stanford english phd students

ENGL-PHD - English (PhD)

Program overview.

The graduate program features rigorous training in researching and analyzing British, American, and Anglophone literary histories and theories, preparing students to produce scholarship of originality and importance and teach literature at advanced levels.

Admissions Information

Students with a bachelor’s degree in English or a closely related field may apply to pursue graduate work toward an advanced degree in English at Stanford. International students whose first language is not English must also take the TOEFL examination (with certain exceptions: see the  Office of Graduate Admissions  website).

Michelle Tan

Overview of Degree Programs

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Bachelor of Arts in English

Stanford’s English curriculum features a team-taught, yearlong core sequence that traces the big picture of literature’s development from the Middle Ages to the present. English majors also learn critical tools for analyzing literature through three broad course requirements, in poetry, narrative, and methodology. Students gain a contextual framework and are prepared to take the department’s wide range of electives. Visit the Major page for more information on the major core requirements and emphases.

Learn More About the English Major

Martin Adams

Digital Humanities Minor

The important and flourishing field of Digital Humanities offers an exciting opportunity to expand the range of inquiry and invigorate interest in humanistic study among Stanford's undergraduates. This new Humanities and Sciences minor is pioneering in both the content of the institution--emphasizing the intersection of technology, computational analysis, new media, and traditional interpretive modes--as well as in the integrated cross-departmental nature of the course of study. The minor in Digital Humanites aims to provide a comprehensive educational system emphasizing the complementary and synergy of scientific and computational methods with humanites practices such as interpretation, critical thinking, and aesthetic creation. 

Learn More About Digital Humanities Minor

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Minor in English

The minor in English Literature offers some flexibility for those students who want to pursue specific interests within British and American literature, while still requiring certain courses that ensure coverage of a variety of periods, genres, and methods of studying literature. Visit the Minor page for more information on the minor requirements and how to declare. Information on the Creative Writing minor can be found on the  Creative Writing  web site.

Learn More About the English Minor

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Coterminal Master of Arts in English

This MA program is designed for Stanford undergraduates who want to take their literary studies to a more advanced level by participating in graduate-level courses and by writing a thesis (optional). Visit the Coterm page for more information on the coterm requirements and the application process.

Learn More About the English Coterminal MA

Susan Q Yin

Doctor of Philosophy in English

The graduate program features rigorous training in the research and analysis of British, American, and Anglophone literary histories and texts, preparing students to produce scholarship of originality and importance, and to teach literature at advanced levels. Visit the PhD Program site for more information.

Learn More About the Ph.D. in English

Doctoral Program

The Ph.D. program emphasizes rigorous theoretical work that has at its base a firm empirical foundation in language data. 

Students are provided with a broad-based background in linguistics, teaching experience in the classroom and other forums, and opportunities for original and high-quality research.  Our Ph.D. students write dissertations on a wide range of topics spanning and bridging many subareas of the field.  See our Ph.D. Alumni  page for dissertation titles and job placement information.

Overview of the Program

Through the completion of advanced coursework and strong methodological and analytical training, the  Ph.D. program prepares students to make original contributions to knowledge in linguistics, to articulate the results of their work, and to demonstrate its significance to linguistics and related fields.  At every stage in the program, students are encouraged to present and publish their research and to develop active professional profiles. 

Students generally complete the program in five years

• Coursework in core areas of linguistics, chosen by each student in consultation with faculty advisors to build the foundation that best suits their interests and goals.
• Fall Quarter: Includes seminar to introduce students to the research of faculty in the department
• Winter Quarter: Includes participation in small research groups or in one-on-one apprenticeships
• Spring Quarter: Includes beginning to work on the first of 2 qualifying research papers

Years 2 and 3

• Balance shifts from coursework to development of research skills
• Students complete two qualifying papers and then selects a principal advisor and committee for their dissertation by the end of year 3.

Years 4 and 5

• Devoted to dissertation and advanced research

Teaching Experience

As they move through the Ph.D. program, students also gain teaching experience by serving as teaching assistants in their second, third, and fourth year of graduate study. They also have access to the many programs provided by Stanford's Vice Provost for  Teaching and Learning , including the varied resources of the Teaching Commons .

Offers of admission to the Linguistics P.h.D program include funding for the full five years of doctoral study, including tuition and stipend, regardless of citizenship. 

We also encourage our applicants to apply for as many external fellowships and scholarships as they are eligible for; a compilation of funding opportunities for Linguistics graduate students can be found on our  Fellowship and Funding Information page .  Applicants should note that the deadlines for these fellowships are typically in the fall of the year prior to admission.

In addition, the  Knight-Hennessy Scholars  program is designed to build a multidisciplinary community of Stanford graduate students dedicated to finding creative solutions to the world's greatest challenges. The program awards up to 100 high-achieving students every year with full funding to pursue a graduate education at Stanford, including the Ph.D. degree in Linguistics. 

Additional information is available about the student budget , Stanford graduate fellowships , and other support programs .

Outside the classroom, there are many opportunities, both formal and informal, for the discussion of linguistic issues and ongoing research, including colloquia, workshops, and reading groups.

Partnership Opportunities

Although not part of the formal doctoral program, there are numerous opportunities for research and development work at the Center for the Study of Language and Information and  off-campus at local companies.  

Admissions Information

Comparative Literature Graduate Program

The Ph.D. program in Comparative Literature is committed to providing students the resources and training needed to successfully complete a challenging and rewarding intellectual project. By "resources" we mean not only formal classes, libraries, and financial support in various forms, but also an open community of scholars and learners, both within Comparative Literature and the broader Division of Literatures, Cultures, and Languages (DLCL), and also across a rich array of other departments, schools, and interdisciplinary programs, and tapping into our vibrant Stanford Humanities Center and its global online platform, ARCADE. The size of our graduate student community is small, which facilitates interpersonal dialogue and conversation. 

By "training" we mean formal classes on pedagogy, a regular and year-long colloquium where students present and discuss each others' work, close work with mentors and advisors, and workshops on topics suggested by both faculty and students. Finally, by "success" we mean not only satisfying departmental and university requirements, but more importantly achieving a sense of personal fulfillment at completing an original and creative exploration of a question of importance to the student.

Comparative Literature at Stanford believes in the importance of linguistic skills in at least three languages, deep historical thinking, and an understanding of the main currents of literary criticism and theory, past and present, and with an eye on emergent knowledge that may embrace fields outside of traditional literary studies. Our faculty includes specialists in Arabic, Turkish, Persian, Japanese, Chinese, French, Italian, English, Hebrew, Russian, German, Spanish, Portuguese, and covering broad historical periods. We have a particularly well-established program in Philosophy and Literature, and welcome interdisciplinary projects that involve areas such as film studies, gender studies, studies in race and ethnicity, environmental studies, human rights, and other topics.

At base, the Ph.D. program is designed for students whose linguistic background, breadth of interest in literature, and curiosity about the problems of literary scholarship and theory (including the relation of literature to other disciplines) make this program more appropriate to their needs than the Ph.D. in one of the individual literatures. Students take courses in at least three literatures (one may be that of the native language), to be studied in the original. The program is designed to encourage familiarity with the major approaches to literary study prevailing today.

Before starting graduate work at Stanford, students should have completed an undergraduate program with a strong background in one literature and some work in a second literature studied in the original language. Since the program demands an advanced knowledge of two non-native languages and a reading knowledge of a third non-native language, students should at the time of application have an advanced enough knowledge of one of the three to take graduate-level courses in that language when they enter the program. They should be making enough progress in the study of a second language to enable them to take graduate courses in that language not later than the beginning of the second year, and earlier if possible. Language courses at the 100- or 200- level may be taken with approval from the Director of the department. Applicants are expected to take an intensive course in the third language before entrance.

The Ph.D. minor is designed for students working toward the Ph.D. in the various national literature departments. Students working toward the Ph.D. in English are directed to the program in English and Comparative Literature described among the Department of English offerings.

For more detailed information on our program, please see the corresponding pages in the Stanford Bulletin :

• Doctor of Philosophy in Comparative Literature
• Doctor of Philosophy Minor in Comparative Literature

Graduate Program Application Details

My experience in the Comparative Literature Ph.D. program was filled with intellectual exploration, learning new skills, and amazing mentorship in both research and teaching. Also, having had scholars from other departments to talk through my ideas and my professional plans, especially in ILAC and History, was instrumental for my success in pursuing the career I wanted.

Russell Berman Director of Comparative Literature Pigott Hall, Bldg 260, Rm 201 (650) 723-1069 berman [at] stanford.edu (berman[at]stanford[dot]edu)

John Giammalva In Memoriam, Student Services Manager Pigott Hall, Bldg 260, Rm 127 (650) 279-3630 dlclstudentservices [at] stanford.edu (dlclstudentservices[at]stanford[dot]edu)

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PhD Admissions

Dates and Deadline

The online application for 2024 entry will open in mid-September. Check the  Apply Now  page to see when it is open. The  APPLICATION DUE DATE for the entering class of 2024 is December 5, 2023 at 11:59 PM PST

What You Need to Know

• The application, including the statement of purpose, the writing sample, the names of three recommenders, and unofficial transcripts must be submitted  VIA THE WEB.  Late applications will not be accepted.
• The Stanford Application will be available as of late September.
• Do not wait until the last day to submit your application to allow for the possibility for technical difficulties. 
• Please make sure to include an unofficial transcript in your application materials. Official transcripts are not required until an offer of admission is made.  
• The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is not required.
• Interfolio letters of recommendation may be sent by email to An Nguyen ( antnguyn [at] stanford.edu (antnguyn[at]stanford[dot]edu) ).
• Admissions decisions will take place during the last two weeks of February.
• Applicants will be notified by early March.

The selection of PhD students admitted to the Program in Modern Thought & Literature is based on an individualized, holistic review of each application, including (but not limited to) the applicant’s academic record, the letters of recommendation, the statement of purpose, personal qualities and characteristics, and past accomplishments.

The Program in Modern Thought and Literature recognizes that the Supreme Court issued a ruling in June 2023 about the consideration of certain types of demographic information as part of an admission review. All applications submitted during upcoming application cycles will be reviewed in conformance with that decision.

Application Procedure

The Program in Modern Thought and Literature seeks to admit students who, as individuals, exhibit great intellectual capacity and the intent to carry out innovative interdisciplinary programs of study, and who, as a group, are of diverse backgrounds and interests. Successful applicants show a commitment to literary or cultural studies, but must also be prepared to make their way in their chosen non-literary field or fields. The Program has a commitment to supporting non-traditional and emergent forms of scholarship. We accept students who have just completed their undergraduate degrees and also welcome students who have pursued careers or degrees in other fields.

An application to the Program in Modern Thought and Literature must include the following elements:

Statement of Purpose

• Supplemental section regarding your proposed interdisciplinary project

Writing Sample

• Letters of Recommendation

To apply for admission, please go to Graduate Admissions

To reach Graduate Admissions, please submit a ticket using the help section of your application in the SLATE portal.

Of primary importance, the  statement of purpose  should demonstrate that the applicant’s focus is interdisciplinary and can be effectively pursued at Stanford.  You should suggest a project or two that would provide a sense of how you wish to pursue interdisciplinary study, and why the Program in Modern Thought and Literature is a good fit for you.  Although there is no hard and fast requirement regarding length, the Statement of Purpose should be a concise description of your academic goals,  no longer than 1500 words.

Supplemental section

In addition to the statement of purpose, you will be asked to complete a supplemental section regarding your proposed interdisciplinary project. 

Because they must forge links among disciplines and seek out relevant faculty members from across the university, students in Modern Thought and Literature need to develop their projects earlier than students in more traditional fields. Applicants should also bear in mind that the academic job market is overwhelmingly discipline-focused. Please answer the following questions BRIEFLY (2-3 sentences for each) to indicate that you’ve considered these issues. It’s of course assumed that your project will change and evolve as you study; this is in no way a binding statement of purpose. (*All three questions are required.)

