AFRICAAM 106:
Race, Ethnicity, and Linguistic Diversity in Classrooms: Sociocultural Theory and Practices (CSRE 103B, EDUC 103B, EDUC 337)
Focus is on classrooms with students from diverse racial, ethnic and linguistic backgrounds. Studies, writing, and media representation of urban and diverse school settings; implications for transforming teaching and learning. Issues related to developing teachers with attitudes, dispositions, and skills necessary to teach diverse students. Cardinal Course certified by the Haas Center.
Terms: Win
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: WAY-EDP
AFRICAAM 111:
AIDS, Literacy, and Land: Foreign Aid and Development in Africa (AFRICAST 112, AFRICAST 212)
Foreign aid can help Africa, say the advocates. Certainly not, say the critics. Is foreign aid a solution? or a problem? Should there be more aid, less aid, or none at all? Africa has developed imaginative and innovative approaches in many sectors. At the same time, many African countries have become increasingly dependent on foreign aid. How do foreign aid and local initiatives intersect? We will examine several contentious issues in contemporary Africa, exploring roots, contested analyses, and proposed solutions, examining foreign aid and the aid relationship. As African communities and countries work to shape their future, what are the foreign roles, and what are their consequences?
Last offered: Winter 2020
| Units: 3-5
| UG Reqs: GER:EC-GlobalCom, WAY-EDP, WAY-SI
AFRICAAM 112:
Urban Education (CSRE 112X, EDUC 112, EDUC 212, SOC 129X, SOC 229X, URBANST 115)
(Graduate students register for EDUC 212 or SOC 229X). Combination of social science and historical perspectives trace the major developments, contexts, tensions, challenges, and policy issues of urban education.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3-5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, WAY-EDP
AFRICAST 112:
AIDS, Literacy, and Land: Foreign Aid and Development in Africa (AFRICAAM 111, AFRICAST 212)
Foreign aid can help Africa, say the advocates. Certainly not, say the critics. Is foreign aid a solution? or a problem? Should there be more aid, less aid, or none at all? Africa has developed imaginative and innovative approaches in many sectors. At the same time, many African countries have become increasingly dependent on foreign aid. How do foreign aid and local initiatives intersect? We will examine several contentious issues in contemporary Africa, exploring roots, contested analyses, and proposed solutions, examining foreign aid and the aid relationship. As African communities and countries work to shape their future, what are the foreign roles, and what are their consequences?
Last offered: Winter 2020
| Units: 3-5
| UG Reqs: GER:EC-GlobalCom, WAY-EDP, WAY-SI
AFRICAST 135:
Designing Research-Based Interventions to Solve Global Health Problems (AFRICAST 235, EDUC 135, EDUC 335, EPI 235, MED 235)
The excitement around social innovation and entrepreneurship has spawned numerous startups focused on tackling world problems, particularly in the fields of education and health. The best social ventures are launched with careful consideration paid to research, design, and efficacy. This course offers students an immersive educational experience into understanding how to effectively develop, evaluate, and scale social ventures. Students will also get a rare "behind-the-scenes" glimpse at the complex ethical dilemmas social entrepreneurs have tackled to navigate the odds. Partnered with TeachAids, a global award-winning nonprofit (scaled to 82 countries), this course introduces students to the major principles of research-based design and integrates instruction supported by several game-changing social leaders. Open to both undergraduate and graduate students, it culminates in a formal presentation to an interdisciplinary panel of diverse Silicon Valley leaders. (Cardinal Course certified by the Haas Center)
Terms: Win
| Units: 3
AFRICAST 212:
AIDS, Literacy, and Land: Foreign Aid and Development in Africa (AFRICAAM 111, AFRICAST 112)
Foreign aid can help Africa, say the advocates. Certainly not, say the critics. Is foreign aid a solution? or a problem? Should there be more aid, less aid, or none at all? Africa has developed imaginative and innovative approaches in many sectors. At the same time, many African countries have become increasingly dependent on foreign aid. How do foreign aid and local initiatives intersect? We will examine several contentious issues in contemporary Africa, exploring roots, contested analyses, and proposed solutions, examining foreign aid and the aid relationship. As African communities and countries work to shape their future, what are the foreign roles, and what are their consequences?
Last offered: Winter 2020
| Units: 3-5
AFRICAST 235:
Designing Research-Based Interventions to Solve Global Health Problems (AFRICAST 135, EDUC 135, EDUC 335, EPI 235, MED 235)
The excitement around social innovation and entrepreneurship has spawned numerous startups focused on tackling world problems, particularly in the fields of education and health. The best social ventures are launched with careful consideration paid to research, design, and efficacy. This course offers students an immersive educational experience into understanding how to effectively develop, evaluate, and scale social ventures. Students will also get a rare "behind-the-scenes" glimpse at the complex ethical dilemmas social entrepreneurs have tackled to navigate the odds. Partnered with TeachAids, a global award-winning nonprofit (scaled to 82 countries), this course introduces students to the major principles of research-based design and integrates instruction supported by several game-changing social leaders. Open to both undergraduate and graduate students, it culminates in a formal presentation to an interdisciplinary panel of diverse Silicon Valley leaders. (Cardinal Course certified by the Haas Center)
Terms: Win
| Units: 3
AMSTUD 123X:
Introduction to American Politics and Policy: In Defense of Democracy (POLISCI 102, PUBLPOL 101, PUBLPOL 201)
American democracy faces a series of unprecedented challenges. This course will identify the greatest areas of weakness in the American political system, make sense of the most pressing threats facing democracy, and contemplate how democracy can be strengthened. With this them - in defense of democracy - in mind, we will examine several questions: What guiding principles, norms, and institutions organize and structure American politics, and how do they affect the health and effectiveness of American democracy? What do patterns of political participation and representation in the United States tell us about the health of our democracy? How do partisan and social identities breed hostility and antagonism among the mass public? How does information from the media and other sources advance or frustrate democratic outcomes? What does increased violence - political, racially motivated, or otherwise - reveal about the trajectory of democracy in the United States? This is a course built on the science of politics, and our aim is to bring the scientific study of politics to bear on these pressing questions.
Terms: Win
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, WAY-SI
AMSTUD 165:
History of Higher Education in the U.S. (EDUC 165, EDUC 265, HISTORY 158C)
Major periods of evolution, particularly since the mid-19th century. Premise: insights into contemporary higher education can be obtained through its antecedents, particularly regarding issues of governance, mission, access, curriculum, and the changing organization of colleges and universities.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3-5
ANTHRO 123C:
"Third World Problems?" Environmental Justice Around the World (CSRE 123C)
As the Flint, Michigan water situation began to attract attention and condemnation, Michigan State Representative, Sheldon Neeley, describing the troops on the ground and the Red Cross distributing water bottles, said that the Governor had "turned an American city into a Third World country [...] it's terrible what he's done [...] no fresh water. Then, at a Congressional hearing, the Chairman of the House Oversight & Government Reform Committee said, "This is the United States of America - this isn't supposed to happen here. We are not some Third World country."What is a "third world problem?" This introductory environmental anthropology course examines how such imaginaries materialize in development programmes and literature, and bespeak charged geopolitical and racial histories; and invites reflection on what futures for working in common they enable/constrain. We will examine how crises are imagined and constructed, and the governance regimes they give rise to. How does water - as natural resource, public good, human right, need, or commodity - determine the contours of such regimes? We will also study chronic, quieter environmental problems and the responses they (do not) generate. Working through a variety of writing genres - ethnographies, policy literature, and legal and corporate publicity material - will enable students to appreciate what anthropology can contribute to the conversation on environmental justice, and state and corporate bureaucracies and their mandates. The course draws on examples from a wide range of settings. The course is offered as an introduction to environmental anthropology and takes students through key themes - infrastructure, race, class, privatization, justice, violence - by focusing on water. It requires no background in anthropology.
Last offered: Spring 2021
| Units: 3-4
| UG Reqs: WAY-ER
ARCHLGY 134:
Introduction to Museum Practice (ANTHRO 134D, ARCHLGY 234, ARTHIST 284B)
This is a hands-on museum practicum course open to students of all levels that will culminate in a student-curated exhibit. It entails a survey of the range of museum responsibilities and professions including the purpose, potential, and challenges of curating collections. While based at the Stanford University Archaeology Collections (SUAC), we will visit other campus collections and sites. Students will plan and realize an exhibition at the Stanford Archaeology Center, gaining skills in collections management, research, interpretation, and installation.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3-5
| UG Reqs: WAY-A-II, WAY-CE
| Repeatable
3 times
(up to 15 units total)
ARTHIST 284B:
Introduction to Museum Practice (ANTHRO 134D, ARCHLGY 134, ARCHLGY 234)
This is a hands-on museum practicum course open to students of all levels that will culminate in a student-curated exhibit. It entails a survey of the range of museum responsibilities and professions including the purpose, potential, and challenges of curating collections. While based at the Stanford University Archaeology Collections (SUAC), we will visit other campus collections and sites. Students will plan and realize an exhibition at the Stanford Archaeology Center, gaining skills in collections management, research, interpretation, and installation.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3-5
| Repeatable
3 times
(up to 15 units total)
BIO 109A:
Chronic Disease I: Applications of Novel Advances in Biology and Biotechnology
We have come a long way in developing therapies for chronic diseases. However, a gap remains between the current solutions and our ability to fully address these diseases. This course provides an overview of: (1) the underlying biology of many of these diseases and (2) the applications of novel advances in basic science and biotechnology to generate more effective therapies. There will be guest lectures from prominent leaders in academia and industry, and we encourage both students and speakers to seek opportunities to collaborate. No hard prerequisites, though a basic understanding of biology and willingness to learn novel concepts will help.
Last offered: Winter 2023
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: GER: DB-NatSci, WAY-SMA
BIO 117:
Biology and Global Change (EARTHSYS 111, EARTHSYS 217, ESS 111)
The biological causes and consequences of anthropogenic and natural changes in the atmosphere, oceans, and terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems. Topics: glacial cycles and marine circulation, greenhouse gases and climate change, tropical deforestation and species extinctions, and human population growth and resource use. Prerequisite: Biology or Human Biology core or BIO 81 or graduate standing.
Terms: Win
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: GER: DB-NatSci, WAY-SMA
BIO 234:
Conservation Biology: A Latin American Perspective (BIO 144, HUMBIO 112)
Principles and application of the science of preserving biological diversity. Conceptually, this course is designed to explore the major components relevant to the conservation of biodiversity, as exemplified by the Latin American region. The conceptual frameworks and principles, however, should be generally applicable, and provide insights for all regions of the world. All students will be expected to conduct a literature research exercise leading to a written report, addressing a topic of their choosing, derived from any of the themes discussed in class.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3
BIO 459:
Frontiers in Interdisciplinary Biosciences (BIOC 459, BIOE 459, CHEM 459, CHEMENG 459, PSYCH 459)
Students register through their affiliated department; otherwise register for CHEMENG 459. For specialists and non-specialists. Sponsored by the Stanford BioX Program. Three seminars per quarter address scientific and technical themes related to interdisciplinary approaches in bioengineering, medicine, and the chemical, physical, and biological sciences. Leading investigators from Stanford and the world present breakthroughs and endeavors that cut across core disciplines. Pre-seminars introduce basic concepts and background for non-experts. Registered students attend all pre-seminars; others welcome. See http://biox.stanford.edu/courses/459.html. Recommended: basic mathematics, biology, chemistry, and physics.
Last offered: Spring 2020
| Units: 1
| Repeatable
for credit
BIOC 459:
Frontiers in Interdisciplinary Biosciences (BIO 459, BIOE 459, CHEM 459, CHEMENG 459, PSYCH 459)
Students register through their affiliated department; otherwise register for CHEMENG 459. For specialists and non-specialists. Sponsored by the Stanford BioX Program. Three seminars per quarter address scientific and technical themes related to interdisciplinary approaches in bioengineering, medicine, and the chemical, physical, and biological sciences. Leading investigators from Stanford and the world present breakthroughs and endeavors that cut across core disciplines. Pre-seminars introduce basic concepts and background for non-experts. Registered students attend all pre-seminars; others welcome. See http://biox.stanford.edu/courses/459.html. Recommended: basic mathematics, biology, chemistry, and physics.
Last offered: Spring 2020
| Units: 1
| Repeatable
for credit
BIOE 256:
Technology Assessment and Regulation of Medical Devices (MS&E 256)
Regulatory approval and reimbursement for new health technologies are critical success factors for product commercialization. This course explores the regulatory and payer environment in the U.S. and abroad, as well as common methods of health technology assessment. Students will learn frameworks to identify factors relevant to the adoption of new health technologies, and the management of those factors in the design and development phases of bringing a product to market through case studies, guest speakers from government (FDA) and industry, and a course project.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3
BIOE 273:
Biodesign for Digital Health (MED 273)
Health care is facing significant cross-industry challenges and opportunities created by a number of factors, including the increasing need for improved access to affordable, high-quality care; growing demand from consumers for greater control of their health and health data; the shift in focus from sick care to prevention and health optimization; aging demographics and the increased burden of chronic conditions; and new emphasis on real-world, measurable health outcomes for individuals and populations. Moreover, the delivery of health information and services is no longer tied to traditional brick and mortar hospitals and clinics: it has increasingly become "mobile," enabled by apps, sensors, wearables. Simultaneously, it has been augmented and often revolutionized by emerging digital and information technologies, as well as by the data that these technologies generate. This multifactorial transformation presents opportunities for innovation across the entire cycle of care, from wellness, to acute and chronic diseases, to care at the end of life. But how does one approach innovation in digital health to address these health care challenges while ensuring the greatest chance of success? At Stanford Biodesign, we believe that innovation is a process that can be learned, practiced, and perfected; and, it starts with an unmet need. In Biodesign for Digital Health, students will learn about digital health and the Biodesign needs-driven innovation process from over 50 industry experts. Over the course of 10weeks, these speakers will join the teaching team in a dynamic classroom environment that includes lectures, panel discussions, and breakout sessions. These experts represent startups, corporations, venture capital firms, accelerators, research labs, healthcare providers, and more. Student teams will take actual digital and mobile health challenges and learn how to apply Biodesign innovation principles to research and evaluate needs, ideate solutions, and objectively assess them against key criteria for satisfying the needs. Teams take a hands-on approach with the support of need coaches and other mentors. On the final day of class, teams present to a panel of digital health experts and compete for project extension funding. Friday section will be used for team projects and for scheduled workshops. Limited enrollment for this course. Students should submit their application online via: https://stanforduniversity.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_dnY6nvUXMYeILkO
Terms: Aut
| Units: 3-4
BIOE 371:
Global Biodesign: Medical Technology in an International Context (MED 271)
This course (BIOE371, MED271) exposes students to the challenges and opportunities of developing and implementing innovative health technologies to help patients around the world. Non-communicable diseases, such as metabolic and chronic respiratory disease, now account for 7 in 10 deaths worldwide, creating the need for innovative health technologies that work across diverse global markets. At the beginning of the quarter, the course will provide an overview of the dynamic global health technology industry. Next, faculty members, guest experts, and students will discuss key differences and similarities when commercializing new products in the for-profit health technology sector across six important regions: the US and Europe, China and Japan, and India and Brazil. Finally, the course will explore critical 'global health' issues that transcend international borders and how technology can be leveraged to address them. This section will culminate with an interactive debate focused on whether for-profit, nonprofit, or hybrid models are best for implementing sustainable global health solutions. The last class will be devoted to synthesis, reflection, and a discussion of career opportunities in the global health technology field.
Last offered: Autumn 2019
| Units: 1
BIOE 374A:
Biodesign Innovation: Needs Finding and Concept Creation (ME 368A, MED 272A)
In this two-quarter course series ( BIOE 374A/B, MED 272A/B, ME 368A/B, OIT 384/5), multidisciplinary student teams identify real-world unmet healthcare needs, invent new health technologies to address them, and plan for their implementation into patient care. During the first quarter (winter), students select and characterize an important unmet healthcare problem, validate it through primary interviews and secondary research, and then brainstorm and screen initial technology-based solutions. In the second quarter (spring), teams select a lead solution and move it toward the market through prototyping, technical re-risking, strategies to address healthcare-specific requirements (regulation, reimbursement), and business planning. Final presentations in winter and spring are made to a panel of prominent health technology experts and/or investors. Class sessions include faculty-led instruction and case studies, coaching sessions by industry specialists, expert guest lecturers, and interactive team meetings. Enrollment is by application only, and students are required to participate in both quarters of the course. Visit http://biodesign.stanford.edu/programs/stanford-courses/biodesign-innovation.html to access the application, examples of past projects, and student testimonials. More information about Stanford Biodesign, which has led to the creation of 50 venture-backed healthcare companies and has helped hundreds of student launch health technology careers, can be found at http://biodesign.stanford.edu/.
Terms: Win
| Units: 4
BIOE 374B:
Biodesign Innovation: Concept Development and Implementation (ME 368B, MED 272B)
In this two-quarter course, multidisciplinary teams identify real unmet healthcare needs, invent health technologies to address them, and plan for their implementation into patient care. In second quarter, teams select a lead solution to advance through technical prototyping, strategies to address healthcare-specific requirements (IP, regulation, reimbursement), and business planning. Class sessions include faculty-led instruction, case studies, coaching sessions by experts, guest lecturers, and interactive team meetings. Enrollment is by application. Students are required to take both quarters of the course.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 4
| Repeatable
2 times
(up to 8 units total)
BIOE 393:
Bioengineering Departmental Research Colloquium
Bioengineering department labs at Stanford present recent research projects and results. Guest lecturers. Topics include applications of engineering to biology, medicine, biotechnology, and medical technology, including biodesign and devices, molecular and cellular engineering, regenerative medicine and tissue engineering, biomedical imaging, and biomedical computation.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 1
| Repeatable
for credit
BIOMEDIN 156:
Economics of Health and Medical Care (BIOMEDIN 256, ECON 126, HRP 256)
Institutional, theoretical, and empirical analysis of the problems of health and medical care. Topics: demand for medical care and medical insurance; institutions in the health sector; economics of information applied to the market for health insurance and for health care; economics of health care labor markets and health care production; and economic epidemiology. Graduate students with research interests should take ECON 249. Prerequisites: ECON 50 and either ECON 102A or STATS 116 or the equivalent. Recommended: ECON 51.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
BIOMEDIN 215:
Data Science for Medicine
The widespread adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) has created a new source of big data namely, the record of routine clinical practice as a by-product of care. This graduate class will teach you how to use EHRs and other patient data to discover new clinical knowledge and improve healthcare. Upon completing this course, you should be able to: differentiate between and give examples of categories of research questions and the study designs used to address them, describe common healthcare data sources and their relative advantages and limitations, extract and transform various kinds of clinical data to create analysis-ready datasets, design and execute an analysis of a clinical dataset based on your familiarity with the workings, applicability, and limitations of common statistical methods, evaluate and criticize published research using your knowledge of 1-4 to generate new research ideas and separate hype from reality. Prerequisites: CS 106A or equivalent, STATS 60 or equivalent. Recommended: STATS 216, CS 145, STATS 305NOTE: For students in the Department of Biomedical Data Science Program, this core course MUST be taken as a letter grade only.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 3
BIOMEDIN 251:
Outcomes Analysis (HRP 252, MED 252)
This course introduces and develops methods for conducting empirical research that address clinical and policy questions that are not suitable for randomized trials. Conceptual and applied models of causal inference guide the design of empirical research. Econometric and statistical models are used to conduct health outcomes research which use large existing medical, survey, and other databases Problem sets emphasize hands-on data analysis and application of methods, including re-analyses of well-known studies. This is a project-based course designed for students pursuing research training. Prerequisites: one or more courses in probability, and statistics or biostatistics.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 4
BIOMEDIN 256:
Economics of Health and Medical Care (BIOMEDIN 156, ECON 126, HRP 256)
Institutional, theoretical, and empirical analysis of the problems of health and medical care. Topics: demand for medical care and medical insurance; institutions in the health sector; economics of information applied to the market for health insurance and for health care; economics of health care labor markets and health care production; and economic epidemiology. Graduate students with research interests should take ECON 249. Prerequisites: ECON 50 and either ECON 102A or STATS 116 or the equivalent. Recommended: ECON 51.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 5
BIOMEDIN 432:
Analysis of Costs, Risks, and Benefits of Health Care (HRP 392)
For graduate students. How to do cost/benefit analysis when the output is difficult or impossible to measure. Literature on the principles of cost/benefit analysis applied to health care. Critical review of actual studies. Emphasis is on the art of practical application.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 4
CEE 63:
Weather and Storms (CEE 263C)
Daily and severe weather and global climate. Topics: structure and composition of the atmosphere, fog and cloud formation, rainfall, local winds, wind energy, global circulation, jet streams, high and low pressure systems, inversions, el Ni¿o, la Ni¿a, atmosphere/ocean interactions, fronts, cyclones, thunderstorms, lightning, tornadoes, hurricanes, pollutant transport, global climate and atmospheric optics.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: GER: DB-NatSci, WAY-SMA
CEE 64:
Air Pollution and Global Warming: History, Science, and Solutions (CEE 263D)
Survey of Survey of air pollution and global warming and their renewable energy solutions. Topics: evolution of the Earth's atmosphere, history of discovery of chemicals in the air, bases and particles in urban smog, visibility, indoor air pollution, acid rain, stratospheric and Antarctic ozone loss, the historic climate record, causes and effects of global warming, impacts of energy systems on pollution and climate, renewable energy solutions to air pollution and global warming. UG Reqs: GER: DBNatSci
Terms: Win
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: GER: DB-NatSci, WAY-SMA
CEE 100:
Managing Sustainable Building Projects
Managing the life cycle of buildings from the owner, designer, and contractor perspectives emphasizing sustainability goals; methods to define, communicate, coordinate, and manage multidisciplinary project objectives including scope, quality, life cycle cost and value, schedule, safety, energy, and social concerns; roles, responsibilities, and risks for project participants; virtual design and construction methods for product, organization, and process modeling; lifecycle assessment methods; individual writing assignment related to a real world project. Fulfills WIM requirement for CEE majors. Co-taught with ARCH 542/741 Managing Sustainable Design and Decarbonization Projects at Howard University.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-EngrAppSci
CEE 107A:
Understand Energy (CEE 207A, EARTHSYS 103, ENERGY 107A, ENERGY 207A)
NOTE: This course will be taught in-person on main campus, lectures are recorded and available asynchronously. Energy is the number one contributor to climate change and has significant consequences for our society, political system, economy, and environment. Energy is also a fundamental driver of human development and opportunity. In taking this course, students will not only understand the fundamentals of each energy resource - including significance and potential, conversion processes and technologies, drivers and barriers, policy and regulation, and social, economic, and environmental impacts - students will also be able to put this in the context of the broader energy system. Both depletable and renewable energy resources are covered, including oil, natural gas, coal, nuclear, biomass and biofuel, hydroelectric, wind, solar thermal and photovoltaics (PV), geothermal, and ocean energy, with cross-cutting topics including electricity, storage, climate change and greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), sustainability, green buildings, energy efficiency, transportation, and the developing world. The 4 unit course includes lecture and in-class discussion, readings and videos, homework assignments, one on-campus field trip during lecture time and two off-campus field trips with brief report assignments. Off-campus field trips to wind farms, solar farms, nuclear power plants, natural gas power plants, hydroelectric dams, etc. Enroll for 5 units to also attend the Workshop, an interactive discussion section on cross-cutting topics that meets once per week for 80 minutes (Mondays, 12:30 PM - 1:50 PM). Open to all: pre-majors and majors, with any background! Website: https://understand-energy-course.stanford.edu/ CEE 107S/207S Understand Energy: Essentials is a shorter (3 unit) version of this course, offered summer quarter. Students should not take both for credit. Prerequisites: Algebra.
Terms: Aut, Spr
| Units: 3-5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-EngrAppSci, WAY-SI
CEE 125:
Defining Smart Cities: Visions of Urbanism for the 21st Century (CEE 225, URBANST 174)
Technological innovations have and will disrupt all domains of urban life, from housing to healthcare to city management to transportation. This seminar is aimed at future technologists, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and urban planners to define and evaluate the smartness of a city through three lenses: technology, equity, and policy. Through readings, seminar discussions, guest speakers, and a final project, we will explore how a smart city can leverage technology for a higher quality of life, less inequality in access to services, and tighter human communities. You will come away with a framework for understanding how to maximize the social good of emerging technologies. Course material is appropriate for students from all disciplines. Students who enroll in the course for 4 units will participate in an off-campus field component during Spring Break.
Last offered: Autumn 2017
| Units: 3-4
CEE 141A:
Infrastructure Project Development (CEE 241A)
Infrastructure is critical to the economy, global competitiveness and quality of life. Topics include energy, transportation, water, public facilities, and communications sectors. Analysis of the condition of the nation's infrastructure and how projects are planned and financed. Focus is on public works in the U.S. The role of public and private sectors through a step-by-step study of the project development process. Case studies of real infrastructure projects. Industry guest speakers. Student teams prepare project environmental impact statements.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 3
CEE 141B:
Infrastructure Project Delivery (CEE 241B)
Infrastructure is critical to the economy, global competitiveness and quality of life. Topics include transportation, social infrastructure, energy, water and communications sectors. Analysis of how projects are designed, constructed, operated, and maintained. Focus is on public works projects globally, alternative project delivery approaches and organizational strategies. Case studies include three real infrastructure megaprojects managed by the Instructor while in Industry. Nine integrated guest lecturers from Industry supplement specific functional areas of expertise. Student teams prepare competing design/build/finance/operate/maintain (DBFOM) proposals for a large infrastructure project.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3
CEE 141C:
Global Infrastructure Projects Seminar (CEE 241C)
Nine current global infrastructure projects presented by top project executives or company leaders from industry. Water, transportation, energy and communication projects are featured. Course provides comparisons of project development, win and delivery approaches for mega-projects around the world. Alternative project delivery methods, the role of public and private sector, different project management and construction strategies, and lessons learned. The course also includes field trips to local mega-projects. Grade (one unit) is based on attending all 9 lectures and at least 2 field trips.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 1-2
CEE 144:
Design and Innovation for the Circular Economy
The last 150 years of our industrial evolution have been material and energy intensive. The linear model of production and consumption manufactures goods from raw materials, wells and uses them, and then discards the products as waste. Circular economy provides a framework for systems-level redesign. It builds on schools of thought including regenerative design, performance economy industrial ecology, blue economy, biomimicry, and cradle to cradle. This course introduces the concepts of the circular economy and applies them to case studies of consumer products, household goods, and fixed assets.n nStudents will conduct independent projects on circular economy. Students may work alone or in small teams under the guidance of the teaching team and various collaborators worldwide. Class is limited to 14 students. All disciplines are welcome. This class fulfills the Writing & Rhetoric 2 requirement. Prerequisite: PWR 1.
Last offered: Spring 2019
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: Writing 2
CEE 155:
Introduction to Sensing Networks for CEE (CEE 255)
Introduce the design and implementation of sensor networks for monitoring the built and natural environment. Emphasis on the integration of modern sensor and communication technologies, signal processing and statistical models for network data analysis and interpretation to create practical deployments to enable sustainable systems, in areas such as energy, weather, transportation and buildings. Students will be involved in a practical project that may involve deploying a small sensor system, data models and analysis and signal processing. Limited enrollment.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3-4
CEE 156:
Building Systems Design & Analysis (CEE 256)
HVAC, lighting, and envelope systems for commercial and institutional buildings, with a focus on energy efficient design. Knowledge and skills required in the development of low-energy buildings that provide high quality environment for occupants.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3-4
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-EngrAppSci
CEE 176A:
Energy Efficient Buildings
Quantitative evaluation of technologies and techniques for reducing energy demand of residential-scale buildings. Heating and cooling load calculations, financial analysis, passive-solar design techniques, water heating systems, photovoltaic system sizing for net-zero-energy all-electric homes.
Terms: Aut, Sum
| Units: 3-4
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-EngrAppSci
CEE 176B:
100% Clean, Renewable Energy and Storage for Everything (CEE 276B)
This course discusses elements of a transition to 100% clean, renewable energy in the electricity, transportation, heating/cooling, and industrial sectors for towns, cities, states, countries, and companies. It examines wind, solar, geothermal, hydroelectric, tidal, and wave characteristics and resources; electricity, heat, cold and hydrogen storage; transmission and distribution; matching power demand with supply on the grid: efficiency; replacing fossil with electric appliances and machines in the buildings and industry; energy, health, and climate costs and savings; land requirements; feedbacks of renewables to the atmosphere; and 100% clean, renewable energy roadmaps to guide transitions.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3-4
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-EngrAppSci, WAY-AQR
CEE 179C:
Environmental Engineering Design
Application of engineering fundamentals including environmental engineering, hydrology, and engineering economy to a design problem. Enrollment limited; preference to seniors in Civil and Environmental Engineering.
Last offered: Spring 2019
| Units: 5
CEE 207A:
Understand Energy (CEE 107A, EARTHSYS 103, ENERGY 107A, ENERGY 207A)
NOTE: This course will be taught in-person on main campus, lectures are recorded and available asynchronously. Energy is the number one contributor to climate change and has significant consequences for our society, political system, economy, and environment. Energy is also a fundamental driver of human development and opportunity. In taking this course, students will not only understand the fundamentals of each energy resource - including significance and potential, conversion processes and technologies, drivers and barriers, policy and regulation, and social, economic, and environmental impacts - students will also be able to put this in the context of the broader energy system. Both depletable and renewable energy resources are covered, including oil, natural gas, coal, nuclear, biomass and biofuel, hydroelectric, wind, solar thermal and photovoltaics (PV), geothermal, and ocean energy, with cross-cutting topics including electricity, storage, climate change and greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), sustainability, green buildings, energy efficiency, transportation, and the developing world. The 4 unit course includes lecture and in-class discussion, readings and videos, homework assignments, one on-campus field trip during lecture time and two off-campus field trips with brief report assignments. Off-campus field trips to wind farms, solar farms, nuclear power plants, natural gas power plants, hydroelectric dams, etc. Enroll for 5 units to also attend the Workshop, an interactive discussion section on cross-cutting topics that meets once per week for 80 minutes (Mondays, 12:30 PM - 1:50 PM). Open to all: pre-majors and majors, with any background! Website: https://understand-energy-course.stanford.edu/ CEE 107S/207S Understand Energy: Essentials is a shorter (3 unit) version of this course, offered summer quarter. Students should not take both for credit. Prerequisites: Algebra.
Terms: Aut, Spr
| Units: 3-5
CEE 224A:
Sustainable Development Studio
Project-based. Sustainable design, development, use and evolution of buildings; connections of building systems to broader resource systems. Areas include architecture, structure, materials, energy, water, air, landscape, and food. Projects use a cradle-to-cradle approach focusing on technical and biological nutrient cycles and information and knowledge generation and organization. May be repeated for credit.
Terms: Aut, Win
| Units: 3
| Repeatable
for credit
CEE 224S:
Sustainable Urban Systems Seminar (CEE 124S)
The Sustainable Urban Systems (SUS) Seminar Series will feature speakers from academia, practice, industry, and government who are on the forefront of research and innovation in sustainable urban systems. The SUS Seminar will be open to the public; students will have the option of obtaining 1 unit of course credit based on attendance and completion of writing assignments.
Last offered: Spring 2019
| Units: 1
CEE 224X:
Shaping the Future of the Bay Area (CEE 124X)
Note to students: please be advised that the course number for this course has been changed to: CEE 218X, which is offered Autumn 2019-20. If you are interested in taking this course, please enroll in CEE 218X instead for Autumn 2019-20.
Last offered: Autumn 2019
| Units: 3-5
CEE 225:
Defining Smart Cities: Visions of Urbanism for the 21st Century (CEE 125, URBANST 174)
Technological innovations have and will disrupt all domains of urban life, from housing to healthcare to city management to transportation. This seminar is aimed at future technologists, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and urban planners to define and evaluate the smartness of a city through three lenses: technology, equity, and policy. Through readings, seminar discussions, guest speakers, and a final project, we will explore how a smart city can leverage technology for a higher quality of life, less inequality in access to services, and tighter human communities. You will come away with a framework for understanding how to maximize the social good of emerging technologies. Course material is appropriate for students from all disciplines. Students who enroll in the course for 4 units will participate in an off-campus field component during Spring Break.
Last offered: Autumn 2017
| Units: 3-4
CEE 226:
Life Cycle Assessment for Complex Systems
Life cycle modeling of products, industrial processes, and infrastructure/building systems; material and energy balances for large interdependent systems; environmental accounting; and life cycle costing. These methods, based on ISO 14000 standards, are used to examine emerging technologies, such as biobased products, building materials, building integrated photovoltaics, and alternative design strategies, such as remanufacturing, dematerialization, LEED, and Design for Environment: DfE. Student teams complete a life cycle assessment of a product or system chosen from industry.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 3-4
CEE 226E:
Techniques and Methods for Decarbonized and Energy Efficient Building Design
This class explores innovative methods for designing, developing, and financing zero carbon and zero energy buildings. At this pivotal moment, as building codes in California and around the world move towards decarbonization and all electric buildings, this class will ideally position students to enter the field of the built environment with the tools to tackle the quickly changing industry. Students will learn best practices to reduce energy and integrate solar PV generation and battery energy storage in commercial buildings in pursuit of Net Zero Energy and Net Zero Carbon buildings. The class is taught by Peter Rumsey, a widely recognized global leader in energy efficiency and sustainable building design. Lectures include presentations and panels featuring foremost experts and practitioners in the field of green buildings. Optional site visits to the Bay Area's most notable decarbonized and green buildings. CEE 176A and CEE 156/256 or similar courses are recommended prerequisites. All students participate in a group-based, term project focused on the design of a Net Zero Carbon building. Topics covered in this course include: understanding the importance of building envelopes in a successful design, designing a heating system without natural gas, calculating building energy use, optimizing daylighting and electrical lighting, reducing plug load power use, quantifying embodied and lifetime operating carbon emissions from buildings, sizing photovoltaic and battery storage systems, and financing energy efficiency, PV, and battery systems.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 2-3
CEE 227:
Global Project Finance
Public and private sources of finance for large, complex, capital-intensive projects in developed and developing countries. Benefits and disadvantages, major participants, risk sharing, and challenges of project finance in emerging markets. Financial, economic, political, cultural, and technological elements that affect project structures, processes, and outcomes. Case studies. Limited enrollment.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3-5
CEE 241A:
Infrastructure Project Development (CEE 141A)
Infrastructure is critical to the economy, global competitiveness and quality of life. Topics include energy, transportation, water, public facilities, and communications sectors. Analysis of the condition of the nation's infrastructure and how projects are planned and financed. Focus is on public works in the U.S. The role of public and private sectors through a step-by-step study of the project development process. Case studies of real infrastructure projects. Industry guest speakers. Student teams prepare project environmental impact statements.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 3
CEE 241B:
Infrastructure Project Delivery (CEE 141B)
Infrastructure is critical to the economy, global competitiveness and quality of life. Topics include transportation, social infrastructure, energy, water and communications sectors. Analysis of how projects are designed, constructed, operated, and maintained. Focus is on public works projects globally, alternative project delivery approaches and organizational strategies. Case studies include three real infrastructure megaprojects managed by the Instructor while in Industry. Nine integrated guest lecturers from Industry supplement specific functional areas of expertise. Student teams prepare competing design/build/finance/operate/maintain (DBFOM) proposals for a large infrastructure project.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3
CEE 241C:
Global Infrastructure Projects Seminar (CEE 141C)
Nine current global infrastructure projects presented by top project executives or company leaders from industry. Water, transportation, energy and communication projects are featured. Course provides comparisons of project development, win and delivery approaches for mega-projects around the world. Alternative project delivery methods, the role of public and private sector, different project management and construction strategies, and lessons learned. The course also includes field trips to local mega-projects. Grade (one unit) is based on attending all 9 lectures and at least 2 field trips.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 1-2
CEE 255:
Introduction to Sensing Networks for CEE (CEE 155)
Introduce the design and implementation of sensor networks for monitoring the built and natural environment. Emphasis on the integration of modern sensor and communication technologies, signal processing and statistical models for network data analysis and interpretation to create practical deployments to enable sustainable systems, in areas such as energy, weather, transportation and buildings. Students will be involved in a practical project that may involve deploying a small sensor system, data models and analysis and signal processing. Limited enrollment.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3-4
CEE 256:
Building Systems Design & Analysis (CEE 156)
HVAC, lighting, and envelope systems for commercial and institutional buildings, with a focus on energy efficient design. Knowledge and skills required in the development of low-energy buildings that provide high quality environment for occupants.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3-4
CEE 257:
Sustainable Finance and Investment Seminar (CEE 157)
The course aims to equip the Stanford community with the knowledge and networks required to undertake significant future work on sustainable finance and investment. The course will be given in a seminar format, which explores multiple disciplines of sustainable finance with talks by researchers associated with the Stanford Precourt Institute for Energy's Sustainable Finance Initiative and visiting speakers. The course features three highly interactive modules: (1) risk and opportunities of sustainable finance, (2) business and financial innovation toward sustainability, and (3) sustainability assessment and advanced data technologies. The contents covered by this course include but are not limited to systems and theories in sustainable finance and investment such as active ownership, carbon markets and policies, climate finance, environmental disclosure and reporting, divestment, engagement, environmental, social, and governance (ESG), green banks, green bonds, green benchmarks and indices, impact investing, public-private partnerships, responsible investment, stranded assets, and green taxonomies. Seminar meets weekly during the Autumn Quarter.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 1
CEE 263A:
Air Pollution Modeling
The numerical modeling of urban, regional, and global air pollution focusing on gas chemistry and radiative transfer. Stratospheric, free-tropospheric, and urban chemistry. Methods for solving stiff systems of chemical ordinary differential, including the multistep implicit-explicit method, Gear's method with sparse-matrix techniques, and the family method. Numerical methods of solving radiative transfer, coagulation, condensation, and chemical equilibrium problems. Project involves developing a basic chemical ordinary differential equation solver. Prerequisite: CS 106A or equivalent.
