stanford phd psychology requirements

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Application requirements for all doctoral programs (phd).

All of our doctoral programs are designed to develop outstanding educational researchers who have a deep understanding of the scientific, practical and policy issues they study. All require full-time study, and we promise five years of full-time financial support for every student we admit. Our doctoral programs are small, typically ranging from about 25 to 35 new students a year. The small size of our doctoral cohorts creates big educational advantages for students: the classes are almost always small, students receive individualized attention from their advisors, and they have many opportunities to develop close collegial relationships with fellow students.

It is extremely important to demonstrate in your statement of purpose that your interests converge closely with the current research of faculty who work in the program to which you are applying. Other doctoral applicants will certainly do this, and if you don't, you will forfeit an important competitive advantage to them. 

If you wish to contact faculty, please read our Which Degree Which Program article, by Professor Eamonn Callan, which outlines the appropriate process for contacting faculty with whom you share research interests. 

• Program website:  Degrees and Programs/PhD
• Length of Program:  5 years (average length)
• Tuition: fellowship/assistantship salary and tuition guaranteed for first five years of the program (autumn, winter and spring quarters) for all students, including international students. Funding includes two summers.

Application Requirements:

Application form.

Complete and submit Stanford's graduate online application .

Application Fee

The application fee is $125 , is non-refundable, and must be received by the application deadline.

Application Fee Waivers

Stanford offers three types of application fee waivers for which GSE applicants may apply and be considered:

• GRE Fee Reduction Certificate-Based Waiver
• Diversity Program Participation-Based Waiver
• School-Based Waiver

Please visit the Stanford Graduate Diversity website for instructions, deadlines, and the fee waiver application form.

Statement of Purpose

A Statement of Purpose is required. Your statement should be typed, single-spaced and should be between one to two pages . Describe succinctly your reasons for applying to the proposed program, your preparation for this field of study, and why our program is a good fit for you, your future career plans, and other aspects of your background as well as interests which may aid the admissions committee in evaluating your aptitude and motivation for graduate study. You may indicate potential faculty mentors as part of your study and research interests. Be sure to keep a copy for your records. What's a Good Statement of Purpose?

A resume or CV  is required of all applicants, depending on which document is most appropriate for your background. There is no page limit for resumes or CVs, though we typically see resumes of one page in length. Please upload your resume or CV in the online application.

Three (3) Letters of Recommendation

Applicants are required to submit three letters of recommendation . In the online application, you will be asked to identify your recommenders and their email addresses. Please notify your recommenders that they will receive an email prompt to submit their recommendation online. You can submit your request for letters of recommendation through the system without submitting the entire online application.  Stanford GSE only accepts online recommendations through the application system ; Stanford GSE cannot accept mailed, emailed or faxed recommendations.

Recommendations should be written by people who have supervised you in an academic, employment, or community service setting. We very strongly recommend that at least one of these letters be from a university professor familiar with your academic work. Your recommendations should directly address your suitability for admission to a graduate program at Stanford GSE.

It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that all three letters of recommendation are submitted through the system by the application deadline , so please work closely with your recommenders to remind them of the deadline.

College and University Transcripts

Transcripts are required from every college and university you have attended for at least one academic year as a full-time student. When submitting your online application, transcripts should be uploaded to the application as a scanned copy or PDF ; this is sufficient for the application review process. Please refrain from sending a secured PDF/transcript with a digital signature as our system cannot upload these properly. The best way to ensure we receive an upload-able document is for you to print out the secured transcript, scan it, and upload the scanned copy (not to exceed 10MB) as a PDF. 

If you earned a degree at the institution from which you are submitting a transcript, please ensure that the degree conferral date and the degree conferred is clearly visible on the document. If you are currently enrolled in a degree program and will not have earned the respective degree by the time of submitting your GSE application, you should submit your most recent in-progress transcript from your institution.

Only if admitted will we contact you with instructions on sending two copies of your official transcripts to our office. We cannot accept mailed, emailed or faxed copies of your transcripts during the application process. Please note: the instructions for sending transcripts on the online application and on the general Stanford Graduate Admissions Office website differ from this Stanford GSE requirement.

