phd education policy stanford

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• Stanford Interdisciplinary Doctoral Training Program in Quantitative Education Policy Analysis

The Stanford University Graduate School of Education and the Departments of Sociology, Political Science, and Psychology offer an interdisciplinary training program for PhD students interested in education policy analysis. The Program is designed to provide doctoral students in social science disciplines (especially Sociology, Political Science, and Psychology, though it is open to students in other departments as well) and in the Graduate School of Education with advanced training in state-of-the-art quantitative methods of discipline-based education policy analysis. Education policy, for the purposes of this program, encompasses federal and state education policy and law and school district policies and practices pertaining to school leadership, human resources, curricula, and instructional practices, as well as the impact of other social policies and processes (e.g., immigration law and policy, child care policy) as they pertain specifically to educational processes and outcomes.

PhD students in the program will participate in an interdisciplinary core curriculum consisting of coursework in education policy, discipline-based theory, and applied quantitative research methods, including a 1-year course in methods of applied quantitative policy analysis, a course in measurement, several elective courses in statistics, a practicum in education research, and an ongoing interdisciplinary workshop in quantitative education policy analysis. Students will receive additional training through research apprenticeships with core faculty in the training program, a series of annual summer advanced training workshops and mini-conferences, and an ongoing education policy analysis speaker series.

The Training Program is co-directed by Sean Reardon , Professor of Poverty and Inequality in Education and (by courtesy) Sociology and Michelle Reininger , Assistant Professor of Education (Research). Core faculty in the program include faculty from Education, the Hoover Institution, Sociology, Political Science, Psychology, and the Law School (list of core faculty is at the end of this document). The Program is funded by a five-year (2014-2019) grant with a two-year (2019-2021) no cost extension from the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), the research arm of the U.S. Department of Education.

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Graduate Degrees: Doctoral

Main navigation, degree-specific requirements (doctoral degrees), doctor of jurisprudence.

The degree of Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.) is conferred on candidates who satisfactorily complete courses in law totaling the number of units required under the current Faculty Regulations of the Stanford Law School over no less than three academic years and who otherwise have satisfied the requirements of the University and the Stanford Law School. The  Stanford Law School J.D. Program  website provides detailed information on degree requirements.

Doctor of the Science of Law

The degree of the Doctor of the Science of Law (J.S.D.) is conferred upon candidates who hold a J.D. or its equivalent, who complete one academic year in residence, and who, as a result of independent legal research, present a dissertation that is, in the opinion of the faculty of the Stanford Law School a contribution to knowledge. Such work and dissertation must conform to the rules of the Stanford Law School and the University for the dissertation and the University Oral Examination.

Candidacy is limited to students of exceptional distinction and promise. The  Stanford Law School Advanced Degree Programs  website provides detailed information on degree requirements.

Doctor of Musical Arts

The degree of Doctor of Musical Arts (D.M.A.) is conferred on candidates who have satisfied the general requirements for advanced degreesbul and the candidacy requirement as described below in the "Doctor of Philosophy" section.

Doctor of Medicine

Candidates for the degree of Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) must satisfactorily complete the required curriculum in medicine. The requirements for the M.D. degree are detailed on the  School of Medicine's website .

Doctor of Philosophy

The degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) is conferred on candidates who have demonstrated to the satisfaction of their department or school substantial scholarship, high attainment in a particular field of knowledge, and the ability to do independent investigation and present the results of such research. They must satisfy the general requirements for advanced degrees, the program requirements specified by their departments, and the doctoral requirements described below. The option for a Ph.D. minor is also described below, though it is not a Ph.D. requirement.

Admission to a doctoral degree program is preliminary to, and distinct from, admission to candidacy.  Admission to candidacy for the doctoral degree is a judgment by the faculty in the degree program of the student’s potential to successfully complete the requirements of the degree program. Students are expected to complete degree program qualifying procedures and apply for candidacy by the end of their second year in the doctoral program. Honors Cooperative students are required to apply by the end of their fourth year. Candidacy is valid for five calendar years (through the end of the quarter in which candidacy expires), unless terminated by the degree program (for example, for unsatisfactory academic progress). A Pregnancy or Parental Leave of Absence automatically extends the pre-candidacy or candidacy period (see GAP 5.9,  Pregnancy, Childbirth and Adoption , for details). 

