Analyst, Co-founder, Chief of Staff, Assistant Professor, Housing Advocacy
Organizer, Legislative Aide, Policy and Public Affairs Officer, Technical Lead, Assembly District Delegate, Senior Content Strategist, Paralegal, Machine Engineer, Health and Environment Reporter, Investment Associate,
The Social Sciences at Stanford
Associate Producer, Reporter, Middle School Teacher, Digital Communications Consultant, Neighborhood Planner, Technical Writer, Lead User Experience Researcher, Systems Engineer, Data Product Associate, Associate Editor, President of New Product Development, Interpretation Manager, Assistant Conservator, Postdoctoral Scholar, Communications Manager, Science/ Writer, Race Opportunity Reporter, Product Manager, Business Analyst, Undersea Medical Officer, Project Specialist, Assistant Director of Writing Research, Foreign Service Officer, Senior Analyst for Renewable Energy Development, Program Officer UN Engagement—Women and Girls, Private Investor, Vice President of Revenue, Associate Clinical Social Worker, Government Innovation Fellow, Data Scientist—Perception, Director
Strategy and Marketing, Chief of Staff, Director of Tax and Economic Policy, Customer Quality/Instructional Design Consultant, Player Development Manager, Associate Economist, Prompt Engineer, Managing Partner, Chief Financial Officer, Housing Analyst, Democracy Data Officer, White House Software Engineer, Programmer Analyst, Social Worker, CEO, Postdoc Researcher, Field Archaeologist, Program Officer, Resident Physician, Clinical
Research Supervisor, Interaction Designer, Filmmaker and Digital Artist, Legal
Assistant, Executive Producer, Policy Coordinator, Creative Director, Financial Analyst, Legislative Aide, Housing Advocacy Organizer, Technical Lead, Assembly District Delegate, Senior Content Strategist, Paralegal, Machine
Learning Engineer, Health and Environment Reporter, Investment Associate, Associate Producer, Reporter, Middle School Teacher, Digital Communications
In high school, I liked math and physics, but something was missing. I cared more about people than about numbers. Luckily, I took a college course in economics and was introduced to a logical way to understand human behavior and the world around me. In essence, the field of economics combined my passions for numbers as well as people, and I found my home in the social sciences. When I joined Stanford in 2005, I immediately fell in love with the university and the amazing people. Today, I especially enjoy collaborating with colleagues and students from across disciplines to work on issues such as inequality and immigration.
This guide highlights the social science disciplines in Stanford’s School of Humanities and Sciences. These include our topranked departments of anthropology, communication, economics, political science, psychology, and sociology as well as our eight cutting-edge interdisciplinary programs. You can learn about how the human mind works, how people and organizations make decisions, and how individuals interact within their communities and societies, among other topics. I encourage you to explore the social sciences and open your mind to academic areas that you may not have encountered before. As you will discover, studying the social sciences means engaging with some of the biggest challenges of our times.
The chance to do research is a remarkable feature of an undergraduate education at Stanford. Like other faculty members, I often involve students in my research projects, most recently using big data to reassess some of the common myths about immigration and the American Dream. When you participate in research, you join a community of outstanding scholars working on important ideas. You can be part of a faculty-led project as well as conduct your own research with guidance from a faculty mentor.
The School of Humanities and Sciences (H&S) is the foundation of a liberal arts education at Stanford. The school encompasses more than 45 departments and interdisciplinary programs. H&S is home to fundamental and applied research, where free, open, and critical inquiry is pursued across disciplines.
In addition to unique coursework and research opportunities, you can take advantage of study abroad programs, public service experiences, and student leadership options on your path to a social science degree. The skills you will develop, including critical thinking and the ability to analyze and interpret quantitative and qualitative evidence, will open many career paths. You will also learn more about yourself and your role in the world.
Ran Abramitzky Senior Associate Dean for the Social Sciences School of Humanities and Sciences
Stanford Federal Credit Union Professor and Professor of Economics
Message from the senior associate dean for the social sciences
Ask questions and seek answers
“How will you use that?”
Careers of recent social science alumni
Explore the social sciences at Stanford
Start your journey
Find and join your communities
What can you research and create?
Pursue new passions
Make summer plans
Explore graduate education
Career resources
Why are some countries rich and some poor? Why is it hard to change human behavior to meet common challenges, such as climate change? Why does inequality persist in society? Why is immigration such a polarizing topic? Why are there still wars?
Social scientists wonder why, and they systematically explore how humans organize and understand themselves and one another—as individuals, communities, and international systems—and how their actions influence economics, culture, and society. Their work holds the keys to better understanding and potential solutions for the biggest challenges facing humanity today.
Social science shares a boundary with the humanities and with the natural sciences. Is it humanistic? Yes. Is it technical? Absolutely. To become a social scientist is to orchestrate a suite of analytical and qualitative tools—and to have the savviness to know the right approach for a given question. Using both data-driven and human-centered approaches, social scientists are at the forefront of expanding our knowledge of the world and sparking change.
At Stanford, the social sciences are home to top-ranked departments and award-winning faculty members who are doing groundbreaking research and training students to be leaders at all levels of society. Want to make a difference? Start here.
Minha Khan, ’21 Sociology Doctoral student in education, University of Cambridge
The social sciences give you a framework to make sense of the world around you. They teach you to see, interrogate, and question reality. Sociology has taught me to really see just how much the little things matter, how powerful and transformative ideas are in shaping the world around us, and that each one of us carries the potential to fundamentally impact the future we have ahead of us. I could never imagine ever studying anything else. How else would I begin to understand (and change!) the world around me?
Many people assume that your college major prepares you for a specific kind of job, much like a law degree trains you to become a lawyer. By this thinking, a psychology major would train to become a clinical psychologist and perhaps little else.
Today, people change jobs an average of 12 times in their lifetime, according to Stanford Career Education, the university office that helps students and recent alumni pursue fulfilling careers. So it’s important to have a major that prepares you for a variety of possible paths.
Reframe “What am I going to do for the rest of my life?” to “What skills and approaches will be my foundation?” Your career path might fall in line with your major—or maybe your undergraduate studies will launch you into new territory.
At Stanford, we believe our social science majors provide an excellent foundation for a career in any sector benefiting from insight into human behavior and systems—including business, government, nonprofit, education, technology, research, finance, and so much more.
Employers in every industry want to hire innovative employees who can think conceptually, reason carefully, communicate clearly, and work well on teams. Our social science alumni, regardless of major, embark on successful careers with the ability to:
• think analytically and use problem-solving frameworks
• assess real-world problems in a rigorous way
• weigh competing claims and form carefully considered, ethical decisions
• reason quantitatively
• research and synthesize information proficiently
• organize data and analyze it
• deeply understand culture and social organization
• integrate quantitative and qualitative research methods
• collaborate and work well in teams
• communicate complex ideas clearly, in writing and verbally
Assistant Professor Stanford Medicine
Writer and Filmmaker
Self-employed
CEO
Pure and Just Company Ltd.