Last offered: Spring 2018
| Units: 3-4
CEE 263C:
Weather and Storms (CEE 63)
Daily and severe weather and global climate. Topics: structure and composition of the atmosphere, fog and cloud formation, rainfall, local winds, wind energy, global circulation, jet streams, high and low pressure systems, inversions, el Ni¿o, la Ni¿a, atmosphere/ocean interactions, fronts, cyclones, thunderstorms, lightning, tornadoes, hurricanes, pollutant transport, global climate and atmospheric optics.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 3
CEE 263D:
Air Pollution and Global Warming: History, Science, and Solutions (CEE 64)
Survey of Survey of air pollution and global warming and their renewable energy solutions. Topics: evolution of the Earth's atmosphere, history of discovery of chemicals in the air, bases and particles in urban smog, visibility, indoor air pollution, acid rain, stratospheric and Antarctic ozone loss, the historic climate record, causes and effects of global warming, impacts of energy systems on pollution and climate, renewable energy solutions to air pollution and global warming. UG Reqs: GER: DBNatSci
Terms: Win
| Units: 3
CEE 263S:
Atmosphere/Energy Seminar
Interdisciplinary seminar with talks by researchers and practitioners in the fields of atmospheric science and renewable energy engineering. Addresses the causes of climate, air pollution, and weather problems and methods of addressing these problems through renewable and efficient energy systems. May be repeated for credit.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr
| Units: 1
| Repeatable
for credit
(up to 99 units total)
CEE 265D:
Water and Sanitation in Developing Countries
Economic, social, political, and technical aspects of sustainable water supply and sanitation service provision in developing countries. Service pricing, alternative institutional structures including privatization, and the role of consumer demand and community participation in the planning process. Environmental and public health considerations, and strategies for serving low-income households.
Terms: Win
| Units: 1-3
CEE 265I:
Poverty, Infrastructure and Climate (ESS 264)
Lack of access to physical infrastructure such as roads, water supply and electricity is a key element of how 'poverty' is often defined. At the same time, the causal pathways that link infrastructure and economic development are not well understood, and are likely being re-shaped by a changing climate. Students in this course will contribute to a new initiative on poverty, infrastructure and climate change by (1) reviewing and synthesizing literature from relevant scholarly communities, (2) co-creating a conceptual causal model of the ways in which infrastructure (particularly roads and water assets) contributes to poverty alleviation, and (3) contributing to the design of applied research effort on these topics in sub-Saharan Africa. Students who opt for the 3-unit enrollment will have an additional supervised project that could take the form of a review paper, research proposal, or analysis of secondary data. There are no formal pre-requisites for the class; students from all schools and departments are welcome. Enrollment requires permission of the instructors. Interested students are invited to submit an application at https://tiny.cc/EPIC-Stanford.
Last offered: Spring 2023
| Units: 2-3
| Repeatable
2 times
(up to 6 units total)
CEE 269A:
Environmental Engineering Seminar
Presentations on current research, practice and thinking in environmental engineering by visiting academics and practitioners.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 1
| Repeatable
2 times
(up to 2 units total)
CEE 272R:
Engineering Future Electricity Systems (ENERGY 272R)
The electricity grid is undergoing a dramatic transformation due to the urgency to decarbonize, improve resilience against climate-induced extreme weather events, and provide affordable reliable access to at-risk communities.This fast-paced course aims to build a systematic understanding of the future electric power grid. Students will learn how to model, simulate, and optimize grid components, with an emphasis on new technologies such as storage, clean energy sources, and electric vehicles. The course is organized in five sections: loads, distribution, transmission, storage, and generation, and within these modules, students will explore the roles of a variety of grid ecosystem participants (e.g. system operators, utilities, aggregators, technology vendors, and consumers). Students will be exposed to grid modeling, optimization, data science, and economics at an introductory level that allows them to perform basic assessments and develop proof of concept ideas in Python. After this course, much of the current literature and technology developments in the electric grid should be readily accessible for those interested in furthering their learning.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3
CEE 272T:
SmartGrids and Advanced Power Systems Seminar (EE 292T)
A series of seminar and lectures focused on power engineering. Renowned researchers from universities and national labs will deliver bi-weekly seminars on the state of the art of power system engineering. Seminar topics may include: power system analysis and simulation, control and stability, new market mechanisms, computation challenges and solutions, detection and estimation, and the role of communications in the grid. The instructors will cover relevant background materials in the in-between weeks. The seminars are planned to continue throughout the next academic year, so the course may be repeated for credit.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr
| Units: 1-2
| Repeatable
2 times
(up to 4 units total)
CEE 273B:
The Business of Water
Freshwater is our most crucial natural resource, but it is facing mounting pressures from climate change and other factors. While public agencies traditionally dominated water management, private water companies are playing an increasingly important (and sometime controversial) role. In many cases, private companies are making critical contributions to meeting societal water needs (e.g., by developing new technologies and finding new ways to reduce water use). In other cases, however, the involvement of private companies has proven controversial (e.g., when private companies have taken over public water supply systems in developing countries such as Bolivia). This course will look at established and emerging businesses in the water sector and the legal, economic, and social issues generated by the private sector's involvement. These businesses include water technology companies (e.g., companies commercializing new desalination or water recycling technologies), venture capitalists, water funds (that directly buy and sell water rights), consulting firms, innovative agricultural companies, and large corporations (that increasingly are adopting corporate stewardship programs). The course will begin with two weeks of introduction to water and the private water sector. After that, each class will focus on a different water company. Company executives will attend each class session and discuss their business with the class. In most classes, we will examine (1) the viability and efficacy of the company's business plan, (2) the legal and/or social issues arising from the business' work, and (3) how the business might contribute to improved water management and policy. Each student will be expected to write (1) two short reflection papers on businesses that visit the class, and (2) a 10- to15-page paper at the conclusion of the class on an idea that the student has for a new water company, on an existing water company of the student's choice, or on a legal or policy initiative that can improve the role that business plays in improving water management (either in a particular sector or more generally). This course is open to graduate students from around the campus. Elements used in grading: Attendance, Class Participation, Written Assignments, Final Paper. Cross-listed with Civil & Environmental Engineering (CEE 273B).
Terms: Win
| Units: 1-2
CEE 278A:
Air Pollution Fundamentals
The sources and health effects of gaseous and particulate air pollutants. The influence of meteorology on pollution: temperature profiles, stability classes, inversion layers, turbulence. Atmospheric diffusion equations, downwind dispersion of emissions from point and line sources. Removal of air pollutants via settling, diffusion, coagulation, precipitation, Mechanisms for ozone formation, in the troposphere versus in the stratosphere. Effects of airborne particle size and composition on light scattering/absorption, and on visual range. Prerequisites: MATH 51 or equivalent. Recommended: 101B, CHEM 31A, or equivalents.
Terms: Aut, Win
| Units: 3
CEE 301:
The Stanford Energy Seminar (ENERGY 301, MS&E 494)
Interdisciplinary exploration of current energy challenges and opportunities in the context of development, equity and sustainability objectives. Talks are presented by faculty, visitors, and students and include relevant technology, policy, and systems perspectives. More information about the seminar can be found on the website https://energyseminar.stanford.edu/May be repeated for credit.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr
| Units: 1
| Repeatable
for credit
CEE 323A:
Infrastructure Finance and Governance
Presentation and discussion of early stage or more mature research on a variety of topics related to financing, governance and sustainability of civil infrastructure projects by researchers associated with the Global Projects Center and visiting speakers. To obtain one unit of credit, students must attend and participate in all seminars, with up to two excused absences. Seminar meets weekly during Autumn, Winter and Spring Quarters.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 1
| Repeatable
2 times
(up to 2 units total)
CHEM 459:
Frontiers in Interdisciplinary Biosciences (BIO 459, BIOC 459, BIOE 459, CHEMENG 459, PSYCH 459)
Students register through their affiliated department; otherwise register for CHEMENG 459. For specialists and non-specialists. Sponsored by the Stanford BioX Program. Three seminars per quarter address scientific and technical themes related to interdisciplinary approaches in bioengineering, medicine, and the chemical, physical, and biological sciences. Leading investigators from Stanford and the world present breakthroughs and endeavors that cut across core disciplines. Pre-seminars introduce basic concepts and background for non-experts. Registered students attend all pre-seminars; others welcome. See http://biox.stanford.edu/courses/459.html. Recommended: basic mathematics, biology, chemistry, and physics.
Last offered: Spring 2020
| Units: 1
| Repeatable
for credit
CHEMENG 60Q:
Environmental Regulation and Policy
Preference to sophomores. How does government, politics and science affect environmental policy? We examine environmental policy including the precautionary principal, acceptable risks, mathematical models, and cost-effectiveness of regulation. You will learn how data is changing environmental regulation and how different administrations mold environmental policy in real-time. We examine the use of science and engineering, its media presentation and misrepresentation, and the effect of public scientific and technical literacy. You will learn how to participate in the process and effect change.
Last offered: Autumn 2020
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-EngrAppSci, WAY-AQR
CHEMENG 459:
Frontiers in Interdisciplinary Biosciences (BIO 459, BIOC 459, BIOE 459, CHEM 459, PSYCH 459)
Students register through their affiliated department; otherwise register for CHEMENG 459. For specialists and non-specialists. Sponsored by the Stanford BioX Program. Three seminars per quarter address scientific and technical themes related to interdisciplinary approaches in bioengineering, medicine, and the chemical, physical, and biological sciences. Leading investigators from Stanford and the world present breakthroughs and endeavors that cut across core disciplines. Pre-seminars introduce basic concepts and background for non-experts. Registered students attend all pre-seminars; others welcome. See http://biox.stanford.edu/courses/459.html. Recommended: basic mathematics, biology, chemistry, and physics.
Last offered: Spring 2020
| Units: 1
| Repeatable
for credit
CHPR 130:
Human Nutrition (HUMBIO 130)
The study of food, and the nutrients and substances therein. Their action, interaction, and balance in relation to health and disease. Emphasis is on the biological, chemical, and physiological processes by which humans ingest, digest, absorb, transport, utilize, and excrete food. Dietary composition and individual choices are discussed in relationship to the food supply, and to population and cultural, race, ethnic, religious, and social economic diversity. The relationships between nutrition and disease; ethnic diets; vegetarianism; nutritional deficiencies; nutritional supplementation; phytochemicals. The material in this course is an introduction to the field and the target audience is undergraduates. It may be of interest to graduate students unfamiliar with the field. Graduate students enroll in CHPR 130. Undergrads enroll in HUMBIO 130. CHPR master's students must enroll for a letter grade.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: WAY-SMA
CHPR 166:
Food and Society: Exploring Eating Behaviors in Social, Environmental, and Policy Context (HUMBIO 166)
The material in this course is an introduction to the field and the target audience is undergraduates. It may be of interest to graduate students unfamiliar with the field. The class examines the array of forces that affect the foods human beings eat, and when, where, and how we eat them, including human labor, agriculture, environmental sustainability, politics, animal rights/welfare, ethics, policy, culture, economics, business, law, trade, and ideology, and psychology. The class addresses the impact of current policies and actions that might be taken to improve human nutrition and health; macro-scale influences on food, nutrition, and eating behavior. CHPR master's students must enroll for a letter grade. Undergraduate Prerequisites: Human Biology Core or Biology Foundations or consent of instructor. HUMBIO students must enroll in HUMBIO 166. Med/Graduate students must enroll in CHRP 166.
Last offered: Winter 2023
| Units: 4
CHPR 212:
Methods for Health Care Delivery Innovation, Implementation and Evaluation (HRP 218, MED 212)
Preference given to postgraduate fellows and graduate students.Focus is on implementation science and evaluation of health care delivery innovations. Topics include implementation science theory, frameworks, and measurement principles; qualitative and quantitative approaches to designing and evaluating new health care models; hybrid design trials that simultaneously evaluate implementation and effectiveness; distinction between quality improvement and research, and implications for regulatory requirements and publication; and grant-writing strategies for implementation science and evaluation. Students will develop a mock (or actual) grant proposal to conduct a needs assessment or evaluate a Stanford/VA/community intervention, incorporating concepts, frameworks, and methods discussed in class. Priority for enrollment for CHPR 212 will be given to CHPR master's students.
Terms: Win
| Units: 2
COMM 162:
Campaigns, Voting, Media, and Elections (AMSTUD 162B, COMM 262, POLISCI 120B)
(Graduate students enroll in COMM 262. COMM 162 is offered for 5 units, COMM 262 is offered for 4 units.) This course examines the theory and practice of American campaigns and elections. First, we will attempt to explain the behavior of the key players -- candidates, parties, journalists, and voters -- in terms of the institutional arrangements and political incentives that confront them. Second, we will use current and recent election campaigns as "laboratories" for testing generalizations about campaign strategy and voter behavior. Third, we examine selections from the academic literature dealing with the origins of partisan identity, electoral design, and the immediate effects of campaigns on public opinion, voter turnout, and voter choice. As well, we'll explore issues of electoral reform and their more long-term consequences for governance and the political process.
Terms: Win
| Units: 4-5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, WAY-SI
COMM 243:
Communication Policy and Regulation (COMM 143W)
Focuses on the development, implementation, and evaluation of policies affecting communication markets. Policy issues include universal service, digital divide, Internet regulation, intellectual property, privacy, television violence, content diversity, media ownership, antitrust, and impact of news on government accountability. Examines political economy of communication policy and the evolution of policies across time.
Last offered: Winter 2016
| Units: 4-5
COMM 262:
Campaigns, Voting, Media, and Elections (AMSTUD 162B, COMM 162, POLISCI 120B)
(Graduate students enroll in COMM 262. COMM 162 is offered for 5 units, COMM 262 is offered for 4 units.) This course examines the theory and practice of American campaigns and elections. First, we will attempt to explain the behavior of the key players -- candidates, parties, journalists, and voters -- in terms of the institutional arrangements and political incentives that confront them. Second, we will use current and recent election campaigns as "laboratories" for testing generalizations about campaign strategy and voter behavior. Third, we examine selections from the academic literature dealing with the origins of partisan identity, electoral design, and the immediate effects of campaigns on public opinion, voter turnout, and voter choice. As well, we'll explore issues of electoral reform and their more long-term consequences for governance and the political process.
Terms: Win
| Units: 4-5
COMM 308:
Graduate Seminar in Political Psychology (POLISCI 321, PSYCH 284)
For students interested in research in political science, psychology, or communication. Methodological techniques for studying political attitudes and behaviors. May be repeated for credit.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr
| Units: 1-3
| Repeatable
for credit
CS 377E:
Designing Solutions to Global Grand Challenges (DESIGN 297)
In this course we creatively apply information technologies to collectively attack Global Grand Challenges (e.g., global warming, rising healthcare costs and declining access, and ensuring quality education for all). Interdisciplinary student teams will carry out need-finding within a target domain, followed by brainstorming to propose a quarter long project. Teams will spend the rest of the quarter applying user-centered design methods to rapidly iterate through design, prototyping, and testing of their solutions. This course will interweave a weekly lecture with a weekly studio session where students apply the techniques hands-on in a small-scale, supportive environment. Note: Cardinal Course certified by the Haas Center for Public Service
Last offered: Spring 2023
| Units: 3-4
CS 377G:
Designing Serious Games
Over the last few years we have seen the rise of "serious games" to promote understanding of complex social and ecological challenges, and to create passion for solving them. This project-based course provides an introduction to game design principals while applying them to games that teach. Run as a hands-on studio class, students will design and prototype games for social change and civic engagement. We will learn the fundamentals of games design via lecture and extensive reading in order to make effective games to explore issues facing society today. The course culminates in an end-of- quarter open house to showcase our games. Prerequisite: CS147 or equivalent. 247G recommended, but not required.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 3-4
CS 421:
Designing AI to Cultivate Human Well-Being
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to drive us towards a better future for all of humanity, but it also comes with significant risks and challenges. At its best, AI can help humans mitigate climate change, diagnose and treat diseases more effectively, enhance learning, and improve access to capital throughout the world. But it also has the potential to exacerbate human biases, destroy trust in information flow, displace entire industries, and amplify inequality throughout the world. We have arrived at a pivotal moment in the development of the technology in which we must establish a foundation for how we will design AI to capture the positive potential and mitigate the negative risks. To do this, building AI must be an inclusive, interactive, and introspective process guided by an affirmative vision of a beneficial AI-future. The goal of this interdisciplinary class is to bridge the gap between technological and societal objectives: How do we design AI to promote human well-being? The ultimate aim is to provide tools and frameworks to build a more harmonious human society based on cooperation toward a shared vision. Thus, students are trained in basic science to understand what brings about the conditions for human flourishing and will create meaningful AI technologies that aligns with the PACE framework: 1) has a clear and meaningful purpose, 2) augments human dignity and autonomy, 3) creates a feeling of inclusivity and collaboration, 4) creates shared prosperity and a sense of forward movement (excellence). Toward this end, students work in interdisciplinary teams on a final project and propose a solution that tackles a significant societal challenge by leveraging technology and frameworks on human thriving.
Last offered: Winter 2021
| Units: 2
CSB 240B:
A Practical Approach to Drug Discover and Development
(Continuation of 240A) Advancing a drug from discovery of a therapeutic target to human trials and commercialization. Topics include: high throughput assay development, compound screening, lead optimization, protecting intellectual property, toxicology testing, regulatory issues, assessment of clinical need, defining the market, conducting clinical trials, project management, and commercialization issues, including approach to licensing and raising capital. Maximum units are available by taking an additional contact hour. Prerequisite: 240A.
Last offered: Spring 2023
| Units: 3-4
CSB 242:
Drug Discovery and Development Seminar Series
The scientific principles and technologies involved in making the transition from a basic biological observation to the creation of a new drug emphasizing molecular and genetic issues. Prerequisite: biochemistry, chemistry, or bioengineering.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr
| Units: 1
| Repeatable
2 times
(up to 2 units total)
CSB 245:
Economics of Biotechnology
Focuses on translation of promising research discovery into marketed drugs and the integration of scientific method, clinical needs assessment, clinical and regulatory strategy, market analysis, economic considerations, and the influence of the healthcare economic ecosystem necessary for successful translation. Explores the economic perspectives of various stakeholders--patients, providers, payers, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, FDA, and financial markets--and how they influence drug development.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 2
CSRE 103B:
Race, Ethnicity, and Linguistic Diversity in Classrooms: Sociocultural Theory and Practices (AFRICAAM 106, EDUC 103B, EDUC 337)
Focus is on classrooms with students from diverse racial, ethnic and linguistic backgrounds. Studies, writing, and media representation of urban and diverse school settings; implications for transforming teaching and learning. Issues related to developing teachers with attitudes, dispositions, and skills necessary to teach diverse students. Cardinal Course certified by the Haas Center.
Terms: Win
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: WAY-EDP
CSRE 112X:
Urban Education (AFRICAAM 112, EDUC 112, EDUC 212, SOC 129X, SOC 229X, URBANST 115)
(Graduate students register for EDUC 212 or SOC 229X). Combination of social science and historical perspectives trace the major developments, contexts, tensions, challenges, and policy issues of urban education.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3-5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, WAY-EDP
CSRE 178P:
The Science and Practice of Effective Advocacy (PUBLPOL 178, URBANST 178)
How can purposeful collective action change government policy, business practices and cultural norms? This course will teach students about the components of successful change campaigns and help develop the practical skills to carry out such efforts. The concepts taught will be relevant to both issue advocacy and electoral campaigns, and be evidence-based, drawing on lessons from social psychology, political science, communications, community organizing and social movements. The course will meet twice-a-week for 90 minutes, and class time will combine engaged learning exercises, discussions and lectures. There will be a midterm and final. Students will be able to take the course for 3 or 5 units. Students who take the course for 5 units will participate in an advocacy project with an outside organization during the quarter, attend a related section meeting and write reflections. For 5 unit students, the section meeting is on Tuesdays, from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Last offered: Spring 2020
| Units: 3-5
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
EARTHSYS 101:
Energy and the Environment (ENERGY 101)
Energy use in modern society and the consequences of current and future energy use patterns. Case studies illustrate resource estimation, engineering analysis of energy systems, and options for managing carbon emissions. Focus is on energy definitions, use patterns, resource estimation, pollution.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-EngrAppSci, WAY-AQR, WAY-SMA
EARTHSYS 102:
Fundamentals of Renewable Power (ENERGY 102)
Do you want a much better understanding of renewable power technologies? Did you know that wind and solar are the fastest growing forms of electricity generation? Are you interested in hearing about the most recent, and future, designs for green power? Do you want to understand what limits power extraction from renewable resources and how current designs could be improved? This course dives deep into these and related issues for wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, tidal and wave power technologies. We welcome all student, from non-majors to MBAs and grad students. If you are potentially interested in an energy or environmental related major, this course is particularly useful.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-EngrAppSci, WAY-SMA
EARTHSYS 103:
Understand Energy (CEE 107A, CEE 207A, ENERGY 107A, ENERGY 207A)
NOTE: This course will be taught in-person on main campus, lectures are recorded and available asynchronously. Energy is the number one contributor to climate change and has significant consequences for our society, political system, economy, and environment. Energy is also a fundamental driver of human development and opportunity. In taking this course, students will not only understand the fundamentals of each energy resource - including significance and potential, conversion processes and technologies, drivers and barriers, policy and regulation, and social, economic, and environmental impacts - students will also be able to put this in the context of the broader energy system. Both depletable and renewable energy resources are covered, including oil, natural gas, coal, nuclear, biomass and biofuel, hydroelectric, wind, solar thermal and photovoltaics (PV), geothermal, and ocean energy, with cross-cutting topics including electricity, storage, climate change and greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), sustainability, green buildings, energy efficiency, transportation, and the developing world. The 4 unit course includes lecture and in-class discussion, readings and videos, homework assignments, one on-campus field trip during lecture time and two off-campus field trips with brief report assignments. Off-campus field trips to wind farms, solar farms, nuclear power plants, natural gas power plants, hydroelectric dams, etc. Enroll for 5 units to also attend the Workshop, an interactive discussion section on cross-cutting topics that meets once per week for 80 minutes (Mondays, 12:30 PM - 1:50 PM). Open to all: pre-majors and majors, with any background! Website: https://understand-energy-course.stanford.edu/ CEE 107S/207S Understand Energy: Essentials is a shorter (3 unit) version of this course, offered summer quarter. Students should not take both for credit. Prerequisites: Algebra.
Terms: Aut, Spr
| Units: 3-5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-EngrAppSci, WAY-SI
EARTHSYS 104:
The Water Course (EARTHSYS 204, GEOPHYS 104, GEOPHYS 204)
The Central Valley of California provides a third of the produce grown in the U.S., but recent droughts and increasing demand have raised concerns about both food and water security. The pathway that water takes from rainfall to the irrigation of fields or household taps ('the water course') determines the quantity and quality of the available water. Working with various data sources (measurements made on the ground, in wells, and from satellites) allows us to model the water budget in the valley and explore the recent impacts on freshwater supplies.
Last offered: Winter 2022
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: GER: DB-NatSci, WAY-AQR, WAY-SMA
EARTHSYS 106:
World Food Economy (EARTHSYS 206, ECON 106, ECON 206, ESS 106, ESS 206)
The World Food Economy is a survey course that covers the economic and political dimensions of food production, consumption, and trade. The course focuses on food markets and food policy within a global context. It is comprised of three major sections: structural features (agronomic, technological, and economic) that determine the nature of domestic food systems; the role of domestic food and agricultural policies in international markets; and the integrating forces of international research, trade, and food aid in the world food economy. This 5-unit course entails a substantial group modeling project that is required for all students. Enrollment is by application only. The application is found at https://economics.stanford.edu/undergraduate/forms. Applications will be reviewed on a first-come, first-serve basis, and priority will be given to upper-level undergraduates who need the course for their major, and to graduate students pursuing work directly related to the course. The application submission period will close on March 15
Terms: Spr
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
EARTHSYS 111:
Biology and Global Change (BIO 117, EARTHSYS 217, ESS 111)
The biological causes and consequences of anthropogenic and natural changes in the atmosphere, oceans, and terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems. Topics: glacial cycles and marine circulation, greenhouse gases and climate change, tropical deforestation and species extinctions, and human population growth and resource use. Prerequisite: Biology or Human Biology core or BIO 81 or graduate standing.
Terms: Win
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: GER: DB-NatSci, WAY-SMA
EARTHSYS 137:
Concepts and Analytic Skills for the Social Sector (URBANST 132)
How to develop and grow innovative nonprofit organizations and for-profit enterprises which have the primary goal of solving social and environmental problems. Topics include organizational mission, strategy, market/user analysis, communications, funding, recruitment and impact evaluation. Perspectives from the field of social entrepreneurship, design thinking and social change organizing. Opportunities and limits of using methods from the for-profit sector to meet social goals. Focus is on integrating theory with practical applications, including several case exercises and simulations. One-day practicum where students advise an actual social impact organization. Enrollment limited to 20.
Terms: Win
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, WAY-SI
EARTHSYS 160:
Sustainable Cities (URBANST 164)
Community-engaged learning course that exposes students to sustainability concepts and urban planning as a tool for determining sustainable outcomes in the Bay Area. The focus will be on land use and transportation planning to housing and employment patterns, mobility, public health, and social equity. Topics will include government initiatives to counteract urban sprawl and promote smart growth and livability, political realities of organizing and building coalitions around sustainability goals, and increasing opportunities for low-income and communities of color to achieve sustainability outcomes. Students will participate in remote team-based projects in collaboration with Bay Area community partners. Prerequisites: Consent of the instructor. (Cardinal Course certified by the Haas Center.) Apply here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfhY1w5A_PCjmKdMcGNaZ6Hic24T2zvgF7CfcGrL2tWCWnQGg/viewform
Terms: Spr
| Units: 4-5
| UG Reqs: WAY-EDP, WAY-SI
EARTHSYS 185:
Feeding Nine Billion
Feeding a growing and wealthier population is a huge task, and one with implications for many aspects of society and the environment. There are many tough choices to be made- on fertilizers, groundwater pumping, pesticide use, organics, genetic modification, etc. Unfortunately, many people form strong opinions about these issues before understanding some of the basics of how food is grown, such as how most farmers currently manage their fields, and their reasons for doing so. The goal of this class is to present an overview of global agriculture, and the tradeoffs involved with different practices. Students will develop two key knowledge bases: basic principles of crop ecology and agronomy, and familiarity with the scale of the global food system. The last few weeks of the course will be devoted to building on this knowledge base to evaluate different future directions for agriculture.
Terms: Win
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: WAY-AQR
EARTHSYS 206:
World Food Economy (EARTHSYS 106, ECON 106, ECON 206, ESS 106, ESS 206)
The World Food Economy is a survey course that covers the economic and political dimensions of food production, consumption, and trade. The course focuses on food markets and food policy within a global context. It is comprised of three major sections: structural features (agronomic, technological, and economic) that determine the nature of domestic food systems; the role of domestic food and agricultural policies in international markets; and the integrating forces of international research, trade, and food aid in the world food economy. This 5-unit course entails a substantial group modeling project that is required for all students. Enrollment is by application only. The application is found at https://economics.stanford.edu/undergraduate/forms. Applications will be reviewed on a first-come, first-serve basis, and priority will be given to upper-level undergraduates who need the course for their major, and to graduate students pursuing work directly related to the course. The application submission period will close on March 15
Terms: Spr
| Units: 5
EASTASN 117:
Health and Healthcare Systems in East Asia (EASTASN 217)
This course will discuss population health and healthcare systems in contemporary China, Japan, and Korea (north and south), in comparative perspective with other health systems. Using primarily the lens of social science, especially health economics, we will analyze recent developments in East Asian health policy, in comparison to other health systems of the world. Topics include the social determinants of health, demographic transition and population aging, control of infectious and chronic non-communicable diseases, healthcare financing, health insurance, health service delivery, payment incentives, competition, pharmaceutical policy, long-term care, and regulation. Although some background in Asian Studies, economics, and/or global health will be useful, no prior knowledge of economics or health policy is expected or required.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3-5
EASTASN 217:
Health and Healthcare Systems in East Asia (EASTASN 117)
This course will discuss population health and healthcare systems in contemporary China, Japan, and Korea (north and south), in comparative perspective with other health systems. Using primarily the lens of social science, especially health economics, we will analyze recent developments in East Asian health policy, in comparison to other health systems of the world. Topics include the social determinants of health, demographic transition and population aging, control of infectious and chronic non-communicable diseases, healthcare financing, health insurance, health service delivery, payment incentives, competition, pharmaceutical policy, long-term care, and regulation. Although some background in Asian Studies, economics, and/or global health will be useful, no prior knowledge of economics or health policy is expected or required.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3-5
EASTASN 285:
American and Chinese Approaches to Managing Global Challenges (INTLPOL 285)
As two of the most-consequential global powers, China and the United States have great influence on many complex transnational challenges, including climate change, threats to food and water security, nuclear proliferation, health security, and cyberspace. Further, none of these challenges can be managed by China or the United States alone and none can be managed successfully without at least some level of US-China coordination. This unique course will be taught jointly by faculty from Stanford and Peking University and is open to students from both schools. The course will examine American and Chinese perceptions of and approaches to resolving a number of different transnational challenges with the goal of identifying obstacles to and opportunities for cooperation. Enrollment is limited to 20 students, apply at https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/4d59f97817bd4450b7feb57018dcf35b by March 22, 2024. Those accepted will be notified by the week of March 25, 2024.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 2
ECON 106:
World Food Economy (EARTHSYS 106, EARTHSYS 206, ECON 206, ESS 106, ESS 206)
The World Food Economy is a survey course that covers the economic and political dimensions of food production, consumption, and trade. The course focuses on food markets and food policy within a global context. It is comprised of three major sections: structural features (agronomic, technological, and economic) that determine the nature of domestic food systems; the role of domestic food and agricultural policies in international markets; and the integrating forces of international research, trade, and food aid in the world food economy. This 5-unit course entails a substantial group modeling project that is required for all students. Enrollment is by application only. The application is found at https://economics.stanford.edu/undergraduate/forms. Applications will be reviewed on a first-come, first-serve basis, and priority will be given to upper-level undergraduates who need the course for their major, and to graduate students pursuing work directly related to the course. The application submission period will close on March 15
Terms: Spr
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
ECON 118:
Development Economics
The microeconomic problems and policy concerns of less developed countries. Topics include: health and education; risk and insurance; microfinance; agriculture; technology; governance. Emphasis is on economic models and empirical evidence. Prerequisites: ECON 50, ECON 102B.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: GER:EC-GlobalCom, WAY-AQR, WAY-SI
ECON 125:
Economic Development, Microfinance, and Social Networks
An introduction to the study of the financial lives of households in less developed countries, focusing on savings, credit, informal insurance, the expansion of microfinance, social learning, public finance/redistribution, and social networks. Prerequisites- Econ 51 or Publpol 51 and Econ 102B.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: GER:EC-GlobalCom, WAY-AQR, WAY-SI
ECON 126:
Economics of Health and Medical Care (BIOMEDIN 156, BIOMEDIN 256, HRP 256)
Institutional, theoretical, and empirical analysis of the problems of health and medical care. Topics: demand for medical care and medical insurance; institutions in the health sector; economics of information applied to the market for health insurance and for health care; economics of health care labor markets and health care production; and economic epidemiology. Graduate students with research interests should take ECON 249. Prerequisites: ECON 50 and either ECON 102A or STATS 116 or the equivalent. Recommended: ECON 51.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
ECON 127:
Economics of Health Improvement in Developing Countries (HRP 227, MED 262)
Application of economic paradigms and empirical methods to health improvement in lower-income countries. Emphasis is on unifying analytic frameworks and evaluation of empirical evidence. How economic views differ from public health, medicine, and epidemiology; analytic paradigms for health and population change; the demand for health; the role of health in international development. Prerequisites: ECON 50 and ECON 102B.
Last offered: Winter 2023
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
ECON 155:
Environmental Economics and Policy
Economic sources of environmental problems and alternative policies for dealing with them (technology standards, emissions taxes, and marketable pollution permits). Evaluation of policies addressing local air pollution, global climate change, and the use of renewable resources. Connections between population growth, economic output, environmental quality, sustainable development, and human welfare. Prerequisite for Undergraduates: ECON 50. May be taken concurrently with consent of the instructor.
Terms: Win
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: GER: DB-NatSci, WAY-SI
ECON 162:
Games Developing Nations Play (POLISCI 247A, POLISCI 347A)
If, as economists argue, development can make everyone in a society better off, why do leaders fail to pursue policies that promote development? The course uses game theoretic approaches from both economics and political science to address this question. Incentive problems are at the heart of explanations for development failure. Specifically, the course focuses on a series of questions central to the development problem: Why do developing countries have weak and often counterproductive political institutions? Why is violence (civil wars, ethnic conflict, military coups) so prevalent in the developing world, and how does it interact with development? Why do developing economies fail to generate high levels of income and wealth? We study how various kinds of development traps arise, preventing development for most countries. We also explain how some countries have overcome such traps. This approach emphasizes the importance of simultaneous economic and political development as two different facets of the same developmental process. No background in game theory is required.
Last offered: Winter 2021
| Units: 3-5
| UG Reqs: WAY-AQR, WAY-SI
ECON 165:
International Finance
This is a first course in open economy macroeconomics. The course's objective is to build the analytical foundation for understanding key macro issues in the world economy such as global capital flows, the behavior of exchange rates, currency and sovereign debt crises. While a significant portion of the course will be theoretical, there will be several occasions for linking the theory to real-world events. Prerequisite: ECON 52. Summer session students wishing to enroll who feel they have the appropriate prerequisites from another institution may submit that information, transcript or syllabus that is similar to Econ 52, to econ-undergrad@stanford.edu.
Terms: Sum
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
ECON 214:
Development Economics I
This course uses microeconomic theory and empirical analyses to understand barriers to human and economic development in lower income countries, as well as how public policies are formulated and their effectiveness at alleviating poverty. Topics include institutions and governance; human capital accumulation; productivity; inequality; poverty traps. Prerequisites: 202 or 202N, 270.
Last offered: Autumn 2021
| Units: 3-5
ECON 226:
Topics in US and international economic history
The role of economic history as a distinctive approach to the study of economics, using illustrations from U.S. history and topics in international economics. Topics focused on the US include: historical and institutional foundations of US economic growth; economic causes and consequences of slavery; women's changing role in the economy; inequality and intergenerational mobility; the growth of social insurance. Topics in international economics include globalization of goods and capital flows and their impact on growth, financial and sovereign debt crises, and financial institutions. Enrollment limited to graduate students.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 2-5
ECON 241:
Public Economics I
Design of tax systems, transfers intended to alleviate poverty, the effect of taxes on earnings, fees intended to internalize externalities like pollution, school finance and other forms of fiscal federalism, local public goods such as schools, policy evaluation with behavioral decision makers. Students will learn to apply sophisticated applications of frontier applied econometric techniques including synthetic controls, regression discontinuity, advanced instrumental variables methods. Prerequisites: ECON 202-204, ECON 210, ECON 270, ECON 271, or equivalent with consent of instructor.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 2-5
ECON 250:
Environmental Economics
We will discuss both theoretical and empirical analyses of environmental problems, ranging from local pollution challenges to global issues such as climate change. Topics include: Analyses of market failures, policy instruments, integrating environmental and distortionary taxes, policy making under uncertainty, valuing the environment, sustainable development, deforestation vs. conservation, and design of climate agreements.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 3-5
ECON 251:
Natural Resource and Energy Economics
Economic theory and empirical analysis of non-renewable and renewable natural resources, with considerable attention to energy provision and use. Topics include: exhaustible resources; renewable resources; and energy industry market structure, pricing, and performance. Prerequisites: 202, 203, 204, 271, and 272, or equivalents with consent of instructor.
Last offered: Winter 2018
| Units: 2-5
ECON 341:
Public Economics and Environmental Economics Seminar
Issues in measuring and evaluating the economic performance of government tax, expenditure, debt, and regulatory policies; their effects on levels and distribution of income, wealth, and environmental quality; alternative policies and methods of evaluation. Workshop format combines student research, faculty presentations, and guest speakers. Prerequisite: ECON 241 or consent of instructor.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr
| Units: 1-10
| Repeatable
for credit
EDUC 103A:
Tutoring: Seeing a Child through Literacy (EDUC 203A)
In this service-learning course, participants experience the world of school and print through the eyes of a child. Enrolled students learn about literacy development and instruction with diverse learners and are prepared to tutor a child in grades K-2. Attendance is required for tutoring two times per week in addition to the weekly class meeting. May be repeated for credit. Cardinal Course certified by the Haas Center for Public Service.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 3-4
| Repeatable
10 times
(up to 40 units total)
EDUC 107:
Education and Inequality: Big Data for Large-Scale Problems (EDUC 207, SOC 107E, SOC 205)
In this course, students will use data from the Stanford Education Data Archive (SEDA) to study the patterns, causes, consequences, and remedies of educational inequality in the US. SEDA is based on 200 million test score records, administrative data, and census data from every public school, school district, and community in the US. The course will include lectures, discussion, and small group research projects using SEDA and other data.