Admission to candidacy for the doctoral degree is granted by the degree program following a student's successful completion of qualifying procedures as determined by the degree program. Programmatic policy determines procedures for subsequent attempts to advance to candidacy in the event that the student does not successfully complete the procedures. Failure to advance to candidacy results in the dismissal of the student from the doctoral program (see GAP 5.6,  Dismissal for Academic and Professional Reasons ).

Candidacy is confirmed on the  Application for Candidacy for Doctoral Degree  (or a departmental version of this form). This form also specifies a departmentally approved program of study to fulfill degree requirements, including required course work, language requirements, teaching requirements, dissertation (final project and public lecture-demonstration for D.M.A.), and university oral examination (for other doctoral degrees). The department should confirm at this point that the student’s program will meet all university and degree program requirements.

Prior to candidacy, at least 3 units of course work must be taken with each of four Stanford faculty members. To reiterate, however, a student will only be admitted to candidacy if, in addition to the student fulfilling programmatic prerequisites, the faculty makes the judgment that the student has the potential to successfully complete the requirements of the degree program.

If the doctoral student is pursuing a minor, approval by the degree program awarding the minor is also required on the Application for Candidacy.

Extension of the Pre-Candidacy Period

The degree program may determine that extension of the pre-candidacy period is necessary to provide a student with additional time to complete qualifying procedures or to provide faculty with necessary evidence on which to base a candidacy decision. Decisions to extend the pre-candidacy period and thus delay the candidacy decision should be made on an individual student basis and should not be applied to entire cohorts or students absent exceptional circumstances. Degree programs are not obligated to extend the pre-candidacy period.

 When providing an extension of the pre-candidacy period, the degree program should communicate in writing the reason for the extension, expectations for the academic work to be completed by the student, the duration of the extension, and the timeline for the candidacy review. Extensions of the pre-candidacy period should generally not extend beyond two academic quarters.

Time Limit for Completion of a Degree with Candidacy

Students are required to maintain active candidacy through conferral of the doctoral degree. All requirements for the degree must be completed before candidacy expires. Candidacy is valid for five calendar years (through the end of the quarter in which candidacy expires), unless terminated by the degree program (for example, for academic unsatisfactory progress). The candidacy time limit is not automatically extended by a student’s leave of absence.

Failure to make minimum academic progress or complete university, department, and program requirements in a timely or satisfactory manner may lead to dismissal of the student (see GAP 5.6,  Dismissal for Academic Reasons ).

Extension of Candidacy

All requests for candidacy extension, whether prompted by a leave or some other circumstance, must be filed by the student before the conclusion of the program’s time limit, using the  Application for Extension of Candidacy or Master's Program  form. Departments are not obligated to grant an extension. Students may receive a maximum of one additional year of candidacy per extension. Extensions require review by the department of a dissertation progress report, a timetable for completion of the dissertation, any other factors regarded as relevant by the department, and approval by the department; such approval is at the department’s discretion.

 A Pregnancy or Parental Leave of Absence will also result in an extension of candidacy (or of the pre-candidacy period). See GAP 5.9,   Pregnancy, Childbirth and Adoption , for details.

Teaching and Research Requirements

A number of departments/schools require their students to teach (serving as a Teaching Assistant) or assist a faculty member in research (serving as a Research Assistant) for one or more quarters as part of their doctoral programs. 

Foreign Language Requirement

Some departments require a reading knowledge of one or more foreign languages. Fulfillment of language requirements must be endorsed by the chair of the major department.

University Oral Examination

Passing a university oral examination is a requirement of the Ph.D., J.S.D. and Ed.D. degrees. The purpose of the examination is to test the candidate’s command of the field of study and to confirm fitness for scholarly pursuits. Degree programs determine which of the following three types of oral examinations is to be required in their doctoral programs:

A test of knowledge of the student’s field; this type of examination is intended to assess the student’s overall mastery of a specific field of knowledge 

A review of the dissertation proposal covering content relevant to the area of study, rationale for the proposed investigation, and strategy to be used in the research; this type of examination is intended to assist the student in refining a dissertation topic and to ensure mastery of theoretical and methodological issues as well as the materials needed to conduct the research effectively

A defense of the dissertation presented either upon completion of a substantial portion of the dissertation or upon completion of a pre-final draft (in either case, a draft of the work completed should be available for the examining committee well in advance of the examination); this type of examination is intended to verify that the research represents the candidate’s own contribution to knowledge, and to test his or her understanding of the research. General questions pertaining to the field as a whole, but beyond the scope of the dissertation itself, may be included.

