The Thinking Matters first-year course requirement provides a common point of transition to Stanford. The curriculum introduces you to new ideas, while faculty lectures and small-class discussions generate fresh insights leading to personal and intellectual growth.
Compare Your Options to Satisfy the Thinking Matters Requirement in Your First Year
Thinking Matters Course Listings
Interested in fulfilling the requirement with a one-quarter Thinking Matters course? This flexible option allows students to choose a course during autumn, winter, or spring.
See all of the possible courses being offered by the Thinking Matters program this year.
Coming soon: COLLEGE
In autumn 2021, Stanford will launch a new first-year requirement called Civic, Liberal, and Global Education, or "COLLEGE." The COLLEGE requirement emphasizes a first-year experience that engages all of our increasingly diverse students in a purposeful study of liberal education and encourages the exploration of academic opportunities they can encounter at Stanford.
