Undergraduate Degrees & Programs - Bachelor’s

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

Stanford University confers the degree of Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or the degree of Bachelor of Science (B.S.) on those candidates who have been recommended by the Committee on Undergraduate Standards and Policy (C-USP), who have applied in advance for conferral of the degree, and who have fulfilled the following requirements:

A minimum of 180 units of allowable university work. (Units above the allowable limits for activity courses and for courses taken on a satisfactory/no credit and credit/no credit basis cannot be counted towards the 180-unit minimum.)
The Writing, General Education, and Language Requirements.
Curricular requirements of at least one major department or program and the recommendation of the department(s).
Students admitted as freshmen—A minimum of 135 units (including the last quarter in residence) at Stanford. In special cases, students who have earned at least 135 units in resident work may petition for a waiver of the last quarter-in-residence requirement for up to 15 units through the Last Units Out of Residence petition.
Students admitted as transfers—A minimum of 90 units (including the last quarter in residence) at Stanford. In special cases, students who have earned at least 90 units in resident work may petition for a waiver of the last quarter-in-residence requirement for up to 15 units through the Last Units Out of Residence petition.

Stanford confers the Bachelor of Science degree on candidates who fulfill these requirements in the School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences, in the School of Engineering, or in the departments of Applied Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Human Biology, Mathematics, or Physics in the School of Humanities and Sciences. The University also awards B.S. degrees to candidates in the Program in Science, Technology, and Society; in the Program in Mathematical and Computational Science; in the Program in Symbolic Systems; and, when appropriate, in the Program for Individually Designed Majors. Candidates who fulfill these requirements in other schools or departments receive the Bachelor of Arts degree. For degree programs that offer both the B.A. and B.S. degrees in the same discipline, students cannot pursue both degree options and must select either the B.A. or B.S. degree.

Students who complete the requirements for two or more majors, which ordinarily would lead to the same degree (B.A. or B.S.), should review The Major section of the Student Policies to ensure that they have an understanding of the requirements for multiple or secondary majors.

Bachelor of Arts and Science (B.A.S.)

The university confers the degree of Bachelor of Arts and Science (B.A.S.) on candidates who have completed the following:

With no overlapping courses, the curricular requirements of two majors which ordinarily would lead to different bachelor's degrees (that is, a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Bachelor of Science).
These students must have applied in advance for graduation with the B.A.S. degree instead of the B.A. or B.S. degree, as recommended by the Committee on Undergraduate Standards and Policy (C-USP),
Fulfilled a minimum of 180 units of University work described in point 1 of the "Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Bachelor of Science (B.S.)" section.
The requirements of each major without applying any course towards the requirements of more than one major, according to the Multiple Majors section of the Undergraduate Degrees & Programs policy. The Major-Minor and Multiple Major Course Approval Form is required for graduation for students with the B.A.S degree.
The Writing, General Education, and Language requirements.
Students admitted as freshmen—A minimum of 180 units (including the last quarter in residence) at Stanford. In special cases, students who have earned at least 180 units in resident work may petition for a waiver of the last quarter-in-residence requirement for up to 15 units.
Students admitted as transfers—A minimum of 135 units (including the last quarter in residence) at Stanford. In special cases, students who have earned at least 135 units in resident work may petition for a waiver of the last quarter-in-residence requirement.

Students who cannot meet the requirements for both majors without overlapping courses are not eligible for the B.A.S., but may apply to have a secondary major recorded on their transcripts. (See The Major in Undergraduate Degrees and Programs.)

Dual Bachelor’s Degrees (Concurrent B.A. and B.S.)

A Stanford undergraduate may work concurrently toward both a B.A. and a B.S. degree. To qualify for both degrees, a student must complete:

A minimum of 225 units of University work. Units above the allowable limits for activity courses and for courses taken on a satisfactory/no credit and credit/no credit basis cannot be counted towards the 225 unit minimum.
The requirements of each major without applying any course towards the requirements of more than one major, according to the Multiple Majors section of the Undergraduate Degrees & Programs policy. The Major-Minor and Multiple Major Course Approval Form is required for graduation for students with dual degrees.
The Writing, General Education, and Language requirements.
The curricular requirements of two majors (one of which leads to a Bachelor of Arts degree and the other to a Bachelor of Science degree).
Students admitted as freshmen—A minimum of 180 units (including the last quarter in residence) at Stanford. In special cases, students who have earned at least 180 units in resident work may petition for a waiver of the last quarter-in-residence requirement for up to 15 units.
Students admitted as transfers—A minimum of 135 units (including the last quarter in residence) at Stanford. In special cases, students who have earned at least 135 units in resident work may petition for a waiver of the last quarter-in-residence requirement.

A student interested in dual bachelor's degrees should declare them in Axess no later than two quarters in advance of completing the program.

Students who do not meet the higher unit and residence requirements of the dual degree option may be eligible instead for the B.A.S. degree as described above.

Second Bachelor’s Degree

Stanford does not award a second Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree to an individual who already holds a Bachelor of Arts, nor a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree to an individual who already holds a Bachelor of Science. Nor does Stanford award a Bachelor of Arts and Sciences degree to the holder of either a B.A. or B.S.

However, the holder of a Bachelor of Arts degree from Stanford may apply to the C-USP Subcommittee on Academic Progress for admission to candidacy for a Bachelor of Science degree, and the holder of a Bachelor of Science degree from Stanford may apply for candidacy for a Bachelor of Arts degree. A recommendation of the major department for the second bachelor's degree must accompany the application. Generally, a holder of a B.A. or B.S. degree from Stanford may not apply for the Bachelor of Arts and Sciences degree, although a student may submit a petition for exception. The C-USP Subcommittee on Academic Progress determines whether the application for a second degree may be approved and/or the conditions a student must meet in order to be allowed to earn a second degree. The office of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education, via the office of Academic Advising, Sweet Hall, reviews these requests. A student approved for this program may register as an undergraduate and is subject to the current rules and regulations affecting undergraduates; however, a student may also be subject to rules in effect either at the time of conferral of the first degree or at the time of original matriculation. Requirements for a second Stanford bachelor's degree are the same as those described above for dual bachelor's degrees.

Approvals or denials of applications under this section are in the discretion of the University.

Finally, Second Bachelor's Degree pertains only to students who earned a bachelor's degree from Stanford, and does not apply to those who have earned a bachelor's degree elsewhere. Requests by such individuals for a second bachelor's degree at Stanford are not accepted.

Coterminal Bachelor's and Master's Degrees