conservation, including direct government action (for example, national parks), private land conservation, and the growth of community-based conservation. We focus on the practical application of conservation tools and teach students the skills they need to operate as conservation practitioners around the world.
Class Meetings:
Online or On Campus
Wednesdays, August 31-December 17, 5:40pm-7:40pm, 1 Story Street 306
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: Students can attend in person on campus, participate live online at the time the class meets via web conference, or watch the recorded video asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day. Students who attend this course in person must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details. If you will not be coming to campus, documentation is not required.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 50 students
ENVR E-166
Water Resources Policy and Watershed Management
Scott Horsley MA, Lecturer, Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning, Tufts University
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 14545 | Section 1
Description
This course presents a comprehensive approach to water resources management by integrating environmental science (geology, soils, and hydrology) and policy (planning and regulatory analysis). It is intended for both students with and without technical backgrounds. We use numerous case studies from the instructor’s experience as a consultant to the US Environmental Protection Agency, state and local governments, industry, and nongovernmental organizations. The course examines groundwater, lake, riverine, wetland, and coastal management issues at the local, state, tribal, regional, national, and international levels and relies heavily on practical case studies. We focus on an integrated water management approach that links drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater management seeking opportunities to keep water local and for re-use, balancing hydrologic budgets, and minimizing costs in the face of climate change. A broad range of water resource management strategies is examined including structural/nonstructural, regulatory/nonregulatory, and prevention/restoration approaches. Smart growth and low impact development techniques are presented as effective growth management and climate adaptation techniques. Incentive-based management strategies are presented to modify behaviors and to optimize public participation. Green infrastructure is presented as an innovative and alternative approach to conventional grey technologies and includes shellfish aquaculture, bioretention, reforestation of riparian buffers, ecotoilets, and wetlands restoration.
Class Meetings:
Online or On Campus
Thursdays, September 1-December 17, 3:00pm-5:00pm, 1 Story Street 304
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: Students can attend in person on campus, participate live online at the time the class meets via web conference, or watch the recorded video asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day. Students who attend this course in person must comply with the Harvard Extension School mandatory COVID-19 immunization documentation policy. Please see the COVID-19 updates page for details. If you will not be coming to campus, documentation is not required.
ENVR E-166a
Wetland Science and Policy
Jennifer Cole PhD, Associate Professor of Liberal Arts, Massachusetts College of Art and Design
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26421 | Section 1
Description
This course is intended for students interested in geological, hydrologic, biological, and social sciences with an specific focus on wetland environments and resources. In this course, students gain an interdisciplinary overview of physicochemical, biological, and cultural aspects of wetlands. We cover definitions, classification systems, origins, and natural processes of wetland environments. We discuss wetlands across the globe, including in boreal, temperate, and tropical climates. We investigate hydrology, soils, and vegetation and their relationship to ecosystem processes, societal values, and management. We examine human use, modification, exploitation, jurisdictional delineation, and management options, along with legal and political aspects of wetlands. This is a broad course, encompassing forestry, coastal management, energy, climate change, agriculture, history, and ecosystem succession, in addition to the areas listed above.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Tuesdays, January 24-May 13, 6:00pm-8:00pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 45 students
ENVR E-172
Case Studies in Development Economics
Bruno S. Sergi PhD, Professor of International Economics, University of Messina and Associate, Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, Harvard University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26194 | Section 1
Description
Sustainable development includes not only a healthy economic base, but also a sound environment, stable and rewarding employment, adequate purchasing power, distributional equity, national self-reliance, and maintenance of cultural integrity. This course explores the many dimensions of sustainability and their relationship to economic growth, and the use of national, multinational, and international political, legal, and economic mechanisms including environmental and trade law, and economic incentives to further sustainable development. The inter-relationship of global economic/financial changes, employment, and working conditions; the environment in the context of theories of development, trade, and employment; and the importance of networks and organizational learning are examined. Mechanisms for resolving the apparent conflicts between development, environment, and employment are explored.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Tuesdays, January 24-May 13, 11:00am-1:00pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
ENVR E-177
Managing Conservation Trade-Offs
Blake Simmons PhD, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Colorado State University
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 16854 | Section 1
Description
Faced with limited resources and complex environmental problems to solve, researchers, practitioners, and policymakers must make tough decisions. Environmental decision making in the twenty-first century requires thinking through multidimensional choices characterized by uncertain science, diverse stakeholders, and difficult trade-offs. Too often, however, important decisions are made opportunistically or on an ad hoc basis, leading to suboptimal investments, poor implementation, and unintentional outcomes. This course prepares students to tackle contemporary environmental problems using structured decision making and systematic conservation planning to maximize impacts for people and nature. Students learn about trade-offs, moral dilemmas, and other complexities of conservation in social-ecological systems. Through practical labs, students gain a variety of quantitative and qualitative skills to inform, design, and prioritize effective and equitable conservation interventions. Labs include introductory-level data analysis in R and spatial analyses in QGIS.
