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Stanford
Program in Human Biology
School of Humanities and Sciences

Proposing a Human Biology Course

Process Overview

The Human Biology Program curriculum review process has two steps:

  1. Course Concept Form: A brief overview of the course to be reviewed by the Human Biology Director, staff, or curriculum committee for programmatic need and resources on a rolling basis
  2. Course Proposal: An in-depth review of the course's structure and content to be reviewed by the Human Biology curriculum committee at the quarterly curriculum committee meetings

Requests for Proposals

Human Biology is currently seeking proposals in the following areas:

  • Neuroscience
  • Adolescent Development and Health
  • Ethics

Course Concept Form

  1. Name(s) of the teaching faculty with academic appointment information
  2. Course description including the target student group, course structure, and intended size
  3. Connection to Human Biology themes: Human Biology values both the biological and the social aspects of the human condition. How will the course address both of these?
  4. Upload CV of instructors

Please complete the course concept form

Proposal Guidelines

After approval of the course concept, the Human Biology curriculum committee will request a formal course proposal submitted via Smartsheet, which will include:

  1. Instructor Background: Title, department, teaching evaluations, and CV upload for all instructors
  2. Course Logistics: Title, units, format, grading option, schedule, intended enrollment, formal description for Explore Courses, Ways accreditation, Human Biology major requirement, and degree option
  3. Course Content: Learning goals, syllabus, reading list, Human Biology capacities, connection to current Human Biology curriculum

Note: The Smartsheet form will provide an explanation and access to materials that will help you complete the course proposal appropriately. Angie Llamas (allamas [at] stanford.edu (allamas[at]stanford[dot]edu)) can assist you in this process.

Cross-Listing Request Guidelines

A cross-listing request follows the same curriculum review process as a new course. Cross-listed classes are those for which the primary academic home is another department or program outside Human Biology. 

Cross-listing is considered particularly appropriate when the cross-listed course counts towards the degree requirements of a student majoring in the receiving department(s) or IDP(s) and when it is considered appropriate that the student's official transcript reflects the subject of the receiving department.

In addition, Human Biology will require the following to initiate or maintain cross-listing of classes:

  • The course fits very well within the program's mission, to provide an interdisciplinary approach to understanding the human being from biological, behavioral, social, and cultural perspectives
  • The class requires 3-4 units (rarely 5) consistent with program requirements
  • Class enrollment is at least 20 students
  • >25% of students enrolled are Human Biology majors
  • Assignment to Human Biology lower or upper division numbering follows the policy outlined in HumBio Classifications

Upon approval for cross-listing a course from the curriculum committee, the committee will review it again after two iterations of the course to confirm the course continues to meet the above cross-listing requirements.