Application Instructions

These instructions are for PhD/MS applicants. These applicants should also review the Stanford Graduate Admissions website for university-wide admissions policies, which we link to in our own instructions where appropriate. In cases where the instructions on our department website differ from the Stanford Graduate Admissions website (e.g., the number of official transcripts required), you should follow the instructions on our department website.

We invite excellent students from all backgrounds, including those from historically underrepresented groups in engineering, to consider Stanford University for their graduate studies. In making admissions decisions, the Electrical Engineering Department will comply with the requirements of the law as determined by the Supreme Court of the United States, evaluating each applicant based on their "experiences as an individual—not on the basis of race." We continue to value a diverse student body that benefits the educational experience of our students and our mission of generating knowledge at Stanford University. 

Step 1: Review Eligibility Guidelines

Degree Level

To be eligible for admission to graduate programs at Stanford, applicants must meet one of the following conditions:

• Applicants must hold, or expect to hold before enrollment at Stanford, a bachelor’s degree from a U.S. college or university accredited by a regional accrediting association.
• Applicants from institutions outside the U.S. must hold the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree from a college or university of recognized standing. See minimum level of study required of international applicants.

Area of Undergraduate Study

Students who meet the above degree requirement with a strong technical background in engineering, physical sciences, or mathematics are welcome to apply; a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering is not strictly required.

While we do not require specific undergraduate coursework for admission, we advise prospective applicants to review the EE Graduate Handbook and the Stanford Course Catalog to evaluate what prerequisites are needed for graduate-level courses in Electrical Engineering.

Other criteria

Applicants do not need to meet any minimum grade point average (GPA), and we do not release information about average GPAs of admitted students. As a guideline, successful applicants typically earn undergraduate cumulative GPAs among the top of their class.

Test scores such as the GRE exam are not required.

TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) scores are required of all applicants whose first language is not English. Applicants whose scores fall below Stanford's minimum TOEFL requirements will still be considered admission; if admitted, Stanford may require these students to take a placement exam and/or classes to satisfy the University's English proficiency requirement.

It is the EE department's policy not to grant deferrals for offers of admission. As such, we advise you to submit an application only if you are confident about starting graduate study at the beginning of the quarter specified on the application.