# Teaching Certificates **\*\*\*The Bok Teaching Certificate is no longer offered effective Fall 2025. The last day to submit materials is November 1, 2025.\*\*\*** --- GSAS PhD students who would like to demonstrate their commitment to developing as teachers in higher education may pursue one of the Bok Center’s Teaching Certificates. Our Certificates provide an opportunity for PhD students to structure their teaching development over time, in community with peers. Click on the tiles below to view the details of each certificate: [### Bok Teaching Certificate ](/teaching-certificate#bok-teaching-certificate) ![45661945214_6fd5856999_o_1](/sites/g/files/omnuum6756/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2024-10/45661945214_6fd5856999_o_1.jpg?itok=0qy0Yrxy) [### Certificate in Teaching Language and Culture ](https://ess.fas.harvard.edu/the-language-center/services-for-students)This Certificate is now hosted by the Harvard Language Center. ## The Bok Teaching Certificate GSAS PhD students may pursue a Bok Teaching Certificate through a variety of different avenues, depending on the pedagogical training offered in their respective departments and their own interests. Participants can join the Certificate program at any time, but we recommend that you begin early in your teaching, so that you have a chance to reflect on your progress over time. Please plan ahead to make the most of each component of the Certificate. Completing the Bok Teaching Certificate typically takes at least 2 semesters and requires you to record a section while you are teaching at Harvard. Requirements may be completed in any order, and there is no deadline for completion. Certificates are awarded on a rolling basis. To complete the Certificate, participants must fulfill requirements in three areas: ![Students talk in small groups during a workshop at the Fall Teaching Conference.](/sites/g/files/omnuum6756/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2024-11/53958982071_eaf55cc352_k.jpg?itok=RAoSYl8C) [### Learn ](#Learn) ![ftc session](/sites/g/files/omnuum6756/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2024-11/48689374698_a04c9645d0_k.jpg?h=7e37d712&itok=qngsJHa7) [### Practice ](#Practice) [### Reflect ](#Reflect) [Log your Certificate Progress on our Canvas Page](https://icommons-tools.tlt.harvard.edu/shopping/course_selfreg/2311) | [Frequently Asked Questions](#FAQ) | [View All Bok Teaching Certificate Recipients](#recipients) ## Learn **Take three seminars** that cover a range of topics in pedagogy and classroom practice: 1. **One seminar must cover core principles in pedagogy and classroom practice**. This may be satisfied by either: - A department's or program's pedagogy course ([view a current list](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1U48vud3JN0GmbQSfMHljMxpPEvdNOazb_r83_ge8okk/edit?usp=sharing)); or - At least one Bok Seminar tagged as CORE. Seminars that fulfill this requirement will be marked as \*CORE on the [Bok Seminars page](/seminars). 2. **Take ANY two additional** [**Bok Seminars**](/seminars). Bok Seminars are organized into categories based on target audience and topic: *Foundations*, *Methods & Classroom Practice*, *Equity & Inclusion*, *Communication & Language*, and *Professional Development (for experienced TFs)*. Candidates should be intentional in assembling meaningful electives that will allow them to tell a coherent story about their progress through the Certificate. ## Practice **Complete a** [**classroom video consultation**](/class-observations-grad). For this requirement, you will record a section or class you are teaching at Harvard and meet with a consultant from the Bok Center to reflect on and discuss the recording. Use [the form on our website](/class-observations-grad) to request a video consultation. Some departmental pedagogy courses (e.g. History, Music, Government) require participants to record their section and have a consultation with their Pedagogy Fellow, which fulfills this requirement. [See the FAQ](#FAQ) below for additional information. **Please plan ahead to ensure you can meet this requirement.** The video consultation allows you to intentionally plan a class and have the experience of reflecting on it and discussing it with a consultant. What do you notice about your class when you take on the role of student or observer? What are other ways of approaching the course material or strategies to engage students? Use these questions in conjunction with your teaching goals to guide your conversation with your consultant. ## Reflect **Create three products that capture your critical reflections on teaching and learning**: 1. A **teaching statement** similar to one which might be included in a Teaching Portfolio. 