Graduate Minimum Progress Requirements

A graduate student must meet the following standards of minimum progress as indicated by units and grades; these standards apply to all advanced degree programs except the School of Business Ph.D., and the M.B.A., M.L.S., J.D., L.L.M., J.S.M., J.S.D., M.D., and M.L.A., which follow guidelines issued by the respective schools:

• A student enrolled in 11 or more units must pass at least 8 units per term by the end of each term.
• A student enrolled in fewer than 11 units you must pass at least 6 units per term by the end of each term, unless other requirements are specified in a particular case or for a particular program.
• A student must maintain a 3.0 (“B”) grade point average overall in courses applicable to the degree.

A department may set a higher standard for units to be completed, or a higher or lower standard for grade point average to be maintained. Such department requirements take precedence over the University policy; any such different standard must be published in the Stanford Bulletin.

Students identified as not meeting the requirements for minimum progress are reviewed by their respective departments to determine whether the problem lies with administrative matters such as reporting of grades or with academic performance. You have the opportunity to explain any special circumstances. Approval for continuation in the degree program is contingent on agreement by the student and the department to a suitable plan to maintain appropriate progress in subsequent quarters. Dismissal of graduate students is addressed in the Stanford Bulletin.