Billing / Payment
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Do you offer scholarships or discounts?
Stanford University and the Stanford Center for Professional Development do not currently offer scholarships for Graduate and Professional Certificate programs. Masters degree students may contact the Stanford University Financial Aid office for more information. If you are employed at a member company, you may qualify for tuition reimbursement from your company or the membership discount rate if you are a Non-degree option student. Professional Education on-campus courses are available at a discounted rate if you apply before the early registration deadlines.
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How can I get my refund once I drop the course by the deadline?
If you paid by credit card:
Once your drop request is received and processed, your credit card account will be refunded in full, please allow approximately 3-5 working days for this to show up on your account. If no refund transaction appeared on your bank statement after this time, please submit your email to scpd-customerservice@stanford.edu or call the SCPD Student and Client Services office at 650-204-3984 and they will be able to provide you with the status of your refund.
If you paid by Check or Wire Transfer:
You will be refunded by check. It will take approximately 2-3 weeks before you can get your refund check. Your refund will be mailed directly to your preferred home address. Please make sure to inform SCPD Student and Client Services if there is any change of address. Also, please make sure your profile in mystanfordconnection is up to date. If you don't receive your refund after this time, please contact our SCPD Student and Client Services team at 650.204.3984. -
What is my company's tuition reimbursement policy?
Company tuition reimbursement policies and resources are defined by the organization at which you are employed. Contact your company's human resources department, speak with your training manager, or check your company's benefits site to determine your tuition reimbursement policy. If you are employed at a member company, our Partner Relations manager can refer you to the company coordinator within your organization. Please email PartnerRelations@stanford.edu to request your coordinator's information.
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Will my company reimburse me for professional education courses if they only pay for degree-track courses?
Reimbursement varies from company to company. You should check with your organization's human resources department or your manager to confirm your Employer’s policy.
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Do you offer group pricing for professional development courses?
Group pricing for professional development courses is available and can be arranged by calling our SCPD Student and Client Services team at 650.204.3984. We do offer a group tuition discount pricing when a Group of 5 or more enrolls in the same course at the same time.
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Can I arrange to split payment for a course?
Yes, please call the SCPD Student and Client Services office at 650-204-3984.
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How much does it cost to complete a Professional Education certificate?
Total cost is determined by a number of variables, such as the delivery format you choose (online, at your work site, or at Stanford University), the number of courses you choose to complete, whether you are employed at a member company, and whether you enroll for courses before the early registration deadline. For on campus courses, applying before the early registration deadline will reduce the cost of tuition.
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How are fees calculated?
Tuition is calculated by units earned and method of study (audit, academic credit, Continuing Education Units (CEUs) or degree-track students). Visit our Tuitions & Fees page for detailed information.
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Do you support "intent to pay" letter from my company for tuition?
No. You or your organization must pay your tuition at the beginning of the quarter. Stanford University requires that we collect tuition funds before classes begin.
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What is the Document fee?
A one-time document fee of $100 is applied to students enrolled in the Non Degree Option (NDO). This fee covers life-time access to your transcripts, which can be requested at any time, on an as-needed basis. To request a transcript: http://studentaffairs.stanford.edu/registrar/news/etranscripts. A one-time $75 fee is assessed for your first enrollment in a course contributing to select professional certificate programs. This fee covers life-time access to your record of completion (certified PDF), which can be requested at any time, on an as needed basis.
Visitor Information
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Where can I find information about lodging, transportation and dining in Stanford?
Please visit our Visitor Information page to find important information about hotels, airports, directions, maps, and much more.
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Which airports are closest to Stanford?
Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC) is 17.4 miles southeast of Stanford University. It is best to arrange a cab or shuttle service to transport you to campus.
San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is located approximately 20.9 miles northwest of the university campus and you can take BART or CalTrain directly to Stanford (www.caltrain.com; www.bart.gov).
You may also fly into the Metropolitan Oakland International Airport (OAK), 29.2 miles north of Stanford, and take a cab, shuttle, or BART.
Applications / Enrollment
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How do I register for courses?
