Admissions and program FAQ

The application deadline for the 2026-27 academic year is December 3, 2025, 11:59pm PST. Applications will NOT be accepted after this date. Incomplete applications submitted after the admissions deadline will not be considered.

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test is required for admission to the Sociology PhD degree program.  GRE scores from the Educational Testing Service (ETS) are valid for five years. For questions about the validity of GRE scores, please contact ETS. If ETS is able to send your GRE/TOEFL scores, Stanford University will accept them. Applicants should have ETS send scores electronically to Stanford. Our university code is 4704. It does not matter what department code is specified. You will either self-report your scores or indicate the date you will take the test(s) in the online application. Self-reported scores will not be considered official until Stanford receives the electronic record.

No, we do not accept the GMAT.

The TOEFL score requirement is waived for international students who have received a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree at a U.S. institution.

Yes, as long as your application and unofficial transcripts (uploaded) are submitted by the application deadline, letters of recommendation and official transcripts can be sent at a later time (but no later than the second week in January).

After at least one quarter of enrollment in the first year, students pursuing a PhD may apply for transfer credit for up to 45 units of graduate work done at another institution.

Admission to our program is highly competitive. About 10-12 students, chosen from a pool of approximately 200 applicants, enter the program each year. These students are chosen on the basis of a strong academic background as evidenced by previous study, writing sample, and letters of recommendation.  Please be assured that the department reviews each application very carefully and makes decisions on an individual basis.

Instructions on how to apply to the Sociology PhD Program.

The fee to apply for graduate study at Stanford is $125.  You may submit only one application per year (unless one of the applications is to one of the professional schools (Law, Medicine, or Business). An acceptable form of payment is by credit/debit card (Visa or MasterCard only.) We do not accept electronic check payments or checks by mail. The fee is non-refundable and must be received by the application deadline.  If you believe you qualify for a fee waiver, please review the Graduate Admissions website.

No, the department only reviews applications for students that will be entering our program during the fall quarter.

In order to ensure that the application process is fair to all applicants, our faculty do not meet with prospective applicants. We therefore discourage applicants from contacting faculty individually.  The department website contains information about our faculty and PhD programs. Inquiries about the program can be directed to the Graduate Student Services Manager, Natasha Newson.

All of our faculty members are able to take on newly admitted students. However, an offer of admission is neither dependent upon nor a promise of a match between the admitted student and a particular faculty member. Students are encouraged to work with and take classes from a range of faculty members before selecting a primary advisor and forming their dissertation committee.

Yes. Each year in late March or early April, the department hosts a special event to welcome admitted students to campus. It's a good chance to meet faculty and current students, ask questions and discuss anything you might be wondering as your consider joining the program.

Learn more about the 2025-26 Tuition Rates on the Student Services website

The department offers five years of 12-month funding for all PhD students in good academic standing. This funding is provided through a combination of fellowship, research assistantships, and teaching assistantships. Students are encouraged to pursue prestigious fellowships offered by the University and by national organizations such as the National Science Foundation.

Additional information on sources of graduate funding. 

The department offers five years of 12-month funding for all Ph.D. students in good academic standing. Summer funding is typically provided as fellowship or research assistantship.

In addition to providing the standard package described above, the Department of Sociology will provide each student with a stipend that can be used to fund professional development expenses, faculty-guided research, and fieldwork.

The Knight-Hennessy Scholars program develops a community of future global leaders. Each year, up to 100 students are awarded with funding to pursue any graduate degree at Stanford and participate in an experiential leadership development program that emphasizes collaboration and innovation. Citizens of any country may apply. Two applications must be submitted separately; one to Knight-Hennessy Scholars, and one to the Department of Sociology PhD program.

The first qualifying exam is at the beginning of Year 2, in Autumn quarter; the second qualifying exam is due at the end of Year 2, in Spring quarter; the third qualifying exam is due at the end of Year 3, in Spring quarter.

Over the summer, students usually focus on reviewing literature for the first qualifying examination while engaging in research with a faculty member. 

If the course material is relevant to sociology, or your area of research, it is acceptable to take courses in other departments or schools, and those courses may be counted toward the sociology requirements with department approval.

The PhD program is designed to be completed in five to seven years of full-time study. The actual time depends on the student’s prior background, progress, and research requirements. The minimum residency requirement for the PhD degree is 135 units of completed coursework, which takes approximately three years. The fourth through sixth years are typically spent working on the dissertation.

Students must complete three quarters of teaching apprenticeship, working as either a teaching assistant (TA) under the supervision of a faculty member or as a teaching fellow. Students are required to take a TA training workshop in their first year. In addition, students are encouraged to take advantage of department and university teacher training programs. Students for whom English is a second language are expected to acquire sufficient facility in English to be an effective teacher.