Clinical Research Coordinator
Mt. Sinai Health System
All of my writing stems from my anthropological perspective of asking questions without making assumptions and diving into my studies open to all of the possibilities I will observe in the process. The research I started as an undergraduate at Stanford led to my current work: I researched sex education for my undergraduate thesis, which led me to pursue a degree in gender studies where I focused on Black feminism, which led me to a PhD in sociology where I focused on Black mothers who had been erased in history, which led to my bestselling book.
Anna Malaika Tubbs, ’14 Anthropology
New York Times bestselling author
The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation
Field Archaeologist
Bureau of Land Management
Program Assistant/Assistant
Objects Conservator
Balboa Art Conservation Center
Interpretation Manager
Filoli Center
Postdoctoral Scholar
Yale University and Director
Chawin Punta-Kunturay
Archaeological Project
Communications Manager
Chan Zuckerberg Initiative
Race Opportunity
Reporter Education Week
COMMUNICATION
Product Manager Apple Health
Science/AI Writer Nvidia
My Stanford experience has been essential for my job. At the paper, we strive to combine the best of multiple approaches for learning about the world so we can explain it to our readers: We read academic papers, analyze data, speak with experts, and travel globally to get on-the-ground context. These are all things I got to practice at Stanford. I worked with some of the world’s top economists, who taught me how to think from first principles, and my coursework also taught me how to analyze data at a level most journalists are not usually exposed to.
Arjun Ramani, ’21 Economics, MS Computer Science ’21 (coterm)
Global business and economics correspondent, The Economist
Assistant Professor University of Wisconsin-Madison
Associate Economist Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Business Analyst
McKinsey & Company
Economist and Data Scientist
Walmart Inc.
Chief Commercial Officer
Early-stage health care technology startups
Undersea Medical Officer
U.S. Navy
Program Manager II 23andMe
Project Specialist
San Francisco Pretrial
Diversion Project
Assistant Director of Writing and Research
21st Century China Center, School of Global Policy and Strategy, University of California–San Diego
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Senior Analyst for Renewable Energy Development
Rivian
Foreign Service Officer
U.S. State Department
Program Officer UN Engagement—Girls and Women
United Nations Foundation
Assistant Editor
David M. Rubenstein Editorial Fellow, Foreign Affairs Magazine
Private Equity Investor Cove Hill Partners
Vice President of Revenue Grassroots Analytics
Project Manager
National Low Income Housing Coalition
Associate Clinical Social Worker
MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center
Data Scientist, Perception Zoox
Senior Director of Inside Sales Attentive Founder and CEO Sit With Us, Inc.
Government Innovation Fellow
Harvard Kennedy School Government Performance Lab
Affordable Housing Program Analyst
City of Oakland (CA)
Director of Strategy and Marketing
The Falcon Financial Group, LLC
Ben Kaufman, ’17 Public Policy, MA ’18 Public Policy (coterm)
Fellow, Student Borrower Protection Center
Director of Tax and Economic Policy for Senator Ben Cardin/U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship
Majoring and coterming in Public Policy provided me a strong foundation for a career in public service. From teaching me hard skills (always look at the data!) to helping me build up my abilities in policy writing and articulation, the program is where I picked up most of the tools that I use every day as a consumer advocate. As an undergrad, I also had the chance to work as a research assistant and a teaching assistant. Those experiences gave me a huge boost in developing leadership skills and preparing me for life as a policy professional.
Project Manager
Equal Justice Initiative
Associate Product
Marketing Manager
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY
Founder and Creative Director
tabú
Customer Quality/ Instructional Design Consultant
Scale AI
Player Development Manager
NFL
Housing Policy Analyst
San Mateo County (CA)
Business Affairs Manager
Apple
Data Scientist
DoorDash
Majoring in Science, Technology, and Society (STS) was a wonderful foundation for my multi-faceted career journey, which includes working in different U.S. government agencies such as the Department of Energy, Department of Defense, and NASA. STS encouraged my intellectual curiosity and critical thinking about multi-disciplinary problems, and this has served me well in leadership roles related to policy, research and development, business operations, and finance.
Margaret Vo Schaus, ’02 English and Science, Technology, and Society, ’03 MS Management Science and Engineering (coterm) Chief Financial Officer, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Prompt Engineer Khan Academy
Managing Partner
Mindful Venture Capital
Co-founder and CEO Recidiviz
Data Science Manager FAIR
Teacher
School District of Philadelphia
Senior Program Manager
Center for Technology and Civic Life
Elías Gálvez-Arango, ’21 Urban Studies
Democracy Data Officer, International Foundation for Electoral Systems
Assistant Planner
Sacramento County (CA)
Housing Analyst
Metropolitan Transportation Commission
Urban Studies majors work on all sorts of different issues: urban design/planning, education, housing policy, criminal justice, geography, and more. My coursework exposed me to many fields, from linguistics to gender studies, and the program encouraged me to look at a research issue from as many different angles as possible. Both have helped me in my career since. As a data analyst, I often get thrown into new projects with unfamiliar subject matter and very little context. Urban Studies gave me an interdisciplinary foundation that helps me approach each project with confidence and curiosity.
Stanford’s interdisciplinary Program in Data Science offers a BA in Data Science and Social Systems that allows you to study at the intersection of computer science, statistics, and the social sciences to understand human behavior and address social problems. This is a new major that had its first graduates in 2024. Here is what a few students have to say about their experiences so far:
The program has allowed me to deepen my understanding of a social issue I care deeply about. I created my own pathway of Social Justice Law & Technology, and through this track, I was able to explore how using technology can open new dimensions in how we approach social justice.
Janice Li ’24
I got drawn in by the aura and intrigue of computer science after taking a first-year course, but I also knew that a purely technical degree would not be all that fulfilling to me. My pathway is Democracy and Governance, and the courses I’ve taken have served to remind me why I am choosing to learn data science in the first place: I’m deeply passionate about strengthening democracy, and I want to use the skills I get from this major to that end.
Josh Orszag ’25
The Data Science BA has allowed me the space to find a nuanced middle ground between technology, social sciences, and humanities. Through this major, human rights and ethical behavior are embodied in my career as a data scientist as a main priority rather than an afterthought.
Esha Thapa ’25
The BA program has provided me with technical expertise and critical reasoning skills, allowing me to tackle challenges across many fields. I have applied a data-driven approach to issues in the health care, automotive, and education sectors, and I am eager to further my knowledge of how to utilize technology effectively to benefit society.