Applicability: 

All Ph.D., J.S.D., and Ed.D. degree candidates and programs.

Timing and Process

Students must be registered in the term in which the University oral examination is taken. 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. Candidacy must also be valid.

The  University Oral Examination  form must be submitted to the department graduate studies administrator at least two weeks prior to the proposed examination date. The examination is conducted according to the major department's adopted practice, but it should not exceed three hours in length, and it must include a period of private questioning by the examining committee.

Committee Membership

The University oral examination committee consists of at least five Stanford faculty members: four examiners and the committee chair from another department. All committee members are normally members of the Stanford University Academic Council, and the chair must be a member of the Stanford University Academic Council. Emeritus faculty are also eligible to serve as examiners or as chair of the committee. Emeritus Stanford faculty, though no longer current members of the Academic Council, count as Academic Council members on dissertation oral committees.

Out-of-Department Chair

The chair of a Stanford oral examination is appointed for this examination only, to represent the interests of the University for a fair and rigorous process. The chair of the examining committee may not have a full or joint appointment in the principal dissertation adviser's, co-advisers or student's department, but may have a courtesy appointment in the department. The chair can be from the same department as any other member(s) of the examination committee and can be from the student's minor department provided that the student's adviser does not have a full or joint appointment in the minor department.

The department of Electrical Engineering has been granted an exception to this policy, whereby “out-of-department” may include a faculty member from another division of the department. The Graduate School of Education has been granted an exception to this policy, whereby “out-of-department” may include a faculty member from another program area of the school.

For Interdisciplinary Degree Programs (IDPs), the chair of the examining committee may not have a full or joint appointment in the primary adviser's major department and must have independence from the student and adviser. The faculty director of the IDP is not allowed to chair an examining committee for students in that IDP.

Responsibility for monitoring appointment of the oral examination chair rests with the candidate's major department. The department cannot require the candidate to approach faculty members to serve as chair; many departments, however, invite students and their advisers to participate in the process of selecting and contacting potential chairs.

A  Petition for Non-Academic Council Doctoral Commitment Members  to appoint an examining committee member who is neither a current or emeritus member of the Academic Council may be approved by the chair of the department or faculty director of graduate studies, according to local policy, if that person contributes an area of expertise that is not readily available from the faculty and holds a Ph.D. or equivalent foreign degree.

Exceptions for individuals whose terminal degree is not the Ph.D. or equivalent foreign degree may be granted by the Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Education, upon the request of the student’s department chair or faculty director of graduate studies. The prospective committee member’s curriculum vitae and a brief description of their contributions to the student's research should be submitted  via email  to the Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Education.

The majority of the examiners must be current or emeritus Academic Council members; more specifically, one of four or five examiners or two of six or seven examiners who are not current or emeritus members of the Academic Council may be appointed to the oral examination committee by means of this petition and approval by the Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Education, as required for members who do not have a PhD degree.

The candidate passes the examination if the examining committee casts four favorable votes out of five or six, five favorable votes out of seven, or six favorable votes out of eight. Five members present and voting constitute a quorum. If the committee votes to fail a student, the committee chair sends within five days a written evaluation of the candidate's performance to the major department and the student. Within 30 days and after review of the examining committee's evaluation and recommendation, the chair of the student's major department must send the student a written statement indicating the final action of the department.

Dissertation

An approved doctoral dissertation is required for the Ph.D. and J.S.D. degrees. The doctoral dissertation must be an original contribution to scholarship or scientific knowledge and must exemplify the highest standards of the discipline. If it is judged to meet this standard, the dissertation is approved for the school or department by the doctoral dissertation reading committee (see  GAP 4.8 Doctoral Degrees: Dissertations and Dissertation Reading Committees  for more explanation).

One reading committee member, who must be a current member of the Academic Council, reads the dissertation in its final form and certifies on the  Certificate of Final Reading  that degree program and university specifications, described below, have been met. Typically, the principal dissertation advisor serves as final reader though another member of the committee who is a current Academic Council member may provide the final signature.