Concerning course work completed in a study abroad program

If the coursework and grades are reflected on the transcript of your home institution, you do not need to submit original transcripts from the study abroad institution.

Concerning foreign institutions

If your institution provides a transcript in a language other than English, we require that you submit a translation of the transcript that is either provided by the institution or a certified translator. Translations must be literal and complete versions of the original records.

If your transcript does not include your degree conferral date and the degree conferred , please submit a scanned copy of your diploma, a conferral statement, or a conferral document in addition to your transcript . If you are currently enrolled in a degree program and will not have earned the respective degree by the time of submitting your GSE application, you should submit your most recent in-progress transcript from your institution.

Stanford University requires the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) from all applicants whose native language is not English. The GSE requires a minimum TOEFL score of 250 for the computer-based test, 600 for the paper-based test or 100 for the internet-based test in order to be considered for admission. The Test of Written English (TWE) portion of the TOEFL is not required. Applicants who have completed a four-year bachelor's degree or a two-year master's program (or its equivalent) in the U.S. or at an institution where English is the main language of instruction are not required to take the TOEFL. For more information on TOEFL requirements, please refer to the Required Exams  page on the main Stanford Graduate Admissions website. You may register for the TOEFL test directly at the ETS website .

TOEFL Dates and Deadlines

PhD applicants who are required to take the TOEFL should plan to take the internet-based TOEFL test and have official TOEFL scores sent electronically to Stanford at institution code 4704 (department code does not matter) no later than November 1 . This will give your official TOEFL scores time to be sent from ETS and be received by our system in time for the December 1 deadline. PhD applicants to Knight-Hennessy Scholars should plan to take the internet-based TOEFL test no later than October 16 so your scores can be received by our system in time for the November 16 KHS GSE deadline. Please note that the TOEFL may be taken no earlier than 18 months prior to the application deadline.

Does Stanford accept tests other than TOEFL?

No. We accept only TOEFL scores; we do not accept IELTS or other test scores.

Contact Information

Admissions:  [email protected]  

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Master of Arts in Psychology

Current Stanford doctoral students can apply for a Master of Arts in Psychology during the course of their PhD, JD, or MD program.

Graduate students who are already enrolled in the Psychology PhD program and who have completed (a) the first-year and second-year course requirements; and (b) at least 45 units of Psychology courses may apply for conferral of the MA degree. This application should be discussed with the Student Services Manager.

Students who are currently enrolled in a Stanford PhD or professional program in another Department may be granted a Master of Arts in Psychology. In such cases, admission to the MA is considered by the faculty on a case-by-case basis. An admitted student must complete at least 45 units of Psychology courses and possibly other research or course requirements as determined by the faculty.  Interested applicants should consult with the Student Services Manager, Dena Zlatunich ( ecfay [at] stanford.edu (d) denamz [at] stanford.edu (enamz[at]stanford[dot]edu) ).

All applicants must satisfy University residency requirements for the degree and are responsible for consulting with their primary departments or the Financial Aid Office about the effects of the proposed program on their current funding. 

Please note:  The Department of Psychology does not offer terminal MA degrees for students who are not already pursuing another advanced degree at Stanford.

Degree Requirements

• Completion of 45 units of graduate-level Psychology courses
• Completion of the required  Core Courses, including two statistics courses
• A maximum of 18 units may be from lab courses, independent study, outside units, and practica (eg. 222, 258, 269, 275, 281, 297, 282, 290)
• Successful completion of the First Year Project (FYP) or equivalent Master's thesis

Fill out the  application form  and obtain your advisor's signature.

• Submit the completed application form to the Psychology Student Services Manager, who will obtain the Department Chair's signature.

Submit a request for the Master's Degree via Axess using the Graduate Program Authorization Form. To find this form, navigate to the Student Tab, then Petitions and Forms under the Academics tab. Make sure to indicate that you are adding a Master's degree. There will be a checkbox to leave your current graduate program - do NOT check this box!

