For Current Graduate Students

To ensure that your application to the MPP or MA in Public Policy is completed correctly, it is important that you thoroughly review the information below.

To be considered for matriculation beginning in the Autumn Quarter 2016, all application materials must be submitted no later than April 15, 2016; rolling applications from current Stanford graduate students will be accepted prior to the April 15, 2016 deadline.

Cost of Application: If admitted, students will pay a $125 fee when submitting a Graduate Authorization Petition via Axess.

Questions about admissions should be directed to MPP Grad Admissions. Please be sure to review the FAQ first to make sure your questions haven't already been answered.

Application Requirements

Only complete applications will be reviewed. A complete application includes the following:

• Application form;
• Two confidential letters of recommendation, one of which must be from a Stanford faculty member familiar with your academic work;
• Undergraduate and graduate transcripts;
• GRE, GMAT, LSAT or MCAT test scores;
• Statement of purpose, not to exceed two pages;
• Resume or Curriculum Vitae;
• Preliminary program proposal;
• Pre-requisite completion statement, demonstrating completion of required prerequisite course work in multivariate calculus and intermediate microeconomics;

If admitted, you will add the Public Policy degree program via the Graduate Authorization Petition found in Axess and you will submit an Enrollment Agreement form for Students with Multiple Programs.

Prerequisites

The Public Policy graduate curriculum assumes that students have completed the following: Microeconomics (Stanford equivalent: ECON 50) and Multivariable Calculus (Stanford equivalent: MATH 51). While the prerequisites are not required to be completed at the time of application, they must be completed prior to matriculation. You may view the Stanford equivalents of these courses at the Explore Courses website. Additional information about the prerequisite courses can also be found on the application form and in the FAQ. 

Course Planning

Public Policy students are never required to repeat a course which duplicates or is closely related to material they have already mastered. Students may propose a course substitution by completing the Course Waiver Petition. This flexibility does not reduce the unit requirements for any degree.

All graduate degree candidates must submit a Master's Degree Program Proposal to the Public Policy office one quarter after beginning the degree and must amend this proposal formally if plans for meeting the degree requirements change.

Financial Aid

The Public Policy Program provides limited funding. Typically, students take out loans to cover the cost of tuition and living expenses. The Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program is utilized by some Public Policy graduate students. In some cases, usually in the second year of study, students may be able to obtain research or teaching assistantships to support their education. Additional information concerning fellowships and assistantships can be found in the FAQ. We also offer a limited number of summer fellowships for MPP students pursuing internships with various nonprofit and government organizations.

Post Application Details

Admission notifications will be sent to applicants by May 1st. Admitted students are required to respond to offers of admission by May 15th.