All suggested changes have been taken into account and incorporated into the manuscript where appropriate. 

If the manuscript includes joint group research, the student's contribution is clearly explained in an introduction.

Format complies with university requirements.

If previously published materials are included in the dissertation, publication sources are indicated, written permission has been obtained for copyrighted materials, and all of the dissertation format requirements have been met.

The dissertation is ready-for-publication in appearance and ready for microfilming and binding.

Dissertations must be in English. Exceptions to permit dissertations in a language other than English are granted by the school dean upon a written request from the chair of the student’s major department.  The student is required to submit directly to the Student Services Center a paper copy of the approval letter (or email message chain) from the school dean.  Approval for writing a dissertation in another language is normally granted only in cases where the other language or literature in that language is also the subject of the discipline. Approval is routinely granted for dissertations in the Division of Literatures, Cultures, and Languages, within degree program specifications. Dissertations written in another language must include an extended summary in English (usually 15-20 pages in length). 

When submitting electronically a dissertation in a language other than English, the student should upload the English summary as a supplemental file.  When submitting such a dissertation on paper, the student is required to submit the abstract for ProQuest in English.

Students have the option of submitting the dissertation electronically or via the paper process. Directions for preparation of the dissertation for electronic or paper submission are available at the  Office of the University Registrar dissertation  website. If submitting via the paper process, the signed dissertation copies and accompanying documents must be submitted to the Office of the University Registrar on or before the quarterly deadline indicated in the  university's academic calendar . A fee is charged for the microfilming and binding of the paper dissertation copies. If submitting via the electronic process the signed dissertation signature page and title page must be submitted to the  Student Services Center  and one final copy of the dissertation must be uploaded, and approved by the Final Reader, on or before the quarterly deadline indicated in the  university's academic calendar . There is no fee charged for the electronic submission process.

Students must either be registered or on graduation quarter in the term they submit the dissertation; see "Graduation Quarter" in the Graduate Degrees  section for additional information. At the time the dissertation is submitted, an Application to Graduate must be on file, all department requirements must be complete, and candidacy must be valid through the term of degree conferral.

Doctoral Dissertation Reading Committee

The doctoral dissertation reading committee consists of the principal dissertation adviser and, typically, two other readers. The doctoral dissertation reading committee must have at least three members and may not have more than five members. All members of the reading committee approve the dissertation. At least one member must be from the student's major department. Normally, all committee members are members of the Stanford University Academic Council or are emeritus Academic Council members.

The student's department chair or faculty director of graduate studies, according to local policy, may, in some cases, approve the appointment of a reader who is not a current or emeritus member of the Academic Council, if that person is particularly well qualified to consult on the dissertation topic and holds a Ph.D. or equivalent foreign degree, via the  Petition for Non-Academic Council Doctoral Committee Members . Former Stanford Academic Council members and non-Academic Council members may thus, on occasion, serve on a reading committee. A non-Academic Council member (including former Academic Council members) may replace only one of three required members of dissertation reading committees. If the reading committee has four or five members, at least three members (comprising the majority) must be current or emeritus members of the Academic Council. Emeritus Stanford faculty, though no longer current members of the Academic Council, count as Academic Council members on dissertation reading committees.

Any member of the Academic Council may serve as the principal dissertation adviser. A former Academic Council member, emeritus Academic Council member or non-Academic Council member may serve as co-adviser with the appointment of a principal dissertation adviser who is currently on the Academic Council. This is to ensure representation for the student in the department by someone playing a major adviser role in completion of the dissertation. Professors who have recently become emeritus and have been recalled to active duty may serve as principal dissertation advisers, though they are no longer members of the Academic Council. Requests for further exceptions to the requirement that the principal dissertation adviser be a current member of the Academic Council, for example for recently retired emeritus professors who are still actively engaged on campus but not recalled to active duty, will be reviewed by the Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Education.

The reading committee, as proposed by the student and agreed to by the prospective members, is endorsed by the chair of the major department on the  Doctoral Dissertation Reading Committee  form. This form must be submitted before approval of Terminal Graduate Registration (TGR) status or before scheduling a University oral examination that is a defense of the dissertation. The reading committee may be appointed earlier, according to the department timetable for doctoral programs. All subsequent changes to the reading committee must be approved by the chair or faculty director of graduate studies of the major department. The reading committee must conform to University regulations at the time of degree conferral.

