Graduate Admission : How to Apply for a Graduate Program
The Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences (GES) offers Ph.D. and M.S. programs in a wide range of fields, including surface processes, hydrology, geomorphology, geomechanics, structural & regional geology, tectonics, sedimentary geology & basin analysis, life and planetary evolution, petrology, geochemistry, mineralogy & mineral physics, environmental geology, geochronology & thermochronology, and geostatistics. The size and the breadth of interest of the department's faculty provide numerous opportunities for field-based research and laboratory and numerical experiments and for the most modern applications of instrumental analysis and spectroscopy to problems in the earth sciences.
Students are encouraged to draw upon the skills of more than one research advisor in interdisciplinary projects. Complimentary programs are provided in the Departments of Geophysics, Energy Resources Engineering, and Environmental Earth System Science. Faculty in the GES department interact closely with other departments at Stanford, including Civil & Environmental, Mechanical, and Chemical Engineering; Chemistry; Biology; Statistics; and Applied Physics, as well as with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, the Center for Materials Research, the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, and the U.S. Geological Survey.
Admissions deadline for Fall of 2010-2011 is December 15, 2009.
The following items must be received in the electronic application**:
- General information about Graduate Admissions and applying online.
- Statement of purpose
- Application fee ($125.00 for all applicants)
- Three letters of recommendation
- GRE scores (see comments)
Two official transcripts should be mailed to:
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Graduate Admissions Committee
Geological and Environmental Sciences
450 Serra Mall, Bldg 320, Rm. 118
Stanford, CA 94305-2115
Using the GES Database:
- At least 48 hours after you have submitted your application, you may access the GES admissions database.
- Click on the link under the "Updating Application" section.
- Type the e-mail address entered in your application into the specified field.
- Within 30 minutes, you will receive an automatically generated e-mail, containing a list of application components, their receipt status and one-time links to a page where you can upload your: A. plain text Statement of Purpose; and B. your unofficial transcripts.
Student Transcripts
Note that transcripts with multiple pages must be uploaded as a single PDF. You may upload documents and request receipt status updates more than once, though you will have to once again visit the URL above, enter your e-mail address and await the automatically generated e-mail with a new one-time link.
Paper Applications
If you are unable to apply electronically, you may request a paper application from:
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Graduate Admissions Office
630 Serra Street, Suite 120
Stanford 94305-6032
The cost for the paper application is $30 (nonrefundable) in addition to the normal application fee. The $30 fee must be paid in advance by check or money order (payable to Stanford University). Do not send cash.
GRE - Only the general GRE test is required. Scores must be from tests taken within the past five years. Scores must be reported directly to Stanford from ETS. The Stanford score recipient number is 4704. To facilitate preliminary review of your application, please include an unofficial copy of your GRE scores with your application or note your scores in the electronic form. If you receive your scores after submitting, please send your scores to ges-gradinfo@stanford.edu with a subject line of "GRE SCORES - JOHN DOE" indicating your name in place of John Doe.
TOEFL - Applicants whose first language is not English must submit TOEFL scores from a test taken within the last eighteen months. The TOEFL is waived for applicants who have recently completed two or more years of study in an English-speaking country.
PhD applicants taking the paper-based TOEFL are required to have a minimum score of 600 to begin graduate study at Stanford. Master's applicants must have a minimum score of 575.
PhD applicants taking the computer-based TOEFL are required to have a minimum total score of 250 to begin graduate study at Stanford. Master's applicants must have a minimum total score of 230.
PhD applicants taking the Internet-based TOEFL are required to have a minimum total score of 100 to begin graduate study at Stanford. Master's applicants must have a minimum total score of 89.
Applicants are urged to take the TOEFL by December to be eligible for admission for the following Autumn Quarter. Please follow the GRE instructions for submitting your TOEFL scores.
*Applications submitted without the appropriate fee will not be processed. Electronic applications need to be paid by credit card (Visa or Mastercard).
**The University reserves the right to request additional information.