Cardinal Courses
Take one of 170+ Cardinal Courses to apply your classroom knowledge to real-world challenges, working alongside faculty and local community organizations. Though projects and partnerships vary, all Cardinal Courses share these core features:
- Integrate course objectives with experiences centered around local or global communities
- Address a social or environmental challenge through collaboration with a stakeholder organization or external group
- Produce reciprocal benefits for students and community partners, or produce deliverables that advance technologies or frameworks through collaboration
- Provide opportunities to critically examine public issues
- Embody the Haas Center's Principles of Ethical and Effective Service
- Involve one or more Public Service Pathways: activism, community engaged learning and research, direct service, public policy, philanthropy, or social entrepreneurship
Students who complete 12+ units of Cardinal Courses can apply to have it reflected on their academic transcript with the Cardinal Service Notation.
Explore Cardinal Courses
Affordability
Projects addressing socio-economic inequalities, including poverty alleviation, food security, and housing security.
Arts & Media
Artistic or cultural endeavors aimed at advancing the public good, including visual and performing arts, journalism, film, literature, and other media.
Civic Engagement
Projects to improve and contribute to communities and strengthen democratic values through participation in political processes and social movements.
Education & Youth Development
Efforts to support social, emotional, physical, and/or intellectual development, including teaching, early childhood development, education administration, extracurricular enrichment, and college access.
Environmental Sustainability
Stewardship of natural resources and development of renewable solutions, including work on climate change, conservation, energy, environmental health, environmental justice, sustainable food systems, natural resources management, biodiversity, and animal welfare.
Health
Efforts to advance holistic physical, mental, and social well-being of individuals and communities, including healthcare access, medical research, public health, population and global health, and attention to socio-economic and environmental determinants of health.
Human Rights
Advocacy for and protection of civil and political as well as social, economic, and cultural rights for individuals and groups as defined by the Universal Declaration for Human Rights.
Law, Policy & Justice
Efforts related to the protection of civil liberties and rights of individuals.
Technology & Engineering
Opportunities focused on utilizing technology for social or environmental good, including cybersecurity, tech nonprofits, clean energy ventures, designing for inclusivity, and data analytics.
Learn about a few of the more than 150 community-engaged learning courses offered at Stanford.