Enroll for courses online through mystanfordconnection. For more information, please click on Apply and Enroll.
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How do I apply for individual graduate courses?
A first-time student would submit all transcripts from all universities attended (undergraduate and graduate) along with completion of the NDO application. The first time you submit an enrollment application, send in official transcripts to ensure that you have the appropriate background. For details of key academic and enrollment dates, please refer to the Academic Calendar
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Where do I send my official transcripts to take individual graduate courses for credit?
Please have each of your prior institutions (undergraduate and graduate) send your official transcripts via email to scpd-customerservice@stanford.edu or alternatively via mail to:
Student and Client Services
Stanford Center for Professional Development
496 Lomita Mall, Durand Building 3rd Floor
Room 303
Stanford, CA 94305 -
I am not a U.S. citizen, do I need a visa to take courses?
For individual graduate courses for credit, students who reside in the United States and who are not US citizens must have a current US visa to enroll in Stanford graduate courses. Required documentation includes: notice of action, US visa stamp page with date issued and date of expiration, and/or current visa document. Applicants to take courses under the Non Degree Option, please submit documentation via email to scpd-customerservice@stanford.edu. International students not residing in the US are welcome to apply for courses and do not need to submit visa documentation. For professional courses, no visa documentation is required.
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How do I register in a professional education course?
You may register for professional education courses online by enrolling via the course webpage. Some professional development programs do require an application in order to register.
Courses / Degrees / Certificates
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What are my enrollment options?
The Stanford Center for Professional Development allows professionals to take:
- Individual professional courses
- Individual graduate courses
- Professional certificates
- Graduate certificate programs
- Master's degree on a part-time basis
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What are the admissions requirements for taking individual graduates courses?
Each application is reviewed and admission is granted for each course individually. A first-time student would submit all transcripts from all universities attended (undergraduate and graduate) along with completion of the NDO application.
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How do I earn a graduate certificate?
To earn a graduate certificate, determine which certificate you would like to earn which is indicated in the NDO application and complete the required coursework as stated on the Certificate webpage. Once you have completed and met the coursework requirements in a given area, you may apply for an earned certificate by completing the NDO Certificate Request Form
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How do I earn a professional certificate?
To earn a professional certificate, determine which certificate you would like to earn, submit the application if required within mystanfordconnection, enroll and complete the required courses in the certificate.
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How do I apply for a Master's degree through the Stanford Center for Professional Development?
To apply for the Master's degree (known as the Honor's Cooperative Program) at a distance and/or part-time basis, you will need to complete the regular graduate admissions process. Visit the graduate admissions webpage for more details. Application deadlines vary by department. In order to earn your master's degree, you are required to complete between 11 and 15 courses which must total 45 units.
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May I apply units (credits) from a graduate course and/or graduate certificate program to a degree program?
If applicable, you may apply up to 18 qualifying units earned from individual graduate level courses taken through the Non-Degree option program. Check with your advisor once you are accepted into a degree program, to be sure that the courses you have completed are applicable to the particular degree you are pursuing. Professional Certificate courses cannot be transferred to academic courses or academic programs.
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When do courses start?
Start dates for courses depend on a number of variables. Online graduate courses follow the on campus academic quarterly calendar while professional courses can be taken anytime online. A select number of professional courses are held on-campus a few times a year.
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How do I view my courses online?
Courses may be viewed in mystanfordconnection. Simply login and you will be able to view your courses under the Current Courses section.
Homework / Exams
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How is course homework submitted to the Stanford Center for Professional Development?
You may send the homework by email to scpd-distribution@lists.stanford.edu or fax to 650 736-1266. The Distribution Department will record the date and time it was received and deliver it to the appropriate academic department. Please refer to our Homework page for more detailed instructions.
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How are graduate course exams administered?
Exams are sent to your nominated Exam Monitor who then administers the exam on your behalf. Your Exam Monitor returns the completed exam to SCPD's distribution group for grading. Please review the policies and procedures for submitting an Exam Monitor form.
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Can I make up exams or coursework for graduate courses if I have a planned vacation during the quarter in which I am enrolled?