2. An **original syllabus** for a course you might propose to teach, whether at Harvard or at another university. 3. A **reflective piece** of approximately 1000 words which integrates what you have learned from the experience of pursuing the teaching certificate. Candidates should write a reflective narrative on their trajectory through the certificate, incorporating any or all of the following: the connections (or disconnections) between the seminars they took, what the experience has meant to them, particularly noteworthy takeaways that they will use in their future teaching or scholarship, and ideas or suggestions to inform future iterations of the Bok Teaching Certificate. *The* [Teaching and the Job Market *Module*](https://canvas.harvard.edu/courses/68661/pages/teaching-and-the-job-market-%7C-overview) *on the* [Hit the Ground Running *Canvas site*](https://icommons-tools.tlt.harvard.edu/shopping/course_selfreg/68661) *offers guidance on creating and refining these materials.* --- ### Frequently Asked Questions expand\_more **1. Who is eligible to pursue the Bok Teaching Certificate?** Our certificates are limited to GSAS PhD students and others at similar career stages engaged in the teaching of Harvard College undergraduates. Postdoctoral fellows who do not teach are not eligible for the Bok Teaching Certificate. If you are teaching undergraduates in Harvard College as a Teaching Fellow or Teaching Assistant, you may apply for the Bok Teaching Certificate. If you are teaching in Harvard College as a head instructor, preceptor, or lecturer, please refer to [our resources for Harvard faculty](https://prod-shadowbok.drupalsites.harvard.edu/faculty). **2. How do I apply for the Bok Teaching Certificate?** There is no formal application process for the Bok Teaching Certificate. Requirements may be completed in any order, and there is no deadline for completion. Certificates are awarded on a rolling basis. Students who are pursuing the Certificate should join the Bok Teaching Certificate Canvas site (link disabled as certificate is paused) to log their progress, and let us know when they have completed the requirements. For questions, contact . **3. Does having a microteaching lesson recorded count for the video consultation requirement?** No, the video consultation must be for a class or section you are teaching at Harvard. Some departmental pedagogy courses and Bok Seminars record participants giving a microteaching or practice lesson, which does not count toward this requirement. **4. Does attending the Fall Teaching Conference, Winter Teaching Week, or Hit the Ground Running Fundamentals Training count toward the Bok Teaching Certificate?** No, attending sessions at the Fall Teaching Conference or Winter Teaching Week or attending the Hit the Ground Running Fundamentals Training does not count toward the seminar requirement for the Bok Teaching Certificate. **5. Can I pursue both the Bok Teaching Certificate and the Bok Certificate in Teaching Language and Culture?** Participants should choose the certificate program most relevant to their disciplines and their goals for university teaching. If you would like to talk more about which program is the best fit for you and your goals, contact us at . --- ## Bok Teaching Certificate Recipients ### **2024-2025** Lorena Alessandrini, *Celtic Languages and Literatures* Masoud Ariankhoo, *Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations* Easun Arunachalam, *Molecular and Cellular Biology* Bes Bajraktarević, *Comparative Literature* Ellie Beaudry, *Environmental Science and Engineering* David Beavers, *Government* Julia Book Motzkin, *Physics* Samuel Bozoukov, *English* Mary Bradford, *Comparative Literature* Rhonelle Bruder, *Program in General Education* Samuel Budnyk, *Music* Jordan Cannon, *History* Mara Casebeer, *Biophysics* Minjin Chae, *Sociology* Joan Chaker, *History* Kaylin Chong, *Organismic and Evolutionary Biology* Aidan Connaughton, *Government* Alyssa Cottle, *Music* Erin Crawley, *Physics* Matthew Dardet, *Government* Drew Dates, *Chemical Biology* Ri Dresser, *Physics* Celia Eckert, *Government* Stephan Foianini, *Molecular and Cellular Biology* Sarah Gonzalez, *Classics* Ziqiang Guan, *Physics* Harry Hall, *Religion* Sarah Hancock, *Environmental Science and Engineering* Zhe He, *Organismic and Evolutionary