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University Policy: UndergraduateThe statements on this page are verbatim reproductions of University undergraduate policy statements in the Stanford Bulletin, 2007-08. Other Policy PagesOn This Page
Undergraduate Degrees and ProgramsBACHELOR OF ARTS (B.A.), BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (B.S.)Stanford University confers the degree of Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or the degree of Bachelor of Science (B.S.) on those candidates who have been recommended by the Committee on Undergraduate Standards and Policy (C-USP), who have applied in advance for conferral of the degree, and who have fulfilled the following requirements:
Stanford confers the Bachelor of Science degree on candidates who fulfill these requirements in the School of Earth Sciences, in the School of Engineering, or in the departments of Applied Physics, Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Mathematics, or Physics in the School of Humanities and Sciences. The University also awards B.S. degrees to candidates in the Program in Science, Technology, and Society; in the Program in Mathematical and Computational Science; in the Program in Symbolic Systems; and, when appropriate, in the Program for Individually Designed Majors. Candidates who fulfill these requirements in other schools or departments receive the Bachelor of Arts degree. Students who complete the requirements for two or more majors, which ordinarily would lead to the same degree (B.A. or B.S.), should review “The Major” section of this bulletin to ensure that they have an understanding of the requirements for multiple or secondary majors. BACHELOR OF ARTS AND SCIENCE (B.A.S.)The University confers the degree of Bachelor of Arts and Science (B.A.S.) on candidates who have completed, with no overlapping courses, the curricular requirements of two majors which ordinarily would lead to different bachelor’s degrees (that is, a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Bachelor of Science). These students must have applied in advance for graduation with the B.A.S. degree instead of the B.A. or B.S. degree, been recommended by the C-USP, and have fulfilled requirements 1, 2, and 4/5 above in addition to the requirements for multiple majors. Students who cannot meet the requirements for both majors without overlapping courses are not eligible for the B.A.S., but may apply to have a secondary major recorded on their transcripts. (See “The Major” section below.) DUAL BACHELOR’S DEGREES (CONCURRENT B.A. AND B.S.)A Stanford undergraduate may work concurrently toward both a B.A. and a B.S. degree. To qualify for both degrees, a student must complete:
A student interested in dual bachelor’s degrees should declare them in
Axess no later than two quarters in advance of completing the program. SECOND BACHELOR’S DEGREEStanford does not award a second Bachelor of Arts degree to an individual who already holds a Bachelor of Arts, nor a Bachelor of Science degree to an individual who already holds a Bachelor of Science degree. However, the holder of a Bachelor of Arts degree from Stanford may apply to the C-USP Subcommittee on Academic Standing for admission to candidacy for a Bachelor of Science degree, and the holder of a Bachelor of Science degree from Stanford may apply for candidacy for a Bachelor of Arts degree. The C-USP Subcommittee on Academic Standing may determine whether the application for a second degree may be approved and/or the conditions a student must meet in order to be allowed to earn a second degree. A recommendation of the major department for the second bachelor’s degree must accompany the application. Generally, a holder of a B.A. or B.S. degree may not apply for the Bachelor of Arts and Sciences degree, although a student may submit a petition for exception. The Office of the University Registrar’s Degree Progress section reviews these petitions. A student approved for this program may register as an undergraduate and is subject to the current rules and regulations affecting undergraduates. Requirements for a second Stanford bachelor’s degree are the same as those described above for dual bachelor’s degrees. COTERMINAL BACHELOR’S AND MASTER’S DEGREESThe coterminal degree program allows undergraduates to study for a master’s degree while completing their bachelor’s degree(s) in the same or a different department. Undergraduates with strong academic records may apply for admission to a coterminal master’s program upon completion of 120 units, but no later than the quarter prior to the expected completion of the undergraduate degree. Full-time enrollment during Summer Quarters, as well as allowable undergraduate transfer credit, are also counted towards quarters of undergraduate study. Students who wish to apply for a master’s program after these deadlines must apply through the regular graduate admissions process. To apply for admission to a coterminal master’s program, students must submit to the prospective graduate department the following: coterminal application, statement of purpose, preliminary program proposal, two letters of recommendation from Stanford professors, and a current Stanford transcript. