Application Information

Applications for Autumn 2026-2027 are NOW CLOSED

Please check back in mid-September 2026 for application information for the 2027-2028 Academic Year.

The application deadline for both the Master’s and PhD programs for an Autumn 2026 start was December 5, 2025. All required application materials—including test scores and letters of recommendation—must be submitted by the posted deadline, and any supplemental materials submitted by that time will be matched with your online application. Please note that we are unable to modify or add documents (such as recommendation letters or statements of purpose) after an application has been submitted. If additional information is needed, we will contact you directly. Admissions decisions will be released in March 2026, and all decisions are final.

If you have additional questions, contact eps-admissions@stanford.edu. For more information about universities and the application process, please visit Stanford's Graduate Admissions website and the online application system.

The following items must be received in the electronic application:

Online application
Application fee
Statement of purpose
Supplemental questions (Answered in the online application)
Three letters of recommendation
Scanned copy of official transcript(s)
TOEFL or IELTS, if applicable

Stanford's Graduate Application

Start your application online on Stanford's graduate application page here.

Writing your Statement of Purpose

The Statement of Purpose in a graduate application should provide specifics regarding the scientific questions and research topics you would like to pursue. As such, the statement is more like a research proposal than a general personal narrative. Details of your personal background and education can then strengthen your proposal as part of explaining your research focus and why you feel you are in a good position to attack the scientific questions that interest you.

You may not feel experienced enough now to know exactly what questions you would like to pursue. That is fine. Your research topic will evolve in graduate school as you learn more, interact with your colleagues, and explore new opportunities. Your Statement of Purpose does not lock you into a particular question. Rather, it provides information regarding how you think, the types of questions that interest you, the strength of your background to address those questions, and whether our program has the resources to be a suitable place to pursue your research.

Contacting potential faculty advisors

Applying to a doctoral program—particularly a program as broad as Earth and Planetary Sciences—is not the same as applying to professional schools with a fixed curriculum, like medical or law school, where applicants can be uniformly ranked and the top fraction admitted. Instead, admittance is dependent on an appropriate faculty mentor being available. With this in mind, reviewing the list of current faculty and identifying the most appropriate mentors for your proposed research is essential. You can also review our Projected Graduate Admissions by EPS Faculty (2026–2027) to see which faculty members are planning to admit students. At the same time, the interests of individual faculty both may be broader than you realize and can evolve through time, so you would not want to disqualify yourself inappropriately either. The best approach is to contact individual faculty prior to submitting your application in order to discuss your interests and the possibility of conducting research with them. Do not rely on faculty finding you strictly on the strength of a submitted application. Your interactions with faculty will also inform your understanding of our program and the expectations of different research groups.

Supplemental Questions

In addition to the standard application materials, e.g., statement of purpose, letters of recommendation and GPA etc., the Earth and Planetary Sciences graduate program requires a supplement to assess your academic achievement and potential. All applicants are required to answer the supplemental questions in the online application. A reference to the supplemental questions can be found on the Admissions FAQ page.

Official Transcripts

Only Official transcripts need to be uploaded to the application at this time. Upon acceptance, you will need to arrange for your official transcripts to be sent by the institution(s) to Stanford University in Spring. Please refrain from sending official transcripts until requested by Graduate Admissions or the EPS department.

Please upload scanned copies of your official transcripts into the online application from every postsecondary institution where you spent at least one year as a full-time student in a degree program. Transcripts from summer school or continuing education are not necessary unless they were part of a degree program. Upload a scanned copy of each official transcript to your application. Do not upload an unofficial transcript printed from your university website. Each transcript should be uploaded as a single PDF.

If you are unable to upload a scanned copy of your official transcript, you may send in an official transcript by mail or by email using a credited e-transcript service. E-transcripts should be sent to mailto:eps-admissions@stanford.edu.

Information about required exams

The EPS Department does not require GRE scores for admission, and they will not be reviewed as part of your application. If GRE scores are submitted, they will not be shared with the admissions committee.

We accept either TOEFL or IELTS Academic scores to meet the English proficiency requirement.

To be eligible for graduate study at Stanford, you must be able to read, understand, and communicate effectively in English. Starting with applicants for 2026: You do not need to submit English proficiency test scores if you meet one or more of the following:

You are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
Your first language is English
You earned a degree from an institution where all instruction was in English
You have 2+ years of full-time study or work in English within the past 10 years

If your application responses show you meet these criteria, no additional documentation is required at that stage. Supporting documentation may be requested if you are admitted.