Matthias Jiro Walther ’25
The social sciences at Stanford encompass 17 majors, and each major offers a unique approach to examining humans and the world we’ve created with the shared goals of increasing knowledge and improving people’s lives.
Most social science degrees at Stanford have different paths through the major, so take time to research the diversity of topics within each degree program. After gaining foundational knowledge in a field, you get to choose one or more tracks that best suit your interest—and in some cases you can design your own. For example, as a political science major, you could focus on how to use the tools of data science to better understand and predict political behavior, or you could lean into justice and law and examine the ethical issues that underpin the relationship between citizens and government.
Picking a major is a way to choose a home base, but it does not limit your choices. You can double major, add a minor, do a coterm (see p. 50), join a research project in another field, or take an elective to explore new ideas and move beyond your comfort zone. This is your Stanford experience.
Interdisciplinary programs
Interdisciplinary programs (IDPs) bridge knowledge and methods from multiple fields. For example, international relations majors do coursework in political science, economics, history, environmental policy, languages, and more. IDP students report being drawn to these programs for the flexibility to study across disciplines and merge expertise in creative ways. Learn more about IDPs on p. 28.
IDP majors connected to the social sciences:
• Archaeology
• Data Science
• Human Biology
• International Relations
• Public Policy
• Science, Technology, and Society
• Symbolic Systems
• Urban Studies
Interdisciplinary honors
In collaboration with Stanford schools such as H&S and the Graduate School of Education and campus institutes such as the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and the McCoy Family Center for Ethics in Society, interdisciplinary honors programs allow advanced undergrads to do honors projects in certain fields regardless of major.
Options include:
• Arts
• Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity
• Education^
• Ethics in Society^
• Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law
• Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
• International Security Studies
• Science, Technology, and Society
^A minor is also offered.
Don’t see what you’re looking for?
Most social science majors have multiple subdisciplines that give you the option to choose a focus or combine multiple interests.
Some examples include:
• Elections, Representation, and Governance (Political Science major)
• Environmental Anthropology (Anthropology major)
• Data Science (Economics major)
• Global Health (Human Biology major)
• Journalism, Media, and Culture (Communication major)
Neuroscience (Psychology major)
• Bing Nursery School (not pictured)
• Bing Stanford in Washington (BSIW)
• Career Education Center (CareerEd)
• Computing and Data Science (CoDa) building (opening 2025)
• Encina Hall
• Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI)
• Haas Center for Public Service
• Hoover Institution
• Institute for Advancing Just Societies
• Institute for Research in the Social Sciences (IRiSS) (not pictured)
• Landau Economics Building
• Main Quad
• McCoy Family Center for Ethics in Society
• Public Service and Civic Engagement House
• Stanford Archaeology Center
• Stanford Impact Labs (SIL)
• Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR)
•
Your first two years at Stanford should be about exploration, so enroll in whatever interests you. There will be ample time to fulfill the rigorous requirements for your chosen social science major in your junior and senior years.
H&S offers courses in social science subjects that may be new to you, and those you might be familiar with already take on greater depth and nuance at the college level. Take advantage of the opportunity to venture into new territory, even into subjects you might have disregarded previously. With no or few prerequisites for many social science courses, it’s possible to explore broadly to find the topics and related degree program(s) that you want to pursue. Plus, fields in the social sciences complement one another, so taking classes in a variety of disciplines will allow you to weave your knowledge together. No matter what is ultimately listed on your diploma, your journey to getting your degree can be unique.
Here are some ideal starting points for exploring social science subjects:
• Apply for an Introductory Seminar. These discussion-based, hands-on seminars, nicknamed IntroSems, are a way to leap right into an interesting subject, meet and collaborate with faculty members, and build friendships with other curious students. Past social science-related IntroSems have included: Storytelling for Reproductive Justice, The Cultural Shaping of Emotion, and The Immigrant Experience in Everyday Life.
Stanford’s first-year curriculum, COLLEGE offers a shared intellectual experience and a chance to engage deeply with civic responsibility, self-reflection, and global perspectives. Its seminar-style courses are taught in small sections (<16 students) by faculty and lecturer teams from across disciplines. With lectures oriented away from conclusions and toward questions, COLLEGE nudges you to contemplate what type of scholar you want to be and how you want to exist in the world—at Stanford and beyond.
• Take a social science gateway course. These frosh-friendly courses are taught by engaging professors, and they provide comprehensive introductions to the fundamentals of disciplines. Academic Advising maintains a complete list of classes where you can start learning about a new field
• Sign up for email lists and newsletters. Getting information and insight into courses, requirements, events, and opportunities is as easy as checking your email. Any student can sign up to receive communications from any social science department or program.
• Explore subdisciplines. Most majors have tracks that allow you to narrow your focus; peruse these to figure out what you find most compelling within a discipline.
• Join a student club. From the Society for International Affairs at Stanford to the serviceoriented Alternative Spring Break, there are dozens of voluntary student organizations (VSOs) related to the social sciences. Your extracurricular activities might inform your academic ones and vice versa.
• Do a directed reading/independent study. Do you want to become familiar with the research literature of a particular field, or are you interested in a topic for which there is no formal course? You can work with a faculty member to create a personalized experience.
The social sciences offer analytical approaches to understanding the complexity of human lives, and the disciplines contain multitudes, just like people. But it can be easy to miss the depth and breadth inherent in social science disciplines. Rest assured that Stanford’s departments and programs are excellent places to be if you want to study one of the areas commonly associated with a field. Just don't overlook what else they have to offer.
Check your knowledge of Stanford’s social science fields in the chart on the next page.
Economics is only about the stock market and supply and demand.
All psychology majors go on to become therapists or clinical psychologists.
The communication major focuses on public relations.
Anthropology and sociology are basically the same thing.
Political science is only for people who want to run for office.
Studying economics gives you a set of quantitative tools to understand the forces shaping society. You will certainly learn the fundamentals of supply and demand and financial systems, but you could also study how AI will affect labor markets or what can be done to combat the negative effects of climate change on the global economy. Economics is one of the top-5 undergraduate majors at Stanford.
You need a master’s or doctoral degree to become a practicing psychologist. At the undergraduate level, students are drawn to the field of psychology to understand why people behave the way they do. This might mean studying the neuroscientific underpinnings of our minds, how people develop unconscious bias, or how technology affects our emotions and behaviors—among many other topics.
Stanford’s Department of Communication immerses you in today’s media revolution with a focus on the ways that communication techniques and technologies shape who we are, how we govern ourselves, and what kinds of cultures we inhabit. You’ll develop the skills an adept communicator needs in the ever-changing media landscape: interviewing, writing clear prose, multimedia storytelling, data analysis, and survey research techniques.
