Skip to Content

PhD Program

 

How to Apply

Application Deadline

The application deadline for Autumn 2009 is December 1, 2008.

Applicants are urged to sign up early for standardized testing and to arrange for timely submission of transcripts and letters of recommendation so that all documents will be received on or before the deadline.

General Information for All Applicants

Each year we enroll talented women and men from many
different geographic regions and with various educational and professional backgrounds and life experiences. A typical incoming class of 20 to 25 students, out of around 500 applicants, results in a cohort of between two and six students in each field.

Who Should Apply to the Stanford PhD Program

Stanford Business School's PhD Program is designed to develop outstanding scholars for careers in research and teaching at leading business schools and universities throughout the world. If you are looking for a place that will encourage you to inspire and to be inspired, to challenge and to be challenged, to discover the next great idea that will impact the world around you, and to grow in meaningful ways, we invite you to consider the PhD Program at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Eligibility

Applicants to the Ph.D. Program are not evaluated on strict eligibility requirements. Although there are no required courses to begin a doctoral program, it is highly recommended that applicants have a strong background in quantitative methods. Depending on your individual field of study, it may also be beneficial to have a good understanding of the basic principles of your chosen field; for example, psychology or sociology, if you are pursuing graduate work in organizational behavior. Suggested prerequisites for admission into specific fields are detailed in the individual field descriptions.

We do not require:

  • A minimum GPA (grade point average)
  • A minimum GMAT or GRE score
  • Particular fields of undergraduate/graduate study
  • A minimum level of work experience
  • The MBA or other graduate degrees

Online Application

All applicants must complete the online application, including those reapplying to our program. Hard copy applications are not accepted nor available.

Forms

All applicants must complete the online application. As a guideline the following forms have been provided for reference only. Hard copy applications or letters of recommendations are not accepted nor available.

The 2009 Application Form will be available September 15, 2008 (For Reference Only; Application must be submitted online) [ PDF 131KB]

The 2009 Recommendation Form will be available September 15, 2008(For Reference Only; Recommendation must be submitted online) [ PDF 35.9KB]

Application Fee

The PhD Program application fee is $105 (non refundable). You may pay the application fee either by check or by credit card. To pay by check, submit a check or U.S. postal money order (U.S. currency, payable through a U.S. bank) in the correct amount.

Standardized Test Scores

Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT)
Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

All applicants are required to take either the GMAT or GRE based on the field of study to which they are applying. Standardized test scores must be no older than five years. Test scores taken between December 1, 2003 and December 1, 2008 will be accepted for Autumn 2009 entry.

Test scores received in our office prior to January 1, 2008 are no longer retained on file. Therefore, if you previously submitted test scores, but did NOT apply to our program, you must resubmit your test scores.

The test requirements, by field of study, are as followed:

  • Accounting: the GRE is preferred, although the GMAT will be accepted.
  • Economic Analysis & Policy: the GRE is preferred, although the GMAT will be accepted.
  • Finance: the GRE is preferred, although the GMAT will be accepted.
  • Marketing: either the GMAT or GRE is accepted.
  • Organizational Behavior: only the GRE will be accepted.
  • Operations, Information & Technology: the GRE is preferred, although the GMAT will be accepted.
  • Political Economics: only the GRE will be accepted.

Official test scores for the GMAT or GRE must be received from Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAT) or the Educational Testing Service (GRE).

Educational School Codes for the GMAT and GRE

GMAT: Institution Code L9R-KW-27

GRE: Institution Code 4704 (preferred code); or 4730

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)

Scores are required of all applicants whose first language is not English. Exception: individuals who have completed a U.S. bachelor's degree or a two-year master's degree (or the equivalent of either degree) at a recognized institution where all instruction is provided in English are not required to submit TOEFL scores. This exception does not apply if the courses were completed in a country where English is spoken, though not all courses were provided in English. Being a citizen of the United States does not automatically exempt an applicant from taking the TOEFL. If the applicant's first language is not English, the applicant must meet the exception above or submit TOEFL scores.

  • Scores must be submitted from a test taken within the last eighteen months prior to our deadline of December 1, 2008.
  • For Autumn 2009, we will accept scores taken from June 1, 2007 through December 1, 2008.
  • Applicants for all fields taking the computer-based TOEFL are required to have a minimum total score in the range of 250-300.
  • Applicants for doctoral programs in all fields taking the paper-based TOEFL are required to have a minimum total score of 600.
  • Applicants for doctoral programs in all fields taking the internet-based TOEFL are required to have a minimum total score of 100.
  • Scores must be reported directly to Stanford from the Educational Testing Service. We do not accept score reports mailed by applicants as official.

Educational School Code

  • TOEFL - Educational School Code - 4704

Please note that each standardized test has a unique institutional school code number.