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
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.
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.