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores or other requirements may be specified by the prospective department. For coterminal students, the quarter following completion of 12 full-tuition undergraduate quarters is identified as the first graduate quarter for tuition assessment. Beginning with this quarter, coterminal students are subject to graduate student policies and procedures (including those described in the “Graduate Degrees” section of this bulletin) in addition to undergraduate minimum progress standards. These policies include continuous registration or leaves of absence for quarters not enrolled and minimal progress guidelines. In the first graduate quarter, a coterminal student is assigned an adviser in the master’s department for assistance in planning a program of study to meet the requirements for the master’s degree. The plan is outlined on the Program Proposal for a Master’s Degree, which is approved by the master’s department by the end of the first graduate quarter. Authorizations for master’s programs expire three calendar years from the first graduate quarter. An extension requires review of academic performance by the department. The specific University residency, unit requirement, and additional policies for a bachelor’s/master’s program are described under Residency and Unit Requirements in Coterminal Programs in the “Graduate Degrees” section of this bulletin. Conferral of each degree is applied for separately by the deadlines given in the University Time Schedule. The master’s degree must be conferred simultaneously with, or after, the bachelor’s degree. DEGREE REQUIREMENTSA LIBERAL EDUCATIONAs do all major universities, Stanford provides the means for its undergraduates to acquire a liberal education, an education that broadens the student’s knowledge and awareness in each of the major areas of human knowledge, that significantly deepens understanding of one or two of these areas, and that prepares him or her for a lifetime of continual learning and application of knowledge to career and personal life. The undergraduate curriculum at Stanford allows considerable flexibility. It permits each student to plan an individual program of study that takes into account personal educational goals consistent with particular interests, prior experience, and future aims. All programs of study should achieve some balance between depth of knowledge acquired in specialization and breadth of knowledge acquired through exploration. Guidance as to the limits within which that balance ought to be struck is provided by the University’s General Education Requirements and by the requirements set for major fields of study. These educational goals are achieved through study in individual courses that bring together groups of students examining a topic or subject under the supervision of scholars. Courses are assigned credit units. To earn a bachelor’s degree, the student must complete at least 180 allowable units and, in so doing, also complete the Writing Requirement, the General Education Requirements, the Language Requirement, and the requirements of a major. The purpose of the Writing Requirement is to promote effective communication by ensuring that every undergraduate can write clear and effective English prose. Words are the vehicles for thought, and clear thinking requires facility in writing and speech. The Language Requirement ensures that every student gains a basic familiarity with a foreign language. Foreign language study extends the student’s range of knowledge and expression in significant ways, providing access to materials and cultures that otherwise would be out of reach. The General Education Requirements provide guidance toward the attainment of breadth and stipulate that a significant share of a student’s work must lie outside an area of specialization. These requirements ensure that every student is exposed to different ideas and different ways of thinking. They enable the student to approach and to understand the important ways of knowing to assess their strengths and limitations, their uniqueness, and, no less important, what they have in common with others. Depth, the intensive study of one subject or area, is provided through specialization in a major field. The major relates more specifically to a student’s personal goals and interests than do the general requirements outlined above. Stanford’s curriculum provides a wide range of standard majors through its discipline-oriented departments, a number of interdisciplinary majors in addition to department offerings, and the opportunity for students to design their own major programs. Elective courses, which are not taken to satisfy requirements, play a special role in tailoring the student’s program to individual needs. For most students, such courses form a large portion of the work offered for a degree. Within the limitations of requirements, students may freely choose any course for which previous studies have prepared them. Following are more detailed descriptions of these various requirements and the rationales upon which they are based. THE GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTSPURPOSEThe General Education Requirements are an integral part of undergraduate education at Stanford. Their purpose is: 1) to introduce students to a broad range of fields and areas of study within the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, applied sciences, and technology; and 2) to help students prepare to become responsible members of society. Whereas the concentration of courses in the major is expected to provide depth, the General Education Requirements have the complementary purpose of providing breadth to a student’s undergraduate program. The requirements are also intended to introduce students to the major social, historical, cultural, and intellectual forces that shape the contemporary world. Fulfillment of the General Education Requirements in itself does not provide
