Program in General Education
The Program in General Education is the cornerstone of the Harvard College curriculum.
Background photo of a student speaking into a microphone during Gen Ed 1131: Loss.
Explore new ideas. Expand your horizons. Engage with the world.
Focusing on urgent problems and enduring questions, Gen Ed courses are unusually explicit in connecting the subjects you study to the people you will become and the world beyond the classroom.
Transcending disciplinary divisions, they demonstrate the value of embedding what you will learn in your concentrations within the broader context of the liberal arts. In Gen Ed courses, you engage in activities that have the potential to shape the world around you.
Learn more about the General Education requirements and find answers to frequently asked questions.
Explore the courses being offered for the 2024-2025 academic year in each of the four Gen Ed categories.
Find resources specific to teaching in the Program in General Education, from course proposal to reapproval.
News
- Professor Kathleen Coleman wins 2025 Faculty Prize
James Loeb Professor of Classics Kathleen Coleman is this year’s recipient of the inaugural Faculty Prize for Excellence in General Education, a new award designed to recognize stellar pedagogical practices within the Program. Read more about Professor Coleman’s… - Gen Ed Faculty awarded professorships for excellence in teaching
Two Gen Ed faculty were recently awarded Harvard College Professorships for excellence in undergraduate teaching. Gen Ed recipients Professor Christina Maranci and Professor Karen Thornber accompanied three other Harvard College Faculty in receiving the distinction. Professor Christina… - Winners of the 2025 General Education Prize
Congratulations to the following students for their exceptional reflections on the transformational nature of their Gen Ed learning experiences: See their prize-winning submissions or learn more about the General Education Prize. …