Graduate Admission FAQs

Question: Where do I find information?

Answer: First, explore all the information available on our departmental site, (including the faculty pages and the Summary of Graduate Admissions), and then go to Stanford's Graduate Admissions site: http://gradadmissions.stanford.edu. If these resources do not address any remaining questions, please write our Student Services Manager, Jeanne Cosby at cosby@stanford.edu. Use the subject line: Admissions - [family name] - [topic of your inquiry]

Graduate Program FAQs

Academic and Departmental Matters

We have orientations and academic advising sessions for all new graduate students before you select your courses and start your first classes. Furthermore, there is on-going support and advising from faculty and staff throughout your graduate career.

Question: How long does it take to earn a M.S. degree?

Answer: The length of time is variable, depending on the student's undergraduate background and preparation and his or her goals and self-chosen pace of graduate study. At least 45 units must be completed at Stanford. Approximately half of the M.S. candidates complete their degree requirements in one academic year (three quarters ~15 units/quarter); the other half complete their master's work in four, five, or six quarters (usually at the rate of 10 units/quarter).

Question: How long does it take to get the Ph.D. degree?

Answer: The average time to earn a Ph.D. degree is between 4-1/2 and 5-1/2 years. Some students finish a little earlier and some a bit later.

Question: If I have a master's degree from another university, do I need to get a M.S. from Stanford before pursuing a Ph.D.?

Answer: No. In this department, having a M.S. degree is not a requirement for conferral of a Ph.D. degree. Ph.D. students without a master's may petition for conferral of a Stanford master's in the course of earning fulfilling their Ph.D. requirements. Matriculated Ph.D. students with a M.S. earned elsewhere either may petition for conferral of a Stanford M.S. or may petition for approval of transfer units, to be applied toward the total unit requirements for a Ph.D. degree. Any student contemplating petitioning for approval of transfer units should consult first with departmental student services.

Question: How many faculty members do you have and how long have they been teaching?

Answer: See the faculty pages. Our faculty is well-distributed in terms of experience and areas of emphasis.

What are the course requirements, and how long do they generally take to complete?

M.S. students can take between 8 and 18 units per quarter. The majority of lecture courses are 3 units; some are 4 or 5 units; seminar course are 1-2 units. Most M.S. students take 42 units of lecture courses and 3 units of the required one-unit departmental colloquium (seminar). Some students perform up to six units of research in lieu of a lecture course or two. M.S. students are required to take four core chemical engineering graduate courses. The rest of their M.S. programs comprise graduate level science and engineering lecture courses offered both by chemical engineering and other related departments.

Ph.D. students normally take 10 units per quarter.

Ph.D. students take the majority of their lecture courses during the first academic year: three 3-unit courses and one 1-unit colloquium (seminar) per quarter. Then they finish the coursework requirements by taking a class here and there during the 2nd and 3rd years until they have a total of 42 units for lecture courses, plus 3 units of colloquia. Because of the importance faculty place on honing communication skills while pursuing a doctorate, all candidates are also required to assist in the teaching of two chemical engineering courses.

What are Ph.D. research rotations?

In general, each first-year Ph.D. student rotates in two different labs before choosing an advisor and lab in which to work. The rotations exist with the intent that a student will gain a better understanding of a given lab's research and can determine if that lab is a good fit for his or her future research, or, alternatively, will use a rotation to look into an area of ChemE research that simply is of interest. Rotations are completed in the fall and winter quarters before the first of two qualifying examinations and the doctoral research advisor selection process. Furthermore, during the first six months, there are multiple opportunities to talk with each the faculty about his or her research.

How do Ph.D. qualifying examinations work? What is the usual pass rate?

In order to be admitted to PhD candidacy, students must pass two examinations: the Pre-qualifying Exam and the Qualifying Exam, taken at the end of the second quarter of the first year, and at the end of the summer of the first year, respectively. Each is summarized below:

The "PreQual" Examination is based on a student's critique of a paper from the current literature. Each student selects one of four general areas of chemical engineering: Transport & Rheology; Polymeric Materials & Colloids; Bioengineering; Surface Science & Catalysis. The faculty assigns a paper from the selected area to each student. The examination consists of three parts: (a) a concisely written summary of the student's talk; (b) a 20-minute oral presentation to the assembled faculty by the student of his/her critique of the paper that demonstrates a depth of thinking about the research strategy and the fundamental chemical, physical, and biological concepts that govern the molecular behavior of the system being studied; and (c) a 20-minutes question and answer period pertaining to the research field or the specifics of the paper, during which the faculty probe the student's ability to think critically and to communicate his/her technical knowledge about the research strategy used in the paper and the fundamentals in the general area of the journal article and the student's critique of it. Unlike some other examinations, no there is no specific testing on undergraduate material; however, students are expected to demonstrate knowledge from their previous coursework if it pertains to their understanding of the publication they are critiquing.

