Harvard University Courses

Biotechnology

Harvard Business School and Harvard’s School of Arts and Sciences announced an exciting new course starting from fall 2020. Overseen by the Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, this course is a joint MBA/ MS in Biotechnology. Students enrolled in this program learn a mix of biomedical sciences and business thus gearing towards careers in biomedical consulting, pharma and finance.

The admission requirements for this program are a degree in Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM).Harvard University through its extension school offers an on-campus and off-campus Master’s in Biotechnology leading to a Master’s in Liberal Arts – Biotechnology.

This is a one-year program which has twelve courses of which two have to be finished on campus. This program is only for students with an undergraduate degree in a science field (physical, life, or computer science), at least one year of proven post-undergraduate scientific research experience, and an academic background in molecular, cellular, and organismal biology.

Areas of Expertise:

• Cell and Tissue Engineering, Biomaterials and Therapeutics
• Biophysics and Self-Assembly
• Bioinspired Robotics and Computing
• Biomechanics and Motor Control

Computer Science

Studying at Harvard is an experience. Only the best students do manage to get in. The reason is that even though the Harvard University Computer Science undergraduate and graduate courses may not be ranked among the top ten, but as a university overall, Harvard ranks as the 2nd best university in the country. It is a fact that studying at Harvard implies learning alongside some of the brightest and most talented people in the world. 

All undergraduates in Computer Science at Harvard work towards the basic Bachelor of Arts degree (A.B.). One can also qualify for the Honors program which demands more challenging coursework than the basic program.

John A Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Harvard does not have traditional academic departments and does not award degrees by a specific research area. Instead, graduate students work toward a degree in one of seven subjects:

• Applied Mathematics
• Applied Physics
• Computer Science
• Computational Science & Engineering
• Data Science
• Design Engineering
• Engineering Sciences. 

Students may apply for the Master of Science or Master of Engineering in Computational Science and Engineering. Master of Science in Computer Science is not awarded as a terminal degree. Master’s degrees are only awarded en-route to the Ph.D. degree, and students are not admitted directly into a masters program in Computer Science.

Candidates applying for any graduate degree in this program must have a Bachelor’s degree in the natural sciences, mathematics or engineering. Students will also need to have taken the GRE (general).
At this point until further notice, Harvard is only offering a Ph.D. program in Computer Science.

Areas of Expertise:

• Graphics, Vision and Interaction (Human-Computer Interaction, Computer Graphics, Scientific and Information Visualization, Computer Vision)
• Theory of Communication
• Artificial Intelligence (Computational Linguistics, Machine Learning, Multi-agent Systems, Robotics)
• Computational Neuroscience
• Economics and Computation
• Numerical Analysis
• Astrostatistics
• Systems, Networks and Databases (Operating Systems, Distributed Systems, Database Management Systems)
• Theory of Computation
• Architecture
• Information and Society (Policy, Computer Science Education, Privacy and Security)
• Programming Languages (Foundations, Design and Application, Implementation)
• Biostatistics
• Computational and Data Science (High Performance Computing, Connectomics, Large-scale Data Management)

List of Labs: Center for Research on Computation and Society

Electrical Engineering

Students opting for electrical engineering specialize in electronic circuits and devices while being provided the opportunity to explore :

• Signals and systems theory
• Control systems
• Robotics
• Optoelectronic devices
• Integrated circuits
• Energy systems
• Computer vision
• Electronic materials
• Computer software and hardware
• Mechanical
• Biological
• Environmental systems.

Undergraduate students can apply for a Bachelor of Arts (A.B) or a Bachelor of Science (S.B) degree. The Bachelor of Arts degree allows you to study deeper the specific disciplines of Electrical Engineering, while the Bachelor of Science gives you a broader insight into engineering fundamentals. The B.S program is also accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET. (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology). 

The Department offers a Ph.D. Program in Electrical Engineering. Masters degrees are only awarded en-route to the Ph.D., and students are not admitted directly into a masters program in Electrical Engineering.