It would be better for you to enroll for the course another quarter, unless you can keep abreast of coursework and tests while on vacation. The professor will likely not make an exception for a student on vacation.
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How do I appoint or select an exam monitor?
Each graduate student and student taking individual graduate courses is required to have an Exam Monitor for midterms and finals. Please nominate an Exam Monitor within your mystanfordconnection account. Please visit the Exam Monitor page for an explanation.
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May I take my exam at my company site?
Local San Francisco Bay Area students may come to campus for exams. This is the preferred method in most cases. Otherwise, exams will be sent to your nominated Exam Monitor the day of the on-campus exam. You can nominate an exam monitor through the "My Exam Monitors" section of your mystanfordconnection account.
Exam monitors are:
Supervisors
HR representatives
Education coordinators
College representatives
Library officials
Exam monitors are not:
Peers
Direct reports
Technical Support
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How do I access a course's webpage?
Graduate course webpages (accessed from the Stanford Center for Professional Development website by clicking the "Course Homepage" link for a given course) are maintained by the professor or TA of the course, not by the Stanford Center for Professional Development. All login problems associated with accessing the course homepage, problems downloading homework assignments, course handouts, or lecture notes should be directed to the course's professor or TA.
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What is a Stanford University Network ID (SUNet ID) and how I do obtain one?
SUNet IDs are provided by Stanford University and are used by students to access Stanford email accounts, the AXESS registration system, and campus-based computer systems. They are not the same as the logins used for mystanfordconnection.
To obtain a SUNet ID or determine your eligibility, please visit http://www.stanford.edu/group/itss/services/sunetid or call (650) 725-8181. -
Are any of the courses offered by the Stanford Center for Professional Development streamed live?
While our courses are not streamed live they are made available within 2 hours of class end time. Videos are then made available for viewing 24/7 throughout the duration of the current academic quarter.
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Can I receive my course on DVD?
Due to issues such as copyright and intellectual property, we do not distribute copies of courses on DVD.
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Who should I contact if there is a problem with a Stanford Center for Professional Development classroom?
Problems with the Stanford Center for Professional Development classrooms should be referred to Brian Cabbab: brian.cabbab@stanford.edu or (650) 725-3000
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I am having problems with the programming software required for my course. What should I do?
Many computer science and engineering courses require the use of programming software as part of the course curriculum. Software such as compiler programs and H-SPICE are not handled by Stanford Center for Professional Development technical support.
Please contact the professor or TA of the course. Contact information can be found on the course homepage.
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Who should I contact for videoconferencing services offered through the Stanford Center for Professional Development?
All videoconferencing requests should be directed to Brian Cabbab: brian.cabbab@stanford.edu.
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What technologies are used for the capture and delivery of the courses offered by the Stanford Center for Professional Development?
Courses offered by SCPD are recorded in specially equipped classrooms or studios and then encoded for online delivery. Please see the Tech Center for further information on delivery methods.
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I am an on-campus student, how do I login to view my course lectures?
Stanford students attending graduate classes on-campus should visit mvideox.stanford.edu. Valid SUNet ID required.
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I am enrolled through SCPD, how do I login to view my course lectures?
Please log into your mystanfordconnection account at scpd.stanford.edu. For login issues please contact technical support, scpdsupport@stanford.edu.
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I am taking a graduate course, can I download my course lectures so I can watch them offline?
Through the Teach Act we are able to make your lectures available for offline viewing. Videos will be available for download 24/7 throughout the current quarter. Please note that by downloading lecture videos you are agreeing to adhere to the Teach Act and the Stanford Honor Code and at the conclusion of the academic quarter you are required to delete all downloaded videos.
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I am enrolled in a professional education course, can I download my lectures so I can watch them offline?
Due to issues such as copyright and intellectual property, professional education lecture videos are not available for offline viewing
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When I click on the video link within my mystanfordconnection account nothing happens. How can I access my videos?
If the link is active but nothing happens when clicking on it try disabling any pop-up blocker software you have installed. Please refer to the Tech Center for further troubleshooting. If you are still unable to get your link to work, please contact scpdsupport@stanford.edu.