The Ph.D. Qualifying Examination is in the same format as the PreQual exam in that students write a one-page summary of their talk, make a 20-minute presentation before the ChemE faculty, and participate in a 20-minute question and answer session with faculty. However, this time, the student presents a progress report of his or her original research performed during the previous half year, e.g. from ~April until the time of the exam in late September. A progress report may have no conclusions, but the talk should demonstrate a depth of thinking about the research strategy and the fundamental chemical, physical, and biological concepts that govern the molecular behavior of the system being studied. Again the focus is on the ability to think critically, as well as an ability to communicate understanding the fundamental concepts, techniques, and questions within the field. The faculty are looking for the student's understanding of how one's research relates to the field as a whole and how he or she demonstrates an understanding of where the project will lead.

The format of examinations are designed to test the almost critical of skills for the successful researcher: the ability to approach new problems from a perspective grounded in scientific fundamentals. The focus is not on having the right answers, but in formulating an approach rooted in the scientific method.

The philosophy of the department is that most, if not all, of the selection process should take place at the time of admission. Attrition while students are pursuing their degrees is not a goal. The faculty, other students, and staff are all motivated by the ultimate success of the first-year Ph.D. students with their examinations. This culture fosters a uniquely positive environment of collaboration and teamwork among all students, rather than competition based on a "survival of the fittest" mentality.

How does advisor selection work?

At the time of the pre-qualifying exam, each student submits a ranked list of faculty members in whose research group s/he would like to work. This list is kept confidentially until after the results of the pre-qual exam are known, immediately after the exams. Normally, students receive their top advisor picks and join those labs, starting with their own projects, at the beginning of spring quarter.

Can I work with faculty outside of the department?

Yes. Some past examples have been with faculty in physics, chemistry, material sciences, mechanical engineering, environmental microbiology, and biochemistry.

What sort of job opportunities does a Ph.D. degree in chemical engineering from Stanford usually enable as far as academia, consulting law, fields in health care, and industrial research are concerned?

Graduates of our department are extremely versatile, with regards to their post-doctorate careers. Over the last few years, many of the graduates from various research groups have chosen to spend a couple of years as a post-doc at another research lab (usually not at Stanford) either in preparation for a research/academic job or in profiting from further research experience before entering industry. Stanford grads are now current professors at many top universities (MIT, Harvard, etc.) or members of prestigious research centers (IBM, national labs, etc.). A significant number of students decide to enter industrial positions upon graduation, as engineers, consultants, etc. You will find companies from all sectors actively recruiting Stanford chemical engineers, including companies in the local biotech and nanotechnology industries.

Question: What kinds of jobs do Ph.D.s get and where?

Answer: There is a saying that a chemical engineer can do anything, and the range of employment and career options available to our students demonstrates this. Approximately 2/3 of our Ph.D. students find challenging jobs in fundamental or applied research either in industry or national laboratories. Further generalization is not possible: graduates find careers in areas as diverse as the information technology companies, biotechnology, the oil industry, the chemical process industry, renewable resources, and private consulting. [Approximately 1/3 go into teaching and research as a profession].

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Housing and Living

Stanford has a strong residential character. Over half of all graduate students live in university-operated apartments. The university's residence system is among the largest and most diverse. Please see

http://www.stanford.edu/dept/rde/shs/

How does on campus housing work?

There is a lottery and when you enter it, you list your choice of housing options in preferential order. Housing is guaranteed for 1st year graduate students, but this means that you must apply on time and select the option that you are willing to accept any living arrangement (studio, 2 people in a 2 Bedroom, 3 people in a 2 Bedroom, etc.). If you submit your choices by the deadline, usually you obtain your top housing choices. Students can renew the same housing assignment for the following year without entering a lottery. Thus, if you are happy with whatever assignment you get in the fall of your first year (and you live in a residence that is open year-round), in the spring of your first year you now can just check "renew" on your housing application for the next year and keep your assignment for the following year. There are no pets allowed in campus housing.

