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Harvard CS50 Guide: How to Pick the Right Course for You (with Free Certificate)

 2 years ago
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Harvard CS50 Guide: How to Pick the Right Course for You (with Free Certificate)

In 2022, CS50 includes 11 courses, 8 free certificates, and a highly-anticipated intro to Python programming.

Harvard’s CS50 free certificate

In this article, I go over Harvard’s CS50 entire course lineup, which will soon include 11 courses — 8 of them with a free certificate.

The CS50 adventure began in 2012 with the launch of CS50, Harvard’s Introduction to Computer Science. Over the years, CS50 grew into its own brand, adding 9 new courses, such as an introduction to web development.

And next month, CS50 will launch a new course, which is likely its most-anticipated addition to date: CS50’s Introduction to Programming with Python. The new course starts in April 2022, but enrollments are already open.

Let’s discuss the CS50 lineup, course by course, to help you figure out which course could be a good fit for you, and to explain how you can earn a free certificate in most of them.

CS50: The Original Course

CS50 is taught by Harvard Professor David J. Malan. Back in 2015, when Class Central contributor Charlie Soliman reviewed the course, she said this about Professor Malan:

At the risk of stating a cliché, his approach to teaching is unlike anything I have seen and can easily be labeled as revolutionary. One can detect the joy and effort he puts into each of his lectures.

Having taken the course myself, I can say that this quote is as relevant today as it was back then. In fact, since the course is updated every year, it’s even gotten better.

CS50 in Harvard’s Sanders Theater

Offered at Harvard since 2007 and on edX since 2012, CS50 has grown to become Harvard’s largest on-campus course, with over 800 students per term, and one of the world’s highest rated and most popular MOOCs ever, totalling close to 3.5M enrollments.

And “CS50” has evolved from a code designating a single course to a brand encompassing multiple courses exploring different subjects, targeting different audiences, and stacking into different learning paths.

To make sense of Harvard CS50’s offering, I partly audited each course, I explored their online communities, and I contacted their course staff. I found that Professor Malan often replies to emails himself — a nice touch considering the course has over 100 staff. And as CS50 keeps growing, I’ll continue to update this article.

CS50: The Expanded Offering

CS50’s full offering comprises 11 courses that can be broken down into 3 levels, as shown below. As you can see, 8 courses offer a free certificate. Click on a course or level to jump to the corresponding section.

Basic Courses

Currently, CS50 offers two basic courses. These can be seen as optional on-ramps to CS50’s core courses. If you don’t feel ready for a formal introduction to computer science, this is a good place to start.

CS50’s Understanding Technology (CS50T)

CS50T is a gentle introduction to the world of computing. It starts at the hardware level and works its way up from there. It explores how the internet works, how websites are created, and how security is ensured. And it ends with coding basics.

The course is taught by David J. Malan. It involves about 4 hours of study per week over 6 weeks. And it offers the following certificate options:

The course is also part of edX’s XSeries program in CS50’s AP Computer Science Principles.

CS50’s Introduction to Programming with Scratch (CS50S)

cs50s.png

CS50S is a gentle introduction to programming. It focuses on Scratch, a language that makes coding highly visual. Instead of typing text, you combine functional blocks as if they were LEGO pieces to create programs. The course covers all programming fundamentals, including variables, functions, and loops.

The course is taught by Brian Yu. It involves about 6 hours of study per week over 3 weeks. And it offers the following certificate options:

Core Courses

Currently, CS50 offers three core courses. These include the original CS50 as well as variants geared toward different types of learners. This is where most learners want to start. One course should be plenty. But learners that take a variant may want to also take the original CS50 — especially if they plan to continue with a follow-up course.

CS50 Introduction to Computer Science

cs50-1024x480.png

CS50 is Harvard’s computer science introduction. It starts with binary and goes up the ladder of abstraction from machine code to low-level languages to high-level languages. It explores algorithms, data structures, and memory management. And it ends with one of three specialization tracks: web, game, or mobile development.