Ph.D. Minor

Students pursuing a Ph.D. may pursue a minor in another department or program to complement their Ph.D. program. This option is not available to students pursuing other graduate degrees. Ph.D. candidates cannot pursue a minor in their own major department or program. In rare cases, a Ph.D. student may complete the requirements for more than one minor. In that case, 20 unduplicated units must be completed for each minor.

Only departments that offer a Ph.D. may offer a minor, and those departments are not required to do so. Interdisciplinary Ph.D. minors, administered by a designated academic department, may be approved by the Faculty Senate. The minor should represent a program of graduate quality and depth, including core requirements and electives or examinations. The department offering the minor establishes the core and examination requirements. Elective courses are planned by the students in conjunction with their minor and Ph.D. departments.

The minimum University requirement for a Ph.D. minor is 20 units of course work at the graduate level (typically courses numbered 200 and above). If a minor department chooses to require those pursuing the minor to pass the Ph.D. qualifying or field examinations, the 20-unit minimum can be reduced. All of the course work for a minor must be done at Stanford and must be completed prior to a student moving to TGR status.

Units taken for the minor can be counted as part of the overall requirement for the Ph.D. of 135 units of graduate course work done at Stanford. Courses used for a minor may not be used also to meet the requirements for a master's degree or for the completion of a different Ph.D. minor.

An Application for Ph.D. Minor outlining a program of study must be approved by the major and minor departments; to submit the application, go to  Axess  and select Student eForms from the student mega menu. This form is submitted at the time of admission to candidacy and specifies whether representation from the minor department on the University oral examination committee is required.

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Economic Analysis & Policy

Our doctoral program in the field of economic analysis and policy prepares students for research careers in economics. The program offers rigorous training and has several distinct advantages:

Low Student-to-Faculty Ratio

First, enrollment in the program is small. This encourages close faculty-student contact and allows students to become involved in research very early. Students work first as assistants on faculty research projects and, as their interests and skills develop, on their own research. Students often begin their publishing careers before completing their degrees.

Flexible and Innovative Program

Second, the program is flexible and innovative; students can draw on both the school’s and the university’s distinguished faculty. In addition to the faculty in the economics group at Stanford GSB and in the university’s economics department, students have access to faculty in political and behavioral sciences; accounting and finance; mathematics, statistics, and computer science; and many other disciplines.

A Top-Ranked School

Third, the program is part of a top-ranked professional school. This setting allows students to gain a deeper understanding of the actual processes of business decision-making and public policy formulation.

Preparation and Qualifications

Students who enroll in this program have a substantial background in economics and mathematics. They are expected to have, minimally, mathematical skills at the level of one year of advanced calculus and one course each in linear algebra, analysis, probability, optimization, and statistics.

The faculty selects students based on predicted performance in the program. Evidence of substantial background or ability in the use of mathematical reasoning and statistical methods is important. Most successful applicants had quantitative undergraduate majors in economics, mathematics, or related sciences.

In addition to evidence of ability and letters of recommendation, the faculty considers carefully the applicant’s statement of purpose for pursuing the PhD degree. The successful applicant usually has clearly defined career goals that are compatible with those of the program.

Acceptance into the program is extremely competitive. Admitted applicants compare very favorably with students enrolled in the top economics departments of major universities.

Economic Analysis & Policy Faculty

Mohammad akbarpour, claudia allende santa cruz, susan athey, lanier benkard, jeremy i. bulow, modibo khane camara, sebastian di tella, rebecca diamond, yossi feinberg, guido w. imbens, charles i. jones, michael ostrovsky, garth saloner, yuliy sannikov, kathryn shaw, andrzej skrzypacz, paulo somaini, juan carlos suárez serrato, takuo sugaya, christopher tonetti, shoshana vasserman, ali yurukoglu, weijie zhong, emeriti faculty, alain c. enthoven, robert j. flanagan, david m. kreps, peter c. reiss, john roberts, a. michael spence, robert wilson, recent publications in economic analysis & policy, an economic framework for vaccine prioritization, pricing power in advertising markets: theory and evidence, career: a foundation model for labor sequence data, recent insights by stanford business, nine stories to get you through tax season, a.i. can help “personalize” policies to reach the right people, stanford gsb faculty share their holiday reading lists, placement director.