Anthropology majors study the full span of human history, focusing on what it means to be human and how people make sense of their life experiences across time. Sociology majors tend to study contemporary social organization and focus on understanding social change and stability, diagnosing the causes of social problems, and building sustainable social policy.
Political science majors are prepared to work in government—but also as business executives, data analysts, lawyers, nonprofit entrepreneurs, and teachers. And the discipline is far broader than political punditry. You could explore what makes a just society or why democracy takes hold in some countries and not in others, for example.
How is the Archaeology major different from Anthropology?
Like Anthropology, Archaeology draws on methods from the humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences to study humans across time and space, but Archaeology is focused on the physical evidence of past societies. All majors complete a field experience on an archaeological research project.
What is the difference among the International Relations, Public Policy, and Political Science majors?
A: A:
International Relations has a truly global focus, and majors are required to spend at least one quarter studying abroad and achieve high proficiency in a foreign language. Public Policy integrates the tools from multiple disciplines to prepare students to analyze and formulate policy in terms of human well-being and efficacy in achieving social aims. Political Science focuses on political systems, including the U.S. system, and political decision-making within many contexts.
What is Urban Studies?
The field of urban studies seeks to understand and address complex problems such as gentrification, climate change, and educational inequality as they relate to human settlements, including cities, suburbs, and even rural towns. Stanford’s Program on Urban Studies combines academic approaches with real-world experience: It brings together elements of anthropology, sociology, economics, history, and engineering, and students complete a service-learning course or internship (see p. 40 and p. 43) as part of their degree requirements.
Human Biology students study biology with a focus on human beings and the behavioral, social, and cultural forces that shape our lives. Core courses are required in both natural and social sciences, and then each student designs a course of study to build expertise in a specific domain of interest. The major is one of the most popular on campus, and HumBio graduates go on to careers in diverse fields such as medicine, technology, public service, education, and more.
What would I study in the Program in Science, Technology, and Society (STS)?
STS students engage with the complex interactions of science, technology, and the social world through interdisciplinary study. You would take a common core of courses drawn from the social sciences, the humanities, the natural sciences, and engineering. This leads to fluency with both technical and social frameworks with which you can define and solve problems.
What does the Symbolic Systems (SymSys) major cover?
SymSys integrates computer science, linguistics, philosophy, and psychology. The name stands for exactly what you will study: systems that are built with symbols (such as natural language and formal logic) and systems that work with symbols (such as brains and computers). Focus areas include learning, human–computer interaction, and decision-making and rationality, among others. The program is among the most popular majors for undergraduates.
• Your undergraduate advising director
• Student service officers. These staff know the ins and outs of each major.
• Directors of undergraduate studies. These faculty members serve as department and program curriculum experts.
• Your pre-health adviser if you are interested in medicine or another health career
• Teaching assistants (TAs) and undergraduate peer advisers/mentors. These advanced students have recently been where you are.
• Your professors. Take advantage of office hours and ask faculty and teaching staff about courses and majors as well as their experiences in their discipline.
Find and join your
More than 7,000 undergraduate students attend Stanford University, and they come from all over the United States and the world. In dining halls, at cultural events, and in dorm lounges, you will meet peers from a diversity of life experiences, perspectives, interests, and backgrounds and bond with future friends. We believe that these multiple dimensions enrich the breadth and depth of Stanford and create a more vibrant place to live and learn.
Choose the kind of living experience that best suits you by joining one of eight geographically cohesive neighborhoods. Stanford’s campus housing offers a variety of options that include frosh and multi-year residences, university ethnic and academic theme houses, fraternity and sorority houses, cooperatives/coops, self-operated houses, and apartment-style residences.
I lived in the public service theme dorm for two years of my undergraduate and graduate career. I valued being with other Stanford students who had a shared commitment to service and enjoyed having a structured opportunity to learn about different pathways to public service.
Nicole Jackson Mansch, ’18 Urban Studies, MS ’18 Health and Prevention Research (coterm) White House Liaison in the Office of the Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor
Stanford undergraduate students come from all 50 U.S. states and more than 75 countries. Did you know?
Social science–related academic theme houses include:
• Explore Energy House: connecting the fields of energy, sustainability, and climate change
• Outdoor House: playing in the natural world, exploring, and promoting conservation
• Public Service and Civic Engagement House: committing to social change
• Structured Liberal Education: living a life of ideas in a residence-based academic program
Ethnic theme houses include:
• Casa Zapata: Latine
• Ujamaa: Black Diaspora
• Muwekma-Tah-Ruk: Indigenous
• Okada: Asian American
Co-op theme houses include:
• Columbae: cooking up vegetarian meals and social justice
• Hammarskjöld: focusing on international friendship and understanding
• Terra: fostering a safe space for queer and trans students
Stanford offers many opportunities for you to explore identities, including your own, and to learn about the experiences of others. From community centers and cultural organizations to sacred spaces and special events, you will have access to resources and support from faculty, staff, and peers as you navigate your time as an undergraduate.
Stanford has many student support offices such as the First-Generation and/or Low-Income Office (FLI), which provides FLI students with critical resources, networks, and services to set them up for success, and the Office for Religious and Spiritual Life, which works to guide, nurture, and enhance spiritual and religious life within the university community.
Check out these student groups sponsored by H&S departments and programs:
• Stanford Economics Association
• Stanford Symbolic Systems Society
• Stanford Undergraduate Psychology Association (SUPA)
All undergraduates will have an undergraduate advising director from the Office of Academic Advising who supports them throughout their time at Stanford. Advising directors are Stanford employees with doctoral degrees whose full-time job is helping students like you find their way. And their office is in your residential neighborhood!
Ruth Bram, ’14 Communication, MA ’15 Communication (coterm)
My coursework in the Department of Communication and time in research labs gave me the hard and soft skills and experience needed to professionally position myself as an asset to tech and media companies looking to pioneer new technology. I did hundreds of hours of research in both the Virtual Human Interaction Lab (VHIL) and the Communication Between Humans and Interactive Media Lab (CHIMe). This was some of the most valuable real-world experience I had as an undergraduate and master’s student as it gave me tangible skills I could demonstrate during my first-year graduate tech interviews.
Executive Producer—Games, Manager, Oculus Studios / Meta
You can participate in cutting-edge research as early as your first year here. Stanford is a major research university where outstanding social science scholars with deep knowledge investigate myriad subjects, such as the economic mobility of the children of immigrants to the U.S., the behavior and personalities of AI bots, how people come to believe their governments and organizations are trustworthy, human relationships to changing ecologies, and so much more.