Last offered: Autumn 2022
| Units: 3
EDUC 117:
Research and Policy on Postsecondary Access (EDUC 417, PUBLPOL 117, PUBLPOL 217A)
The transition from high school to college. K-16 course focusing on high school preparation, college choice, remediation, pathways to college, and first-year adjustment. The role of educational policy in postsecondary access. Service Learning Course (certified by Haas Center).
Terms: Aut
| Units: 3
EDUC 120C:
Education and Society (EDUC 220C, SOC 130, SOC 230)
The effects of schools and schooling on individuals, the stratification system, and society. Education as socializing individuals and as legitimizing social institutions. The social and individual factors affecting the expansion of schooling, individual educational attainment, and the organizational structure of schooling.
Terms: Win
| Units: 4-5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, WAY-SI
EDUC 136:
Global Social Change, Sustainable Development, and Education (EDUC 306D, SOC 231, SUSTAIN 226)
Focuses on the relations between education and sustainable development from a comparative cross-national perspective. The course covers questions and debates around education for sustainable development and the nature of "the global"; global influences on national institutions of sustainable development; and key themes in the cross-national study of education for sustainable development such as stratification and achievement, gender, human rights, and the global authority of science and experts.
Last offered: Winter 2023
| Units: 4-5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci
EDUC 149:
Theory and Issues in the Study of Bilingualism (EDUC 249)
Sociolinguistic perspective. Emphasis is on typologies of bilingualism, the acquisition of bilingual ability, description and measurement, and the nature of societal bilingualism. Prepares students to work with bilingual students and their families and to carry out research in bilingual settings.
Last offered: Spring 2020
| Units: 3-5
| UG Reqs: WAY-EDP, WAY-SI
EDUC 165:
History of Higher Education in the U.S. (AMSTUD 165, EDUC 265, HISTORY 158C)
Major periods of evolution, particularly since the mid-19th century. Premise: insights into contemporary higher education can be obtained through its antecedents, particularly regarding issues of governance, mission, access, curriculum, and the changing organization of colleges and universities.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3-5
EDUC 171:
Preschool Counts: Engaging Young Children in Math
This course focuses on concepts and theories of mathematics teaching and learning in Early Childhood Education. Class requirements include practical experience teaching aged 4-5 years in a local school. Topics include teaching of math to young children; young children's cognitive, language, and social development; classroom management; cultural diversity; and early childhood education policy. Attendance is expected for tutoring two times per week in addition to the weekly class meeting. The course may be repeated for credit. Cardinal Course certified by the Haas Center for Public Service.
Terms: Win, Spr
| Units: 1-3
| Repeatable
for credit
EDUC 193A:
Listen Up! Core Peer Counseling Skills
Listen Up! Introduces several skills intended to promote the development of active listening skills central to connecting and engaging with others more intentionally. The first four weeks of the course walk through a general framework for offering support in a peer helping role while also introducing a wide range of skills and techniques designed to assist with gathering information, identifying and processing emotional experiences, and facilitating problem solving. In addition to these skills being central to the Bridge counsel and assisting people in distress, they are easily applied to interactions of all varieties. We encourage anyone who aspires to be more effective and intentional communicating with others to take this course. The second half of the course shifts to offering additional information and skills relevant to peer counseling and other helping roles, both personal and professional. Students will be QPR-certified, learn about interpersonal conflict, and begin to consider self-care as a helper. At the end of this course we hope you are equip with skills to approach your personal and professional relationships with more awareness, intention, and empathy.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr
| Units: 2
| Repeatable
for credit
EDUC 200B:
Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods
(Formerly EDUC 151.) Primarily for master's students: An introduction to the core concepts and methods of qualitative research. Through a variety of hands-on learning activities, readings, field experiences, class lectures, and discussions, students will explore the processes and products of qualitative inquiry. This is a graduate level course. No undergraduates may enroll. Priority will be given to GSE students, and final enrollment depends on instructor approval after the first day of class.
Terms: Aut, Win
| Units: 4
EDUC 202:
Introduction to International and Comparative Education
Contemporary theoretical debates about educational change and development, and the international dimension of issues in education. Emphasis is on the development of students' abilities to make cross-national and historical comparisons of educational phenomena. Enrollment in EDUC 202L is required to enroll in EDUC 202.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 3
EDUC 202I:
International Education Policy Workshop (EDUC 102I)
This is a project-based workshop. Practical introduction to issues in educational policy making, education reform, educational planning, implementation of policy interventions, and monitoring and evaluation in developing country contexts. Preference to students enrolled in ICE/IEAPA, but open to other students interested in international development or comparative public policy with instructor's consent. Attendance at first class required for enrollment.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 2-4
EDUC 203A:
Tutoring: Seeing a Child through Literacy (EDUC 103A)
In this service-learning course, participants experience the world of school and print through the eyes of a child. Enrolled students learn about literacy development and instruction with diverse learners and are prepared to tutor a child in grades K-2. Attendance is required for tutoring two times per week in addition to the weekly class meeting. May be repeated for credit. Cardinal Course certified by the Haas Center for Public Service.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 3-4
| Repeatable
10 times
(up to 40 units total)
EDUC 204:
Introduction to Philosophy of Education (ETHICSOC 204)
How to think philosophically about educational problems. Recent influential scholarship in philosophy of education. No previous study in philosophy required.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: WAY-ER, WAY-SI
EDUC 207:
Education and Inequality: Big Data for Large-Scale Problems (EDUC 107, SOC 107E, SOC 205)
In this course, students will use data from the Stanford Education Data Archive (SEDA) to study the patterns, causes, consequences, and remedies of educational inequality in the US. SEDA is based on 200 million test score records, administrative data, and census data from every public school, school district, and community in the US. The course will include lectures, discussion, and small group research projects using SEDA and other data.
Last offered: Autumn 2022
| Units: 3
EDUC 208B:
Curriculum Construction
The theories and methods of curriculum development and improvement. Topics: curriculum ideologies, perspectives on design, strategies for diverse learners, and the politics of curriculum construction and implementation. Students develop curriculum plans for use in real settings. Service Learning Course (certified by Haas Center).
Terms: Win
| Units: 3-4
EDUC 212:
Urban Education (AFRICAAM 112, CSRE 112X, EDUC 112, SOC 129X, SOC 229X, URBANST 115)
(Graduate students register for EDUC 212 or SOC 229X). Combination of social science and historical perspectives trace the major developments, contexts, tensions, challenges, and policy issues of urban education.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3-5
EDUC 213:
Introduction to Teaching
Key concepts in teaching and learning; teacher content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge; student prior knowledge and preconceptions; cognition and metacognition; classroom culture, motivation, and management; teaching diverse populations; comparison of teaching models; analysis of teaching; standards, accountability, and assessment of learning; assessing teaching quality; online learning and teaching.
Last offered: Autumn 2019
| Units: 3-4
EDUC 220C:
Education and Society (EDUC 120C, SOC 130, SOC 230)
The effects of schools and schooling on individuals, the stratification system, and society. Education as socializing individuals and as legitimizing social institutions. The social and individual factors affecting the expansion of schooling, individual educational attainment, and the organizational structure of schooling.
Terms: Win
| Units: 4-5
EDUC 220D:
History of School Reform: Origins, Policies, Outcomes, and Explanations (HISTORY 258E)
Strongly recommended for students in the POLS M.A. program; others welcome. Focus is on 20th-century U.S. Intended and unintended patterns in school change; the paradox of reform that schools are often reforming but never seem to change much; rhetorics of reform and factors that inhibit change. Case studies emphasize the American high school. This course is strongly recommended for POLS students pursuing K -12 leadership.
Last offered: Spring 2020
| Units: 3-5
EDUC 221A:
Policy Analysis in Education
We explore current issues in preK-12 education policy including the expansion of early childhood programs, the effectiveness of accountability, the challenges facing teacher labor markets, and the financing of education. We discuss the role government and non-government agencies have (or should have) in making, implementing, and evaluating education policies. We will call attention to the vast inequities that exist in our current education system. Limited enrollment - course is designed for master's students. Undergraduates may enroll with instructor consent.
Last offered: Winter 2020
| Units: 4-5
EDUC 222:
Resource Allocation in Education
(Same as GSBGEN 326) This course covers economic principles and tools for informing resource allocation decisions in education. Students will review concepts related to educational goods and values; the costs and benefits of different levels and types of schooling; public versus private schooling; as well as adequacy and equity in education financing. Students will also learn about the use of educational production functions, teacher value-added estimation, cost effectiveness analysis, experimental program evaluation, systematic reviews, and causal chain analysis. Prerequisites: introductory statistics and regression analysis.
Last offered: Spring 2023
| Units: 3-5
EDUC 228G:
Becoming Literate in School III
Third in a three-course required sequence of reading and language arts theory and methodology for candidates in STEP Elementary Teacher program. Theories for guiding instruction and curricular choices.
Terms: Win
| Units: 1
EDUC 232:
Culture, Learning, and Poverty
This course examines the categories and methods used to analyze and explain educational inequalities in the United States from 1950 to present. Approaches to theories of school failure and methods of intervention are distinguished by their ideas on the play of learning, language, cognition, culture, and social class in human development. Particular attention is given to the Culture of Poverty controversies of the 1960s and their recent emergence.
Last offered: Autumn 2019
| Units: 2-3
EDUC 240:
Adolescent Development and Learning
How do adolescents develop their identities, manage their inner and outer worlds, and learn? Presuppositions: that fruitful instruction takes into account the developmental characteristics of learners and the task demands of specific curricula; and that teachers can promote learning and motivation by mediating among the characteristics of students, the curriculum, and the wider social context of the classroom. Prerequisite: STEP student or consent of instructor. (STEP)
Terms: Sum
| Units: 3
EDUC 249:
Theory and Issues in the Study of Bilingualism (EDUC 149)
Sociolinguistic perspective. Emphasis is on typologies of bilingualism, the acquisition of bilingual ability, description and measurement, and the nature of societal bilingualism. Prepares students to work with bilingual students and their families and to carry out research in bilingual settings.
Last offered: Spring 2020
| Units: 3-5
EDUC 255:
Mission and Money in Education
(Same as GSBGEN 373) Educational institutions are defined by their academic missions and their financial structures. When we refer to public/private or nonprofit/profit sectors, these are shorthand descriptions of the different capital structures that underlie educational organizations. Increasingly, these options - and novel variations on them - exist throughout the education enterprise: in K-12 schools, higher education, and ancillary service providers. In this course we will explore the relationships between academic goals and financial structures, with particular focus on management and decision making in educational organizations.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3
EDUC 256:
Psychological and Educational Resilience Among Children and Youth (HUMBIO 149)
Theoretical, methodological, and empirical issues pertaining to the psychological and educational resilience of children and adolescents. Overview of the resilience framework, including current terminology and conceptual and measurement issues. Adaptive systems that enable some children to achieve successful adaptation despite high levels of adversity exposure. How resilience can be studied across multiple levels of analysis, ranging from cell to society. Individual, family, school, and community risk and protective factors that influence children's development and adaptation. Intervention programs designed to foster resilient adaptation in disadvantaged children's populations.
Last offered: Winter 2023
| Units: 4-5
EDUC 265:
History of Higher Education in the U.S. (AMSTUD 165, EDUC 165, HISTORY 158C)
Major periods of evolution, particularly since the mid-19th century. Premise: insights into contemporary higher education can be obtained through its antecedents, particularly regarding issues of governance, mission, access, curriculum, and the changing organization of colleges and universities.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3-5
EDUC 266:
Educational Neuroscience
An introduction to the growing intersection between education research and emerging research on functional brain development. Students will probe the contributions and limitations of emerging theoretical and empirical contribution of neuroscience approaches to specific academic skills such as reading and mathematics, as well as exposure to general processes crucial for educational success, including motivation, attention, and social cognition. Final projects will explore these themes in the service of interventions designed to improve how these functions.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3
| Repeatable
3 times
(up to 9 units total)
EDUC 270:
Latino Families, Languages, and Schools (EDUC 178)
The challenges facing schools to establish school-family partnerships with newly arrived Latino immigrant parents. How language acts as a barrier to home-school communication and parent participation. Current models of parent-school collaboration and the ideology of parental involvement in schooling.
Last offered: Spring 2016
| Units: 3-5
EDUC 271:
Education Policy in the United States
(Same as GSBGEN 347) The course will provide students from different disciplines with an understanding of the broad educational policy context. The course will cover topics including a) school finance systems; b) an overview of policies defining and shaping the sectors and institutional forms of schooling, c) an overview of school governance, d) educational human-resource policy, e) school accountability policies at the federal and state levels; and f) school assignment policies and law, including intra- and inter-district choice policies, desegregation law and policy.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3
EDUC 275:
Leading Change in Schools
This course explores organizational conditions conducive to planned change that can lead to school improvement. Particular attention is given to the plurality of leadership roles in change efforts. Intended primarily for master's students who have had some past experience working in or with schools.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3-4
EDUC 278:
Introduction to Program Evaluation
The purpose of Introduction to Program Evaluation (EDUC 278) is to provide an introduction to the field of program evaluation. Students taking this course will learn basic concepts and participate in intellectual debates in the field. This course is intended to examine issues and challenges faced by evaluators of educational and social programs. We will be working with real evaluation tasks throughout the course. The class will meet once a week for 2hrs 50 min. It is critical that you commit to reading all the material before class, so that the discussion is well-focused. During the last weeks of the course, an evaluation proposal of a real-world program will be developed. The proposal will become the final paper.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 2-3
EDUC 281:
Technology for Learners
How can we use technology to improve learning? Many hope that technology will make learning easier, faster, or accessible to more learners. This course explores a variety of approaches to designing tools for learning, the theories behind them, and the research that tests their effectiveness. Strong focus on evaluating new tools for specific learners and subjects. Space is limited. Priority is given to master's students in the LDT Master's Program.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 3
EDUC 288:
Organizational Analysis
This is an introductory course in organizational behavior intended primarily for master's students. The course is applicable to a wide range of organizational settings, but pays particular attention to studies of schools, universities, nonprofit organizations, and social movements. The course has three goals: to explore a variety of organizational contexts; to investigate different theoretical approaches that elucidate these contexts; and to provide students different ways of "seeing" and managing organizations.
Last offered: Autumn 2022
| Units: 4
EDUC 290:
Instructional Leadership: Building Capacity for Excellent Teaching
This course focuses on the role of leaders in designing, supporting and sustaining excellent teaching. How do leaders create the organizational conditions to focus attention on the technical core of instruction, curriculum and assessment. Course goals: 1) explore a variety of educational leadership approaches, 2) investigate the theory of action underlying these approaches to leadership and consider the implications for instructional practice and 3) develop understanding of the relationship between the leadership approach and the learning environment.
Last offered: Spring 2019
| Units: 3-4
EDUC 293:
Church, State, & Schools: Issues in Education & Religion (AMSTUD 293, JEWISHST 293X, RELIGST 234X)
This course will examine interactions between religion and education, focusing on both formal and experiential sites in which people and communities explore, articulate, encounter, and perform religious ideologies and identities. The class will focus on different religious traditions and their encounters the institutions and structures of education in American culture, both in the United States and as it manifests in American culture transnationally.
Last offered: Autumn 2015
| Units: 4
EDUC 306A:
Economics of Education in the Global Economy
Case material considers development problems in the U.S. and abroad. Discussion sections on economic aspects of educational development.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 5
EDUC 306B:
Global Education Policy & Organization (PUBLPOL 316)
Education policy, politics, and development. Topics include: politics, interests, institutions, policy, and civil society; how schools and school systems operate as political systems; how policy making occurs in educational systems; and theories of development.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3-5
EDUC 306D:
Global Social Change, Sustainable Development, and Education (EDUC 136, SOC 231, SUSTAIN 226)
Focuses on the relations between education and sustainable development from a comparative cross-national perspective. The course covers questions and debates around education for sustainable development and the nature of "the global"; global influences on national institutions of sustainable development; and key themes in the cross-national study of education for sustainable development such as stratification and achievement, gender, human rights, and the global authority of science and experts.
Last offered: Winter 2023
| Units: 4-5
EDUC 328:
Topics in Learning and Technology: Core Mechanics for Learning
Contents of the course change each year. The course can be repeated. In game play, core mechanics refers to the rules of interaction that drive the game forward. This class will consider whether there are core mechanics that can drive learning forward, and if so, how to build them into learning environments.
Last offered: Winter 2016
| Units: 3
| Repeatable
for credit
EDUC 329:
Seminar on Teacher Professional Learning
This course focus on theories, research, principles, design, and practices about professional learning for teachers. The specifics of the course will be guided by student interest. Possible topics include: pedagogies of professional learning, curriculum-based professional learning; design principles for transformative professional learning; frameworks and processes to support teacher learning; and policy issues. This course will be offered in-person with the possibility of remote participation. Remote participation is only with permission. Please contact the instructor BEFORE the course starts to discuss this possibility. Optional practicum in subsequent terms in which course participants are able to offer an in-person or virtual professional learning experience to practicing teachers through the Center to Support Excellence in Teaching.
Last offered: Winter 2023
| Units: 1-3
EDUC 332:
Theory and Practice of Environmental Education (EARTHSYS 332)
Foundational understanding of the history, theoretical underpinnings, and practice of environmental education as a tool for addressing today's pressing environmental issues. The purpose, design, and implementation of environmental education in formal and nonformal settings with youth and adult audiences. Field trip and community-based project offer opportunities for experiencing and engaging with environmental education initiatives.
Last offered: Spring 2018
| Units: 3
EDUC 333A:
Introduction to Learning Sciences: Understanding Learning and Learning Environments
This course is an introduction to the foundational ideas and origins of the learning sciences as they relate to conceptualizing, analyzing, and improving learning through the complementary work of researching and designing new learning environments, technologies, tools, and experiences. Core perspectives represented include those that are cognitive, situative, sociocultural, developmental, and critical about what, how, and why people learn new ideas and practices in authentic settings. Activities include detailed analysis of readings, learning environments, learning technologies, and emerging field directions.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 3
EDUC 334A:
Youth and Education Law Project: Clinical Practice
(Same as LAW 660A). The Youth and Education Law Project offers students the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of educational rights and reform work, including direct representation of youth and families in special education and school discipline matters, community outreach and education, school reform litigation, and/or policy research and advocacy. All students have an opportunity to represent elementary and high school students with disabilities in special education proceedings, to represent students in school discipline proceedings, or to work with community groups in advocating for the provision of better and more equitable educational opportunities to their children. In addition, the clinic may pursue a specific policy research and advocacy project that will result in a written policy brief and policy proposal. Students working on special education matters have the opportunity to handle all aspects of their clients' cases. Students working in this area interview and counsel clients, investigate and develop facts, work with medical and mental health professionals and experts, conduct legal and educational research, create case plans, and represent clients at individual education program (IEP) team meetings, mediation or special education due process hearings. This work offers students a chance to study the relationship between individual special education advocacy and system-wide reform efforts such as impact litigation. Students working on school discipline matters interview and counsel clients, investigate and develop facts, interview witnesses, conduct legal and educational research, create case plan, and represent clients at school discipline hearings such as expulsion hearings. Such hearings provide the opportunity to present oral and written argument, examine witnesses, and present evidence before a hearing officer. If appropriate and necessary, such proceedings also present the opportunity to represent students on appeal before the school district board of trustees or the county board of education. The education clinic includes two or three mandatory training sessions to be held at the beginning of the term, a weekly seminar that focuses on legal skills and issues in law and education policy, regular case review, and a one hour weekly meeting with the clinic instructor. Admission is by consent of instructor. Beginning with the 2009-2010 academic year, each of the Law School's clinical courses is being offered on a full-time basis for 12 credits.
Last offered: Spring 2023
| Units: 4
EDUC 334B:
Youth and Education Law Project: Clinical Methods
(Same as LAW 660B). The Youth and Education Law Project offers students the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of educational rights and reform work, including direct representation of youth and families in special education and school discipline matters, community outreach and education, school reform litigation, and/or policy research and advocacy. All students have an opportunity to represent elementary and high school students with disabilities in special education proceedings, to represent students in school discipline proceedings, or to work with community groups in advocating for the provision of better and more equitable educational opportunities to their children. In addition, the clinic may pursue a specific policy research and advocacy project that will result in a written policy brief and policy proposal. Students working on special education matters have the opportunity to handle all aspects of their clients' cases. Students working in this area interview and counsel clients, investigate and develop facts, work with medical and mental health professionals and experts, conduct legal and educational research, create case plans, and represent clients at individual education program (IEP) team meetings, mediation, or special education due process hearings. This work offers students a chance to study the relationship between individual special education advocacy and system-wide reform efforts such as impact litigation. Students working on school discipline matters interview and counsel clients, investigate and develop facts, interview witnesses, conduct legal and educational research, create case plan, and represent clients at school discipline hearings such as expulsion hearings. Such hearings provide the opportunity to present oral and written argument, examine witnesses, and present evidence before a hearing officer. If appropriate and necessary, such proceedings also present the opportunity to represent students on appeal before the school district board of trustees of the county board of education. The education clinic includes two or three mandatory training sessions to be held at the beginning of the term, a weekly seminar that focuses on legal skills and issues in law and education policy, regular case review, and a one hour weekly meeting with the clinic instructor. Admission is by consent of instructor. Beginning with the 2009-2010 academic year, each of the Law School's clinical courses is being offered on a full-time basis for 12 credits.
Last offered: Spring 2023
| Units: 4
EDUC 334C:
Youth and Education Law Project: Clinical Coursework
(Same as LAW 660C). The Youth and Education Law Project offers students the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of educational rights and reform work, including direct representation of youth and families in special education and school discipline matters, community outreach and education, school reform litigation, and/or policy research and advocacy. All students have an opportunity to represent elementary and high school students with disabilities in special education proceedings, to represent students in school discipline proceedings, or to work with community groups in advocating for the provision of better and more equitable educational opportunities to their children. In addition, the clinic may pursue a specific policy research and advocacy project that will result in a written policy brief and policy proposal. Students working on special education matters have the opportunity to handle all aspects of their clients' cases. Students working in this area interview and counsel clients, investigate and develop facts, work with medical and mental health professionals and experts, conduct legal and educational research, create case plans, and represent clients at individual education program (IEP) team meetings, mediation, or special education due process hearings. This work offers students a chance to study the relationship between individual special education advocacy and system-wide reform efforts such as impact litigation. Students working on school discipline matters interview and counsel clients, investigate and develop facts, interview witnesses, conduct legal and educational research, create case plan, and represent clients at school discipline hearings such as expulsion hearings. Such hearings provide the opportunity to present oral and written argument, examine witnesses, and present evidence before a hearing officer. If appropriate and necessary, such proceedings also present the opportunity to represent students on appeal before the school district board of trustees or the county board of education. The education clinic includes two or three mandatory training sessions to be held at the beginning of the term, a weekly seminar that focuses on legal skills and issues in law and education policy, regular case review, and a one hour weekly meeting with the clinic instructor. Admission is by consent of instructor. Beginning with the 2009-2010 academic year, each of the Law School's clinical courses is being offered on a full-time basis for 12 credits.
Last offered: Spring 2023
| Units: 4
EDUC 337:
Race, Ethnicity, and Linguistic Diversity in Classrooms: Sociocultural Theory and Practices (AFRICAAM 106, CSRE 103B, EDUC 103B)
Focus is on classrooms with students from diverse racial, ethnic and linguistic backgrounds. Studies, writing, and media representation of urban and diverse school settings; implications for transforming teaching and learning. Issues related to developing teachers with attitudes, dispositions, and skills necessary to teach diverse students. Cardinal Course certified by the Haas Center.
Terms: Win
| Units: 4
EDUC 339:
Advanced Topics in Quantitative Policy Analysis
For doctoral students. How to develop a researchable question and research design, identify data sources, construct conceptual frameworks, and interpret empirical results. Presentation by student participants and scholars in the field. May be repeated for credit.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr
| Units: 1-2
| Repeatable
for credit
EDUC 342:
Child Development and New Technologies
Focus is on the experiences computing technologies afford children and how these experiences might influence development. Sociocultural theories of development as a conceptual framework for understanding how computing technologies interact with the social ecology of the child and how children actively use technology to meet their own goals. Emphasis is on influences of interactive technology on cognitive development, identity, and social development equity.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3
EDUC 346:
Research Seminar in Higher Education
This seminar introduces and elaborates a "pathways" heuristic for studying and improving progress through higher education. Provides an overview of novel computational tools for modeling academic progress; classic and contemporary theoretical insights for theorizing progress; and research nationally and internationally that partakes of the pathways imagery. Students are encouraged to design and/or pursue their own research in seminar, with critical peer review among their colleagues.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3-5
EDUC 347:
The Economics of Higher Education
(Same as GSBGEN 348) Topics: the worth of college and graduate degrees, and the utilization of highly educated graduates; faculty labor markets, careers, and workload; costs and pricing; discounting, merit aid, and access to higher education; sponsored research; academic medical centers; and technology and productivity. Emphasis is on theoretical frameworks, policy matters, and the concept of higher education as a public good. Stratification by gender, race, and social class.
Last offered: Autumn 2022
| Units: 3-4
EDUC 354:
School-Based Decision Making
Leadership as it plays out in the pragmatic demands and tensions of site-level decision processes. School decision-making as a capacity-building challenge with focus on the complex interdependence of factors critical to school achievement and equity outcomes: governance, culture, curricula, resource alignment, inquiry, community engagement, and multi-cultural competence.
Last offered: Winter 2019
| Units: 4
EDUC 355:
Higher Education and Society
We examine unprecedented scrutiny and critiques of US colleges and universities. How have expectations changed? How have campus leaders and faculty responded? Who is served, what is taught, what research is prioritized, and what public impact is envisioned-contributing to democracy via access, education for citizenship and employment, producing reliable knowledge, serving as a community partner. Sources are readings, group work, and speakers. The seminar is designed for graduate students across the university. Undergraduates and postdocs need the instructor's permission.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 2-3
EDUC 357:
Science and Environmental Education in Informal Contexts
There are ever-expanding opportunities to learn science in contexts outside the formal classroom, in settings such as zoos, museums, and science centers. How are issues around science and the environment presented in these contexts, how do people behave and learn in these contexts, and what messages do they take away? This course will cover the learning theories and empirical research that has been conducted in these settings. Case studies of nearby science centers will add an experiential dimension.
Last offered: Winter 2019
| Units: 3-4
EDUC 360:
Child Development in Contexts of Risk and Adversity
This course provides an overview of theoretical and methodological issues pertaining to the study of child development in contexts of risk and adversity. We will begin by discussing different approaches to conceptualizing and measuring exposure to risk and adversity as well as conceptualizing and measuring children's adaptation. We will review different theoretical frameworks and empirical models that researchers employ to identify factors and processes that are associated with resilient or maladaptive developmental outcomes and trajectories over time. Finally, we will discuss how exemplar biological, family, school, cultural, and economic processes contribute to our understanding of children's adaptation and resilience. Throughout the course, we will discuss limitations of current research, directions for future research, and the translation of research findings for practitioners and policy makers. We will also consider equity issues relevant to studying adversity and adaptive functioning in diverse groups of children. Students will have the opportunity to apply the knowledge gained in the course to develop a research proposal that is aligned with their own interests and work.
Last offered: Winter 2023
| Units: 3
EDUC 366:
Learning in Formal and Informal Environments
How learning opportunities are organized in schools and non-school settings including museums, after-school clubs, community art centers, theater groups, aquariums, sports teams, and new media contexts. Sociocultural theories of development as a conceptual framework. Readings from empirical journals, web publications, and books.Collaborative written or multimedia research project in which students observe and document a non-school learning environment.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 3
EDUC 368:
Cognitive Development in Childhood and Adolescence
This course aims to broaden and deepen students' understanding of cognitive development from the prenatal period through adolescence. It will examine various theoretical, methodological, and empirical issues pertaining to different domains of cognitive development, such as neurobiological plasticity, infant cognition, theory of mind, memory, language, and executive functions. Throughout the course, as we survey research findings, we will discuss (1) methods that researchers have employed in their study of cognitive development; (2) limitations of current research and directions for future research; and (3) translation of research findings for practitioners and policymakers.
Last offered: Spring 2023
| Units: 3
EDUC 371:
Social Psychology and Social Change (PSYCH 265)
The course is intended as an exploration of the major ideas, theories, and findings of social psychology and their applied status. Special attention will be given to historical issues, classic experiments, and seminal theories, and their implications for topics relevant to education. Contemporary research will also be discussed. Advanced undergraduates and graduate students from other disciplines are welcome, but priority for enrollment will be given to graduate students. In order to foster a vibrant, discussion-based class, enrollment will be capped at 20 students. Interested students should enroll in the class through simple enroll or axess. There will be an application process on the first day of class if there is overwhelming interest.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 2-3
EDUC 376:
Higher Education Leadership Colloquium
This course presents a series of speakers from Stanford and other higher education institutions who work at the middle to higher levels of administration. Speakers and topics are guided by student interest, but include a range from student affairs to finance. Sessions are intended to be interactive.
Last offered: Autumn 2017
| Units: 2-3
EDUC 377B:
Impact: Strategic Leadership of Nonprofit Organizations and Social Ventures
(Same as STRAMGT 368). This course seeks to provide a survey of the strategic, governance, and management issues facing a wide range of nonprofit organizations and their executive and board leaders, in the era of venture philanthropy and social entrepreneurship. The students will also be introduced to core managerial issues uniquely defined by this sector such as development/fundraising, investment management, performance management and nonprofit finance. The course also provides an overview of the sector, including its history and economics. Cases involve a range of nonprofits, from smaller, social entrepreneurial to larger, more traditional organizations, including education, social service, environment, health care, religion, NGO's and performing arts. In exploring these issues, this course reinforces the frameworks and concepts of strategic management introduced in the core first year courses. In addition to case discussions, the course employs role plays, study group exercises and many outsider speakers.
Last offered: Autumn 2021
| Units: 3
EDUC 377C:
Philanthropy, Inclusivity and Leadership
(Same as GSBGEN 581) A philanthropist is anyone who gives anything-time, expertise, networks, credibility, influence, dollars, experience-in any amount to create a better world. Regardless of one's age, background or profession, everyone has the potential to lead in a way that both tackles the complex social problems our interconnected world faces and creates greater inclusivity, access and impact. This demanding two-week, compressed course will provide passionate students with a brave space to develop and refine a plan for their own social change journey and amplify their potential to give, live and lead in a way that matters more. Using design thinking, students will challenge their preconceptions and wrestle with their social change approach, their privileged position as future Stanford graduates and philanthropy's role in society. Lectures and class discussions will inspire and prepare students to create social value with greater intentionality and humility. For the first class, students will submit a proposed social impact plan for their professional, philanthropic and civic lives. Over the course's six sessions, students will refine their plan, creating a formal theory of change that strategically utilizes their unique leadership platform and asset portfolio to advance opportunity and justice for a target population. Potential guest speakers include Darren Walker, President of the Ford Foundation; Justin Steele, Principal at Google.org; Crystal Hayling, Executive Director of the Libra Foundation; Rob Reich of Stanford PACS and Laura Muñoz Arnold, Co-Chair of the Laura and John Arnold Foundation.
Last offered: Autumn 2020
| Units: 2
EDUC 377F:
Disruptions in Education
(Same as GSBGEN 345). This course will explore the contemporary higher education industry, focusing especially on the places where disruptions of all kinds present significant opportunities and challenges for investors, entrepreneurs, and the businesses that serve this huge global market, as well as for faculty, students, and higher education administrators. Using a variety of readings and case studies to better understand recent disruptions and the unbundling occurring across the post-secondary landscape, from outside and inside the academy, both for-profit and non-profit, the course will examine technology in teaching and learning; the future of the degree and alternatives to the traditional credential; accreditation; competency based education; debt and education financing models; investing in the education space; and tertiary products and platforms that serve the student services market. Guests will include higher education leaders and practitioners, as well as investors and entrepreneurs. Attendance at first class meeting is required.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3
EDUC 377G:
Problem Solving for Social Change
(Also GSBGEN 367). Stanford graduates will play important roles in solving many of today's and tomorrow's major societal problems -- such as improving educational and health outcomes, conserving energy, and reducing global poverty -- which call for actions by nonprofit, business, and hybrid organizations as well as governments. This course teaches skills and bodies of knowledge relevant to these roles through problems and case studies drawn from nonprofit organizations, for-profit social enterprises, and governments. Topics include designing, implementing, scaling, and evaluating social strategies; systems thinking; decision making under risk; psychological biases that adversely affect people's decisions; methods for influencing individuals' and organizations' behavior, ranging from incentives and penalties to "nudges;" human-centered design; corporate social responsibility; and pay-for-success programs. We will apply these concepts and tools to address an actual social problem facing Stanford University. (With the exception of several classes on strategy and evaluation, there is no substantial overlap with Paul Brest's and Mark Wolfson's course, Strategic Philanthropy and Impact Investing (GSBGEN 319), which has a different focus from this one.)
Terms: Aut
| Units: 3
EDUC 377H:
Diverse Leadership as an Imperative for Impact
(Same as GSBGEN 377). Our society implicitly prizes a particular approach to leadership - but today's cross-sectoral, impact-oriented leader cannot afford to be restricted to a single approach. If we aspire to address challenges across social, economic, and political arenas, with highly charged moral implications and multiple stakeholders, we have an imperative to use all available tools by discovering, celebrating, and advancing diversity in leadership. In this course, we will: (1) study a range of effective leadership approaches; (2) develop broad, transportable skills and frameworks required to lead in any complex setting - business, public sector, nonprofit sector; (3) delve into leadership tradeoffs and tensions; (4) explore and understand our own values and tacit and explicit decision-making criteria; and (5) recognize barriers to diversity and tactics to address them. Guiding questions will include: How does the context shape the solution set? What does inspired and inspiring leadership look like? How do race/gender/other identities enter into the equation? How do I develop my own brand of leadership? We will examine contemporary leaders and controversies in education and elsewhere, draw upon timeless historical thinkers, enjoy the wisdom of guest speakers, and work intensively in small groups to highlight challenges, opportunities, and tradeoffs. By exploring a range of approaches and situations, we will strive for deeper understanding of ourselves and of the context to become a more capable, empathetic and effective leaders.
Last offered: Spring 2022
| Units: 3
EDUC 386:
Leadership and Administration in Higher Education
This course is provides an introduction to a wide range of contemporary leadership issues that arise in higher education and play out in different types of colleges and universities. We include a range of written and video materials to anchor class discussions. In addition, we have guest speakers who are or were in higher education leadership positions to engage with us and share their perspectives on higher education leadership and administration. Graduate students in every discipline interested in becoming faculty members or administrators at universities or colleges need to understand these issues to learn how best to navigate the complexities. Although higher education is our primary focus, we welcome students whose main interest is in an education-related organization such as a foundation, and we will help those students relate our discussions to their interests.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 2-3
EDUC 391:
Engineering Education and Online Learning (ENGR 391)
A project based introduction to web-based learning design. In this course we will explore the evidence and theory behind principles of learning design and game design thinking. In addition to gaining a broad understanding of the emerging field of the science and engineering of learning, students will experiment with a variety of educational technologies, pedagogical techniques, game design principles, and assessment methods. Over the course of the quarter, interdisciplinary teams will create a prototype or a functioning piece of educational technology.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 3
EDUC 393:
Proseminar: Education, Business, Politics
Overview of the field of education for joint degree (M.B.A./M.A.) students.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3
EDUC 403:
Education's Digital Future
Digital technologies are rapidly evolving and reorganizing the way we play, learn, and work. Significant questions have emerged about how digital and networked information technologies might be both narrowing and widening gaps in access to learning opportunities. It is becoming clear that technology alone will not catalyze the forms of equity that are so essential for preparing young people and their families for a rapidly changing future. Instead we need to deeply rethink and intentionally redesign the social organizations and tools that provide learning opportunities (schools, workplaces, community organizations, libraries) and study these innovations at a regional as well as national level. In this course and public seminar, designed to foster new forms of collaboration and innovation, we will engage these questions through a series of invited conversations with a broad range of stakeholders including researchers, educators, and industry representatives. May be repeat for credit.
Last offered: Spring 2018
| Units: 1
| Repeatable
10 times
(up to 10 units total)
EDUC 404:
Topics in Brazilian Education: Public Policy and Innovation for the 21st Century
The objective of this seminar is to provide students from different backgrounds an opportunity to learn about current issues and debates on Brazilian education. The seminar will cover topics on the history of Brazilian education; an overview of current school reforms at the federal level; educational assessments; education and economic growth; educational equity; teacher labor market; technology and education; early childhood; and higher education to Brazil.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr
| Units: 1-2
| Repeatable
10 times
(up to 20 units total)
EDUC 417:
Research and Policy on Postsecondary Access (EDUC 117, PUBLPOL 117, PUBLPOL 217A)
The transition from high school to college. K-16 course focusing on high school preparation, college choice, remediation, pathways to college, and first-year adjustment. The role of educational policy in postsecondary access. Service Learning Course (certified by Haas Center).