Prerequisites: B or higher in ENVR E-101.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, August 29-December 17, 7:40pm-9:40pm
Required sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 40 students
ENVR E-178
Socio-ecological Systems Thinking to Support a Regenerative Future
Katherine von Stackelberg ScD, Research Scientist, Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 25370 | Section 1
Description
This is a course on the economy in society and in the biosphere focused on supporting planetary health. Even as we recognize that human well-being depends on the natural environment, we are experiencing unprecedented environmental challenges largely as a consequence of unsustainable interactions with nature based on linear systems of extraction to waste rather than regeneration. We are increasingly putting our well-being at risk through the unintended environmental consequences of modern life. Industrialization and development at the expense of natural resources, energy- and pollution-intensive food production, and an economic system that fails to account for natural capital: these are just a few examples of how we are failing to work effectively within a socio-ecological system. In this course we explore the evidence for the ways in which the natural environment supports well-being, talk about the implications for sustainability (of what to whom), identify actionable strategies for sustainability that explicitly recognize the coupled human-natural system, and challenge conventional disciplinary norms by integrating social and natural sciences for more effective decision making. We explore themes related to the essentiality of biodiversity to ecosystem services, working with nature, biophilic design, biomimicry, permaculture and multifunctional agricultural landscapes, and collaborative decision making, and identify quantitative approaches for decision making based on systems thinking and dynamics.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, January 23-May 13, 11:00am-1:00pm
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
ENVR E-181
Sustainability Solutions for Small Businesses
Scott Curtis Stenger ALM, Lieutenant Colonel, United States Air Force
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26432 | Section 1
Description
This course communicates to students the knowledge they need to carry out sustainability actions in a small business. Background information on sustainability is used to provide business owners and employees with a clear understanding of climate change. The course then has a focus topic of the week; some examples are small business emissions, comparing the cost of operating sustainable small business vehicles, opportunities to save money and lower emissions with sustainable lighting, lowering costs and gaining revenue with effective recycling programs, government sustainability assistance for small business, renewable energy, sustainable office materials, and sustainable supply chains. This course differs from other courses by offering a topic of the week with practices and products a small business can adopt to make changes to become more sustainable during the semester. This course teaches practical and achievable lessons that can be implemented each week by a small business. Many in-class lessons are also applicable to make sustainability changes at small nonprofit organizations.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, January 23-May 13, 6:30pm-8:30pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 40 students
ENVR E-182
Implementing an Environmental Stewardship Plan
Jenny Kehl PhD, Professor of Business, International and Political Economy, Concordia University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26440 | Section 1
Description
This course is designed to offer an advanced understanding and practical application of environmental conservation for business, agency, and community partners. It is a practicum in natural resource management and environmental consultancy. The course includes policy analyses, data analyses, evaluation of natural resource consumption and supply chains, climate change risk assessment and mitigation, and innovation in stewardship and sustainability. It focuses on resource management practices that are environmentally sustainable, economically transformative, socially equitable, and stakeholder inclusive. The final product is an actual environmental stewardship plan for a business, agency, or community partner.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Wednesdays, January 25-May 13, 6:00pm-8:00pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
ENVR E-185
The Food System: Environment, Health, and Ethics
Sparsha Saha PhD, Lecturer on Government and Preceptor in Expository Writing, Harvard University
