Stanford Introductory Studies Skip to main content Skip to secondary navigation Stanford Introductory Studies Search this site Submit Search Menu Home SLEAbout SLE Prospective StudentsKey Facts about SLE Student Perspectives Meet the SLE Instructors Current Syllabus SLE in the News ITALICITALIC Faculty Take a Look Inside ITALIC ESFAbout the Education as Self-Fashioning Program ESF Courses & InstructorsESF Course Descriptions ESF Enrollment ESF Lecture Series Teach with SISAcademic TechnologyTech Documentation SIS Equipment Loan Pool SIS People Stanford Introductory Studies Welcome to Stanford! Stanford Introductory Studies SIS hosts many of the first courses undergraduate students take at Stanford. Main content start Stanford Introductory Studies (SIS) offers students a gateway to the two central missions of undergraduate education at the University – liberal education and research. For students, SIS hosts required and elective academic programs for first- and second-year students. For instructors, SIS fosters a spirit of innovation and provides ways for participating faculty to connect with each other and expand their knowledge of effective strategies for working with students early in their careers. Teach with SIS Explore the university with IntroSems Introductory Seminars: IntroSems are small, interactive, quarter-long academic courses offered by departments across Stanford, designed for frosh, sophs & first-year transfers. IntroSems can help you explore a major, meet a mentor, and build a community with other students outside of your dorm. Fulfill the COLLEGE requirement through classes or a living-learning community COLLEGE: The first-year Civic, Liberal, and Global Education requirement. Going to college is not just about acquiring the ability to make a living, but about exploring what makes living worthwhile. ITALIC: An arts-minded, residence-based academic program for first year students. Conversations often carry on from class to the dining room and back to the dorm late at night, where they morph into jam sessions or collaborative projects in the art studio. Education as Self-Fashioning (ESF): Consider writings about education by intellectuals working in various fields, with the aim of articulating different ways that education can be used to structure one’s thinking, one’s self, and ultimately one’s life as a whole. Structured Liberal Education (SLE): Sometimes called ‘a liberal arts college experience’ within the University, Structured Liberal Education (SLE) is a residence-based academic program that encourages students to live a life of ideas in an atmosphere that emphasizes critical thinking and interpretation Jumpstart the first year at Stanford Summer Bridge On-Campus: Live in a residential community with other incoming students while taking a chemistry, math, or writing course. Workshops, advising, and community experiences introduce students to Stanford’s resources and opportunities and help them begin campus life with confidence. Summer Bridge Online: Start early with a five-week online chemistry, math, or writing course. Students engage academic material, build community, and can continue their transition to Stanford through an on-campus pre-orientation experience before fall begins. Dive into experiential learning in the summer Arts Intensive: Access your creativity with a 3-week, immersive arts experience in September. All classes are project-based and invite students to dive deep into a particular art form. Sophomore College: SoCo is more than a class—it's an experience. Spend 3 weeks taking a single class just before your sophomore year begins, creating a rich intellectual community with your faculty and classmates. Stanford Summer Fellows Program: Spend the summer before your sophomore year exploring research for the first time with SSFP, strengthening your academic confidence, and building community with your peers. Back to Top Stanford Stanford Introductory Studies Web Login Address Stanford Introductory Studies Sweet Hall, 2nd Floor 590 Escondido Mall Stanford, CA 94305 United States Visit Stanford Campus Map Stanford Undergrad Instagram Stanford Undergrad Twitter Connect with SIS Arts Intensive COLLEGE ESF Introductory Seminars ITALIC SLE Sophomore College Stanford Undergrad Web Accessibility Stanford University is committed to providing an online environment that is accessible to everyone, including individuals with disabilities. Having trouble accessing any of this content due to a disability? Learn more about accessibility at Stanford and report accessibility issues. Stanford VPUE Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education Stanford Undergrad is your guide to undergraduate academics and opportunities found within the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education. Sweet Hall 590 Escondido Mall Stanford, CA 94305 map Connect with us! Stanford Facebook Stanford Instagram Youtube Need help? 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