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Find the official policies that govern our student and academic community.
Students pursuing an M.A., M.F.A., M.S., or M.P.P. degree are required to submit an acceptable program proposal to their degree program during the first quarter of enrollment, with assistance from their advisor. Failure to submit an appropriate proposal may result in dismissal. A program proposal establishes a student's individual program of study to meet university and department degree requirements.
The master’s program proposal must meet university minimum requirements for the master’s degree, including at least 45 units taken at Stanford, all courses at 100-level or above, 50% of units designated primarily for graduate students (typically 200-level or above). Students must amend the proposal formally if their plans for meeting degree requirements change. In reviewing the program proposal or any subsequent amendment to it, the degree program confirms that:
the course of study proposed by the student fulfills all department course requirements (i.e., requirements specifying total number of units, course levels, particular courses, sequences, or substitutes);
applicable additional degree program requirements (i.e., required projects, foreign language proficiency, or qualifying exams) are listed on the form;
all general university requirements (i.e. minimum units, residency, and so on) for the master's degree will be met through the proposed program of study.
Completion of the program proposal is documented as a milestone by the academic department. Incomplete master’s program proposal milestones may result in denial of the application to graduate.
All requirements for a master's degree must be completed within three years after the student's first term of enrollment in the master's program (five years for Honors Cooperative students). Students pursuing a coterminal master's degree must complete their requirements within three years of the first graduate quarter.
The time limit is not automatically extended by a student's leave of absence. All requests for 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. Degree programs are not obliged to grant an extension. The maximum extension is one additional year.
Each type of graduate degree offered at Stanford has a residency requirement based on the number of academic units required for the degree. Academic departments offering a specific degree may require a higher minimum unit threshold. Refer to the policy on opens in a new tabGraduate Residency Requirements for specific criteria.
Degree | Additional Requirements |
Master of Arts and Master of Science | In addition to completing the general requirements for advanced degrees and the specified program requirements, candidates for the degree of Master of Arts (M.A.) or Master of Science (M.S.) must outline an acceptable program of study on the Master's Degree Program Proposal and complete their degrees within the time limit for completion of the master's degree. |
Master of Public Policy | The degree of Master of Public Policy (M.P.P.) is a two-year program leading to a professional degree. Enrollment in the M.P.P. program is limited to current and recent (conferred within the last five years) Stanford graduate students. Candidates for the degree of Master of Public Policy (M.P.P.) must outline an acceptable program of study on the Program Proposal for a Master's Degree opens in a new tab form and complete their degrees within the time limit for completion of the master's degree. |
Master of Business Administration | The degree of Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) is conferred on candidates who have satisfied the requirements established by the faculty of the Graduate School of Business and the general requirements for advanced degrees. Full particulars concerning the school requirements are found on the M.B.A. program website of the Graduate School of Business opens in a new tab. The M.B.A. must be completed within the time limit for completion of the master's degree. |
Master of Fine Arts | In addition to completing the general requirements for advanced degrees and the program requirements specified in the "Art and Art History" section of this policy, candidates for the degree of Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) must outline an acceptable program of study on the Master's Degree Program Proposal and complete their degrees within the time limit for completion of the master's degree. |
Master of Liberal Arts | The Master of Liberal Arts (M.L.A.) program is a part-time interdisciplinary master's program in the liberal arts for returning adult students. In addition to completing the general requirements for advanced degrees, candidates for the degree of Master of Liberal Arts opens in a new tab (M.L.A.) must complete their degrees within five years, an exception to the rule specified above. |
Engineer | The degree of Engineer requires a minimum of 90 units of graduate work beyond the B.S. degree. The ENG is conferred upon satisfactory completion of all general requirements for graduate degrees and the requirements dictated by individual degree-offering academic departments. Candidates for the degree of Engineer must be admitted to candidacy and complete a thesis. |
Master of Legal Studies | The Master of Legal Studies degree (M.L.S.), a nonprofessional degree, is conferred upon 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 one academic year and who otherwise have satisfied the requirements of the University and the Stanford Law School. The Stanford Law School Advanced Degree Programs opens in a new tab provides detailed information on degree requirements. |
Master of Laws | The degree of Master of Laws (L.L.M.) is designed for international graduate students trained in law and is available only to students with a primary law degree earned outside the United States. The L.L.M. program offers students a choice in areaof three areas of specialization.: Corporate Governance and Practice; Law, Science, and Technology; or International Economic Law, Business; and Policy. The Stanford Law School Advanced Degree Programs opens in a new tab provides detailed information on degree requirements. |
Master of the Science of Law | The degree of Master of the Science of Law (J.S.M.) is primarily designed for those qualified students who hold a J.D. or its equivalent and who are at the Stanford Law School for independent reasons (e.g. teaching fellows) and who wish to combine work toward the degree with their primary academic activities. Specially qualified lawyers, public officials, academics, and other professionals who have worked outside the United States may apply for the degree through the Stanford Program in International Legal Studies (SPILS). The Stanford Law School Advanced Degree Programs opens in a new tab provides detailed information on degree requirements. |
Students may find the Program Proposal for a Master’s Degree on the Student Services website opens in a new tab. Department administrators responsible for this University requirement should review the steps outlined on the Inside Student Services Intranet opens in a new tab(SUNet required) in order to mark the University milestone completed.
If more time is needed to complete the degree, students may file an Application for Extension of Master’s Program opens in a new tab prior to the conclusion of the original three-year limit, requesting up to one additional year. Department administrators should review their students eligibility end date throughout the students academic career, and follow the steps outlined here opens in a new tab if an extension is granted.
For each Stanford advanced 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.
