Stanford Engineering
SoE Undergrad Handbook

Minor Programs

Nine School of Engineering programs offer a Minor Program

Aeronautics/Astronautics (AA), Civil Engineering (CE), Chemical Engineering (CHEME)(being revised; not offered 2022-23), Computer Science (CS), Electrical Engineering (EE), Environmental Systems Engineering (ENVSE), Materials Science & Engineering (MATSC), Mechanical Engineering (ME), and Management Science & Engineering (MGTSC). Details on each program can be found on the Explore Degrees site and below; and course requirements/elective options are listed on each program's Minor Program Sheets.

General requirements and policies for a minor in the School of Engineering

See the SoE Minors Explore Degrees page for specific requirements for each minor program offered.

  1. A minor consists of a set of courses totaling not less than 20 and not more than 36 units, with a minimum of six courses of at least 3 units each. These courses must be taken for a letter grade except where letter grades are not offered. A minimum total GPA of 2.0 must be maintained in courses taken for the minor; departments may choose to set a higher GPA.
  2. The set of courses should be sufficiently coherent as to present a body of knowledge within a discipline or sub-discipline.
  3. Courses used for the major and/or minor core must not be duplicated within any other of the student's degree programs; that is, students may not overlap (double-count) courses for completing core major OR core minor requirements.
  4. Departmentally-based minor programs are structured at the discretion of the sponsoring department, subject only to requirements (1), (2), and (3) above.

No “General Engineering” minor is offered.

For details on what is allowed to double-count (aka overlap), see policy #3 above or contact Darlene at dlazar@stanford.edu.

School of Engineering Minor Programs

Minor Program Sheets

See each Minor Program Sheet for course requirements and elective options.

Aeronautics and Astronautics Minor (AA-MINOR)

The Aero/Astro minor introduces undergraduates to the key elements of modern aerospace systems. Within the minor, students may focus on aircraft, spacecraft, or disciplines relevant to both. The course requirements for the minor are described in the Stanford Bulletin. If any core classes (aside from ENGR 21*) are part of student's major or other degree program, the AA adviser can help select substitute courses to fulfill the AA minor requirements; no double counting allowed.  

All courses taken for the minor must be taken for a letter grade if that option is offered by the instructor. Minimum GPA for all minor courses combined is 2.0. The minor is 24 units total.

*ENGR 21 is waived as a minor requirement if already taken as part of the major program.

Chemical Engineering Minor (CHEME-MINOR)

The courses required for the Chemical Engineering minor total 36 units and can be found listed on the Minor Program Sheet. Note: Cumulative GPA for all minor courses must be at least 2.0; all courses listed must be taken for a letter grade if that option is offered.

Civil Engineering Minor (CE-MINOR)

The program sheet for the CE minor program can be found on the UGHB website.

The civil engineering minor is intended to give students a focused introduction to one or more areas of civil engineering. Departmental expertise and undergraduate course offerings are available in the areas of Construction Engineering and Management, Structural and Geotechnical Engineering, and Architectural Design. Students interested in Environmental and Water Studies should refer to the Environmental Systems Engineering minor. The minimum prerequisite for a civil engineering minor is MATH 21; however, many courses of interest require PHYSICS 41 and/or MATH 51 as prerequisites. Students should recognize that a minor in civil engineering is not an ABET-accredited degree program.

Since undergraduates having widely varying backgrounds may be interested in obtaining a civil engineering minor, and the field itself is broad, no single set of course requirements will be appropriate for all students. Instead, interested students are encouraged to propose their own set of courses within the guidelines listed below. Additional information, including example minor programs, is given on the CEE website.

General guidelines and procedures for the minor in civil engineering are:

  1. A civil engineering minor must contain at least 24 units of engineering coursework not taken for the major, and must consist of at least six classes of a least 3 units each of letter-graded work, except where letter grades are not offered. Coursework must conform to the School of Engineering minor requirements published in the Stanford Bulletin and in this Handbook. Note: Cumulative GPA for all minor courses must be at least 2.0.
  2. To declare a minor with the CEE department, students must complete a Civil or Environmental Systems Engineering Minor Program form. Professor Greg Deierlein (ggd@stanford.edu) is the advisor for minors in Civil Engineering. Catherine Gorle (gorle@stanford.edu) is the advisor for minors in the CE Sustainable Architecture + Engineering track. Students must consult with the appropriate advisor in developing their minor program, obtain the advisor’s approval (including signature) of their study list on the CE Minor Program Sheet, and email to the CEE Student Services Specialist, Jill Filice (jill.filice@stanford.edu).

Minors must be officially declared and all courses completed (or in progress) no later than the deadline for a student’s application to graduate.