1. What is the central question you intend to pursue?

2. Describe the need for an interdisciplinary approach.

3. Explain the relevance of your project to at least one discipline or field within which you could situate yourself upon completion of your doctoral degree.

Similar issues should be addressed by those not planning to pursue an academic career. Where do you see your project taking you?

Submit a critical or analytic sample of scholarly writing, approximately  7000 words maximum . Although we encourage applicants to choose writing samples that display their interdisciplinary interests, this is not a requirement. Choose a sample that reflects your best scholarly work. The writing sample should not be a sample of creative writing. Applicants may submit two or more shorter samples to a total of about 7000 words, but keep in mind that shorter samples are usually less well suited to demonstrate your research and argumentation skills.

The writing sample and letters of recommendation should again indicate your preparedness for interdisciplinary work, and why your interests would be best served in a program such as ours.

Completed applications must be submitted by the due date above.

Knight-Hennessy Scholars 

Join dozens of  Stanford School of Humanities and Sciences students  who gain valuable leadership skills in a multidisciplinary, multicultural community as  Knight-Hennessy Scholars (KHS). KHS admits up to 100 select applicants each year from across Stanford’s seven graduate schools, and delivers engaging experiences that prepare them to be visionary, courageous, and collaborative leaders ready to address complex global challenges. As a scholar, you join a distinguished cohort, participate in up to three years of leadership programming, and receive full funding for up to three years of your PhD studies at Stanford. Candidates of any country may apply. KHS applicants must have earned their first undergraduate degree within the last seven years, and must apply to both a Stanford graduate program and to KHS. Stanford PhD students may also apply to KHS during their first year of PhD enrollment. If you aspire to be a leader in your field, we invite you to apply. The KHS application deadline is October 11, 2023. Learn more about  KHS admission .

Program Administrator

An Nguyen  (for questions about the application process) E-mail: antnguyn [at] stanford.edu (antnguyn[at]stanford[dot]edu)  

Modern Thought and Literature 450 Jane Stanford Way, Building 460, Room 219 Stanford University Stanford, CA 94305-2022

Only On-Line Applications Will be Accepted

Please note: there is no paper option for applications. All applications must be submitted online. Letters of recommendation should also be submitted online. Modern Thought & Literature will accept letters by mail only in exceptional cases and when absolutely necessary.  Your Statement of Purpose, your Writing Sample, and your Unofficial Transcripts must be uploaded with your online application. 

• University application forms (submitted online)
• A statement of purpose (submitted online)
• Transcripts from every post-secondary institution you have attended for at least one year as a full-time student (submitted online; official transcripts mailed to address below )*
• Three letters of recommendation (although we much prefer that the letters of recommendation will be submitted online, we will accept mailed letters when necessary); recommendation packets sent through Interfolio may be sent via email to An Nguyen ( antnguyn [at] stanford.edu (antnguyn[at]stanford[dot]edu) ).
• A recent (non-fiction) writing sample of approximately 7000 words.  PLEASE NOTE:  The Writing Sample must be submitted online. 
• Fee waivers are available for some applicants. Please visit Graduate Admissions for information on applying for an  Application Fee Waiver
• Application Fee Fee waivers are available for some applicants. Please visit Graduate Admissions for information on applying for an  Application Fee Waiver .
• Funding Package All Ph.D. students admitted to the program receive five years of 12-month financial support which is typically provided as fellowship stipend and tuition. Information about the cost of attendance and funding options are available from  Financial Aid Office . For Incoming Students
• Status Page : Where incoming students can find their matriculation checklist and Graduate Admissions mailing and email address for sending official documents.
• Official Transcripts & Degree Conferral Documents : Complete instructions for sending official documents.
• FAQ : Answers to frequently asked questions on requirements of admission for incoming students.

To access the MTL Applicant Checklist (after you have submitted your application), go to: https://gradadmissions.stanford.edu/applying/starting-your-application

• Check the agreement box and click “start application.”
• At the bottom of the menu on the next screen you’ll find:  Manage Your Account
• Choose “Review Your Activity” and to access the checklist.

Please Note:  Do not be concerned if the checklist indicates that your application is not complete due to missing official scores or official transcripts.

For the review process:

• “Self-reported” scores are acceptable.
• The uploaded “unofficial” transcripts are acceptable.

However, before any formal offer of admission can be made, official scores and official transcripts must be submitted.

Links for international applicants

• Stanford’s assessment of foreign degrees https://gradadmissions.stanford.edu/applying/international-applicants
• Frequently Asked Questions https://gradadmissions.stanford.edu/about/frequently-asked-questions/international-students
• Required Examinations Most international students must take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language).  Information on the required tests (including information on exemptions from the TOEFL requirement) can be found at: https://gradadmissions.stanford.edu/about/frequently-asked-questions/gre-and-toefl
• Information for international students at Stanford Visit the Bechtel International Center site: https://bechtel.stanford.edu/
• Fee waivers are available for some applicants. Please visit Graduate Admissions for information on applying for an  Application Fee Waiver .

Latest information about COVID-19

Academics and Research

African and African American Studies Department*

The Department of African and African American Studies provide students with an interdisciplinary introduction to the study of African, African American, and African descended people all over the world as a central component of American and world culture. The major offers a choice of three tracks: African American Studies, African Studies, and Global Black Diaspora Studies. Students will also participate in community engaged learning opportunities and language study. 

*Note: Students will be able to declare majors and minors in the new Department of African and African American Studies starting Sept. 1, 2024. 

African and African American Studies Program*

African and African American Studies (AAAS) provides an interdisciplinary approach to the study of peoples of African descent within societies worldwide. Courses promote research across departmental boundaries, allowing students to explore the intersections of gender, class, race, religion, and other dynamics.

The first ethnic studies program developed at a private institution in the United States, AAAS has established a network of scholars who bridge such fields as anthropology, art, economics, feminist studies, history, linguistics, and literature. It is closely associated with Stanford’s Center for Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity and many other centers on campus that support social progress though the expansion of knowledge.

View highlights of the AAAS program's undergraduate offerings.

Explore careers of undergraduate AAAS alumni.

*Note: Students can declare the AAAS interdisciplinary program major and minor through Aug. 31, 2024 (the AAAS IDP remains in H&S but will no longer accept new majors and minors after Sept. 1). Students will be able to declare a major or minor in the Department of African and African American Studies beginning Sept. 1.

American Studies

The interdisciplinary program in American Studies promotes a broad understanding of U.S. culture and society. It connects scholars of English literature, performance studies, education, sociology, and many other disciplines whose work examines the past and present of the United States and also shapes how the nation imagines its future.

Students design their own course of study while investigating the many dimensions of U.S. life—race, gender, technology, religion, and mass media, for example. Because the program spans many disciplines, students benefit from access to faculty in economics, history, music, and other departments. American Studies offers endless opportunities to apply the full range of Stanford’s resources to the project of understanding the U.S. in a global context.

Anthropology

Stanford’s Department of Anthropology focuses on the study of human beings and societies through the examination of social, historical, ecological, and biological change across time. Known for its innovative approaches, the department focuses on the full span of human history and full range of human societies and cultures, including those in marginalized parts of the world.

Students are encouraged to integrate theory and research methods as they explore a range of related subfields that include archaeology, ecology, evolution, linguistics, medical anthropology, political economy, and science and technology. Areas of faculty and student research include questions of social, cultural, and biological diversity and issues of power, identity, and inequality.

View highlights of the anthropology department's undergraduate offerings.

Applied Physics

The Department of Applied Physics focuses on solving technological and scientific challenges through the lens of physics. The department has a long tradition of building tools, from solid-state lasers to the atomic force microscope, with many advances becoming foundational in new fields of research and industries. Applied Physics has four main research areas: nano science and quantum engineering, lasers and particle accelerators, condensed matter physics, and experimental and theoretical biophysics.

Through collaboration and joint appointments with electrical engineering, biology, chemistry, and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, faculty and graduate students work on innovative concepts in foundational and applied physics that advance the boundaries of science.

Archaeology

Drawing methods and ideas from the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, archaeology introduces students to robust, multifaceted analyses of material culture and human societies. Coursework intersects with history, biology, earth systems, classics, anthropology, and other disciplines.

Stanford archaeology advances innovative research across the globe. The Archaeology Center on campus supports interdisciplinary collaboration as a venue where Stanford faculty and visiting scholars work to make the experiences of people, from the ancient past to the modern era, accessible in new ways. Students can apply what they learn in the classroom by participating in summer field schools in Europe, South America, and California.

Art and Art History

The Department of Art and Art History at Stanford encompasses the history of art, the practice of art in the studio, and film and media studies. Courses investigate the historical development of images and media and their influence on society, as well as their relationship to other disciplines such as literature and music.

Critical thinking and technical skills learned in the classroom inform the creation of artwork in studios, labs, screening rooms, and galleries on campus. Between lecture series, symposia, gallery exhibits, film screenings, and design presentations, the department participates in more than 60 events a year.

View highlights of the art and art history department's undergraduate offerings.

Explore careers of undergraduate art and art history alumni.

Asian American Studies

Center for comparative studies in race and ethnicity (ccsre).

Asian American Studies (AAS) is dedicated to understanding Asian peoples in the U.S. from contemporary and historical points of view. With a broad range of interests and expertise, faculty in AAS take an interdisciplinary approach to studying the complex, diverse, and ever-changing cultures that constitute the Asian American experience.

Undergraduates at Stanford may earn a major or minor in Asian American Studies by taking courses in many departments, including history, English, anthropology, and music. The program is a home for students exploring every dimension of Asian American life from art and literature to social and cultural history to politics and policy. It provides an excellent foundation for appreciating complexity within a diverse, interdependent world.

Stanford’s top-ranked Department of Biology encompasses many sub-disciplines ranging from molecular biology to ecology. Through a core set of courses and specialized electives, undergraduate students study and analyze the building blocks of life, from molecules and cells to organisms and ecosystems. 

Undergraduates and graduate students work with renowned faculty specializing in ecology, plant and animal physiology, population biology, genetics, immunology, neurobiology, cell and developmental biology, molecular biology, and biochemistry. In addition to working in labs on campus, students can pursue research at Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains and at Hopkins Marine Station in Pacific Grove on the Monterey Peninsula (which is part of the Doerr School of Sustainability).

View highlights of the biology department's undergraduate offerings.

Graduate joint degree offered: MD/PhD

The Stanford Biophysics Program is an interdisciplinary, interdepartmental graduate training program that leads to a doctoral degree. It brings together faculty from more than a dozen departments in the Schools of Humanities and Sciences, Medicine, and Engineering, as well as the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory. Research in Biophysics applies the principles of chemistry and physics to solving biological problems with the help of the latest methodologies, such as computational biology and molecular analysis.

The program trains students to approach biological problems quantitatively. With the benefit of advanced coursework and exceptional facilities—including the Lucas Center for Imaging, which houses multiple whole-body MRI systems—students develop the skills needed to direct their own research to address critical problems in the field.

Through courses and lab work that promote collaboration and active learning, Stanford’s undergraduate program in chemistry teaches fundamental concepts key to advancing the molecular sciences. The department’s mission is to explore and advance new chemical frontiers in the life sciences, physical sciences, medicine, energy, and materials and environmental sciences through collaborative research and scholarship.

Undergraduate and graduate students have opportunities to work with leading faculty who study atomic and molecular systems, create new forms of matter, and develop experimental and theoretical tools to understand and control the behavior of electrons, atoms, molecules, and materials for the benefit of science and society.

View highlights of the chemistry department's undergraduate offerings.

Chicana/o-Latina/o Studies

The program in Chicana/o-Latina/o Studies deals principally with the important and growing population in the United States that originates from Mexico, Latin America, and South America. In the interest of understanding this population in its cultural, economic, and political dimensions, the program supports collaboration among faculty in a variety of disciplines.

