Secondary School Program Courses and Subjects

Pursue a Career Pathway

Students who select a career pathway course will come away with fresh perspectives on a field of work they might want to pursue. In each course, students explore an academic topic in depth while working on projects that are mirrored in the real world.

Guests in the classroom will both advise students and provide insights on their own career paths. Throughout the course students will reflect on what they have learned about their skills, interests, and future goals. At the end of a course, students will come away energized about possible areas of study as well as potential career paths, and will have built valuable team-building and leadership skills.

Career Pathway courses are capped at between 15-25 students.

2022 Career Pathway Courses

Animal Transgenesis: A Laboratory Primer on Genetics

This lab-based course uses the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster to introduce students to modern molecular biology methods. Students isolate genomic DNA and perform standard polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and inverse PCR, in addition to learning DNA primer design. The class opens up the possibility of making novel scientific discoveries, and generating data and resources that can be used by practicing scientists.

Becoming a Brain Scientist: Neuroscience and Psychology Research

This course is an introduction to how psychologists and neuroscientists formulate hypotheses, design experiments, and collect and analyze data. Each student is matched with a research mentor in a Harvard laboratory. Students meet weekly as a group to explore topics of interest to researchers in biological science, neuroscience, and psychology.

Beginning Journalism

This course provides a thorough introduction to reporting, writing, and the ethics of journalism. Students learn how to recognize good stories, gather facts through in-person interviews, develop sources, and write news, feature, and opinion articles. Throughout the course students shadow a practicing journalist and welcome journalist guests into the classroom.

Introduction to Entrepreneurship

Do you have an idea for a startup? This course is designed to teach fundamental principles and best practices for creating and scaling a successful entrepreneurial venture. The course is highly experiential and action-based. Students form teams around common interests. As a team, you will walk through the venture creation process step by step, culminating in a pitch to angel investors and venture capitalists.

Problem Solving and Project Design

In this course, students work on real-world problems that do not have obvious solutions. As part of a project team, students are matched with a client that has a difficult challenge. The project team analyzes the challenge and designs a solution to present to the client. The course provides students with the ability to understand how an entire system works; how a change in one part affects the rest, and how a “big picture” perspective can assist in problem-solving.

Start-Ups from the Perspective of Business and IP Law

This course introduces students to the intersection of start-ups and intellectual property (IP) law. Students gain experience in presenting “shark tank” pitches, writing a contract, performing business analysis, preparing and conducting depositions, and constructing a legal argument. Upon completion, students are able to perform legal research relevant to start-ups during their funding and growth periods.

Focused Areas of Study

Delve into a topic you are passionate about by taking one or two courses in these specially-designed clusters. Maybe you are committed to human rights but aren’t sure how that would translate to a college major, or you know you are interested in medicine but you’d like to explore issues of health through multiple academic lenses.

These courses will help you explore the possibilities of academic study at the college level. In fact, 89% of past attendees said the courses they completed at Harvard helped them identify what they wanted to study in college.

Computer Science and Engineering

Programming and Web Development

Introduction to Computer Science with Python (CSCI S-7)
Intensive Introduction to Computer Science (CSCI S-50)
Introduction to Artificial Intelligence with Python (CSCI S-80)
Introduction to C++ for Programmers (CSCI S-38)

Applied Mathematics and Engineering

Introduction to Probability for Engineering and Data Science (ENSC S-138)
Mathematical Modeling (APMA S-115)

Design

Introduction to Digital Fabrication (PHYS S-12)
Character Design for Animation and Games (DGMD S-71)
Digital Media: From Ideas to Designs and Prototypes (DGMD S-1)

Technology and Society

Wearable Devices and Computer Vision (DGMD S-14)
Robotics, Autonomous Vehicles, Drones, and Artificial Intelligence (DGMD S-17)
The Ethics of Emerging Technologies (PHIL S-150)

Justice, Ethics, and Human Rights

Global Perspectives

War Crimes, Genocide, and Justice (GOVT S-1732)
The Human Market: The Global Traffic in Human Beings (ANTH S-1662)
Globalization and Global Justice (SOCI S-192)
Global Gender Justice (HUMA S-185)
Humanitarian Activism and Civil Society (SOCI S-124)