Computer Science Minor (CS-MINOR)

The courses necessary to fulfill the requirements for the minor in Computer Science are shown in the Stanford Bulletin and on the Minor Program Sheet. In addition, students must complete the standard mathematics sequence through MATH 51 as a prerequisite.

Note 1: Neither CS 103 nor CS 109 may be counted in any other degree program, not even as math. Only CS106 B/X may be double-counted towards both major and minor requirements in two or more programs; all other courses are considered as Core or Depth to the program.

Note 2: Cumulative GPA for all minor courses must be at least 2.0; all courses listed must be taken for a letter grade if that option is offered.

Electrical Engineering Minor (EE-MINOR)

The options for completing a minor in Electrical Engineering are outlined in the Stanford Bulletin and on the Minor Program Sheet. Students must complete a minimum of 23-25 units. Note: Cumulative GPA for all minor courses must be at least 2.0; all courses listed must be taken for a letter grade if that option is offered.

Environmental Systems Engineering Minor (ENVSE-MINOR)

The Environmental Systems Engineering minor is intended to give students a focused introduction to one or more areas of Environmental Systems Engineering. Departmental expertise and undergraduate course offerings are available in the areas of environmental engineering and science, environmental fluid mechanics and hydrology, and atmosphere/energy. The minimum prerequisite for an ENVSE minor is MATH 21 or 42; however, many courses of interest require PHYSICS 41 and/or MATH 51 as prerequisites. Students should recognize that a minor in Environmental Systems Engineering is not an ABET-accredited degree program.

Since undergraduates having widely varying backgrounds may be interested in obtaining an Environmental Systems Engineering minor, no single set of course requirements is appropriate for all students. Instead, interested students are encouraged to propose their own set of courses within the guidelines listed below. Additional information, including example minor programs, are given on the CEE website.

General guidelines and procedures for the minor in environmental systems engineering are:

  1. An Environmental Systems Engineering minor must contain at least 24 units of engineering coursework not taken for the major and must consist of at least six classes of at least 3 units each of letter-graded work, except where letter grades are not offered. Coursework must conform to the School of Engineering (SoE) minor requirements published in the Stanford Bulletin and in this Handbook. Note: Cumulative GPA for all minor courses must be at least 2.0.
  2. To declare a minor with the CEE Department, students must complete a Civil or Environmental Systems Engineering Minor Program form and apply for the Environmental Systems Engineering minor on Axess.. Professor Peter Kitanidis (peterk@stanford.edu) is the advisor for minors in Environmental Systems Engineering. Students must consult with Prof. Kitanidis in developing their minor program and must obtain his approval (including signature) of their study list on the CEE Environmental Systems Engineering Minor Program sheet and email to the CEE Student Services Specialist, Jill Filice (jill.filice@stanford.edu).
  • Minors must be officially declared and all courses completed (or in progress) no later than the deadline for a student’s application to graduate.

Management Science and Engineering Minor (MGTSC-MINOR)

See the Stanford Bulletin or the Minor Program Sheet for a list of required and elective courses required to fulfill minor requirements. Units will total 27 units, though with additional recommended courses the total may reach up to 36 units. Note: Cumulative GPA for all minor courses must be at least 2.0; all courses listed must be taken for a letter grade if that option is offered.

Materials Science and Engineering Minor (MATSC-MINOR)

A minor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering allows interested students to explore the role of materials in modern technology and to gain understanding of the fundamental processes that govern materials behavior. The courses listed in the Stanford Bulletin and on the Minor Program Sheet fulfill the requirements. All courses for the minor requirements must be taken for a letter grade if offered by the instructor; cumulative GPA for all minor courses must be at least 2.0.

Mechanical Engineering Minor (ME-MINOR)

There are three options for students interested in a minor in Mechanical Engineering: A general minor that exposes students to the breadth of the field, and two specialized minors—Thermosciences and Mechanical Design—that allow students to pursue a particular area in more depth. The requirements for each of these minors are listed below. If ENGR14 or 15 will be taken for the major requirements, other courses may be substituted for these minor requirements via petition. The total number of required units remains the same as listed below. Note: Cumulative GPA for all minor courses must be at least 2.0.

General Minor in Mechanical Engineering

This minor aims to expose students to the breadth of Mechanical Engineering in terms of topics and of analytic and design activities. Students interested in this minor must take the following courses as prerequisites: MATH 19/20/21 or equivalent, and PHYSICS 41.

Thermosciences Minor in Mechanical Engineering

Students interested in this minor must take the following courses as prerequisites: MATH 19/20/21 or equivalent, MATH 51 (or CME 100), and PHYSICS 41. 

Mechanical Design Minor in Mechanical Engineering

This minor includes design activities supported by analysis and has the following courses as prerequisites: MATH 19/20/21 or equivalent, and PHYSICS 41.