Undergraduates who pursue a major or minor in Chicana/o-Latina/o Studies take an interdisciplinary approach to the full range of experiences relevant to the lives of Chicanas/os and Latinas/os in the U.S. today. Courses on topics such as poetry, film, childhood development, and educational policy are offered along with opportunities for learning through service. It is an intellectually rigorous course of study that addresses issues of major social significance.

Stanford’s Department of Classics takes an interdisciplinary approach to studying the literature and culture of the ancient world. Students examine history, language, literature, art, philosophy, and archaeology in courses that situate Greece and Rome in relation to other ancient societies.

At Stanford, classics is a dynamic field in which faculty and students employ diverse methods of study across media, genres, and time. Coursework delves into specialized fields such as ancient economics, law, and science to illuminate the relationships between various cultures and the ancient world’s influence on the contemporary one. Classics also collaborates with the Department of Philosophy to offer undergraduate and graduate joint programs in ancient philosophy.

View highlights of the classics department's undergraduate offerings.

Explore careers of undergraduate classics alumni.

Communication

Stanford’s Department of Communication focuses on studying the ways that communication techniques and technologies shape who we are, how we govern ourselves, and what kinds of cultures we inhabit as a society.

For undergraduate majors and coterminal master’s students, the department offers a broad introduction to the social and psychological power of communication. Master’s students in journalism pursue an intensive year-long program that emphasizes multimedia storytelling, data-driven reporting, and experimentation in immersive journalism about public affairs issues. Graduates work everywhere from Google News to The Washington Post. Doctoral candidates work with faculty within and beyond the department, developing their own research programs.

View highlights of the communication department's undergraduate offerings.

Graduate joint degree offered: JD/PhD

Comparative Literature

Division of literatures, cultures, and languages (dlcl).

Comparative Literature (part of the Division of Literatures, Cultures, and Languages) provides students the opportunity to study literature in all its forms. While other disciplines focus on works of literature as parts of specific national or linguistic traditions, comparative literature examines the nature of literary phenomena themselves by drawing together texts from around the globe and from different historical periods. The department focuses on literary forms such as narratives, performance, and poetry, as well as cinema, music, and new emerging media.

Along with the traditional model of comparative literature that juxtaposes two or more national literary cultures, the department supports teaching and research that uses specialized tools of inquiry such as literary theory, the application of philosophy to literature (and vice versa), and other methods that enrich literary study.

Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity

Undergraduate students interested in exploring race and ethnicity from an interdisciplinary perspective may choose from a diverse array of courses as part of a major or minor in CSRE. Faculty in fields such as anthropology, economics, and philosophy teach in the program. In addition to coursework, students are encouraged to pursue their interests through internships, engagement with the community, and original research.

The Center for Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity supports scholarship that illuminates how race and ethnicity are essential aspects of society today. As a hub for interdisciplinary research and teaching, the center fosters a deep understanding of the past and develops tools to address current social problems in the interest of creating a more just and equitable world.

View highlights of the CSRE program's undergraduate offerings.

Explore careers of undergraduate CSRE alumni.

Data Science

Stanford’s Program in Data Science provides foundational knowledge for tackling data-driven problems in science, industry, and society. Students learn mathematical modeling, inferential thinking, and computational strategies. They consider the ethical use of data and technology and explore applications of data science to scientific challenges and social problems.

Students take courses in multiple departments, including mathematics, statistics, computer science, engineering, and the social sciences (BA). Electives allow students to define their own intellectual pathway. Capstone experiences provide opportunities for individual research projects or collaborative work with partners from industry, government, and nonprofits to put knowledge into action.

View highlights of the data science program's undergraduate offerings.

Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law

Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law (DDRL) is an honors program available to undergraduate seniors in any department or program at Stanford. Students in DDRL work closely with affiliated faculty and enjoy special opportunities to engage with visiting policymakers and government officials.

With the help of specialized instruction in research methods and regular workshops that facilitate collaboration, students who earn honors in DDRL produce original theses on such topics as technology’s impact on the political process, the history of immigration and border control, and global solutions to malnutrition.

The Division of Literatures, Cultures, and Languages (DLCL) is home to the departments of Comparative Literature, French and Italian, German Studies, Iberian and Latin American Cultures, and Slavic Languages and Literatures. The division’s faculty are expert teachers of numerous modern languages and scholars of culture, literature, history, politics, and philosophy in a wide range of traditions.

In courses on campus and in the Bing Overseas Studies Program, DLCL students learn to think critically and globally about how people use language to make sense of the world, to claim an identity and a place in history, to entertain, and to persuade. In addition to its majors, DLCL offers an undergraduate minor in Medieval studies and a PhD minor in philosophy, literature, and the arts.

View highlights of DLCL's undergraduate offerings.

Explore careers of undergraduate DLCL alumni.

East Asian Languages and Cultures

In Stanford’s Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures, students study China, Japan, and Korea through coursework on language, linguistics, literature, film, cultural studies, and visual arts. Small classes are led by faculty and visiting scholars whose specialties range from traditional poetry to modern politics.

Intense language training and cultural immersion are cornerstones of the department. Students can also participate in Stanford’s overseas program in Kyoto, where they can explore topics such as religion, art, and the culture and economy of contemporary Japan.

View highlights of EALC's undergraduate offerings.

Explore careers of undergraduate EALC alumni.

East Asian Studies

Stanford global studies (sgs).

Stanford’s master’s degree program in East Asian Studies combines language training, interdisciplinary area studies, and a disciplinary concentration. Students construct a course of study suited to their interests and career aspirations.

The program is designed for those who want to concentrate on East Asia at the doctoral level but have not selected a specific discipline, or for those who wish to pursue intensive area studies and language training before moving on to advanced study. Stanford offers a joint degree program in East Asian Studies and law and dual degree programs with education or business. The program also attracts students who plan to specialize in East Asian Studies for careers in fields such as government service or journalism.

Graduate joint degree offered: JD/MA

Stanford’s prestigious Department of Economics trains undergraduates and graduate students in the methods and ideas of modern economics. It collaborates with the medical school, the business school, and departments across campus. The department leverages Stanford's strengths in big data and machine learning methods to deepen the insights of the field, and its groundbreaking interdisciplinary foundational and applied research is expanding our understanding of broad issues such as social mobility and education.

Students can extend their education through research assistantships with faculty within the department and at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, where economists collaborate with leaders in business, technology, health care, and government on policy-oriented research.

View highlights of the economics department's undergraduate offerings.  

Graduate joint degrees offered: JD/MA, JD/PhD, and MPP/PhD

In Stanford’s top-ranked Department of English, students analyze the culture of the written word through literature, focusing on traditions in English across a range of media. Coursework emphasizes interpretive thinking and creative writing; literary and cultural history; literary form and genre; and reading, writing, and critical analysis. The graduate program involves intensive training in the research and analysis of British, U.S., and other Anglophone literary histories and texts, preparing students to produce original scholarship and teach literature at the highest levels.

The department is also home to Stanford’s renowned Creative Writing Program, which offers workshops and tutorials in fiction, poetry, and nonfiction in addition to a reading series featuring prominent contemporary writers.

View highlights of the English department's undergraduate offerings.

Explore careers of undergraduate English alumni.

Ethics in Society

Ethics in Society offers undergraduates in any major the chance to earn honors by writing a thesis that applies moral and political philosophy to important social problems. Recent theses have focused on topical subjects such as inequality in education and the ethics of finance.

Students may also pursue a minor in Ethics and Society, engaging with moral issues, both personal and public. Choosing from a range of elective courses, students develop a foundation in ethical reasoning that may be applied to a particular theme, such as medicine, the environment, or technology.

Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies is an interdisciplinary program that provides students with the knowledge and skills needed to investigate the significance of gender and sexuality in all arenas of human life. Students learn to think critically about gender roles, relations, and identities and also how gender intersects with other social constructs such as class and ethnicity. The program offers outstanding support and opportunities through close partnerships with the Clayman Institute for Gender Research and the Stanford Women’s Community Center.

The program offers an undergraduate major and a minor, as well as the opportunity for students in any major to earn honors with a research paper or creative project. A doctoral minor is also available for students who desire a rigorous foundation in the field. Students are encouraged to design their own plans of study to align with their identities, interests, and goals.

View highlights of the Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies program's undergraduate offerings.

French and Italian

The Department of French and Italian offers students the opportunity to pursue coursework in language, culture, literature, and intellectual history within the French and Italian traditions. The undergraduate programs in French and Italian provide a comprehensive study of their respective literatures and cultures, establishing a solid basis for further study in literature or history.

The curriculum is designed to benefit students at all levels of language proficiency and to meet a wide range of interests. Students who wish to explore international relations, European history and literature, film studies, philosophy, and post-colonial studies will find many relevant course offerings.

German Studies

The undergraduate program in German equips students with the language skills and analytic capacities needed to understand the cultures of German-speaking Europe. Students learn how to interpret complex literary and philosophical works, evaluate historical change, and immerse themselves in new cultures and societies. Students majoring in German often combine courses in the department with offerings from other fields in the humanities, arts, and social sciences.

The doctoral program provides training in the full range of German literary history, along with opportunities to pursue specialized research topics. All students participate in an ongoing colloquium for sharing writing and research, as well as in language teaching and other professionalization opportunities.

Stanford’s top-ranked Department of History teaches students to make sense of humanity’s past, present, and future while developing critical analytical skills and sophisticated ways of thinking. Courses teach students to evaluate original source material as well as synthesize information from multiple sources and formats in order to communicate its importance in clear, persuasive writing.

The department’s faculty has expertise in a wide range of historical periods, national histories, and regional studies. Its research explores such topics as law, race and ethnicity, and science and medicine in many historical contexts. The graduate program trains scholars who earn distinction in teaching and research, while undergraduates go on to pursue careers in law, government, medicine, and technology.

View highlights of the history department's undergraduate offerings.

Explore careers of undergraduate history alumni.

Graduate joint degrees offered: JD/MA and JD/PhD

Human Biology

Human Biology offers an interdisciplinary approach to understanding human beings from biological, behavioral, social, and cultural perspectives. Through teaching and research on topics such as environmental policy, genetics, and child development, the program promotes the welfare of humans as well as the world at large.

Students take courses in many departments, developing a strong, integrated foundation in the biological and social sciences, as well as statistics. Capstone projects in research or community service allow students to pursue an area in great depth. In addition to offering a major and a minor, the program also awards honors to undergraduates who write a thesis based on their own research.

Human Rights

Stanford global studies.

The Center for Human Rights and International Justice offers an undergraduate minor in human rights open to students in any major or program. At Stanford and throughout the world, the center works to advance the cause of justice and human dignity. Students who pursue the minor work closely with experienced scholars and practitioners in the field of human rights in courses that apply history, philosophy, and political science to advocacy and experiential learning. For a capstone project, students may write a research paper, develop practical tools for the collection and analysis of data, or undertake creative work.

Iberian and Latin American Cultures

Studying Iberian and Latin American cultures means engaging in a deep and compelling exploration of the languages, literatures, and cinema of the Iberian Peninsula (primarily Spain and Portugal), Latin America, Brazil and Lusophone Africa, and Latina/o populations in the United States. The program balances an emphasis on literary studies with philosophical, historical, and social approaches to cultural issues.

As a result of its focus on critical thinking, open discussion, and close textual analysis, the undergraduate curriculum provides excellent preparation for a large number of professional fields. The graduate program provides rigorous and highly individualized advanced training in the analysis of Iberian, Latin American (including Brazil), and Latina/o literatures.

Interdisciplinary Arts

Stanford arts institute.

Open to students in any major, the Interdisciplinary Arts Minor and Honors in the Arts programs support students in completing original projects under the guidance of academic and creative mentors. The programs support a diverse range of interdisciplinary experiences: Students are free to design projects that incorporate multiple arts disciplines and to integrate non-arts interests into either artistic practice or research. The minor requires 27 units of core and elective classes in addition to a capstone project. Honors student participate in weekly workshops during their senior year as they develop a creative thesis project.