• Enter your payment and select "Apply to Graduate" in Axess (make sure to select the Master's, not PhD).
• Psychology's Student Services Office will approve your request in Axess.
• Carefully review the  Psychology MA Policy and Process document .
• Set up a meeting with the Student Services Manager (Dena Zlatunich, denamz [at] stanford.edu (denamz[at]stanford[dot]edu) ) to review the process.
• Secure Psychology faculty MA advisor.
• Submit an application to the Student Services Manager. The application consists of the following: Statement of Purpose, CV, and letter of support from primary home department advisor(s). This application will be reviewed by Psychology Faculty.
• If approved by Psychology faculty, the Psychology MA advisor will mentor you as you complete the MA requirements. The requirements include the 45 units of coursework outlined above as well as a Master's Thesis and Master's Thesis defense. For complete details, refer to the  Psychology MA Policy and Process document . 
• Upon completion of required MA coursework, Thesis, and Thesis defense, fill out the  application form  and obtain your advisor's signature.
• Submit a request for the Master's Degree via Axess using the Graduate Program Authorization Form. To find this form, navigate to the Student Tab, then Petitions and Forms under the Academics tab. Make sure to indicate that you are adding a Master's degree. There will be a checkbox to leave your current graduate program - do NOT check this box! 

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• Organizational Behavior

In the field of organizational behavior we research fundamental questions about the behavior of individuals, groups and organizations, from both psychological and sociological perspectives.

A distinguishing feature of Stanford’s PhD Program in organizational behavior is the broad interdisciplinary training it provides. Our students benefit from their interactions with scholars from many disciplines within the Graduate School of Business, as well as from Stanford University’s long-standing strength in the study of psychology, organizations, and economic sociology.  The program is broken down into two broad subareas: Macro Organizational Behavior and Micro Organizational Behavior .

Cross-registration in courses, access to faculty, and participation in colloquia are available in other Stanford departments, such as sociology and psychology . Strong relations with these departments mean that students can build their careers on the foundation of strong disciplinary training in psychology and sociology, respectively.

A small number of students are accepted into the program each year, with a total of about 20 organizational behavior students in residence.

The doctoral program places a heavy emphasis on training students through active engagement in the process of doing research. In addition to formal seminars with invited presenters, our faculty and students exchange research ideas and advice at informal weekly lunches and lab meetings. Students work as research assistants and are expected to conduct independent research early in the program. 

Preparation and Qualifications

All students are required to have, or to obtain during their first year, mathematical skills at the level of one course each of calculus and linear algebra, probability, and mathematical statistics.

Macro Organizational Behavior: Organizational Theory and Economic Sociology

The Macro OB track is dedicated to training students who will be leading researchers in the fields of organizational theory and economic sociology. Our faculty members are among the foremost scholars who bring a sociological approach to the study of organizations and markets , and they are especially active in the fast-developing field of computational social science. They use and teach a variety of research methods such as social network analysis, natural language processing, agent-based modeling, and online group experiments.

Our area has trained students to study a range of topics:

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Micro Organizational Behavior

The study of how individuals and groups affect and are affected by organizational context. Drawing primarily on psychological approaches to social science questions, this area includes such topics as:

• Decision-making
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There is also a formal institutional link between the behavioral side of marketing and the micro side of organizational behavior, which is called the Behavioral Interest Group. The Stanford GSB Behavioral Lab links members of this group. This lab supports work across field boundaries among those with behavioral interests.

Macro Organizational Behavior Faculty

William p. barnett, robert a. burgelman, glenn r. carroll, julien clement, amir goldberg, douglas r. guilbeault, helena miton, hayagreeva rao, sarah a. soule, jesper b. sørensen, micro organizational behavior faculty, jennifer eberhardt, francis j. flynn, michele j. gelfand, deborah h. gruenfeld, michal kosinski, brian s. lowery, ashley martin, david melnikoff, dale t. miller, benoît monin, jeffrey pfeffer, charles a. o’reilly, emeriti faculty, michael t. hannan, roderick m. kramer, joanne martin, margaret ann neale, jerry i. porras, recent publications in organizational behavior, strategy theory using analogy: rationale, tools and examples, organizational culture archetypes and firm performance, people who share encounters with racism are silenced online by humans and machines, but a guideline-reframing intervention holds promise, recent insights by stanford business, let’s make a deal: negotiation tips from the experts, why i research: findings fueled by the head and the heart, could sharing facts about unions revitalize the labor movement.