Areas of Expertise:

• Robotics and Control
• Signal Processing
• Circuits and VLSI
• Computer Engineering
• Architecture

Environmental Engineering

Courses in Environmental Engineering at the undergraduate level at Harvard include studying

• Earth and planetary sciences
• engineering
• integrative biology and public policy
• Maths
• Physics
• Chemistry

Harvard's undergraduate program offers :

• Bachelor of Arts (A.B.) in Environmental Science and Engineering
• Bachelor of Science (S.B.) in Engineering Sciences (an ABET-accredited program) in the Environmental Science and Engineering Track

The difference between the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science programs is that while most of the coursework is similar, students in the arts program take additional courses from other natural and social sciences. Students in the science program are more geared to taking other engineering related courses.

Please note that Harvard offers only a Ph.D. program in Environmental Engineering. The program is structured to be around 4 to 5 years long. The first two years are spent on coursework. The remaining years are spent on full-time research culminating in presenting an original thesis after which the Ph.D. is awarded.

Areas of Expertise:

• Oceans and Geophysics
• Atmospheric and Climate Measurements and Modeling
• Environmental Chemistry and Microbiology
• Engineering, Economic Development, and Resource Management
• Instrumentation and Field Measurements
• Energy and Environmental Technologies
• Pollution Monitoring

Material Sciences and Mechanical Engineering

Materials Science & Mechanical Engineering research ranges from fundamental work in solid and fluid mechanics to diverse studies in materials, mechanical systems, and biomechanics. The John. A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences offers Undergraduate courses in Material Science and Mechanical Engineering.

Students may opt for the four-year Bachelor of Arts (A.B) in Engineering Sciences (Mechanics and Material Sciences and Engineering track). Harvard University offers  a Ph.D. program in Material Science and Mechanical Engineering. Students pursuing Mechanical Engineering receive a foundational education in a discipline central to challenges in energy, transportation, manufacturing, robotics, and the development of public infrastructure.

Mechanical engineering covers a wide range of activities, including research in dynamics, fluids, materials, solids, and thermodynamics. The undergraduate department offers a Bachelor of Arts (A.B.) in Engineering Sciences - Mechanical and Materials Science and Engineering Track and Bachelor of Science (S.B.) in Mechanical Engineering. Harvard University offers a Ph.D. program in Material Science and Mechanical Engineering.

Areas of Expertise:

• Soft Condensed Matter
• Surface and Interface Science
• Materials Science
• Robotics and Control
• Solid Mechanics
• Fluid Mechanics

List of Labs:

• Materials Research Science
• Engineering Center

Pure Sciences

The School of Engineering and Applied Sciences offers a Phd in Applied Mathematics.  A student desirous of studying for a Ph.D may apply directly to this programme after his/her undergraduate studies. She will also be able to earn a Master's degree en route to the Ph.D. The department also offers a four-year program culminating in the  Bachelor of Arts and Master of Science degree.

The university offers a terminal degree-Ph.D in Applied Physics with the chance of earning a Master’s during the course of the study. The degrees offered by the department in Computational Science and Engineering are a Master of Science (a one-year program with intensive coursework) and Master of Engineering (a two-year program)  with a thesis to be presented at the end of the second year.

The Faculty of Arts and Sciences, the largest division of the university, is renowned all over the world for its diverse offerings. The reason for Harvard being adjudged the second-best University in the world is because of the excellence earned by this department.

Some of the graduate courses offered by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences are :

• Chemistry & Chemical Biology
• Earth & Planetary Sciences
• Human Evolutionary Biology
• Mathematics
• Molecular & Cellular Biology
• Organismic & Evolutionary Biology
• Physics
• Statistics
• Stem Cell & Regenerative Biology.

Areas of Expertise:

• Electromagnetics and Nanoelectronics
• Quantum Devices
• Soft Condensed Matter
• Nanophotonics
• Surface and Interface Science
• Economics and Computation
• Modeling Physical/Biological Phenomena and Systems
• Control Theory and Communications
• Materials Science
• Biophysics and Self-Assembly
• Solid Mechanics
• Fluid Mechanics
• Theory of Computation

List of Labs: Center for Integrated Quantum Materials at Harvard