International Policy

The Ford Dorsey Master's in International Policy (MIP) is an interdisciplinary program devoted to rigorous analysis of international issues in diplomacy, governance, security, global health, and environmental policy. The program integrates perspectives from political science, law, economics, history, and other disciplines, with a focus on implementation and administration of solutions to global problems.

The MIP program combines research and scholarship with practical training designed to prepare students for careers in public service and other settings where they can have an impact on international issues. The program allows students to specialize in cyber policy and security; energy, natural resources, and the environment; global health; governance and development; or international security.

Graduate joint degrees offered: JD/MA and MA/MPP

International Relations

International Relations is an interdisciplinary undergraduate program focusing on the changing political, economic, and cultural relations within the international system in the modern era. The program explores how global, regional, and domestic factors influence relations between groups around the world, drawing on the expertise of faculty in economics, political science, and history.

Students gain a foundation in comparative politics, U.S. foreign policy, and economics, then specialize in a region or topic of their choosing, along with a relevant foreign language. There are also rich opportunities to become involved with ongoing research projects and work directly with faculty mentors.

International Security Studies

This program offers students, regardless of major, the opportunity to earn honors in international security studies. After coursework on national and international security and relevant technologies, students undertake a substantial research project, which they complete with the help of personalized guidance from faculty in a variety of disciplines. Recent graduates have written on such issues as religious extremism, missile defense, and climate change. Students in the program benefit immensely from access to the vibrant intellectual environment of Stanford’s Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC), a hub for leading researchers in the field.

Jewish Studies

This interdisciplinary program offered by the Taube Center for Jewish Studies promotes research on Jewish literatures, languages, religion, politics, and history. In addition to traditional strengths in history and religious studies, the program also comprises scholarship on the role of the arts, especially music and theater, in Jewish culture.

Courses offer a rich understanding of the many areas of Jewish studies, such as Jewish history, Israeli culture, religious literature, and the Hebrew and Yiddish languages. Undergraduates may earn a major or minor in Jewish studies. The Taube Center also supports graduate students and visiting scholars as part of its mission to educate the broader community, Jewish and non-Jewish, through lectures and other public events.

Latin American Studies

Stanford Global Studies offers a master’s degree in Latin American Studies. The curriculum is based on courses surveying the history, politics, culture, and ecology of the region. Students enjoy opportunities to interact with leading scholars, including distinguished visitors from Latin American or Iberian countries who come to Stanford each year as Tinker Visiting Professors.

Stanford’s Center for Latin American Studies oversees programs for students, coordinates a range of conferences and lectures, and provides fellowships and funding to support research by faculty in many fields of study. Training in the languages of Latin America, including indigenous languages such as Nahuatl, and coordinating resources and services for immigrants are important parts of its mission.

Linguistics

In Stanford’s undergraduate program in linguistics, students analyze the structure of language with close attention to sound, meaning, words, and sentences and learn how these structural patterns vary over time. Courses also draw connections between linguistics and anthropology, psychology, and cognitive and computer sciences, among other disciplines.

The graduate program emphasizes theoretical work based in empirical language data. Research and teaching explore a range of topics that includes computational linguistics, historical linguistics, language acquisition, psycholinguistics, semantics, and sociolinguistics. Linguistics also collaborates with Stanford’s departments of computer science, philosophy, and psychology to offer interdisciplinary doctoral study in cognitive science.

View highlights of the linguistics department's undergraduate offerings.

Explore careers of undergraduate linguistics alumni.

Master of Liberal Arts

A part-time master's degree program for adults, Stanford's Master of Liberal Arts (MLA) offers the opportunity to pursue an interdisciplinary course of study through evening classes and a flexible academic schedule.

Mathematical and Computational Science*

The program in Mathematical and Computational Science (MCS)* serves undergraduates who want to pursue data science and applied mathematics. Its faculty are drawn from computer science, engineering, and statistics, and the curriculum provides an understanding of mathematics in the context of the information sciences.

Students in MCS gain skills in computation, probabilistic modeling, statistical inference, and optimal decision-making. Thanks to the program’s interdisciplinary design, students learn to apply their expertise to problems in science and technology, as well as management and the social sciences. Graduates pursue professions that demand high competence within diverse technical frameworks and social environments.

*The MCS program will no longer be accepting students for the major and minor as of Aug. 31, 2022. The Data Science major  replaces MCS effective Sept. 1, 2022. Currently enrolled MCS majors and minors will be able to complete their degrees.

Mathematics

The undergraduate mathematics program encompasses the full range of pure and applied mathematics. The major is flexible at incorporating math-related coursework in nearby areas such as physics, machine learning, cryptography, and finance. The department provides students with opportunities for extensive experience with logical reasoning, generalization, and proofs to communicate sound arguments, as well as the creation and interpretation of mathematical models for reliable data analysis (such as in computer science and computational biology). Undergraduates can earn a major or minor in mathematics. Many mathematics majors earn a double major followed by either graduate school in mathematics or nearby fields, or a career in the corporate sector, tech industries, or government agencies.

The expertise among the faculty covers the traditional areas of pure mathematics (algebra, analysis, and geometry) along with fields nearer to computer science (such as probability and combinatorics) and applied mathematics. There are graduate courses in a wide array of areas at the introductory and advanced levels due to the breadth of the faculty, some of whom have a joint appointment in the statistics department. The department hosts many distinguished visitors throughout the year and there are numerous weekly seminars on topics related to contemporary research.

View highlights of the mathematics department's undergraduate offerings.

Medical Humanities

Undergraduates with any major may pursue a minor in Medical Humanities. Combining the field of medicine with art, literature, film, history, policy, and the social sciences, the minor explores the rich terrain of the human experience as students learn to appreciate the human body and medical issues from multiple disciplinary and aesthetic perspectives.

Medically inclined students can use the minor to broaden their interpersonal knowledge and skills, but it is also relevant for undergraduates interested in the meaning and experience of diagnosis, the way that medicine is an art form as well as a science, and the way institutions and culture shape how illness is identified, experienced, and treated.

Modern Thought and Literature

Modern Thought and Literature (MTL) is an interdisciplinary graduate program directed by faculty in English, theater and performance studies, comparative literature, and law. The program, which explores critical approaches to modernity, supports research in literature, film, popular culture, technology, ideology, and more.

MTL students are trained in literary and cultural studies as well as disciplines such as anthropology, gender studies, or sociology. The program expects that many of its alumni will go on to become innovative teachers and scholars in all areas of the humanities.

Through courses based in theory, musicianship, analysis, and history, Stanford’s Department of Music trains students for careers as composers, performers, teachers, and scholars. The department supports a culture that is not only firmly rooted in history and tradition but also vigorously engaged with the technological and artistic evolution of sound. Resources include the Archive of Recorded Sound—where students can explore the progression of music on formats from wax cylinders to streaming media—and the Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics, a multidisciplinary facility that serves composers and researchers collaborating at the crossroads of technology and art.

Campus-wide, the department also promotes the enjoyment and understanding of music through private lessons. Students enjoy extraordinary opportunities to participate in ensembles, chamber groups, and major productions.

View highlights of the music department's undergraduate offerings.

Explore careers of undergraduate music alumni.

Native American Studies

Native American Studies supports scholarship on Native communities in the interest of preserving and appreciating their unique social systems, languages, and natural resources. Its courses are housed across campus departments and schools including sociology, education, anthropology, archeology, English, art history, linguistics, and law.

A major or minor in Native American Studies introduces students to a broad range of approaches to the academic study of indigenous cultures while promoting understanding of both the traditions and the continuing experiences of Native American peoples and communities. Students may pursue a plan of study that integrates specialized courses with the methods of other disciplines such as history and psychology.

Stanford’s Department of Philosophy offers rigorous programs in the traditional core areas of philosophy as well as opportunities to explore subfields including feminist philosophy and aesthetics. Its traditional strengths in logic and the philosophy of science are complemented by strong programs in action theory, ethics and political philosophy, language, mind and epistemology, and the history of philosophy, especially ancient philosophy and Kant studies.

Students of philosophy learn to think critically about the sources of knowledge and value, to express difficult ideas with clarity, and to make strong arguments. For undergraduates the department offers a general course of study as well as special programs in the history and philosophy of science and in the intersection of philosophy and literature. Graduate students are welcomed into a vigorous intellectual community where they participate in workshops, in reading groups, in colloquia, and in nearly all aspects of department life on an equal basis with the faculty.

View highlights of the philosophy department's undergraduate offerings.

Explore careers of undergraduate philosophy alumni.

Stanford’s undergraduate physics program offers a solid foundation in classical and modern physics in a top-ranked department. Courses in physics reveal the mathematical beauty of the universe at scales ranging from subatomic to cosmological. The program also includes labs in which students can develop their own experiments. Astronomy, astrophysics, and cosmology courses are also offered through the department.

Graduate students have opportunities to pursue research in astrophysics, cosmology, particle physics, atomic and laser physics, and condensed matter physics. In addition to working with leading faculty in both physics and applied physics, students collaborate with researchers in the schools of engineering and medicine and at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory.

View highlights of the physics department's undergraduate offerings.

Political Science

Stanford’s top-ranked Department of Political Science offers students the opportunity to study domestic and international political systems through courses on governance, public policies, political behavior, and institutional design. The undergraduate major focuses on political systems within the context of global forces, international conflicts, social movements, ideological systems, and diversity. Students study a variety of research methods, both quantitative and qualitative, and develop effective written and oral communication skills. The department trains students to be citizens prepared for a range of careers that require analytical thinking and knowledge of sophisticated research methods.

Departmental research areas include U.S. politics, comparative politics, international relations, political methodology, and political theory.

View highlights of the political science department's undergraduate offerings.

Stanford’s renowned top-ranked Department of Psychology has a long-standing tradition of groundbreaking theoretical research that also has a powerful impact in the real world. The department supports teaching and research devoted to a better understanding of human nature and behavior. Areas of research include cognitive and developmental psychology, neuroscience, social psychology, and the study of emotion.

The undergraduate program offers excellent training in understanding human behavior using scientifically rigorous methods. Students have opportunities to become research assistants in faculty labs and also work at Stanford’s Bing Nursery School and SPARQ (Social Psychological Answers to Real-World Questions), the department’s “do tank” that creates and shares social psychological insights to help improve society.

View highlights of the psychology department's undergraduate offerings.

Graduate joint degrees offered: JD/PhD and MPP/PhD

Public Policy

The program brings together economics, political and moral philosophy, psychology, and legal studies with the aim of understanding public policy. Faculty from across the university have expertise in topics such as health care, education, national and international security, and criminal justice.

Along with an appreciation of ethical and pragmatic issues, students learn how to approach and evaluate major public policy challenges. Courses provide a foundation in economics and political science as well as opportunities to study policy in relation to energy, the environment, technology, and urban development. Seniors demonstrate their capacity to understand and solve pressing problems through seminars or independent research. The program also offers opportunities for graduate study.

Graduate joint degrees offered: JD/MA, JD/MPP, MA/PhD, MBA/MPP, MD/MPP, MPP/MS, and MPP/PhD

Religious Studies

Stanford’s Department of Religious Studies provides a range of perspectives on the history, literature, thought, and practice of religious traditions. In addition to housing core faculty with strengths in the study of Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and Buddhism, the department collaborates with a number of programs on campus. These include the Department of Philosophy, the Ho Center for Buddhist Studies, the Taube Center for Jewish Studies, the Abbasi Program in Islamic Studies, and the Center for Medieval and Early Modern Studies.

The department also supports the study of languages needed to understand sacred texts and interpretive traditions, as well as research at Stanford’s overseas centers, where religions can be observed and experienced in their appropriate cultural contexts.

View highlights of the religious studies department's undergraduate offerings.

