CS+X Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is there a list of approved CS+Humanities Joint Majors?
A list of approved Joint Majors is available on the Joint Majors CS+X page of the VPUE Undergrad website. This page also includes contact details for participating departments and links to other relevant information.
2. What are the options for a student who is interested in combining two fields but who for whom a CS+Humanities Joint Major may not be the best fit?
A Joint Major will be the right choice for some students but not for others. Students have the option of considering a Double (or Dual) Major, or a Major and Minor and a number of programs offer undergraduates the chance to study different disciplines in combination. Beside a CS+Humanities Joint Major, relevant Stanford programs in this respect include Science, Technology and Society, Symbolic Systems and Mathematical and Computational Science.
3. How do I update the CS+Humanities Joint Majors faculty and staff contacts on the Joint Major page of the Undergrad website?
To delete, add or otherwise edit the faculty and staff contacts on the Joint Major page, please contact undergradhelp@lists.stanford.edu with your requested changes.
4. What are a department’s additional responsibilities as a participant in the CS+Humanities Joint Major program?
As part of the approval process, each department agreed to designate a faculty point person to answer and assist with general questions from students who have declared a Joint Major, as well as from students who are considering declaring. In addition, this point person, along with the chair, can act as a contact for matters involving the School or Senate committees. Much of the success of this initiative rests on excellent, robust advising for students both before and after they declare a Joint Major, so departments will need to make sure there is adequate advising support for those undergraduates who elect to pursue this new educational opportunity. This will mean that all members of the department advising undergraduates need to be aware of basic facts about the Joint Major so as to be in a position to advise students effectively.
5. Whom should I contact if my department wishes to propose a new Joint Major?
The CS+Humanities Joint Majors constitute a pilot program beginning in 2014-2015 and continuing for 6 years. Assessment of the Joint Major program will continue throughout the duration of the pilot, and decisions will eventually be made about continuation, termination, and/or expansion of the pilot. At this time, the School of Humanities and Sciences is limiting participation in the pilot to Humanities departments that wish to propose a Joint Major with Computer Science. Humanities departments not currently participating in the pilot may contact Beth McKeown for information about the proposal process.
6. How does a CS+Humanities Joint Major differ from a double major or a dual major?
Unlike the double major or dual major, the Joint Major emphasizes integration of two academic fields through a cohesive, transdisciplinary course of study that, equally, would not be possible within an existing major. The Joint Major not only blends the intellectual traditions of two Stanford departments—it does so in a way that reduces the total unit requirement for each major.
7. How does a CS+Humanities Joint Major differ from a major and a minor?
Unlike a course of study involving a major and a minor, a Joint Major integrates work in each discipline. Typically, a minor provides breadth in a subject without the level of mastery associated with a major. The Joint Major is designed to lead to mastery in two fields while integrating the intellectual traditions of two Stanford departments.
8. How do students declare a CS+Humanities Joint Major?
Students declaring the Joint Major:
1. Declare each major separately in AXESS (individually elect English – BA and CS – BS, for example). When adding the second degree, students will be prompted to choose between the BAS and Dual Degree options. Students will select the BAS single degree option by electing not to pursue the Dual Degree.
2. Then, students complete and submit the Declaration or Change of Undergraduate Major, Minor, Honors, or Degree Program form. Both Departmental Signatures are required.
If students encounter any problems with declaring in AXESS, they may submit a HelpSU to the Registrar’s Office (Request Category = Central Office Issues; Request Type = Registrar).
In the long term, there will be a system enhancement to allow students to declare the majors entirely online. Prior to declaring a Joint Major, it is important that students meet with faculty and staff in the relevant departments to review degree requirements and to determine if the Joint Major is a good fit for their academic interests.
9. Is there a deadline for students to declare a CS+Humanities Joint Major?
At Stanford, all undergraduates are expected to declare a major by the end of their sophomore year. This deadline is the same for the Joint Major. Because the Joint Major requires additional planning to ensure integration of the two disciplines and completion of degree requirements for two majors, we recommend that students explore the Joint Major as an option early in their sophomore year or, if they are already certain they will want to declare a Joint Major, towards the end of their freshman year. Some students may wish to declare a Joint Major after the sophomore year. In such cases, departments should meet with the student to determine whether or not there is adequate time remaining in the undergraduate career for the student to complete all degree requirements. In all cases, departments should utilize their discretion when approving Joint Major declarations and be ready to give all necessary support to those students they allow to declare a Joint Major.
10. What degree will students receive when they complete a CS+Humanities Joint Major?
Students completing a Joint Major will graduate with a B.A.S. degree.
11. How will the CS+Humanities Joint Major appear on the transcript and diploma?
Students completing a Joint Major will graduate with a B.A.S. degree. The two majors will be identified on one diploma with a hyphen in between and listed alphabetically. There will be a notation indicating that the student has completed a Joint Major. The two majors will also be identified on the transcript, and there will be a notation on the transcript indicating completion of a Joint Major.
12. What is the Major-Minor and Multiple Major Course Approval Form and when are students required to complete and submit it?
The Major-Minor and Multiple Major Course Approval Form is a graduation requirement for students with multiple majors, including joint majors. Before a degree is conferred, departments must certify that the plan of study meets all of the requirements for the majors. To accomplish this, the student who is pursuing multiple majors within a single bachelor's degree must inform the appropriate department which courses are intended to satisfy the requirements for the major and/or minor. The form must be submitted prior to the application to graduate deadline of the degree conferral quarter.
