Stanford University

The mission of the undergraduate program in Human Biology is to provide students with an interdisciplinary approach to understanding human beings from biological, behavioral, social, and cultural perspectives. Core courses train students to approach significant problems from a range of perspectives. As they progress through the major, each student pursues an individualized course of study that draws upon disciplines across the university and promotes a nuanced understanding of a substantive area. The program prepares majors to pursue advanced training in professional or graduate programs and to address issues that influence human welfare.

The B.S. degree allows students a scientific and technical focus for their studies, and requires completion of course work and specialization in the biological sciences, physical sciences, mathematics, and/or computer science and engineering. The degree is suitable for a variety of career trajectories, including attending graduate or professional school, such as medical school. Students who plan to pursue graduate work should familiarize themselves with the admission requirements of the schools to which they intend to apply. A total of 81 units of credit are required for graduation, so early planning is advisable to guarantee completion of a Human Biology major.

B.S. Degree Option Requirement

For the B.S. degree, coursework must be predominantly in the natural sciences, mathematics, computer science and/or engineering fields, with a minority in the social sciences. Courses that are designated as Ways for applied quantitative reasoning, formal reasoning, and scientific methods and analysis courses qualify as B.S. eligible courses. Other eligible courses have been designated as B.S. by the program.

More details about meeting this requirement can be found in the section describing Breadth, Depth, & Upper Division degree requirements.

How to Declare

Students can begin planning a course of study once they have passed at least two of the six courses in the HumBio Core Sequence with a letter grade. Over the course of declaration, a prospective major must consult with the Human Biology advising team to develop a course of study with an individualized Area of Concentration. Students may officially declare in Axess once they have received program approval for their Area of Concentration and completed four of the six HumBio Core Sequence courses with a 'C-' or better. The program recommends that students finish the declaration process by the time they finish the HumBio Core Sequence.

Area of Concentration

Courses taken in a student's Breadth and Depth requirement inform the student’s individualized chosen Area of Concentration topic. The student selects courses for these two requirement categories in consultation with the advising staff, who approve the final course selections. The Area of Concentration title should communicate the focus of the student's Human Biology coursework. Upon approval of their proposed coursework, students write a Cornerstone Essay explaining their chosen Area of Concentration. At the time the major is declared, the student submits the Cornerstone Essay (3-5 pages), which includes academic and long-term goals and the proposed list of courses satisfying the Breadth and Depth requirements for the major. The proposal is then reviewed by the student advisors who can help identify an appropriate faculty advisor.