An Enquired Guide On How To Get A Postgraduate Degree At Stanford University

For each Stanford advanced degree or postgraduate degree, there is an approved course of study that meets University and department requirements.

The University’s general requirements, applicable to all graduate degrees at Stanford, are described below. University requirements pertaining to only a subset of advanced degrees are described in the “Master’s” tab and “Doctoral” tab in this section of this bulletin.

See the “Graduate Programs” section of each department’s listing for specific department degree requirements. Additional information on professional school programs other than Ph.D. and master’s degree programs is available in the bulletins of the Graduate School of Business, the School of Law, and the School of Medicine.

Enrollment Requirements For PostGraduate Degree At Stanford University

Graduate education at Stanford is a full-time commitment requiring full-time enrollment, typically at least 8 units during Autumn, Winter, and Spring quarters.

For a complete definition of full-time enrollment, see the “Definition of Full-time Enrollment” section of this bulletin.

Unless permission is granted by the department (for example for field work) enrolled graduate students must maintain a significant physical presence on campus throughout each quarter a student is enrolled.

Requests to enroll for fewer than 8 units during the academic year are approved only in specific circumstances. Students enrolled in the Honors Cooperative or the Master of Liberal Arts programs are permitted part-time enrollment on a regular basis.

Graduate students who need only a few remaining units to complete degree requirements or to qualify for TGR status, may register for one quarter on a unit basis (3 to 7 units) to cover the deficiency .

Students with disabilities covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act may enroll in a reduced course load as recommended by the Office of Accessible Education (OAE).

Matriculated and enrolled pregnant graduate students may request up to two quarters of part-time enrollment for an approved Childbirth Academic Accommodation.

Graduate students must enroll in courses for all terms of each academic year (Autumn, Winter, and Spring Quarters) from the admission term until conferral of the degree.

The only exception to this requirement occurs when the student is granted an official leave of absence.

Failure to enroll in courses for a term during the academic year without taking a leave of absence results in denial of further enrollment privileges unless and until reinstatement to the degree program is granted and the reinstatement fee paid.

Depending on the program, registration in Summer Quarter may or may not be required; Summer Quarter registration does not substitute for registration during the academic year. Students possessing an F-1 or J-1 student visa may be subject to additional course enrollment requirements in order to retain their student visas.

In addition to the above requirement for continuous registration during the academic year, graduate students are required by the University to be registered:

In each term during which any official department or University requirement is fulfilled, including qualifying exams or the University oral exam. The period between the last day of final exams of one term and the day prior to the first day of the following term is considered an extension of the earlier term, with the option of considering the two weeks preceding the start of Autumn Quarter as part of Autumn Quarter (rather than as part of Summer Quarter).
In any term in which a University dissertation/thesis is submitted or at the end of which a graduate degree is conferred.
Normally, in any term in which the student receives financial support from the University.
In any term for which the student needs to use University facilities.
For international students, in any term of the academic year (summer may be excluded) for which they have non-immigrant status (i.e., an F-I or J-1 visa).

Individual students may also find themselves subject to the registration requirements of other agencies (for example, external funding sources such as federal financial aid). Course work and research are expected to be done on campus unless the department gives prior approval.

Degree programs have the option to include the two weeks before the start of Autumn Quarter as part of Autumn Quarter for the purposes of completing milestones and departmental requirements.

The following considerations apply to this exception:

The student must enroll in the subsequent Autumn Quarter in the applicable standard enrollment category prior to the completion of the milestone; a leave of absence is not permitted for that Autumn Quarter.
A student exercising this option will not be eligible for Graduation Quarter status until the following Winter Quarter at the earliest.
This exception is permitted only for milestones administered by the department, such as qualifying examinations or University oral examinations.
This exception does not apply to deadlines administered through Stanford University, such as filing the Application to Graduate, or Dissertation/Thesis submission.
Degree programs are not obligated to exercise this option solely because a student requests it.

Postgraduate Degree Overview Of Stanford University

Postgraduate degree study has been a feature of Stanford University since it was founded in 1891, and today more than 9,300 students are enrolled in master’s and PhD programs across 90 departments and programs in all of Stanford’s seven graduate schools.

These are: business; earth, energy and environmental sciences; education; engineering; humanities and sciences; law; and medicine.

Recent figures show that engineering is Stanford’s most popular graduate school, accounting for around 40 percent of students.

Stanford was actually ranked second in the world for engineering & technology in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2018, behind the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

After engineering, the next most popular graduate school at Stanford is humanities and science, which accounts for a quarter of graduate students.

A third of graduate students are international and men make up 61 percent. In contrast to Ivy League schools, a majority of graduate students (69 percent) are studying towards a master’s degree.

To be considered for postgraduate degree study, candidates must provide three types of document: a statement of purpose, letters of recommendation, and university transcripts (academic records).

Departments may require additional materials, such as writing samples, so it’s important for students to review whichever department they intend to apply to in advance.

There is a non-refundable application fee of $125, and all students must submit GRE test scores as part of their application.

In addition, non-native English speakers must prove their proficiency in the language by submitting an official TOEFL exam score.

Tuition at Stanford varies according to the program taken. Generally speaking, a graduate is expected to cover a minimum of eight units for the Autumn, Winter, and Spring quarters, at a cost of $10,620 per quarter to be considered full-time.

Those who study more than ten units per quarter, as well as all medicine, law, and business school graduate students, are charged more, at around $20,000 per quarter.

For doctoral students, the cost of tuition can be offset by university fellowships, research assistantships, and teaching assistantships.

In special cases, master’s students may be able to receive these too, and charities, firms and external organizations have also helped graduate students at Stanford finance their studies.

Those whose funding does not cover all of their costs may need to use student loans, savings, or other personal assets to meet their educational expenses.

More information on the financial assistance available to Stanford students is available directly from the university.

Credit:

https://www.topuniversities.com/universities/stanford-university/postgrad

https://exploredegrees.stanford.edu/graduatedegrees/