Terms: Aut
| Units: 3
EDUC 421:
Powerful Ideas for Learning Sciences and Technology Design: Sociocultural Practices of the Blues
This course examines select foundational ideas in the learning sciences and technology design field as situated in the learning and sociocultural practices, music, and history of the blues. Each week we dive into one foundational idea in the learning sciences and examine its manifestations in and illuminations from blues cultural history and music. These ideas collectively provide a network of concepts for conceptualizing cognitive, social and cultural processes of learning, and for designing and studying learning environments.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 3
| Repeatable
6 times
(up to 18 units total)
EDUC 445:
Transforming Education through Entrepreneurship
(Same as STRAMGT 335) In this course, students will investigate opportunities and challenges of entrepreneurial ventures trying to increase access to educational opportunity, improve the quality of learning experiences for underserved students and disrupt systemic inequities in preK-12 education. Class discussions will explore frameworks for understanding how to maximize educational impact by ensuring efficacy, increasing financial sustainability, and building scale. Cases are focused on organizations in early childhood, primary and secondary education, and feature a variety of ventures (including schools, technology, educator training, and supplemental services) and organizational models (for-profit, not-for-profit, and benefit corporation) in the U.S. and globally. Note: This is not a "how to" class on starting an education venture; it focuses on the strategic challenges of maximizing impact. This course is designed for students who want to be part of creating a more equitable society and improving opportunities for youth, whether by becoming entrepreneurs, leaders, Board members, donors or investors in education organizations. Attendance at the first class meeting is required.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 3
EDUC 447:
Leading Change in Public Education
(Same as STRAMGT 537) Public education in America is at a crossroads. Does our education system have what it takes to produce graduates who are prepared for college, career, and citizenship in our increasingly digital and pluralistic world? Will income and ethnic achievement gaps continue to be pervasive and persistent in our nation's largest urban cities? Will family zip code determine educational destiny for the next generation of students? Which strategies and reforms are truly demonstrating results and which are merely passing fads? As in all large-scale enterprises undergoing rapid, transformative change, leadership matters greatly. Fortunately, over the last decade, the reform of American public education has been led by a number of innovative and results-oriented leaders at the state, district and charter levels. These leaders are bringing additional urgency, strategies, and ideas designed to prepare America's schools and students for the century ahead. Some ideas are proving to be critical levers for change, others are facing significant political challenges, and others have not delivered on expected results. Many of them hold lessons for how future educational leaders can contribute to transforming public education for the next generation of K-12 students. This course will focus on school system leadership for education reform. The course will provide an overview of the critical issues facing K-12 public education in America today, and what is going on across the U.S. during this transformative period of change. Once this context is set, students will study education leaders and systems change strategies from the last 10-15 years at the state, district and charter levels. We will focus on leaders across five domains: Leadership in crisis situations, strategic leadership, china-breaking leadership, sustaining leadership, and next generation leadership. We will also look at leadership examples from outside K-12 education to broaden our thinking about what leadership styles and strategies could be successfully applied to education. Students will debate the strategies and efficacy of how different leaders approached systems-level change and will form their own working hypotheses of what is needed to help transform the American education system. Case studies in school system leadership will form the primary basis for classroom assignments and discussion. We will examine what went right and what went wrong in each case, focusing particularly on the decisions that school system leaders faced and the implications of their decisions. Most cases will be supplemented with research publications, technical notes, news clips, and/or videos to deepen students understanding of the context or issues discussed in the cases. Dan Katzir worked for Bain & Company, Teach for America, Sylvan Learning Systems and the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation before joining Alliance College-Ready Public Schools as its CEO in 2015. He is an experienced case study teacher and the editor of The Redesign of Urban School Systems: Case Studies in District Governance
Terms: Spr
| Units: 2
EE 292H:
Engineering, Entrepreneurship & Climate Change
The purpose of this seminar series course is to help students and professionals develop the tools to apply the engineering and entrepreneurial mindset to problems that stem from climate change, in order to consider and evaluate possible stabilizing, remedial and adaptive approaches. This course is not a crash course on climate change or policy. Instead we will focus on learning about and discussing the climate problems that seem most tractable to these approaches. Each week Dr. Field and/or a guest speaker will lead a short warm-up discussion/activity and then deliver a talk in his/her area of expertise. We will wrap up with small-group and full-class discussions of related challenges/opportunities and possible engineering-oriented solutions. Class members are asked to do background reading before each class, to submit a question before each lecture, and to do in-class brainstorming. May be repeated for credit.
Terms: Win
| Units: 1
| Repeatable
for credit
EE 292T:
SmartGrids and Advanced Power Systems Seminar (CEE 272T)
A series of seminar and lectures focused on power engineering. Renowned researchers from universities and national labs will deliver bi-weekly seminars on the state of the art of power system engineering. Seminar topics may include: power system analysis and simulation, control and stability, new market mechanisms, computation challenges and solutions, detection and estimation, and the role of communications in the grid. The instructors will cover relevant background materials in the in-between weeks. The seminars are planned to continue throughout the next academic year, so the course may be repeated for credit.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr
| Units: 1-2
| Repeatable
2 times
(up to 4 units total)
EE 293B:
Fundamentals of Energy Processes (ENERGY 201B)
For seniors and graduate students. Covers scientific and engineering fundamentals of renewable energy processes involving heat. Thermodynamics, heat engines, solar thermal, geothermal, biomass. Recommended: MATH 19-21; PHYSICS 41, 43, 45
Terms: Win
| Units: 3
ENERGY 101:
Energy and the Environment (EARTHSYS 101)
Energy use in modern society and the consequences of current and future energy use patterns. Case studies illustrate resource estimation, engineering analysis of energy systems, and options for managing carbon emissions. Focus is on energy definitions, use patterns, resource estimation, pollution.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-EngrAppSci, WAY-AQR, WAY-SMA
ENERGY 101A:
Energizing California
A weekend field trip featuring renewable and nonrenewable energy installations in Northern California. Tour geothermal, bioenergy, and natural gas field sites with expert guides from the Department of Energy Resources Engineering. Requirements: One campus meeting and weekend field trip. Enrollment limited to 25. Freshman have first choice.
Last offered: Spring 2020
| Units: 1
ENERGY 102:
Fundamentals of Renewable Power (EARTHSYS 102)
Do you want a much better understanding of renewable power technologies? Did you know that wind and solar are the fastest growing forms of electricity generation? Are you interested in hearing about the most recent, and future, designs for green power? Do you want to understand what limits power extraction from renewable resources and how current designs could be improved? This course dives deep into these and related issues for wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, tidal and wave power technologies. We welcome all student, from non-majors to MBAs and grad students. If you are potentially interested in an energy or environmental related major, this course is particularly useful.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-EngrAppSci, WAY-SMA
ENERGY 104:
Sustainable Energy for 9 Billion (ENERGY 204)
This course explores the global transition to a sustainable global energy system. We will formulate and program simple models for future energy system pathways. We will explore the drivers of global energy demand and carbon emissions, as well as the technologies that can help us meet this demand sustainably. We will consider constraints on the large-scale deployment of technology and difficulties of a transition at large scales and over long time periods. Assignments will focus on building models of key aspects of the energy transition, including global, regional and sectoral energy demand and emissions as well as economics of change. Prerequisites: students should be comfortable with calculus and linear algebra (e.g. Math 20, Math 51) and be familiar with computer programming (e.g. CS106A, CS106B). We will use the Python programming language to build our models.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: WAY-AQR
ENERGY 110:
Engineering Economics
The success of energy projects and companies is judged by technical, economic and financial criteria. This course will introduce concepts of engineering economy, e.g., time value of money, life cycle costs and financial metrics, and explore their application to the business of energy. We will use case studies, business school cases and possibly industry guest lecturers. Examples from the hydrocarbon businesses that dominate energy today will provide the framework for the analysis of both conventional and renewable energy.
Last offered: Spring 2022
| Units: 3
ENERGY 160:
Uncertainty Quantification in Data-Centric Simulations (ENERGY 260)
This course provides a brief survey of mathematical methods for uncertainty quantification. It highlights various issues, techniques and practical tools available for modeling uncertainty in quantitative models of complex dynamic systems. Specific topics include basic concepts in probability and statistics, spatial statistics (geostatistics and machine learning), Monte Carlo simulations, global and local sensitivity analyses, surrogate models, and computational alternatives to Monte Carlo simulations (e.g., quasi-MC, moment equations, the method of distributions, polynomial chaos expansions). Prerequisites: algebra (CME 104 or equivalent), introductory statistics course (CME 106 or equivalent).
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3
ENERGY 171:
Energy Infrastructure, Technology and Economics (ENERGY 271)
Oil and gas represents more than 50% of global primary energy. In delivering energy at scale, the industry has developed global infrastructure with supporting technology that gives it enormous advantages in energy markets; this course explores how the oil and gas industry operates. From the perspective of these established systems and technologies, we will look at the complexity of energy systems, and will consider how installed infrastructure enables technology development and deployment, impacts energy supply, and how existing infrastructure and capital invested in fossil energy impacts renewable energy development. Prerequisites: Energy 101 and 102 or permission of instructor.
Last offered: Autumn 2022
| Units: 3
ENERGY 271:
Energy Infrastructure, Technology and Economics (ENERGY 171)
Oil and gas represents more than 50% of global primary energy. In delivering energy at scale, the industry has developed global infrastructure with supporting technology that gives it enormous advantages in energy markets; this course explores how the oil and gas industry operates. From the perspective of these established systems and technologies, we will look at the complexity of energy systems, and will consider how installed infrastructure enables technology development and deployment, impacts energy supply, and how existing infrastructure and capital invested in fossil energy impacts renewable energy development. Prerequisites: Energy 101 and 102 or permission of instructor.
Last offered: Autumn 2022
| Units: 3
ENERGY 301:
The Stanford Energy Seminar (CEE 301, MS&E 494)
Interdisciplinary exploration of current energy challenges and opportunities in the context of development, equity and sustainability objectives. Talks are presented by faculty, visitors, and students and include relevant technology, policy, and systems perspectives. More information about the seminar can be found on the website https://energyseminar.stanford.edu/May be repeated for credit.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr
| Units: 1
| Repeatable
for credit
ENGR 311A:
Women's Perspectives
Graduate seminar featuring non-technical talks by engineers from academia and industry. The theme for 2024 is "Let's Get Real!" Discussion is encouraged as graduate students share experiences and learn with speakers and each other. Possible topics of discussion range from time management and career choices to diversity, health, and family. Several optional informal dinners are hosted after the seminar to continue conversation with the speakers. Speaker list will be posted at: https://stanfordmewomen.weebly.com/seminar.html. May be repeated for credit.
Terms: Win
| Units: 1
| Repeatable
for credit
ENGR 350:
Data Impact Lab
In this lab, multi-disciplinary teams of students tackle high-impact, unsolved problems for social sector partners. Teams receive mentorship and coaching from Stanford faculty, domain experts, and data science experts from industry. Sample projects include innovations for: poverty alleviation in the developing world, local government services, education, and healthcare. Limited enrollment; application required. May be repeated for credit. See http://datalab.stanford.edu for more information.
Last offered: Winter 2020
| Units: 1-6
ENGR 391:
Engineering Education and Online Learning (EDUC 391)
A project based introduction to web-based learning design. In this course we will explore the evidence and theory behind principles of learning design and game design thinking. In addition to gaining a broad understanding of the emerging field of the science and engineering of learning, students will experiment with a variety of educational technologies, pedagogical techniques, game design principles, and assessment methods. Over the course of the quarter, interdisciplinary teams will create a prototype or a functioning piece of educational technology.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 3
ENVRES 225:
E-IPER Current Topics Seminar
For E-IPER Ph.D and Joint M.S. students only. Weekly presentations of E-IPER students' research and other program-related projects. Occasional guest speakers. Individual or team presentation, active participation, and regular attendance required for credit. May be taken for credit a maximum of two times. Enrollment by department consent only. Please contact E-IPER course administrator Mike Diaz (mikediaz@stanford.edu) for permission number to enroll.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr
| Units: 1
| Repeatable
2 times
(up to 2 units total)
ENVRES 280:
Introduction to Environmental and Resource Systems
Required core course restricted to E-IPER Joint M.S. and Dual M.S. students. Introduces students to frameworks and tools to better understand complex social-environmental systems and to intervene in them to address sustainability goals. Students will apply a systems lens and practice course concepts (provided through lectures and readings) by evaluating case studies.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 2
ENVRES 290:
Capstone Project Seminar in Environment and Resources
Required for and limited to E-IPER Joint M.S. and Dual M.S. students. Propose, conduct and publicly present final individual or team projects demonstrating the integration of professional (M.B.A., J.D., M.D., M.I.P., or Ph.D.) and M.S. in Environment and Resources degrees. Presentation at the Week 10 Capstone Symposium and submission of final product required.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr
| Units: 3
ESS 106:
World Food Economy (EARTHSYS 106, EARTHSYS 206, ECON 106, ECON 206, ESS 206)
The World Food Economy is a survey course that covers the economic and political dimensions of food production, consumption, and trade. The course focuses on food markets and food policy within a global context. It is comprised of three major sections: structural features (agronomic, technological, and economic) that determine the nature of domestic food systems; the role of domestic food and agricultural policies in international markets; and the integrating forces of international research, trade, and food aid in the world food economy. This 5-unit course entails a substantial group modeling project that is required for all students. Enrollment is by application only. The application is found at https://economics.stanford.edu/undergraduate/forms. Applications will be reviewed on a first-come, first-serve basis, and priority will be given to upper-level undergraduates who need the course for their major, and to graduate students pursuing work directly related to the course. The application submission period will close on March 15
Terms: Spr
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
ESS 111:
Biology and Global Change (BIO 117, EARTHSYS 111, EARTHSYS 217)
The biological causes and consequences of anthropogenic and natural changes in the atmosphere, oceans, and terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems. Topics: glacial cycles and marine circulation, greenhouse gases and climate change, tropical deforestation and species extinctions, and human population growth and resource use. Prerequisite: Biology or Human Biology core or BIO 81 or graduate standing.
Terms: Win
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: GER: DB-NatSci, WAY-SMA
ESS 206:
World Food Economy (EARTHSYS 106, EARTHSYS 206, ECON 106, ECON 206, ESS 106)
The World Food Economy is a survey course that covers the economic and political dimensions of food production, consumption, and trade. The course focuses on food markets and food policy within a global context. It is comprised of three major sections: structural features (agronomic, technological, and economic) that determine the nature of domestic food systems; the role of domestic food and agricultural policies in international markets; and the integrating forces of international research, trade, and food aid in the world food economy. This 5-unit course entails a substantial group modeling project that is required for all students. Enrollment is by application only. The application is found at https://economics.stanford.edu/undergraduate/forms. Applications will be reviewed on a first-come, first-serve basis, and priority will be given to upper-level undergraduates who need the course for their major, and to graduate students pursuing work directly related to the course. The application submission period will close on March 15
Terms: Spr
| Units: 5
ESS 270:
Analyzing land use in a globalized world (ESS 170)
This course examines the dynamics of land use in relation to globalization. The objective is to understand how the expansion of global trade, and public and private regulations affect land use changes. The course will enable students to better understand how to effectively influence land use change, from different vantage points (government, NGO, corporate actor). The main emphasis is on tropical regions. Lectures introduce theories, practical cases, and evaluation tools to better understand contemporary land use dynamics.
Last offered: Spring 2021
| Units: 3
ESS 282:
Designing Educational Gardens (EARTHSYS 182)
A project-based course emphasizing 'ways of doing 's sustainable agricultural systems based at the new Stanford Educational Farm. Students will work individually and in small groups on the design of a new educational garden and related programs for the Stanford Educational Farm. The class will meet on 6 Fridays over the course of winter quarter. Class meetings will include an introduction to designing learning gardens and affiliated programs, 3 field trips to exemplary educational gardens in the bay area that will include tours and discussions with garden educators, and work sessions for student projects. By application only.
Last offered: Autumn 2017
| Units: 2
ESS 305:
Climate Change: An Earth Systems Perspective
This is an introductory graduate-level course that is intended to provide an overview of leading-edge research topics in the area of climate change. Lectures introduce the physical, biogeochemical, ecological, and human dimensions of climate change, with emphasis on understanding climate change from an Earth System perspective (e.g., nonlinearities, feedbacks, thresholds, tipping points, resilience, vulnerability, risk). The emphasis is on providing an initial introduction to the process by which researchers pose questions and analyze and interpret results.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 1-2
ESS 307:
Research Proposal Development and Delivery (EPS 307)
(Formerly GEOLSCI 307) In this class students will learn how to write rigorous, high yield, multidisciplinary proposals targeting major funding agencies. The skills gained in this class are essential to any professional career, particularly in research science. Students will write a National Science Foundation style proposal (see guidelines) involving testable hypotheses, pilot data or calculations, and broader impacts. The proposal will, hopefully, form the core of your Ph.D. proposal. In addition to a full NSF style proposal, students will develop and exercise science communication skills and contribute to broader discussions about academia and research. Students will present their final proposals in a conference-style format at the end of the quarter. While this syllabus is a useful roadmap, we encourage students to provide input on where they¿d like to see the course go. Expect the instructors to reach out for suggestions every other week. Change of Department Name: Earth and Planetary Science (Formerly Geologic Sciences).
Terms: Spr
| Units: 2
ETHICSOC 136R:
Introduction to Global Justice (INTNLREL 136R, PHIL 76, POLISCI 136R, POLISCI 336)
As we live in a globalized world, our lives are interconnected with many other people within and beyond the state borders. Currently, we face urgent problems of global justice, such as climate change, economic inequality, immigration, and health disparities, and how to address these issues is a crucial question for all of us. This course introduces students to normative inquiries into issues of global justice and offers an opportunity to integrate theories and practices by engaging with essential and timely questions. What normative demands does justice impose on individuals and institutions in a global world? Do people in affluent countries bear the responsibility for the suffering of those who live in other countries? Should relatively developed countries open their borders to those from developing countries? How should we allocate responsibilities for reducing global injustice, such as health disparities? How does injustice with historical roots, such as colonialism, further complicate the picture of normative demands? While there are no easy answers to these questions, throughout this course, students will be exposed to interdisciplinary approaches (including philosophy, political theory, gender studies, etc.), learn to critically analyze various theoretical approaches, and use them as frameworks to develop their views on issues of global justice. This class meets on Tuesdays & Thursdays from 9:30-11AM. Please note that in addition to the listed lecture time, students must sign up for a 45-min discussion session. The schedule of the discussion session will be arranged and announced during the first week of the quarter.
Terms: Win
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, GER:EC-EthicReas, WAY-ER
ETHICSOC 171:
Justice (PHIL 171, POLISCI 103, POLISCI 336S, PUBLPOL 103C)
Justice, as we use the term in this class, is a question about social cooperation. People can produce much more cooperatively than the sum of what they could produce as individuals, and these gains from cooperation are what makes civilization possible. But on what terms should we cooperate? How should we divide, as the philosopher John Rawls puts it, "the benefits and burdens of social cooperation"? Working primarily within the Anglo-American philosophical tradition, we'll discuss different answers to this big question as a way to bring together some of the most prominent debates in modern political philosophy. We'll study theories including utilitarianism, libertarianism, classical liberalism, and egalitarian liberalism, and we'll take on complex current issues like reparations for racial injustice, the gender pay gap, and responses to climate change. This class is meant to be an accessible entry point to political philosophy. No experience with political science or philosophy is required or assumed, and we will spend time on the strategy of philosophy as well: understanding how our authors make their arguments to better respond to them and make our own.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 4-5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, GER:EC-EthicReas, WAY-ER
ETHICSOC 232T:
Philanthropy for Sustainable Development (POLISCI 236, POLISCI 236S, SUSTAIN 222)
This course teaches students how to pursue social change through philanthropy with a focus on sustainable development. Students learn about the approaches, history, and key debates in philanthropy, and apply their knowledge by collaboratively making a substantial class contribution to one or more select nonprofit organizations. This class responds to the reality confronting all philanthropists: There are many ways in which we can change the world for the better, but our money and time is finite. How then can we best use our limited resources to accomplish change? And how will we know we've been successful? By the end of the course, students will understand the fundamentals of effective philanthropy, including how to define problems, develop a theory of change, evaluate outcomes, and reduce unintended harm. Students of all levels of familiarity with philanthropy are welcome to join and no discipline is privileged in the class.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 4-5
| UG Reqs: WAY-ER
ETHICSOC 280:
Transitional Justice, Human Rights, and International Criminal Tribunals (HUMRTS 103, INTLPOL 280, INTNLREL 180A)
(Formerly IPS 280) Historical backdrop of the Nuremberg and Tokyo Tribunals. The creation and operation of the Yugoslav and Rwanda Tribunals (ICTY and ICTR). The development of hybrid tribunals in East Timor, Sierra Leone, and Cambodia, including evaluation of their success in addressing perceived shortcomings of the ICTY and ICTR. Examination of the role of the International Criminal Court and the extent to which it will succeed in supplanting all other ad hoc international justice mechanisms and fulfill its goals. Analysis focuses on the politics of creating such courts, their interaction with the states in which the conflicts took place, the process of establishing prosecutorial priorities, the body of law they have produced, and their effectiveness in addressing the needs of victims in post-conflict societies.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3-5
FAMMED 245:
Women and Health Lecture Series
Lecture series. Topics of interest to anyone concerned about women's health issues. A journey from sex and gender through health screening, health disparity, family planning, heart health, mental health, and even beyond women's health in considering trans and gender expansive people in sexual and reproductive health.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 1
FEMGEN 121:
Intro to Queer Studies
This course provides an interdisciplinary grounding in historical and theoretical foundations of queer culture and theory. A critical interrogation of sex, gender, sexuality, pleasure, and embodiment will provide students with a framework for producing their own queer cultural critique. We will explore LGBTQ history alongside contemporary queer issues in popular culture, health, science, government policy, and politics. This course will also address the intersections of sexuality and gender with race, class, ability, age, nationality, and religion. Students will engage with multiple disciplinary approaches that have both shaped queer studies and have been shaped by queer methodology.
Last offered: Winter 2020
| Units: 4-5
| UG Reqs: WAY-EDP
FINANCE 345:
History of Financial Crises
Financial crises are as old as financial markets themselves. There are many similarities between historical events. The crisis of 2008, for example, is far from unique. More often than not financial crises are the result of bubbles in certain asset classes or can be linked to a specific form of financial innovation. This course gives an overview of the history of financial crises, asset price bubbles, banking collapses and debt crises. We start with the Tulip mania in 1636 and end with the recent Euro crisis. The purpose of the course is to understand the causes of past crises and to develop a conceptual framework that ties common elements together. We will discuss the lessons that we can draw for financial markets today.
Last offered: Winter 2021
| Units: 3
GSBGEN 305:
Impact: Investing for Good
Investing for Good will introduce students to the entire spectrum of purposeful, values-driven, and impact investing. We examine the field from the perspective of an institutional investor (i.e. fund manager, investment advisor, endowment manager, head of a family office, etc). Our goal is to have students emerge with a practical and analytical framework for: 1. evaluating impact and mission-aligned investments across multiple asset classes and sectors; 2. constructing a portfolio using impact as a lens; 3. designing an impact investment company; and 4. understanding the many practical and theoretical challenges confronting this exciting emerging field.We start by exploring some fundamental questions: what is a purposeful or impact investment; can impact investments be defined along a spectrum between conventional investing and philanthropy; whose money is it; what are the constraints and opportunities; how do we (re)define return and/or performance. We briefly analyze impact investing in the context of modern portfolio theory. We then develop a framework for portfolio construction and evaluation across four criteria: risk, return, liquidity, and impact. Through a combination of class dialogues, role plays, and case discussions, we will explore a wide variety of asset classes, impact themes, and investment challenges. A series of team-based investment committee simulations will comprise a significant portion of the course and will provide a significant experiential learning experience.Previous experience in finance, investing, social enterprise, entrepreneurship, or philanthropy is not required, but both helpful and welcomed. While first year students are encouraged to enroll, students who have limited familiarity with the basics of investing and corporate finance are strongly encouraged to purchase David Swensen's "Pioneering Portfolio Management" and cover the recommended chapters in advance of the course. It's is also important to note that this class will require financial modeling and detailed investment analysis.Many of the issues we'll be tackling have no unambiguous answers. Lively discussion and debate will be necessary and expected.
Last offered: Spring 2021
| Units: 3
GSBGEN 309:
Housing and the Mortgage Market
Political gamesmanship, financial crises, and financial innovation come hand-in-hand with real estate finance, which has played a central role in the rise and fall of economies, financial institutions, and the lives of ordinary Americans. This course explores these issues in depth. We examine the past, present, and future of the complex political economy surrounding real estate finance, its impact on markets, and the business challenges and opportunities arising from it, both domestically and abroad, before and after the financial crisis. We then tackle recent trends like the rise of shadow banks, fintech, and proptech. Through a mix of speakers, case studies, and hands-on exercises, we examine the problems these industries are solving and creating.Greg Buchak is an Assistant Professor in the Finance group at Stanford. He received his PhD in financial economics and JD in law from the University of Chicago. His research focuses on the industrial organization of financial intermediation and it¿s consequences in the real estate industry.Chris Mahowald is actively involved in the real estate investment business as the managing partner of RSF Partners, a series of real estate private equity funds totaling over $1 billion in equity. The firm invests across product types throughout the U.S. During his career, he has focused on value investing with deep experience in distressed mortgage debt. He also teaches real estate investment at the GSB (GSBGEN 306: Real Estate Investment).
Terms: Spr
| Units: 4
GSBGEN 345:
Disruptions in Education
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted higher education significantly, surfacing novel needs, while at the same putting decades long trends into sharper focus. This course explores the contemporary higher education industry, focusing especially on the places where disruptions of all kinds present significant opportunities and challenges for entrepreneurs, investors, and the businesses that serve this huge global market, as well as for faculty, students, and higher education institutions and leaders, both incumbents and alternatives. Using a variety of readings and case studies to better understand recent disruptions and the unbundling occurring across the postsecondary landscape, from outside and inside the academy, both for-profit and non-profit, the course will examine technology in teaching and learning; the future of the degree and alternatives to the traditional credential; accreditation; competency based education; affordability, student debt, and education financing models; investing in the education space; workforce, skills development, and lifelong learning; and tertiary products and platforms that serve the student services market. Guests will include higher education leaders and practitioners, as well as investors, entrepreneurs, and social entrepreneurs. (Please note, the focus of this course is post-secondary education, skilling/lifelong learning, and learning in the workplace. It does not cover K-12 or early childhood education).
Terms: Win
| Units: 3
GSBGEN 347:
Education Policy in the United States
The course will provide students from different disciplines with an understanding of the broad educational policy context. The course will cover topics including a) school finance systems; b) an overview of policies defining and shaping the sectors and institutional forms of schooling, c) an overview of school governance, d) educational human-resource policy, e) school accountability policies at the federal and state levels; and f) school assignment policies and law, including intra- and inter-district choice policies, desegregation law and policy.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3
GSBGEN 348:
The Economics of Higher Education
(Same as EDUC 347) Topics: the worth of college and graduate degrees, and the utilization of highly educated graduates; faculty labor markets, careers, and workload; costs and pricing; discounting, merit aid, and access to higher education; sponsored research; academic medical centers; and technology and productivity. Emphasis is on theoretical frameworks, policy matters, and the concept of higher education as a public good. Stratification by gender, race, and social class.
Last offered: Autumn 2022
| Units: 4
GSBGEN 370:
Power of You: Women in Leadership
All leaders face a host of challenges, but women leaders encounter an additional set of obstacles and considerations-institutional, economic, cultural-that their men counterparts most likely never will. Women from underrepresented groups experience these challenges even more acutely. GG370 Power of You: Women in Leadership will prepare students to successfully identify and respond to these challenges, and, ideally, transform them into opportunities for growth and advancement. Students will come away from this course with a vast portfolio of strategies, tools and tactics to not only meet these workplace challenges head-on, but also create more inclusive processes, policies and cultures for the future. The course is based on the instructor's `accessible leadership' model that inspires and equips students to access the leader within themselves, empower others to access their own leadership potential, and create greater access through their giving. Through readings and guided, weekly written reflections, students will deeply explore issues including, but not limited to: the likeability paradox; sexism in the workplace; diversity, inclusivity, and belonging; intersectional identities; managing voice, narrative and reputation; negotiation through a gendered lens; leadership styles and adaptivity; mentorship and sponsorship; and creating social value. Students will engage directly with industry leaders such as Sheryl Sandberg (Facebook), Meg Whitman (Quibi), Dr. Priscilla Chan (Chan Zuckerberg Initiative), Mary Barra (General Motors), Judy Smith (Smith & Company) and Indra Nooyi (Pepsi Co.), among others.
Last offered: Spring 2021
| Units: 3
GSBGEN 377:
Diverse Leadership as an Imperative for Impact
Our society implicitly prizes a particular approach to leadership - but today's cross-sectoral, impact-oriented leader cannot afford to be restricted to a single approach. If we aspire to address challenges across social, economic, and political arenas, with highly charged moral implications and multiple stakeholders, we have an imperative to use all available tools by discovering, celebrating, and advancing diversity in leadership.In this course, we will: (1) study a range of effective leadership approaches; (2) develop broad, transportable skills and frameworks required to lead in any complex setting - business, public sector, nonprofit sector; (3) delve into leadership tradeoffs and tensions; (4) explore and understand our own values and tacit and explicit decision-making criteria; and (5) recognize barriers to diversity and tactics to address them. Guiding questions will include: How does the context shape the solution set? What does inspired and inspiring leadership look like? How do race/gender/other identities enter into the equation? How do I develop my own brand of leadership? We will examine contemporary leaders and controversies in education and elsewhere, draw upon timeless historical thinkers, enjoy the wisdom of guest speakers, and work intensively in small groups to highlight challenges, opportunities, and tradeoffs. By exploring a range of approaches and situations, we will strive for deeper understanding of ourselves and of the context to become a more capable, empathetic and effective leaders.
Last offered: Spring 2022
| Units: 3
GSBGEN 381:
Individual Philanthropy: Giving Models, Purpose & Practicum
A philanthropist is anyone who gives anything- time, expertise, networks, credibility, dollars, experience- in any amount to create a better world. Philanthropy is resource, background, age, profession, and industry agnostic, and "Individual Philanthropy: Giving Models, Purpose & Practicum" will amplify your ability to make your giving, volunteering, service and leadership matter more. You have extraordinary potential to create social change, and this course will empower you with the perspective, experience and inspiration to actualize that potential both immediately and over your lifetime. You will be exposed to a diverse array of giving models and approaches, and be given structured space to weigh and appraise your individual philanthropic point of view and approach. Through deep introspection, you will define and/or refine your social change purpose and create a theory of change that maps how you will transform your values, beliefs and resources (including intellectual, human, network, experiential and financial capital) into measurable social value. Class activities will include debates and simulations such as discussing the benefits and challenges of diverse giving models, creating personal giving strategies, giving fundraising pitches and assessing actual foundation grant proposals. Each student will select and complete due diligence on a local nonprofit and create a formal grant proposal. Students will peer-review grant proposals, participate in a multi-stage grantmaking process and allocate $20,000 of grants funded by the Learning by Giving Foundation and Andreessen Philanthropies. Students will also have the unique opportunity to directly connect and engage with globally renowned philanthropic leaders, including Darren Walker (Ford Foundation), Laura Muñoz Arnold (Arnold Ventures), Justin Steele (Google.org), Crystal Hayling (Libra Foundation) and Holden Karnofsky (Open Philanthropy Project), among others.
Last offered: Autumn 2019
| Units: 3
GSBGEN 383:
Practical Policy and Politics
This is a skills / toolbox class, designed for beginners. It is a practical course about policy-making in the U.S. federal government. It will cover three broad subject areas: (1) an assortment of current policy topics; (2) governing processes - how policy gets made in an environment constrained by politics and elections; and (3) practical skills business leaders may need in interacting with government and with policymakers. This class is for beginners and assumes you have no prior experience or knowledge of policy or politics.
Last offered: Autumn 2019
| Units: 4
GSBGEN 495:
Leadership for Society: Daring Dialogues
The Leadership for Society program at the Stanford Graduate School of Business will continue their speakers series in January 2024 with the theme Tensions: Business, Civic Society and Politics. Maintaining a functioning society is a delicate balance of people, planet, and profit. Balancing short term return on investments with long-term goals of sustainability, equity, and social stability creates both significant opportunities and major challenges around the globe. In winter of 2024, Leadership for Society Conversations will explore this topic further through a series of discussions with leaders from a variety of sectors. Students will then delve further into these topics by engaging in peer dialogues led by the Leadership for Society Scholars.
Terms: Win
| Units: 1
| Repeatable
4 times
(up to 6 units total)
GSBGEN 503:
The Business of Healthcare
Healthcare spending is now nearly 18% of the entire GDP of the U.S. economy. The S&P healthcare sector has been one of the best producing segments of the market for the last decade, and growth of healthcare expenditures continue to escalate at a rapid pace. Given the experiences of COVID, every single company must now at least understand how healthcare affects their business. This has triggered an abundance of opportunities for those interested in a career in healthcare management, investing, or entrepreneurialism. The Business of Healthcare-2022-23 will present the current market framework from the eyes of a clinician and with the perspective of the consumer-patient, but with the experience of a successful business builder and investor. Course will begin with the discussion of the channels of distribution of healthcare delivery, from providers, to practitioners, to consumer-facing 'healthcare lite' sectors of the market. Impact of the regulatory environment, with specific focus on the Affordable Care Act and the impending plans to Repeal/Replace, will be evaluated. High-level exploration of international health care markets and how they compare to the American market will be included. Overview of venture and private equity investing will be deeply probed, with many specific market examples of how investors develop an investment thesis, identify specific targets, diligence companies, and close an investment. Discussion around building financial modeling for target acquisitions will be presented, and the course will delve into the burgeoning area of healthcare analytics and outcomes management, including Artificial Intelligence, and its future impact on positioning, reimbursement and clinical outcomes, as well as value-based care. Sectors that will be discussed include: Healthcare services, Healthcare IT, Life Sciences, Pharma and Biotechnology, and Managed Care. The topic of the emerging importance of consumerism will be probed and consumer-directed healthcare related products and services will be explored, e.g. nutraceuticals, wellness, fitness, etc. Course will include preparatory readings, presentations from successful and powerful industry leaders, and robust in-class discussion and case studies requiring student engagement. Final grade will consist of class participation, one minor in-class presentation, and a final paper developing either a new healthcare business start-up proposition or presenting an identified investment target in the healthcare industry. Course will be especially valuable for those interested in a career in starting a healthcare company, healthcare investing, healthcare administration, or other healthcare-related management and goal of class will be provide an in-depth overview of how to get started or advance a professional interest in the industry.
Terms: Win
| Units: 2
GSBGEN 511:
Making Social Ventures Happen by Attracting Financial and Human Capital
Social ventures require leadership, funding, expertise, skills and networks to get off the ground, grow and scale. This course will focus on the key strategies for building and leveraging a network of champions to capitalize a social venture at early-stage, and for sustaining and growing that network as the venture grows. This class is applicable to intrapreneurs, changemakers within major institutions, (private or public), board members, impact investors, those who aspire to be senior leaders within social ventures and social entrepreneurs (founders). Co-led by a practicing venture philanthropist and a social entrepreneur, this interactive, pragmatic course will: - Discuss the critical financial and human capital needs of organizations and companies at different life stages. - Explore the concept of champions and the different types of champions including board chairs, co-founders, mentors, faculty advisors, donors, investors, community evangelists, and fellow entrepreneurs. - Learn about effective networks and how to build them, including the role of communications, relationship-building, and crisis management. - Explore the concept of a powerful vulnerability and the art of "influence without authority" in attracting financial and human capital to the mission and making social ventures happen. Special emphasis will be given to developing co-founders and founding teams, boards and funders/investors as champions. - Develop a roadmap for the ways you will support social ventures throughout your career. - Meet social entrepreneurs and their champions who promote them within various power structures (major corporations, government, the institutional funding community) to learn about the successes and failures of their partnerships. Guest speakers will be posted prior to start of class. - Invite you to join instructors, guest speakers and fellow students for casual dinner on both Wednesdays after class.- Get to know your fellow classmates who share a passion for addressing the world's intractable problems and for creating systemic change.
Last offered: Winter 2020
| Units: 2
GSBGEN 532:
Clean Energy Opportunities: Business Models and Innovations
This course examines business models and opportunities related to an emerging industry that is now commonly referred to as 'Climate Tech'. We examine emerging trends for this sector in the context of technological change, business opportunities and the parameters set by public policy. Specific topics to be examined include: Climate Change and Carbon Emissions; Corporate Carbon Reduction Pledges; Advances in Renewable Energy; Financing Climate Tech Ventures and Infrastructure; Energy Storage; Electric Vehicle Transportation; Industrial Decarbonization; The Circular Carbon Economy
Last offered: Winter 2022
| Units: 2
GSBGEN 538:
Power in Finance
There is a growing sense that both capitalism and democracy are in crisis. Is the focus on financial metrics and markets to blame for the eroding trust in corporations and governments? How do power dynamics shape the financial system and determine economic and political outcomes? In this course we explore the complex interactions among individuals, corporations and governments that help answer these questions. Topics include corporate governance, financial regulation, investor power, financial innovation, and the roles of auditors, regulators, whistleblowers, courts, and the media. The course draws on multiple fields in the social sciences but we will pay particular attention to issues around incentives, legal rights and responsibilities, and governance of all institutions. Visitors with extensive experience will enrich class discussions.
Terms: Win
| Units: 2
GSBGEN 551:
Innovation and Management in Health Care
The health care system accounts for almost 20% US GDP and is one of the fastest growing segments of the economy. This two unit class focuses on the interplay and tension between the main players in the health care field - providers of health care services (individual doctors, group practices, integrated health care systems), payors (insurances companies, employers, consumers, and government), patients, and innovator companies (biopharma, medical device, diagnostics, and health care IT). The course is designed for students with a broad diversity of backgrounds and interests who want to better understand the health care business and system. No prior experience in the health care or medical field is assumed or needed. The focus of the class will be primarily on the US health care system, but there will be limited discussion of non-US systems as well. The course is divided into four modules:¿ An overview of the US Health Care System and the interplay between payers, providers, innovators, and patients¿ Provider delivery models, health care information technology, and incentive structures- The relationship between quality, cost, and access- Integrated systems, value-based, and fee for service models- New IT technologies, including electronic data records- The role of information and incentives¿ Innovator business models and issues- Financing and managing new product development- Clinical trial management and gaining regulatory approval- Marketing, reimbursement, and sales strategies- Business models to drive innovation ¿ Health care system reform and comparisons of the structure of the US Health Care system to that of other countries. The class will be taught primarily from the perspective of a business person operating a company rather than that of a policy maker, academic, or investor. While there will be a few lectures to provide background and frameworks for course topics, most classes will involve a case discussion and prominent guest speakers from the health care industry. Speakers will include CEOs, senior executives, and partners from leading companies and venture firms.