Explore careers of undergraduate religious studies alumni.

Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies

The Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies (CREES) advances interdisciplinary approaches to a vast region stretching from the Berlin Wall to the Bering Strait. In addition to supporting undergraduate and doctoral students, it offers a one-year master’s program providing intensive study for students with an academic background in the region.

Degree programs in CREES combine language and area courses with work in the social sciences and humanities. Students' professional interests include  government, journalism, business, and non-governmental organizations. CREES also attracts students pursuing doctoral or professional degrees who desire intensive area studies and language training.

Science, Technology, and Society

The interdisciplinary program in Science, Technology, and Society (STS) offers a modern liberal arts education by bringing together scholars from fields such as anthropology, computer science, and sociology to explore the impact of scientific discoveries and how people understand their relationship to technology.

Through courses in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and engineering, students acquire technical skills along with an understanding of the history of science as well as the values and economic forces that guide technological change.

Slavic Languages and Literatures

The Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures teaches Russian language, literature, and cultural history, with a strong emphasis on literary theory and criticism. From freshman and sophomore seminars, which do not require specialized knowledge or knowledge of Russian, to advanced graduate seminars in Russian, the department offers courses that serve a wide range of interests.

Students pursuing majors in the department will become experts on a region that plays an important role in the world today and acquire the knowledge of philosophy, history, and cultural studies that will allow them to put this expertise to use. Along the way they can expect to master not only the Russian language but also the critical thinking, analytic, and writing skills necessary to succeed in a wide range of professional fields.

The Department of Sociology, one of the best in the nation, teaches students how to understand and address social issues that affect everything from interpersonal relations to global warming. Students develop a broad grasp of fundamental sociological theories and the methodological skills used to evaluate human behavior and social organizations.

The faculty also lead respected university centers such as the Institute for Research in the Social Sciences, the Clayman Institute for Gender Research, and the Stanford Center on Poverty and Inequality. 

View highlights of the sociology department's undergraduate offerings.

Graduate joint degree offered: JD/PhD and MPP/PhD

The Stanford Global Studies Division (SGS) is home to 14 centers and programs dedicated to exploring issues, societies, and cultures in regional and global perspective. SGS equips Stanford students with the interdisciplinary knowledge and skills essential to leading in a global context and fosters innovative research that deepens society’s understanding of critical regions and global issues.

SGS offers a minor in global studies, which is available to any undergraduate student who desires an intensive program of study dedicated to one of several global regions. Students enrolled in the minor can specialize in African studies, European studies, Iranian studies, Islamic studies, Latin American studies, or South Asian studies. Students are encouraged to undertake training in languages appropriate to their interests and to complement their coursework through one of many opportunities offered by the Bing Overseas Studies Program.

Learn more about SGS’s academic programs .

Stanford’s top-ranked Department of Statistics gives students a foundation in the role of probabilistic and statistical ideas and methods in science, medicine, technology, and the humanities. Faculty provide instruction in the theory and application of commonly used techniques in the field, while offering training through innovative programs. The department administers a mathematical and computational science major for undergraduates,* a data science track through its master’s program, and a doctoral training program in biostatistics for personalized medicine.

To foster the relationship between theory and application, the department also promotes interdisciplinary collaboration through faculty appointments in economics, education, political science, and other fields. 

*The MCS program will no longer be accepting students for the major and minor as of Aug. 31, 2022.  The Data Science major  replaces MCS effective Sept. 1, 2022. Currently enrolled MCS majors and minors will be able to complete their degrees.

Symbolic Systems

Symbolic Systems is an interdisciplinary program that investigates both the computer and the human mind as systems that use symbols to communicate and represent information. Faculty approach the relationship between humans and computers by way of theoretical and technical expertise in cognitive science, linguistics, philosophy, and other fields.

Students learn technical skills in mathematics and computer programming, along with a foundation based on humanistic perspectives and empirical research. Many students go on to pursue advanced studies in artificial intelligence, neuroscience, or the philosophy of language.

Graduate joint degree offered: JD/MS

Theater and Performance Studies

At Stanford’s Department of Theater and Performance Studies (TAPS), students receive instruction—in the classroom and onstage—from faculty as well as artists-in-residence. The curriculum integrates theory, criticism, and a historical study of drama with the experience of live performance in theater spaces on campus. Students apply analytical skills developed in courses to artistic endeavors that range from performing in classic dramas and stage-managing musicals to creating costumes for period pieces and directing experimental one-act plays.

The department also houses a Dance Division, in which students consider movement both as performance and as a cultural, political, and social lens for understanding the body and the world. Courses covering critical and historical perspectives on dance complement studio classes that teach forms ranging from ballet to hip-hop.

View highlights of TAPS's undergraduate offerings.

Explore careers of undergraduate TAPS alumni.

Urban Studies

The Urban Studies program uses theoretical and practical approaches to understand the nature of cities. Research and teaching focus on why people live in cities and how urban environments affect human development, addressing contemporary problems related to poverty, education, and transportation. Faculty in law, economics, business, communication, engineering, and literature work closely with the program.

Undergraduates learn about the history of urbanization as a political and social phenomenon and study the methods of qualitative and quantitative research. The program also encourages community service and internships in government or the private sector. Stanford’s programs in New York City and Washington, D.C. both offer outstanding opportunities for urban studies students.

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• International Applicants

Stanford welcomes applicants from all around the world. International students are an integral part of our student body and contribute to a dynamic environment in which to learn and live.

Members of our admission staff specialize in evaluating educational systems from countries around the world and will consider your application within the context of the resources available to you. We recognize the educational procedures within your school and country as well as cultural and regional differences. Regardless of citizenship, applicants are reviewed in the context and country where they attend high school.

Please find frequently asked questions about applying as an international student below. You can find general application information in the First-Year Applicants and Transfer Applicants sections.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the application process.

Other than financial aid, the application process is the same for all applicants regardless of citizenship or country of residence. Review and follow our First-Year Applicant Instructions or our Transfer Applicant Instructions .

For international citizens who indicate on their application that they will be applying for financial aid, that request will be a factor in our admission evaluation, making the process more selective. Financial aid at Stanford is based on the family’s demonstrated financial need and we will meet the full need of all admitted students regardless of citizenship.

U.S. citizens, U.S. permanent residents, and undocumented/DACA students are considered domestic applicants in our application process. If you are a U.S. citizen or a U.S. permanent resident living and attending school abroad, you are considered a domestic applicant for financial aid purposes, while your application will be read in the context of your secondary school.

Am I eligible for financial aid?

Stanford is committed to meeting demonstrated financial need for all admitted students (regardless of citizenship) who have requested financial aid during the application process. We do not offer merit scholarships outside of a limited number of athletic scholarships.

If you are not a U.S. citizen, legal permanent resident or an undocumented student, your request for financial aid will be a factor in our admission evaluation. While financial aid resources are limited for international citizens, Stanford does offer admission to a number of these applicants each year. International citizens who indicate on their applications that they will not be applying for financial aid and subsequently are admitted are not eligible to apply for financial aid at any time during their four years at Stanford. However, if your citizenship status changes during the time you are enrolled as an undergraduate, and you become eligible for federal student aid, you may also be considered for need-based financial aid starting in the quarter during which your citizenship status changes.

Stanford is need-blind for all U.S. citizens, U.S. permanent residents, and undocumented students regardless of where they attend high school. This means a request for financial aid will not be a factor in our admission evaluation. Visit our financial aid website for more information and to find the required application forms.

What should I do if I have submitted a United States permanent residency application or anticipate a change in citizenship status during the application process?

Please select the citizenship status option on the Common App that applies to you at the time you submit your application. If your permanent residency application is approved after you submit your application, please email [email protected] with a copy of your green card attached and we will update your application to reflect your new status.

How do I apply from a school with an international curriculum?

Members of our admission staff specialize in reading applications from countries around the world. We are familiar with the nuances of different education systems and consider your application within the context of the resources available to you. We will consider the educational procedures within your school and country, as well as cultural and regional differences. There is no need to have your marks converted into an American Grade Point Average (GPA).

While there are no courses or minimum scores required to secure admission to Stanford, we recommend completing the necessary coursework to apply to a university program for a bachelor's degree in the country you are currently studying in. You must also be in possession of a secondary school diploma (or your country’s equivalent) by the time you enroll in the fall.

To learn more about our selection process and the recommended high school curriculum, please see our suggestions for Academic Preparation .

Please have a school official send us all available internal and external final and predicted marks from your secondary school. If you have trouble accessing your application portal, your school may also email official documents to [email protected] .

When should I apply?

All of our admitted students enroll in the fall term. We do not offer Winter or Spring Quarter enrollment. You must be in possession of a secondary school diploma (or your country’s equivalent) by the time you enroll. You do not need to have it by the time you submit your application. Please refer to the Requirements and Deadlines page for specific deadlines. If you have enrolled either full-time or as a degree-seeking student after graduating from high school and have received credit, you will need to apply as a transfer student. Refer to the transfer application deadlines .

If you are applying to Stanford University as a first-year applicant, you cannot attend another University or College where you receive credit after graduating high school. If you attend another University or College between your high school graduation and first year at Stanford, you must withdraw from that University/College before you receive any credit.

Do I need to translate my school documents into English?

Yes, transcripts and teacher recommendations must be translated into English. Original copies must also be submitted when applicable. Applicants cannot translate the documents themselves. We recommend asking your English teacher or other school official to translate for you.

What should I do if my school does not have a guidance counselor?

If you do not have a guidance counselor, you may have another school official (such as a principal or teacher) submit the counselor letter of recommendation for you.

Is standardized testing (ACT/SAT) required?

For students applying for enrollment in the fall of 2024 and 2025, we will not require ACT or SAT scores for first-year or transfer applicants. Stanford will review applications with or without standardized test scores, leaving the decision in the hands of the applicant.

If you do not submit scores from the ACT or SAT, your application will not be at a disadvantage. If you take the ACT or SAT, and you feel that your scores are a positive reflection of your academic preparedness, you are welcome to self-report them.

We are still evaluating our requirements for applicants planning to apply in future cycles.

Refer to the Standardized Testing pages for first-year and transfer applicants for general guidelines.

Note: Stanford reviews applications using either official or self-reported test scores for all applicants. Please self-report your highest scores in the Testing section of either the Common Application. All official scores will be required if you are offered admission and choose to enroll.

Are English proficiency exams required?

No, we do not require any English proficiency exams. While these exams (TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo English Test, etc.) are useful in helping us determine our applicants’ English proficiency, you may feel your fluency will be clear in other aspects of your application. We have no preferred proficiency exam. Generally, we receive English proficiency exam results from applicants whose native language is not English and/or the primary language of instruction at their secondary school is not English. Please note that fluency in English is a prerequisite for admission to Stanford.

If you wish to take an English proficiency exam but feel that the cost is a financial burden for you, we offer fee waivers for the Duolingo English Test. We are only able to offer fee waivers to students who have demonstrated financial need through a complete submitted application. You must indicate on your application that you plan to apply for financial aid. Once you have submitted your application, please log in to your Stanford portal for more information on fee waivers. In order to ensure your test results reach us in time, please request a fee waiver no later than a week after the application deadline.

How do I apply for a visa?

Applicants who are international citizens will receive information detailing the student visa application process if offered admission to Stanford. To learn more about the visa and immigration process, please visit the Bechtel International Center: Immigration website .

What resources are offered to international students?

Bechtel International Center is Stanford's hub for international students and families. Please visit their website to learn about the many networks of support available to international students.

Can I attend Stanford as an exchange student?

We do not have any exchange programs for undergraduates. If you would like to study at Stanford, you will need to apply as a transfer student, or consider graduate programs, the Stanford Continuing Studies program, or Stanford Summer Session. Please note that admission to the summer program is separate from Stanford’s undergraduate admission and does not provide an advantage in the undergraduate admission process.