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Stanford University

Stanford Health Policy is a joint effort of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and the Stanford School of Medicine

PhD and MS Applications Open

Scholarship.

Graduate Program

The Graduate Program in Public Policy offers two master's degrees:

• Master of Public Policy (MPP) , a two-year program leading to a professional degree;
• Master of Arts (MA),  a one-year program not intended as a professional degree.

The MPP is available to current Stanford seniors and graduate students, Stanford alumni (who have graduated within the past 5 years), and external applicants seeking a joint degree. The MA is available to current Stanford graduate students.

The purpose of the master's program is to further develop knowledge and skills in public policy and to prepare students for a professional career or doctoral studies. This is achieved through completion of courses, in the primary field as well as related areas, and experience with independent work and specialization.

The MPP or MA degree is conferred upon candidates who have demonstrated substantial scholarship and the ability to conduct independent research and analysis in public policy. Through completion of advanced course work and rigorous skills training, the graduate program prepares students to make original contributions to the knowledge of public policy and to interpret and present the results of such research.

Curriculum Requirements

Core coursework.

• PUBLPOL 301A : Microeconomics (4 units)*
• E CON 102A : Introduction to Statistical Methods (Postcalculus) for Social Scientists (5 units)*
• PUBLPOL 301B : Economic Policy Analysis for Policymakers (4 units)*
• PUBLPOL 302B : Economic Analysis of Law 
• PUBLPOL 206 : Law and Economics
• LAW 1043 : Blockchain and Cryptocurrencies
• LAW 1047 : Business, Social Responsibility and Human Rights
• LAW 2508: The Business of Water
• LAW 2513: Climate: Politics, Finance and Infrastructure
• LAW 2515: Environmental Justice 
• LAW 2519: Water Law 
• LAW 5010 : International Human Rights
• LAW 5013 : International Law
• CSRE 175W : Philosophy of Law: Protest, Punishment, and Racial Justice
• PUBLPOL 303D : Applied Econometrics for Public Policy (4 units)*
• LAW 7508 : Problem Solving and Decision Making for Public Policy and Social Change (Preferred Option. Note: Public Policy staff will work with the SLS to enroll students)
• ECON 137 : Decision Modeling and Information
• SUSTAIN 242 : Negotiations (3 units)
• PUBLPOL 306 : Writing and Rhetoric for Policy Audiences *Requirement for MPP students only; MA students may take as an elective (4 units)
• PUBLPOL 308 : Political Analysis for Public Policymakers (4 units)
• PUBLPOL 311:  Public Policy Colloquium (2 units, 1 unit/quarter for 2 quarters)
• PUBLPOL 314 : Justice in Public Policy (4 units)

* For MPP students, required in first year prior to enrollment in PUBLPOL 309, Practicum.

For law classes, fill out a non-law student registration form to enroll and contact Kelly Walsh for specific details on enrollment. 

•  All units must be taken in upper division (100-level) courses per university policy.
• All courses are to be taken for a letter grade (see exception for 2020-21). Courses offered only for C/NC or other non-letter grade system may be applied upon approval of a petition to the program director. 
• A cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 (B) or better is required for all courses taken towards the MA or MPP. 
• At least two electives are taken during the first year. At least one must be from the  Concentration Electives List . Elective courses offered only for C/NC or other non-letter grade system may be applied upon approval of a petition to the program director.
• Colloquium: All Public Policy graduate students are required to attend and enroll in two quarters of  PUBLPOL 311 Public Policy Colloquium  (2 units) during their first year of the program. Attendance and participation are mandatory.
• Practicum (MPP students): Completion of the practicum course,  PUBLPOL 309 Practicum  (10 units, Autumn and Winter quarters), and presentation of a report in which interdisciplinary student teams analyze real world policy issues for outside clients. Visit the  Practicum page  for more information on the Practicum Program.
• Master's Thesis (non-coterminal M.A. students): Completion of a 5-unit master's thesis, written under the guidance of a Public Policy-affiliated faculty advisor who is a member of Academic Council on a topic approved in advance by the program director. Students need to enroll in the Master's thesis seminar  PUBLPOL 310A  in autumn quarter for 1 unit and submit a thesis proposal at the end of the quarter.  They will then enroll in  PUBLPOL 310  for 4 additional units during quarter(s) of their choosing. The 4 units may be spread over multiple quarters, and an 'N' (continuing course) grade is given during any quarters prior to degree conferral. The thesis must be submitted to the Public Policy Program office in both electronic form no later than the third Friday in May. The final grade for  PUBLPOL 310  Master of Arts Thesis is determined by the thesis advisor. Prior MA theses are published in the Stanford Digital Repository and may be viewed there.
• Concentration (MPP students only): Advanced course work in a specialized field, chosen from the approved list of concentration courses with the prior approval of the student's faculty advisor and the program director. The Registrar will list your concentration as a "Degree Subplan." Subplans are printed on the transcript and diploma, and are elected via the Declaration or Change to a Field of Study form . Please see the  concentrations page  for more information.