Terms: Win
| Units: 2
GSBGEN 559:
The Technology, Politics, and Finance for Solving Global Warming
There is increasing scientific consensus that global warming threatens our world. This course explores how the next generation of leaders can use a combination of forward-looking public policy, political power, and financing new technologies to solve this vexing challenge. The course will integrate public policy and politics with finance and real life cases on companies from Impossible Foods to Tesla. The instructor will bring entrepreneurs, regulatory leaders, elected officials and venture capitalists to class to explain how each of these leaders drive change and discuss what obstacles they must overcome in the process. There will be a heavy emphasis on class participation and students will be asked to apply what they've learned in every aspect of their GSB education, from finance and accounting to marketing and organizational behavior. Students will be asked to make their own case on which new technology, piece of legislation, or regulatory mandate will have the greatest impact on solving global warming and what role they see themselves playing in making change.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 2
GSBGEN 565:
Political Communication: How Leaders Become Leaders
This year -- 2023 -- will be a fascinating backdrop for national as well as state and local politics. Implications of the recent pandemic, its dramatic economic impacts and an uneven but recovering economy, Inflation fears, a war in Ukraine, and the looming presidential year elections in 2024 in the U.S. will continue to complicate the political landscape Politics, perhaps like no other arena, provides a rich and dramatic laboratory for studying the art and science of influential communication. Whether it is a local school bond election or a Congressional race, a Presidential debate or a State of the Union Address, the demanding communications of politics provide insights into our own strengths and gaps as communicators and leaders. Political campaigns, by their very nature, are highly visible, oriented toward very specific objectives, and increasingly leverage a variety of new media platforms. They are often emotionally charged, and rife with conflict and drama. The principles of political communications transcend politics, and are useful guides for leaders in business, the non-profit community, as well as government. How candidates, elected officials, and leaders in all kinds of organizations communicate vision, values, and experience, as well as how they perform in very fluid environments, not the least of which may be during a crisis, has a great deal to do with their career success. In its 15th year, this highly interactive course allows students to explore both theory and practice behind effective positioning and presentation. Students will analyze and evaluate both successful and unsuccessful communications strategies of political campaigns and candidates. History is a great learning tool, something emphasized throughout the class. As such students will explore historic examples of US Presidential debates, from Nixon/Kennedy to the present, as well other political events from the near and distant past. Popular culture, the effect of social media, disinformation will also be topics of discussion. Students will experience discussion of political events as they happen -- with each class drawing lessons from political developments around the nation and the world. Students will also hone their own strategic communications skills in activities requiring both written and spoken communication. This is not a course in political science, American government, or in public speaking. However, the engaged student will gain insights into those areas as well. The course is taught by David Demarest, former Vice President of Public Affairs for Stanford University. Demarest has broad communications experience across the public and private sector in financial services, education, and government. Typically, Prof. Demarest shares many of his experiences -- some successful, some less so -- through storytelling, and while those stories may be entertaining, they also provide real-life examples of communications challenges and strategies, After serving as Assistant U.S. Trade Representative, and Assistant Secretary of Labor in the Reagan Administration, in 1988 he served as Communications Director for Vice President George H. W. Bush's successful presidential campaign. He then became a member of the White House senior staff as White House Communications Director. After leaving government in 1993, he spent the next decade leading communications for two Fortune 50 companies, before coming to Stanford in 2005 to head the university's public affairs efforts.
Terms: Aut, Win
| Units: 2
GSBGEN 566:
Dilemmas and Decisions
GSBGEN 566 is an elective course offered to 2nd-year MBA and MSx students. The goal of this course is to improve students' judgment in confronting challenging, real business situations encountered in the normal progression of corporate activities. The course aims to sharpen moral reasoning and build judgment without favoring a particular position. The course will be taught by Mark Leslie and Peter Levine, Lecturers. The course is taught using 'vignettes'. At the beginning of each class students will be given a one-page reading that describes a business situation which requires a decision to be made. After in-depth discussion, a second page will be handed out, describing how the situation actually unfolded and challenges the class with new information. This new information typically changes the dynamics of the case and requires a new decision to be made. Often there is a third and fourth page that continues the dialogue. Frequent student-to-student and student-to-instructor role-playing will be employed in the development of the session. Note that for most classes there is little or no advanced preparation required, which is often the case when making real-world business decisions. Cases are drawn from a wide selection of ACTUAL BUSINESS SITUATIONS with protagonists joining the class as guests whenever available. Vignettes are based on topics such as raising venture capital, managing major industrial customers, product distribution agreements, board of director and fiduciary conflicts, developing financial instruments, palace revolt / mutiny, work/life balance, rape accusation of an executive, etc. The class is extremely engaging - it is quite usual to find continuing discussion of the day's case outside the classroom among small groups of students. This class is for two GSB credits and will be graded on a pass/fail basis. Sixty percent of the final grade will be derived from classroom performance; the remainder will be based on a final written assignment describing a personal ethical situation that the student has faced in their careers.
Last offered: Autumn 2021
| Units: 2
GSBGEN 569:
The Open Road: Innovation in Cars, Driving, and Mobility
This course will look at ongoing and upcoming innovation in cars, driving, and mobility from three perspectives: (1) technology, (2) economics & business models, and (3) policy. We'll survey changes in powering vehicles (e.g. electrification and biofuels), in-vehicle connectivity and communications, and most especially changes in autonomy and self-driving vehicles. We'll examine at changes in the economics of cars, vehicles, and driving new business models, shared ownership, mobility as a service, as well as who some of the major players are in this nascent field and what they are doing/developing. And we'll explore the interactions of technology and economics with policy and broader societal changes direct effects like safety, legal liability, and who can drive; indirect effects on traffic, insurance, infrastructure needs, fuel taxes, and the environment; as well as longer-term and even bigger changes in daily life and where and how we live, work, and drive. The class is structured a bit like a large seminar. At the beginning of the quarter each student will, with the instructor, choose a topic to research. The student will interview experts on that topic and then write a memo. Most of our class sessions will be dedicated to discussing the memos written by you and your peers.
Last offered: Winter 2020
| Units: 2
GSBGEN 581:
Philanthropy, Inclusivity and Leadership
A philanthropist is anyone who gives anything-time, expertise, networks, credibility, influence, dollars, experience-in any amount to create a better world. Regardless of one's age, background or profession, everyone has the potential to lead in a way that both tackles the complex social problems our interconnected world faces and creates greater inclusivity, access and impact. This demanding two-week, compressed course will provide passionate students with a brave space to develop and refine a plan for their own social change journey and amplify their potential to give, live and lead in a way that matters more. Using design thinking, students will challenge their preconceptions and wrestle with their social change approach, their privileged position as future Stanford graduates and philanthropy's role in society. Lectures and class discussions will inspire and prepare students to create social value with greater intentionality and humility. For the first class, students will submit a proposed social impact plan for their professional, philanthropic and civic lives. Over the course's six sessions, students will refine their plan, creating a formal theory of change that strategically utilizes their unique leadership platform and asset portfolio to advance opportunity and justice for a target population. Potential guest speakers include Darren Walker, President of the Ford Foundation; Justin Steele, Principal at Google.org; Crystal Hayling, Executive Director of the Libra Foundation; Rob Reich of Stanford PACS and Laura Muñoz Arnold, Co-Chair of the Laura and John Arnold Foundation.
Last offered: Autumn 2020
| Units: 2
GSBGEN 595:
High-Stakes Decision Making
Effective decision making is a critical skill for political and business leaders. Decisions must be made under pressure and often with incomplete information. George Osborne was Chancellor of the Exchequer of the United Kingdom in the aftermath of the global economic crisis, and this class will study three of the biggest challenges global economic policy makers faced during this time. Students will gain a framework for how senior leaders approach decision making, and will be given the chance to put this into practice. Each class will include a simulation where students are put in the role of a senior policy maker facing a key decision.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 1
GSBGEN 596:
Designing AI to Cultivate Human Well-Being
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to drive us towards a better future for all of humanity, but it also comes with significant risks and challenges. At its best, AI can help humans mitigate climate change, diagnose and treat diseases more effectively, enhance learning, and improve access to capital throughout the world. But it also has the potential to exacerbate human biases, destroy trust in information flow, displace entire industries, and amplify inequality throughout the world. We have arrived at a pivotal moment in the development of the technology in which we must establish a foundation for how we will design AI to capture the positive potential and mitigate the negative risks. To do this, we must be intentional about human-centered design because, 'Only once we have thought hard about what sort of future we want, will we be able to begin steering a course toward a desirable future. If we don't know what we want, we're unlikely to get it.' Thus, building AI must be an inclusive, interactive, and introspective process guided by an affirmative vision of a beneficial AI-future. The goal of this interdisciplinary class is to bridge the gap between technological and societal objectives: How do we design AI to promote human well-being? The ultimate aim is to provide tools and frameworks to build a more harmonious human society based on cooperation toward a shared vision. Thus, students are trained in basic science to understand what brings about the conditions for human flourishing and will create meaningful AI technologies that aligns with the PACE framework:·has a clear and meaningful purpose ·augments human dignity and autonomy ·creates a feeling of inclusivity and collaboration· creates shared prosperity and a sense of forward movement (excellence)Toward this end, students work in interdisciplinary teams on a final project and propose a solution that tackles a significant societal challenge by leveraging technology and frameworks on human thriving.
Last offered: Winter 2021
| Units: 2
HISTORY 153:
Creation of the Constitution
The course begins with readings setting forth the intellectual and experiential background of the framing, including common law and natural rights theory, republicanism, economic & political scientific ideas, and colonial and post-Independence experience. We then study large parts of the debates at the Constitutional Convention, primarily using Madison's Notes. Major topics are the principle of representation, the extent and enumeration of national powers, the construction of the executive and judicial branches, and slavery. Next come the ratification debates, including readings from antifederalist writers, The Federalist, and speeches in ratification conventions. We conclude with the addition of the Bill of Rights. Classes consist of a combination of lecture and extensive participation by students. Elements used in grading: Class participation, final exam, supplemented by short take-home essay. Cross-listed with the Law School (LAW 7017).
Terms: Spr
| Units: 5
HISTORY 204G:
War and Society (HISTORY 304G, REES 304G)
(History 204G is an undergraduate course offered for 5 units; History 304G is a graduate course offered for 4-5 units.) How Western societies and cultures have responded to modern warfare. The relationship between its destructive capacity and effects on those who produce, are subject to, and must come to terms with its aftermath. Literary representations of WW I; destructive psychological effects of modern warfare including those who take pleasure in killing; changes in relations between the genders; consequences of genocidal ideology and racial prejudice; the theory of just war and its practical implementation; how wars end and commemorated.
Last offered: Spring 2022
| Units: 4-5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, WAY-SI
HISTORY 224C:
Genocide and Humanitarian Intervention (HISTORY 324C, JEWISHST 284C, JEWISHST 384C, PEDS 224)
Open to medical students, graduate students, and undergraduate students. Traces the history of genocide in the 20th century and the question of humanitarian intervention to stop it, a topic that has been especially controversial since the end of the Cold War. The pre-1990s discussion begins with the Armenian genocide during the First World War and includes the Holocaust and Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s. Coverage of genocide and humanitarian intervention since the 1990s includes the wars in Bosnia, Rwanda, Kosovo, the Congo and Sudan.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
HISTORY 226E:
Famine in the Modern World (HISTORY 326E, PEDS 226)
Open to medical students, graduate students, and undergraduate students. Examines the major famines of modern history, the controversies surrounding them, and the reasons that famine persists in our increasingly globalized world. Focus is on the relative importance of natural, economic, and political factors as causes of famine in the modern world. Case studies include the Great Irish Famine of the 1840s; the Bengal famine of 1943-44; the Soviet famines of 1921-22 and 1932-33; China's Great Famine of 1959-61; the Ethiopian famines of the 1970s and 80s, and the Somalia famines of the 1990s and of 2011.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
HISTORY 258E:
History of School Reform: Origins, Policies, Outcomes, and Explanations (EDUC 220D)
Strongly recommended for students in the POLS M.A. program; others welcome. Focus is on 20th-century U.S. Intended and unintended patterns in school change; the paradox of reform that schools are often reforming but never seem to change much; rhetorics of reform and factors that inhibit change. Case studies emphasize the American high school. This course is strongly recommended for POLS students pursuing K -12 leadership.
Last offered: Spring 2020
| Units: 3-5
HISTORY 304G:
War and Society (HISTORY 204G, REES 304G)
(History 204G is an undergraduate course offered for 5 units; History 304G is a graduate course offered for 4-5 units.) How Western societies and cultures have responded to modern warfare. The relationship between its destructive capacity and effects on those who produce, are subject to, and must come to terms with its aftermath. Literary representations of WW I; destructive psychological effects of modern warfare including those who take pleasure in killing; changes in relations between the genders; consequences of genocidal ideology and racial prejudice; the theory of just war and its practical implementation; how wars end and commemorated.
Last offered: Spring 2022
| Units: 4-5
HISTORY 324C:
Genocide and Humanitarian Intervention (HISTORY 224C, JEWISHST 284C, JEWISHST 384C, PEDS 224)
Open to medical students, graduate students, and undergraduate students. Traces the history of genocide in the 20th century and the question of humanitarian intervention to stop it, a topic that has been especially controversial since the end of the Cold War. The pre-1990s discussion begins with the Armenian genocide during the First World War and includes the Holocaust and Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s. Coverage of genocide and humanitarian intervention since the 1990s includes the wars in Bosnia, Rwanda, Kosovo, the Congo and Sudan.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3
HISTORY 326E:
Famine in the Modern World (HISTORY 226E, PEDS 226)
Open to medical students, graduate students, and undergraduate students. Examines the major famines of modern history, the controversies surrounding them, and the reasons that famine persists in our increasingly globalized world. Focus is on the relative importance of natural, economic, and political factors as causes of famine in the modern world. Case studies include the Great Irish Famine of the 1840s; the Bengal famine of 1943-44; the Soviet famines of 1921-22 and 1932-33; China's Great Famine of 1959-61; the Ethiopian famines of the 1970s and 80s, and the Somalia famines of the 1990s and of 2011.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3
HISTORY 369F:
Modern American History: From Civil Rights to Human Rights (HISTORY 269F)
(History 269F is an undergraduate course offered for 5 units; History 369F is a graduate course offered for 4-5 units.) This focuses on American social justice movements during the years since the passage of landmark civil rights legislation during the 1960s, with particular emphasis on efforts to extend rights to all people.
Last offered: Autumn 2019
| Units: 4-5
HRP 211:
Law and Biosciences: Neuroscience
(Same as LAW 3006) Legal, social, and ethical issues arising from advances in neuroscience, including effects upon law and society through improvements in predicting illnesses and behaviors, reading minds through neuroimaging, understanding responsibility and consciousness, treating criminal behavior, and cognitive enhancement.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3
HRP 218:
Methods for Health Care Delivery Innovation, Implementation and Evaluation (CHPR 212, MED 212)
Preference given to postgraduate fellows and graduate students.Focus is on implementation science and evaluation of health care delivery innovations. Topics include implementation science theory, frameworks, and measurement principles; qualitative and quantitative approaches to designing and evaluating new health care models; hybrid design trials that simultaneously evaluate implementation and effectiveness; distinction between quality improvement and research, and implications for regulatory requirements and publication; and grant-writing strategies for implementation science and evaluation. Students will develop a mock (or actual) grant proposal to conduct a needs assessment or evaluate a Stanford/VA/community intervention, incorporating concepts, frameworks, and methods discussed in class. Priority for enrollment for CHPR 212 will be given to CHPR master's students.
Terms: Win
| Units: 2
HRP 252:
Outcomes Analysis (BIOMEDIN 251, MED 252)
This course introduces and develops methods for conducting empirical research that address clinical and policy questions that are not suitable for randomized trials. Conceptual and applied models of causal inference guide the design of empirical research. Econometric and statistical models are used to conduct health outcomes research which use large existing medical, survey, and other databases Problem sets emphasize hands-on data analysis and application of methods, including re-analyses of well-known studies. This is a project-based course designed for students pursuing research training. Prerequisites: one or more courses in probability, and statistics or biostatistics.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 4
HRP 391:
Health Law: Finance and Insurance
(SAME AS LAW 3001, MGTECON 331) This course provides the legal, institutional, and economic background necessary to understand the financing and production of health services in the U.S. We will discuss the Affordable Care Act , health insurance (Medicare and Medicaid, employer-sponsored insurance, the uninsured), the approval process and IP protection for pharmaceuticals, and antitrust policy. We may discuss obesity and wellness, regulation of fraud and abuse, and medical malpractice. The syllabus for this course can be found at https://syllabus.stanford.edu. Elements used in grading: Participation, attendance, class presentation, and final exam.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3
HRP 392:
Analysis of Costs, Risks, and Benefits of Health Care (BIOMEDIN 432)
For graduate students. How to do cost/benefit analysis when the output is difficult or impossible to measure. Literature on the principles of cost/benefit analysis applied to health care. Critical review of actual studies. Emphasis is on the art of practical application.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 4
HUMBIO 112:
Conservation Biology: A Latin American Perspective (BIO 144, BIO 234)
Principles and application of the science of preserving biological diversity. Conceptually, this course is designed to explore the major components relevant to the conservation of biodiversity, as exemplified by the Latin American region. The conceptual frameworks and principles, however, should be generally applicable, and provide insights for all regions of the world. All students will be expected to conduct a literature research exercise leading to a written report, addressing a topic of their choosing, derived from any of the themes discussed in class.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: GER: DB-NatSci
HUMBIO 122:
Beyond Health Care: the effects of social policies on health (PEDS 222)
Available evidence at the national and cross-country level linking social welfare interventions and health outcomes. If and how non-health programs and policies could have an impact on positive health outcomes. Evaluation of social programs and policies that buffer the negative health impact of economic instability and unemployment among adult workers and their children. Examination of safety nets, including public health insurance, income maintenance programs, and disability insurance. Enrollment limited to junior and seniors and graduate students or consent of the instructor. HUMBIO students must enroll in HUMBIO 122. Med/Graduate students must enroll in PEDS 222.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
HUMBIO 122M:
Challenges of Human Migration: Health and Health Care of Migrants and Autochthonous Populations (PEDS 212)
An emerging area of inquiry. Topics include: global migration trends, health Issues/aspects of migration, healthcare and the needs of immigrants in the US, and migrants as healthcare providers: a new area of inquiry in the US. Class is structured to include: lectures lead by the instructor and possible guest speakers; seminar, discussion and case study sessions led by students. Enrollment limited to juniors, seniors and and graduate students or the consent of the instructor. HUMBIO students must enroll in HUMBIO 122M. Med/Graduate students enroll in PEDS 212.
Last offered: Spring 2023
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: WAY-EDP, WAY-SI
HUMBIO 128:
Community Health Psychology (PSYCH 101)
Social ecological perspective on health emphasizing how individual health behavior is shaped by social forces. Topics include: biobehavioral factors in health; health behavior change; community health promotion; and psychological aspects of illness, patient care, and chronic disease management. Prerequisites: HUMBIO 3B or PSYCH 1 or consent of the instructor
Terms: Win
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
HUMBIO 130:
Human Nutrition (CHPR 130)
The study of food, and the nutrients and substances therein. Their action, interaction, and balance in relation to health and disease. Emphasis is on the biological, chemical, and physiological processes by which humans ingest, digest, absorb, transport, utilize, and excrete food. Dietary composition and individual choices are discussed in relationship to the food supply, and to population and cultural, race, ethnic, religious, and social economic diversity. The relationships between nutrition and disease; ethnic diets; vegetarianism; nutritional deficiencies; nutritional supplementation; phytochemicals. The material in this course is an introduction to the field and the target audience is undergraduates. It may be of interest to graduate students unfamiliar with the field. Graduate students enroll in CHPR 130. Undergrads enroll in HUMBIO 130. CHPR master's students must enroll for a letter grade.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: WAY-SMA
HUMBIO 149:
Psychological and Educational Resilience Among Children and Youth (EDUC 256)
Theoretical, methodological, and empirical issues pertaining to the psychological and educational resilience of children and adolescents. Overview of the resilience framework, including current terminology and conceptual and measurement issues. Adaptive systems that enable some children to achieve successful adaptation despite high levels of adversity exposure. How resilience can be studied across multiple levels of analysis, ranging from cell to society. Individual, family, school, and community risk and protective factors that influence children's development and adaptation. Intervention programs designed to foster resilient adaptation in disadvantaged children's populations.
Last offered: Winter 2023
| Units: 4-5
HUMBIO 151R:
Biology, Health and Big Data
We are living in a time of rapid growth in the accessibility and availability of biological and medical data. How can all this data be used to improve human health? In this course, students will look at case studies from diabetes and cancer research to learn how to access publicly available data ranging from genetic, protein and signaling pathway databases to information about clinical trials. Students will apply what they learn about bioinformatics databases to develop a research proposal and presentation on a biology-related topic of their choice. The class will have an interactive format with in-class data analysis activities. Students will gain skills in research methods including accessing, analyzing and presenting data. Assignments will use the R programming language. Prior programming experience is not required. Prerequisites: HUMBIO 2A and HUMBIO 3A or BIO 82 and BIO 83 or consent of instructor
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: WAY-SMA
HUMBIO 154C:
Cancer Epidemiology
Clinical epidemiological methods relevant to human research in cancer will be the focus. The concepts of risk; case control, cohort, and cross-sectional studies; clinical trials; bias; confounding; interaction; screening; and causal inference will be introduced and applied. Social, political, economic, and ethical controversies surrounding cancer screening, prevention, and research will be considered. HUMBIO 154 courses can be taken separately or as a series. Prerequisites: Human Biology core or Biology Foundations or instructor consent.
Terms: Win
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: WAY-AQR
HUMBIO 159:
Genes and Environment in Disease Causation: Implications for Medicine and Public Health (EPI 238)
The historical, contemporary, and future research and practice among genetics, epidemiology, clinical medicine, and public health as a source of insight for medicine and public health. Genetic and environmental contributions to multifactorial diseases; multidisciplinary approach to enhancing detection and diagnosis. The impact of the Human Genome Project on analysis of cardiovascular and neurological diseases, and cancer. Ethical and social issues in the use of genetic information. This course must be taken for a minimum of 3 units and a letter grade to be eligible for Ways credit. Basic knowledge of genetics and human physiology to better understand chronic diseases and preferably have taken or concurrently in the statistics core. Prerequisites: Human Biology core or Biology Foundations or consent of instructor. Preferably have¿taken the statistics core or concurrently enrolled in it.
Terms: Win
| Units: 2-3
| UG Reqs: WAY-SMA
HUMBIO 166:
Food and Society: Exploring Eating Behaviors in Social, Environmental, and Policy Context (CHPR 166)
The material in this course is an introduction to the field and the target audience is undergraduates. It may be of interest to graduate students unfamiliar with the field. The class examines the array of forces that affect the foods human beings eat, and when, where, and how we eat them, including human labor, agriculture, environmental sustainability, politics, animal rights/welfare, ethics, policy, culture, economics, business, law, trade, and ideology, and psychology. The class addresses the impact of current policies and actions that might be taken to improve human nutrition and health; macro-scale influences on food, nutrition, and eating behavior. CHPR master's students must enroll for a letter grade. Undergraduate Prerequisites: Human Biology Core or Biology Foundations or consent of instructor. HUMBIO students must enroll in HUMBIO 166. Med/Graduate students must enroll in CHRP 166.
Last offered: Winter 2023
| Units: 4
INTLPOL 281:
Global Poverty and the Law
(Formerly IPS 281) With more than a billion people living on less than $2 a day, global poverty is one of the biggest challenges currently facing humanity. Even though those who suffer the most are located in the developing world, many of the policies, economic opportunities, and legal actions that offer the biggest potential for global poverty alleviation are made in the United States. This course will provide an introduction to the study of global poverty. What causes poverty? Why have some parts of the developing world done better at alleviating poverty than others? Can the world ever be free of poverty, as the World Bank's official motto suggests? How is the COVID pandemic affecting global poverty, and how should policymakers think about any potential tradeoffs? More generally, what can aspiring lawyers do to improve the condition of the world's impoverished? These are some of the questions this course is designed to address. This course is intended especially for future lawyers and policymakers who seek a deeper understanding of the developing world. After a brief overview that will familiarize students with the major concepts and empirical debates in poverty and development studies, we will examine a variety of 'causes' of poverty, from poor governance to lack of economic opportunity to the role of society. Since this course is just as much about what can be done, we shall also consider applied approaches to poverty alleviation. These types of interventions include political/legal reforms such as anti-corruption initiatives, 'rule of law' interventions, right to information programs, privatization, and community-driven development models; economic solutions such as cash transfers and microfinance; and technological approaches such as new methods for measuring policy impact and the application of new technologies for state identification and distribution programs. In addition to more typical scholarly readings, students will review poverty alleviation policy proposals and contracts made by various stakeholders (academics, NGOs, states, international bodies, etc.). Grading is based on participation, a presentation of research or a proposal, and, in consultation with the professor, a research paper. The research paper may be a group project (Section 01) graded MP/R/F or an individual in-depth research proposal either of which could be the basis for future field research (Section 02) graded H/P/R/F. Students approved for Section 01 or Section 02 may receive R credit. Automatic grading penalty waived for research paper. Cross-listed with LAW 5025. This course is taught in conjunction with the India Field Study component (Law 5026). Students may enroll for this course alone or for both this course and Law 5026 with consent of the instructor (12 students will come to India). CONSENT APPLICATION: To apply for this course, please complete and submit a consent application available at https://forms.gle/kHTHK5c7UE1aKRi2A.
Last offered: Winter 2023
| Units: 3
INTLPOL 291:
Theories of Change in Global Health (PUBLPOL 291, SOMGEN 207)
Organizations dedicated to improving global health deploy various approaches ranging from efforts to improve economic conditions, health systems, and technology to policy change and advocacy. This course critically evaluates 15 common theories of change that underlay global health interventions. Students will review and discuss examples of both success and failure of each theory of change drawn from various disciplines. This seminar is appropriate for graduate students of any discipline who are interested in considering the range of approaches and their likely utility when considering a specific global health problem in a particular location. Upper-class undergraduates who have completed rigorous related coursework and who are willing to commit the preparatory time are welcome. Our discussions benefit greatly from diverse perspectives. Sign up for 3 unit credits to participate in the seminar or 4 units to participate in the seminar and complete a project that provides an opportunity to apply these ideas to a global health problem of your interest.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3-4
INTLPOL 355:
International Human Rights (HUMRTS 117)
(LAW 5010) This comprehensive class is designed to enhance understanding of both the theoretical foundations and practical application of international human rights law. It is structured to provide an in-depth exploration that combines academic theory with the realities of implementing human rights law on a global scale. The first segment of the course is dedicated to the fundamentals of human rights law. This includes an examination of the international human rights movement and the theory and origins of the international law of human rights. Students will study a range of UN treaties covering civil and political rights, economic, social, and cultural rights, as well as conventions against gender and racial discrimination, children's rights, and the prohibition of torture. The course will consider both the substantive law and the strategies for its implementation. It will critically analyze the UN institutional mechanisms for promoting human rights implementation, exploring both the root causes and the varied outcomes of these efforts--where the system has failed and where it has succeeded. Transitioning into the second half, the seminar will focus on the populations affected by international human rights law, moving from theory to the examination of current situations. This shift is aimed at applying the principles learned to contemporary issues, thus providing a comprehensive understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the international human rights regime. By the end of this course, students will have developed a robust understanding of the concepts, mechanisms, and challenges of human rights law, and will be equipped with the analytical tools to actively engage in current debates and contribute to the field of human rights law and its implementation. Elements used in grading: Attendance, class participation, written assignments, and final paper. Advanced undergraduate and graduate students may request enrollment by sending a statement of interest to the instructor. Requests will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Undergraduates who wish to enroll in this course must have completed HUMRTS 101 as a prerequisite. Cross-listed with Human Rights (HUMRTS 117), International Policy (INTLPOL 355).
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3
INTLPOL 358:
Business, Social Responsibility, and Human Rights
(LAW 1047) Large corporations now routinely spend millions of dollars to protect human rights and the environment. Shell Nigeria builds hospitals and schools in the Niger Delta. Nike employs hundreds of inspectors to improve conditions for the factory workers who produce its shoes across Asia and Latin America. Technology companies such as Facebook have scrambled to fend off the threat of new regulation since the Cambridge Analytica revelations. Other examples abound, across industries and around the globe. "Don't be evil" (Google's former motto) may be one motivation for these companies, but something more mundane is also at work: many companies believe they will do well, financially, if they do good, ethically. This course examines questions that lawyers in large law firms, corporations, NGOs, and government agencies regularly confront: --What does it mean for a company to "do good"? Should it care? --When does it serve a company's interest to take costly action to address human rights, labor, and environmental concerns? --What tactics have activists used to shift public opinion, media frames, and the law, and thereby change companies' incentives? We will learn through seminar-style discussion, lectures, role play, and small group exercises. Several guest speakers with experience in business, advocacy, or in between will provide insights from their experiences on the ground. Special Instructions: Students have the option to write a long research paper in lieu of the final exam with consent of instructor. Elements used in grading: Class Participation, Written Assignments; Final Exam or Final Paper. Undergraduate students interested in this subject should enroll in HUMRTS 115 instead. Enrollment in this course is limited to graduate and professional students, who need the consent of the instructor, Jamie O'Connell (joconnell@law.stanford.edu).
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3
INTNLREL 114D:
Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law (INTLPOL 230, POLISCI 114D, POLISCI 314D, REES 230)
This course explores the different dimensions of development - economic, social, and political - as well as the way that modern institutions (the state, market systems, the rule of law, and democratic accountability) developed and interacted with other factors across different societies around the world. The class will feature additional special guest lectures by Francis Fukuyama, Larry Diamond, Michael McFaul, Anna Grzymala-Busse, and other faculty and researchers affiliated with the Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law. Undergraduate students should enroll in this course for 5 units. Graduate students should enroll for 3.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 3-5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, WAY-SI
INTNLREL 123:
The Future of the European Union: Challenges and Opportunities
First, this course analyzes the EU's greatest challenge, preserving the monetary union, and discusses the political and economic reforms needed to achieve that goal. In this context the course also studies the fiscal and budgetary polices of the EU. Second, the course discusses the EU's role in global politics, its desire to play a more prominent role, and the ways to reach that objective. Third, the course analyzes the EU's institutional challenges in its efforts to enhance its democratic character.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
INTNLREL 135A:
International Environmental Law and Policy: Oceans and Climate Change
This seminar offers an introduction to International Environmental Law, with a strong emphasis on oceans and climate change, its underlying principles, how it is developed and implemented, and the challenges of enforcing it. We will focus on oceans and climate change, exploring the United Nations Law of the Sea Convention (UNCLOS) and the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change (UNFCCC). We will explain why these agreements are described as ¿umbrella conventions¿ and how new conventions like the Paris Agreement fit within them. There will be guest speakers, a negotiation simulation, and a legal design sprint focused on re-imagining International Environmental Law.
Last offered: Winter 2021
| Units: 4-5
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
INTNLREL 136R:
Introduction to Global Justice (ETHICSOC 136R, PHIL 76, POLISCI 136R, POLISCI 336)
As we live in a globalized world, our lives are interconnected with many other people within and beyond the state borders. Currently, we face urgent problems of global justice, such as climate change, economic inequality, immigration, and health disparities, and how to address these issues is a crucial question for all of us. This course introduces students to normative inquiries into issues of global justice and offers an opportunity to integrate theories and practices by engaging with essential and timely questions. What normative demands does justice impose on individuals and institutions in a global world? Do people in affluent countries bear the responsibility for the suffering of those who live in other countries? Should relatively developed countries open their borders to those from developing countries? How should we allocate responsibilities for reducing global injustice, such as health disparities? How does injustice with historical roots, such as colonialism, further complicate the picture of normative demands? While there are no easy answers to these questions, throughout this course, students will be exposed to interdisciplinary approaches (including philosophy, political theory, gender studies, etc.), learn to critically analyze various theoretical approaches, and use them as frameworks to develop their views on issues of global justice. This class meets on Tuesdays & Thursdays from 9:30-11AM. Please note that in addition to the listed lecture time, students must sign up for a 45-min discussion session. The schedule of the discussion session will be arranged and announced during the first week of the quarter.
Terms: Win
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, GER:EC-EthicReas, WAY-ER
INTNLREL 141A:
Camera as Witness: International Human Rights Documentaries
Rarely screened documentary films, focusing on global problems, human rights issues, and aesthetic challenges in making documentaries on international topics. Meetings with filmmakers.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, WAY-EDP
JEWISHST 384C:
Genocide and Humanitarian Intervention (HISTORY 224C, HISTORY 324C, JEWISHST 284C, PEDS 224)
Open to medical students, graduate students, and undergraduate students. Traces the history of genocide in the 20th century and the question of humanitarian intervention to stop it, a topic that has been especially controversial since the end of the Cold War. The pre-1990s discussion begins with the Armenian genocide during the First World War and includes the Holocaust and Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s. Coverage of genocide and humanitarian intervention since the 1990s includes the wars in Bosnia, Rwanda, Kosovo, the Congo and Sudan.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3
LAW 307:
Gender, Law, and Public Policy
Open to non-Law students with consent of instructor. Topics include equal protection standards, employment, reproductive rights, sexual harassment, rape, domestic violence, pornography, sexual orientation, feminist legal theory, and the family. (Semester schedule.)
Last offered: Winter 2009
| Units: 3
LAW 330:
International Human Rights
Contemporary system of international human rights, including civil, political, social, and economic rights. Women's and children's rights, indigenous rights, rights to democratic governance, and rights to cultural practices that differ from Western notions of human rights. Structure and role of international, regional and domestic bodies that report and adjudicate human rights claims. Normative justifications for human rights, and the challenges to these justifications posed by arguments for cultural relativism, and the forces of globalization. Recommended: international public law or equivalent.
Last offered: Winter 2009
| Units: 3
LAW 565:
Immigration Law: Current Constitutional and Civil Rights Issues
Issues related to the constitutional and civil rights of immigrants. Focus is on the statutory framework regulating the admission of non-citizens and the constitutional principles that govern immigration law and policy. Issues may include restrictions on federal court jurisdiction over immigration matters, detention of non-citizens, public and private discrimination on the basis of alienage, labor and workplace rights of immigrant workers, refugee and asylum law, post 9/11 issues, local and state laws targeting immigrants, and matters pending in the Supreme Court. Guest lecturers.
Last offered: Autumn 2008
| Units: 2
LAW 603:
Environmental Law and Policy
Federal environmental laws, regulatory structures. and environmental policies. The property law roots of environmental law and current primary analytical frameworks of use in understanding environmental law and policy. Federal statutes including the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Endangered Species Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, Superfund (CERCLA), and the Resource Recovery and Conservation Act. Case studies from environmental cases and controversies.
Last offered: Winter 2009
| Units: 3
| Repeatable
1 times
(up to 3 units total)
LAW 805Z:
Policy Practicum: Supporting INTERPOL's Efforts to Combat Transnational Crime
Changes in the nature of transnational crime and developments under international law may necessitate adjustments of INTERPOL's policy and legal considerations in three broad areas: (1) online manifestations of support for extremist and terrorist conduct; (2) misinformation and fake new; (3) online incitement of violence and hatred, defamation, harassment, and cyber bullying. This Practicum aims to develop principles for INTERPOL to guide its interpretation and application of Article 3 to capture this new--online--manifestation of transnational crime. More specifically, it aims to establish general guidelines that INTERPOL can rely on in determining whether a request to process information on offenses arguably implicating freedom of expression online is in alignment with its constitutional obligation to remain neutral and adhere to international human rights standards. This Practicum is open to graduate students from law (2L, 3L, and Advanced Degree), business, international policy, communications, computer science, and other relevant programs. Highly qualified undergraduates are also invited to apply. The practicum meets 9-10:30 on Wednesdays. Elements used in grading: Attendance, Performance, Class Participation, Written Assignments, Final Paper.Cross-listed with International Policy (INTLPOL 255) in Winter and Spring.
Last offered: Spring 2020
| Units: 2-3
| Repeatable
2 times
(up to 6 units total)
LAW 807M:
Policy Practicum: Designing a Curriculum in Social Problem Solving & Policy for SLS and GSB Students
Stanford Law and GSB graduates will play important roles solving many of our greatest societal problems¿in areas such as education, health, energy, and domestic and global poverty¿that call for action by governments and nonprofit, business, and hybrid organizations. Faculty at the two schools are currently working to enhance courses and programs that prepare students for careers addressing such challenges. This policy lab practicum will complement and support their efforts. We will learn about the careers that graduates of the two Schools have had in social problem-solving, policymaking, and policy advocacy; what skills their work demands; and how they acquired those skills. We will examine the curricula of policy schools, law schools, and business schools to learn how they prepare students for these roles. We will also ascertain student interest in particular courses and programs at Stanford and other institutions, including what attracts or deters students from pursuing joint degrees in policy. Insights from this practicum will help the two Schools design changes to their programs. GSB as well as SLS students are encouraged to enroll. Attendance, Performance, Class Participation, Written Assignments, Final Paper. CONSENT APPLICATION: To apply for this course, students must complete and submit a Consent Application Form available on the SLS website (Click Courses at the bottom of the homepage and then click Consent of Instructor Forms). See Consent Application Form for instructions and submission deadline.
