FAQs

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

General Program Questions

Who can take a course?

Stanford Continuing Studies courses are open to the general public, and online courses can be accessed anywhere in the world. The only requirement is that you have earned a high school diploma (or equivalent). Otherwise, there are no prerequisites other than a healthy curiosity about the subject of the course and a willingness to participate! One does not need to have any other affiliation with Stanford.

When are courses offered?

Continuing Studies courses are offered all four quarters of the academic school year:

Fall Quarter (late-September to early-December)
Winter Quarter (mid-January to late-March)
Spring Quarter (early-April to early-June)
Summer Quarter (late-June to late-August)

See our Academic Calendar for specific dates, and join our mailing list to receive reminders and updates.

Do you offer the same courses each quarter?

Our course offerings vary from quarter to quarter. We plan our curriculum one quarter at a time, so we don’t know very far in advance exactly what the schedule will look like. Visit our Academic Calendar to see when future schedules will be available.

How much do courses cost?

Each course has its own tuition, which is listed in the details of the individual course description pages. This is generally based on aspects of the course like duration and class size.

There is a non-refundable $35 registration fee charged once per quarter (not per course).

Some courses may have additional materials fees, which are also listed in the details of the course description pages. Textbook costs are not included in tuition and are the responsibility of the student. See our Tuition and Payments page.

Online Courses

How do online courses work?

Classes are held on Zoom at regularly scheduled times. Instructors may lecture, project slides, engage students in discussion, and respond to questions just as they would in a physical classroom. Most instructors also use an online platform called Canvas to provide supplementary content such as readings, handouts, assignments, and online discussion threads. Please review the course syllabus for details on course delivery.

What kind of time commitment is required?

The time commitment varies from course to course, but they are designed with a busy adult in mind. In addition to the time spent in the live Zoom sessions, some courses require additional work such as readings or completing assignments that could take a few hours each week. Other courses are more lecture-based and do not require much time outside of class. Please review the preliminary syllabus for details about a specific course.

Will the live sessions be recorded for those who can't attend the regularly scheduled time?

Most instructors opt to record their sessions, and those videos will be posted in Canvas for students to watch at their convenience. A course’s description page will indicate if recordings will be available, but see the syllabus for more information regarding whether or not live attendance is required for those seeking credit or a grade.

What kind of computer equipment do I need in order to take an online course?

Please refer to Canvas and Zoom’s system requirements: Canvas Requirements and Zoom Requirements.

Registration Policies

How do I register for a course?

Continuing Studies uses an online registration system which is a similar process to online shopping. Each course has a button marked “Add to Cart,” and proceeding to the Cart page leads you through the rest of the process. We accept Visa, MasterCard, and AMEX.

There is a non-refundable $35 registration fee applied to your first enrollment of a particular quarter. It is charged once per quarter, not per course.

Explore courses that are currently available in our digital catalog or access the detailed course listings.

Can international students participate in these courses?

Yes, online courses can be taken from anywhere in the world, and if international students are in the US as a tourist or visitor, they can take on-campus courses. A student visa is not required, nor do we sponsor visas.

If my course does not begin for several weeks, do I need to enroll now?

No. You can enroll at any time before the course begins, and even after the first session in most cases. However, please be aware that many courses fill to capacity well before the start date, especially if it has a limited enrollment capacity. Early registration is encouraged if there is a limit listed on the course description page.

I work at Stanford. How do I use my STAP funds?

You can use your STAP funds for any Continuing Studies course and select STAP as your payment method during registration. Click here to read more about using STAP funds.

What is the refund policy?

Each course has a stated Refund Deadline, which is typically 48 hours after the first class session. Shorter courses that only meet 1-3 times often have the deadline set a week before the course begins.

Students can click a Drop w/ Refund link in their student account and will receive a full tuition refund back to their credit card.

Note: The refund is tuition only; it does not refer to the $35 registration fee or other additional fees a course may include. Click here for more information.

Where do I find payment/refund receipts?

Students can find a link to a PDF receipt in their student account. It is displayed with the other enrollment information for their course.

Do I need to purchase course materials?

Some courses list required or recommended books. The Stanford Bookstore carries all our course texts, but students are welcome to shop at a vendor of their choice.

Art studio courses will provide supply lists and some Tech courses may require students to purchase certain apps or software. See the course description page and syllabus for details about individual course requirements.

Where will my on-campus course meet?

On-campus courses are held in a variety of classrooms on the Stanford campus.

Enrolled students will receive information about their course’s location one week before the start date. It will be posted in their student account one week before the start date.

Grades and Credit

What are course grade options?

Students will have three grading options unless otherwise specified on the course description page. Courses that meet for more than 10 total hours can be taken for 1) a letter grade, 2) credit/no credit, or 3) no grade. Grade Options can be changed through the end of the course; students can change it in their student account. Please visit the Credits & Grades page for more details about choosing the grading option that is right for you.

Can I receive a proof of completion for my course?

An official transcript can be provided only if a course is taken for credit or a letter grade. We do not provide individual course certificates, with the only exception being very short courses. Courses that meet for less than 10 hours are not long enough to carry a unit and will therefore not appear on an official transcript. These instructors can provide a Statement of Participation.

The first five (5) transcripts are provided free of charge. Transcript requests must be received in writing. Please see the Continuing Studies Transcripts page for more details.

Can I earn a degree or credit toward a degree from this course?

Our courses carry Continuing Studies units of credit, which are different from the academic credits earned by undergraduate/graduate students. These courses are not typically transferable to other programs, but those decisions are made by the receiving institution. Our units cannot be applied toward any Stanford degree.

Whom should I contact if I have additional questions?

Email us at continuingstudies@stanford.edu or call (650) 725-2650.

Common Troubleshooting Tips

My login isn’t working on the Continuing Studies website.

You can use this form to reset your password. You only need to fill out one of the fields, so email address is the one you’re likely to know with the most certainty. It must be the email address attached to your student account.

You will receive an email with your username and a new random password. Once you’re logged in, you can change your password to something else if you choose.

If you receive multiple password reset emails, only the most recent one will work.
If you are on a phone or tablet, copy/pasting sometimes results in an extra space being added at the end. This will read as an extra character, so make sure to delete any extra spaces.

Why don’t I see my course in Canvas?

Canvas pages typically become accessible to students one week before class begins. It also takes about 20-25 minutes for Canvas to reflect a new enrollment, so if you enroll within that week, give it a little while before trying to access the page.

If you work at Stanford, you will now have two Canvas accounts. If you're on a machine where you often log in to sites with your SUNet, your browser will often automatically log you into your SUNet account rather than Continuing Studies. If that happens, click Account at the upper left, and Log Out. Then type canvas.stanford.edu into the browser bar and log in via the Continuing Studies Student portal.