Social science research experiences tend to fall into two categories:
• Faculty-led projects: One of the best ways to get started in research is to join a predefined faculty-led project. Often, the experience involves learning research skills and techniques, with graduate students as your mentors. You will also benefit from expert instruction in how to frame research questions; identify, analyze, and interpret sources; and communicate results by contributing to a faculty project. In the process, you will come up with your own ideas and questions, as well as form valuable relationships with faculty and other lab members, which can help you launch a future independent project.
If work–study is part of your financial aid, be sure to mention this to research projects you would like to join. You might be able to get research experience while fulfilling your employment requirement. Also, the Haas Center for Public Service facilitates the Community Service Work–Study program to help you combine the financial need to work with the personal goal of helping the community.
• Independent projects: There are many opportunities to develop—and receive funding for—an independent project of your own, under the guidance of a faculty mentor. Senior capstone projects and honors theses are common entry points to conducting independent research. Learn more about independent research and funding for these kinds of projects on p. 38.
Ask around and be friendly. As a new Stanford student, it may take time to learn which projects include undergrads. Start asking and follow up on word-of-mouth tips with polite inquiries to faculty about research opportunities with their projects.
Explore department and program options. Many social science departments and programs sponsor paid summer undergraduate research programs that are open to first- and second-year students as well as students with more experience, depending on the sponsoring organization. These opportunities are designed to introduce students to research. See p. 45 for more information.
Go SOLO. Visit the Stanford On and Off Campus Learning Opportunities (SOLO) website for a database of hundreds of opportunities from campus research centers, institutes, programs, departments, and other units. You can sort by your interests and set email alerts.
Ask your IntroSem professor if they need a research assistant. Introductory Seminars provide great ways for firstand second-year students to form close relationships with faculty.
How do I get started doing research?
Check out the Stanford Undergraduate Research Association (SURA), a student group dedicated to helping undergraduates get started in research. It organizes a variety of workshops, mentorship opportunities, faculty dinners, and annual symposia for students to share their work.
Sign up for email lists and newsletters. Any student can sign up to receive emails from any social science department or program— even if you’re undeclared or have a different major. Student research opportunities are often part of these communications.
Part of the Institute for Research in the Social Sciences (IRiSS), CPI offers undergraduate research opportunities, courses, and a minor in poverty, inequality, and policy with the Sociology Department.
Psychology students interested in early childhood development can take classes and participate in projects at Bing, a living laboratory.
Many Stanford research centers and institutes welcome undergrads. Check out the offerings of these H&S programs and affiliates:
• Bill Lane Center for the American West
• Bing Nursery School
• Center for Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity (CCSRE)
• Center for Spatial and Textual Analysis (CESTA)
• Center on Poverty and Inequality (CPI)
• Clayman Institute for Gender Research
• Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI)
• Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR)
• Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment
• VMWare Women’s Leadership Innovation Lab
FSI is home to the Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC) and the Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law (CDDRL), which work with undergraduate researchers.
Learn more about research at SIEPR on p. 40.
Independent research can be undertaken at any time, but most projects connect to capstone experiences. Every Stanford senior completes a capstone, a project designed to help them bring together all they have learned in their major and place a personal stamp on their education. Capstones take many forms, including independent research papers, honors theses, and synthesis projects. In some majors, you can also earn academic credit—generally applied to elective units—for independent research.
Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education (VPUE)
Explore VPUE’s Undergraduate Research and Independent Projects website for inspiration and guidance on how to get started. The site also details VPUE funding for independent projects:
• Major Grants—funding for full-time summer research
• Small Grants—funding for part-time academic-year research Departments and programs
• Student services officers/advisers can help you understand capstone requirements, honors programs, and local funding options for independent research. For example: Students who do summer research under the guidance of a Department of Anthropology faculty member can apply to receive funding as Franz Boas Summer Scholars.
Chappell Lougee Scholarship
Sophomores should check out the Chappell Lougee Scholarship, which provides full-time summer funding to support projects in the qualitative social sciences, humanities, and creative arts.
Local, global, and everything in between
Stanford social science students produce real, original research. Projects are personal—driven by each student’s passions and curiosity—which means no two are alike. All represent the best of what Stanford offers as a research and teaching institution. The titles listed below highlight work recently completed by social science undergrads.
• “Air Quality and Health in South San Francisco: A Community-Engaged Project in Partnership with Rise South City”
• “Babbage in Babylon: Pioneering Deep Learning Approaches to Sumerian Cuneiform”
• “Living the Long Haul: A Thematic Analysis on Post-Acute COVID Syndrome Patient Narratives in Medical Care, Identity, and Social Relations”
• “Rage Within the Machine: Public Defender Perspectives on Their Roles in the American Criminal Legal System”
Stanford has a university-wide initiative dedicated to helping turn research into real-world impact. One of the social science groups working on this is Stanford Impact Labs (SIL), which trains and invests in teams of researchers working with leaders in government, business, and communities to make progress on social challenges. SIL also helps guide the Data Science and Social Systems major.
• “Road to Liberation: Transportation, Racism, and the Paradox of Freedom in the United States”
• “The Radical Potential of Community Land Trusts: How CLTs Can Transform Economies”
• “The Role of Financial Participants in the Renewable Energy Transition”
The Stanford Archaeology Program and its research opportunities were instrumental in helping me choose to pursue an academic career and preparing me for graduate school. I joined two field projects, one in Turkey and one in Italy, and they provided vital experience and played a major role in shaping my research interests. Indeed, the seeds of my dissertation project were planted through those experiences, and I am still working with the latter project on research and publications.
James Gross, ’17 Archaeology and Classics Doctoral student in art and archaeology of the Mediterranean world, University of Pennsylvania
Social science research takes many forms. It’s technical work in a lab with a microscope or an fMRI machine. It’s fieldwork interviewing people or carefully unearthing ancient objects at a dig site. It’s coding and doing statistical analysis. Sometimes it is all of these within one project!
Community-based research
Stanford’s Haas Center for Public Service supports community-based research (CBR), which brings together students, faculty, and community members to solve problems or effect social change. Students can take specialized Urban Studies courses to prepare to contribute meaningfully to faculty-led projects or even design their own. Learn more about CBR opportunities on the Haas Center website.
Stanford Archaeology Center (SAC)
Through dedicated lab facilities, opportunities for hands-on fieldwork, and access to the Stanford University Archaeological Collection, SAC supports excellence in archaeological research. For undergraduates, the center sponsors summer field experiences at active archaeological digs and in labs on campus and abroad in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Peru.
Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR) aims to catalyze and promote evidence-based knowledge about pressing economic issues, leading to better-informed policy solutions for generations to come. SIEPR has both academic year and summer opportunities for undergrads to work with economists from across campus.
