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Stanford
Program in Human Biology
School of Humanities and Sciences
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How to Declare

Declaration Policy: Students are encouraged to start the declaration process in SFACT after successfully completing two of the core courses. Students are eligible to officially declare after successfully completing four of the core courses. 

You can always get started by meeting with one of our student advisors. Check out the advising schedule on the Advising page. 

1. Develop a Course of Study in SFACT & Meet with an SA for Your First Approval
  • Compile a list of courses: Consider what you have learned throughout the Core, your interests, and areas you'd like to explore further. Your first step is to compile a list of classes that you want to take. Use the Depth course list on Finding Courses section to help you understand the general themes and course offerings available.
  • Organize your courses by the requirements:  After reading and understanding the HumBio major requirements, you can start inputting classes into HumBio's online Course of Study tool called SFACT. You will arrange your classes into the three requirements: Breadth, Depth, and Upper Division. Breadth courses allow you to explore your concentration with a broad focus. Depth courses allow you to gain expertise of content in your concentration. Students who have taken two core classes have access to the portal and a guide to SFACT is located here. Our advising team is ready to assist you with this step.
  • Create your own Area of Concentration: Develop a title for your  Area of Concentration that communicates the focus of your Human Biology degree. If you need inspiration for coursework or Area of Concentration titles, you can find past students’ Course of Study Examples here.
  • 1st SA Approval: Meet with an SA to review your Course of Study in SFACT. They will review and either approve your submission or suggest changes if your courses do not meet the Human Biology requirements. Keep in mind that adjustments can be made later, but will require approval from and SA or Student Services staff. 

SFACT Course of Study Tool

2. Write your Cornerstone Essay
  • Draft a Cornerstone Essay (minimum 3 pages) detailing your reasoning for your chosen Area of Concentration. Please refer to the following resources for guidance:
  • 2nd SA Approval: Provide an SA a copy of your essay for feedback. If the office hours are busy they may need to follow up with you after your meeting.   After any necessary revisions, upload the final draft to SFACT for approval.
3. Identify a HumBio Faculty Advisor & Meet with a Different SA for your 2nd Approval
  • Your Faculty Advisor should be someone with experience related to your Area of Concentration. After receiving your first approval, you can search for approved HumBio advisors using the "Browse Faculty Advisors" tool in SFACT . Consult an SA if you need guidance in selecting an appropriate advisor.
  • Faculty lunches are a great opportunity to meet HumBio faculty. They are announced via e-mail and on the weekly HumBio Buzz.
  • Reach out to your chosen Faculty Advisor to discuss your proposed coursework and interests. You can attend their office hours or send a concise email explaining your intent to find an advisor.  Read best practices for emailing faculty.
  • Add Faculty Advisor to SFACT: Once a faculty member agrees to be your HumBio major advisor, ask an SA to add them to SFACT for you. This will automatically send an email to confirm their agreement as your faculty advisor and review your coursework.  
4. Final Check with Student Services Staff & Apply for the Major in Axess
  • Apply for the Major: In Axess, add the Human Biology major. Instructions and screenshots are available on the student services website.
  • Grade Check: A Human Biology Student Services officer will do a grade check, confirm your degree option and process your major declaration in Axess. Congratulations! You are now officially a declared major in Human Biology at Stanford.
5. After Declaring
  • Continue to meet with your Faculty Advisor: Maintain regular meetings with your Faculty Advisor, ideally at least once during your junior year and again in your senior year, to discuss your goals, academic interests and any changes to your Course of Study.
  • Course changes are allowed but require approval: All course changes must be entered and approved in advance by Student Services staff in SFACT. Students may consult SAs about course changes, who will route agreed upon changes to Student Services staff for reapproval.
    • An addendum is required for changes to two or more Depth courses. Add a paragraph to the end of your original Cornerstone Essay that describes how your new Depth courses fit into your Area of Concentration. Upload your addendum to SFACT for reapproval.
    • Should you wish to change your entire Area of Concentration, first schedule a meeting to discuss your plans with the Student Services staff. If your plans are feasible, you will need to redo steps 1 and 2 of the declaration process. If you're studying a vastly different area of interest, it could be beneficial to seek out a additional mentors or an entirely new Faculty Advisor, who specializes in that area, as they can provide valuable insights and support tailored to your evolving academic journey.