Top 10 Online Courses for Personal Development
Published Jun 12023 • Updated Nov 52025
Personal development is the process of building skills over the course of your life so that you can set and achieve the goals that will ultimately lead to more joy and fulfillment. Whether you're a current studentrecent graduatea mid-career professionalstay at home parentor a retiree exploring new passionstime spent working toward personal development goals is an investment in yourself.
With a wide array of courses taught by world-class instructors that are designed to cater to diverse interests and aspirationsHarvard Online provides a transformative learning experience that empowers individuals to unlock their full potential.
We have compiled a list of our top online courses for learners who are ready to take the next step in their journey of self-discovery and personal growth:
10. Justice
The course for those who often find themselves asking“what’s the right thing to do?”
Challenge the reasoning behind the moral choices we make everyday. Taught by lauded Harvard professor Michael SandelJustice explores critical analysis of classical and contemporary theories of justiceincluding discussion of present-day applications. Topics include affirmative actionincome distributionsame-sex marriagethe role of marketsdebates about rights (human rights and property rights)arguments for and against equalitydilemmas of loyalty in public and private life. The course invites learners to subject their own views on these controversies to critical examination.
9. How to Bring the Real You to Work: AuthenticityConnectionand Identity
The course for anyone who wants to build a better relationship with themselves and others.
Taught by Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. with insights from actor and singer Cynthia Erivothis course explores the power of authenticity at work for developing our career pathbuilding strong relationshipsand supporting a sense of belonging at work.
8. Contract Law: From Trust to Promise to Contract
The course for anyone who has ever signed an agreement or a contract.
We are exposed to contracts in all areas of our life -- agreeing to terms when downloading a new computer programhiring a contractor to repair a leaking roofand even ordering a meal at a restaurant. Knowing the principles of contracts is not just a skill needed by lawyersit illuminates for everyone a crucial institution that we use all the time and generally take for granted. Learn about contracts from Harvard Law Professor Charles Friedone of the world's leading authorities on contract law.
7. Rhetoric: The Art of Persuasive Writing and Public Speaking
The course for anyone who wants to learn how to more clearly and effectively express themselves.
Built around Harvard Professor James Engell's on-campus course"Elements of Rhetoric," this course will help you analyze and apply rhetorical structure and appreciate the relevance of persuasive communication in your own lifeand understand how to persuade and recognize when someone is trying to persuade you. You will be inspired to share your viewpoint and discover the most powerful ways to convince others to champion your cause. Join us to find your voice!
6. Data Privacy and Technology
The course for anyone with at least one online login and password who wants to learn how to protect their privacy online.
Through real-life examples with industry expertspolicy makersand privacy researchers you’ll gain privacy and data protection trainingand examine legal and ethical implications of collecting personal dataunderstand who’s responsible for protecting personal dataand comprehend why antitrust and privacy laws are unable to keep pace with the rapid change in technology.
5. Make Better Decisions: The Psychology of Blind Spots for Leaders and Teams
The course for those who want to understand how their minds work and make better decisions.
Developed and taught by Harvard Professor Mahzarin Banajithis course begins with the premise that hidden bias is a feature of all human minds. The first step to recognizing the impact of bias and making better decisions at work is a willingness to examine your own thoughts and behaviors with scientific curiosity.
4. Data Science Principles
The course for those who want to learn the language of data without coding or math.
An introduction to data science course for anyone who wants to positively impact outcomes and understand insights from their company’s data collection and analysis efforts. This course will prepare you to speak the language of data science and contribute to data-oriented discussions within your company and daily life. This is a course for beginners and managers to better understand what data science is and how to work with data scientists.
3. Managing Happiness
The course for those who are ready to get serious about being happy.
Led by Harvard professorauthorsocial scientistand former classical musician Arthur Brooksthis course will introduce cutting-edge survey toolsthe best researchand trends in social sciencepositive psychologyneuroscienceand philosophy to help learners unlock the strategies to create a more purposeful lifefull of long-lasting enjoyment and satisfaction. Managing Happiness uses philosophical and technical insights to challenge your assumptions about happiness — helping you break bad habits that hold you back and build good ones you can use for the rest of your life.
2. The Path to Happiness: What Chinese Philosophy Teaches us about the Good Life
The course for the self-help skeptic.
Todayfinding happiness is about mindfulness and discovering your true self. You may have heard that happiness is found by looking within. Ancient Chinese philosophy challenges all of these modern assumptions. From Confucianism to Daoismthe philosophies developed over two thousand years ago are among the most powerful in human history.
1. Building a Winning Mindset: Flexibility and Resiliency at Work
The course for those who are ready to overcome their greatest fears and experience fulfillment in their lives.
Stress and uncertainty are inevitable in any professional environment. Learn science-driven strategies to help manage discomfort and cultivate psychological flexibility to thrive under pressure and constant change.
With a wide variety of courses and enrollment optionsHarvard Online provides you with the flexibility so you can learn for pure enjoyment (by auditing our edX courses for free) or learn to strengthen skills that can help you in your career (with our certificate programs). Which course will you take next? View all courses.