Last offered: Spring 2020
| Units: 2
LAW 2503:
Energy Law
The supply of a safe, reliable, low-cost and clean energy for the United States is a key determinant of current and future prosperity. It is also the most important element of both state and federal decarbonization efforts. Electric utilities are also among the most heavily regulated of large firms. This statutory and regulatory framework is composed of a complex patchwork of overlapping state and federal rules that is constantly evolving to meet emerging challenges. In this course, students will acquire a basic understanding of the law of rate-based regulation of utilities. We will then examine the history of natural gas pipeline regulation in the United States, concluding with the introduction of market competition into US natural gas markets and the advent of shale gas. Next, we will cover the basics of the electricity system, including consumer demand, grid operations, power plant technologies and electricity sector economics. We will then revisit cost of service rate regulation as it has been applied in the electricity context. Next, we will examine reform of both rate-regulated and wholesale market-based structures, focusing on various attempts to introduce market competition into specific segments of the industry. Finally, students will examine various approaches to subsidization of utility scale renewable energy and the growth and compensation of distributed energy resources. Throughout, the course will focus on the sometimes cooperative, sometimes competing, but ever evolving federal and state roles in regulating the supply of electric power as a unique example of cooperative federalism. Students will write two 1000-word response papers during the quarter in addition to taking a final exam (composed of two 1000-word essays). Elements used in grading: Class participation (20%), written assignments (40%), and final exam (40%).
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3
LAW 2508:
The Business of Water
Freshwater is our most crucial natural resource, but it is facing mounting pressures from climate change and other factors. While public agencies traditionally dominated water management, private water companies are playing an increasingly important (and sometime controversial) role. In many cases, private companies are making critical contributions to meeting societal water needs (e.g., by developing new technologies and finding new ways to reduce water use). In other cases, however, the involvement of private companies has proven controversial (e.g., when private companies have taken over public water supply systems in developing countries such as Bolivia). This course will look at established and emerging businesses in the water sector and the legal, economic, and social issues generated by the private sector's involvement. These businesses include water technology companies (e.g., companies commercializing new desalination or water recycling technologies), venture capitalists, water funds (that directly buy and sell water rights), consulting firms, innovative agricultural companies, and large corporations (that increasingly are adopting corporate stewardship programs). The course will begin with two weeks of introduction to water and the private water sector. After that, each class will focus on a different water company. Company executives will attend each class session and discuss their business with the class. In most classes, we will examine (1) the viability and efficacy of the company's business plan, (2) the legal and/or social issues arising from the business' work, and (3) how the business might contribute to improved water management and policy. Each student will be expected to write (1) two short reflection papers on businesses that visit the class, and (2) a 10- to15-page paper at the conclusion of the class on an idea that the student has for a new water company, on an existing water company of the student's choice, or on a legal or policy initiative that can improve the role that business plays in improving water management (either in a particular sector or more generally). This course is open to graduate students from around the campus. Elements used in grading: Attendance, Class Participation, Written Assignments, Final Paper. Cross-listed with Civil & Environmental Engineering (CEE 273B).
Terms: Win
| Units: 2
LAW 2509:
Clean Energy Project Development and Finance
(Formerly Law 774) This case study-oriented course will focus on the critical skills needed to evaluate, develop, finance (on a non-recourse basis), and complete grid-scale clean energy projects. This course will be essentially the same as in the past four years (when it was cross-listed as GSB GEN 335). This course is highly multi-disciplinary, both in terms of substance and student mix. The course has consistently had a significant mix of business, engineering, law and earth science students. As in the past, the course will focus on the issues associated with the business of developing, financing, constructing and operating grid-scale clean energy projects. The course will focus on what a project developer or lender (i.e., in either case, the business person) needs to know to develop and finance successful projects. The project development business--far more than many other businesses such as tech, manufacturing, consumer, services, retail or transportation--inherently involves a VERY long list of highly-germane and critical legal issues. We address the legal issues from the perspective of what a business person needs to understand in order to navigate them and complete a project. The primary course materials will be documents from several representative projects -- e.g., solar, wind, storage, carbon capture, transmission, combined heat & power -- covering key areas including market and feasibility studies, environmental permitting and regulatory decisions, financial disclosure from bank and bond transactions, and construction, input, and offtake contracts. For virtually every clean energy project, legal documents and financial/business models tend to highly customized. By examining actual projects and transactions we can learn how developers, financiers, and lawyers work to get deals over the finish line--deals that meet the demands of the market, the requirements of the law, and (sometimes) broader societal goals, in particular climate change, economic competitiveness, and energy security. Elements used in grading: Class Participation (35 %), Lecture-based Assignment (15 %), Group Project (50 %). Absences affect grade. This class is limited to 36 students, with an effort made to have students from SLS, GSB, engineering and earth sciences. (All students need to be graduate students.) CONSENT APPLICATION: To apply for this course, students must complete and submit a Consent Application Form available on the SLS website (Click Courses at the bottom of the homepage and then click Consent of Instructor Forms). Students are encouraged to apply as early as possible. See Consent Application Form for instructions and submission deadline.
Last offered: Spring 2019
| Units: 3
LAW 2513:
Climate: Politics, Finance, and Infrastructure
While climate change is often considered an 'environmental problem', the risks and opportunities embedded in a changing climate go well beyond the natural environment. This course reframes climate as a macroeconomic challenge, one in which multilateral politics, global investment, and distribution of impacts must be understood and reconsidered. Based on readings and guest speakers, this interdisciplinary course traces the arc of climate past, present and future on the pillars of politics, finance, and infrastructure (both physical and institutional). Grounded in the latest climate science and the history of global climate negotiations, the bulk of the course investigates innovations at the intersection of finance, law and policy, with particular emphasis on risk management, legal liability, corporations, climate justice and resilience. The final sessions look to the future and consider how the next generation of leaders might solve the greatest challenge of our time. Elements used in grading: Students may take the course for 2 units (section 1) or 3 units (section 2). Section 1 and 2 students will receive grades for attendance, in class participation and guest-speaker questions. Section 1 students will complete a group presentation on the design of a financial, business, legal or policy intervention with the potential to reduce emissions on a large scale. Section 2 students will be required to write an individual research paper meeting the Law School's R paper requirements. This class is limited to 60 students, with an effort made to have students from SLS (30 students will be selected by lottery) and 30 non-law students by consent of the instructor. After the term begins, students accepted into the course can transfer from section (01) into section (02), which meets the R requirement, with consent of the instructor.
Terms: Win
| Units: 2-3
LAW 3001:
Health Law: Finance and Insurance
This course provides the legal, institutional, and economic background necessary to understand the financing and production of health services in the U.S. We will discuss the Affordable Care Act, health insurance (Medicare and Medicaid, employer-sponsored insurance, the uninsured), the approval process and IP protection for pharmaceuticals, antitrust policy, regulation of fraud and abuse, and international perspectives on health care finance. The syllabus for this course can be found at https://syllabus.stanford.edu. Elements used in grading: Participation, attendance, and final exam. Cross-listed with Graduate School of Business (MGTECON 331) & Health Research & Policy (HRP 391).
Terms: Win
| Units: 3
LAW 4004:
Cybersecurity: A Legal and Technical Perspective
This class will use the case method to teach basic computer, network, and information security from technology, law, policy, and business perspectives. Using real world topics, we will study the technical, legal, policy, and business aspects of an incident or issue and its potential solutions. The case studies will be organized around the following topics: vulnerability disclosure, state sponsored sabotage, corporate and government espionage, credit card theft, theft of embarrassing personal data, phishing and social engineering attacks, denial of service attacks, attacks on weak session management and URLs, security risks and benefits of cloud data storage, wiretapping on the Internet, and digital forensics. Students taking the class will learn about the techniques attackers use, applicable legal prohibitions, rights, and remedies, the policy context, and strategies in law, policy and business for managing risk. Grades will be based on class participation, two reflection papers, and a final exam. Special Instructions: This class is limited to 65 students, with an effort made to have students from SLS (30 students will be selected by lottery) and students from Computer Science (30 students) and International Policy Studies (5 students). Elements used in grading: Class Participation (20%), Written Assignments (40%), Final Exam (40%). Cross-listed with Computer Science (CS 203) and International Policy Studies (IPS 251).
Last offered: Spring 2018
| Units: 2
LAW 7020:
Ethics On the Edge: Business, Non-Profit Organizations, Government, and Individuals
The objective of the course is to explore the increasing ethical challenges in a world in which technology, global risks, and societal developments are accelerating faster than our understanding and the law can keep pace. We will unravel the factors contributing to the seemingly pervasive failure of ethics today among organizations and leaders across all sectors: business, government, non-profit, and academia. A framework for ethical decision-making underpins the course. There is significant space for personal reflection and forming your own views on a wide range of issues. Prominent guest speakers will attend certain sessions interactively. The relationship between ethics and culture, leadership, law, and global risks (inequality, privacy, financial system meltdown, cyber-terrorism, climate change, etc.) will inform discussion. A broad range of international topics might include: designer genetics; civilian space travel (Elon Musk's Mars plans); social media (e.g. Facebook Cambridge Analytica, on-line sex trafficking, monopolies); new devises (e.g. Amazon Alexa in hotel rooms); free speech on University campuses; opioid addiction; AI (from racism to the work challenge and beyond); corporate and financial sector scandals (Epi pen pricing, Theranos, Wells Fargo fraudulent account creation, Volkswagen emissions testing manipulation); and non-profit sector ethics challenges (e.g. NGOs engagement with ISIS and sexual misconduct in humanitarian aid (Oxfam case)). Final project in lieu of exam on a topic of student's choice. Attendance required. Class participation important (with multiple opportunities to earn participation credit beyond speaking in class). Strong emphasis on rigorous analysis, critical thinking and testing ideas in real-world contexts. Elements used in grading: Class Participation, Attendance, Written Assignments, and Final Paper. Cross-listed with Public Policy (PUBLPOL 134, PUBLPOL 234). CONSENT APPLICATION: Interested SLS students may apply to enroll in this class by sending a request to Dr. Susan Liautaud at susanliautaud@googlemail.com. Please CC the course TA, Allie O'Keefe, at aokeefe@stanford.edu. NOTE: This course does NOT meet the SLS Ethics requirement.
Last offered: Spring 2021
| Units: 2
LAW 7508:
Problem Solving and Decision Making for Public Policy and Social Change
Stanford graduates will play important roles in solving many of today's and tomorrow's major societal problems--in areas such as education, health, energy, and domestic and global poverty--that call for actions by nonprofit, business, and hybrid organizations as well as governments. This course teaches skills and bodies of knowledge relevant to these roles, covering topics such as designing, implementing, and evaluating social strategies; systems thinking; decision making under risk; psychological biases that adversely affect people's decisions; and approaches to influencing behavior. The large majority of the course will be devoted to students working in teams to apply these concepts and tools to a problem of their choice. The course may be of interest to students in Law and Policy Lab practicums who wish to broaden their policy analysis skills. Law School holds classes on February 20, Presidents' Day.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3
MATSCI 156:
Solar Cells, Fuel Cells, and Batteries: Materials for the Energy Solution
This course introduces students to emerging technological solutions to address the pressing energy demands of the world. It is motivated by discussions of the scale of global energy usage and requirements for possible solutions; however, the primary focus will be on the fundamental physics and chemistry of solar cells, fuel cells, and batteries from a materials science perspective. Students will learn about operating principles and performance, economic, and ethical considerations from the ideal device to the installed system. The promise of materials research for providing next generation solutions will be highlighted by guest speakers developing innovative energy technologies. Undergraduates register in 156 for 4 units; graduates register in 256 for 3 units. Prerequisites: Undergraduate coursework in thermodynamics (e.g., MATSCI 144, ME 30) and electromagnetism (e.g., PHYSICS 23/43).
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3-4
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-EngrAppSci, WAY-AQR
MATSCI 302:
Solar Cells
In the last 15 years, the solar power market has grown in size by 100 times while solar modules prices have fallen by 20 times. Unsubsidized, solar power projects now compete favorably against fossil fuels in many countries and is on track to be the largest energy provider in the future. How did this happen? nnIn MatSci 302 we will take a comprehensive look at solar cells starting from the underlying device physics that are relevant to all photovoltaic cell technologies. We will then look at the undisputed king (silicon based solar cells); how do they work today and how will they develop in the future. Finally, we will look at why past challengers have failed and how future challengers can succeed. This class will be co-taught by Brian and Craig, who graduated from the Material Science PhD program in 2011 and then started PLANT PV, a startup that developed a solar technology from idea to protoype and then full implementation on production lines in China. The lecturers routinely visit manufacturing facilities in Asia and work closely with engineering staff at the largest solar cell makers in the world to implement their technology into production lines.
Last offered: Autumn 2019
| Units: 3
ME 206A:
Design for Extreme Affordability
Design for Extreme Affordability (fondly called Extreme) is a two-quarter course offered by the d.school through the School of Engineering and the Graduate School of Business. This multidisciplinary project-based experience creates an enabling environment in which students learn to design products and services that will change the lives of the world's poorest citizens. Students work directly with course partners on real world problems, the culmination of which is actual implementation and real impact. Topics include design thinking, product and service design, rapid prototype engineering and testing, business modelling, social entrepreneurship, team dynamics, impact measurement, operations planning and ethics. Possibility to travel overseas during spring break. Previous projects include d.light, Driptech, Earthenable, Embrace, the Lotus Pump, MiracleBrace, Noora Health and Sanku. Periodic design reviews; Final course presentation and expo; industry and adviser interaction. Limited enrollment via application. Must sign up for ME206A and ME206B. See extreme.stanford.edu
Terms: Win
| Units: 4
ME 206B:
Design for Extreme Affordability
Design for Extreme Affordability (fondly called Extreme) is a two-quarter course offered by the d.school through the School of Engineering and the Graduate School of Business. This multidisciplinary project-based experience creates an enabling environment in which students learn to design products and services that will change the lives of the world's poorest citizens. Students work directly with course partners on real world problems, the culmination of which is actual implementation and real impact. Topics include design thinking, product and service design, rapid prototype engineering and testing, business modelling, social entrepreneurship, team dynamics, impact measurement, operations planning and ethics. Possibility to travel overseas during spring break. Previous projects include d.light, Driptech, Earthenable, Embrace, the Lotus Pump, MiracleBrace, Noora Health and Sanku. Periodic design reviews; Final course presentation and expo; industry and adviser interaction. Limited enrollment via application. Must sign up for ME206A and ME206B. See extreme.stanford.edu. Cardinal Course certified by the Haas Center
Terms: Spr
| Units: 4
ME 243:
Designing Emotion: for Reactive Car Interfaces
Students learn to define emotions as physiology, expression, and private experience using the automobile and shared space. Explores the meaning and impact of personal and user car experience. Reflective, narrative, and socio-cognitive techniques serve to make sense of mobility experiences; replay memories; examine engagement; understand user interviews. This course celebrates car fascination and leads the student through finding and telling the car experience through discussion, ethnographic research, interviews, and diverse individual and collaborative narrative methods-verbal, non-verbal, and in car experiences. Methods draw from socio-cognitive psychology, design thinking, and fine art, and are applied to the car or mobility experience. Course culminates in a final individual narrative presentation and group project demonstration. Class size limited to 18.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 1-3
| Repeatable
2 times
(up to 3 units total)
ME 302B:
The Future of the Automobile- Driver Assistance and Automated Driving
This course provides a holistic overview over the field of vehicle automation. The course starts with the history of vehicle automation and then introduces key terminology and taxonomy. Guest lecturers present the legal and policy aspects of vehicle automation both on the federal and state level. Then, the state of the art in vehicle automation is provided. This includes sensor and actuator technology as well as the driver assistance technology in cars today. Finally, the technology currently being developed for future highly and fully automated vehicles is described, including a high-level introduction of the software and algorithms used as well as HMI and system aspects. Students are asking to work in groups on a current topic related to vehicle automation and present their findings in the final two classes in a short presentation.
Terms: Win
| Units: 1
| Repeatable
2 times
(up to 2 units total)
ME 302C:
The Future of the Automobile- Mobility Entrepreneurship
The objective of this course is to develop an understanding for the requirements that go into the design of a highly complex yet easy-to-use product, i.e. the automobile. Students will learn about very different interdisciplinary aspects that characterize the automobile and personal mobility. This is part of a multi-quarter seminar series, which build on one another but can be taken independently. This quarter, students will learn from 10 different founders / C-level executives about how they built their mobility startup to change the world of transportation. Previous classes included speakers from Tesla, Lyft, Pearl Auto, Turo, Nauto. In hearing these founder stories, students will get an insight not only into the world of entrepreneurship but also the multidisciplinary nature of the transportation industry. The course consists of 50-minute discussions with founders, with students encouraged to participate and ask questions of the founders. To obtain credit, students must attend 8 out of 10 classes including the first class.
Last offered: Spring 2020
| Units: 1
| Repeatable
2 times
(up to 2 units total)
ME 368A:
Biodesign Innovation: Needs Finding and Concept Creation (BIOE 374A, MED 272A)
In this two-quarter course series ( BIOE 374A/B, MED 272A/B, ME 368A/B, OIT 384/5), multidisciplinary student teams identify real-world unmet healthcare needs, invent new health technologies to address them, and plan for their implementation into patient care. During the first quarter (winter), students select and characterize an important unmet healthcare problem, validate it through primary interviews and secondary research, and then brainstorm and screen initial technology-based solutions. In the second quarter (spring), teams select a lead solution and move it toward the market through prototyping, technical re-risking, strategies to address healthcare-specific requirements (regulation, reimbursement), and business planning. Final presentations in winter and spring are made to a panel of prominent health technology experts and/or investors. Class sessions include faculty-led instruction and case studies, coaching sessions by industry specialists, expert guest lecturers, and interactive team meetings. Enrollment is by application only, and students are required to participate in both quarters of the course. Visit http://biodesign.stanford.edu/programs/stanford-courses/biodesign-innovation.html to access the application, examples of past projects, and student testimonials. More information about Stanford Biodesign, which has led to the creation of 50 venture-backed healthcare companies and has helped hundreds of student launch health technology careers, can be found at http://biodesign.stanford.edu/.
Terms: Win
| Units: 4
ME 368B:
Biodesign Innovation: Concept Development and Implementation (BIOE 374B, MED 272B)
In this two-quarter course, multidisciplinary teams identify real unmet healthcare needs, invent health technologies to address them, and plan for their implementation into patient care. In second quarter, teams select a lead solution to advance through technical prototyping, strategies to address healthcare-specific requirements (IP, regulation, reimbursement), and business planning. Class sessions include faculty-led instruction, case studies, coaching sessions by experts, guest lecturers, and interactive team meetings. Enrollment is by application. Students are required to take both quarters of the course.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 4
| Repeatable
2 times
(up to 8 units total)
MED 157:
Foundations for Community Health Engagement
Open to undergraduate, graduate, and MD students. Examination and exploration of community health principles and their application at the local level. Designed to prepare students to make substantive contributions in a variety of community health settings (e.g. clinics, government agencies, non-profit organization, advocacy groups). Topics include community health assessment; health disparities; health promotion and disease prevention; strategies for working with diverse, low-income, and underserved populations; and principles of ethical and effective community engagement.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: WAY-EDP, WAY-SI
MED 200:
Primary Care Presentations
This course is a lecture series offered during the winter quarter. The aim of this seminar is to allow medical students to experience the mindset of primary care physicians in real time. Classes feature presentations of patient cases submitted by Stanford faculty. Faculty presenters are provided with the diagnostic information for the cases in a sequential manner during and not in advance of each class, allowing students to learn from the thought process of physicians in real time as they put together the differential diagnosis, interpret diagnostic information, deliberate treatment and management options, and discuss other thoughts about the cases.
Terms: Win
| Units: 1
MED 212:
Methods for Health Care Delivery Innovation, Implementation and Evaluation (CHPR 212, HRP 218)
Preference given to postgraduate fellows and graduate students.Focus is on implementation science and evaluation of health care delivery innovations. Topics include implementation science theory, frameworks, and measurement principles; qualitative and quantitative approaches to designing and evaluating new health care models; hybrid design trials that simultaneously evaluate implementation and effectiveness; distinction between quality improvement and research, and implications for regulatory requirements and publication; and grant-writing strategies for implementation science and evaluation. Students will develop a mock (or actual) grant proposal to conduct a needs assessment or evaluate a Stanford/VA/community intervention, incorporating concepts, frameworks, and methods discussed in class. Priority for enrollment for CHPR 212 will be given to CHPR master's students.
Terms: Win
| Units: 2
MED 228:
Physicians and Social Responsibility
Social and political context of the roles of physicians and health professionals in social change; policy, advocacy, and shaping public attitudes. How physicians have influenced governmental policy on nuclear arms proliferation; environmental health concerns; physicians in government; activism through research; the effects of poverty on health; homelessness; and gun violence. Guest speakers from national and international NGOs.
Last offered: Autumn 2022
| Units: 1
MED 232:
Global Health: Scaling Health Technology Innovations in Low Resource Settings
Recent advances in health technologies - incorporating innovations like robotics, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and smart sensors - have raised expectations of a dramatic impact on health outcomes across the world. However, bringing innovative technologies to low-resource settings has proven challenging, limiting their impact. Ironically, the COVID-19 pandemic became Exhibit 1 in the challenges the global health community faces in scaling innovative interventions. This course explores critical questions regarding the implementation and impact of technological innovations in low-resource settings. The course will feature thought leaders from the health technology community, who will explore examples of technologies that have been successful in low-resource communities, as well as those that have failed. A subset of these examples will be drawn from the current pandemic. Students will think critically to consider conditions under which technologies reach scale and have a positive impact on the global health field. Students will also have an opportunity to work on real-world projects, each of which will focus on the potential opportunity for health technology in a low-resource setting and consider approaches to ensure its impact at scale. This course will be taught by Dr. Anurag Mairal, Adjunct Professor of Medicine and the Director, Global Outreach Programs at Stanford Byers Center for Biodesign, Dr. Krista Donaldson, Director of Innovation to Impact at Stanford Byers Center for Biodesign, and Dr. Michele Barry, Senior Associate Dean for Global Health and Director of the Center for Innovation in Global Health. This course is open to undergraduate students, graduate students, and medical students. Students can take the course for two or three units. Students enrolling in the course for a third unit will work on the group project described above. Students enrolled in the class for three units will also have additional assignments, including an outline, presentation, and paper related to the group project. Cardinal Course certified by the Haas Center. Questions can be directed to Course Manager, Yosefa Gilon, ygilon@stanford.edu. Students must submit an application and be selected to receive an enrollment code. Application - https://forms.gle/WfToKFonCXWc6wZL7
Terms: Win
| Units: 2-3
| Repeatable
for credit
MED 233:
Global Health: Beyond Diseases and International Organizations
Provides multidisciplinary trainees insight into over-arching themes of global health. Topics include systemic issues affecting healthcare progress globally, ethical and thoughtful approaches to solving these issues, as well as economics, water sanitation, public health, organizations in global health, human rights, involvement in NGOs, ethics of overseas work, and other non-medical aspects of this subject. This course will cover some of the essentials of patient care while working in the field as well including child health care, malaria, TB, and HIV. The course is only open to graduate students and MD/MSPA/PhD students and faculty (of any discipline). Students must submit an application and be selected to receive an enrollment code. The application form can be found at the following link: https://forms.gle/dYfkzmWFUiEgfz9D6
Terms: Spr
| Units: 4
MED 235:
Designing Research-Based Interventions to Solve Global Health Problems (AFRICAST 135, AFRICAST 235, EDUC 135, EDUC 335, EPI 235)
The excitement around social innovation and entrepreneurship has spawned numerous startups focused on tackling world problems, particularly in the fields of education and health. The best social ventures are launched with careful consideration paid to research, design, and efficacy. This course offers students an immersive educational experience into understanding how to effectively develop, evaluate, and scale social ventures. Students will also get a rare "behind-the-scenes" glimpse at the complex ethical dilemmas social entrepreneurs have tackled to navigate the odds. Partnered with TeachAids, a global award-winning nonprofit (scaled to 82 countries), this course introduces students to the major principles of research-based design and integrates instruction supported by several game-changing social leaders. Open to both undergraduate and graduate students, it culminates in a formal presentation to an interdisciplinary panel of diverse Silicon Valley leaders. (Cardinal Course certified by the Haas Center)
Terms: Win
| Units: 3
MED 238:
Leading and Managing Health Care Organizations: Innovation and Collaboration in High Stakes Settings
Leading and managing in complex, high stakes settings, like health care, where lives and livelihoods are on the line, presents distinctive challenges and constraints. This course challenges you to apply seminal and contemporary theories in organizational behavior to evaluate managerial decisions and develop evidence-based strategies for leading and managing health care teams and organizations. Topics include leading systems that promote learning; implementing change; and interdisciplinary problem-solving, decision-making, and collaboration. Group work and exercises will simulate high pressure and risk-taking under uncertainty. While the focus of this course will be on health care situations, lessons are relevant to other settings including consulting, banking, and high tech, and prior experience in the health sector is not required.
Terms: Win, Spr
| Units: 3
MED 242:
Human Rights and Health
Weekly lectures on how human rights violations affect health. Topics include: regional conflict and health, the health status of refugees and internally displaced persons; child labor; trafficking in women and children; HIV/AIDS; torture; poverty, the environment and health; access to clean water; domestic violence and sexual assault; and international availability of drugs. Guest speakers from national and international NGOs including Doctors Without Borders; McMaster University Institute for Peace Studies; UC Berkeley Human Rights Center; Kiva.
Terms: Win
| Units: 1
MED 252:
Outcomes Analysis (BIOMEDIN 251, HRP 252)
This course introduces and develops methods for conducting empirical research that address clinical and policy questions that are not suitable for randomized trials. Conceptual and applied models of causal inference guide the design of empirical research. Econometric and statistical models are used to conduct health outcomes research which use large existing medical, survey, and other databases Problem sets emphasize hands-on data analysis and application of methods, including re-analyses of well-known studies. This is a project-based course designed for students pursuing research training. Prerequisites: one or more courses in probability, and statistics or biostatistics.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 4
MED 262:
Economics of Health Improvement in Developing Countries (ECON 127, HRP 227)
Application of economic paradigms and empirical methods to health improvement in lower-income countries. Emphasis is on unifying analytic frameworks and evaluation of empirical evidence. How economic views differ from public health, medicine, and epidemiology; analytic paradigms for health and population change; the demand for health; the role of health in international development. Prerequisites: ECON 50 and ECON 102B.
Last offered: Spring 2021
| Units: 5
MED 271:
Global Biodesign: Medical Technology in an International Context (BIOE 371)
This course (BIOE371, MED271) exposes students to the challenges and opportunities of developing and implementing innovative health technologies to help patients around the world. Non-communicable diseases, such as metabolic and chronic respiratory disease, now account for 7 in 10 deaths worldwide, creating the need for innovative health technologies that work across diverse global markets. At the beginning of the quarter, the course will provide an overview of the dynamic global health technology industry. Next, faculty members, guest experts, and students will discuss key differences and similarities when commercializing new products in the for-profit health technology sector across six important regions: the US and Europe, China and Japan, and India and Brazil. Finally, the course will explore critical 'global health' issues that transcend international borders and how technology can be leveraged to address them. This section will culminate with an interactive debate focused on whether for-profit, nonprofit, or hybrid models are best for implementing sustainable global health solutions. The last class will be devoted to synthesis, reflection, and a discussion of career opportunities in the global health technology field.
Last offered: Autumn 2019
| Units: 1
MED 272A:
Biodesign Innovation: Needs Finding and Concept Creation (BIOE 374A, ME 368A)
In this two-quarter course series ( BIOE 374A/B, MED 272A/B, ME 368A/B, OIT 384/5), multidisciplinary student teams identify real-world unmet healthcare needs, invent new health technologies to address them, and plan for their implementation into patient care. During the first quarter (winter), students select and characterize an important unmet healthcare problem, validate it through primary interviews and secondary research, and then brainstorm and screen initial technology-based solutions. In the second quarter (spring), teams select a lead solution and move it toward the market through prototyping, technical re-risking, strategies to address healthcare-specific requirements (regulation, reimbursement), and business planning. Final presentations in winter and spring are made to a panel of prominent health technology experts and/or investors. Class sessions include faculty-led instruction and case studies, coaching sessions by industry specialists, expert guest lecturers, and interactive team meetings. Enrollment is by application only, and students are required to participate in both quarters of the course. Visit http://biodesign.stanford.edu/programs/stanford-courses/biodesign-innovation.html to access the application, examples of past projects, and student testimonials. More information about Stanford Biodesign, which has led to the creation of 50 venture-backed healthcare companies and has helped hundreds of student launch health technology careers, can be found at http://biodesign.stanford.edu/.
Terms: Win
| Units: 4
MED 272B:
Biodesign Innovation: Concept Development and Implementation (BIOE 374B, ME 368B)
In this two-quarter course, multidisciplinary teams identify real unmet healthcare needs, invent health technologies to address them, and plan for their implementation into patient care. In second quarter, teams select a lead solution to advance through technical prototyping, strategies to address healthcare-specific requirements (IP, regulation, reimbursement), and business planning. Class sessions include faculty-led instruction, case studies, coaching sessions by experts, guest lecturers, and interactive team meetings. Enrollment is by application. Students are required to take both quarters of the course.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 4
| Repeatable
2 times
(up to 8 units total)
MED 273:
Biodesign for Digital Health (BIOE 273)
Health care is facing significant cross-industry challenges and opportunities created by a number of factors, including the increasing need for improved access to affordable, high-quality care; growing demand from consumers for greater control of their health and health data; the shift in focus from sick care to prevention and health optimization; aging demographics and the increased burden of chronic conditions; and new emphasis on real-world, measurable health outcomes for individuals and populations. Moreover, the delivery of health information and services is no longer tied to traditional brick and mortar hospitals and clinics: it has increasingly become "mobile," enabled by apps, sensors, wearables. Simultaneously, it has been augmented and often revolutionized by emerging digital and information technologies, as well as by the data that these technologies generate. This multifactorial transformation presents opportunities for innovation across the entire cycle of care, from wellness, to acute and chronic diseases, to care at the end of life. But how does one approach innovation in digital health to address these health care challenges while ensuring the greatest chance of success? At Stanford Biodesign, we believe that innovation is a process that can be learned, practiced, and perfected; and, it starts with an unmet need. In Biodesign for Digital Health, students will learn about digital health and the Biodesign needs-driven innovation process from over 50 industry experts. Over the course of 10weeks, these speakers will join the teaching team in a dynamic classroom environment that includes lectures, panel discussions, and breakout sessions. These experts represent startups, corporations, venture capital firms, accelerators, research labs, healthcare providers, and more. Student teams will take actual digital and mobile health challenges and learn how to apply Biodesign innovation principles to research and evaluate needs, ideate solutions, and objectively assess them against key criteria for satisfying the needs. Teams take a hands-on approach with the support of need coaches and other mentors. On the final day of class, teams present to a panel of digital health experts and compete for project extension funding. Friday section will be used for team projects and for scheduled workshops. Limited enrollment for this course. Students should submit their application online via: https://stanforduniversity.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_dnY6nvUXMYeILkO
Terms: Aut
| Units: 3-4
MED 286:
Health Information Technology and Strategy
Health Information technology was intended to help reduce and cost and improve the quality of health care services. TO date, this is little evidence that this goal has been achieved. This course is designed to explore economic frameworks that can help us to understand how health IT can achieve it's intended goals. These frameworks build from general business and economic models used successfully in other industries. The course will be utilize both business cases and lecture to prepare students to propose potential novel applications of health information technology solutions. Each student will have a team-based final project.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 3-4
MED 294:
Critical Issues in Global Health (MED 194)
In this course, participants will discuss and engage critically with current topics and pressing issues in global health through the lens of health equity and social justice. Topics include decolonizing global health, climate change, the health of indigenous populations, and other vulnerable populations, homelessness, and gender-based violence and mental health challenges. Students will hear from and engage with experts in the field and debate critical issues in global health through course discussions. Three-unit students will investigate a global health equity challenge and present recommendations for effective interventions. Speakers represent a range of voices and perspectives. They include: Dr. Madhu Pai, a global health leader, health equity advocate, and tuberculosis expert; Dr. Jim O'Connell, a Boston physician who has dedicated his career to caring for people living on the streets; Dr. Agnes Binagwaho, retired Vice Chancellor of the University of Global Health Equity in Rwanda to name a few. Participants will gain new insights into the health equity considerations critical to addressing contemporary challenges, explore diverse perspectives on key issues, and critically consider current and potential interventions through the lens of a global health practitioner. Requirements for the course include attendance and participation in class discussions, a short capstone presentation, and a final paper. This course will be taught by Dean Michele Barry Director of the Center for Innovation in Global Health, and Dr. Geoffrey Tabin, Professor of Ophthalmology and Global Medicine and co-founder of the internationally renowned Himalayan Cataract Project. Course enrollment is open to medical students, graduate students, and undergraduate students (2-3 Units). This course must be taken for a minimum of 3 units and a letter grade to be eligible for Ways credit.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 2-3
| Repeatable
3 times
(up to 9 units total)
MGTECON 300:
Growth and Stabilization in the Global Economy
This course gives students the background they need to understand the broad movements in the global economy. Key topics include long-run economic growth, technological change, wage inequality, international trade, interest rates, inflation, exchange rates, and monetary policy. By the end of the course, students should be able to read and understand the discussions of economic issues in The Economist, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, or the Congressional Budget Office.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3
MGTECON 327:
U.S. Inequality: What Can Business and Policy Do?
This class will analyze the growth in inequality in the US over the last several decades and how that trend is likely to continue or change in the future. We will ask if and how public policy can affect inequality. We will also focus on business's role -- what are the responsibilities of private sector companies, how does inequality affect them, and how should the growth in inequality affect their strategies? We will look at inequality in income, some of its potential sources, and its effects in other areas. Specifically, we will look at education, housing, the social safety net, migration, and the job market. The class will be very interactive and will be based on readings drawn from academic research, case studies, news, and opinion readings. We will also have guest speakers from industry, government, and non-profits. The class will be co-taught by a GSB labor economist and an advisor to policy makers with decades of business experience.LOGISTICAL NOTE: During the week of May 13, the class will not meet during the regular time slots. Instead, there will be a mandatory, all-day class field trip to explore inequality issues in depth and in person on Wednesday, May 15. If you have an academic-related reason you cannot make the trip, we will assign alternative work. However, the trip is required unless you have a conflicting class or academic obligation.
| Units: 3
MGTECON 331:
Health Law: Finance and Insurance
This course provides the legal, institutional, and economic background necessary to understand the financing and production of health services in the US. Potential topics include: health reform, health insurance (Medicare and Medicaid, employer-sponsored insurance, the uninsured), medical malpractice and quality regulation, pharmaceuticals, the corporate practice of medicine, regulation of fraud and abuse, and international comparisons.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3
MGTECON 383:
Measuring Impact in Business and Social Enterprise
Businesses are increasingly expected to have a positive social impact, as evidenced by the rapid growth of impact investing. Yet, even as the impact investing market has taken off, impact measurement has lagged, undermining the credibility of the sector. Impact measurement is also critical to individual firms, not-for-profits and governments, as they face increased pressure to generate quantifiable results. How can we measure impact? What are some of the most effective frameworks, tools and approaches for impact measurement? How does one choose the most appropriate measurement tool based on factors such as the size, maturity and sector of an organization? Can impact be distilled down to a single monetary measure, such as a dollar? These and other questions will be explored in considerable depth, through analysis and discussion of case studies as well as hand-on use of impact measurement tools. This course is a good match for students interested in impact measurement, impact investing, profit-with-purpose businesses or the role of business in society. The course will be co-taught by Matt Bannick, who led the impact investing firm, Omidyar Network, and served as the President of PayPal and of eBay International, and Neil Malhotra, Director of the Center for Social Innovation and an expert in the statistical measurement of impact.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3
MGTECON 526:
Inclusive Economic Growth and Poverty Reduction in Developing Countries
Poverty rates have fallen markedly in countries around the world, as more households have joined the lower middle-class. Indeed, though U.S. income inequality has increased, inequality has fallen around the world. However, by developed country standards, poverty remains pervasive. What has caused the decline in rates of poverty and can we expect further decreases or can we act to accelerate the improvements? One answer is that countries that have experienced 'inclusive growth'?, in which the growth of the economy (i.e., GDP) has elevated the incomes of the poor, have done better at creating jobs for the poor, especially in the private sector. Therefore, the class will consider the evidence on the factors that have contributed to inclusive economic growth in developing countries. A second answer as to why poverty has fallen, but remains at high levels, is that governments and aid agencies and foundations have targeted programs to the poor. This course discusses macroeconomic policy, targeted government policies, aid, and entrepreneurship in developing countries. Examples will be given from Latin America, South Asia, and Africa. The course is co-taught by a Stanford economist and a World Bank consultant and will build on examples from recent experiences. The class is aimed at GSB students who are either intellectually curious about the topic or anticipate doing business in developing countries.