13. How does the CS+Humanities Joint Major integrate the two different majors?
Typically, integration of the two disciplines in a Joint Major will occur, at a minimum, through completion of a capstone project in the senior year. Each Joint Major may differ, however, in how and when integrative experiences occur. As the pilot phase of CS+Humanities develops, more integrative opportunities may emerge, though this will depend on the will and capacity of participating departments. Contributions to the refinement and strengthening of the CS+Humanities Joint Majors pilot program are welcome. The Dean’s Office in H&S is always available to offer advice about new initiatives within the pilot. Please contact Beth McKeown if you would like to begin such a discussion.
14. Where do we publish degree requirements for a CS+Humanities Joint Major?
Degree requirements, including number of required units and required coursework, must be published in the Bulletin. The specific location of this information in the Bulletin and a recommended format for this information will both be forthcoming. Additional information about Joint Major requirements can be posted on departmental websites. (Please remember to contact VPUE’s webteam at undergradhelp@lists.stanford.edu if you publish a page dedicated to CS+Humanities on your departmental website. VPUE will add a link to its Joint Major webpage allowing interested students to be redirected to your site.)
15. How many units are required to complete a CS+Humanities Joint Major?
All undergraduates must complete a minimum of 180 units to fulfill University unit requirements. At least 135 of these units must be completed at Stanford. The exact number of units required for each Joint Major, however, will be specific to the program undertaken, and also to the ways in which the student chooses to fulfill his or her GERs (i.e. language and breadth requirements). The units required for each specific Joint Major will be available in the 2014-2015 University Bulletin.
16. Are students required to fulfill Writing in the Major in one department or both?
Since it is conceivable that a student might drop one of the majors within the Joint Major just prior to graduation, the best practice is for students to complete WIM requirements for each degree. CS requires that students fulfill the standard Writing in the Major requirement for that major. While the expectation is that students will also complete the WIM requirement for the Humanities major, students should discuss this requirement with the faculty advisor to confirm degree requirements and whether or not the CS WIM course will satisfy the Humanities WIM major requirement. We will be seeking additional University guidance on this issue and will report back once we have more information.
17. Can I double-count a class to satisfy both degrees in a CS+Humanities Joint Major?
It is possible, with approval of both departments, to use one course to fulfill a requirement for each major in a joint major program. University policy prohibits double counting of courses in multiple programs except in specific cases such as introductory skill requirements or overlapping courses that enable a student to meet University requirements such as GERs. Therefore, when a single course fulfills requirements in both majors, a student may apply the units associated with the course to the total units requirement of only one of the majors and then must work with the other major to identify another course that would benefit the academic plan and whose associated units may be applied to that major's total units requirement.
18. Can students complete one capstone to fulfill degree requirements for both parts of a CS+Humanities Joint Major?
The CS Senior ‘capstone’ Project will be fulfilled by 3 units of CS191 or CS191W. For the capstone, students will work in conjunction with both their CS and Humanities advisors on a plan for the project. Students should confirm capstone requirements for the Humanities major, as additional units and/or additional integrated experiences may be required.
19. Does the CS+Humanities Joint Major include all of the School of Engineering requirements (Math, Physics, etc.)?
Yes, all of the School of Engineering requirements remain in effect. For the Joint Major, all requirements on the first page of the CS Program Sheet (the Math, Science, Technology in Society and Engineering Fundamentals requirements) remain intact. On the second page of the CS Program Sheet, a Joint Major may waive two CS electives; more details can be found in the 2014-2015 Bulletin. The CS Senior ‘capstone’ Project will be fulfilled by 3 units of CS191 or CS191W. For the capstone, students will work in conjunction with both their CS and Humanities advisors on a plan for the project and may be required to enroll in additional units under their Humanities major.
20. Are subplans allowed within the Joint Major?
As long as subplan requirements do not deviate from the spirit of the major requirements provided within the proposal that was approved by the Faculty Senate in 2013-14, students within the Joint Major may be allowed to elect subplans within their major/s.
21. How will Departmental Honors work within the Joint Major?
Students may pursue Honors in either or both majors within the Joint Major. In order to obtain honors in one of the majors within the Joint Major, students must complete the honors requirements for that particular major. To obtain honors in both majors, students must complete the honors requirements for both majors.
Departmental Honors will be noted on diplomas. If both majors are conferred with departmental honors the notation on the diploma will read as, “Conferred with Departmental Honors”. If only one of the two majors is conferred with departmental honors the notation will read as “Conferred with Departmental Honors in [Name of Major]”.
Departmental Honors will be noted on transcripts as “[Name of Major] with Honors”. The notation “with Honors” will follow the name of the major in which Honors is being pursued (or has been completed).
22. How does a student drop one of the disciplines in a CS+Humanities Joint Major and revert to a single major?
A student dropping one or both of the degrees within a Joint Major:
- Drops the one or both sides of the major in AXESS.
- Submits a HelpSU to notify the Registrar’s Office (Request Category = Central Office Issues; Request Type = Registrar).
- Communicates with the Joint Major student services staff contact in each department to inform them of which side/s of the major s/he will drop. It is important that the student meet with the remaining degree program to identify any outstanding degree requirements and plan to complete the degree. It is also important that the student contact the other department to notify them that s/he will be dropping that degree and will no longer be pursuing a Joint Major. If a student will drop both sides of the Joint Major, they should notify both departments.
23. When a student applies to graduate, will they appear on the Final Recommending List of both departments, or only one department?
The student’s name will appear on each department’s Final Recommending List.