Biology* Haley Heinricks, *Music* Elinor Hitt, *English* Joseph Hnath, *Health Policy* Uma Ilavarasan, *Government* Kelsey Kinderknecht, *Population Health Sciences* Richard Knecht, *Organismic and Evolutionary Biology* Shraddha Lall, *Organismic and Evolutionary Biology* Phoebe Lakin, *Classics* Bastian Lasse, *Germanic Languages and Literatures* Danylo Lavrentovich, *Systems, Synthetic, and Quantitative Biology* Sofia Lima da Silva Soares, *Molecular and Cellular Biology* Sarah Lund, *History of Art and Architecture* Joaquim Machado Meira, *Government* Marc Mapalo, *Organismic and Evolutionary Biology* Linda Mueller, *History of Art and Architecture* Aina Obis Monné, *Romance Languages and Literatures* Omar Olivarez, *Business Administration* MJ Park, *Astronomy* Jessica Patey, *Religion* Drew Pendergrass, *Environmental Science and Engineering* Bailey Plaman, *Chemical Biology* Joshua Price, *Bioengineering* Adán Ramírez-Figueroa, *Romance Languages and Literatures* Engy Said, *Weatherhead Center for International Affairs* Leo Sarbanes, *Music* Benjamin Schiffer, *Statistics* Ryan Schmidt, *Organismic and Evolutionary Biology* Jocelyn Sears, *English* Priyanka Sethy, *Government* Denys Shay, *Population Health Sciences* Walter Shen, *Earth and Planetary Sciences* Alexia Simon, *Astronomy* Rachel Slutsky, *Religion* Haden Smiley, *Anthropology* Mackenzie Smith, *Molecular and Cellular Biology* Alexandra Stanton, *Virology* Julius Tabin, *Organismic and Evolutionary Biology* Clio-Ragna Takas, *Comparative Literature* Weiwen Tian, *Bioengineering* Yuan Tian, *Philosophy* Breanna Titchen, *Biological and Biomedical Sciences* Ruth Tweedy, *Earth and Planetary Sciences* Ana Sofia Uzsoy, *Astronomy* Wendy Andrea Valencia Montoya, *Organismic and Evolutionary Biology* Michael Vázquez, *Education* Emily Venable, *Human Evolutionary Biology* Sarah Weidman, *Earth and Planetary Sciences* Robert Welch, *Earth and Planetary Sciences* Valerie Werder, *Art, Film, and Visual Studies* Sophia Wiesenfeld, *Systems, Synthetic, and Quantitative Biology* Anca Wilkening, *Religion* Dalia Wolfson, *Comparative Literature* Amelia Woo, *Chemistry and Chemical Biology* Maya Woolfolk, *Organismic and Evolutionary Biology* Yang Xiang, *Psychology* Clare Yijia Xie, *Materials Science and Mechanical Engineering* Jiayu Yang, *Applied Physics* Justina Yang, *Physics* Haiyang Zhang, *Business Administration* Shirley Zhang, *Computer Science* Kristen Zipperer, *Anthropology* Louis Zweig, *Classics* [View Bok Teaching Certificate Recipients from Previous Academic Years](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FpamkmLjRv6zGLL5RPLUkWzc7Z17S-bTQaMiqGObqYc/edit?usp=sharing) ## Graduate Student News [### Hebrew Students Build Custom AI Practice Tools in Bok Workshop ](/news/2026/03/hebrew-students-build-custom-ai-practice-tools-bok-workshop) March 05, 2026 In a recent workshop with MOD-HEB BB students, the Bok Center supported the development of custom AI-powered learning tools. Rather than relying on generic language apps, students designed interactive flashcard interfaces and vocabulary drills populated... ![madeleine writing](/sites/g/files/omnuum6756/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2026-03/mod-heb.jpg?itok=ZGiHYi97) [### Prompt Engineering Workshop Supports AI Poetry Analysis in COMPLIT 126X/HUM5: Literature and/as Artificial Intelligence ](/news/2026/03/prompt-engineering-workshop-supports-ai-poetry-analysis-complit-126xhum5-literature) March 04, 2026 The Bok Center collaborated with Moira Weigel from Comparative Literature on a zero-code workshop focused on prompt- and context-engineering techniques. Students learned to break down complex operations into discrete, chainable steps, working from human... ![papers on table](/sites/g/files/omnuum6756/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2026-03/complit126x_02.jpg?itok=c8ttTIym) [### Becca Nesson Named Executive Director of the Bok Center ](/news/2025/08/becca-nesson-named-executive-director-bok-center) August 24, 2025 Rebecca (Becca) Nesson , Dean of Academic Programs at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, will become the new Executive Director of The Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning. Nesson, who is currently dean of... ![Rebecca Nesson, Executive Director of the Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning](/sites/g/files/omnuum6756/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2025-08/Nesson-3.jpg?h=575187c6&itok=K27n7dVm) [ More News arrow\_circle\_right ](/news)