Why Enroll in IntroSems?
IntroSems are an excellent opportunity to interact in small, discussion-based seminars with some of Stanford's most esteemed and talented professors and instructors. These academic classes are designed specifically for frosh, sophomore, and new transfer students as exciting and accessible ways for Stanford’s newest undergrads to get to know a discipline at a research university without having to go through survey classes or preliminary materials first.
Because of this specific course design, IntroSems have a special quarterly application process open only to first-, second-year, and new transfer students to request priority enrollment before regular registration opens. Apply for IntroSems in disciplines that you may not know much about, or in fields that you think you might major in. You might find a new interest, reaffirm your interest in a field, or, perhaps even more usefully, discover that you aren’t as interested in a field as you thought you were before taking prerequisites! Better yet, you might even find a faculty mentor in your IntroSem, meet new friends who share your intellectual interests, or connect with someone who can write you a recommendation letter later.
Taking one IntroSem—or many over your first nine quarters at Stanford—can be a formative and unparalleled experience for students. When it comes to choosing IntroSems, let your curiosity guide you.
How will you make IntroSems part of your Stanford journey?
Choose a topic that intrigues You
IntroSems are designed for you to approach areas of inquiry that may be new to you, within or beyond your intended discipline. Go ahead and ask yourself, "What interests me most? What do I want to learn about?" Below are the brand new seminars this Spring. Make sure to explore all 200+ new and returning options for the year via the Seminars link in the main menu. Use the filtering options to find those that call to you.

APPPHYS 100N: Powering the Future: How Physics Drives Green Energy

CLASSICS 21N: Did Women Travel? A Digital History

COMPMED 155Q: Microscopy in Animal Disease

CS 47N: Datathletics: Diving into Data Analytics and Stanford Sports

HISTORY 82N: Development and Dispossession

ILAC 142N: Mexico in Ten Images

LAWGEN 119Q: Inside the Courtroom: Criminal Justice on Trial

MUSIC 10N: Bad Sounds

PHIL 14N: Why Games Matter: The Philosophy of Play

PHIL 15N: Thinking About Death

POLISCI 33Q: Workplace Democracy: Are Workers the Citizens of their Workplace?
