NanoCourses

Nanocourses are short courses that typically meet for a total of 6-8 hours over 2-3 days. These 'rapid-response' classes are developed to fill gaps in the larger curriculum or to address developing topics relevant to the HMS community -- typically related to highly focused scientific content, research techniques or the development of professional skills. Nanocourses are also an opportunity for HMS faculty to reach students when it might be impossible or impractical to mount a semester-long course and for Harvard graduate students to continue learning outside the boundaries of their typical courses. The first session of a nanocourse is typically an overview of the topic and is open to the wider Harvard community. The latter sessions are typically reserved for registered students and are hands-on, active explorations of the topic. Participants are often encouraged to consider how the topic may apply to their own research or professional development.