Harvard Online · delivered by SkillsPro360

Certificate in
Big Data for Social Good

Use big data, data science and economics to tackle some of the most important social problems of our time.

What you study: How neighborhoods, schools and policy shape life outcomes, how to measure upward mobility, and how experiments and quasi-experiments reveal which policies actually work — making evidence-based policymaking a reality.
Who it is for: Professionals in government, nonprofits, education and health care, and anyone who wants to use data to drive social impact.
Also included: Three months of Voca — AI-powered practice for interviews, presentations and CV review.

Course fee

USD 950

Single course enrollment

Duration

4 weeks

4–5 hrs/week

Certificate of Completion fromHarvard Online

Reserve your seat Get more information

Request a call Get it for your team

What you receive

Earn a Certificate of Completion from Harvard Online.

Complete the course and Harvard Online issues your Certificate of Completion.

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Designed and taught by Harvard faculty

Curriculum developed and delivered by Professor Raj Chetty, Director of Opportunity Insights at Harvard, with insights from Geoffrey Canada, Sarah Oppenheimer and Nathaniel Hendren.

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A credential you can verify and share

Issued in your legal name as a Certified Electronic Credential you can add to your resume and LinkedIn profile.

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Part of Harvard on Digital

One of the courses in Harvard Online’s Harvard on Digital learning path, building a data-first mindset.

Sample Harvard Online Certificate of Completion

Sample certificate issued by Harvard Online. Certificate design subject to change by Harvard Online.

Course syllabus

What you study.

Eight topics that use the fading American Dream as a case study, built around real research, data and policy experiments.

Topics covered

The Geography of Upward Mobility — sources of big data, linear regression, and mapping granular differences in upward mobility across places with the Opportunity Atlas. Cases: the Opportunity Atlas; Brownsville, Brooklyn
Causal Effects of Neighborhoods — randomized controlled trials and quasi-experiments, statistical significance, and separating sorting from causal effects. Case: the Moving to Opportunity experiment
Characteristics of High-Mobility Areas and Policies to Increase Upward Mobility — what high-mobility places have in common, supply and demand policies, and place-based investment. Cases: Creating Moves to Opportunity; Harlem Children’s Zone
Historical and International Evidence on Inequality and Mobility — how growth and inequality have shaped absolute mobility, social capital, and policies that can “pay for themselves.” Cases: the American Dream; social capital
Upward Mobility, Innovation, and Growth — innovation as a path to both equality of opportunity and growth, and using propensity score reweighting. Case: the effect of mentorship
Higher Education and Upward Mobility — how colleges promote or hinder mobility, and measuring the causal effect of college on earnings. Case: college mobility rates
K-12 Education — standardizing data across sources, and the role of class size and teacher quality in student outcomes. Case: education and student outcomes
Racial Disparities in Economic Opportunity — differences in upward mobility by race, ethnicity and gender, steady-state models, and policies to address persistent gaps. Case: historical roots of racial and ethnic inequality

Learning outcomes

Identify key drivers of economic opportunity and inequality

Examine how factors like neighborhoods, education and policy shape life outcomes
Recognize patterns that influence upward mobility across communities

Use data to inform decisions and advocate for change

Interpret and visualize data to uncover insights about social and economic challenges
Communicate evidence in ways that inspire action and policy improvements

Apply practical tools and frameworks to create impact

Explore real-world case studies demonstrating successful interventions
Use big data approaches to design or support programs that promote social good

Format: self-paced within cohort deadlinesAssessment: eight topics with quizzes

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

Who it is for

Built for people who want evidence, not opinions.

This course is designed for anyone who wants to understand how data can show which policies and programs actually work.

Government and public sector professionalsThose designing or evaluating policy and public programs.
Nonprofit and foundation leadersPeople who need to measure impact and direct resources where they work.
Education and health care professionalsLeaders improving outcomes for the communities they serve.
Analysts and consultantsProfessionals who turn data into recommendations on social and economic issues.

