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General Education
A Stanford undergraduate education is designed to be both focused and comprehensive. While your major provides depth in a specific discipline, General Education Requirements (GERs) develop essential intellectual breadth. All undergraduate students must complete GERs.
The core components of General Education at Stanford are:
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Civic, Liberal, and Global Education (COLLEGE)
A required course sequence for first-year students that introduces academic life at Stanford and builds a foundation for critical thinking and responsible citizenship.
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Ways of Thinking, Ways of Doing
A skills-based framework that introduces students to the variety of academic methodologies used across the university.
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Language Requirement
A one-year foreign language requirement.
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Writing & Rhetoric Requirement
A sequence of courses that develops students’ ability to express ideas with clarity and power in both writing and speech.
General Education is a foundational component of your four-year plan, designed to complement and enrich your chosen field of study. Together with your major, these requirements form the core of your academic journey.
For a complete description of all requirements, policies, and qualifying courses, please refer to General Education Requirements.