Terms: Win
| Units: 2
MGTECON 583:
Measuring Impact in Business and Social Enterprise
Businesses are increasingly expected to have a positive social impact, as evidenced by the rapid growth of impact investing. Yet, even as the impact investing market has taken off, impact measurement has lagged, undermining the credibility of the sector. Impact measurement is also critical to individual firms, not-for-profits and governments, as they face increased pressure to generate quantifiable results. How can we measure impact? What are some of the most effective frameworks, tools and approaches for impact measurement? How does one choose the most appropriate measurement tool based on factors such as the size, maturity and sector of an organization? Can impact be distilled down to a single monetary measure, such as a dollar? These and other questions will be explored in considerable depth, primarily through analysis and discussion of case studies. This course is a good match for students interested in impact measurement, impact investing, profit-with-purpose businesses or the role of business in society. The course will be taught by Matt Bannick, who led the impact investing firm, Omidyar Network, and served as the President of PayPal and of eBay International.
Terms: Win
| Units: 2
MKTG 574:
Rethinking Purpose
We assume happiness is stable, an endpoint to achieve our goal to chase. It's not. Recent behavioral research suggests that the meaning of happiness changes every 5-10 years, raising the question: how might we build organizations and lives that cultivate happiness? Research suggests it is better to aim for meaning. In Rethinking Purpose, we explore how to rethink purpose in work and life. Students will hear from guests and take a field trip to see how Google has reconsidered purpose. Building on the principles for Solve for X (www.solveforx.com), a platform encouraging moonshot thinking to solve huge problems in the world, we'll harness design thinking principles to create personal moonshots and a path to continue to find those moonshots over the life course. Lastly, we'll map out how to use time in ways that would help build innovative teams, products, and ultimately lives that have positive, meaningful, lasting impact in the world.
Last offered: Winter 2020
| Units: 2
MS&E 193:
Technology and National Security (INTLPOL 256)
Explores the relation between technology, war, and national security policy with reference to current events. Course focuses on current U.S. national security challenges and the role that technology plays in shaping our understanding and response to these challenges, including the recent Russia-Ukraine conflict. Topics include: interplay between technology and modes of warfare; dominant and emerging technologies such as nuclear weapons, cyber, sensors, stealth, and biological; security challenges to the U.S.; and the U.S. response and adaptation to new technologies of military significance.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 3-4
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
MS&E 243:
Energy and Environmental Policy Analysis
Concepts, methods, and applications. Energy/environmental policy issues such as automobile fuel economy regulation, global climate change, research and development policy, and environmental benefit assessment. Group project. Prerequisite: MS&E 241 or ECON 50.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3
MS&E 256:
Technology Assessment and Regulation of Medical Devices (BIOE 256)
Regulatory approval and reimbursement for new health technologies are critical success factors for product commercialization. This course explores the regulatory and payer environment in the U.S. and abroad, as well as common methods of health technology assessment. Students will learn frameworks to identify factors relevant to the adoption of new health technologies, and the management of those factors in the design and development phases of bringing a product to market through case studies, guest speakers from government (FDA) and industry, and a course project.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3
MS&E 256A:
Technology Assessment and Regulation of Medical Devices
Regulatory approval and reimbursement for new medical technologies as a key component of product commercialization. The regulatory and payer environment in the U.S. and abroad, and common methods of health technology assessment. Framework to identify factors relevant to adoption of new medical devices, and the management of those factors in the design and development phases. Case studies; guest speakers from government (FDA) and industry.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 1
MS&E 263:
Healthcare Operations Management
US health care spending is approximately 18% of GDP, growing rapidly, and driven in large part by prices and waste rather than quality and access. New approaches for improving health care delivery are urgently needed. This class focuses on the use of analytical tools to support efficient health care delivery. Topics include case studies on capacity planning, resource allocation, and scheduling. Methods include queueing, optimization, and simulation. Prerequisites: basic knowledge of Excel, probability, and optimization. For students in the Schools of Medicine, Business, and Law the course includes a variant of the curriculum with less emphasis on the technical material.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3
MS&E 292:
Health Policy Modeling (HRP 293)
Primarily for master's students; also open to undergraduates and doctoral students. The application of mathematical, statistical, economic, and systems models to problems in health policy. Areas include: disease screening, prevention, and treatment; assessment of new technologies; bioterrorism response; and drug control policies.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3
MS&E 297:
"Hacking for Defense": Solving National Security issues with the Lean Launchpad
In a crisis, national security initiatives move at the speed of a startup yet in peacetime they default to decades-long acquisition and procurement cycles. Startups operate with continual speed and urgency 24/7. Over the last few years they've learned how to be not only fast, but extremely efficient with resources and time using lean startup methodologies. In this class student teams will take actual national security problems and learn how to apply lean startup principles, ("business model canvas," "customer development," and "agile engineering) to discover and validate customer needs and to continually build iterative prototypes to test whether they understood the problem and solution. Teams take a hands-on approach requiring close engagement with actual military, Department of Defense and other government agency end-users. Team applications required in February, see hacking4defense.stanford.edu. Limited enrollment.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3-5
MS&E 494:
The Stanford Energy Seminar (CEE 301, ENERGY 301)
Interdisciplinary exploration of current energy challenges and opportunities in the context of development, equity and sustainability objectives. Talks are presented by faculty, visitors, and students and include relevant technology, policy, and systems perspectives. More information about the seminar can be found on the website https://energyseminar.stanford.edu/May be repeated for credit.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr
| Units: 1
| Repeatable
for credit
NATIVEAM 115:
Introduction to Native American History (AMSTUD 115A)
This course incorporates a Native American perspective in the assigned readings and is an introduction to Native American History from contact with Europeans to the present. History, from a Western perspective, is secular and objectively evaluative whereas for most Indigenous peoples, history is a moral endeavor (Walker, Lakota Society 113). A focus in the course is the civil rights era in American history when Native American protest movements were active. Colonization and decolonization, as they historically occurred are an emphasis throughout the course using texts written from the perspective of the colonized at the end of the 20th century in addition to the main text. Students will be encouraged to critically explore issues of interest through two short papers and one longer paper that is summarized in a 15-20 minute presentation on a topic of interest relating to the course.
Terms: Win
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: GER:EC-AmerCul, WAY-EDP
OB 348:
Leading and Managing Health Care Organizations: Innovation and Collaboration in High Stakes Settings
Leading and managing in complex, high stakes settings, like health care, where lives and livelihoods are on the line, presents distinctive challenges and constraints. This course challenges you to apply seminal and contemporary theories in organizational behavior to evaluate managerial decisions and develop evidence-based strategies for leading and managing health care teams and organizations. Topics include leading systems that promote learning; implementing change; and interdisciplinary problem-solving, decision-making, and collaboration. Group work and exercises will simulate high pressure and risk-taking under uncertainty. While this course will focus on application to health care situations, cases are drawn from multiple sectors and lessons are relevant to other settings including consulting, banking, and high tech. Prior experience in the health sector is not required.
Last offered: Winter 2022
| Units: 3
OBGYN 216:
Current Issues in Reproductive Health
Reproductive Health is a broad subject encompassing many concepts and practices. Issues and services within the context of reproductive health include such diverse topics as fertility, pregnancy, contraception, abortion, sexuality, menopause and parenting. Course focuses on topics related to abortion services, fertility and contraception; current research and practices in family planning; legislation and issues of access.
Terms: Win
| Units: 1
| Repeatable
for credit
OIT 333:
Design for Extreme Affordability
Design for Extreme Affordability (Extreme) is for students who have a passion for social impact, and want to experience designing products and services that address issues of global poverty, through tackling real world challenges in collaboration with low-resource communities. Extreme is a two-quarter graduate level sequence cross listed by the Graduate School of Business (OIT333/334) and the School of Engineering (ME206A/B). The program is hosted by the d.school and open to students from all Stanford schools. This multidisciplinary team, fast paced, project based experience creates an enabling environment in which students learn to design products and services that will change the lives of the world's poorest citizens. Students work directly with course partners, and the communities they serve, on real world problems, the culmination of which is actual implementation and real impact. Topics include design thinking, product and service design, rapid prototype engineering and testing, business modeling, social entrepreneurship, team dynamics, impact measurement, operations planning and ethics. Products and services designed in the class have impacted well over 150 million people worldwide. Limited enrollment by application. Must sign up for both OIT333/ME206A (Winter) and OIT334/ME206B (Spring). See extreme.stanford.edu for more details and application process which opens in October. Cardinal Course certified by the Haas Center for Public Service.
Terms: Win
| Units: 4
OIT 334:
Design for Extreme Affordability
Design for Extreme Affordability ('Extreme') is for students who have a passion for social impact, and want to experience designing products and services that address issues of global poverty, through tackling real world challenges in collaboration with low-resource communities. Extreme is a two-quarter graduate level sequence cross listed by the Graduate School of Business (OIT333/334) and the School of Engineering (ME206A/B). The program is hosted by the d.school and open to students from all Stanford schools. This multidisciplinary team, fast paced, project based experience creates an enabling environment in which students learn to design products and services that will change the lives of the world's poorest citizens. Students work directly with course partners, and the communities they serve, on real world problems, the culmination of which is actual implementation and real impact. Topics include design thinking, product and service design, rapid prototype engineering and testing, business modeling, social entrepreneurship, team dynamics, impact measurement, operations planning and ethics. Products and services designed in the class have impacted well over 150 million people worldwide.Limited enrollment by application. Must sign up for both OIT333/ME206A (Winter) and OIT334/ME206B (Spring).See extreme.stanford.edu for more details and application process which opens in October.Cardinal Course certified by the Haas Center for Public Service.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 4
OIT 384:
Biodesign Innovation: Needs Finding and Concept Creation
In this two-quarter course series (OIT 384/5), multidisciplinary student teams from medicine, business, and engineering work together to identify real-world unmet healthcare needs, invent new health technologies to address them, and plan for their development and implementation into patient care. During the first quarter (winter), students select and characterize an important unmet healthcare problem, validate it through primary interviews and secondary research, and then brainstorm and screen initial technology-based solutions. In the second quarter (spring), teams screen their ideas, select a lead solution, and move it toward the market through prototyping, technical re-risking, strategies to address healthcare-specific requirements (regulation, reimbursement), and business planning. Final presentations in winter and spring are made to a panel of prominent health technology industry experts and investors. Class sessions include faculty-led instruction and case studies, coaching sessions by industry specialists, expert guest lecturers, and interactive team meetings. Enrollment is by application only, and students are expected to participate in both quarters of the course. Visit http://biodesign.stanford.edu/programs/stanford-courses/biodesign-innovation.html to access the application, examples of past projects, and student testimonials. More information about Stanford Biodesign, which has led to the creation of more than 50 venture-backed healthcare companies and has helped hundreds of students launch health technology careers, can be found at http://biodesign.stanford.edu/.
Terms: Win
| Units: 4
OIT 385:
Biodesign Innovation: Concept Development and Implementation
In this two-quarter course series (OIT 384/5), multidisciplinary student teams from medicine, business, and engineering work together to identify real-world unmet healthcare needs, invent new health technologies to address them, and plan for their development and implementation into patient care. During the first quarter (winter), students select and characterize an important unmet healthcare problem, validate it through primary interviews and secondary research, and then brainstorm and screen initial technology-based solutions. In the second quarter (spring), teams screen their ideas, select a lead solution, and move it toward the market through prototyping, technical re-risking, strategies to address healthcare-specific requirements (regulation, reimbursement), and business planning. Final presentations in winter and spring are made to a panel of prominent health technology industry experts and investors. Class sessions include faculty-led instruction and case studies, coaching sessions by industry specialists, expert guest lecturers, and interactive team meetings. Enrollment is by application only, and students are expected to participate in both quarters of the course. Visit http://biodesign.stanford.edu/programs/stanford-courses/biodesign-innovation.html to access the application, examples of past projects, and student testimonials. More information about Stanford Biodesign, which has led to the creation of more than 50 venture-backed healthcare companies and has helped hundreds of students launch health technology careers, can be found at http://biodesign.stanford.edu/.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 4
PEDS 150:
Social and Environmental Determinants of Health (HUMBIO 122H, PEDS 250)
Race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status are just a few of the social determinants that contribute to health disparities. Apply a racial equity lens to drive a deeper understanding of how vulnerable populations are uniquely at risk for poorer health outcomes. Explore how where we live, work, learn, and play influences health status, and examine the processes through which social and environmental determinants adversely affect health and drive inequities across the lifespan. With experts from multiple sectors, this course will discuss innovative clinical, public health, policy, advocacy, and community engaged solutions to advance health equity. Explore the unique role of health professionals in addressing health inequities. HUMBIO students should enroll in HUMBIO 122H. Undergraduates may enroll in PEDS 150. Graduate/Med Students should enroll in PEDS 250. (Cardinal Course certified by the Haas Center).
Terms: Win
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: WAY-EDP
PEDS 212:
Challenges of Human Migration: Health and Health Care of Migrants and Autochthonous Populations (HUMBIO 122M)
An emerging area of inquiry. Topics include: global migration trends, health Issues/aspects of migration, healthcare and the needs of immigrants in the US, and migrants as healthcare providers: a new area of inquiry in the US. Class is structured to include: lectures lead by the instructor and possible guest speakers; seminar, discussion and case study sessions led by students. Enrollment limited to juniors, seniors and and graduate students or the consent of the instructor. HUMBIO students must enroll in HUMBIO 122M. Med/Graduate students enroll in PEDS 212.
Last offered: Spring 2023
| Units: 3
PEDS 222:
Beyond Health Care: the effects of social policies on health (HUMBIO 122)
Available evidence at the national and cross-country level linking social welfare interventions and health outcomes. If and how non-health programs and policies could have an impact on positive health outcomes. Evaluation of social programs and policies that buffer the negative health impact of economic instability and unemployment among adult workers and their children. Examination of safety nets, including public health insurance, income maintenance programs, and disability insurance. Enrollment limited to junior and seniors and graduate students or consent of the instructor. HUMBIO students must enroll in HUMBIO 122. Med/Graduate students must enroll in PEDS 222.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 3
PEDS 223:
Human Rights and Global Health
Open to medical students, graduate students, and advanced undergraduates. Examines the newly emerging field of human rights and global health, beginning with the essential background into the field of human rights, and the recent emergence of health as a human right. Emphasis is on the pioneering work of Dr. Paul Farmer and Partners in Health and the challenge he and his organization have posed to the conventional wisdom about approaches to combating poor health and disease worldwide. Topics include the "big three" infectious diseases -- tuberculosis, malaria, and HIV/AIDS -- as well as emerging infectious diseases, clean water and sanitation, and malnutrition and famine.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3
PEDS 224:
Genocide and Humanitarian Intervention (HISTORY 224C, HISTORY 324C, JEWISHST 284C, JEWISHST 384C)
Open to medical students, graduate students, and undergraduate students. Traces the history of genocide in the 20th century and the question of humanitarian intervention to stop it, a topic that has been especially controversial since the end of the Cold War. The pre-1990s discussion begins with the Armenian genocide during the First World War and includes the Holocaust and Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s. Coverage of genocide and humanitarian intervention since the 1990s includes the wars in Bosnia, Rwanda, Kosovo, the Congo and Sudan.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3
PEDS 225:
Humanitarian Aid and Politics
Open to medical students, graduate students, and undergraduate students. Examines the moral dilemmas and political realities that complicate the delivery of humanitarian aid, especially when undertaken by the United Nations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Emphasis is on what humanitarians call "complex humanitarian emergencies": crises often characterized by famine and/or epidemic disease and typically the result of war and/or civil war. Provides background into the history of humanitarian aid, though focus is on the post-Cold War era, up to the recent crises in Libya and Syria.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 3
PEDS 226:
Famine in the Modern World (HISTORY 226E, HISTORY 326E)
Open to medical students, graduate students, and undergraduate students. Examines the major famines of modern history, the controversies surrounding them, and the reasons that famine persists in our increasingly globalized world. Focus is on the relative importance of natural, economic, and political factors as causes of famine in the modern world. Case studies include the Great Irish Famine of the 1840s; the Bengal famine of 1943-44; the Soviet famines of 1921-22 and 1932-33; China's Great Famine of 1959-61; the Ethiopian famines of the 1970s and 80s, and the Somalia famines of the 1990s and of 2011.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3
PEDS 250:
Social and Environmental Determinants of Health (HUMBIO 122H, PEDS 150)
Race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status are just a few of the social determinants that contribute to health disparities. Apply a racial equity lens to drive a deeper understanding of how vulnerable populations are uniquely at risk for poorer health outcomes. Explore how where we live, work, learn, and play influences health status, and examine the processes through which social and environmental determinants adversely affect health and drive inequities across the lifespan. With experts from multiple sectors, this course will discuss innovative clinical, public health, policy, advocacy, and community engaged solutions to advance health equity. Explore the unique role of health professionals in addressing health inequities. HUMBIO students should enroll in HUMBIO 122H. Undergraduates may enroll in PEDS 150. Graduate/Med Students should enroll in PEDS 250. (Cardinal Course certified by the Haas Center).
Terms: Win
| Units: 3
PHYSICS 240:
Introduction to the Physics of Energy
Energy as a consumable. Forms and interconvertability. World Joule budget. Equivalents in rivers, oil pipelines and nuclear weapons. Quantum mechanics of fire, batteries and fuel cells. Hydrocarbon and hydrogen synthesis. Fundamental limits to mechanical, electrical and magnetic strengths of materials. Flywheels, capacitors and high pressure tanks. Principles of AC and DC power transmission. Impossibility of pure electricity storage. Surge and peaking. Solar constant. Photovoltaic and thermal solar conversion. Physical limits on agriculture.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 3
POLECON 349:
The Business World: Moral and Spiritual Inquiry through Literature
This course uses novels and plays as a basis for examining the moral and spiritual aspects of business leadership and of the environment in which business is done. On the one hand literature is used as the basis for examining the character of business people, while on the other hand literature provides illumination of the cultural contexts of values and beliefs within which commercial activities take place in a global economy. The course is organized around the interplay of religious traditions and national identities. Classes are taught in a Socratic, discussion-based style, creating as much of a seminar atmosphere as possible. A two-text method is used, encouraging students to examine their own personal stories with as much care as the stories presented in the literature. This course will be graded on the basis of class participation, weekly reflection papers (1 page), and a final paper. There will be no exam.
Last offered: Spring 2021
| Units: 3
POLECON 531:
The Future of Cities: Entrepreneurship, Policy & Business Strategy
Cities are where billions of people live and they are the engine for innovation and economic growth. They are also going through enormous change and battling with fundamental problems, like housing, transportation, urban planning, the environment, safety, transparency and more. Innovation offers the promise of exciting solutions. But for that change to happen, it must serve the interests of the people who live in a city and overcome the challenges of politics and policymaking. The class will focus on this intersection. We will analyze cities as a distinct phenomenon, look at what is possible technologically, and explore how change can be made to happen. The class will consist of a combination of case studies, guest speakers, and class discussion. It will be led by Steve Callander, GSB Professor of Political Economy, and Sarah Hunter, the director of Global Public Policy at X, the google Moonshot Factory.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 2
POLISCI 103:
Justice (ETHICSOC 171, PHIL 171, POLISCI 336S, PUBLPOL 103C)
Justice, as we use the term in this class, is a question about social cooperation. People can produce much more cooperatively than the sum of what they could produce as individuals, and these gains from cooperation are what makes civilization possible. But on what terms should we cooperate? How should we divide, as the philosopher John Rawls puts it, "the benefits and burdens of social cooperation"? Working primarily within the Anglo-American philosophical tradition, we'll discuss different answers to this big question as a way to bring together some of the most prominent debates in modern political philosophy. We'll study theories including utilitarianism, libertarianism, classical liberalism, and egalitarian liberalism, and we'll take on complex current issues like reparations for racial injustice, the gender pay gap, and responses to climate change. This class is meant to be an accessible entry point to political philosophy. No experience with political science or philosophy is required or assumed, and we will spend time on the strategy of philosophy as well: understanding how our authors make their arguments to better respond to them and make our own.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 4-5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, GER:EC-EthicReas, WAY-ER
POLISCI 114S:
International Security in a Changing World (INTNLREL 114S)
International Security in a Changing World examines some of the most pressing international security problems facing the world today: nuclear weapons, the rise of China, the war in Ukraine, terrorism, and climate change. Alternative perspectives - from political science, history, and STS (Science, Technology, and Society) studies - are used to analyze these problems. The class includes an award-winning two-day international negotiation simulation.
Terms: Win
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, GER:EC-GlobalCom, WAY-SI
POLISCI 120B:
Campaigns, Voting, Media, and Elections (AMSTUD 162B, COMM 162, COMM 262)
(Graduate students enroll in COMM 262. COMM 162 is offered for 5 units, COMM 262 is offered for 4 units.) This course examines the theory and practice of American campaigns and elections. First, we will attempt to explain the behavior of the key players -- candidates, parties, journalists, and voters -- in terms of the institutional arrangements and political incentives that confront them. Second, we will use current and recent election campaigns as "laboratories" for testing generalizations about campaign strategy and voter behavior. Third, we examine selections from the academic literature dealing with the origins of partisan identity, electoral design, and the immediate effects of campaigns on public opinion, voter turnout, and voter choice. As well, we'll explore issues of electoral reform and their more long-term consequences for governance and the political process.
Terms: Win
| Units: 4-5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, WAY-SI
POLISCI 136R:
Introduction to Global Justice (ETHICSOC 136R, INTNLREL 136R, PHIL 76, POLISCI 336)
As we live in a globalized world, our lives are interconnected with many other people within and beyond the state borders. Currently, we face urgent problems of global justice, such as climate change, economic inequality, immigration, and health disparities, and how to address these issues is a crucial question for all of us. This course introduces students to normative inquiries into issues of global justice and offers an opportunity to integrate theories and practices by engaging with essential and timely questions. What normative demands does justice impose on individuals and institutions in a global world? Do people in affluent countries bear the responsibility for the suffering of those who live in other countries? Should relatively developed countries open their borders to those from developing countries? How should we allocate responsibilities for reducing global injustice, such as health disparities? How does injustice with historical roots, such as colonialism, further complicate the picture of normative demands? While there are no easy answers to these questions, throughout this course, students will be exposed to interdisciplinary approaches (including philosophy, political theory, gender studies, etc.), learn to critically analyze various theoretical approaches, and use them as frameworks to develop their views on issues of global justice. This class meets on Tuesdays & Thursdays from 9:30-11AM. Please note that in addition to the listed lecture time, students must sign up for a 45-min discussion session. The schedule of the discussion session will be arranged and announced during the first week of the quarter.
Terms: Win
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, GER:EC-EthicReas, WAY-ER
POLISCI 147:
Comparative Democratic Development (SOC 112)
Social, cultural, political, economic, and international factors affecting the development and consolidation of democracy in historical and comparative perspective. Individual country experiences with democracy, democratization, and regime performance. Emphasis is on global third wave of democratization beginning in the mid-1970s, the recent global recession of democracy (including the rise of illiberal populist parties and movements), and the contemporary challenges and prospects for democratic change.
Last offered: Winter 2023
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, GER:EC-GlobalCom, WAY-SI
POLISCI 214R:
Challenges and Dilemmas in American Foreign Policy (POLISCI 314R)
This seminar will examine the complexities and trade offs involved in foreign policy decision-making at the end of the twentieth century and the dawn of the post-9/11 era. Students will analyze dilemmas confronting policymakers through case studies including post-conflict reconstruction and state-building, nuclear proliferation, democratization and peace negotiation. The seminar will conclude with a 48-hour crisis simulation. For advanced undergraduates and graduate students. Application for enrollment required. Applications will be available for pick up in Political Science Department (Encina West 100) starting late-October.
Last offered: Winter 2019
| Units: 5
POLISCI 236:
Philanthropy for Sustainable Development (ETHICSOC 232T, POLISCI 236S, SUSTAIN 222)
This course teaches students how to pursue social change through philanthropy with a focus on sustainable development. Students learn about the approaches, history, and key debates in philanthropy, and apply their knowledge by collaboratively making a substantial class contribution to one or more select nonprofit organizations. This class responds to the reality confronting all philanthropists: There are many ways in which we can change the world for the better, but our money and time is finite. How then can we best use our limited resources to accomplish change? And how will we know we've been successful? By the end of the course, students will understand the fundamentals of effective philanthropy, including how to define problems, develop a theory of change, evaluate outcomes, and reduce unintended harm. Students of all levels of familiarity with philanthropy are welcome to join and no discipline is privileged in the class.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 4-5
| UG Reqs: WAY-ER
POLISCI 236S:
Philanthropy for Sustainable Development (ETHICSOC 232T, POLISCI 236, SUSTAIN 222)
This course teaches students how to pursue social change through philanthropy with a focus on sustainable development. Students learn about the approaches, history, and key debates in philanthropy, and apply their knowledge by collaboratively making a substantial class contribution to one or more select nonprofit organizations. This class responds to the reality confronting all philanthropists: There are many ways in which we can change the world for the better, but our money and time is finite. How then can we best use our limited resources to accomplish change? And how will we know we've been successful? By the end of the course, students will understand the fundamentals of effective philanthropy, including how to define problems, develop a theory of change, evaluate outcomes, and reduce unintended harm. Students of all levels of familiarity with philanthropy are welcome to join and no discipline is privileged in the class.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 4-5
| UG Reqs: WAY-ER
POLISCI 247A:
Games Developing Nations Play (ECON 162, POLISCI 347A)
If, as economists argue, development can make everyone in a society better off, why do leaders fail to pursue policies that promote development? The course uses game theoretic approaches from both economics and political science to address this question. Incentive problems are at the heart of explanations for development failure. Specifically, the course focuses on a series of questions central to the development problem: Why do developing countries have weak and often counterproductive political institutions? Why is violence (civil wars, ethnic conflict, military coups) so prevalent in the developing world, and how does it interact with development? Why do developing economies fail to generate high levels of income and wealth? We study how various kinds of development traps arise, preventing development for most countries. We also explain how some countries have overcome such traps. This approach emphasizes the importance of simultaneous economic and political development as two different facets of the same developmental process. No background in game theory is required.
Last offered: Winter 2021
| Units: 3-5
| UG Reqs: WAY-AQR, WAY-SI
POLISCI 247G:
Governance and Poverty (POLISCI 347G)
Poverty relief requires active government involvement in the provision of public services such as drinking water, healthcare, sanitation, education, roads, electricity and public safety. Failure to deliver public services is a major impediment to the alleviation of poverty in the developing world. This course will use an interdisciplinary approach to examining these issues, bringing together readings from across the disciplines of political science, economics, law, medicine and education to increase understanding of the complex causal linkages between political institutions, the quality of governance, and the capacity of developing societies to meet basic human needs. Conceived in a broadly comparative international perspective, the course will examine cross-national and field-based research projects, with a particular focus on Latin America and Mexico.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3-5
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
POLISCI 314D:
Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law (INTLPOL 230, INTNLREL 114D, POLISCI 114D, REES 230)
This course explores the different dimensions of development - economic, social, and political - as well as the way that modern institutions (the state, market systems, the rule of law, and democratic accountability) developed and interacted with other factors across different societies around the world. The class will feature additional special guest lectures by Francis Fukuyama, Larry Diamond, Michael McFaul, Anna Grzymala-Busse, and other faculty and researchers affiliated with the Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law. Undergraduate students should enroll in this course for 5 units. Graduate students should enroll for 3.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 3-5
POLISCI 314R:
Challenges and Dilemmas in American Foreign Policy (POLISCI 214R)
This seminar will examine the complexities and trade offs involved in foreign policy decision-making at the end of the twentieth century and the dawn of the post-9/11 era. Students will analyze dilemmas confronting policymakers through case studies including post-conflict reconstruction and state-building, nuclear proliferation, democratization and peace negotiation. The seminar will conclude with a 48-hour crisis simulation. For advanced undergraduates and graduate students. Application for enrollment required. Applications will be available for pick up in Political Science Department (Encina West 100) starting late-October.
Last offered: Winter 2019
| Units: 5
POLISCI 336:
Introduction to Global Justice (ETHICSOC 136R, INTNLREL 136R, PHIL 76, POLISCI 136R)
As we live in a globalized world, our lives are interconnected with many other people within and beyond the state borders. Currently, we face urgent problems of global justice, such as climate change, economic inequality, immigration, and health disparities, and how to address these issues is a crucial question for all of us. This course introduces students to normative inquiries into issues of global justice and offers an opportunity to integrate theories and practices by engaging with essential and timely questions. What normative demands does justice impose on individuals and institutions in a global world? Do people in affluent countries bear the responsibility for the suffering of those who live in other countries? Should relatively developed countries open their borders to those from developing countries? How should we allocate responsibilities for reducing global injustice, such as health disparities? How does injustice with historical roots, such as colonialism, further complicate the picture of normative demands? While there are no easy answers to these questions, throughout this course, students will be exposed to interdisciplinary approaches (including philosophy, political theory, gender studies, etc.), learn to critically analyze various theoretical approaches, and use them as frameworks to develop their views on issues of global justice. This class meets on Tuesdays & Thursdays from 9:30-11AM. Please note that in addition to the listed lecture time, students must sign up for a 45-min discussion session. The schedule of the discussion session will be arranged and announced during the first week of the quarter.
Terms: Win
| Units: 4
POLISCI 336S:
Justice (ETHICSOC 171, PHIL 171, POLISCI 103, PUBLPOL 103C)
Justice, as we use the term in this class, is a question about social cooperation. People can produce much more cooperatively than the sum of what they could produce as individuals, and these gains from cooperation are what makes civilization possible. But on what terms should we cooperate? How should we divide, as the philosopher John Rawls puts it, "the benefits and burdens of social cooperation"? Working primarily within the Anglo-American philosophical tradition, we'll discuss different answers to this big question as a way to bring together some of the most prominent debates in modern political philosophy. We'll study theories including utilitarianism, libertarianism, classical liberalism, and egalitarian liberalism, and we'll take on complex current issues like reparations for racial injustice, the gender pay gap, and responses to climate change. This class is meant to be an accessible entry point to political philosophy. No experience with political science or philosophy is required or assumed, and we will spend time on the strategy of philosophy as well: understanding how our authors make their arguments to better respond to them and make our own.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 4-5
POLISCI 347A:
Games Developing Nations Play (ECON 162, POLISCI 247A)
If, as economists argue, development can make everyone in a society better off, why do leaders fail to pursue policies that promote development? The course uses game theoretic approaches from both economics and political science to address this question. Incentive problems are at the heart of explanations for development failure. Specifically, the course focuses on a series of questions central to the development problem: Why do developing countries have weak and often counterproductive political institutions? Why is violence (civil wars, ethnic conflict, military coups) so prevalent in the developing world, and how does it interact with development? Why do developing economies fail to generate high levels of income and wealth? We study how various kinds of development traps arise, preventing development for most countries. We also explain how some countries have overcome such traps. This approach emphasizes the importance of simultaneous economic and political development as two different facets of the same developmental process. No background in game theory is required.
Last offered: Winter 2021
| Units: 3-5
PSYCH 101:
Community Health Psychology (HUMBIO 128)
Social ecological perspective on health emphasizing how individual health behavior is shaped by social forces. Topics include: biobehavioral factors in health; health behavior change; community health promotion; and psychological aspects of illness, patient care, and chronic disease management. Prerequisites: HUMBIO 3B or PSYCH 1 or consent of the instructor
Terms: Win
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
PSYCH 147:
Development in Early Childhood
Supervised experience with young children at Bing Nursery School. 3 units require 4 hours per week in Bing classrooms throughout the quarter; 4 units require 7 hours per week; 5 units require 10.5 hours per week. Seminar on developmental issues in the Bing teaching/learning environment. Recommended: 60 or 146, or consent of instructor.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr
| Units: 3-5
PSYCH 459:
Frontiers in Interdisciplinary Biosciences (BIO 459, BIOC 459, BIOE 459, CHEM 459, CHEMENG 459)
Students register through their affiliated department; otherwise register for CHEMENG 459. For specialists and non-specialists. Sponsored by the Stanford BioX Program. Three seminars per quarter address scientific and technical themes related to interdisciplinary approaches in bioengineering, medicine, and the chemical, physical, and biological sciences. Leading investigators from Stanford and the world present breakthroughs and endeavors that cut across core disciplines. Pre-seminars introduce basic concepts and background for non-experts. Registered students attend all pre-seminars; others welcome. See http://biox.stanford.edu/courses/459.html. Recommended: basic mathematics, biology, chemistry, and physics.
Last offered: Spring 2020
| Units: 1
| Repeatable
for credit
PUBLPOL 103C:
Justice (ETHICSOC 171, PHIL 171, POLISCI 103, POLISCI 336S)
Justice, as we use the term in this class, is a question about social cooperation. People can produce much more cooperatively than the sum of what they could produce as individuals, and these gains from cooperation are what makes civilization possible. But on what terms should we cooperate? How should we divide, as the philosopher John Rawls puts it, "the benefits and burdens of social cooperation"? Working primarily within the Anglo-American philosophical tradition, we'll discuss different answers to this big question as a way to bring together some of the most prominent debates in modern political philosophy. We'll study theories including utilitarianism, libertarianism, classical liberalism, and egalitarian liberalism, and we'll take on complex current issues like reparations for racial injustice, the gender pay gap, and responses to climate change. This class is meant to be an accessible entry point to political philosophy. No experience with political science or philosophy is required or assumed, and we will spend time on the strategy of philosophy as well: understanding how our authors make their arguments to better respond to them and make our own.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 4-5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, GER:EC-EthicReas, WAY-ER
PUBLPOL 103E:
Ethics on the Edge Public Policy Core Seminar (PUBLPOL 203E)
This seminar-style course will explore additional foundational readings on organizational ethics (business, non-profit, and governmental organizations) and policy ethics. Themes will include, among others: AI and policy considerations; social media and policy considerations; race and police brutality incidents; national security (including cyber threats); the Iran nuclear agreement; non-profit organizations in the policy and US landscape; and various corporate matters. Organizing themes include, among others: ethics of leadership; ethics of persuasion and compromise; influence of bias in organizational and policy ethics; ethics of social movements; discrepancies between discourse and action; emotion and ethics; and interpreting and explaining ethics. In addition, the course will offer training in a wide variety of skills for effective communication of ethics for policy purposes (developing succinct arguments, presentations, website discourse, commenting in meetings and conferences, interviews, statement of personal views, interacting with the media and social media, and mapping complex ethical analysis). Most of the assignments allow students flexibility to explore topics of their choice. The objective is to engage actively and improve skills in a supportive environment. A short, analytically rigorous final paper in lieu of final exam. Attendance required. Grading will be based on short assignments, class participation, and the short final paper. The course is open to undergraduate and graduate students. Undergraduates will not be at a disadvantage. Everyone will be challenged. Students wishing to take the course who are unable to sign up within the enrollment limit should contact Dr. Susan Liautaud at susanl1@stanford.edu. Distinguished Career Institute Fellows are welcome and should contact Dr. Susan Liautaud directly at susanl1@stanford.edu. This three-credit seminar accompanies PUBLPOL 134 Ethics on the Edge but can also be taken as a stand-alone course. *Please note the course is being offered for two units and therefore is ineligible for Ways credit in the 2019-20 academic year. Please note that this course will require one make-up evening session on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday in April in lieu of the final class session the first week of June, so the course ends before Memorial Day.
Last offered: Spring 2020
| Units: 2
PUBLPOL 132:
The Politics of Policy Making (PUBLPOL 232)
Public policymaking in the United States is part of a political process that can take years or even decades to play out. A familiarity with the politics of policymaking is key to understanding why some reform attempts are successful while others are not. This course will give students a behind-the-scenes look at how policy actually gets made. Students will gain exposure to the theory and literature behind policy formulation, and engage in debates over historical and contemporary efforts at reform.
Last offered: Autumn 2021
| Units: 3
PUBLPOL 134:
Ethics on the Edge: Business, Non-Profit Organizations, Government, and Individuals (PUBLPOL 234)
(PUBLPOL 134, PUBLPOL 234 - 3 credits; Ways - ER; Same as LAW 7020) The objective of this course is to explore cutting-edge ethical challenges in a world in which technology, global risks, and societal developments are accelerating faster than our understanding and the law can keep pace. The course also offers a parallel personal journey: an opportunity to explore your own ethics and increase your own resilience when life throws challenges your way. We will unravel the ethics challenges and problem-solve across sectors: business, government, non-profit, and academia. A framework for ethical decision-making underpins the course. However, there is significant space for forming your own views on a wide range of issues. Prominent guest speakers will attend certain sessions interactively. The relationships among ethics and technology, culture, leadership, law, and global risks (AI, synthetic biology, inequality, privacy, financial system meltdown, cyber-terrorism, climate change, diversity and inclusion, etc.) will inform discussion. A broad range of topics might include: designer genetics; civilian space travel; generative AI; the Supreme Court case on University affirmative action; new wearable devices; free speech on University campuses; opioid addiction; corporate and financial sector scandals (Theranos, FTX, currency); and non-profit sector ethics challenges (e.g. medical humanitarian aid in Gaza). Final project in lieu of exam on a topic of student's choice. Attendance required. Class participation important, with multiple opportunities to earn participation credit beyond speaking in class. Strong emphasis on rigorous analysis, critical thinking, and testing ideas in real-world contexts. Note that this course will require one make-up evening session on a Wednesday or Thursday in early May in lieu of the final class session in June. Enrollment will be decided via application, which can be found at https://forms.gle/xw9bPh5wjxPZZcwf6. **The form will open on 3/6 at 5pm and close on 3/13 at 5pm.** The course offers credit toward Public Policy core requirements (if taken in combination with PUBLPOL 103F) and it satisfies the undergraduate Ways of Thinking - ER requirement. The course is open to undergraduate and graduate students. Undergraduates will not be at a disadvantage. Everyone will be challenged. Students taking the course for Ways credit and Public Policy majors taking the course to complete the core requirements must obtain a letter grade. Others may take the course for a letter grade or C/NC. Students seeking credit for other majors should consult their departments.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: WAY-ER
PUBLPOL 135:
Regional Politics and Decision Making in Silicon Valley and the Greater Bay Area
Dynamics of regional leadership and decision making in Silicon Valley, a complex region composed of 40 cities and four counties without any overarching framework for governance. Formal and informal institutions shaping outcomes in the region. Case studies include transportation, workforce development, housing and land use, and climate change.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 4
PUBLPOL 154:
Politics and Policy in California
State politics and policy making, including the roles of the legislature, legislative leadership, governor, special interests, campaign finance, advocacy groups, ballot initiatives, state and federal laws, media, and research organizations. Case studies involving budgets, education, pensions, health care, political reform, environmental reforms, water, transportation and more. Evaluation of political actions, both inside and outside of government, that can affect California policy and social outcomes. Meetings with elected officials, policymakers, and advocates in class and during a day-long field trip to Sacramento, assuming no COVID or related restrictions.