No prior statistics, programming, data science or economics required. Taught in English; participants should be 18 or over.

At work

Use evidence to design programs that change outcomes.

Governments, foundations and employers all fund programs meant to widen opportunity. This course shows how data reveals which ones actually work.

Target where help matters mostUse local data on mobility and opportunity to decide where a program or investment will have the greatest effect.
Read research criticallyTell a causal finding from a correlation when a study is used to justify a policy or grant.
Design for measurementBuild evaluation into a program from day one so you can show funders what it achieved.
Make the case with dataPresent evidence on inequality and mobility in a way that moves boards, ministers and donors.

Who teaches you

Learn from Harvard faculty.

Your coursework is designed and delivered by Professor Raj Chetty, with insights from educator Geoffrey Canada, Sarah Oppenheimer of Opportunity Insights and Nathaniel Hendren of MIT.

Raj Chetty

William A. Ackman Professor of Public Economics, Harvard University; Director, Opportunity Insights

Professor Chetty uses big data to understand how children from disadvantaged backgrounds can rise out of poverty, combining empirical evidence with economic theory to help design more effective government policy.

Executive Program in Data & AI for Business

Three Harvard Online modules on data, business decisions and privacy — with live sessions, app access and Voca practice.

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A related Executive Program

This course sits alongside our Executive Program in Data & AI for Business — three Harvard Online modules that add 36 hours of live sessions with industry experts, twelve months of app access and Voca practice, earning a Certificate of Specialization from Harvard Online.

Three Harvard Online modules

On data, business decisions and privacy

36 hours of live sessions

Fortnightly, with industry experts

App access and Voca practice

Included throughout

View the Executive Program

Course fee

What is included.

One fee covering the full Harvard Online course, your Certificate of Completion, and three months of Voca practice access.

USD950

per participant · complete course

The complete Harvard Online course, all eight topics
Certificate of Completion from Harvard Online
A Certified Electronic Credential for LinkedIn
Three months of Voca — AI-powered practice for interviews, presentations and CV review
Cohort-based study with a global peer group
Advisor support from enrollment to completion

Reserve your seat

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

Choose your cohort

We confirm the upcoming start dates that suit your schedule.

Step three

Reserve your seat

Confirm your place, then complete payment by international card or bank transfer.

Step four

Begin

We enroll you directly with Harvard Online. Your access details arrive by email before your start date.

Common questions

Everything you might be wondering.

Do I need a background in statistics, economics or coding?

No. The course is designed for a general audience and requires no prior statistics, programming, data science or economics.

What will I study in Big Data for Social Good?

Eight topics that use the fading American Dream as a case study: the geography of upward mobility; the causal effects of neighborhoods; high-mobility areas and policies to increase mobility; historical and international evidence on inequality; upward mobility, innovation and growth; higher education and upward mobility; K-12 education; and racial disparities in economic opportunity.

How much time will it take?

The course runs four weeks at roughly four to five hours a week, completed on your own schedule within weekly deadlines.

What does it cost?

USD 950 for the complete course, covering the full Harvard Online course, your Certificate of Completion and three months of Voca practice access.

What is Voca, and how do I use it?

Voca is SkillsPro360's AI-powered practice tool. You can rehearse a presentation, run a mock interview, or have your CV reviewed — privately, on demand, as many times as you like. Three months of access are included with this course.

Who awards the certificate?

Harvard Online. On successful completion you receive a Certificate of Completion issued directly by Harvard Online. SkillsPro360 is an authorized delivery partner — we are not Harvard University.

How is the course assessed?

You complete all eight topics and their quizzes by the stated deadlines, give feedback on peers’ work and take part in discussions. Grading is pass or incomplete, with no letter grades.

How long can I access the course?

Course materials remain available for 60 days after the final deadline.

Certificate in
Big Data for Social Good

Study with a global cohort.