a student with an adequately broad education any more than acquiring the
necessary number of units in the major qualifies the student as a specialist
in the field. The major and the General Education Requirements are meant
to serve as the nucleus around which the student is expected to build a
coherent course of study by drawing on the options available among the
required and elective courses. It is the responsibility of each student to ensure
that he or she has fulfilled the requirements by checking in Axess within
the Undergraduate Progress function or by checking with the Office of the
University Registrar. This should be done at least two quarters before graduation. During Autumn Quarter 2004-05, the Academic Senate approved modifications to undergraduate General Education Requirements that became effective Autumn Quarter 2005-06 for all matriculated undergraduates who entered Stanford in Autumn Quarter 2004-05 or later. The purpose of these modifications was 1) to give students a fuller and more articulate understanding of the purposes of the requirements and of a liberal arts education that these requirements embody; 2) to make a place in the curriculum for ethical reasoning to help make students aware of how pervasive ethical reasoning and value judgments are throughout the curriculum, and 3) to provide some greater freedom of choice by reducing the GERs by one course. AREA REQUIREMENTSThe following structure for General Education Requirements became effective with the 2005-06 entering freshman and transfer class: Introduction to the Humanities—one quarter
introductory courses followed by two quarter thematic sequences. Disciplinary Breadth—requirement satisfied by completing five courses
of which one course must be taken in each subject area. Education for Citizenship—requirement satisfied by completing two courses
in different subject areas; or completing two Disciplinary Breadth courses
which also satisfy different Education for Citizenship subject areas.
Courses certified as meeting the General Education Requirements must be taken for a letter grade and a minimum of 3 units of credit. A single course may be certified as fulfilling only one subject area within the General Education Requirements; the one exception is that a course may be certified to fulfill an Education for Citizenship subject area in addition to a Disciplinary Breadth subject area. Courses that have been certified as meeting the requirements are identified throughout this bulletin with the notational symbols listed below. A comprehensive list of certified courses also appears in the Time Schedule of Classes for that quarter. Introduction to the Humanities Disciplinary Breadth Education for Citizenship Students who matriculated Autumn Quarter 2004-05 or later are subject to the revised General Education Requirements effective Autumn Quarter 2005-06. Students who matriculated Autumn Quarter 2003-04 or earlier remain on the old General Education Requirements, but may elect to change to the new system. Students interested in electing the revised GER system should contact the Office of the University Registrar. No further changes are allowed once a student has elected to move to the new system. CREDIT TRANSFERStudents may propose that work taken at another college or university be accepted in fulfillment of a General Education Requirement. In such cases, the Office of the University Registrar’s External Credit Evaluation staff determines, after appropriate faculty consultation, whether the work is comparable to any of the specifically certified courses or course sequences. THE WRITING AND RHETORIC REQUIREMENTAll instructors at Stanford University expect students to express themselves effectively in writing and speech. The Writing and Rhetoric requirement helps students meet those high expectations. All candidates for the bachelor’s degree, regardless of the date of matriculation, must satisfy the Writing and Rhetoric requirement. Transfer students are individually advised at the time of matriculation by the Office of the University Registrar’s External Credit Evaluation section and, if necessary, the Program in Writing and Rhetoric (PWR) as to their status with regard to the requirement. The current Writing and Rhetoric requirement, effective beginning 2003, includes courses at three levels. The first two levels are described in more detail below. Writing-intensive courses that fulfill the third level, the Writing in the Major (WIM) requirement, are designated under individual department listings. All undergraduates must satisfy the first-level Writing and Rhetoric requirement (WR 1) in one of three ways:
All undergraduates must satisfy the second-level Writing and Rhetoric Requirement (WR 2) in one of four ways:
A complete listing of PWR 1 courses is available each quarter on the PWR web site at http://pwr.stanford.edu, and at the PWR office in Building 460, Room 223. Complete listings of PWR 2 and DWR 2 courses are available to students on the PWR web site the quarter before they are scheduled to complete the WR 2 requirement. For a full description of the Program in Writing and Rhetoric (PWR), see the “Writing and Rhetoric” section of this bulletin under the Vice Provost of Undergraduate Education. Students who matriculated prior to Autumn 2003 should consult previous issues of the Stanford Bulletin and the “Writing and Rhetoric, Program in” section of this bulletin under the School of Humanities and Sciences to determine what requirements apply. THE LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTTo fulfill the Language Requirement, undergraduates who entered Stanford in Autumn 1996 and thereafter are required to complete one year of college-level study or the equivalent in a foreign language. Students may fulfill the requirement in any one of the following ways:
Written placements are offered online throughout the summer in Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Spanish, and Spanish for home background speakers. For a full description of Language Center offerings, see the “Language Center” section of this bulletin under the school of Humanities and Sciences. CREDITADVANCED PLACEMENTStanford University allows up to 45 units of external credit toward graduation including work completed in high school as part of the College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB) Advanced Placement curriculum. The awarding of such credit is based on CEEB Advanced Placement test scores and is subject to University and department approval. The faculty of a given department determine whether any credit toward the 180-unit requirement can be based on achievement in the CEEB Advanced Placement Program in their discipline. Stanford departments electing to accept the Advanced Placement (AP) credit are bound by these University policies: 1. Credit is usually granted for an AP score of 4 or 5. Usually, 10 quarter units are awarded (but occasionally fewer than 10). No more than 10 quarter units may be given for performance in a single examination. 2. Whether credit is to be given for an AP score of 3 is a matter for departmental discretion; up to 10 units may be awarded. 3. No credit may be authorized for an AP score lower than 3. Performance on an AP exam can indicate the appropriate placement for continuing course work in that subject at Stanford. Students may not enroll in courses at Stanford for which they received equivalent credit through the AP program. The chart below shows the current AP credit and placement policies. Further information is available from the Office of the University Registrar’s External Credit Evaluation section. A maximum of 45 quarter units of Advanced Placement (AP), transfer credit, and/or other external credit (such as International Baccalaureate) may be applied toward the undergraduate degree. More than 45 units of AP, transfer, and other external credit may appear on the Stanford University transcript; however, only 45 units can be applied to the minimum units required for the undergraduate degree. Stanford University policies on AP and other external credit are subject to review and change on an annual basis. Subjects not listed on this chart are not eligible for AP credit at Stanford University.
ACTIVITY COURSESFor undergraduates who entered Autumn 1996 and thereafter, a maximum of 8 units of credit earned in activity courses, regardless of the offering department or if accepted as transfer units, count towards the 180 (225 if dual degrees are being pursued) units required for the bachelor’s degree. All activity courses are offered on a satisfactory/no credit basis. COURSES TAKEN ON SATISFACTORY/NO CREDIT OR CREDIT/NO CREDIT BASISFor undergraduates who entered Autumn 1996 and thereafter, a maximum of 36 units of credit (including activity courses) taken at Stanford or its overseas campuses for a “CR” or “S” grade may be applied towards the 180 (225 if dual degrees are being pursued) units required for the bachelor’s degree. For those who entered Stanford as transfer students in Autumn 1996 and thereafter, the maximum is 27 units. Departments may also limit the number of satisfactory or credit courses accepted towards the requirements for a major. Satisfactory/ credit courses applied towards a minor may be similarly limited. Courses not letter-graded are not accepted in fulfillment of the General Education Requirements applicable to undergraduate students who entered Stanford in Autumn 1996 and thereafter. Writing in the Major courses are usually offered letter grade only. In those instances where the course is offered for a letter grade or CR/NC, the course must be taken for a letter grade to fulfill the Writing in the Major requirement. INTERNSHIP GUIDELINESUndergraduate internships should not by themselves carry any credit. However, an individual student may arrange with a faculty member for a research or other academic project to be based on the internship. Arrangements between students and faculty regarding credit are expected to be made well in advance of the internship. Credit should be arranged within departmental rules for directed reading or independent study and should meet the usual department standards. No transfer credit is awarded for internships. TRANSFER WORKAcademic credit for work done elsewhere may be allowed toward a Stanford bachelor's degree under the following rules and conditions:
CONCURRENT ENROLLMENTStudents may enroll concurrently at Stanford and at another college or university. The following policies apply to Concurrent Enrollment:
THE MAJORThe primary purpose of the major is to encourage each student to explore a subject area in considerable depth. This in-depth study complements the breadth of study promoted by the General Education Requirements and, in many cases, by a student’s choice of electives. Work in depth permits practice in critical analysis and the solving of problems. Because of its depth, such study also provides a sense of how knowledge grows and is shaped by time and circumstances. The structure of a major should be a coherent reflection of the logic of the discipline it represents. Ideally, the student should be introduced to the subject area through a course providing a general overview, and upper-division courses should build upon lower-division courses. The course of study should, if feasible, give the student the opportunity and responsibility of doing original, creative work in the major subject. Benefits of the major program are greatest when it includes a culminating and synthesizing experience such as a senior seminar, an undergraduate thesis, or a senior project. REQUIREMENTSUndergraduates must select a major by the end of their sophomore year. All undergraduate major programs listed in this bulletin, except for certain honors degree programs that require application and admission in advance, are open to all students. Students may use Axess to declare, drop or exchange a major at any time. In some departments or programs, though, a late change could easily result in extending the period of undergraduate study. Students who have applied to graduate or who wish to declare an individually designed major, and coterminal students must use printed forms to select or change a major. Students requiring assistance should contact the Office of the University Registrar. Check individual department or program listings in this bulletin for the undergraduate degrees offered and for specific major requirements. If an area of study has no baccalaureate degree, that discipline is not available as a regular undergraduate major. Faculty set the minimum requirements for the major in each department. These requirements usually allow latitude for tailoring a major program to a student’s specific educational goals. The responsibility for developing a major program within department or program requirements lies ultimately with the individual student working in consultation with the major adviser. MULTIPLE MAJORSAlthough most students declare only one major, a student may formally declare more than one major within a single bachelor’s degree (B.A., B.S., or B.A.S.) program. The student may do that either at the time of initial major declaration or, as may be more advisable given the planning required to complete more than one major, by amending the original declaration. The student’s major departments or programs have access routinely to all information pertinent to that student’s academic record (for example, course and grade information), and each is expected to provide advising and other assistance. Students may pick up appropriate information regarding major declarations from the Office of the University Registrar. To be awarded a bachelor’s degree with multiple majors, the student must fulfill the following requirements:
Students pursuing multiple majors must complete a multiple major program form indicating which courses they plan to apply toward each major and any minor(s). Departments must certify that the plan of study meets all requirements for the majors and any minor(s) without unallowable overlaps in course work; the School of Engineering Dean’s office certifies this information in any case involving an Engineering major or minor. To facilitate advance planning, multiple major program forms are available at any time from http://registrar. stanford.edu. This must be submitted to the Office of the University Registrar by the application to graduate deadline for the term in which the student intends to graduate. When students cannot meet the requirements of multiple majors without overlaps, the secondary major, outlined below, may be relevant. SECONDARY MAJORIn some cases, students may complete course requirements for more than one major, but they may not meet the requirements outlined for the multiple major option. For example, the student may develop a course plan in which courses requisite for one major overlap with requirements for another. In these cases, the student may declare a secondary major which results in the transcript bearing an annotation that the course requirements for that major have also been met. Secondary majors are not listed on the diploma. LIMITS OF THE MAJORIn order to achieve the values of study in depth, a well-structured major should constitute at least one-third of a student’s program (55-65 units). To ensure the values of breadth, a major should comprise no more than two-thirds of a student’s program (115-125 units). And, to avoid intellectual parochialism, a major program should not require a student to take more than about one-third of his or her courses from within a single department. Major requirements in cognate subjects essential to the structure of a given major should be counted as part of the major program in applying these guidelines. Department or school requirements designed to provide extra disciplinary breadth should not be counted. For a limited number of qualified students, many departments and programs offer special programs leading to degrees with honors. A student may apply to the major department or program for acceptance into the honors program. Demands on the student may vary, but all honors programs encourage creative, independent work at an advanced level in addition to the major requirements. The guidelines set forth here are deliberately general; implementation must take into account the specific needs of a student’s program and the nature of the discipline or disciplines involved. The exercise of responsibility in achieving the desired educational balance belongs first with the student, who, after all, has the strongest interest in the value of his or her education. It belongs