Stanford SPARQ, or the Center for Social Psychological Answers to Real-World Questions, calls itself a “do tank” as it partners with government, business, and nonprofits to craft solutions to pressing questions in behavioral science. Student researchers assist in SPARQ’s efforts to combat bias, reduce disparities, and drive culture change.
Undergraduate research journals
Are you adept at translating scientific ideas into writing? Work as an editor or contribute to one of these research publications run by undergrads: Contexts (anthropology); Intersect: The Stanford Journal of Science, Technology, and Society; Stanford Economic Review; Stanford Journal of International Affairs; and Stanford Undergraduate Research Journal.
Social scientists leverage both quantitative and qualitative research methods. Sometimes what’s needed are the metrics yielded from statistical research and big-data analysis. Other times it’s the nuance and narration from first-person interviews and observations. Very often social scientists connect the two approaches on the road to new knowledge.
qualitative quantitative
Minor in Data Science
I came to social science by finding the questions that I was asking about the world: Why is there a stronger social safety net in Europe than in the U.S.? What kinds of policies could best tackle climate change or inequality?
I hadn’t been a ‘quant person’ at all when I was in high school, but in college I started to really enjoy math and statistics because I saw how they could help me address the real-world problems and questions that I cared about. Now I feel so much more engaged when I’m coding or doing calculations in a problem set. I feel like the math that I’m learning—while abstract—is also relevant because it helps me to explore an issue more deeply and to talk more precisely about a social problem or a policy recommendation.
It’s been great to be able to develop both lenses, qualitative and quantitative, and to be in a space where both are appreciated.
College has always been a dual task of finding yourself and finding your people. You do this is by exploring. Here are a few strategies to try new things, complement your coursework, and expand your network:
Discover D.C. Spend a quarter in the U.S. capital at the Bing Stanford in Washington Program (BSIW) with a tight-knit community of peers. The program finds you a full-time internship geared toward your interest in government or in one of the countless organizations in D.C. You will take seminars that meet degree requirements and are taught by local policy experts. Executive branch leaders, members of Congress, diplomats, and journalists are frequent speakers.
Geo Saba, ’15, Political Science
Chief
of Staff to Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA)
I was an intern in the Obama White House and took classes at night from amazing professors who were leaders in their fields. The program really embodies a hands-on learning approach that one can only get in Washington. BSIW was one of my favorite experiences at Stanford; it opened up a new world to me.
Study abroad. The Bing Overseas Studies Program enables students to broaden their education around the globe and immerse themselves in different cultures, environments, and languages. You can embark on a quarterlong program in locations like Berlin, Cape Town, Florence, Hong Kong, Istanbul, Kyoto, Madrid, New York, Oxford, Paris, or Santiago—or join a three-week faculty-led summer program in various locations such as Oaxaca or Seoul. Several BOSP opportunities have a social science component, such as urban studies in Ghana and New York, neuro-ethics in Japan, and climate change in Chile.
Participate in public service. The Haas Center for Public Service is all about connecting your academic work with community and public service to help create a just and sustainable world. The center is the hub for Cardinal Service, a university-wide effort to make service an essential feature of a Stanford education. You can choose from more than 150 community-engaged Cardinal Courses that integrate coursework with hands-on experience, such as Farmer, Scientist, Activist, Chef: Communicating for Food Security and Food Justice.
Or participate in a Cardinal Quarter to pursue a full-time, summer, or quarter-long public service experience with Stanford support. More than 500 funded fellowships, internships, and community work–study opportunities are available through campus partners.
Join some of the hundreds of Voluntary Student Organizations (VSOs) ranging from the Stanford Social Entrepreneurial Students’ Association and Students for a Sustainable Stanford to the Stanford AI Club and Stanford Women in Politics.
Emily Bishko, ’20, International Relations Policy & Public Affairs Officer, Cancer Focus Northern Ireland
I studied away in Italy, Chile, and New York. Participating in my dream internship at the United Nations in New York while still doing a Stanford quarter was incredible, and the experience defined my long-term career goals: to work in policy and to help address structural inequities.
Summer allows you the freedom to try new things and delve deeper into learning. There are countless opportunities for social science students on and off campus.
Many H&S units offer summer research programs that match undergrads with faculty projects on campus. These are paid research experiences, with financial support from departments and programs, the vice provost for undergraduate education (VPUE), and faculty research funding. Requirements vary by program: Some prefer rising juniors who have declared a major, while others encourage frosh and sophomores to apply. H&S summer research programs include:
• Economics Summer RA Program
• Human Biology Research Exploration (HB-REX)
• International Relations Summer Research College
• Political Science Summer Research College
• Psych-Summer Research Program
• Sociology Summer Research College
• Stanford Archaeology Center Summer Field Experiences
• Summer Undergraduate Research Program through the Statistics Department (SURP-Stats)
• Symbolic Systems Summer Internship Program
• Urban Studies Departmental Research Program
• Bill Lane Center for the American West pairs undergraduates with faculty projects and supports student-designed research related to the past, present, and future of Western North America.
• Center for Spatial and Textual Analysis (CESTA) hosts undergraduate interns to apply their developing expertise in data science, geographic information systems, and web development to the humanities and social sciences.
• Hoover Institution Student Fellowship Program (HSFP) participants spend three quarters working with Hoover fellows and staff on research and operational projects related to a public policy topic of their choice.
• Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve hires undergraduate interns each summer to assist with collecting data for vegetation management, wildfire resiliency, watershed restoration, and other stewardship research.
• Stanford Data Science for Social Good Fellowships invite undergrads to focus full time on a data science project with technical mentorship from Stanford researchers and graduate students. Examples of past projects include detecting human trafficking in Brazil and improving operations at the Stanford Blood Center.
• Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR) offers an immersive experience for Stanford undergrads in policy-relevant economics research.
• Stanford Precourt Institute for Energy’s Summer Undergraduate Program on Energy Research (SUPER) engages undergraduates in global energy challenges from campus.
• Stanford Summer Fellows Program (SSFP) brings together a cohort of first-generation and lowincome (FLI) students to spend the summer after their first year on campus and participate in four weeks of a half-time research experience, four weeks of an intro-ship program, and a summer course for credit. The program provides full financial support for all participants.
• Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment invites faculty to nominate students to support their research through Mentoring Undergraduates in Interdisciplinary Research (MUIR), a paid summer program.
• Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute supports undergraduates who wish to help advance understanding of how the brain works (and why it doesn’t sometimes) with the Neuroscience Undergraduate Research Opportunity (NeURO) fellowships. Students apply with faculty members who are institute affiliates and agree to host applicants in their labs for the summer.
The Department of Anthropology offers summer funding for undergrads doing independent research projects through its Franz Boas Summer Scholars and Michelle Z. Rosaldo Summer Field Research Grant programs.