The grading policy for 2020-21 has been modified due to the global pandemic per the following: The Public Policy program counts all courses taken in academic year 2020-21 with a grade of 'CR' (credit) or 'S' (satisfactory) towards satisfaction of graduate degree requirements that otherwise require a letter grade. While we understand the need for flexibility, we suggest Public Policy students take their courses for a letter grade whenever possible. 

Ph.D. Admissions

Apply here . 

Preparing to Apply

Before starting the application process please read the information about the graduate program requirements  and read our  Frequently Asked Questions . You may also find the Guide to Getting Into Grad School helpful. 

The Political Science department 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.

All questions regarding graduate admissions should be directed to politicalscience [at] stanford.edu (subject: Admissions%20Enquiry) ( politicalscience[at]stanford[dot]edu ) .

The principal goal of the Stanford Ph.D. program in political science is the training of scholars. Most students who receive doctorates in the program do research and teach at colleges or universities. We offer courses and research opportunities in a wide variety of fields in the discipline, including American Politics, Comparative Politics, International Relations, Political Theory, and Political Methodology. The program is built around small seminars that analyze critically the literature of a field or focus on a research problem. These courses prepare students for the Ph.D. comprehensive exam requirement within a two-year period and for work on the doctoral dissertation.  

Admission to the graduate program in political science is highly selective. About twelve to fifteen students, chosen from a large pool of applicants, enter the program each year. The small size of our student body allows more individual work with members of the faculty than most graduate programs. It also makes possible financial assistance in one form or another to most students admitted to the Ph.D. program. 

Graduate Admissions FAQ

Please visit our list of  frequently asked questions.

You may also find the following links useful if you have general questions about student life and graduate study at Stanford University:  

Vice Provost of Graduate Education (VPGE)

• Graduate Academic Policies and Procedures Handbook (GAP)
• Graduate Life Office
• Stanford Bulletin
• Explore Courses

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 .

PhD Programs

Empowering students to follow their curiosity

Bioengineering PhD

Jointly supported by the School of Engineering and the School of Medicine, the bioengineering program merges engineering principles with scientific discovery and technology to encourage the development of new medical devices and treatments.

Biosciences PhD

panning the School of Medicine and the School of Humanities and Sciences, students have the best of both worlds: the diversity of a large umbrella program coupled with the support of a small academic setting.

The Biosciences PhD program offers 14 home programs representing eight basic science departments and six interdisciplinary programs.

Biomedical Physics (BMP) PhD Program

Supported by the Departments of Radiology and Radiation Oncology, the Biomedical Physics PhD program seeks students interested in radiation therapy, imaging science, and molecular imaging and diagnostics as applied to clinical medicine. 

PhD in Epidemiology and Clinical Research

The PhD program in epidemiology and clinical research will provide methodologic and interdisciplinary training that will equip students to carry out cutting-edge epidemiologic research. The program trains students in the tools of modern epidemiology, with heavy emphases on statistics, computer science, genetics, genomics, and bioinformatics.

PhD in Health Policy

Stanford Health Policy offers a PhD program which promises to educate students who will be scholarly leaders in the field of health policy, and will be highly knowledgeable about the theoretical and empirical approaches that can be applied in the development of improvements in health policy and the health care system. These students will be well prepared for positions in academic institutions, government institutions, and private sector organizations with a demand for high-level analysis of health policy issues.