How much does on campus housing cost per month?

The cost of housing varies. The general rule of thumb is that the more room/suite-mates you have, the lower the rent. If you would like to have a room to yourself (ex. double occupancy two-bedroom, etc.) then you should expect to pay more. If you do not mind sharing a room then the cost drops some. Please refer to http://www.stanford.edu/dept/rde/shs/ for more detailed information.

What is included in on campus housing costs?

In addition to the rent, the cost of housing covers basic utilities (electricity and water). Laundry is free to students living on-campus. Also, most on-campus apartments are furnished so you don't have to worry about the cost of furniture. Additional charges will apply for an internet connection, cable TV, etc. (These facilities are easily available and are relatively inexpensive). If you have a car, you will need to purchase a campus parking permit, but they are inexpensive for students.

What are the off-campus housing options?

A popular way to find off-campus housing is to use Craig's list: http://sfbay.craigslist.org/. You can perform specific searches of price ranges or towns or places that accept pets. The places listed include condos, homes for rent, individual cottages, or apartments. If you do a search on Craigs list, go to "apts/housing" and then click on "peninsula" at the top of the screen (s.f. bay area prompt). Depending upon the specific location, the following towns are within bikeable distance from Stanford: Menlo Park, Atherton, and Palo Alto, while Redwood City, Los Altos, and Mountain View are a minimum of a ~30 min bike ride.

How much do off-campus apartments costs per month?

Depending upon how many roommates you have, monthly rent can range from $600-$1200/per person.

How can I find a roommate?

Most incoming students do not know people at Stanford and so do not choose their roommates. However, in the case that you do find/choose someone you would like to room with in university housing, then you can request Housing Assignments Office to assign both of you to the same housing location. (This is done via a housing form that you will fill out when...we mean if... you decide to attend Stanford!).

There is also a roommate finding website that people have used.

For off-campus housing, some people find roommates on Craigs list (see "What are the off-campus housing options?" above). Use at your own risk!

What about couples housing? ... housing for families?

There are several options for on-campus couples housing-furnished or unfurnished. Please see:

http://www.stanford.edu/dept/rde/has/applying/grad/gradapply/eligibility.html
and http://www.stanford.edu/dept/hds/shs/gradhousing/evcoupletour.html
and http://www.stanford.edu/dept/rde/has/tour0607/gradtour/cplfamres.html
for information about housing for couples without children and students with children.

What's the bottom line? Is it comfortable to live on the graduate stipend?

Yes. People can live comfortably and still afford to travel both nationally and internationally. Several students have hobbies such as skiing or cycling that they are able to afford on the stipend. (English Ph.D. students get by on ~10K less!)

Activities in the local and surrounding areas

How do I get involved in departmental social events?

All ChemE grad students are welcome to participate on the social sub-committees of the graduate student-run ACTION Committee, as well as staff-student planned events such as the annual Holiday Party in December.

What do people do for fun?

The Office of Student Activities (OSA) within the Dean of Students Office, supports over 550 University recognized, incredibly diverse student groups on campus: http://osa.stanford.edu/studentgroups/registered.shtml

There are various gyms on campus, along with many intramural sports and club sports. There are also athletic classes that one can take for credit (kickboxing, Pilates, boot camp, yoga, etc) or simply for fun at the residence complexes. Other than sports, there are a plethora of cultural events in the arts, dance, music, and other live performances on and off campus. San Jose is ~20 minutes away while San Francisco is ~45 minutes away by car. Both are also accessible by public transportation. If you prefer outdoor activities, hiking trails and extensive bicycle routes are minutes away and a few hours of driving can take you to Lake Tahoe, Yosemite, the northern California Redwoods, etc. while Santa Cruz and Monterrey are closer attractions.

What are the common attractions in the area surrounding the San Francisco Bay?

In addition to those listed above in "What do people do for fun?" here's a small sampling: in San Francisco theaters and other cultural events, SFMOMA, Civic Center, Asian Museum, China Town, Fisherman's Wharf, Golden Gate Park (de Young Museum), Golden Gate Bridge, and further north Muir Woods redwood park, various marinas, Point Reyes National Seashore, etc. and further south Monterey Bay Aquarium, beaches along the Pacific Ocean, rock climbing and wineries in the Santa Cruz mountains

How is the transportation system? How do you get around?

