School of Humanities and Sciences

The largest of Stanford’s seven schools, the School of Humanities and Sciences is the center of the University’s liberal arts education. Through exposure to the humanities and arts, undergraduate and graduate students consider the ethical, aesthetic, and intellectual dimensions of the human experience, past and present, and are thereby prepared to make thoughtful and imaginative contributions to the culture of the future. Through the study of social, political, and economic events, they acquire theories and techniques for the analysis of specific societal issues, as well as general cross-cultural perspectives on the human condition. And through exposure to the methods and discoveries of mathematics and the sciences, they become well-informed participants and leaders in today's increasingly technological societies.

The School of Humanities and Sciences is comprised of academic departments, which are organized into three clusters, each with its own distinct character. 

• Humanities and Arts

  • Art and Art History

  • Classics

  • Division of Literatures, Cultures, and Languages

    • Comparative Literature

    • French and Italian

    • German Studies

    • Iberian and Latin American Cultures

    • Slavic Languages and Literatures

  • East Asian Languages & Cultures

  • English

  • History

  • Linguistics

  • Music

  • Philosophy

  • Religious Studies

  • Theater and Performance Studies

• Natural Sciences

  • Applied Physics

  • Biology (including Hopkins Marine Station)

  • Chemistry

  • Mathematics

  • Physics

  • Statistics

• Social Sciences

  • Anthropology

  • Communication

  • Economics

  • Political Science

  • Psychology

  • Sociology

The school also includes interdisciplinary degree programs that bridge traditionally disparate fields in the humanities and sciences: African and African American Studies; African Studies; American Studies; Archaeology; Arts; Biophysics; Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity; East Asian Studies; Ethics in Society; Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies; Global Studies; Human Biology; Human Rights (program) ; Humanities Interdisciplinary Program; International Policy; International Relations; Latin American Studies; Mathematical and Computational Science; Modern Thought and Literature; Public Policy; Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies; Science, Technology, and Society; Symbolic Systems; and Urban Studies.

In addition, the school has diverse programs and research centers that do not currently grant degrees. For more information about the School of Humanities and Sciences and a complete listing of research centers and programs, see the School's website.

Prospective applicants and candidates for the degree of Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Arts and Sciences, Master of Arts, Master of Fine Arts, Master of Public Policy, Master of Science, Doctor of Musical Arts, or Doctor of Philosophy should consult the relevant department or program for detailed information about application procedures and degree requirements.