Using real-world data and policy interventions as its applications, Big Data for Social Good teaches core concepts in data science, economics and statistics and equips you to tackle some of the most pressing social challenges of our time. It takes a hands-on look at questions such as why the "American Dream" is fading (today only about half of children go on to earn more than their parents) and what can be done to reverse it.
This is an official Harvard Online course, featuring faculty from the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences and modelled on Professor Raj Chetty's course Using Big Data to Solve Economic and Social Problems. It is delivered on Harvard Online's learning platform. IPMC International handles your registration, payment and local support, then enrols you on the course. The format is self-guided within a scheduled cohort, and the Certificate of Completion is issued by Harvard Online and Harvard Business School Online.
The course builds three connected sets of skills:
The programme is taught through real case studies across eight modules. There are no prerequisites; no prior background in statistics, programming, data science or economics is required. To earn the Certificate of Completion from Harvard Online and Harvard Business School Online, participants complete all eight modules and their assignments by the stated deadlines.
Study The Opportunity Atlas and the Brownsville, Brooklyn cases, learn the statistical techniques used to measure and map opportunity, and explore the granular variation in upward mobility.
Examine the Moving to Opportunity experiment, weigh the ethical and societal impacts of social experiments, and work through two methods for causal inference and statistical significance.
Study cases such as Creating Moves to Opportunity and the Harlem Children's Zone, describe the factors correlated with differences in mobility, and distinguish constraints from barriers.
Explore the American Dream and social capital, see how economic policies can "pay for themselves" over time, and compare redistributive policies with those that invest in human capital.
Study the effect of mentorship, relate economic growth to equality of opportunity, identify data sources for studying innovation, and use propensity-score reweighting.
Study college mobility rates, examine how universities either promote or hinder mobility, and learn to measure the causal effect of college on a student's outcomes.
Understand methods for standardising data across different sources and study the importance of class size and teacher quality in shaping student outcomes.
Work with dynamic models and steady states, explore differences in upward mobility by race, ethnicity and gender, and see how those differences persist in "steady state".
Raj Chetty, PhD: Your instructor. William A. Ackman Professor of Public Economics at Harvard University and Director of Opportunity Insights. His research uses big data to understand how children from disadvantaged backgrounds can be given better chances of success, and he has received a MacArthur "Genius" Fellowship and the John Bates Clark Medal.
You also hear from industry experts who bring the cases to life, including Geoffrey Canada (educator, social activist and author), Sarah Oppenheimer (Executive Director, Opportunity Insights) and Nathaniel Hendren (Professor of Economics, MIT). Affiliations are listed for identification purposes only.
The course suits a general audience, including those working in or with government, non-profits, education and health care. It's particularly well suited to people who want to understand how data science, economics and statistics can create social impact in their organisations and communities, even if they are not trained data scientists or economists. It's ideal for professionals, graduates and organisations who want a globally recognised Harvard Online credential to advance their careers or capabilities.
On successful completion you receive a digital Certificate of Completion from Harvard Online and Harvard Business School Online. No letter grades are assigned; participation is evaluated on a complete/incomplete basis. Once earned, you can add it to your CV and LinkedIn. For example, under LinkedIn "Licenses & Certifications" list Harvard Online as the issuing organisation and the certificate for Big Data for Social Good as the credential.
The course fee is confirmed on enquiry and put in writing before payment.
Pay IPMC securely by debit/credit card in UAE Dirhams (UAE) or by UPI, card or net banking in Indian Rupees (India).
Yes. The course is delivered by Harvard Online and the Certificate of Completion is issued by Harvard Online and Harvard Business School Online.
No. No previous background in statistics, programming, data science or economics is required; the course is designed for a general audience.
Once the review of coursework is complete and eligibility confirmed, your certificate is delivered by email. You keep access to the course materials for 60 days after the final deadline.
This course runs as a scheduled Harvard Online cohort. The next cohort starts 2 Sep 2026. Contact us to reserve your place.
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