Can You Guess Which of These Harvard Course Titles Are Real?

Most students will graduate Harvard with a transcript of courses that seem academic, or at least vaguely recognizable. After all, who would argue with “Virology 307: Genetics and Biochemistry of Prokaryotic Transposable Elements and Yeast Meiotic Chromosome Metabolism”? Certainly no employer that we know of.

Yet for those students with a whimsical taste, the Harvard Course Catalog never fails to provide the kind of classes that will leave your grad school admissions officer shaking their head. And so, as a break from shopping week, we present this pleasant diversion: Can you tell which titles belong to real Harvard College courses, and which do not? Click the links to check your score!

Talking About Food
“At first I thought Franzia was kind of gross, but because of this course I’ve learned to appreciate the subtle oakey nuttiness of its aftertaste. Also how to pronounce the word quinoa.” - Student Testimonial

Painting, Smoking, Eating
Practice what you’ll be doing during your midlife crisis.

Genius in Fur
From Rocky the Flying Squirrel to Mickey Mouse (and even lesser-known figures like Scabbers the Rat), this OEB course delves into the sociocultural impact of intellectual giants with tiny paws.

Men, Women, and Work
Separately or together?

Loitering
This studio course includes a field trip to the benches outside the Barker Center for a quick drag.

Lost and Found
End-of-year final project includes public art installation of class-wide sculpture made of DAPA bottles left over in dhalls.

Mavericks
The secret history of how John McCain revolutionized Apple Computer by going rogue.

Baggage
Concerns the intersection of the emotional and the temporal. Namely, the act of stuffing your cares and woes into a six-piece Louis Vuitton traveler’s set.

Friends With Benefits?
This statistics course will help you estimate the likelihood that your TF will hook up with you. There’s a greater than zero chance. But it’s not certain, of course. Hence the question mark.

Maledicta: Ritualized Verbal Abuse
Note: Students who have already sat through a year of Ec10 lectures may not take this course for credit.

Reality
Considers the contrasting philosophical approaches of Kim Kardashian and Nicole Richie.

Quilts and Quiltmaking
Taught by visiting faculty member, your grandmother.

Smooth Manifolds
This practicum on ironing will come in handy around formal season.