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My course requires I view the videos via the Windows Media or Silverlight player. When I access the course I can see the slides, but the video doesn’t play. How do I get the video to play?
We stream our videos via http (port 80), you should receive video if you are able to browse the internet. Try accessing the video(s) on a different approved browser, IE, Safari, or Firefox. If this does not solve your issue please see the Professional course or the professional course interface (limited release) technical requirements.
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I don't see today's lecture. What should I do?
Lectures are posted within two hours of class end time. If you do not see the current lecture, ensure that your web browser is not caching an older page. For more information on how to clear your cache please visit the Graduate Course Interface technical requirements.
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The video is playing but I am not hearing any audio. What should I do?
Ensure that your machine has audio playback capabilities.
If you have headphones or speakers, make sure they are set-up properly.
If you have a CD-Rom drive/DVD player, try inserting a disc and playing it.
Try to play a video from another site to see if you receive audio.
Make sure that "mute" is not enabled on your system or on the Media Player.
Make sure the volume is turned up.
If you continue to experience audio difficulties, reinstall your Windows Media Player or Silverlight Player.
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How do I reset my mystanfordconnection account password?
On the scpd.stanford.edu homepage, click on the “mystanfordconnection Login” button located in the upper left corner of the SCPD homepage. Click on the link – “Forgot Password”. Our system will send a new confidential password to your preferred email (set by you in your mystanfordconnection account). If you do not receive the email immediately, please check your spam/junk folders. We recommend you change your password upon logging in. Click on the link “Change Username/Password” and enter your preferred password.
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When applying for a professional program I get a ‘Timed Out’ message when filling in the essay portion. How do I avoid losing everything I’ve typed?
Please be advised that the application session is set to time out after approximately 15 minutes of inactivity. Typing responses in an application field does not count as activity. To help prevent your session timing out and losing data, we recommend that you type your responses in a word processing program and then copy and paste it into the online application.
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What is my X number?
The X number is the account number associated with your mystanfordconnection account. Each person has a unique X number which acts as a sort of personal ID.
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Can I access my graduate lectures after a quarter has ended?
SCPD keeps all video assets online and available to students 24/7 for the duration of the academic quarter. Once a quarter ends these videos are no longer available.
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Can I watch my courses on my mobile device?
Please visit our Tech Center for more information on mobile compatibility.
Membership / Custom Programs
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Do member companies receive discounts on tuition?
Member companies do receive discounts for both academic and professional education tuition. For more information, please see our Corporate Education Tuition Discounts page.
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Do I have to be employed at a member company in order to take a professional education course?
You do not have to be employed at a member company to complete professional courses. However, be sure to check whether your organization is a member company as membership may qualify you for a discounted tuition rate and reimbursement from your employer.
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How can I find out if I work for a member company?
The full list of member companies can be found on the Member Companies page.
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How can I connect with other SCPD students?
The best way to interact with other Stanford Center for Professional Development students is to join the online community available to you when you register for courses. Our SCPD LinkedIn Group is great place to connect with other students and discuss various topics related to your course, program and professional interests.
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Who can I contact if I have a question about company membership?
You may email our membership coordinator at mmantell@stanford.edu if you have any questions about company membership.
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Who can I contact if I have a question about developing a custom program?
You may email our partner relations manager at PartnerRelations@stanford.edu if you have a question about custom programs.
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I work for a government organization. How does my organization become a member company?
Government organizations are automatically given member company status, so anyone associated with a government organization may utilize all the benefits of membership, including tuition discounts.
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Is it possible to bring Stanford courses to my company?
We do have the capability to partner with organizations to create custom on-site professional programs for those interested in educating employees in large groups. If you are interested in creating a custom program for your organization or team, please email PartnerRelations@stanford.edu.
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Do I have to be employed at a member company in order to take a graduate course?
You do not have to be employed at a member company in order to complete graduate courses. However, be sure to check whether your organization is a member company as membership may qualify you for a discounted tuition rate and reimbursement from your employer.
NOTE: All Honors Cooperative Program students are required to be employed by a member company.