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HMX Fundamentals Courses

Apply now for the next HMX Fundamentals course period.


The HMX Fundamentals series features courses on foundational topics important for a variety of health care careers, including biochemistry, genetics, immunology, pharmacology, and physiology.

Our next course period begins June 3, 2025 – apply for Fundamentals courses by Monday, May 26.

Course Information

Upcoming course periods

June 3 – August 15, 2025 | Apply now
Partial tuition waiver application deadline for June courses: Tuesday, April 29 at 12 noon US ET (HMX Fundamentals only)

September 2 – November 14, 2025 | Application opens May 14
January 13 – March 27, 2026 | Application opens August 13


Course length

Each course is 10 weeks long. New lessons are released weekly, and material remains available until the course closes. Expect to spend 3-6 hours per course per week.


Course cost

US$995 for an individual course
US$1490 for a two-course bundle
US$1985 for a three-course bundle
US$2585 for a four-course bundle
US$2985 for a five-course bundle
Please note: All courses in a bundle must be completed in the same session.

For HMX Fundamentals courses only, a limited number of partial tuition waivers are available or active students are eligible for the student rate of $800 per course.


Certificates available

Certificate of Achievement
Certificate of Completion

Individual Courses

Physiology

Learn foundational physiology concepts like partial pressure, compliance, and supply and demand, and see how they relate to the working of biological systems – and to patient treatment.

Learn more about physiology course topics and faculty. 

Immunology

Understand how the innate and adaptive immune systems function to protect the body – and see how key immunology concepts are linked to the treatment of disease.

Learn more about immunology course topics and faculty. 



Genetics

Learn key concepts of genetics as they relate to inheritance of disease, population-specific risk, and genetic testing – and see how increased knowledge of the human genome is applied in clinical settings.

Learn more about genetics course topics and faculty. 

Biochemistry

Understand fundamental biochemical principles like the rules of energy and cellular specialization – and see how these concepts apply in real-life scenarios and clinical settings.

Learn more about biochemistry course topics and faculty. 


Pharmacology

Understand how drugs act in the body, and see how pharmacology principles are applied in clinical settings and in drug discovery and development.

Learn more about pharmacology course topics and faculty.

Recommended Course Bundles

Interested in accelerating your learning? Bundle Fundamentals courses together to meet your educational needs and save on course costs. Explore bundles we recommend or reach out to learn@hms.harvard.edu to speak with a team member about your learning needs.

Five-course bundle

  • Physiology, Pharmacology, Immunology, Genetics, and Biochemistry – If you are a pre-med student or would benefit from an understanding of foundational science and medicine topics, this bundle will provide the overview you need and help you prepare for the MCATs as well as give you a strong base for your first year of med school.

Three-course bundles

  • Immunology, Genetics, and Biochemistry – If you are interested in learning Genetics and Immunology, but don’t feel fully confident in your knowledge of the molecular and metabolic foundations of health and disease, take this bundle.
  • Physiology, Pharmacology, and Biochemistry – Take these three courses to understand the physiological basis of various diseases as well as the basis of their pharmacological treatment. Knowledge of biochemistry will give you deeper grounding for what you learn in Pharmacology.

Two-course bundles

  • Immunology and Genetics – Advances in genetics and immunology are leading to an improved understanding of disease, and translating into better diagnostics and treatments. With this course bundle, you will gain an understanding of these rapidly evolving fields and how they relate to the practice of medicine.
  • Physiology and Biochemistry – Most disease processes have a physiological and a molecular basis. With this course bundle, you will gain an understanding of processes at an organ system level and tie this knowledge to an understanding of molecular and metabolic foundations.
  • Physiology and Pharmacology – Select this bundle to understand the basis of many conditions at an organ system level as well as the pharmacological principles underlying treatment.