Higher Education Teaching Certificate | Online short course

Become a leader in higher education in just eight weeks

Enhance your teaching approach by adopting reflective techniques and updated methodologies.

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Enter your information to access the course prospectus and learn more about this course from GetSmarter, an edX partner.

Refine your teaching practice

April 2, 2025

Next start date

8 weeks

Program duration

 8–10 hours

Weekly time commitment

Premier certificate

From Harvard Bok, in association with HarvardX

Advance your leadership in higher education

By the end of the course, you'll gain a deeper understanding of effective teaching methods and be able to apply them to enhance student learning outcomes.

Create a supportive learning environment

Understand third-level education teaching practices

Learn effective classroom management

Design interactive lesson-plans

Build a comprehensive teaching portfolio

Meet your Course Conveners

This online short course is led by esteemed faculty from Harvard’s Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning, in association with HarvardX, who will share their experience and in-depth knowledge with you throughout the course.

Adam G. Beaver

Director of Pedagogy

As associate director for teaching and learning, Beaver works primarily with faculty and graduate students in the humanities, social sciences, and Gen Ed. Trained as a Renaissance historian, Beaver is especially attuned to what we can learn from the deep history of universities, including the different kinds of intellectual practices and communities that have inhabited them. 

Beaver is interested in thinking with teachers about the best way to blend different kinds of techniques and exercises into a bespoke style that works for each individual instructor and course.

Pamela Pollock

Director of Professional Development

With over a decade of experience in graduate student program development, Pollock provides leadership for many of Harvard Bok’s professional and scholarly development offerings for graduate students, including the Bok Seminars, the Bok Center Teaching Certificate, the Professional Communication Program for International Teachers and Scholars, and the Harvard Horizons mentoring program. She is passionate about scholarly communication, teaching, and learning.

Robert A. Lue

The Late Richard L. Menschel Faculty Director

Lue had a longstanding commitment to interdisciplinary teaching and research. In 2012, Lue’s extensive work on using technology to enhance learning took a new direction when he became the faculty director of HarvardX. Professor Lue helped shape the University’s engagement in online learning in a way that reinforces its commitment to teaching excellence and works to expand its reach and impact globally. Professor Lue passed away in 2020 and is thanked for his contribution to his academic field.

What you’ll learn

The online curriculum is composed of eight modules.

Module 1

Discover how reading and knowledge are understood, constructed, and communicated across disciplines, and how various theories frame how best to support students in becoming proficient in their fields.

Module 2

Discover how reading and knowledge are understood, constructed, and communicated across disciplines, and how various theories frame how best to support students in becoming proficient in their fields.

Module 3

Learn how to implement rapport-building techniques in order to create a positive, supportive, and inclusive learning environment.

Module 4

Explore how the backward design framework, and traditional and non-traditional organizational teaching strategies (such as storytelling) can be used to plan and deliver an effective lesson.

Module 5

Learn how best to engage students by incorporating active learning methods in lesson planning.

Want to improve your teaching methods in postsecondary education?

Improving your teaching practice is crucial for academic growth and advancement, regardless of where you are in your career. If you're a professor, lecturer, researcher, academic staff member, or aspiring teacher in higher education, this online short course can help you enhance your ability to manage a classroom, develop student mindsets, and improve your overall teaching practice.

Whether you're a newcomer to higher education teaching or looking to refresh your skills, completing a higher education teaching course can be a valuable investment in your future.

Apply today to invest in a career tomorrow

  • Enrollment for this course is done in collaboration with GetSmarter. 

  • Begin the application process by filling out the form on this page.

Registration details

You can pay your course fees before the course starts, or you may opt for a split payment plan on courses that are nine weeks and shorter.

Online

April 2, 2025

Start date

Frequently asked questions

Drawing inspiration from Harvard's in-person seminar program, the Harvard Bok Higher Education Teaching Certificate allows you to reflect on your teaching practices, portfolio, and educational journey. You'll explore the latest research on how students learn and gain insights on applying these findings in your own teaching context.

Our course delves into various pedagogical approaches in the higher education environment, including student engagement and classroom management. Take advantage of this opportunity to investigate reflective teaching methods and update your skills by adopting a more conscious, collaborative, and refined approach to teaching postsecondary education. By the end of the course, you'll gain a deeper understanding of effective teaching methods and be able to apply them to enhance student learning outcomes.

As teaching practices continue to evolve, embracing reflective skills and regularly updating your methods is essential.

GetSmarter, part of edX, helps working professionals gain verifiable skills from leading global universities and institutions to thrive in an ever-changing work environment. 

Technology meets academic excellence in GetSmarter’s people-mediated model, which enables lifelong learners across the globe to obtain industry-relevant skills that are certified by the world’s most reputable academic institutions.

You can pay your course fees before the course starts, or you may opt for a split payment plan on courses that are nine weeks and shorter. 

To find out more about payment options please visit our Payment and Financing page, or contact an Enrollment Adviser, to find out which option you qualify for.

Want to know more?

Enter your information to access the course prospectus and learn more about this course from GetSmarter, an edX partner.

Want to know more?

Enter your information to access the course prospectus and learn more about this course from GetSmarter, an edX partner.