Introduction to the Humanities Requirement (IHUM & SLE)
Students fulfill the Introduction to the Humanities requirement by completing a three-quarter series of courses during their freshman year. The courses promote vital analytical development through the study of an evocative array of human thoughts, values, beliefs, creativity, and cultures.
Students can complete this requirement in one of two ways:
Introduction to the Humanities (IHUM)
Students typically satisfy the this requirement through courses offered through the IHUM program, which offers a diverse range of courses designed and taught by Stanford faculty from various disciplines or fields of study. Students enroll in:
- A Fall quarter interdisciplinary course (4 units)
- A Winter / Spring quarter two-quarter single course sequence based in a particular field of study (8 units)
IHUM courses consist of two 50-minute lectures per week given by Stanford faculty from many disciplines. Lectures are complemented by small discussion seminars, which also meet for 50 minutes, twice a week.
Structured Liberal Education (SLE)
SLE is an intensive residentially-based program that simultaneously satisfies the Introduction to the Humanities requirement, the Writing and Rhetoric I and II requirements, and one General Education Breadth requirement in the humanities. Students enroll in 28 units, as follows:
- Fall quarter (9 units)
- Winter quarter (9 units)
- Spring quarter (10 units)
Enrollment in SLE, based on not only on course choice but also housing preference, is available to a limited number of students. Each week students attend three hours of lecture, four hours of small-group discussion, sessions with writing tutors, and a weekly film series. Class meeting times are limited to Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 3:15 to 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 to 7:00 or 8:30 p.m.