• Stanford’s online system Handshake helps connect students and employers and has thousands of internships across all areas.
• Rising Bird Fellowships provide funding to allow undergraduate students to participate in part- or full-time unpaid experiential learning opportunities that align with their academic and professional interests.
• Bing Overseas Studies Program (BOSP) internship opportunities are available through many of the program’s global centers for students to deepen their cultural understanding and gain practical, professional experience in another country. These internships are available to students who have done a study away program in the specific location.
• Bing Stanford in Washington Program (BSIW) students can extend their academic-year internships in the nation’s capital through the summer with the program’s Bing Summer Fellowship stipend.
• The Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI) and the McCoy Family Center for Ethics in Society offer a Tech Ethics and Policy Fellowship for undergrads to engage in the technology, ethics, and policy field as it intersects with public policy and social impact. The program includes a spring-quarter course followed by a paid summer opportunity at a technology company, civil society organization, federal agency, or congressional office.
• Stanford Global Studies (SGS) offers students opportunities to extend classroom learning to immersive, cultural, and professional experiences through the Global Studies Internship Program, which has taken students everywhere from a think tank in Belgium to a human rights nonprofit in Ecuador.
• The Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI) sponsors professional opportunities abroad via its Global Policy Internships and Europe Center Internships.
Jonas
Kemp, ’16 Human Biology, MS ’17 Computer Science (coterm) Software Engineer, Google Research
I did a Stanford Global Studies summer internship in Tokyo. Working at the Japan Institute for Global Health (JIGH) opened my eyes to the diversity of issues and approaches at play in the field of global health. My own research project, for example, illuminated many political, organizational, and governance problems that had become particularly salient in the wake of the Ebola crisis. At the same time, my work supporting JIGH’s mediPhone, a medical translation service, demonstrated the important role for startups and mobile technology in the health arena. Seeing the research and business aspects of the organization operating side by side gave me a new perspective on what working in global health could look like.
Facilitated by the Haas Center for Public Service, Cardinal Quarter offers paid public service internships through almost 30 campus partners representing a range of sectors. Some social science opportunities include:
• Chicanx/Latinx Communities Fellowships—El Centro Chicano y Latino and Haas Center for Public Service
• Human Rights Summer Fellowship—Center for Human Rights and International Justice
• Public Policy Summer Internship Fellowship—H&S Public Policy Program
• Stanford in Government (SIG) Fellowships and Stipends—Stanford in Government
A student-led organization, Stanford in Government (SIG) creates a culture of civic and political engagement through opportunities to engage with and pursue policy as public service. In addition to funding undergraduate fellowships, SIG provides stipends to students who find their own internships. SIG also hosts events with policymakers and coordinates a variety of initiatives, including Stanford Votes.
Karla Roman,
’24 Psychology
Legal Assistant, Webb Law Group
Through my studies at Stanford, I learned about the negative impacts that different forms of violence can have on people’s development and well-being, so I wanted to learn more about how to end violence and make an impact. With support from the Haas Center and funding from Stanford in Government, I interned at Every Voice Coalition, an organization dedicated to ending campus sexual violence by passing survivor-centered state legislation. This experience solidified my decision to continue pursuing a career in public service and showed me the role that law can play in supporting the well-being of communities, which led to my current position.
There are several ways for students interested in journalism to access summer news experiences:
• Bill Lane Center for the American West Environmental Journalism Internship
• Daniel Pearl Journalism Internship
• Harry Press Stanford Daily Award Internship
• Rowland and Pat Rebele Internship Program
• Steve Steinberg Reporting Award
Programmer Analyst,
Data Governance Team
Clark County (NV)
Participating in the Leland Scholars Program (LSP) was one of the best decisions I made at Stanford. Through LSP, I learned how to transition into Stanford both academically and personally, especially coming from a first-generation and low-income background. However, the most important lesson I learned during LSP was cultivating a growth mindset, which was crucial to my resilience and success in college and during my early years as a software engineer after graduation.
I also participated in Sophomore College, which was pivotal in my academic development. I took the course A New Millennial Mix: The Art & Politics of the Mixed Race Experience and explored the sociopolitical and cultural dimensions of mixed-race identity through field trips, films, communal lunches, and interactive assignments with an amazing professor, teaching assistants, and cohort of peers. The experience inspired me to pursue a double major.
Leland Scholars Program (LSP)* is a fully funded summer bridge experience for incoming frosh who may be the first in their families to attend college or who come from under-resourced high schools or low-income backgrounds. A cohort of 80 students comes to campus in August to participate in courses, workshops, and community-building activities to support the academic and social transition to Stanford. As part of this program, you take two courses—a research project course and a writing, math problemsolving, or chemistry problem-solving course—and participate in field trips, study halls, and talent shows to develop a sense of belonging within your cohort. There is also a virtual option. LSP continues throughout the first two academic quarters as 1-unit weekly seminars.
Stanford Online Academic Readiness (SOAR)* is a free, five-week online summer program that provides courses in foundational mathematics and writing for incoming first-year students. The goal of SOAR Math is to prepare you for success in calculus and additional math courses that are required across numerous majors, including the social sciences. The SOAR Writing course is designed to boost confidence in academic writing. SOAR participants earn 1 unit of academic credit.
• Sophomore College (SoCo) is an immersive, three-week academic opportunity for incoming sophomores. Students arrive on campus before the traditional start of fall quarter in early September and join a cohort of 12-16 students embarking on intensive study of one subject. Recent SoCo courses included Artificial Intelligence and Deliberative Democracy, Guaranteed Income: A Bold Experiment to Reduce Inequality, and LGBTQ History and Culture in the Bay Area.
• Bing Honors College is a three-week program in early September for students, typically rising seniors, actively engaged in researching and drafting their honors theses. This is uninterrupted time to delve into thesis writing before the academic year begins, with close supervision from a faculty leader and a chance to strengthen your intellectual community with students in your discipline and across fields.
*You can apply to both LSP and SOAR with the same application. If you are selected, you will receive an offer to participate in one program.
See the complete list of coterminal degrees on the Stanford Student Services website. Q: Q: Q: A:
What is graduate school, exactly?
Any education completed after your bachelor’s degree is considered graduate education. This could look like completing a master’s degree to increase your earning potential and competitiveness. It could be enrolling in a professional school to earn a master’s in business, in public health, or in counseling. Or it could mean writing a doctoral thesis and earning a doctorate, a process that typically takes at least four or five years, en route to an academic career.
And how do I know if it’s the right fit for me?
If you are a successful student, continuing with school can feel like a safe path. Still, you want to ensure you’re applying to graduate school for the right reasons.
