Frequently Asked Questions

Does AP credit count for the major?
Yes, AP credit can count towards the Physics, Math and Science Elective requirements. Technically, it can also count towards the CS 106 requirement, although we strongly discourage it. See the Major Requirements page for details.

What are my options for the Math/Physics/etc. requirement?
You have a wide variety of options, please check out the Major Requirements page to read more about them.

How can I find out which courses are being offered each quarter?
The CS Department publishes a tentative CS Time Schedule for the whole year. This will let you know which courses are being offered this year, who is teaching them, and at what time they will be offered. This is also the most up to date information about which courses are being offered. We have put together a quick reference table from this information here. If a course is offered a particular quarter, it is usually offered the same quarter next year. This is not always the case, but it provides a good rule of thunb.

How can I hear more about what's going on in the CS department?
If you are declared, you should have been automatically added to the bscs mailing list. If you have not yet declared, you can join the considering_cs mailing list. Just send an email to majordomo@lists.stanford.edu with "subscribe considering_cs" (without the quotes) in the body of the message. Various departmental announcements such as changes in course offerings, social activities and information about declaring will also be sent to this list periodically.

I like CS, but I'm not sure that the CS major is exactly what I'm looking for.
There are a variety of other majors that are similar to CS. A short description of these majors, as well as links are listed on our overview of CS related majors page. You can also check out our CS Minor page.

How do I find an Advisor and/or Declare CS as my major?
Check out the Declaring page for everything you ever wanted to know about the declaration process and the Advising page for everything you ever wanted to know about finding an advisor.

Can I change my faculty advisor?
Absolutely. We want you to be with the advisor that best fits your needs. Of course it is better to build a long term relationship with one faculty member, but if you think switching advisors would be better for you, you should go right ahead. In order to switch advisors you just need to get approval from your new advisor, let your old advisor know, and email Claire Stager so we can change it in the database. We especially encourage you to not put off declaring because you don't feel ready to choose an advisor. If you are ready to declare CS, but not sure about what field you are interested in, just choose a professor or a lecturer that makes you comfortable. You can always change to an advisor in a particular field later. You should also keep in mind that developing relationships with more than one faculty member is always beneficial. Many people actively seek out advice from faculty other than just their official advisor.

How do I get to be a CS 106 Section Leader?
The section leader program (also known as CS 198) maintains website here.

How can I get involved with Undergraduate Research?
Check out the Undergraduate Research page for an extensive overview of how to find research opportunities, how to approach professors and much more!

What is CURIS?
CURIS is the undergraduate summer research program in the CS Department. Students apply in the winter and are assigned to projects for the summer. They then spend the summer on campus working with a professor on a current research project. Students are given free room and board (on campus) for the summer along with a stipend which is usually around $2000 - $4000. More Information about CURIS is available on their website.

When should I fill out a program sheet, and what do I do with it?
You should fill out a program sheet as soon as you are pretty sure you know what classes you are going to take to graduate. Once you've filled one out, bring it to Claire Stager. She will look over it, sign it, and keep it on file. Once she signs it, you are guaranteed to graduate if you take the classes you list on your program sheet. You can always fill out another program sheet if you change your mind about the courses you want to take - but having an approved one on file makes your life easier because you know that someone official has approved your plan. It also makes Claire's life a lot easier if you fill out your sheet early instead of waiting until the last minute. Program sheets are available here or in the handout bins outside of Claire's office.

Who do I talk to about getting changes to my program sheet approved?
Any changes on the back of the program sheet must be approved by Jery Cain. The way to get this approval is to email jerry@cs with a cc to stager@cs (Claire Stager) with a description of what change you would like to make and why. In order to get any changes approved for the front side of the program sheet, you must file a petition with the School of Engineering. In general, if you just want to know what your chances of getting a petition approved by the School of Engineering are, you can ask Claire Stager.

How do I know which program sheet to use?
You can use a program sheet from any year since the first year you enrolled at Stanford. However, you cannot mix requirements between program sheets. The only exception to this rule is that if a class appears as a restriced elective on one year's program sheet, then it can be used as a restriced elective on any other year's program sheet.

What is my Xenon account, how can I use it, and who do I see if I have problems?
If you have a problem with your Xenon account and/or have lost your password, you need to see Lynn Gotelli in Gates 170. You can also email action@cs.stanford.edu. For general info on how your Xenon account or your @cs email address works, please check out the Xenon page.

How/When do I apply to write an Honors Thesis?
Check out the CS Honors website. Unfortunately, there is no honors program for CSE majors.

How do I file to graduate, or "walk" at graduation?
If you are actually graduating and recieving your diploma, you need to do two things. First, make sure to fill out a Program Sheet and turn it in to Claire at least one quarter before you intend to graduate. Then you must file to graduate on Axess (note there is a deadline for this - check the academic calendar to find out when it is). When you file to graduate, you will be asked how you want to recieve your diploma (in the mail, at graduation, etc). If you are not actually graduating, but you want to "walk-through" at graduation, then you should keep an eye out during spring quarter for an email announcement from Claire. She will send out mail to the bscs list when walk-through petitions are available, and you need to fill one of those. Note that the university requires you to have at least 165 units in order to "walk" at graduation.

I have a question about the Co-Term.
See the Co-Term FAQ for more info.

I need help looking for a job or summer internship.
All of the recruiting for the Computer Science department is handled by the Computer Forum. Among other things, they maintain a job postings mailing list, handle company information sessions and run a technology job fair in January. Keep in mind that the Computer Forum only handles recruiting for its member companies. In order to get information about other companies and opportunities, you should talk to the Career Center. If you are interested in doing research at Stanford for the summer, check out the CURIS website.

How do I get transfer credit?
In order to recieve transfer credit for anything on the front side of your program sheet, you must petition through the School of Engineering. More information on the process is available here. If the credit is for a course that is on the back side of the program sheet, you must get departmental approval. In order to get this approval, you should send an email to Jerry Cain (jerry@cs) and cc it to Claire Stager (stager@cs). Please include in the email the stanford course number you are requesting credit for, where and when you took the course, what it's name and number is at that institution, how many units you took the course for, a syllabus and a textbook list.