Minor in Civic Thought and Practice

The SCI Minor in Civic Thought and Practice (CTP) enables undergraduates from any field to build on the foundational Stanford curriculum in COLLEGE 102: Citizenship in the 21st Century. Students pursuing the minor are provided with a structured civics curriculum that develops both civic thought—the historical precedents, political ideas, and institutional configurations that shape how we understand political life and citizenship—and civic practices. Students enrolled in the CTP Minor both learn and apply civic skills, dispositions, and experiences that help them to develop into more effective citizens and that improve relations among citizens. These include active listening, civil disagreement, reasoned discussion, and community engagement. CTP classes are taught primarily as discussion seminars.

Requirements

Students must complete COLLEGE 102: Citizenship in the 21st Century, POLSCI 238T/HISTORY 258T: Designing Democracy, and four other courses drawn from the CTP tracks described below – Civic History; Civic Thought; Constitution & Law; Political Economy; and Classical Traditions – for a total of 6 courses (minimum of 20 units). Students elect either to take at least one course in three of the following five tracks and one additional course in any of the tracks (the breadth option), or to take three courses in one of the tracks, and one additional course in any of the tracks (the depth option).

Note: Courses taken for the CTP Minor may not be used towards any other major or minor. Courses applied to the minor must be taken for a letter grade where offered and must count for a minimum of 3 units; students must earn at least a C grade or higher in each course counting towards the minor.

Civic Tracks

Apply to the Civic Thought and Practice Minor

To apply for the Minor:

1. Fill out the Civic Thought and Practice Minor Declaration Form
2. Email the completed form to Kaitlyn Kronk to arrange a meeting with the student services staff and program director
3. After meeting with program staff, declare the Civic Thought and Practice Minor in Axess

Advising

For questions about course selection, breadth and depth pathways, petitioning a course toward a track, or whether the minor fits your academic plans, please contact Javier Mejia, Director of Undergraduate Studies. Office hours: schedule here

Students pursuing the minor are also eligible to work with a mentor drawn from the Stanford Civics Initiative Postdoctoral Fellows.

For questions about the declaration form or Axess, contact Kaitlyn Kronk.