Terms: Win
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
PUBLPOL 156:
Health Care Policy and Reform (HUMBIO 122A)
Focuses on U.S. health care policy. Includes comparisons with health care policy in other countries and detailed examinations of Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and proposed reforms. Examines health policy efforts at state and local levels. The course includes sessions on effective memo writing as well as presentation and the politics of health policy and reform efforts. HUMBIO students must enroll in HUMBIO 122A. Graduate students must enroll in PUBLPOL 156. **Enrollment will be decided via application. Applications will open on Aug. 30 at 6:00 p.m. and close on Sept. 6 at 5 p.m. To apply, visit https://forms.gle/thzX6CYjvRvaz5Ra8 **
Terms: Aut
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
PUBLPOL 174:
The Urban Economy (URBANST 173)
Applies the principles of economic analysis to historical and contemporary urban and regional development issues and policies. Explores themes of urban economic geography, location decision-making by firms and individuals, urban land and housing markets, and local government finance. Critically evaluates historical and contemporary government policies regulating urban land use, housing, employment development, and transportation. Thematic focus on impacts of the pandemic and long-term work-from-home employment patterns on urban form, density, and fiscal policies.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
PUBLPOL 203E:
Ethics on the Edge Public Policy Core Seminar (PUBLPOL 103E)
This seminar-style course will explore additional foundational readings on organizational ethics (business, non-profit, and governmental organizations) and policy ethics. Themes will include, among others: AI and policy considerations; social media and policy considerations; race and police brutality incidents; national security (including cyber threats); the Iran nuclear agreement; non-profit organizations in the policy and US landscape; and various corporate matters. Organizing themes include, among others: ethics of leadership; ethics of persuasion and compromise; influence of bias in organizational and policy ethics; ethics of social movements; discrepancies between discourse and action; emotion and ethics; and interpreting and explaining ethics. In addition, the course will offer training in a wide variety of skills for effective communication of ethics for policy purposes (developing succinct arguments, presentations, website discourse, commenting in meetings and conferences, interviews, statement of personal views, interacting with the media and social media, and mapping complex ethical analysis). Most of the assignments allow students flexibility to explore topics of their choice. The objective is to engage actively and improve skills in a supportive environment. A short, analytically rigorous final paper in lieu of final exam. Attendance required. Grading will be based on short assignments, class participation, and the short final paper. The course is open to undergraduate and graduate students. Undergraduates will not be at a disadvantage. Everyone will be challenged. Students wishing to take the course who are unable to sign up within the enrollment limit should contact Dr. Susan Liautaud at susanl1@stanford.edu. Distinguished Career Institute Fellows are welcome and should contact Dr. Susan Liautaud directly at susanl1@stanford.edu. This three-credit seminar accompanies PUBLPOL 134 Ethics on the Edge but can also be taken as a stand-alone course. *Please note the course is being offered for two units and therefore is ineligible for Ways credit in the 2019-20 academic year. Please note that this course will require one make-up evening session on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday in April in lieu of the final class session the first week of June, so the course ends before Memorial Day.
Last offered: Spring 2020
| Units: 2
PUBLPOL 232:
The Politics of Policy Making (PUBLPOL 132)
Public policymaking in the United States is part of a political process that can take years or even decades to play out. A familiarity with the politics of policymaking is key to understanding why some reform attempts are successful while others are not. This course will give students a behind-the-scenes look at how policy actually gets made. Students will gain exposure to the theory and literature behind policy formulation, and engage in debates over historical and contemporary efforts at reform.
Last offered: Autumn 2021
| Units: 3
PUBLPOL 234:
Ethics on the Edge: Business, Non-Profit Organizations, Government, and Individuals (PUBLPOL 134)
(PUBLPOL 134, PUBLPOL 234 - 3 credits; Ways - ER; Same as LAW 7020) The objective of this course is to explore cutting-edge ethical challenges in a world in which technology, global risks, and societal developments are accelerating faster than our understanding and the law can keep pace. The course also offers a parallel personal journey: an opportunity to explore your own ethics and increase your own resilience when life throws challenges your way. We will unravel the ethics challenges and problem-solve across sectors: business, government, non-profit, and academia. A framework for ethical decision-making underpins the course. However, there is significant space for forming your own views on a wide range of issues. Prominent guest speakers will attend certain sessions interactively. The relationships among ethics and technology, culture, leadership, law, and global risks (AI, synthetic biology, inequality, privacy, financial system meltdown, cyber-terrorism, climate change, diversity and inclusion, etc.) will inform discussion. A broad range of topics might include: designer genetics; civilian space travel; generative AI; the Supreme Court case on University affirmative action; new wearable devices; free speech on University campuses; opioid addiction; corporate and financial sector scandals (Theranos, FTX, currency); and non-profit sector ethics challenges (e.g. medical humanitarian aid in Gaza). Final project in lieu of exam on a topic of student's choice. Attendance required. Class participation important, with multiple opportunities to earn participation credit beyond speaking in class. Strong emphasis on rigorous analysis, critical thinking, and testing ideas in real-world contexts. Note that this course will require one make-up evening session on a Wednesday or Thursday in early May in lieu of the final class session in June. Enrollment will be decided via application, which can be found at https://forms.gle/xw9bPh5wjxPZZcwf6. **The form will open on 3/6 at 5pm and close on 3/13 at 5pm.** The course offers credit toward Public Policy core requirements (if taken in combination with PUBLPOL 103F) and it satisfies the undergraduate Ways of Thinking - ER requirement. The course is open to undergraduate and graduate students. Undergraduates will not be at a disadvantage. Everyone will be challenged. Students taking the course for Ways credit and Public Policy majors taking the course to complete the core requirements must obtain a letter grade. Others may take the course for a letter grade or C/NC. Students seeking credit for other majors should consult their departments.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3
PUBLPOL 238:
Wise Interventions (PSYCH 138, PSYCH 238)
Classic and contemporary psychological interventions; the role of psychological factors in social reforms for social problems involving healthcare, the workplace, education, intergroup, relations, and the law. Topics include theories of intervention, the role of laboratory research, evaluation, and social policy.
Terms: Win
| Units: 4
PUBLPOL 301B:
Economic Policy Analysis for Policymakers (INTLPOL 204B)
This class provides economic and institutional background necessary to conduct policy analysis. We will examine the economic justification for government intervention and illustrate these concepts with applications drawn from different policy contexts. The goal of the course is to provide you with the conceptual foundations and the practical skills and experience you will need to be thoughtful consumers or producers of policy analysis. Prerequisites: ECON 102B or PUBLPOL 303D.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 4-5
PUBLPOL 308:
Political Analysis for Public Policymakers
Policymakers in the United States, whether elected or unelected, operate in a governmental system where politics pervades nearly every element of their daily activity. This course provides students with both the theory and real-world examples they need to understand and evaluate the impact of politics, political institutions, and the political process on policymaking. Readings will include selections from the public policy, political science, legal, and economics literatures.
Terms: Win
| Units: 4
PUBLPOL 309:
Public Policy Graduate Practicum
The Public Policy Graduate Practicum is a two-quarter sequence that serves as the Master's capstone course. In the Practicum, students work in teams to apply and further develop analytical tools acquired in the program to perform policy analysis on real-world projects for government and non-profit clients.
Terms: Aut, Win
| Units: 1-10
| Repeatable
for credit
PUBLPOL 311:
Public Policy Colloquium
Weekly colloquia speaker series required for M.P.P. and M.A. in Public Policy students. Open only to Public Policy graduate students; permission number required to enroll.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr
| Units: 1
| Repeatable
4 times
(up to 4 units total)
REES 304G:
War and Society (HISTORY 204G, HISTORY 304G)
(History 204G is an undergraduate course offered for 5 units; History 304G is a graduate course offered for 4-5 units.) How Western societies and cultures have responded to modern warfare. The relationship between its destructive capacity and effects on those who produce, are subject to, and must come to terms with its aftermath. Literary representations of WW I; destructive psychological effects of modern warfare including those who take pleasure in killing; changes in relations between the genders; consequences of genocidal ideology and racial prejudice; the theory of just war and its practical implementation; how wars end and commemorated.
Last offered: Spring 2022
| Units: 4-5
SOC 107E:
Education and Inequality: Big Data for Large-Scale Problems (EDUC 107, EDUC 207, SOC 205)
In this course, students will use data from the Stanford Education Data Archive (SEDA) to study the patterns, causes, consequences, and remedies of educational inequality in the US. SEDA is based on 200 million test score records, administrative data, and census data from every public school, school district, and community in the US. The course will include lectures, discussion, and small group research projects using SEDA and other data.
Last offered: Autumn 2022
| Units: 3
SOC 129X:
Urban Education (AFRICAAM 112, CSRE 112X, EDUC 112, EDUC 212, SOC 229X, URBANST 115)
(Graduate students register for EDUC 212 or SOC 229X). Combination of social science and historical perspectives trace the major developments, contexts, tensions, challenges, and policy issues of urban education.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3-5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, WAY-EDP
SOC 130:
Education and Society (EDUC 120C, EDUC 220C, SOC 230)
The effects of schools and schooling on individuals, the stratification system, and society. Education as socializing individuals and as legitimizing social institutions. The social and individual factors affecting the expansion of schooling, individual educational attainment, and the organizational structure of schooling.
Terms: Win
| Units: 4-5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, WAY-SI
SOC 135:
Poverty, Inequality, and Social Policy in the United States (SOC 235)
Over the last three decades, inequality in America has increased substantially. Why has this happened, and what can be done about it? The course will begin by surveying the basic features of poverty, inequality, and economic mobility in the 21st century. From here we will discuss issues related to discrimination, education and schools, criminal justice, and the changing nature of the family as forces that shape inequality. We will also focus on the main social policy options for addressing inequality in the United States, including income support for the poor, taxing higher incomes, efforts to encourage philanthropy, and other institutional reforms.
Last offered: Winter 2019
| Units: 3-4
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, WAY-SI
SOC 149:
The Urban Underclass (CSRE 149A, SOC 249, URBANST 112)
(Graduate students register for 249.) We explore the history of residential segregation, urban policy, race, discrimination, policing and mass incarceration in the US. What are the various causes and consequences of poverty? How do institutions that serve the poor work and sometimes fail? We will read deeply into the social, political, and the legal causes of today¿s conflicts.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, GER:EC-AmerCul, WAY-EDP, WAY-SI
SOC 229X:
Urban Education (AFRICAAM 112, CSRE 112X, EDUC 112, EDUC 212, SOC 129X, URBANST 115)
(Graduate students register for EDUC 212 or SOC 229X). Combination of social science and historical perspectives trace the major developments, contexts, tensions, challenges, and policy issues of urban education.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3-5
SOC 231:
Global Social Change, Sustainable Development, and Education (EDUC 136, EDUC 306D, SUSTAIN 226)
Focuses on the relations between education and sustainable development from a comparative cross-national perspective. The course covers questions and debates around education for sustainable development and the nature of "the global"; global influences on national institutions of sustainable development; and key themes in the cross-national study of education for sustainable development such as stratification and achievement, gender, human rights, and the global authority of science and experts.
Last offered: Winter 2023
| Units: 4-5
SOC 235:
Poverty, Inequality, and Social Policy in the United States (SOC 135)
Over the last three decades, inequality in America has increased substantially. Why has this happened, and what can be done about it? The course will begin by surveying the basic features of poverty, inequality, and economic mobility in the 21st century. From here we will discuss issues related to discrimination, education and schools, criminal justice, and the changing nature of the family as forces that shape inequality. We will also focus on the main social policy options for addressing inequality in the United States, including income support for the poor, taxing higher incomes, efforts to encourage philanthropy, and other institutional reforms.
Last offered: Winter 2019
| Units: 3-4
SOC 249:
The Urban Underclass (CSRE 149A, SOC 149, URBANST 112)
(Graduate students register for 249.) We explore the history of residential segregation, urban policy, race, discrimination, policing and mass incarceration in the US. What are the various causes and consequences of poverty? How do institutions that serve the poor work and sometimes fail? We will read deeply into the social, political, and the legal causes of today¿s conflicts.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 5
SOC 341W:
Workshop: Inequality
Causes, consequences, and structure of inequality; how inequality results from and shapes social classes, occupations, professions, and other aspects of the economy. Research presentations by students, faculty, and guest speakers. Discussion of controversies, theories, and recent writings. May be repeated for credit. Restricted to Sociology doctoral students; others by consent of instructor.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr
| Units: 1-2
| Repeatable
for credit
SOC 350W:
Workshop: Migration, Ethnicity, Race and Nation
Weekly research workshop with a focus on ongoing research by faculty and graduate student participants, new theory and research, and recent publications. Workshop participants will present their own work, and read and critique the research-in-progress of their peers. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Sociology doctoral student or consent of instructor.
Terms: Win, Spr
| Units: 1-3
| Repeatable
20 times
(up to 60 units total)
SOMGEN 206:
Global Medical Issues Affecting Women (FEMGEN 206)
This course probes the principal issues affecting women and girls medically around the world. Through interactive discussions, guest lectures, case studies, and academic readings, students become acquainted with the most critical challenges to women's health globally, and use selected analytical tools to assess how these may be addressed efficiently, cost-effectively, and sustainably. Topics include women's cancer, birth control, infertility, female genital mutilation, midwifery, obstetric fistula, breastfeeding, violence against women, and women's representation in biomedical research. The aim is to cultivate in students a nuanced appreciation of women's unique needs, roles, and challenges in the contemporary global health landscape. S/NC or +/-.
Last offered: Winter 2023
| Units: 1-2
SOMGEN 207:
Theories of Change in Global Health (INTLPOL 291, PUBLPOL 291)
Organizations dedicated to improving global health deploy various approaches ranging from efforts to improve economic conditions, health systems, and technology to policy change and advocacy. This course critically evaluates 15 common theories of change that underlay global health interventions. Students will review and discuss examples of both success and failure of each theory of change drawn from various disciplines. This seminar is appropriate for graduate students of any discipline who are interested in considering the range of approaches and their likely utility when considering a specific global health problem in a particular location. Upper-class undergraduates who have completed rigorous related coursework and who are willing to commit the preparatory time are welcome. Our discussions benefit greatly from diverse perspectives. Sign up for 3 unit credits to participate in the seminar or 4 units to participate in the seminar and complete a project that provides an opportunity to apply these ideas to a global health problem of your interest.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3-4
SOMGEN 275:
Leading Value Improvement in Health Care Delivery
Successful leaders on the journey to better care delivery methods with lower total spending inevitably face challenges. What confluence of attitudes, values, strategy, and events allows them to prevail? Contexts will include public policy, entrepreneurship and early stage investing, care delivery innovations, and health care system management to improve the value of care. Course faculty and guests will consist of nationally recognized leaders, innovators, and change agents. The course is open to any member of the Stanford community aspiring to lead value improvement in health care delivery including medical, MBA, law, and graduate students, as well as undergraduates, postdoctoral candidates, and medical center trainees. May be repeated for credit.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 1
| Repeatable
4 times
(up to 4 units total)
STEMREM 250:
Regenerative Medicine Seminar Series
A forum for Stanford researchers to meet, hear about what is going on in Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine at Stanford, and spark collaborations. Topics include all areas of regenerative medicine, broadly defined, ranging from fundamental biological principles and basic science advances to novel applications in biotechnology, stem cell biology, and human disease.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr
| Units: 1
| Repeatable
5 times
(up to 5 units total)
STRAMGT 308:
Entrepreneurship from Diverse Perspectives
This seminar showcases the diversity of entrepreneurs and the range of entrepreneurial paths they pursue. Thirty-five entrepreneurs and venture capitalists, primarily from historically underestimated groups (HUGs), will share their personal and professional journeys, and how each embodies the entrepreneurial mindset. Candid class discussions and an experiential project, complemented by case studies, readings, and videos, will immerse you in the entrepreneurial process. This includes finding an idea and forming and building a team, evaluating existing ideas or early businesses, being an inclusive leader, raising money, assembling a board, and overcoming setbacks and challenges. The individual project is to profile a founder or venture capitalist from a HUG and how they embody the entrepreneurial mindset. For the group project, teams will have the option of working on an idea for a company, or assessing a company using the venture investment framework taught during the class.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 3
STRAMGT 319:
Equity By Design: Building Diverse and Inclusive Organizations
This course equips you to create and build equitable organizations. We will discuss the power of inclusion as it relates to the employee and customer experience. We will study effective strategies for building diverse and inclusive companies, and will address the barriers that can often exist. We'll look at approaches to organizational design that limit unconscious bias and produce more objective decisions across the employee experience - from engaging and hiring candidates to retaining employees and helping them thrive. Finally, we'll dive into how to create inclusive cultures and a sense of belonging. Experts in diversity and inclusion, and executives at companies that have successfully incorporated inclusion programs, will join us for the class discussions.
Last offered: Spring 2021
| Units: 3
STRAMGT 325:
Impact: From Idea to Enterprise
This class is for students who want start or work at an impact venture, or to invest in or grant to such an enterprise. The class deals with situations from the perspective of the entrepreneur/manager, and the funder. Students will:n- Learn to evaluate impact and business opportunities in social enterprises - Understand the potential tension between impact and revenue/profit in impact enterprises and how to manage it - Start, grow, and manage a team and a board of directors for a social enterprise - Become versed in the landscape of impact funders - Be introduced to how entrepreneurs create social change - Be exposed to the personal journeys and careers of impact entrepreneursnFor purposes of this course an impact venture is 'an organization whose mission is to provide a sustainable solution to a social problem.' The focus on mission makes impact enterprises different in kind from commercial enterprises. That said, it is the instructors' views that, in most ways, impact ventures should be treated and managed like commercial ventures, and this course reflects this perspective. Even so, there are some important differences which are critical to understand to effectively launch, manage or fund an impact enterprise. We will highlight these throughout our sessions. All the cases and class discussions will be exclusively about enterprises and organizations in the impact venture space, some for-profit, and some non-profit, but all run more or less like commercial businesses, e.g., the enterprise focus is on delivering solutions for 'customers' or 'recipients' to solve a social problem, create value and generating revenue (and/or profit). Impact: From Idea to Enterprise is integrative and will allow students to apply many facets of their business school education. We will have a mixture of case discussions, lectures, student-led exercises, panel discussions, and guest speakers. The final project involves engagement with a current impact venture and its management. The instructors, Laura Hattendorf and Russell Siegelman, are both Lecturers in Management at GSB with practical experience in the startup and impact venture space.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3
STRAMGT 335:
Transforming Education through Entrepreneurship
In this course, students will investigate opportunities and challenges of entrepreneurial ventures trying to increase access to educational opportunity, improve the quality of learning experiences for underserved students and disrupt systemic inequities in preK-12 education. Class discussions will explore frameworks for understanding how to maximize educational impact by ensuring efficacy, increasing financial sustainability, and building scale. Cases are focused on organizations in early childhood, primary and secondary education, and feature a variety of ventures (including schools, technology, educator training, and supplemental services) and organizational models (for-profit, not-for-profit, and benefit corporation) in the U.S. and globally. Note: This is not a "how to" class on starting an education venture; it focuses on the strategic challenges of maximizing impact. This course is designed for students who want to be part of creating a more equitable society and improving opportunities for youth, whether by becoming entrepreneurs, leaders, Board members, donors or investors in education organizations. Attendance at the first class meeting is required.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 3
STRAMGT 340:
POWer: Building the Entrepreneurial Mindset from the Perspective of Women
This seminar will showcase women entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. We will explore the challenges and opportunities they encountered in starting and growing their ventures, and the personal and professional choices they have made. The sessions will include cases, readings, videos, panel discussions, role plays and breakout groups with the entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. The class will help you understand and build your entrepreneurial and growth mindset. You will leave the class with an individual roadmap and tools to help you be entrepreneurial throughout your career. Men are encouraged to enroll.
Last offered: Winter 2021
| Units: 3
STRAMGT 364:
Health Information Technology and Strategy
Health Information technology was intended to help reduce cost and improve the quality of health care services. To date, this is little evidence that this goal has been achieved. This course is designed to explore economic frameworks that can help us to understand how health IT can achieve it's intended goals. These frameworks build from general business and economic models used successfully in other industries. The course will utilize both business cases and lecture to prepare students to propose potential novel applications of health information technology solutions. Each student will have a team-based final project.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 3
STRAMGT 368:
Impact: Strategic Leadership of Nonprofit Organizations and Social Ventures
Our primary objective in this course is to prepare and equip you to play a high-impact leadership role in the social sector, as a founder, executive, board member, and/or donor/philanthropist. This course seeks to provide a survey of the strategic, governance, and management issues facing a wide range of social sector organizations and their executive and board leaders, in the era of venture philanthropy and social entrepreneurship. The students will also be introduced to core managerial issues uniquely defined by this sector such as development/fundraising, investment management, performance management and nonprofit finance. The course also provides an overview of the sector, including its history and economics. Cases involve a range of nonprofits, from smaller, social entrepreneurial to larger, more traditional organizations, including education, social service, environment, health care, religion, international NGO's and performing arts. In exploring these issues, this course reinforces the frameworks and concepts of strategic management introduced in the core first year courses. In addition to case discussions, the course employs role plays, study group exercises and many extraordinary guest speakers who are luminaries in the social sector.
Last offered: Autumn 2021
| Units: 3
STRAMGT 381:
Leading Strategic Change in the Health Care Industry
In this seminar we will study the structure and dynamics of the U.S. health care industry, especially in the face of ongoing regulatory change, and ways it intersects with the global health care industry. The seminar's aim is to develop participants' ability to create strategically informed action plans that are imaginative, inspiring and workable in this highly dynamic environment. The seminar's pedagogy involves informed debate to evaluate and hone well-researched views by the participants and instructors, as well as the writing and presentation of position papers by small groups of seminar participants on the key dynamics of the industry.In the course of the seminar discussions, we aim to deepen our understanding of strategic dynamics and transformational change at the societal, industry and organizational levels of analysis. After developing a complete picture of the structure of the health care industry and the strategic relationships among the key players ("the strategic landscape"), the seminar will focus on how health care reform and other external forces will affect the strategic opportunities and challenges of four types of players in the strategic landscape: (1) incumbents; (2) entrepreneurial startups; (3) cross-boundary disruptors; and (4) international health care providers. World-class leaders in health care will be brought in to supplement our understanding of each one of these players. Student teams will be formed to focus on one of the four types of players. Each team will prepare a research paper focused on determining how their type of player can take advantage of the regulatory, technological, social, cultural and demographic changes, and who will be the likely winners and why.
Last offered: Autumn 2020
| Units: 3
STRAMGT 519:
Equity By Design: Building Diverse and Inclusive Organizations
This course equips you to create, build and lead equitable organizations. We will learn the power of iD&I - that is, how we can be change agents by involving key stakeholders, casting the right vision, and constructing the right interactions to unlock the true potential of diversity in teams and organizations. We will discuss the power of inclusion as itrelates to the employee and customer experience. We will study effective strategies for designing diverse and inclusive companies, and will address the barriers and myths related to meritocracy. We'll look at approaches to organizational design that limit unconscious bias and produce more objective decisions across the employee experience - from engaging and hiring candidates to retaining employees and helping them thrive. We'll dive into how to create inclusive cultures and a sense of belonging. Finally, we will learn tools and techniques to empower change for ourselves and others. Experts in diversity and inclusion, and executives at companies that have successfully incorporated inclusion programs, will join us for the class discussions.
Last offered: Spring 2023
| Units: 2
STRAMGT 537:
Leading Change in Public Education
Public education in America is at a crossroads. Does our education system have what it takes to produce graduates who are prepared for college, career, and citizenship in our increasingly digital and pluralistic world? Will income and ethnic achievement gaps continue to be pervasive and persistent in our nation's largest urban cities? Will family zip code determine educational destiny for the next generation of students? Which strategies and reforms are truly demonstrating results and which are merely passing fads? As in all large-scale enterprises undergoing rapid, transformative change, leadership matters greatly. Fortunately, over the last decade, the reform of American public education has been led by a number of innovative and results-oriented leaders at the state, district and charter levels. These leaders are bringing additional urgency, strategies, and ideas designed to prepare America's schools and students for the century ahead. Some ideas are proving to be critical levers for change, others are facing significant political challenges, and others have not delivered on expected results. Many of them hold lessons for how future educational leaders can contribute to transforming public education for the next generation of K-12 students. This course will focus on school system leadership for education reform. The course will provide an overview of the critical issues facing K-12 public education in America today, and what is going on across the U.S. during this transformative period of change. Once this context is set, students will study education leaders and systems change strategies from the last 10-15 years at the state, district and charter levels. We will focus on leaders across five domains: Leadership in crisis situations, strategic leadership, 'china-breaking' leadership, sustaining leadership, and next generation leadership. We will also look at leadership examples from outside K-12 education to broaden our thinking about what leadership styles and strategies could be successfully applied to education. Students will debate the strategies and efficacy of how different leaders approached systems-level change and will form their own working hypotheses of what is needed to help transform the American education system. Case studies in school system leadership will form the primary basis for classroom assignments and discussion. We will examine what went right and what went wrong in each case, focusing particularly on the decisions that school system leaders faced and the implications of their decisions. Most cases will be supplemented with research publications, technical notes, news clips, and/or videos to deepen students' understanding of the context or issues discussed in the cases. Dan Katzir worked for Bain & Company, Teach for America, Sylvan Learning Systems and the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation before joining Alliance College-Ready Public Schools as its CEO in 2015. He is an experienced case study teacher and the editor of The Redesign of Urban School Systems: Case Studies in District Governance.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 2
STRAMGT 545:
Taking Social Innovation to Scale
How do you get the best new social innovations to reach the hundreds of millions of people who need it the most? And how do ensure that they are developed, deployed and scaled in a way that is relevant, appropriate and sustainable? Innovators tackling the world's most difficult problems often ignore, misunderstand, and under-invest in the critical business challenges involved in crossing "the middle of the value chain." This is innovation's valley of death: product and system adaption and evaluation; evidence generation and design validation; business and partnership planning; formal or informal regulatory approval and registration. How do you design, introduce, and optimize the intervention's uptake before it can be taken to scale by markets, governments or other systems? The class is taught be Steve Davis, President & CEO of PATH (www.path.org), a leader in global health innovation, and former global Director of Social Innovation at McKinsey & Company. We take an inter-disciplinary approach to look at the factors that pull innovation forward, push it from behind, and (often to the world's detriment) block its successful implementation and scaling. First grounding the discussion in research on innovation and social change, we then apply business principles, real world experiences and several important case studies in global health to examine the way good ideas get stuck, and how good ideas can turn into innovation that matters. We focus on root causes for failure, success factors, and business practices and tools to enable millions of lives to be impacted by social innovation. The seminar combines lectures, case studies, visiting practitioners and team projects focused on the business case for scaling specific social innovations. The goal is to help the next generation of social innovation leaders think more about some of the mistakes of the past, lessons for the future, and new ways of approaching old problems, all from a practitioner's point of view.
Last offered: Spring 2019
| Units: 2
STRAMGT 574:
Strategic Thinking in Action - In Business and Beyond II (Automotive Industry Disruption)
This six-session Bass seminar is about strategic leadership driving the transformation of the advanced automotive industry. It will build on what students have learned in their MBA core strategic leadership course but will also provide additional conceptual frameworks developed by the instructors to help examine the major seminar topics. The seminar's pedagogy involves informed debate to evaluate and hone well-researched views by the participants. Consequently, there will be an expectation of extensive contributions from all students to the discussion in all of the sessions. Small groups of seminar participants will also be expected to write and present position papers concerning the seminar's analytical topics. The industry scope of the seminar is twofold: First, it is about autonomous, electric, and shared vehicles. And second, it is about the manufacturer and supplier incumbents as well as the tech industry and startup new-entrants. In the course of the seminar discussions, we aim to deepen our understanding of strategic dynamics and transformational change at the societal, industry and organizational levels of our analysis.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 2
STRAMGT 579:
The Political Economy of China
The evolving organization of the Chinese economy, with special emphasis on the following topics: the integration of the Communist Party organization with government entities and enterprises; the evolution of ownership; corporate restructuring and corporate governance; banking and finance; taxation and government revenue; the strengths and weaknesses of the national development model and the current domestic and international challenges to China's economic rise.
Last offered: Winter 2023
| Units: 2
STRAMGT 582:
Building Strategic Competence: Observations from Battlegrounds Overseas and in Washington, D.C.
This course addresses the issues faced in assuming executive responsibility, developing clear visions and missions, understanding complex problem sets, building teams, and developing strategies to overcome obstacles and take advantage of opportunities. It is offered for students who might lead large, complex organizations or pursue opportunities leading to partial or full ownership and control of a business as well as those who want to serve in senior positions in government. The course draws on the experience of the lecturer as a general officer in the Army and as the 26th Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs to illuminate critical aspects of leadership, strategy development, and effective implementation. The course places personal experiences in historical context and in context of select leadership and management literature.
Last offered: Spring 2023
| Units: 2
STRAMGT 583:
The Challenges in/with China
The general objective of the course is to develop a better understanding of the changing socio-economic and political situation in China (with its challenges both for China and for the rest of the world) in order to make less difficult to define and implement sustainable strategies for managing effectively in China and for handling the complex and sensitive interdependence between China and the US, between China and the rest of the world. From assessing, critically, the performance of China today, its achievements and challenges, students will get an insight in the current complex dynamics of China nrenaissance/transformation and we will discuss alternative scenarios, with their business and socio-political consequences on the medium term. From this analysis and with a prospective perspective in mind, we will discuss responsible management practices required to build, overtime, a mutually rewarding, growing interdependence. More specifically, the course will initially identify the multi-causality behind China's achievements and discuss some of the dysfunctions associated, today, with such performance. The conditions of management effectiveness required to enter and succeed overtime in the Chinese market will be identified while the challenges faced by competition - particularly in terms of management of innovation - and by the global expansion of Chinese firms overseas will be illustrated. The course will rely upon different pedagogical methods; it will create conditions to share and leverage participants' experience and it will make use of cases and research results. Auditors will be admitted, but they will have to be present (and prepared) in all the sessions.
Last offered: Spring 2020
| Units: 2
STRAMGT 584:
Impact: Assessing High Impact Business Models in Emerging Markets
In recent years, we've seen an explosion of innovative business models blazing new trails in emerging markets. Many of these models are achieving commercial success while transforming the lives of low-income populations. Using nine cases of both early-stage, entrepreneur-led ventures and later-stage, public or large-cap firms, this course will examine best practices for scaling new enterprises in emerging markets. It will do so primarily through the lens of a potential investor. It will also explore what is required to spark, nurture and scale entire sectors that serve rapidly growing, often low-income markets. What does it mean to work in markets with limited infrastructure? What common mistakes are made - whether in business model design, in supply chains, or in dealing with government - and how can we avoid them? Which are the best business models to serve markets that corporations have traditionally ignored, and in which government has failed to deliver? Who might be threatened by the success of these new businesses? The seminar is a good match for Stanford students interested in working or investing in emerging markets. It will be taught by Matt Bannick, who led Omidyar Network (a $1 billion impact investing fund) and is the former President of eBay International and of PayPal.
Terms: Win
| Units: 2
URBANST 110:
Introduction to Urban Studies (HISTORY 107)
Today, for the first time in history, a majority of people live in cities. By 2050, cities will hold two-thirds of the world's population. This transformation touches everyone, and raises critical questions. What draws people to live in cities? How will urban growth affect the world's environment? Why are cities so divided by race and by class, and what can be done about it? How do cities change who we are, and how can we change cities? In this class, you will learn to see cities in new ways, from the smallest everyday interactions on a city sidewalk to the largest patterns of global migration and trade. We will use specific examples from cities around the world to illustrate the concepts that we learn in class. The course is intended primarily for freshmen and sophomores.
Terms: Win
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, GER:EC-AmerCul, WAY-EDP, WAY-SI
URBANST 112:
The Urban Underclass (CSRE 149A, SOC 149, SOC 249)
(Graduate students register for 249.) We explore the history of residential segregation, urban policy, race, discrimination, policing and mass incarceration in the US. What are the various causes and consequences of poverty? How do institutions that serve the poor work and sometimes fail? We will read deeply into the social, political, and the legal causes of today¿s conflicts.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, GER:EC-AmerCul, WAY-EDP, WAY-SI
URBANST 113:
Introduction to Urban Design: Contemporary Urban Design in Theory and Practice
Comparative studies in neighborhood conservation, inner city regeneration, and growth policies for metropolitan regions. Lect-disc and research focusing on case studies from North America and abroad, team urban design projects. Two Saturday class workshops in San Francisco: 2nd and 4th Saturdays of the quarter. Terms: Win | Units: 5 | UG Reqs: GER:DBSocSci | Grading: Letter (ABCD/NP)
Terms: Win
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, WAY-CE, WAY-SI
URBANST 131:
Very Impactful People (V.I.P.): Social Innovation & the Impact Entrepreneur
Engage with founders of leading high-impact ventures. Guest impact entrepreneurs will share their journeys to launch social and environmental innovations. The weekly line-up will feature accomplished, values-driven founders. Students will be exposed to the perspectives and endeavors of global high-impact entrepreneurs who address social and environmental needs in the U.S. and internationally through for-profit, nonprofit and hybrid models. Each week students will have the opportunity to directly converse with guest impact entrepreneurs. This class will expose students to pioneering thought leaders, diverse career paths, networking and potential internship and job opportunities.
Terms: Aut, Spr
| Units: 1
| Repeatable
12 times
(up to 12 units total)
URBANST 164:
Sustainable Cities (EARTHSYS 160)
Community-engaged learning course that exposes students to sustainability concepts and urban planning as a tool for determining sustainable outcomes in the Bay Area. The focus will be on land use and transportation planning to housing and employment patterns, mobility, public health, and social equity. Topics will include government initiatives to counteract urban sprawl and promote smart growth and livability, political realities of organizing and building coalitions around sustainability goals, and increasing opportunities for low-income and communities of color to achieve sustainability outcomes. Students will participate in remote team-based projects in collaboration with Bay Area community partners. Prerequisites: Consent of the instructor. (Cardinal Course certified by the Haas Center.) Apply here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfhY1w5A_PCjmKdMcGNaZ6Hic24T2zvgF7CfcGrL2tWCWnQGg/viewform
Terms: Spr
| Units: 4-5
| UG Reqs: WAY-EDP, WAY-SI
URBANST 165:
Sustainable Transportation: Policy and Planning in Practice (EARTHSYS 165)
The transportation network is an essential, if often invisible, part of communities. Only when traffic piles up, the subway shuts down, or the sidewalk is closed do we notice the services and infrastructure that are critical to everyday movement. Beyond the everyday effects, transportation planning decisions also have long term consequences for the environment (transportation is the leading source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States); the economy (transportation is the fourth largest household expenditure after healthcare, housing, and food); and community wellbeing (traffic collisions are the leading cause of death for young people in the United States). This course will interrogate the role of transportation in fostering sustainable communities paying particular attention to how policy and planning decisions contribute to or hinder equitable access, economic vibrancy, environmental protection. Through a combination of lectures, field work, guest speakers, and real-world client projects, this course will provide an introduction to the field of transportation policy and planning. Student will learn about and get hands-on practice with topics such as bicycle and pedestrian design, safety analysis, traffic operations and modeling software, transit planning, and emerging trends such as autonomous vehicles, micromobility, and congestion pricing. (Cardinal Course certified by the Haas Center).
Terms: Win
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, WAY-SI
URBANST 173:
The Urban Economy (PUBLPOL 174)
Applies the principles of economic analysis to historical and contemporary urban and regional development issues and policies. Explores themes of urban economic geography, location decision-making by firms and individuals, urban land and housing markets, and local government finance. Critically evaluates historical and contemporary government policies regulating urban land use, housing, employment development, and transportation. Thematic focus on impacts of the pandemic and long-term work-from-home employment patterns on urban form, density, and fiscal policies.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
URBANST 174:
Defining Smart Cities: Visions of Urbanism for the 21st Century (CEE 125, CEE 225)
Technological innovations have and will disrupt all domains of urban life, from housing to healthcare to city management to transportation. This seminar is aimed at future technologists, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and urban planners to define and evaluate the smartness of a city through three lenses: technology, equity, and policy. Through readings, seminar discussions, guest speakers, and a final project, we will explore how a smart city can leverage technology for a higher quality of life, less inequality in access to services, and tighter human communities. You will come away with a framework for understanding how to maximize the social good of emerging technologies. Course material is appropriate for students from all disciplines. Students who enroll in the course for 4 units will participate in an off-campus field component during Spring Break.
Last offered: Autumn 2017
| Units: 3-4
