Overview of the Guide
The Hauser Center’s The Guide to Nonprofit Courses: Harvard University and Beyond summarizes the range of courses related to the nonprofit sector, or issues addressed by the nonprofit sector, that are being offered in various disciplines across Harvard University’s affiliated schools, in addition to Tufts University’s Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). This Guide is the Hauser Center’s premier publication for students interested in the nonprofit sector and civil society.
The Guide’s database allows students to locate courses of interest by any combination of the following search criteria: Year/Semester Offered, Affiliated School, Key Word in Course Description, Course Title, Course Number, Instructor’s Name, and Day and Time. As nonprofit studies are inherently interdisciplinary, you’ll find a number of courses to be cross-listed at more than one school. In addition, based on the courses offered this year, Hauser has identified pre-sorted career tracks to assist students in finding courses in a particular field in which nonprofits/NGOs play a key role. Example tracks include: International Policy, Nonprofit Business, Human Rights, Policy Analysis, Environmental Activism, and Leadership. Whether you are just browsing or trying to pinpoint a particular course, the Hauser Guide to Nonprofit Courses has been designed for you!
The Guide also offers numerous resources for students including:
• Links to Cross-Registration Resources and Guidelines at each University.
• Links to all the Course Catalogues and Registrar Offices at each Affiliated School.
• A list of University Research Centers which have stated an interest in the nonprofit sector or nonprofit interest areas.
• A list of student groups or activities taking place around Harvard which relate to the nonprofit sector or nonprofit interest areas.
Accompanying our Guide, we are pleased to include Course Recommendations and Advice from Hauser Center Faculty in which Hauser Center Principals have provided their thoughts on the essential skills required to enter the many areas of the nonprofit sector along with fitting course frameworks to help students formulate their approach to the many available courses.
This year we offer the following faculty contributions:
Nonprofit Executive Education Programs by Professor Christine Letts
Nonprofit Financial Management by Professor James Honan
Organizing, Advocacy and Change by Professor Marshall Ganz
What this Guide may not cover
The Guide to Nonprofit Courses: Harvard University and Beyond is a reference that describes a wide variety of nonprofit courses; it should not be your final source for course information. In the event that course offerings change, the most up-to-the-minute information should be available from the registrar or through each school’s online resources. Please note that some schools only provide partial Spring course listings. Each school’s registrar should be considered the final authority and be consulted for final information about a course. When in doubt about the relevance or appropriateness of a course to your program of study, check with your academic advising staff, department chair, and/or local registrar.
The following tips will help you design the course schedule best suited to your interests:
• Contact professors working on issues of interest to you. Use the course guide creatively to identify potential faculty members as useful starting points to your particular nonprofit research or practice interests.
• Take advantage of the ability to cross-register. Each affiliated school will address your topic of interest differently and courses in alternate programs can provide new perspectives.
• Don’t have time to take a course during the day? Check out Harvard Extension School’s evening classes on Nonprofit studies.
• Look at the detailed student evaluations of the courses. Many schools annually collect and tabulate student evaluations from the previous year. Contact the registrar’s offices at the respective schools to determine where these reviews are located.
• To learn more about the wealth of nonprofit-related academic resources, research and information offered at Harvard University and beyond, please contact the Hauser Center.
