High School Summer College Students

Stanford Summer Intensive Studies

Stanford Summer Intensive Studies is an initiative by Stanford Summer Session that offers students the opportunity to use Summer Quarter to engage deeply with one area of study. These courses are a part of the regular Summer Quarter curriculum and are open to all students who have completed any necessary prerequisites. Stanford Summer Intensive Studies invites students to focus their academic interests, coursework, and intellectual pursuits in one of the following areas:

  • Human Rights
  • Organic Chemistry
  • General Chemistry
  • Water & The Environment
  • Physics
  • Computer Science

Stanford Summer Intensive Studies offer students the opportunity to:

  • Explore and gain competency in an area of personal interest
  • Deepen understanding of important social issues
  • Enhance their portfolios before applying to colleges and universities

Participants will join a cohort of students and faculty with shared academic interests. Each Intensive will be enhanced by a faculty speaker.

Successful completion of a Summer Intensive will be documented by a Certificate of Completion from the Summer Session Office. Please refer to the Summer Session Courses webpage for full descriptions of each of the courses listed below. Keynote speakers for each intensive will be announced later in the year.

Human Rights

The Summer Intensive in Human Rights is built around a core course taught by Helen Stacy, a Senior Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford and a leader in human rights law. Students will choose one or two additional courses focused on Human Rights from the perspective of history, psychology, philosophy, or medicine. Human Rights courses will be complemented by speakers, field trips, public service opportunities, and cultural events. To receive a Certificate of Completion in Human Rights, six or more units of coursework must be selected from the following course options:

Organic Chemistry

The nine-week Summer Intensive in Organic Chemistry will fulfill the one-year college organic chemistry requirement for most medical schools. The program consists of three, three-week segments during which students enroll in both a lecture and a lab course. Students may enroll in the entire sequence or choose from individual segments to complement coursework already completed. This intensive will offer small class sizes and dedicated teachers. To receive a Certificate of Completion in Organic Chemistry, students must complete the following courses:

Special note for High School Summer College students: To enroll in these courses a student must have completed AP Chemistry (or equivalent) and must feel extremely comfortable with their performance in the course. The entire Organic Chemistry sequence requires nine weeks to complete.

General Chemistry

Students who are not ready to take Organic Chemistry should enroll in General Chemistry, as it is appropriate for students with moderate or no background in chemistry. The eight-week Summer Intensive in General Chemistry is equivalent to one-year of college general chemistry, and is taught as sequential four-week courses. To receive a Certificate of Completion in General Chemistry, students must complete the following courses:

Stanford Environmental & Water Studies Summer Program

Extraordinary leadership and expertise is needed to address the world’s critical environmental conditions – in the present and into the future. The Stanford Environmental & Water Studies Summer Program is an eight-week expansive enrichment experience for students and professionals to be attuned to cutting-edge knowledge and shifting paradigms in environmental science and engineering. The Summer curriculum comprises both introductory and advanced courses that challenge critical thinking and encourage interactive discussion to explore complex water and environmental problems, technologies, processes, and solutions. Students registered in the program may receive the SEWSS Certificate by completing at least three of the courses listed below with a grade of C- or higher. In addition to admission to Summer Session, a SEWSS Registration Form is required to enroll in these courses. For further information, students should visit the Stanford Environmental & Water Studies Summer Program website or email: ewssummer@stanford.edu.

2013 SEWSS courses:

Physics

The nine-week Summer Intensive in Physics will fulfill the one-year college physics requirement with lab of most medical schools. Each individual offering is three-weeks in duration, and students may enroll in the entire sequence or choose from individual courses to complement coursework already completed. This sequence is appropriate for biology, social science, and premedical students. To receive a Certificate of Completion in Physics, students must complete the following courses:

Special note for High School Summer College students: The official course descriptions for these offerings list high school algebra and trigonometry. Although not required, past Summer College participants have indicated that a background in high school physics (not AP) is recommended. The entire Physics sequence requires nine weeks to complete.

Computer Science

The Summer Intensive in Computer Science offers five courses designed for students with moderate to advanced knowledge. To earn a Certificate of Completion in Computer Science, seven or more units of coursework must be selected from the following course options:

Special note for High School Summer College students: To enroll in these courses a student must have completed AP Computer Science (or equivalent) and must feel extremely comfortable with their performance in the course.

Special Programs

Stanford-Peking University Program

For High School Summer College students, the Stanford-Peking University Program is an intensive five-week language program at Stanford (June 24 – July 26). Intensive Chinese is offered at the first, second, and third-year levels. Each course is equivalent to one year of instruction. Classes meet for four hours of instruction daily, Monday through Friday. For further information, please call 650-723-6355 or email: akeohane@stanford.edu.

Intensive Language Study Program

During the summer, Stanford's Language Center offers a wide range of intensive language courses. Each course covers a full year of university-level language instruction in eight weeks. The ratio of students to teachers is low, ensuring personalized instruction. The following languages are typically offered during the summer: French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish, and Classic Latin. Chinese is offered as part of the Stanford-Peking University Program (see above for program description). Language offerings for the upcoming summer will be listed in Axess in early January. Schedules and courses are subject to change.

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