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26438 | Section 1
Description
The course has three units. In the first, students learn about the environmental, health, and ethical costs of animal agriculture (with a global focus though the United States is highlighted). Topics include: animal agriculture’s impact on climate change, as well as other less well known planetary boundaries like biodiversity loss, nitrogen/phosphorus cycles, water use, and land use; animal agriculture’s impact on health, including both communicable and non-communicable diseases; animal agriculture’s ethical costs, with a focus on marginalized black and brown populations who disproportionately bear these costs. In the second unit, we turn our attention to the lack of attention on these costs in policy, with a focus on the United States. Here, the topics include: subsidies (highlighting the lack of public investment in alternative proteins, in contrast to the approach taken by other countries like Singapore, Israel, and China); regulation (explaining how factory farms are virtually unregulated due to exemptions and lack of willingness in the US); legislation or proposed legislation (including the Green New Deal, the Biden Plan, and the Paris Agreement). In the third unit, we showcase the vast array of actors who are part of the food systems shift. The course aims to show students that they have opportunities to be part of the change by connecting them with other actors in the space including policymakers and staff, industry leaders in the plant-based sector, health professionals, academics, and advocates and activists.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Tuesdays, January 24-May 13, 5:10pm-7:10pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 45 students
ENVR E-187
Renewable Energy Mini-Grids for Rural Community Development
Scott Kennedy PhD, Chief Executive Officer, ClearSky Power and Co-Executive Director, Energy Action Partners
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 26441 | Section 1
Description
Renewable energy mini-grids are a key technology for extending electricity access to over 500 million people worldwide. Yet, for such a critical infrastructure, the mini-grid sector is far from standardized and faces several challenges. This course takes a deep dive into the rapidly evolving technologies, business models, policies, and project development approaches that are driving innovation in rural electricity access. Students learn the context of energy poverty, how limited energy access underlies numerous development challenges, and the various current approaches for rural electrification. The course then focuses specifically on renewable energy mini-grids, introducing the technology stack generation, power conversion, energy storage, distribution, and metering their different architectures and business models for service delivery. Students learn specific tools and methods for the mini-grid project development process, including feasibility studies, demand estimation, risk assessment, and project financing. Students also learn participatory planning and community engagement techniques that align project design with community expectations and increase community agency. The course draws on case studies and contributions from active practitioners, particularly from Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Students completing this course come away with a deep understanding of mini-grid technology, the opportunities and challenges around rural energy access, and the latest tools and methods for mini-grid project development.
Prerequisites: High school math and science. ENVR E-102 recommended.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Thursdays, January 26-May 13, 6:00pm-8:00pm
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 40 students
ENVR E-190
Urban Agriculture
Zachary Bostwick Nowak PhD
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 25667 | Section 1
Description
In this intensive January session course, we ask: what do gardens in cities do for people? Urban agriculture is a catch-all term that covers community gardens, vegetable plots at prisons, didactically-minded gardens in schoolyards, gardens planted illegally on vacant lots, high-tech hydroponic companies, and farmers’ markets. Students develop knowledge about how these spaces differ across variables like legality, goals, and actors. Students in this course learn about how growing food in Global North cities has a long past. We debate whether urban agriculture is an excellent way for city dwellers to reduce hunger and assert their control over urban space, or whether it’s just another subtle manifestation of neoliberalism. A core goal of this course, above and beyond the content, is to develop research skills in multiple disciplines that will be useful for other courses.
