10 courses to consider for the fall semester

Registration for fall courses at Harvard Extension School is now open! Here are 10 courses to whet your appetite. Use our course search to find  more.

1. Microbes, Man, and the Global Environment

We have a complicated relationship with microbes. One day the viral types are creating a public-health threat, the next day hydrocarbon-digesting ones are eating up the Gulf oil spill. Study these complex microorganisms with a Harvard Medical School lecturer. Read about Microbes, Man, and the Global Environment.

2. Understanding and Developing Multimedia

Where would we be today without YouTube? Video and other multimedia have enriched the web. Learn to produce your own multimedia in this computer science course, offered online and on campus. See Understanding and Developing Multimedia.

3. Literature and Sexuality

From D.H. Lawrence to Nabokov to the Marquis de Sade, sexuality in literature has been a salient ingredient for modern subjectivity. In this online class, explore the intertwining histories of literature and sexuality. See more about Literature and Sexuality.

4. Environmental Science

Delve into the science of air pollutants in this class with three professors from the Harvard School of Public Health. See Environmental Science.

5. Russian Politics in Transition

This online course, taught by the Morris and Anna Feldberg Professor of Government and Russian Studies, explores the many hurdles on Russia’s long road to full democracy. See Russian Politics in Transition.

6. History of American International Relations

How has America’s role in international relations changed since Thomas Jefferson first served as a liaison to France for our fledgling country? History of American International Relations surveys the history American international relations. The course can be taken online.

7. The Darwinian Revolution

Featuring recordings of a Harvard College course taught by Janet Browne, Aramont Professor of the History of Science and Harvard College professor, this online class explores why evolutionary theory is so controversial in the public sphere and looks to the history of cultural changes in the West for answers. See The Darwinian Revolution.

8. Censorship of Obscene, Blasphemous, Incendiary Materials: Legal, Ethical, and Policy Issues

Explore the complex legal and social minefields of censorship through famous cases involving religious, sexual, and politically volatile materials. See Censorship of Obscene, Blasphemous, Incendiary Materials: Legal, Ethical, and Policy Issues.

9. Strategic Management

Successful managers approach all aspects of their work from a strategic perspective, with their eye on the big picture. Explore these key concepts and gain practical techniques in this course. See Strategic Management.

10. Understanding Islam and Contemporary Muslim Societies

This survey of Islam explores the Muslim tradition and how it has shaped political, social, and cultural life in Muslim countries. Understanding Islam and Contemporary Muslim Societies can be taken online.

Registration continues through August 28. And classes start the week of August 29.