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See all summer and youth programs

About the School of Medicine

Stanford University School of Medicine  consistently ranks among the top U.S. medical schools, and faculty members routinely secure the highest amount of research funding per investigator in the country. 

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Apply Now for Stanford Graduate Summer Institute!

Take advantage of the opportunity to enhance your learning with SGSI 2024! Join us for a week of immersive courses, absolutely free, two weeks before Autumn Quarter begins. Apply now to secure your spot before the priority deadline on May 12th!

Quick Bytes: Talk Intros

Visionary crafting: hands-on with augmented reality and generative ai, action plan for mental health, africa table showcase: diving deep into the research of african studies graduate students, recent news, images capture science in action and nature’s beauty.

Paul Summers, who received the ARCS: Achievement Rewards for College Scientists award, is the winner of this year's Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability photo contest.

April 22, 2024

GradEd @Stanford: Blossom into the New Quarter with these Top Tips

April 15, 2024

Exploring Diversity: Insights from Elliott Reichardt, DDRO Recipient & Knight-Hennessy Scholar

In this insightful video, Elliott shares a brief overview of his dissertation project and discusses how his scholarship contributes to diversity discourse within his field.

April 11, 2024

Dive into the picturesque landscape of Stanford University with Katherine Li, an MS student in Environmental Engineering, as she unveils her insider secrets and top tips for navigating the campus like a pro!  Watch now!

Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more captivating stories from the Stanford graduate community!

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Education policy : Journals

• Education and urban society "Education and Urban Society (EUS) is the preeminent journal for communicating new ideas on educational processes, controversies, research, and policy. It places special emphasis on the relationship between educators and society."
• Education finance and policy "Education Finance and Policy (EFP) publishes policy-relevant research papers concerning education finance, policy, and practice. The journal draws from a range of fields—including economics, political science, public administration and policy, law, and education—covering topics that span from early childhood to graduate education in the United States and around the world."
• Education policy analysis archives "Education Policy Analysis Archives/Archivos Analíticos de Políticas Educativas/Arquivos Analíticos de Políticas Educativas (EPAA/AAPE) is a peer-reviewed, open-access, international, multilingual, and multidisciplinary journal designed for researchers, practitioners, policy makers, and development analysts concerned with education policies."
• Educational evaluation and policy analysis "Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis (EEPA) is the premier journal for rigorous, policy-relevant research on issues central to education. The articles that appear inform a wide range of readers—from scholars and policy analysts to journalists and education associations—working at local, state, and national levels. EEPA is a multidisciplinary journal, and editors consider original research from multiple disciplines, orientations, and methodologies."
• Educational policy "Educational Policy (EPX) focuses on the practical consequences of educational policy decisions and alternatives. It examines the relationship between educational policy and educational practice, and sheds new light on important debates and controversies within the field."
• International journal of education policy and leadership "IJEPL is a refereed electronic journal dedicated to enriching the education policy, leadership, and research use knowledge bases, and promoting exploration and analysis of policy alternatives."
• Journal for critical education policy studies Seeks to develop Marxist and other Left analysis of education; publishes articles that critique global, national, neo-liberal, neo-conservative, New Labour, Third Way, postmodernist and other analyses of policy developments.
• Journal of education policy "The Journal of Education Policy (JEP) publishes original, critically and theoretically informed research that discusses, analyses and debates policymaking, policy implementation and policy impact at all levels, and within and across all spheres of formal and informal education."
• Journal of emerging trends in educational research and policy studies "Journal of Emerging Trends in Educational Research and Policy Studies (JETERAPS) is scholarly, open access, peer reviewed, double blind, interdisciplinary, and fully refereed journal. JETERAPS seeks and publishes articles from academics and activists throughout the globe." (South African)
• Policy reviews in higher education "The journal aims to open up a space for publishing in-depth accounts of significant areas of policy development affecting higher education internationally. We encourage authors from a range of disciplinary backgrounds to analyse higher education from fresh perspectives, including drawing on concepts and theories from other academic fields and disciplines."
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• Last Updated: Jul 18, 2023 3:47 PM
• URL: https://guides.library.stanford.edu/ed_policy