This page contains content from the 2007–08 academic year. For current information, visit the Harvard Extension School website at www.extension.harvard.edu.
“Happiness course” enrollment sets record
NOTICE
February 15, 2008
Tal Ben-Shahar’s course PSYC E-1504 Positive Psychology, Harvard College’s most popular course in 2006 with 800 undergraduates, has become Harvard Extension School’s most popular distance education course to date, enrolling 350 students from around the world. The “happiness course,” as it is often called, is one of 27 courses taught during the day at Harvard College that is videotaped and offered as an online course by the Extension School.
The course was the subject of a recent post on the New York Times “Well” blog, which inspired 2,500 readers from 75 countries to visit the Harvard Extension School website. The equally diverse course enrollment illustrates the impact that distance education has had on Harvard’s increasingly global reach; students hail from 37 states and 17 countries, including Australia, Argentina, New Zealand, Turkey, Switzerland, and Brazil.
Ben-Shahar, the author of the recently published book Happier: Learn the Secrets to Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment, was interviewed by Jon Stewart on The Daily Show in August. Visit The Daily Show website to watch Ben-Shahar’s interview.
