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Harvard Online
Harvard Online · delivered by SkillsPro360

Microcredential in
Tech Ethics

Think critically about the technology shaping your life and work — ethics for the age of apps, algorithms and AI.
  • What you study: The moral unease new technology creates, algorithms in money, work and love, dialogue across differences, distraction and privacy, and what it means to be human in an age of AI.
  • Who it is for: Professionals who want to make values-informed decisions and reason well about technology’s impact.
  • Part of: Power Skills for Career Growth — complete any five of the seven courses to also earn a Certificate of Completion from Harvard Online.
Course fee
USD 150
Single course enrollment
Duration
2.5 hours
On-demand, 90-day access
Microcredential fromHarvard Online
Enroll now Get more information
Request a callGet it for your team
Duration
2.5 hours
Six sections
Format
On-demand
Start any time
Access
90 days
From enrollment
Prerequisites
None
Introductory course
Credential
Harvard Online
Microcredential
How you learn

Learn on your own schedule.

Watch Professor Michael Sandel in conversation with Michael B. Jordan, work through short reflections, and finish at your own pace within 90 days.

Technology, privacy and trust
What you receive

Earn a Microcredential from Harvard Online.

Complete the course and Harvard Online issues your digital Microcredential.

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Harvard faculty and a world-class guest

Taught by Professor Michael J. Sandel of Harvard University, with award-winning actor, producer and director Michael B. Jordan.

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A badge you can verify and share

Your Microcredential carries a verification code, ready to add to your LinkedIn profile.

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Stacks toward a Certificate of Completion

Complete any five of the seven Power Skills for Career Growth courses to also earn a Certificate of Completion from Harvard Online.

Sample Harvard Online Microcredential for Tech Ethics
Sample Microcredential issued by Harvard Online. Design subject to change by Harvard Online.
Course syllabus

What you study.

Six short sections of thought-provoking dialogue about the ethical dilemmas posed by AI, algorithms and apps.

Topics covered
  1. Engaging with Moral Unease — how tools like IMAX cameras and GPS both expand human capacity and create dependencies, and why some advances unsettle our sense of authenticity.
  2. Money, Work, and Algorithms — whether computer-based rules overcome human bias or replicate it at scale, and the ethics of using “black box” data such as zip codes for lending or hiring.
  3. Love, Life, Algorithms — from professional to personal decisions: matchmaking apps, and trusting a predictive algorithm versus a parent’s advice or your own instinct.
  4. Dialogue Across Differences — how social media business models keep users hooked and distracted, and identifying the principles in others’ arguments to keep dialogue productive.
  5. Distraction, Privacy, and Presence — how constant notifications keep us from being present, and practical strategies to protect real human connection and focus.
  6. Considering What It Means To Be Human — what remains uniquely human as machines learn to write, and how human fragility gives value and creativity that data cannot replicate.
Learning outcomes

Decision-making

  • Make more thoughtful and values-informed decisions
  • Diagnose decisions to recognize motives and consequences

Perspective and reasoning

  • Better understand the perspectives and decisions of others
  • Cultivate the art of thinking and reasoning with others

Values and purpose

  • Articulate and strengthen personal values within a career and professional life
Format: on-demand, self-pacedAccess: 90 days from enrollment

Syllabus topics are set by Harvard Online and may be revised.

Who it is for

Built for anyone shaping, buying or living with technology.

This course is for professionals who want to think clearly about technology’s impact and act on their values.

An introductory course; no prerequisites. Taught in English; participants should be 18 or over.

At work

Think clearly about the technology choices you make.

Every organization now makes decisions about algorithms, data and AI that affect people’s lives. This short course helps you reason about them.

Who teaches you

Learn from Harvard faculty.

Professor Michael Sandel leads the course in conversation with Michael B. Jordan. Guest segments are pre-recorded.

Michael J. Sandel

Michael J. Sandel

Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Professor of Government, Harvard University

Renowned for relating philosophical questions to contemporary issues; his courses on justice and ethics have reached tens of millions of learners worldwide.

Power Skills for Career Growth

Seven courses. Any five earn a Certificate of Completion.

This course is one of seven Power Skills for Career Growth courses. Each earns its own Microcredential, and any five together also earn the Certificate of Completion in Power Skills for Career Growth from Harvard Online.

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How to Bring the Real You to Work

Henry Louis Gates Jr. with Cynthia Erivo

✓

Cultivating Power for Positive Impact

Julie Battilana with Keke Palmer

✓

Purpose, Perspective, and Persuasion

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Disagreeing Productively and Collaborating Well

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Building a Winning Mindset

Luana Marques with John Cena

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Effective Writing for Greater Impact

See all seven courses
Sample Harvard Online Certificate of Completion in Power Skills for Career Growth
Sample certificate issued by Harvard Online.
Course fee

What is included.

One fee covering the full Harvard Online course and your Microcredential.

USD150
per participant · complete course
  • The complete Harvard Online course, all six sections
  • A digital Microcredential from Harvard Online
  • A verification code to share on LinkedIn
  • 90 days of on-demand access
  • Counts toward the Power Skills for Career Growth Certificate of Completion
  • Advisor support from enrollment to completion
Enroll now

Enrolling a team?

Organizations are invoiced directly, and multi-seat rates apply from ten participants.
Fees are quoted in US dollars and paid by international card or bank transfer; your bank applies its own conversion rate. We can also provide a scope document for employer-funded participants.
Request a proposal
Enrollment

From inquiry to first day.

Four steps, usually completed within a week.

Step one

Book a call

A twenty-minute conversation with an advisor to check the course fits your role and goals. No obligation.

Step two

Pick your start

The course is on-demand, so you can begin whenever suits you.

Step three

Enroll

Complete payment by international card or bank transfer.

Step four

Begin

We enroll you directly with Harvard Online. Your access details arrive by email, and your 90 days begin.

Common questions

Everything you might be wondering.

What will I study in Tech Ethics?

Six short sections: engaging with moral unease; money, work and algorithms; love, life and algorithms; dialogue across differences; distraction, privacy and presence; and considering what it means to be human.

Do I need a technical background?

No. The course is a dialogue about the ethical questions raised by AI, algorithms and apps, open to leaders, technology professionals, policy and compliance roles, and anyone curious.

Will I interact with Michael B. Jordan?

No. The guest segments are pre-recorded, and there are no live sessions in this course.

How long does the course take?

About two and a half hours in total. It is on-demand, so you can start any time and finish at your own pace within 90 days.

What does it cost?

USD 150 for the complete course and your Microcredential from Harvard Online.

What is a Microcredential?

A digital credential issued by Harvard Online when you complete a short course. It carries a verification code you can share on LinkedIn.

How do I earn the Power Skills for Career Growth certificate?

Complete any five of the seven Power Skills for Career Growth courses and Harvard Online awards a Certificate of Completion in Power Skills for Career Growth, in addition to your Microcredentials.

Who awards the Microcredential?

Harvard Online. SkillsPro360 is an authorized delivery partner — we are not Harvard University.

Think clearly about technology. Prove it with Harvard Online.

Start today, at your own pace, and earn your Microcredential from Harvard Online.

Enroll now