Policies

Grading Policies

All courses taken to fulfill a major requirement for Symbolic Systems must be passed for three units or more, with either a letter grade (C- or better for core courses, and a D- or above for concentration courses), a no-option pass grade (S or its equivalent in the Graduate School of Business, Stanford Law School, or School of Medicine, or in an approved transfer credit course from another institution. A CR cannot be used to fulfill a significant requirement for Symbolic Systems). Students who have already completed a required course with a CR grade may file a Replacement Petition to take a course in the same subject area at the same or a higher level to avoid having to retake the course.

External Credit Policies

An external course taken at another college or university can be proposed to fulfill a requirement as a replacement for an approved Stanford course. Note especially the following for this type of petition:

Evidence must be provided that the course is substantially similar in content, level, and rigor to one or more Stanford courses that meet the requirement. If available, a link to the course description online and a syllabus can serve as evidence, along with reading material and other assignments. The course prerequisites should be similar to those listed for the Stanford course(s) it is intended to replace.
The proposed external course must be eligible for three units or more of transfer credit at Stanford, as determined by the Registrar’s Office.
You can consult the Registrar’s Office Transfer Credit Database opens in a new tab and Course Equivalency List to identify courses at other institutions that may be appropriate to replace a Stanford course. The appearance of a pair of courses on the equivalency list does not guarantee that the SymSys Program will accept the transfer course in place of the Stanford course in the pairing, but the equivalency list is a good indication of courses that may be appropriate as replacements.
The proposed external course must generate a number of Stanford units equivalent to the course(s) being replaced.

For further information on Replacement Petitions, please visit this page: Replacement Petitions | Symbolic Systems Program (stanford.edu) opens in a new tab

Additional Program Policies

Unless otherwise stated, each course counted for the major must be taken for three units or more. Taking a course for three units is sufficient unless the requirement specifically states otherwise.

Each course taken for the major may be counted toward only one required course in either the Core or Subplan (not both), except in cases where double-counting is explicitly allowed.

Students in a Dual Degree Program opens in a new tab, students taking a minor, or students in a Coterminal Program opens in a new tab, may not double-count courses towards different degree programs or minors unless a course is an Introductory Skill Requirement opens in a new tab for both majors.

The program is open to requests to approve courses not listed as options to fulfill major requirements. Consult the student services office for details of this process.