Justice in America

Race, Class and Consumption in Food (AAAS S-118)
Prison Literature in America (ENGL S-258)
Power and Privilege in the Criminal Justice System (PSYC S1872)
Birth Control (SWGS S-1235)
Economics of Inequality (ECON S-1320)

Ethics and Political Philosophy

Introduction to Political Philosophy (GOVT S-10)
Justice: Ethics in an Age of Pandemic and Racial Reckoning (GOVT S-1045)
Human Ethics: An Introduction to Moral Philosophy (PHIL S-18)

Economics, Finance, and Public Policy

Economic Principles

Principles of Economics: Macroeconomics (ECON S-10B)
Principles of Economics: Microeconomics (ECON S-10A)
Microeconomic Theory (ECON S-1010)
Introduction to Financial and Managerial Economics (ECON S-190)
Game Theory and Strategic Decisions (ECON S-1040)

Accounting and Personal Finance

Financial Accounting (ECON S-1900)
Personal Finance and Financial Well-being (ECON S-70)

Applications, Data Analysis, and Public Policy

Introduction to Statistics and Applied Data Analysis (STAT S-100)
Introduction to Econometrics (ECON S-1123)
Environmental Economics (ENVR S-161)
Public Finance (ECON S-1412)
The Culture of Capitalism (ENGL S-207)

Medical Sciences and Ethics

Premedical Sciences

Introduction to Organismic and Evolutionary Biology (BIOS S-1B)
Introduction to Molecular and Cellular Biology (BIOS S-1A)
Principles of Organic Chemistry (CHEM S-17)
Introduction to Biochemistry (BIOS S-10)

Ethics Training

Introduction to Biomedical Ethics (PHIL S-167)
Writing about Social and Ethical Issues (EXPO S-20D)

Medicine and Society

Disease, Illness, and Health through Literature (COMP S-120)
The Opioid Epidemic (ANTH S-1667)
Infectious Diseases, Pandemics, and Social Injustice (BIOS S-62)
Deadly Diseases: Epidemics throughout History (HSCI S-202)
Can you Choose to be Healthy? (SSCI S-131)

New Directions in Biology

Introduction to Epidemiology and Biostatistics (STAT S-103)
Biotechnology and the Human Good (PHIL S-159)
Species-Spanning Medicine: Nature of Illness in Humans & Other Animals (BIOS S26)
Introduction to Immunology With Laboratory Techniques (BIOS S-61)

Psychology and Neuroscience

Brain Science

Foundations of Neuroscience (BIOS S-50)
Neuroinvesting: Neuroscience and Financial Decision-Making (ECON S-1915)
Mind and Brain: Themes in the History of Neuroscience (HSCI S-176)

Individual and Social Psychology

Introduction to Psychology (PSYC S-1)
How Students Learn: Psychological Science in the Classroom (PSYC S-1155)
The Psychology of Eating (PSYC S-1470)
The Psychology of Close Relationships (PSYC 1503)

Psychology, Logic, and Law

Law and Psychology (PSYC S-1870)
Deductive Logic (PHIL S-12)
Psychopaths and the Insanity Defense (PSYC S-980V)

The full course catalog and links to these specific courses will be available mid-January.

Browse Courses by Topic

Arts, Writing, and the Humanities

Computer Science, Math, and Engineering

Foreign Languages and Literatures

Sciences

Study of Societies, Past and Present

View Summer Courses

Learn from Harvard Professors

Our courses are taught by Harvard faculty who teach the same courses to Harvard College students during the academic year or by visiting scholars who hail from respected institutions around the world.

Enjoy a Flexible Schedule

Whether you choose to enroll in one or two courses, you will have some flexibility to schedule your days. Classes are held in the mornings, afternoons, or evenings.

The program spans seven weeks, and most courses meet for six weeks, with a final exam, paper, or project during the seventh week.

Earn College Credit

At the completion of the program, you may request a transcript listing your coursework, grades, and number of credits earned.

Choosing the Right Courses for You

We can help you choose courses that will match your interests and goals. Connect with us after admission, and we’ll advise you every step of the way.

Our office is open Monday – Friday, 9 am to 5 pm EST. Contact us or email us to set up an advising appointment.

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