Welcome to the Stanford Graduate Summer Institute
Please note: all links on this page that lead to another party's website will open that website in a new browser window.APPLICANTS: Once you have been notified of your application status by the SGSI faculty, please respond for each course by clicking the Respond here button. Your timely response for all courses will allow faculty to better manage their course rosters and admit students from the waitlist if space allows. To secure your place, please submit a $100 "placeholder" check to the VPGE office by June 14, as instructed in the notification message from the SGSI faculty.
explore ~ experience ~ expandStanford’s Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Education (VPGE) is pleased to sponsor the Stanford Graduate Summer Institute (SGSI): immersive, interdisciplinary, interactive courses for incoming and current Stanford graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. SGSI courses offer a unique opportunity for broad, cross-disciplinary learning, catalyzing new connections among students and postdocs across the entire Stanford community. Since its inauguration in 2006, SGSI has had over 1,500 participants. SGSI is a way to get the most our of your Stanford experience. |
When is SGSI?
SGSI takes place the week of September 9, 2013, two weeks before Autumn quarter starts. Ideally, this is a time when students can immerse themselves in these learning experiences without the typical academic year pressures. Most courses meet for half days over the week, though schedules vary depending on course goals. Due to the interactive design of courses, students must be able to commit to full participation.
Do the courses offer credit or have any fees?
The SGSI courses are free of charge (except Stanford Ignite). They are not offered for credit and no grades are given. Courses will not show up on your transcript, though you may want to list them on your resume or curriculum vitae as a professional or educational experience.
Who can apply?
Courses are open to all current and incoming Stanford graduate students who will be registered in Autumn quarter 2013. Unless otherwise indicated, postdoctoral fellows are welcome to apply to any of the SGSI courses and will be accepted on a "space-available" basis. Certain courses, such as the Energy@Stanford&SLAC and the Stanford Entrepreneurship Safari, are designed to expose incoming graduate students to Stanford resources, but more advanced students and postdocs are welcome to apply.
How do I select which courses to apply to? Are there any pre-requisites?
You can only take one course at a time, so you should carefully select courses that best match your interests and schedule. SGSI courses are designed to appeal to a broad, multi-disciplinary group of students and thus have no explicit pre-requisites.
How do I apply? When will I find out if I’ve been accepted?
Read through the course descriptions and click on any Apply button to begin your application. You will be asked to select your 1st, 2nd, and 3rd course choice and to briefly answer two questions specific to each course.
The priority application deadline is Friday, May 10. Faculty will begin reviewing applications and selecting students immediately. You will be notified about which course(s) you’ve been selected for by early June and will have until June 14 to confirm your participation. We ask you to secure your spot by submitting a $100 check, which will only be cashed if you do not participate or cancel in advance.
The 2013 SGSI course list is now available.
What students said about last year's SGSI…
"This class will get you started figuring out your LIFE. It's one of the most important things I've done at Stanford."
(Designing the Professional)"Dynamic instructors, interesting content, lasting frameworks -- the idea of "reframing" has especially stuck with me and I have already implemented it on multiple occasions."
(Designing the Professional)
"This is a course that every graduate student should take!"
(Public Policy and Negotiation)“It's a great course, well designed/taught, and an excellent way to network with grad students from different disciplines.”
(Public Policy and Negotiation)"It will open your eyes to what is required to go from work in the lab all the way to the policy that will implement it for the rest of society."
(Energy)"It rocked my world and I don't know how I got to be this lucky."
(The d.school experience: Adventures in Design Thinking)"It provides a wide range of topics and viewpoints on a complex issue in a short amount of time. Don't expect any answers; that in itself is a lesson worth learning."
(Globalization, Development, and AIDS in Africa)“It's a refreshing experience that gets you excited about your research again. The team projects teach you a lot about yourself because the evaluations are very honest.”
(The d.school experience: Adventures in Design Thinking)“By the end you will have an elevator pitch so that you can effortlessly discuss your research at parties. Definitely worth your time!”
(I-RITE/I-SPEAK)"Come with an open mind. Take this course early in your Stanford career. Make friends."
(Designing the Professional)