The course is taught by David J. Malan. It involves about 12 hours of study per week over 12 weeks. And it offers the following certificate options:

CS50’s Computer Science for Lawyers (CS50L)

CS50 for lawyers

CS50L is a CS50 variant geared toward lawyers and law students. Part of the curriculum explores similar content but emphasizes big-picture understanding over low-level details. The other part explores entirely new content that considers how law and computer science interact — for instance, in regards to cybersecurity, data privacy, and internet regulation.

The course is taught by David J. Malan and Doug Lloyd. It involves about 4 hours of study per week over 10 weeks. And it offers the following certificate options:

CS50’s Computer Science for Business Professionals (CS50B)

CS50 Business

CS50B is a CS50 variant geared toward business professionals. Most of the course explores similar content but emphasizes big-picture understanding over low-level details. A small part explores entirely new content relevant to businesses — for instance, cloud computing.

The course is taught by David J. Malan. It involves about 4 hours of study per week over 6 weeks. And it offers the following certificate options:

CS50’s Introduction to Programming with Python (CS50P)

cs50-python.png

CS50P launches in April 2022, but enrollments are already open. The course teaches the fundamentals of programming in Python, including variables, functions, loops, and reading and writing files. It draws from real-world programming problems and has plenty of practical exercises.

The course is taught by David J. Malan. It involves about 6 hours of study per week over 9 weeks. And it offers the following certificate options:

Follow-Up Courses

Currently, CS50 offers five follow-up courses. These pick up where CS50 leaves off and explore a specific subject. They’re an excellent way to build on your computer science fundamentals by delving into a specialization.

CS50’s Introduction to Artificial Intelligence with Python (CS50AI)

CS50 AI

CS50AI leverages the Python programming language to explore modern artificial intelligence. It covers foundational AI concepts, such as search algorithms and knowledge models, and builds on them to discuss more advanced concepts, such as optimization and machine learning.

The course is taught by Brian Yu. It involves about 20 hours of study per week over 7 weeks. And it offers the following certificate options:

The course is also part of edX’s Professional Certificate in Computer Science for Artificial Intelligence.

CS50’s Web Programming with Python and JavaScript (CS50W)

CS50 Web Development

CS50W explores the languages, tools, and processes underpinning modern web app development. It covers languages such as Python and JavaScript, frameworks such as Flask and Django, and services such as GitHub and Heroku.

The course is taught by Brian Yu. It involves about 8 hours of study per week over 12 weeks. And it offers the following certificate options:

The course is also part of edX’s Professional Certificate in Computer Science for Web Programming.

CS50’s Introduction to Game Development (CS50G)

CS50 Game Development

CS50G explores the languages, tools, and processes underpinning modern game development. It leverages languages such as C# and frameworks such as Unity to create 2D and 3D experiences, and draws examples from video games such as Pong, Mario, and Portal.

The course is taught by Colton Ogden. It involves about 8 hours of study per week over 12 weeks. And it offers the following certificate options:

The course is also part of edX’s Professional Certificate in Computer Science for Game Development.

CS50’s Mobile App Development with React Native (CS50M)

CS50 Mobile App Development

CS50M explores how to develop mobile apps using the React Native framework. It covers concepts such as state and components, processes such as testing and deployment, and tools such as Redux and JSX.

The course is taught by Jordan Hayashi. It involves about 8 hours of study per week over 13 weeks. And it is offered via Harvard OpenCourseWare but has no certificate.

The course is also part of edX’s Professional Certificate in Computer Science and Mobile Apps.

CS50 Beyond

cs50beyond-e1589908890517-1024x478.png

CS50 Beyond is the precursor of CS50W. It explores the same subject, web development, but does it in a more condensed time frame. Most topics remain the same but most projects are different.

The course is taught by Brian Yu. It involves about 5 hours of study per week over 12 weeks. And it is offered via Harvard OpenCourseWare but has no certificate.


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