This course compares legal and psychological approaches to human behavior and considers their interaction. Topics include criminal, ethnic, and racial profiling; true and false confessions; the insanity defense; civil and criminal commitment; expert witnesses; eyewitness identification and testimony; juries; punishment and rehabilitation; psychopaths and psychopathy; sexual behavior; and victimless crimes. It provides background in American law and in abnormal and forensic psychology and analyzes the roles of lawyers and of psychologists, in theory and in practice. It focuses on research in law and in psychology and neuroscience, and on case studies.

This course is an introduction to the study of psychopathology. It focuses on theoretical models of abnormal behavior as they relate to the definition, etiology, and treatment of mental disorders. Diagnostic classification, and behavioral and biological features of the major syndromes of psychopathology are emphasized.

Consider this: 63% of the top 10 surgical procedures are performed on women. More than ½ of any doctor’s patients will be women. Symptoms for common conditions such as heart disease and Lupus express themselves differently in women than in men. That’s why for anyone thinking about a future in medicine or healthcare, this course is an absolute must. Gain insight into menstruation, birth control, pregnancy, hormonal shifts, and more. Learn to think like a doctor who faces health issues like these every day.

This course is an introduction to the study of linguistics as a science. It introduces several components of grammar (morphology, syntax, phonology, phonetics, and semantics) and surveys methods, findings, and theories of linguistic research on the sound system and the structures of human language.

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 make them attractive also to people who are not sick but who would use them to look younger, perform better, feel happier, or become more perfect. These applications of biotechnology are already presenting us with some unfamiliar and very difficult challenges.

Human interaction with drugs permeates our society. Alcohol, cigarettes and electronic cigarettes, heroin, and marijuana—all of these chemicals act on the brain and alter an individual's behavior. Psychopharmacology and behavioral pharmacology is the study of drugs' effects on behavior and is a growing, interdisciplinary field in psychology. This course is designed as an introduction to the methods of psychopharmacology, both in humans and nonhumans. We survey a wide variety of drug classes, select drugs, basic concepts in pharmacology, behavioral methodology, clinical applications, and drug effects on the nervous system. This course is meant to emphasize both historical and classical studies in the field of psychopharmacology as well as topical developments relevant to present-day issues related to drugs, addiction, and human behavior.

This course is an exploration of the psychology of close human relationships. We learn about intimate (romantic) relationships and friendships, and the ways in which these two kinds of relationships interact. Other kinds of close relationships (family and work relationships, for example) are integrated into the course, and although they are extremely valuable relationships in their own right, they are addressed secondarily to romantic relationships and friendships for the purposes of this course.

The United States is notable for its wide health disparities, particularly across socioeconomic, racial, and geographic divides. To what extent are these disparities the result of individual choices? How much are they shaped by societal factors? How has the COVID-19 pandemic worsened this situation? In this course, students learn how scientists approach public health problems and how their findings are used to assess and intervene against threats to human health.

Are you curious about how scientists study and treat infectious diseases at the very deepest level? Would you like to explore college majors and careers connected with this field? If you have a passion for understanding how diseases spring from nature to humans and then spread across our planet, this course is for you. We’ll take a deep dive into the causes and treatments of conditions such as Covid-19, tuberculosis, HIV, and more. Ideal for anyone interested in pre-med, scientific research, global health, biology, or chemistry.

This course covers differential and integral calculus in one variable, with applications. We aim to develop conceptual understanding, computational skills, and the students' ability to apply the material to science. The topics covered overlap with the advanced placement calculus curriculum to a large extent. A graphing calculator can occasionally be useful. Students enrolling for graduate credit participate in weekly pedagogical seminars investigating current research in mathematics education.

This course introduces the basic concepts and theories of ethics and applies them to some of the most widely discussed issues of the day. Students examine ethical issues that arise in a biomedical context, such as euthanasia, eugenics, reproductive control, lying to patients, and the right to health care.

This course explores the manifold physiological, nutritional, behavioral, and sociocultural factors mediating why we eat, what we eat, and how we eat. Topics covered in the course include sensory systems and eating experience, biological mechanisms of hunger and satiety, social influence over food consumption, stress and comfort foods, eating and health, and maladaptive eating behaviors. Section meetings provide opportunities for in-depth discussion of contemporary material as well as participation in individual and group projects.

The United States is increasingly diverse and the world increasingly globalized. The central focus of the course is on the links between diversity and psychological processes at individual, interpersonal, and international levels. We consider several basic questions: What is diversity? How do race, nationality, and religion influence individuals? What impact does diversity have on cross-group relationships? How is diversity related to people's perceptions of fairness and justice? What is the relevance of people's perceptions of fairness and justice to social problems and social change? Does respect for diversity promote peace and positive change? Much research has addressed these questions, and we closely examine the evidence that has emerged so far.

This course is designed to introduce students to basic concepts of epidemiology and biostatistics. Selected sections from textbooks and recent primary literature are used. Students learn how to critically read published epidemiological studies and understand the study design, analyses, and conclusions drawn from the studies. There is a substantial hands-on component in which students learn basic R statistical programming, using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) dataset primarily, to make discoveries.

How do scientists study the brain, behavior, cognition, and learning? This course is an introduction to how psychologists and neuroscientists formulate hypotheses, design experiments, and collect and analyze data to learn about nervous system and brain functioning, brain disorders and disease, learning, and behavior. Each student is matched with a research mentor in a Harvard laboratory. Students spend approximately ten hours per week on a project related to the lab's research. In addition, all students meet weekly as a group to explore topics of interest to researchers in biological science, neuroscience, and psychology, including research ethics and human subjects' protection, clinical trials, and science communication. Students read both literature specific to their lab experience as well as more general material on research methods and experimental design. Host laboratories conduct research in a wide variety of areas, which may include neuroscience, cognition, brain disorders and disease, mental disorders, and animal behavior.