5. Courses & Examinations

• 5.1. Unit of Credit

  One unit of credit represents about three hours of student work per week — typically one hour of in-class time plus two hours of preparation.

• 5.2. Standard Meeting Patterns

  Standard class meeting patterns are a set of common meeting times that all departments and instructors use across undergraduate and graduate schools to schedule classes. The purpose of the class patterns is to reduce course conflicts, thereby empowering students to take the courses they want and need.

• 5.3. Forms of Instruction

  Stanford offers multiple forms of instruction and reserves the right to determine and change the mode of instruction at any time without notice.

• 5.4. Midterm Examinations

  Midterms outside class time must be announced early and include alternative times for students with conflicts.

• 5.5. End-Quarter Period

  The End-Quarter Period is a time of reduced social and extracurricular activity preceding final examinations. Its purpose is to permit students to concentrate on academic work and to prepare for final examinations.

• 5.6. End-Quarter Examinations

  Stanford sets strict rules for final exams, including a reserved three-hour exam period for most courses and deadlines for completing exams or final assessments depending on course unit size and format. Students are responsible for understanding and planning around the published exam schedule when submitting study lists, and must resolve any scheduling conflicts early in the quarter or adjust their enrollment accordingly.

• 5.7. Early Examinations

  Early final exams are granted only in exceptional circumstances at faculty discretion, and must be carefully managed to preserve fairness and uphold the Honor Code.

• 5.8. Student Initiated Courses

  The Faculty Senate approved Student Initiated Courses (SIC’s) as an opportunity for undergraduate students to participate more actively in the creation of curriculum at Stanford. Only undergraduate students may submit SIC proposals. Graduate students wishing to propose or teach a course should contact the relevant program.

• 5.9. Recording Lectures

  Students may only record lectures with permission and may use recordings solely for personal use, without sharing or distributing them.