Harvard Business School offers several opportunities to learn about design-related topics.
We hope you’ll take advantage of them, and get involved both on-campus and with the greater Design/Innovation community in Cambridge as well.
Required Curriculum
Three courses during Harvard’s foundational Required Curriculum (RC year) include design-related topics including innovation, identifying opportunities, and product development.
Fall Semester: Technology and Operations Management (TOM)
This course enables students to develop the skills and concepts needed to ensure the ongoing contribution of a firm's operations to its competitive position. It helps them to understand the complex processes underlying the development and manufacture of products as well as the creation and delivery of services. Learn more
Spring Semester: The Entrepreneurial Manager (TEM)
This course addresses the issues faced by managers who wish to turn opportunity into viable organizations that create value, and empowers students to develop their own approaches, guidelines, and skills for being entrepreneurial managers. Learn more
Spring Semester: FIELD Global Immersion
Student work in small teams and apply design thinking tools – customer observation, brainstorming, and prototyping – to develop new products and services. Students then travel to global markets, interview potential customers, refine their ideas, and present their proposal to their Global Partner. Learn more
Elective Curriculum
HBS students can choose from 120+ courses in the Elective Curriculum (EC) catalog in their second year, including field-based learning opportunities and independent projects. Additionally, students can cross-register for classes in MIT or other Harvard colleges, including the Harvard Graduate School of Design.
Below is a non-exhaustive list of HBS courses that include elements of design thinking and innovation:
Entrepreneurial Management
Developing Mindsets for Innovative Problem Solving
Product Management 101 and 102 (Field Course)
Finance
Managing and Innovating in Financial Services
General Management
Entrepreneurship and Technology Innovations in Education
Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Technology and Operations Management
Digital Innovation and Transformation
Field Courses
Innovation at HBS
Harvard iLab
The Harvard iLab is an innovation ecosystem that exists to support Harvard students and select alumni in their quest to explore the world of game-changing entrepreneurship. The iLab offers programming support (workshops, a speaker series, founders roundtables, pitch night), ongoing mentorship, and peer collaboration and interaction for Harvard students who want to learn more about innovation. Visit the iLab
Arthur Rock Center for Entrepreneurship
The Rock Center provides unrivaled support for HBS students and alumni transform their ideas into successful startups. The Rock Center invites all emerging entrepreneurs who are not averse to risk, who live comfortably with ambiguity, and have the courage and conviction to realize their vision for the future. The Rock Center hosts the annual New Venture Competition and offers resources for students looking to launch their own ventures, including summer fellowships and entrepreneurs-in-residence. Visit the Rock Center