secondarily to departments and major programs, which must set the requirements of competence in the many majors offered. DEGREES, HONORS, AND MINORSCONFERRAL OF DEGREESUpon recommendation to the Senate of the Academic Council by the faculty of the relevant departments or schools and the Committee on Undergraduate Standards and Policy, degrees are awarded four times each year, at the conclusion of Autumn, Winter, Spring, and Summer quarters. All diplomas, however, are prepared and awarded in Spring Quarter. Stanford University awards no honorary degrees. Students must apply for conferral of an undergraduate or graduate degree by filing an Application to Graduate by the deadline for each term. The deadlines are published in the Time Schedule of Classes. A separate application must be filed for each degree program and for each conferral term. Applications are filed through Axess, the online service which allows students to update their administrative/academic records. Requests for conferral are reviewed by the Office of the University Registrar and the student’s department, to verify completion of degree requirements. Registration is required in the conferral term. Students with unmet financial obligations resulting in the placement of a hold on their registration cannot receive a transcript, statement of completion, degree certificate, or diploma until the hold is released by the Office of Student Financial Services. Students are typically expected to apply to graduate during the term in which they expect to be awarded a degree. The University, however, reserves the right to confer a degree on a student who has completed all of the requirements for a degree even though the student has not applied to graduate; such an individual would then be subject to the University’s usual rules and restrictions regarding future enrollment or registration. Students who wish to withdraw a request for conferral or make changes to the Application to Graduate should notify the Office of the University Registrar in writing. Students who withdraw their graduation applications or fail to meet degree requirements must reapply to graduate in a subsequent term. THE UNDERGRADUATE MINORStudents completing a bachelor’s degree may elect to complete one or more minors in addition to the major. Minors must be officially declared by students no later than the deadline for their application(s) to graduate, according to declaration procedures developed and monitored by the Registrar. Earlier deadlines for declaration of the minor may be set by the offering school or department. Satisfactory completion of declared minors is noted on the students’ transcripts after degree conferral. A minor is a coherent program of study defined by the department or degree program. It may be a limited version of a major concentration or a specialized subset of a field. A minor consists of no fewer than six courses of 3 or more units to a maximum of 36 units of letter-graded work, except where letter grades are not offered. Departments and degree programs establish the structure and requirements of each minor in accordance with the policy above and within specific guidelines developed by the deans of schools. Programs which do not offer undergraduate degrees may also make proposals to their cognizant deans to establish a minor. Requirements for each minor are described in the individual department or program listings in this bulletin. Students may not overlap (double-count) courses for completing major and minor requirements, unless:
Undergraduates use Axess to declare or drop a minor. Students with questions about declaring minors or double-counting courses towards combinations of majors and/or minors should consult with the departments or programs involved or the Office of the University Registrar, 630 Serra Street, Suite 120. BACCALAUREATE HONORSWith Distinction—In recognition of high scholastic attainment, the University, upon recommendation of a major department or program, awards the Bachelor’s Degree with Distinction. Distinction is awarded to 15% of the graduating class based on cumulative grade point averages. Distinction is calculated at the end of the Winter Quarter for each graduating class. Students are also urged to consider the departmental honors programs that may give depth to their major study and to consider, as well, how the interdisciplinary honors programs might contribute to the quality of their undergraduate education. Departmental Honors Programs—In recognition of successful completion of special advanced work, departments may recommend their students for honors in the major. Departmental honors programs demand independent creative work at an advanced level in addition to major requirements. Interdisciplinary Honors Programs—In recognition of successful completion of honors program requirements, the following interdisciplinary programs can recommend students majoring in any field for honors in their program:
The interdisciplinary honors programs are designed to complement study in a department major. The requirements for these honors programs are described in the department sections of this bulletin. Foreign Language Proficiency—The notation “proficiency in (language)” appears on the official transcripts of those students whose levels of achievement are found by procedures established by the language department to be roughly equivalent to knowledge an excellent student can be expected to demonstrate late in the third quarter of the third year of study in that language. |
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