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Find the official policies that govern our student and academic community.
PhD students may pursue a minor in another department (but not their own), typically requiring at least 20 graduate units completed at Stanford before TGR status, with specific requirements set by the minor department. Minor coursework can count toward the PhD but cannot be double-counted for a master’s degree or another PhD minor, and this option is not available to other graduate students.
Students pursuing a PhD may pursue a minor in another department or program to complement their PhD program. This option is not available to students pursuing other graduate degrees. PhD candidates cannot pursue a minor in their own major department or program. In rare cases, a PhD 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 PhD may offer a PhD minor, but departments are not required to do so. Interdisciplinary PhD 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 PhD minor is 20 units of coursework at the graduate level (typically courses numbered 200 and above). If a minor department chooses to require those pursuing the minor to pass the PhD qualifying or field examinations, the 20-unit minimum can be reduced. All of the coursework 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 PhD of 135 units of graduate coursework 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 PhD Minor outlining a program of study must be approved by the major and minor departments. Applications are submitted via the Student eForms portal in Axess opens in a new tab. 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.
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.
Admission to candidacy for the doctoral degree is a judgment by the faculty of the student’s degree program on the potential to successfully complete the requirements of the degree program.