The Office of Undergraduate Admission does not partner or work with paid agents or credentialing services. It is expected that all students complete their application materials without the use of such services .

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English Placement Test

English Placement Exam for New International Graduate Students

The Stanford English Placement exam is given by the English for Foreign Students (EFS) Program to entering graduate students who have been required to take it by the Graduate Admissions Office. Please note that EFS administers the exam but is not involved in making the decision about who has to take it. Students are notified via Axess if they are required to take the exam. It appears on the "To Do" list. If you have any questions about whether or not (or why) you are required to take the exam, contact Graduate Admission via  this ticket  rather than contacting EFS.

About the English Placement Test

The exam is designed to assess readiness to begin and successfully manage graduate study using English as the medium of instruction and academic communication.  Most international graduate students admitted to Stanford have read academic material in English for a number of years; therefore, the focus of the exam is on writing, listening, and speaking. The total test time is about 2.5 hours, including orientation and breaks.

• Written Composition This is a 60-minute exam in which you first read a short passage and then write an essay based on it. You should plan to write in an academic style. You may not use a dictionary, translators, AI tools, or other aids. The topics will be suitable for students from any country and field of study. You will submit the exam in-person at our Digital Language Lab .
• Listening Comprehension This is a 30 minute exam including a 50 item test in which you will listen to a brief statement, look at three drawings, and decide which drawing fits the statement--this part tests your ability to comprehend an utterance of rapidly spoken English and make a quick and accurate judgment based on that understanding. You will submit the listening test during the same session as your writing test.
• Oral Interview This is a 30 minute interview, consisting of a live, video conversation between you and an EFS instructor conducted over Zoom. It is used to assess your spoken English proficiency.

There are no preparation guides for this examination. We advise you to practice listening, speaking, and writing in the weeks before the exam.

Once all parts of the exam have been rated, you will be sent a form listing any required or recommended courses, along with general advice regarding the timing and order of taking EFS courses. Required courses must be completed before graduation will be allowed. Recommended courses should be taken if your schedule allows.

It is possible to be retested for specific EFS requirements through additional examinations, but 1) students must wait at least six months after their placement exam to request the retest and 2) only one retest is allowed for each skill area (writing, listening, or speaking). Please contact  kgeda [at] stanford.edu (subject: EFS%20Placement%20Exam%20Retesting) ( kgeda[at]stanford[dot]edu  ) for further information.

Exam Schedule

If you are beginning study in the Fall 2023 quarter, placement testing will take place starting in August for the oral interview, and on three dates in September for the listening and writing exams.

The writing and listening testing will take place in person on campus. Students must attend the combined writing/listening exam, which will take approximately two and a half hours. The dates/times for the listening/writing placement exams are listed below:

• Test #1: Monday afternoon, September 18 from 14:00 - 16:30
• Test #2: Tuesday morning, September 19 from 9:00 - 11:30
• Test #3: Thursday afternoon, September 21 from 14:30 - 17:00

All times are listed in California daylight time (PDT/GMT-7).

Students will have more information available via email. If you have been required to take the exam, you will receive a notice from EFS with information on how to sign up for a specific time. The notice will be sent to all students required to take the placement test starting in August. If you have not received it, check your Stanford email address. Otherwise, contact t he EFS coordinator  if you have not received such an email by August 11, 2023. 

Students can schedule their 1-on-1 interview with an EFS instructor for any available time starting in August 2023. Information on how to set an appointment will be available via email.

English for Foreign Students

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English for Foreign Students (EFS) is Stanford's English as a Second Language Program for International Students. During the academic year ESF classes are strictly limited to matriculated international graduate students. Courses are only taken for academic credit and are aimed specifically at improving English language proficiency for graduate study and professional development. Additionally ESF offers ESL Teacher Training, TA screening, and administers Stanford's English Placement Examination for entering grad students.

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PhD Admissions

Main navigation, page contents, phd application timeline & deadline, phd admissions overview, phd admissions requirements, knight-hennessy scholars, phd frequently asked questions.

The Department of Chemical Engineering accepts applications to our graduate programs once per year for Autumn quarter entry only.

The application deadline for Autumn 2024 entry is December 1, 2023, at 11:59pm (PST).   All applications completed and received by this date will receive full consideration.  No late applications will be accepted.

All components of a graduate application must be received by the department no later than the appropriate deadline - including letters of recommendation.  Once submitted, applications are considered final, and no further updates are accepted.  Application review begins immediately so on-time submission of all materials is critical. 

A complete application consists of a completed application form, a statement of purpose (a summary of research experience for PhD applications), the application fee, three letters of recommendation, and TOEFL examination results (scores and percentages) if applicable.

The PhD application season is late-September through mid-December each year. The application is closed. No late applications will be accepted.

Our Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program is open to all applicants who have completed a bachelor’s degree or will have completed one before matriculating as a graduate student at Stanford. 

What We Look For ChemE PhD students come from a wide variety of personal, educational, and professional backgrounds. We welcome applicants with undergraduate degrees in diverse STEM disciplines including Bioengineering, Biophysics, Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Biochemistry, Physics, and Chemistry. There are no specific course requirements for applicants, but a competitive candidate will have strong quantitative training in mathematics and the physical sciences, along with a background in biology acquired through coursework or prior research. All admitted graduate students should be prepared to take the core courses in the first year.

We welcome students entering directly from undergraduate programs, as well as applicants with MS degrees and/or substantial work experience in areas ranging from biotechnology to robotics. Our admissions committee will look for evidence that an applicant has demonstrated qualities of successful PhD students such as creativity, self-initiative, dedication, and perseverance. We also aim to admit Chemical Engineering students who can thrive at Stanford because their specific interests and aspirations are well-matched with the research of our faculty and the educational environment of our department.

Individual Chemical Engineering faculty members do not admit applicants directly to their research groups. Please do not send individual faculty members or staff informal documents and appeals for informal evaluations and/or admission to a research group. We are unable to provide informal recommendations / evaluations on the basis of partial information such as a CV, test scores or a transcript. Inquiries and materials sent to individual professors may or may not be redirected to administrative staff. We encourage potential applicants to consider discussing their issues with faculty recommenders who know them well and could give better, individualized academic advice.

Applications are reviewed by a committee of faculty that hold appointments in ChemE and represent diverse research expertise. Each application is read in full and evaluated by at least two separate committee members. The applicants who are considered most competitive are then discussed by the entire admissions committee who attempt to balance the research interests, perspectives, and backgrounds & experiences in the final cohort of students who are offered admission.

The Department of Chemical Engineering considers the following in offering admission to our program:  

• Academic preparation - applicant seeks and excels in coursework relevant to chemical engineering
• Quality of prior research experience - applicant takes advantage of available research opportunities, has made meaningful contributions in their research, and has engaged in depth in experimental or theoretical work
• Demonstrated resilience - applicant demonstrates an ability to overcome obstacles that present challenges in educational and training experiences
• Curiosity, creativity - for example, as demonstrated by applicant’s chosen engagement in research opportunities and coursework
• Motivation - applicant clearly describes personal motivation for graduate training and engagement in PhD research, demonstrated work ethic, and/or track record of pursuing available research and training opportunities
• Maturity and preparedness - e.g. as demonstrated by applicant’s past engagement in activities and classes, ability to work in teams, leadership roles, and/or demonstrated commitment to scholarly work
• Potential contribution to Stanford Chemical Engineering community

IMPORTANT: These departmental instructions and requirements are SUPPLEMENTAL to the  university-wide requirements  for each and every application for admission to any advanced degree program at Stanford University.

Application Materials

A degree in chemical engineering is not required but applicants should be familiar with key concepts and their applications. This typically means applicants have degrees in other science and engineering disciplines such as bioengineering, biology, chemistry, materials science, mathematics, mechanical engineering and physics. We are looking for coursework or other experiences demonstrating use of higher-level mathematics (e.g. linear algebra, partial differential equations) and recommend completion of core chemical engineering courses (e.g. fluid mechanics, heat and mass transport phenomena, chemical reaction kinetics, thermodynamics). An MS degree is not a prerequisite for admission to our PhD program or for PhD degree conferral. 

We invite excellent students from all backgrounds, including those from historically underrepresented groups in engineering, to consider Stanford University for their graduate studies. In making admissions decisions, the Department of Chemical Engineering will comply with the requirements of the law as determined by the Supreme Court of the United States, evaluating each applicant based on their “experiences as an individual—not on the basis of race.” We continue to value a diverse student body that benefits the educational experience of our students and our mission of generating knowledge at Stanford University.

1.Completed Online Application

Access  online application

2. Enriching the Learning Community

Stanford University welcomes graduate applications from individuals with a broad range of experiences, interests, and backgrounds who would contribute to our community of scholars. We invite you to share the lived experiences, demonstrated values, perspectives, and/or activities that shape you as a scholar and would help you to make a distinctive contribution to Stanford University.

3. Transcripts/Education History

Applicants are required to upload copies of their transcripts/academic records (including any legends/keys) directly into the online application. Please ensure that your scans are legible since the Admissions Committee will use them in their review process. Official transcripts will only be required for applicants who are admitted and accept the offer of graduate admission. Please do not arrange for any official transcripts to be sent to the department or Stanford graduate admissions until that time.

When completing the “Educational History 1” section of the application, you will be asked to list every college and university you have attended for a year or more, and any degree program in which you are currently enrolled. Please list the highest undergraduate degree awarded (e.g. Bachelor’s, Diploma, Maitrise, etc.) in the “Post-Secondary Institution 1” section.

4. Statement of Purpose (2 pages maximum)

In your statement of purpose, you should succinctly describe your reasons for applying to the Chemical Engineering PhD program, which may include:

Preparation and motivation for graduate study in Chemical Engineering

• Aspects of your background and interests outside of research that are directly relevant to thriving in graduate school, such as obstacles overcome and experience in service and leadership
• Motivation for pursuing a PhD drawing from specific examples of research , relevant work experience, and/or personal interests
• Possible general areas of research you might pursue
• Possible general areas of Chemical Engineering that you might pursue in your career
• Any faculty member’s research that is of specific interest to you
• Many experience obstacles in your education, especially during this past year. Please also feel free to provide further explanation about any challenges or obstacles you’ve faced in your academic preparation

The maximum length is two pages (single-spaced). Your statement of purpose should be a well-structured essay that effectively communicates the information above while demonstrating your expository writing ability; it is often effective to open with a summary paragraph.

5. Three letters of recommendation

Recommenders should know you well and be able to comment on your strengths and your potential for graduate study. Our faculty strongly prefer letters of recommendation from academic (or professional) references who can speak to your academic and/or research background (e.g. professors who have acted as research supervisors, or instructors who have had extensive individual interactions with you). Letters must be submitted by the stated deadline as application review begins immediately. Late letters will not be reviewed. Additionally, our faculty find it helpful to hear from references who can comment on your personal qualities that would enable you to succeed in our graduate programs (such as your work ethic, commitment to goals, passion for learning and teaching, and capacity to overcome adversity), even if these references are from outside of STEM fields (e.g. coaches, academic advisors, and university leaders). Additional recommenders beyond the 3 required Letters of Recommendation are not requested.  

The Department of Chemical Engineering does not accept letters of recommendation submitted through Interfolio.

6. List of Research Experience (CV/Resume format) - 1 page limit

Your Research Experience provides the admissions committee with additional information to better evaluate your preparation and fit for our program. This is an opportunity to summarize your qualifications, honors, educational accomplishments (including publications and presentations) and interests. It should be a bulleted list, and can be structured similarly to a CV or resume and include relevant experience.  Please note:  The application portal labels this the "Resume/CV" in the Experience section of the application and incorrectly states the page length is 3 pages. Please adhere to 1 page and upload your "List of Research Experience" where the application portal shows the "Resume/CV". 

