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Open to students in any major, the Interdisciplinary Arts Minor and Honors in the Arts programs support students in completing original projects under the guidance of academic and creative mentors. The programs support a diverse range of interdisciplinary experiences: Students are free to design projects that incorporate multiple arts disciplines and to integrate non-arts interests into either artistic practice or research. The minor requires 27 units of core and elective classes in addition to a capstone project. Honors student participate in weekly workshops during their senior year as they develop a creative thesis project.

A part-time master's degree program for adults, Stanford's Master of Liberal Arts (MLA) offers the opportunity to pursue an interdisciplinary course of study through evening classes and a flexible academic schedule.

The interdisciplinary program in Science, Technology, and Society (STS) offers a modern liberal arts education by bringing together scholars from fields such as anthropology, computer science, and sociology to explore the impact of scientific discoveries and how people understand their relationship to technology.

Through courses in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and engineering, students acquire technical skills along with an understanding of the history of science as well as the values and economic forces that guide technological change.

African and African American Studies (AAAS) provides an interdisciplinary approach to the study of peoples of African descent within societies worldwide. Courses promote research across departmental boundaries, allowing students to explore the intersections of gender, class, race, religion, and other dynamics.

The first ethnic studies program developed at a private institution in the United States, AAAS has established a network of scholars who bridge such fields as anthropology, art, economics, feminist studies, history, linguistics, and literature. It is closely associated with Stanford’s Center for Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity and many other centers on campus that support social progress though the expansion of knowledge.

Explore careers of undergraduate AAAS alumni.

*Note: The AAAS interdisciplinary program remains in H&S until current students with majors and minors receive their degrees, but it no longer accepts new majors and minors. Students can declare a major or minor in the new Department of African and African American Studies.

Modern Thought and Literature (MTL) is an interdisciplinary graduate program directed by faculty in art history, English, media studies, comparative literature, and law, among others. The program, which explores critical approaches to modernity, supports research in literature, film, popular culture, technology, ideology, and more.

MTL students are trained in literary and cultural studies as well as disciplines such as anthropology, gender studies, or sociology. The program expects that many of its alumni will go on to become innovative teachers and scholars in all areas of the humanities.

Graduate joint degree offered: JD/PhD

Asian American Studies (AAS) is dedicated to understanding Asian peoples in the U.S. from contemporary and historical points of view. With a broad range of interests and expertise, faculty in AAS take an interdisciplinary approach to studying the complex, diverse, and ever-changing cultures that constitute the Asian American experience.

Undergraduates at Stanford may earn a major or minor in Asian American Studies by taking courses in many departments, including history, English, anthropology, and music. The program is a home for students exploring every dimension of Asian American life from art and literature to social and cultural history to politics and policy. It provides an excellent foundation for appreciating complexity within a diverse, interdependent world.

This interdisciplinary program offered by the Taube Center for Jewish Studies promotes research on Jewish literatures, languages, religion, politics, and history. In addition to traditional strengths in history and religious studies, the program also comprises scholarship on the role of the arts, especially music and theater, in Jewish culture.

Courses offer a rich understanding of the many areas of Jewish studies, such as Jewish history, Israeli culture, religious literature, and the Hebrew and Yiddish languages. Undergraduates may earn a major or minor in Jewish studies. The Taube Center also supports graduate students and visiting scholars as part of its mission to educate the broader community, Jewish and non-Jewish, through lectures and other public events.

Stanford’s Department of Classics takes an interdisciplinary approach to studying the literature and culture of the ancient world. Students examine history, language, literature, art, philosophy, and archaeology in courses that situate Greece and Rome in relation to other ancient societies.

At Stanford, classics is a dynamic field in which faculty and students employ diverse methods of study across media, genres, and time. Coursework delves into specialized fields such as ancient economics, law, and science to illuminate the relationships between various cultures and the ancient world’s influence on the contemporary one. Classics also collaborates with the Department of Philosophy to offer undergraduate and graduate joint programs in ancient philosophy.

View highlights of the classics department's undergraduate offerings.

Explore careers of undergraduate classics alumni.

The Master of Arts in Latin American Studies is an interdisciplinary program in Stanford Global Studies. Its curriculum consists of a core set of courses surveying the region’s history, politics, culture, society, and environment, along with advanced language training and in-depth courses. The MA program attracts students who wish to deepen their knowledge of Latin America while developing research skills for a professional career or doctoral studies. In consultation with a faculty advisor, students select a course of study suited to their interests. Students can choose to pursue a joint degree in Latin American Studies and Law. Some students opt for dual degrees, pursuing both a master's in Latin American Studies and a professional degree in business or medicine.

Graduate joint degree offered: JD/MA