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Eligibility

Main navigation.

To be eligible for admission to graduate study at Stanford, you must meet the university’s minimum requirements for academic credentials and English proficiency.

Minimum Education Requirements

You must hold, or expect to hold before enrollment at Stanford, a U.S. bachelor’s degree or its international equivalent from a college or university of recognized standing. 

For applicants who earned their qualifying degree outside the United States: If you are unsure whether your international degree is considered equivalent to a U.S. bachelor’s degree, we recommend using the  degree equivalency tool  offered by World Education Services (WES).

For admitted students who earned their qualifying degree outside the United States : After accepting the offer of admission, you may be required at that time to submit a WES evaluation as verification of your academic credentials. (A WES evaluation is not required during the application process.) For more information, refer to Official Transcripts & Degree Conferral Documents .

English Proficiency

As a graduate student enrolled at Stanford, you will be expected to read English with ease, understand rapid idiomatic English as used in lectures and group discussions, and express thoughts quickly and clearly in spoken and written English.

If your first language is not English, you are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet-Based Test (TOEFL iBT) .

Refer to the link above for more information, including Stanford’s minimum TOEFL score requirements and TOEFL waivers/exemptions.

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This archived information is dated to the 2011-12 academic year only and may no longer be current.

For currently applicable policies and information, see the current Stanford Bulletin .

Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology

There are no specific course requirements for admission to the doctoral program. However, an applicant should have research experience as an undergraduate, as well as the equivalent of an undergraduate major in Psychology. The major focus of the doctoral program is on research training, and admission is highly selective.

Applicants for admission must submit their scores on the general Graduate Record Examination as part of the application. GRE subject scores are recommended.

General University requirements for the Ph.D. are described in the " Graduate Degrees " section of this bulletin.

In addition to fulfilling Stanford University requirements for the degree, the following departmental requirements are stipulated.

First-Year Course Requirements— During the first year of graduate study, the student must take PSYCH 207, Proseminar for First-Year Ph.D. Graduate Students, at least one approved graduate statistics course, and at least two core courses from the following list:

• PSYCH 202. Neuroscience
• PSYCH 205. Foundations of Cognition
• PSYCH 211. Developmental Psychology
• or PSYCH 215. Mind, Culture, and Society
• PSYCH 213. Affective Science

Students in each area may be required to take up to two additional non-core graduate courses in their area of specialization.

The student is expected to spend at least half of the time in research from the beginning of the first year of graduate study to the completion of the Ph.D., taking no more than 10 units of course work each quarter. At the end of the first year of graduate study, the student must file with the department a written report of the first-year research activities.

Second Year Course Requirements —By the end of the second year of graduate study, the student should complete the core courses listed above and take a second approved graduate course in statistics.

Third-Year and Beyond— Students are expected to form a research committee, which must include the dissertation reading committee, before the initiation of the dissertation research. The research committee includes the dissertation adviser and consists of at least three faculty members, at least two of whom should have primary appointments in the Psychology department. For University guidelines for the composition of the dissertation reading committee, see the " Graduate Degrees " section of this bulletin.

The research committee should meet no later than the last day of classes of Spring Quarter of the third year, and determines the timeline for further development of the dissertation research project. Subsequent meetings are triggered by the completion of one of two documents: a dissertation proposal (DP) or a conceptual analysis of the dissertation area (CADA). The timing and sequencing of the DP and CADA are developed by the student in consultation with the committee. As a general guide, one of the two preliminary elements (CADA or DP) should be completed by the end of the third Summer Quarter and the second should be completed by the end of the fourth Spring Quarter. Students are free to alter the membership of the committee at any time during the process, subject to consultation with the adviser.

The DP should be a description of the proposed research. The CADA provides a framework for the research topic of the dissertation, addresses the central issues within the specialty area, and reviews the pertinent literature.