7. TOEFL scores

Applicants whose first spoken language is not English are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), unless they qualify for an exemption or waiver. Applicants whose scores fall below Stanford’s minimum TOEFL requirements will still be considered for admission; if admitted, Stanford may require these students to take a placement exam and/or classes to satisfy the University’s English proficiency requirement.

TOEFL scores are retained for 20 months. For questions about the validity of TOEFL scores, please contact ETS. If ETS is able to send your TOEFL scores, we will accept them. Stanford currently does not accept scores from the IELTS exam.

8. Application Fee

Applicants who need assistance with the application fee are encouraged to apply for a fee waiver. Preference is given to low-income, first-generation, and underrepresented minority students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

For applicants who are not receiving a waiver, a nonrefundable application fee of $125 is required for each application submitted to a graduate program at Stanford University. The fee must be paid through the payment section of the online application. The only accepted method of payment is by credit/debit card (Visa or MasterCard only).

Graduate Fee Waiver

Join dozens of  Stanford Engineering students  who gain valuable leadership skills in a multidisciplinary, multicultural community as  Knight-Hennessy Scholars  (KHS). KHS admits up to 100 select applicants each year from across Stanford’s seven graduate schools, and delivers engaging experiences that prepare them to be visionary, courageous, and collaborative leaders ready to address complex global challenges. As a scholar, you join a distinguished cohort, participate in up to three years of leadership programming, and receive full funding for up to three years of your PhD studies at Stanford. Candidates of any country may apply. KHS applicants must have earned their first undergraduate degree within the last seven years, and must apply to both a Stanford graduate program and to KHS. Stanford PhD students may also apply to KHS during their first year of PhD enrollment. If you aspire to be a leader in your field, we invite you to apply. The KHS application deadline is October 11, 2023. Learn more about  KHS admission . 

My official test scores will not arrive by the application deadline! Can I still apply?

Yes, you may still apply. You should take your ETS tests and request that scores be submitted to Stanford as well. Your application will not be considered complete until your official transcripts and test scores arrive. We will contact otherwise competitive applicants with incomplete applications for follow-up. Be sure your e-email address and telephone number are correct.

Are TOEFL scores required for admission?

In general, yes, if your first language is not English. On your application, self-report both your ETS scores and percentages. The Graduate Admissions website has further details about the university-wide test requirements and exceptions. Any request for a TOEFL waiver must to directed to central Graduate Admissions. Individual academic departments may not approve requests for waivers.  In general, there is a high expectation for English language fluency in both formal use and informal interactions, in written and oral situations. One of the key goals of our educational programs is the further development of communication skills in English and ongoing opportunities are built into the curriculum.

Is there a TOEFL exemption process if I received a degree from an institution whose primary instruction was in English?

TOEFL scores are required of all applicants whose first language is not English. Exemptions are granted to applicants who have earned a US bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree from a college or university accredited by a regional accrediting association in the United States, or the international equivalent degree from a university of recognized standing in a country in which all instruction is provide in English (Australia, Canada except Quebec, New Zealand, Singapore, and the UK. Stanford does not accept IELTS scores. More information can be found on the  Graduate Admissions website .

Do I need to select an advisor before starting the program?

Each first-year PhD student rotates with two different faculty research groups before choosing an advisor and lab in which to develop his or her own research projects. The rotations enable students to gain a better understanding of a given faculty member’s research program and to determine if that lab is a good fit for their future research. Furthermore, during the first six months, there are multiple opportunities to talk with a wide range of faculty members about their research.

I’m applying to the Knight-Hennessy Program. What’s my deadline? Do I need to do both applications?

You should submit two independent applications if you are applying to the Knight-Hennessy Program - one to the Chemical Engineering department by Dec 1 and one to Knight-Hennessy by their deadline. You should be sure to complete both your Knight-Hennessy application by their deadline of October 11, 2023. These applications are independent and separate. Be sure you complete each set of requirements for each separate application. Please visit the  Knight-Hennessy Website  for more information regarding the Knight Hennessy Scholars program.

Can I visit the department?

Admitted PhD applicants will be invited to visit the department and meet with our students and faculty.

May I apply to start graduate work in other times of the year than Autumn Quarter?

For programmatic and curricular reasons, admitted students should plan to commence studies at the beginning of the academic year, in September.

Are GRE scores required for admission?

GRE scores are no longer required or accepted as part of an applicant’s application materials.

What kinds of financial aid are available?

Fellowship awards, assistantship jobs and loans through the university. The department is the first point of contact for the administration of most external fellowships (NSF, NDSEG, DOD, DOE, NIH, Hughes, Bell/Lucent and various foundations,), university fellowships (Stanford Graduate Fellowship), School of Engineering and departmental fellowships, and research and teaching assistantships. The university's Financial Aid Office helps graduate students obtain loans.

What are my chances of getting financial aid?

We offer financial aid at the time of admission to approximately the top 5-10 percent of the PhD applicants, and virtually all the first-year PhD students in Chemical Engineering receive aid. Faculty hold workshops to help PhD students write research proposals and apply for external fellowships. Once PhD students join a research group, normally they are supported either by fellowship awards or assistantship jobs from their research advisors or a combination of these two sources of funds.

What is the usual size of the incoming chemical engineering PhD Class?

Recently, the incoming PhD classes have numbered in the mid-20s.

When will I find out about the decision on my application?

All applicants must maintain current and correct email addresses so we can communicate with you via email. PhD applicants can expect to hear from us in January/February. The final PhD decisions are made after the December PhD deadline so the entire pool may be considered. PhD decisions will be communicated to all applicants, in writing, via email.

Further questions can be directed to  [email protected]

CAS Announces the Recipients of its Faculty-Undergraduate Research Partnerships

The Center for African Studies has announced the recipients of its new Faculty-Undergraduate Research Partnerships , which pairs Stanford faculty with undergraduates to work collaboratively on innovative research projects. Up to three grants were awarded to faculty for the 2023-24 academic year. Each faculty member has received $4,000 to support their project, while each undergraduate research assistant will receive up to $2,500 for spring or summer quarter 2024. From tackling mental health challenges exacerbated by climate change in Kenya to exploring African literature's linguistic complexities, these projects promise fresh insights.

Project: Co-creation of a youth-facing CIRCLE platform in Kenya

We are thrilled to announce  Desiree LaBeaud  (Professor of Pediatrics - Infectious Diseases) and  Brittany Delmoro Wray ’s (Instructor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences) partnership with Gracemary Wanjiru Nganga (persuing a Bachelor of Science in Human Biology) for an exciting research project titled "Co-creation of a youth-facing CIRCLE platform in Kenya." This groundbreaking initiative aims to address the pressing mental health challenges exacerbated by climate change in Kenya. Together, they will develop innovative interventions and tools to foster resilience and emotional well-being within local communities, particularly among youth. With Gracemary's invaluable contribution, this project promises to make significant strides in understanding and mitigating the impact of climate change on mental health in Kenya.

Project: French Is Not My Mother Tongue

In another exhilarating endeavor,  Vaughn Rasberry  (Associate Professor of English) and Crystal Huiyi Peng (majoring in English and Data Science & Social Systems) are teaming up to explore the vibrant world of African literature in their captivating project, "French Is Not My Mother Tongue." Delving into the complexities of linguistic identity, they will examine how African and diasporic writers navigate the dominance of European colonial languages. Through their research, they aim to shed light on the ongoing debate surrounding African language and literature in the twenty-first century. With Crystal's expertise and enthusiasm, this project promises to uncover fascinating insights into the evolving landscape of African literary expression.

Project: McGregor Museum Heritage Partnership

Last but not least, we are delighted to announce  Grant Parker ’s (Associate Professor of Classics) collaboration with Dylan Kayin Little (persuing a Bachelor in History) and Alana Joy Okonkwo (persuing a Bachelor in Archaeology) for the McGregor Museum Heritage Partnership. Thanks to generous additional external funding, we are delighted to appoint two Research Assistants for this project, facilitating Dylan and Alana's involvement. Together, they will embark on an electrifying journey to digitize and curate historical treasures from the McGregor Museum in Kimberley, Northern Cape. Through their efforts, they aim to extend the museum's reach and enhance engagement with its rich collections, particularly focusing on the history of Kimberley and the Northern Cape. With Dylan and Alana's dedication and expertise, this project promises to bring history to life in thrilling new ways, enriching our understanding of South Africa's cultural heritage.

Information and Forms

There are two tracks within the Biology Ph.D. program:

• Cell, Molecular and Organismal Biology
• Ecology and Evolution

(Previously a part of the Department of Biology Hopkins Marine Station is now a part of the Oceans Department within  Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability )

Some requirements are the same across concentrations, and other requirements are concentration-specific. Please review the Ph.D. Handbook for specific details.

General Information and Forms

• Graduate Academic Policies and Procedures
• 2023-2024 Biology PhD Handbook
• CMOB Elective Course List 
• Registrar's Office Forms  (SUNet ID login required)

Teaching Assistant Evaluations (All years)

• TA Pre-Course Meeting Form  - Due within the first two weeks of starting each TA position
• TA Evaluation Form  - Due after each TA position

Special Circumstance Forms

• Graduation Extension Petition  (if applicable)
• Change of Advisor or Reading Committee Member Form  (if applicable)

First Year Forms

Forms for all first year students.

• Lab Rotation Evaulation  - Due after each rotation, if applicable
• NSF Application  - If eligible, Due October 18 (Life Sciences) or October 22 (Geosciences)
• Dissertation Lab Decision - Due May 1
• First Year Evaluation and Planning Form  - Due May 1
• IDP Meeting  - Due August 1

Additional Forms for EcoEvo & Hopkins Students

• First Year Advising Committee Form  - Due within the first 2 weeks of Autumn, Winter, and Spring quarters
• Seminar/Talk Evaluation Form  - Due June 1
• First Year Paper Evaluation Form  - Due June 1

Second Year Forms

In second year you will complete the qualification exam (forms below) then advance to candidacy (forms at bottom),  forms for cmob students.

• 2nd Year Qualifying Exam Evaluation Form

 Forms for Eco/Evo Students

• Dissertation Proposal Paper - Due May 15 (electronic Submission)
• 2nd Year Qualifying Exam Evaluation Form -

 Forms for Hopkins Students

Forms for all second year students.

• Application for Candidacy  
• Dissertation Reading Committee Form  
• Non-AC Committee Member Form  (if applicable)

Third Year Forms

Forms for all third year students.

• Committee Meeting Form  (annual)

Additional Forms for CMOB Students

• Seminar Evaluation Form  

Fourth Year Forms

Forms for all fourth year students.

• Request for TGR Status Form  - Due March 15 (after completion of 135 units and all of the first through third year requirements)
• Committee Meeting Form (Annual)

Fifth & Sixth Year Forms

Forms for all fifth and sixth year students.

• Committee Meeting Form  (Semi-annual)
• Committee Meeting Form  (Semi-annual)
• IDP Meeting  - August 1

Dissertation Defense & Submission

Dissertation deadlines.

• Draft of Dissertation - Send to committee 30 days before defense
• University Oral Exam Form found here - Due 2 weeks before defense
• Directions for Preparing and Submitting the Dissertation  -  Check due dates for each quarter

Archived Ph.D. Handbooks:

• 2018-19 

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Undergraduate Research

Main navigation, stanford data science undergraduate research pathways (dsurp).

The Stanford Data Science Undergraduate Research Pathways program is an 8-week full-time research experience designed to provide students at institutions without access to research opportunities the chance to conduct a research project under the supervision of both a mentor and faculty member. This is an in-person experience held at Stanford from June 24 to August 16, 2024.

• The program is held during the Stanford summer quarter from June 24–August 16 (8 weeks).
• Participants will receive a stipend of $6000, but the program is not otherwise able to provide housing support.
• Available slots are limited and selection is competitive. Priority is given first to students from non-R1 universities, and also to those from backgrounds underrepresented in data science research.
• The program is not open to Stanford students.

