Hogwarts Classes and Curriculum

The curriculum at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is structured to provide young witches and wizards with a comprehensive magical education. For their first two years, all students are required to take the same seven core subjects. At the end of their second year, students must choose at least two additional elective subjects to study from their third year onwards. This course of study continues until the end of the fifth year, when students sit their Ordinary Wizarding Levels (O.W.L.s), a set of standardized exams that assess their magical proficiency. Following the O.W.L.s, students who wish to continue their education into the sixth and seventh years select advanced, specialized subjects to study at the Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests (N.E.W.T.) level. Entry into N.E.W.T. classes is dependent on achieving a high grade (typically 'Outstanding' or 'Exceeds Expectations') in the corresponding O.W.L. exam.

These subjects are mandatory for all students from their first through their fifth year.

• Astronomy: The study of stars, constellations, and planets. Lessons are practical and often take place at midnight at the top of the Astronomy Tower, the highest point in Hogwarts Castle. It is taught by Professor Sinistra.
• Charms: The study of spells concerned with altering the properties of an object or creature. It is considered a fundamental and practical branch of magic. The long-standing Head of Ravenclaw house, Professor Flitwick, is the Charms Master.
• Defence Against the Dark Arts (D.A.D.A.): A practical subject that teaches students how to defend themselves against the Dark Arts, including dark creatures, curses, jinxes, and hexes. The teaching post was notoriously jinxed by Lord Voldemort, resulting in a new teacher every year during Harry Potter's time at school. Known teachers include Professor Quirrell, Gilderoy Lockhart, Remus Lupin, Barty Crouch Jr. (disguised as Alastor Moody), Dolores Umbridge, Severus Snape, and Amycus Carrow.
• Herbology: The study of magical plants and fungi, including their care, properties, and uses. Lessons are held in the Hogwarts greenhouses on the castle grounds and are taught by Professor Sprout, the Head of Hufflepuff house.
• History of Magic: The study of wizarding history. It is infamous for being the most boring subject at Hogwarts, taught by the ghost Professor Binns, who reportedly died in his sleep and continued teaching as if nothing had happened.
• Potions: The art of brewing magical draughts and elixirs from various ingredients. This subject requires precision, patience, and a deep understanding of magical properties. It was taught by Severus Snape for many years before Horace Slughorn came out of retirement to resume the post.
• Transfiguration: The art of changing the form and appearance of an object or person. A highly complex and scientific branch of magic, it is taught by the Deputy Headmistress and Head of Gryffindor house, Professor McGonagall.
• Flying: A mandatory subject for all first-year students, teaching them the basics of broomstick flight. Lessons are taught by Madam Hooch on the castle lawns. After the first year, students do not have formal flying lessons unless they join their House's Quidditch team.

Beginning in their third year, students must take at least two of the following subjects.

• Arithmancy: A branch of magic concerned with the magical properties of numbers. It is known to be a difficult subject and was a favorite of Hermione Granger. It is taught by Professor Vector.
• Care of Magical Creatures: The study of how to care for, maintain, and interact with a wide variety of magical beasts. Taught by Rubeus Hagrid after the retirement of Professor Kettleburn, with Professor Grubbly-Plank serving as a frequent substitute.
• Divination: The art of predicting the future, using methods such as reading tea leaves, crystal balls, and interpreting dreams. It is taught by Sybill Trelawney and, for a time, co-taught by the centaur Firenze. It is often regarded as a very imprecise branch of magic.
• Muggle Studies: The study of non-magical people (Muggles) and their culture from a wizarding perspective. During the 1997-1998 school year, it was made a compulsory subject by the Death Eaters and used to teach anti-Muggle propaganda. It was taught by Charity Burbage until her murder, after which the Death Eater Alecto Carrow took over.
• Study of Ancient Runes: The study of ancient runic scripts. As a primarily theoretical subject, it involves translating ancient texts written in runes. The professor is unnamed in the novels, but is named Professor Babbling on the official Wizarding World website (Pottermore).

These courses are available to students in their sixth and seventh years, provided they meet the academic requirements.

• Alchemy: An advanced subject available at N.E.W.T. level if there is sufficient demand. It deals with the study of the four basic elements and the transmutation of substances, most famously the quest to create the Philosopher's Stone.
• Apparition: A twelve-week course offered to students who are, or will turn, seventeen during the school year. It teaches the magical method of teleportation. These lessons are taught by a Ministry of Magic instructor, Wilkie Twycross, and are not a formal Hogwarts class.

Certain classes have been offered for a limited time due to unique circumstances at the school.

• Dark Arts: During the 1997-1998 school year, when Hogwarts was under the control of Lord Voldemort, Defence Against the Dark Arts was replaced with a class simply called Dark Arts. Taught by Amycus Carrow, the class glorified the Dark Arts and required students to practice Unforgivable Curses on fellow students serving detention.

• The constant rotation of Defence Against the Dark Arts teachers is a significant running gag and plot point throughout the series, directly caused by Lord Voldemort jinxing the position after Albus Dumbledore denied him the job.
• Other subjects, such as Magical Theory, are mentioned as book titles in the novels but are sometimes listed as classes in supplementary materials like video games.
• Additional subjects not seen in the books, such as Ghoul Studies and Xylomancy, have been mentioned on the Wizarding World website (Pottermore).