Advanced Course or Minor Requirements —The candidate must complete 12 units of advanced graduate course work or a Ph.D. minor in another department. If a student waives the minor requirement in favor of the 12 advanced units, the student must fulfill the advanced course requirement by taking (a) non-core graduate courses required by a particular area, or (b) graduate-level courses in other departments comparable in quality to Psychology's graduate courses. If there is any question about comparability, the student should consult the adviser, student services, and, in some cases, the graduate program committee chair before taking the course.

Orals— The candidate must pass the University oral examination, which also serves as a dissertation defense. A committee is formed to review the oral examination, including the dissertation reading committee, an additional faculty member, and one oral examination committee chair from outside the Psychology department. The oral examination consists of a 40-45-minute presentation to the department of the completed dissertation research. Parents and friends are welcome to attend. Following the presentation, the student and the committee convene for a discussion of the dissertation and the presentation.

Dissertation Requirements —The candidate must complete a dissertation satisfactory to the dissertation reading committee prior to the oral examination. Minor revisions to formatting may be made after the oral examination.

Ph.D. candidacy expires five years after admission to candidacy at the end of the second year of study. Reapplication requires department reexamination.

STUDENT EVALUATIONS

First-Year Evaluation— It is the department's policy to evaluate the progress of each graduate student at the end of the first year of graduate study. As part of the procedure, each student is required to file with the department a report of the first-year research activities.

Students should discuss this report and the evaluation procedures with their adviser as early as possible in their first year. If the student fulfills the academic promise displayed upon entrance, he or she is invited to continue working towards the doctorate.

The first-year evaluation is primarily based on three factors:

• quality of research carried out in the first year
• performance in courses (especially required courses)
• recommendations of the adviser (including a commitment on the part of that adviser to continue in that role).

Second-Year and Beyond Evaluation— A similar evaluation is conducted at the end of each year of graduate training involving the same criteria as the first year; however, the student is not required to submit a paper. Students who are not making satisfactory progress may be dropped from the program.

THE DOCTORAL TRAINING PROGRAM

As indicated by the requirements described above, a student concentrates in any one of several areas within Psychology. Regardless of area, however, the training program places emphasis on the development of research competence, and students are encouraged to develop those skills and attitudes that are appropriate to a career of continuing research productivity.

Two kinds of experience are necessary for this purpose. One is the learning of substantial amounts of technical information. A number of courses and seminars are provided to assist in this learning, and a student is expected to work out a program, with his or her adviser, to attain this knowledge in the most stimulating and economical fashion.

A second aspect of training is one that cannot be gained from the courses or seminars. This is firsthand knowledge of, and practical experience with, the methods of psychological investigation and study. These methods include ways of behaving with the subjects being studied. Students are provided with whatever opportunities they need to reach those levels of competence representative of doctoral standing. Continuing research programs, sponsored by members of the faculty, offer direct opportunities for experience in fields represented by the faculty's many research interests.

Each student achieves competence in unique ways and at different rates. Each student and adviser share in planning a program leading to the objectives discussed. The student is expected to spend half of his or her time on research and takes no more than 10 units of course work per quarter. For further information please contact the student services office and the department graduate guide.

TEACHING REQUIREMENT

The department views experience in supervised teaching as an integral part of its graduate program. Regardless of the source of financial support, all students serve as teaching assistants for at least five Psychology courses during their graduate study. Of the courses, two must be PSYCH 1, Introduction to Psychology, or PSYCH 10, 252 or 253, Statistical Methods. Students are discouraged from participating in teaching during the first year of graduate study. Students typically progress from closely supervised teaching to more independent work. Some students may be invited to offer a supervised, but essentially independent, seminar during their final year of graduate study.

PSYCHOLOGY COLLOQUIUM

The Psychology Colloquium meets on most Wednesday afternoons at 3:45 p.m. Speakers from Stanford and other institutions present topics of current interest. Graduate students are expected to attend. Additional announcements may be found at http://www.stanford.edu/dept/psychology/colloquium .

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