If you do not meet these criteria, you must submit official Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet-Based Test (TOEFL iBT) or the International English Language Testing System Academic Test (IELTS Academic) that meets the university’s minimum score for admission consideration.

Application Status

Due to the high volume of applications we cannot respond to individual inquiries about the status of documents submitted. A comprehensive review of all application materials will begin after the deadline. You will be contacted directly for any missing materials.

Funding

Graduate students admitted to EPS receive substantial financial aid (including tuition) from combinations of departmental fellowships, teaching or research assistantships, and other sources (including external fellowships). Admitted students are automatically considered for funding. There are no additional forms or materials to be submitted beyond the regular application. The department's funding package covers up to 10 units of tuition and provides a quarterly salary. Please note on your application if you are receiving other fellowships, government funding, or company financial support.

External Funding - Prospective students are strongly encouraged to apply for external fellowships, such as the National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, or Department of Defense fellowships. If the external fellowship is not sufficient to cover the standard department support level, a supplement will be provided by the University, the department or a research advisor. These fellowships strongly enhance your resume for your future career.

Funding Opportunity: Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program - Application deadline October 8, 2025.

Join dozens of Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability students who gain valuable leadership skills in a multidisciplinary, multicultural community as Knight-Hennessy Scholars (KHS).

KHS admits up to 100 applicants each year from across Stanford’s seven graduate schools, and delivers engaging experiences that prepare them to be visionary, courageous, and collaborative leaders ready to address complex global challenges. As a scholar, you join a distinguished cohort, participate in up to three years of KHS's leadership program, and receive full funding for up to three years of your studies at Stanford.

Candidates of any country may apply. KHS applicants must have earned their first undergraduate degree within the last seven years, and must apply to both a Stanford graduate program and to KHS. Stanford PhD students may also apply to KHS during their first year of PhD enrollment.

If you aspire to be a leader in your field, we invite you to apply. The KHS application deadline is October 8, 2025. Learn more about KHS admission.

Apply Now

Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability Dean’s Graduate Scholars Award

As part of advancing Stanford University’s IDEAL vision and commitment to cultivating an inclusive scientific community, the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability has established the Dean’s Graduate Scholars program. This award supports outstanding incoming graduate students who have demonstrated inclusive scientific leadership and show the potential to continue their engagement in outreach, recruitment and professional development at Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability. The Dean’s Graduate Scholars receive tuition, salary, and research support. They are also part of a cohort that engages in professional development activities and annual Dean's lunches.

The awardee receives

Salary and tuition support for the first year of graduate studies at Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability.
Scholar will be able to participate in professional development activities with a cohort of SDSS Dean’s Graduate Scholars during the first year of graduate studies.
Take part in a lunch with the SDSS Dean.
Receive up to $3,000 for professional development, research needs, and attending professional and/or DEI-related conferences or DEI leadership opportunities to be used within the first five years in graduate school. Examples of how this funding can be used: computing needs, workshops, and conferences such as AGU, GSA, SACNAS, AISES, Out in STEM, Association for Women in Science, etc.
Recipients can include this award on their curriculum vitae.

How to Apply

Nominations are submitted by SDSS graduate admissions graduate program to the Dean’s office. Prospective students must apply to one of the school’s graduate programs by the department/program deadline to be eligible for nomination.

Deadlines and application information for each of our graduate degree programs may be found here:

Applicants are nominated based on academic qualifications and commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in the Earth sciences, energy, oceans, and engineering or in the broader field of sustainability as demonstrated through service/leadership or through research and academic or personal experience.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to use the Background and Life Experience statement that is part of the graduate school application to illustrate how their research and/or service/leadership experience and/or personal background contributes to advancing diverse perspectives and inclusive leadership in the broader field of sustainability or in academia in general.

Notification

Departments and programs will notify prospective students about admissions decisions by the end of winter quarter or early spring quarter. If a student receives admission to a SDSS graduate program and is also selected as a Dean’s Graduate Scholar, they will be contacted by the Dean's office to let them know that they have received this award. The Dean's office will notify departments/programs about Dean’s Grad Scholars decisions as well.

Candidates will be evaluated by a committee based on academic excellence and their potential to support the School’s commitment to diversity through leadership, service, and/or personal experience. The committee can also take into consideration a faculty mentor’s ability to support the candidate’s research goals and to advance an inclusive working environment in the School.