Class Meetings:
Live Attendance Web Conference
Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, January 3-21, 3:00pm-6:00pm
Term Start Date: January 03, 2023
Tuition:
Noncredit credit $1,500, undergraduate credit $1,980, graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 45 students
ENVR E-210
Critical Analysis of Environmental Systems
Mark Leighton PhD, Associate Director and Senior Research Advisor, Sustainability, Harvard Extension School
Fall Term 2022 | CRN 13757 | Section 1
Description
Understanding the dynamics of complex ecological and environmental systems and designing policies to promote their sustainability is a formidable challenge. Both the practitioner and policymaker must be able to evaluate scientific research, recognizing fundamental pitfalls in research design and data interpretation. Moreover, most important environmental problems involve interactions among variables as dynamic systems, so forecasting the impacts of potential environmental changes or policy interventions is critical. To develop these skills, students conduct practical exercises illustrating a range of modeling techniques, including statistical analysis of ecological and environmental data, and system dynamics modeling. Computer simulation modeling ranges across diverse issues in sustainability science, such as climate change, human population dynamics, population viability analysis of endangered species, and economic appraisal of projects that have an impact on natural resources. The course also focuses on developing skills in scientific writing, critiquing primary research literature, and communicating about environmental science. Quantitative techniques are taught at an introductory level; some data analysis and simulation modeling is conducted using Excel spreadsheets.
Prerequisites: A satisfactory score on the mandatory test of critical reading and writing skills or a B or higher grade in the alternate expository writing course. EXPO E-42b or EXPO E-42c are highly recommended. Experience manipulating data and algebraic equations on spreadsheets is helpful.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Thursdays, September 1-December 17, 7:40pm-9:40pm
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: August 29, 2022
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 100 students
ENVR E-210
Critical Analysis of Environmental Systems
Mark Leighton PhD, Associate Director and Senior Research Advisor, Sustainability, Harvard Extension School
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 23614 | Section 1
Description
Understanding the dynamics of complex ecological and environmental systems and designing policies to promote their sustainability is a formidable challenge. Both the practitioner and policymaker must be able to evaluate scientific research, recognizing fundamental pitfalls in research design and data interpretation. Moreover, most important environmental problems involve interactions among variables as dynamic systems, so forecasting the impacts of potential environmental changes or policy interventions is critical. To develop these skills, students conduct practical exercises illustrating a range of modeling techniques, including statistical analysis of ecological and environmental data, and system dynamics modeling. Computer simulation modeling ranges across diverse issues in sustainability science, such as climate change, human population dynamics, population viability analysis of endangered species, and economic appraisal of projects that have an impact on natural resources. The course also focuses on developing skills in scientific writing, critiquing primary research literature, and communicating about environmental science. Quantitative techniques are taught at an introductory level; some data analysis and simulation modeling is conducted using Excel spreadsheets.
Prerequisites: A satisfactory score on the mandatory test of critical reading and writing skills or a B or higher grade in the alternate expository writing course. EXPO E-42b or EXPO E-42c are highly recommended. Experience manipulating data and algebraic equations on spreadsheets is helpful.
Class Meetings:
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Thursdays, January 26-May 13, 7:40pm-9:40pm
Optional sections to be arranged.
Term Start Date: January 23, 2023
Tuition:
Graduate credit $3,100.
Credits: 4
Notes: This course meets via web conference. Students may attend at the scheduled meeting time or watch recorded sessions asynchronously. Recorded sessions are typically available within a few hours of the end of class and no later than the following business day.
Enrollment limit: Limited to 100 students
ENVR E-496
Crafting the Thesis Proposal in Sustainability
Mark Leighton PhD, Associate Director and Senior Research Advisor, Sustainability, Harvard Extension School
Spring Term 2023 | CRN 25105 | Section 1
Description
This intensive January session course helps students develop critical thinking, scholarly writing skills, and research abilities while developing their individual thesis proposals. Class meetings feature lectures and discussions on different scientific approaches, group discussions, and intensive, constructive discussion of proposed student thesis research projects and proposals, from definition of research goals and hypotheses through research design and expected data analysis and presentation. Students are encouraged to contact their research advisor well before prework is due to discuss possible thesis topics and should not register for this course unless they are ready to engage in the entire thesis process. They should consider if this is the right time to start independent research, as the goal of the course is to move from crafting the thesis proposal to thesis registration with no extended breaks. Students should begin the thesis project d