How to apply

Applicants will need to provide the following by 11:59pm PST on March 3, 2024:

• Personal and demographic information.
• Resume and unofficial transcript.
• Demonstration of data science reasoning ability.

 Apply Now

Any questions should be directed by email to Daniel LeJeune, dlejeune @ stanford.edu.

Department of English

Graduate course offerings, summer 2024.

If you have any questions about the Literature, Creative Writing, or Linguistics courses, please contact the graduate advisor . For all Technical Communication courses, please contact the Director of Graduate Studies .

The English/Philosophy building can be found on the Campus Map .

We also have a listing of past graduate course offerings .

Click an Option to Show Courses by Focus

Engl 5067 methods of teaching college composition (ma & phd).

This course is designed as a practicum for GPTI teaching first-year writing at Texas Tech University. This course will introduce teachers to methods and practices of teaching writing and provide scaffolding for their first three semesters teaching first-year writing. We will use class time to discuss teaching activities, to introduce you to theories of learning, writing, and rhetoric, to solve problems related to teaching and learning, and to help you build your teaching philosophy.

ENGL 5000, Portfolio

ENGL 5000 is an MATC portfolio seminar that fulfills MATC student's capstone requirement. MATC students pursuing the Portfolio option for their degree will develop their portfolio in this course under the direction of TTU TCR faculty. MATC students should take this course in the semester before the semester they graduate. (e.g., if you are graduating in the spring, take it in the fall).

IMPORTANT: This is a “variable credit” course and will require you to assign the number of credit hours you need when you register. This course should count for 3cr. hours. Instructions for changing variable credit hours: Changing Variable Credit Course Hours .

Note: Your portfolio will be reviewed a second time by TTU TCR faculty in your final semester before graduation. While there is no examination, your portfolio fulfills the "comprehensive exam" requirement.

ENGL 5067, Methods of Teaching College Composition

5067 sections are required for onsite GPTIs . Enroll in the section based on your program/year.

Note: Online students/non-GPTIs are not permitted to enroll in these courses. These sections are integrally linked to the work GPTIs do in our First-Year Writing

IMPORTANT: This is a “variable credit” course and will require you to assign the number of credit hours you need when you register. This course should count for 1 credit hour each.

ENGL 5067 (MA & PhD 2nd Year)

This course is designed as a practicum for GPTI teaching first-year writing at Texas Tech University. This section will be specifically focused on preparing you to teach writing in asynchronous online classes. This section will introduce teachers to methods and practices of teaching writing online and provide scaffolding for your first time teaching asynchronously in our program. We will use digital spaces through Blackboard to discuss teaching activities, to introduce you to theories of online learning, writing, and rhetoric, to solve problems related to teaching and learning, and to help you build your online teaching philosophy.

ENGL 5309, Studies in Nineteenth-Century British Literature: Recentering the Influences of The Arabian Nights

This course will explore the influence of The Arabian Nights on Victorian Literature. Using Hussain Haddawy's Norton Critical Edition of The Arabian Nights , we will read the frame story of female storyteller Shahrazad and despotic ruler Sultan Shahrayar, in addition to a selection of intertwined tales like “The Story of the Merchant and the Demon,” “The Story of the Fisherman and the Demon,” and “The Story of the Three Apples.” After identifying key elements in this collection of stories, we will then examine their impact on British canonical nineteenth-century novels such as Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights (1847) and Edith Nesbit's The Story of the Amulet (1906). When analyzing these texts, we will pay close attention to the intersections of race, class, gender, and national identity in the larger context of the British Empire. We will also engage with theoretical materials to gain a deeper understanding of the assigned texts, bringing to the forefront “othered” characters and voices that have been overlooked or ignored. Assignments include a conference-length paper, discussion leading, an oral presentation, and an annotated bibliography.

Requirement Fulfilled: British Literature; Later Period; Genre (Fiction)

ENGL 5324, Studies in Twentieth-Century American Literature: Literatures of the American Southwest

This course introduces students to a variety of twentieth and twenty-first century texts from the region currently referred to as the American Southwest. We will explore the Southwest through award-winning westerns by Cormac McCarthy and Percival Everett, a 1903 collection of non-fiction essays from Mary Hunter Austin, foundational Native American texts by Leslie Marmon Silko and Tommy Orange, a canonical Mexican American coming-of-age novel, and the 2016 film Hell or High Water (screenplay by Taylor Sheridan), among other texts. We'll also read multiple scholarly essays about the region and its history. Some questions we will consider as we read include: What common themes run through these works? How do different cultures describe the landscape of the Southwest? The relationship they feel exists between themselves and this region's history? Between themselves and the other cultures of this region? We will attempt to answer these questions through lectures, class discussions, a series of short Summary & Synthesis assignments which put our scholarship in conversation with the texts, and a seminar paper.

Requirement Fulfilled: American Literature; Later Period; Genre (Fiction); Literature, Social Justice and Environmental Studies (LSJE)

ENGL 5327, Studies in Multicultural American Literature: The Borderlands of Visionary Fiction

Recent years have seen an impressive outpouring of speculative fiction by women and people of color that falls under the neologism, “visionary fiction.” In this course, we will study genres that often overlap—science fiction, apocalyptic/post-apoc, and utopian/dystopian forms—from a Borderlands perspective. To conceive a Borderlands position broadly means that we approach spaces, places, and even bodies in terms of peripheries and edges rather than centers. Visionary fiction is radical, highly imaginative, and often calls for a paradigm shift in consciousness; its aims are egalitarian and aimed at social and environmental justice. Some questions that will focus our discussion include: how and why have speculative forms so radically transformed in recent decades? How do people of color engage speculative forms to re-imagine genocidal campaigns and modern, colonialist enterprises? How do the articulations of feminist theory, third space theory, and environmental philosophy bring into conversation the territorial, ideological, and metaphorical intersections between the U.S. and other countries with the goal of illuminating how individual subjectivities negotiate local, national, and global borders (transfronteras) of experience? Some of the authors we'll read include Gloria Anzaldúa, Octavia E. Butler, Ursula K. LeGuin, Daniel Quinn, and Nnedi Okorafor.

ENGL 5340, Research Methods

This seminar introduces students either beginning or near the start of their graduate work to a range of research methods and methodologies utilized in humanities-based studies, including the vast array of digital, material, and archival resources available to researchers. The course focuses on the process of research to better prepare students for the kind of work expected at the graduate level. Students will develop a significant research project in their selected area of specialization that will include a book review, annotated bibliography, conference-length presentation, and research paper. This section is reserved primarily for new distance/online MA students in English, but is open (based on enrollment availability) to graduate students across the humanities.

Requirements Fulfilled: Foundation Course (English MA)

ENGL 5355, Studies in Comparative Literature: Global Vietnam War Literature and Culture

This course investigates the representation of the American War in Vietnam through diverse theoretical, cultural, and historical perspectives. We begin by scrutinizing Graham Green's The Quiet American and screening the French film Indochine with special attention to the differences between the traditional European colonial powers and the US-centered global order, which Donald Pease theorizes as the “global state of exception.” We then examine Joan Didion's Democracy and Norman Mailer's Armies of the Night in relation to the impact of the military-industrial complex and in light of the blurry boundary between history and fiction. We then direct our critical interest to Philip Caputo's A Rumor of War , Tim O'Brien's Going after Cacciato , and Lynda De Devanter's Home before Morning , which would invoke senses of “being there,” of “a hyperreality,” as well as of “the return of the repressed.” Meanwhile, we also try to get a glimpse of the war from both the North and South Vietnamese perspectives and explore Bao Nin's Sorrow of War in terms of what Shu-Mei Shih dubs “the exceptional particular.” We conclude by reading Le Ly Hayslip's When Heaven and Earth Changed Places , Viet Thanh Nguyen's The Sympathizer , and Thi Bui's The Best We Could Do: An Illustrated Memoir , and by rethinking the ecological consequences of the war upon the land and the people.

Requirement Fulfilled: Comparative Literature; Genre (fiction)

ENGL 5365, Writing Studies & Well-Being

In this class, we will explore questions and problems related to rhetoric and writing about wellbeing, wellness, and similar concepts through questions such as the following: What, exactly, does it take to find a sense of wellness today and what role might writing and rhetorical practice, research, and theory play? How, for whom, and under what conditions might people experience writing for wellness—and how might we leverage such insight for the public good more broadly? What are the relationships among discourses and practices of wellbeing, wellness, gratitude, healing, contemplation, and democracy? To explore these questions, we will read work from writing and rhetoric studies, education, psychology, disability studies, and other areas. Assignments will include autoethnographic or other forms of selfstudy research, a book review, discussion questions, and in-class writing.

Readings will include articles as well as all or parts of the following books: Rhetorical Healing: The Reeducation of Contemporary Black Womanhood by Tamika L. Carey; The Art of Gratitude by Jeremy David Engels; Unwell Writing Centers: Searching for Wellness in Neoliberal Educational Institutions and Beyond by Genie Nicole Giaimo; Composition Studies special issue on Writing and Well-being edited by Susan Miller-Cochran and Stacey Cochran; Yoga Minds, Writing Bodies: Contemplative Writing Pedagogy by Christy I. Wenger; and Writing as a Way of Healing by Louise DeSalvo. Carey, Engels, and Giaimo are available as e-books through the TTU library; Miller-Cochran and Cochran and Wenger are open access.

ENGL 5377, Rhetoric of Entrepreneurialism and Innovation

This course explores the intersection of entrepreneurship, innovation, and the writing and communication practices that constitute these areas of activity. First, this class will delve into theories of management, entrepreneurship, and critical entrepreneurship studies to provide necessary background information. We will explore such questions as what is entrepreneurship? Who counts as an entrepreneur? and Why is entrepreneurship a central societal innovation? Next, we will systematically engage with the types of writing and communication most important to these professionals. We will cover such popular topics as the business pitch, business plan, and business model canvas, but we will also explore the use of entrepreneurial storytelling, the formation of entrepreneurial ecosystems, and other important topics. The content of this class will be useful to any aspiring innovator or business owner but will mainly give students a foundation that they could use to begin publishing in the small cross-disciplinary field sometimes called entrepreneurship communication.

ENGL 5377, Risk Communication

The field of risk communication examines the relationship between information sharing and people's assessment and responses to possible harms. This course surveys research in risk communication that helps us understand how individuals and communities perceive and manage risks to their health, safety, and environment, as well as best practices for communicating risk information to community audiences. Throughout the semester students will read and discuss theoretical and applied literature on risk communication and apply best practices to design risk communication plans and messages that effectively address targeted audiences.

ENGL 5385, Ethics in TCR

This class offers an introductory overview of major Western and non-Western ethical frameworks that past and present technical communication and rhetoric scholarship has drawn on. Major western frameworks include virtue ethics, consequentialism (utilitarianism), and deontology. We will also cover introductory concepts such as metaethics to ask: What are values? How do ethical frameworks produce different values? Which ethical frameworks should I use in some situations but not others? Students will read work by some of the major ethical philosophers who contributed to these movements, such as Immanuel Kant, Alasdair Mcintrye, and Aristotle, but they will also learn how to apply ancient frameworks to contemporary causes such as the resurgent interest in “effective altruism” (a modified form of utilitarianism) in Open AI discourses. Students will also study the ways in which 20th century scholars have critiqued and extended these positions to include frameworks on indigenous virtue ethics, feminist ethics of care, black feminist ethics of care, and non-western virtue ethics (Confucianism; Ubuntu). We'll read about Lisa Tessman's efforts to update virtue ethics through diversity and social justice alongside Martha Nussbaum's ideas on feminist generosity and Margaret McLaren's work on feminist virtues such as feistiness and playfulness.

In this class, we will not only read about ethics, but we will discuss how to think about applying past and present Western and non-Western frameworks ethically through our unique positionalities. Students will be encouraged to apply an ethical framework of their choice to a wide range of academic, industry or pedagogical ends for a final project.

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