Harvard University

Harvard University, established in 1636, is the oldest higher education institution in the United States. This world-leading University is devoted to excellence in teaching, learning, and research, while developing leaders across a variety of disciplines & one of the most prestigious and highly ranked universities in the world.

  • Among overall rankings, the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) has ranked Harvard as the world’s top university every year since it was released. When QS and Times Higher Education collaborated to publish the Times Higher Education–QS World University Rankings from 2004 to 2009, Harvard held the top spot every year and continued to hold first place on THE World Reputation Rankings ever since it was released in 2011.
  • In 2019, it was ranked first worldwide by SCImago Institutions Rankings.
  • It was ranked in the first tier of American research universities, along with Columbia, MIT, and Stanford, in the 2019 report from the Center for Measuring University Performance. Harvard University is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education.
  • Among rankings of specific indicators, Harvard topped both the University Ranking by Academic Performance (2019–2020) and Mines ParisTech: Professional Ranking of World Universities (2011), which measured universities’ numbers of alumni holding CEO positions in Fortune Global 500 companies.
  • According to annual polls done by The Princeton Review, Harvard is consistently among the top two most commonly named dream colleges in the United States, both for students and parents. Additionally, having made significant investments in its engineering school in recent years, Harvard was ranked third worldwide for Engineering and Technology in 2019 by Times Higher Education.
  • In international relations, Foreign Policy magazine ranks Harvard best in the world at the undergraduate level and second in the world at the graduate level, behind the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University.

Through a selection of online courses, produced in partnership with Harvard’s VPAL and Harvard’s Derek Bok Center, students from around the globe will access knowledge from within Harvard and beyond.

Harvard University is committed to bringing innovative and world-class learning opportunities to professionals across the globe.

  • Harvard’s Office of the Vice Provost for Advances in Learning is dedicated to creating engaging and scalable learning experiences, as part of its 21st century approach to enhancing higher education.
  • Harvard’s Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning promotes a culture of experimentation, innovation, and evidence-based practices with the goal of elevating the quality of teaching and learning worldwide.

Harvard University online courses

Harvard VPAL and Harvard Bok online courses are designed to foster transformational and creative solutions to modern challenges and disruptions. Aimed at a wide range of professionals, these courses offer flexible, supported learning, as students are exposed to new ways of thinking and understanding.

Why learn online with Harvard VPAL and Harvard Bok

Through its work with Career Courses, HarvardX is committed to developing an innovative and accessible approach to online learning. In doing so, this collaboration establishes a new standard, to create a high-touch, intimate, and fully supported learning journey that also presents opportunities to network with like-minded professionals and leaders.

Alongside a core focus on quality, both Harvard VPAL and Harvard Bok champion an online learning model built on a foundation of human mentorship. With performance coaching, administrative and academic support, individualized assessment feedback, and rich social interaction with peers, these HarvardX online courses are designed to deliver impactful learning outcomes.

Frequently asked questions

What can you gain from Harvard online courses?

HarvardX online courses are designed to help you learn new skills and stay ahead of the curve in your field by improving your current skill set. If you’re looking to use artificial intelligence (AI) and machine (ML) to harness data in the finance field, explore the FinTech online short course designed by Harvard VPAL. And if you’re ready to develop a cybersecurity leadership plan to help manage risks in your organization, the Cybersecurity online short course will equip you with the skills needed to develop a mitigation strategy. If you’re looking to become a better educator, the Higher Education Teaching Certificate by Harvard Bok is for you. What’s more, you can explore the applications of CRISPR in biotechnology and the market opportunities that genetic information and engineering presents with the CRISPR: Gene-editing Applications online short course.

What can you expect from learning online with Harvard?

Participants can expect a supportive and transformative online learning experience. HarvardX online courses are designed in collaboration with Harvard’s Office of the Vice Provost for Advances in Learning (VPAL) and Harvard’s Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning. The online courses provide the opportunity to gain the skills you need to achieve impactful learning outcomes to grow in your career.

How to get started with learning online?

To get started with learning online with HarvardX, simply browse our range of courses and complete registration to enroll.