Some undergraduates know they want to work in academia, so graduate school is a natural fit. Others might want to pursue a field where an advanced degree is common. Ask your faculty mentors for guidance about what level of education is necessary for your dream career.
Sometimes students enroll in graduate school to immerse themselves deeply in research they find especially compelling. Graduate school hones a layer of critical thinking that emphasizes writing and communicating about a discipline. It forces you not only to learn about a favorite subject, but also to explain it to others.
What is a coterm?
A:
A coterminal student, or coterm, is a Stanford undergraduate who has gone through a special admissions process that allows completion of a bachelor’s and master’s education simultaneously, typically overlapping the degrees by at least one quarter. Pursuing a coterm is only available to Stanford students. Students complete coterm degrees in fields related to their undergraduate majors or to extend their skills into new fields.
Some social science coterm programs include:
• Anthropology
• Communication
• Public Policy
• Sociology
Whether you have your mind made up about graduate education or are unsure what comes next, consider these suggestions:
• Start with the online H&S Guide on Getting Into Grad School for comprehensive information for prospective graduate students.
• Talk to your TAs and graduate students in your circle. Your current life stage is still fresh for them, and they will likely have sound advice.
Stanford’s social science alumni are well prepared for success in graduate and professional school and are regularly accepted into top programs, including those at Stanford. Recent Stanford graduates have gone on to attend:
• Harvard University, government doctoral program and law school
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology, architecture and urban planning master’s programs
• Princeton University, computer science doctoral program
• Reach out to your professors and lecturers for references—the sooner the better. Graduate school requires letters of recommendation. To be courteous, ask for letters at least a month in advance of when you need them; two months in advance is better (your professors are likely writing letters for multiple students). Even if you don't plan on going to graduate school immediately, it’s a good practice to ask your professors to write you letters of recommendation during or shortly after your time at Stanford while their knowledge of you is current.
• Stanford engineering, law, and medical schools as well as H&S graduate programs
• University of Pennsylvania, Wharton MBA program
Fun fact: Alumni on the academic track often return to campus to start or continue their work as professors.
• Explore the Stanford Alumni Mentoring (SAM) network. Who has your dream job? Consider asking for 15 minutes of their time to find out how they got there.
• Take a serious look at your finances. Most doctoral programs will fully fund your education in exchange for your research or teaching, while financial support for master’s degrees is often limited. Some professional schools will offer financial aid, though many students depend on loans.
I
could imagine myself in multiple careers. How do I choose where to start? How do I sharpen my skills to find a job?
Knowing yourself better will help you discern next steps no matter what profession you hope to pursue. The Stanford community is here to help you connect the dots and, ultimately, succeed. To identify and reach your career destination, take time as an undergraduate to do the following:
1. Learn more about yourself, including your skills, values, and workplace preferences. Coaching appointments and career assessments can help.
2. Learn about a wide range of possible industries and careers, especially by connecting with professionals through informational interviews, career workshops, alumni mentoring, and internships. Look for strong matches with your own skills and goals.
Stanford Career Education (CareerEd) and the Stanford Alumni Association now offer career developmental support for alumni for five years after graduation, including connections and career education.
3. Create the connection. Develop a narrative for prospective employers about how your coursework and experience ideally prepare you for their role. Acquire any training you might be missing through classes, internships, and extracurricular activities. Learn the mechanics of the job search (résumés, cover letters, interviews, timing, etc.) and how to leverage online networks such as LinkedIn.
4. Practice, practice, practice. Interviewing is a skill, and like anything, you improve with repetition. Stanford Career Education (CareerEd) provides access to an interview training curriculum and video practice via Big Interview.
Check these out for guidance during all four steps:
• Stanford Career Education (CareerEd)
• Haas Center for Public Service—specialized resources for nonprofit and government careers
• Academic Advising—including specialist advisers for pre-med, pre-law, and pre-business students
• Stanford Life Design Lab—popular courses that help you think through your skills and goals
• School of Humanities and Sciences: humsci.stanford.edu
• Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education: vpue.stanford.edu
• Academic Advising: advising.stanford.edu
• Doerr School of Sustainability: esos.stanford.edu
• Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies: fsi.stanford.edu/ studentprograms/programs-overview
• Graduate School of Business: pathfinder.stanford.edu
• Graduate School of Education: ed.stanford.edu/undergraduate
• Hoover Institution: hoover.org/about/connect-with-us/studentopportunities
• Residential Education (ResEd): resed.stanford.edu
• Stanford Career Education (CareerEd): careered.stanford.edu
• Student Affairs: studentaffairs.stanford.edu
• Student Services: studentservices.stanford.edu
Deborah Stevenson, Stanford Associate Vice Provost and Dean of Academic Advising
Stanford is a place where you can pursue your chosen major while exploring your passion and interests. We encourage students to learn about things they love even if what they’re learning doesn’t obviously relate to their major.
Students, spend time with your academic adviser, take courses that spark your curiosity, talk to your professors and instructors, visit Career Education, and connect with Stanford alumni. You don’t need to have it all figured out in your first quarter or even your first year.
and Society, Data Science at Work, Medical Anthropology, Cults: Mystics and Messiahs in a Modern World, Media, Culture, and Society, Reporting, Writing, and Understanding News, The Politics of Algorithms, Introduction to AI Safety, World Food Economy, Market Design, Behavioral Economics, Defending Democracy at Home and Abroad, War and Peace in American Foreign Policy, The Politics and Climate Change, Community Health Psychology, Foundations of Cognition, Transportation and the Future City, Social Movements and the Internet, Designing Regenerative Societies, The Science and Politics of Apocalypse, Technometabolism: Technology, Society, and the Anthropocene, The Human Organism, Conservation Biology: Latin American Perspective, Health Care Policy and Reform, Food and Security, Global Human Rights and Local Practices, America as a World Power in the Modern Era, Design for Artificial Intelligence, Methods in Psycholinguistics, Local Government in Action, Urban Culture in Global Perspective, Data Narratives, Ethics and Politics of Public Service, BioSecurity and Pandemic Resilience, The Politics of Policy Making, The Social Determinants of Health, The Social Life of Human Bones, Philosophy of Neuroscience, History of Archaeological Thought, Investigating Ancient Materials, Solving Social Problems with Data, Rights and Ethics in Heritage, Sport, Competition, and Society, Data Science at Work, Medical Anthropology, Cults: Mystics and Messiahs in a Modern World, Media, Culture, and Society, Reporting, Writing, and Understanding News, The Politics of Algorithms, World Food Economy, Introduction to AI Safety, Market Design, Behavioral Economics, Defending Democracy at Home and Abroad, War and Peace in American Foreign Policy, The Politics and Climate Change, Community Health
Stanford Classes in the Social Sciences