There are on-campus shuttles that also access the local train stations, local bus lines, CalTrain, BART, and Muni. Many students have cars. Many do not. The majority of students also have bikes to get around on campus.

Are there intramural sports and sports clubs?

Yes to both. There are intramural sports ranging from volleyball to soccer to billiards, and club sports ranging from triathlon to sailing to martial arts. This department fields several teams.

How are the gym facilities?

The Arrillaga Family Sports and Recreation Center is the primary gym available to students. The facility is located on Campus Drive right across from the track. At Arrillaga, you can find squash courts, a climbing wall, basketball courts, and a weight room with cardio-machines (ellipticals, treadmills, stationary bikes etc.) In addition to all these facilities, students are able to take classes for physical activities such as martial arts (a training room also exists at Arrillaga), fencing, yoga, etc.

Stanford also has a great outdoor pool center that is available to students and has several tennis courts spread across campus. It is not unusual for many national track and field or ATP tour events to be held on Stanford's campus. So you shouldn't be surprised to see some big names in sports strolling about on campus!

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Graduate Admission FAQs

[These answers are brief summaries. Potential applicants should follow the links and read the in-depth information at http://gradadmissions.stanford.edu or contact the department.]

Question: What are the application deadlines?

Answer: For our Ph.D. program, all applications and supporting documentation must be received by us no later than Tuesday, January 5, 2010. No additional Ph.D. applications for 2010-2011 will be accepted after this deadline.

For our M.S. program, interested Stanford students should contact departmental student services' directly. Applications and supporting documentation from external applicants must be received by us no later than Tuesday, March 16, 2010. Those wishing to apply at a later time must contact the department first.

Question: May I apply to start graduate work in other times of the year than Autumn Quarter?

Answer: For programmatic and curricular reasons admitted students should plan to commence studies, at the beginning of the academic year, in September.

Question: Are GRE scores required for admission?

Answer: Yes, scores must be from a general test within the last five years. There is no minimum GRE score requirement. All components of your application are evaluated by the Graduate Admissions Committee. Admission decisions are based on the aggregate of various factors, including your statement of purpose, letters of recommendation, grades, and test scores.

Question: Do you require the GRE subject test?

Answer: No. For our chemical engineering graduate programs, it is not recommended that you take a subject test.

Question: Are TOEFL scores required for admission?

Answer: In general, yes, if your first language is not English. Exception: individuals who have completed a four year 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. This exception does not apply when English is not the sole language of instruction for all courses, notwithstanding that the institution is in a country in which English is the primary language or where English is spoken. This requirement is not based on citizenship.There are minimum TOEFL score requirements in order to ensure a sufficient foundation in spoken and written English before the commencement of an advanced degree program. The Graduate Admissions web site at http://gradadmissions.stanford.edu has further details about the university-wide test requirements and exceptions. The further development of communication skills in one of the goals of our educational programs and ongoing opportunities are built into the curriculum.

Question: What kinds of financial aid are available?

Answer: Fellowship awards, assistantship jobs, and loans through the university. The department manages the administration of most external fellowships (NSF, NDSEG, NIH, Hughes, Bell/Lucent and various foundations,); university fellowships (Stanford Graduate Fellowship), School of Engineering and departmental fellowships, and research and teaching assistantships. The University's Financial Aid Office assists graduate students with obtaining loans.

Question: What are my chances of getting financial aid?

Answer: We offer financial aid to approximately the top 5%-10% of the Ph.D. applicants, and virtually all the first year Ph.D. students in this department receive aid. Once Ph.D. students pass their preliminary qualifying examinations in the first year, they are supported either by fellowship awards or assistantship jobs from their research advisors.

The department is unable to offer financial aid to M.S. students.

What is the usual size of the incoming chemical engineering Ph.D. Class?

As an average, the incoming class size has been in the high teens.

Question: Where do I send the supplemental materials for my application?

Answer: Letters of recommendation (paper), transcripts, and any other supplemental materials, as well as any paper application and check for fees, should be sent directly to the department:

Mail and Courier Address:
Graduate Admissions Committee
Department of Chemical Engineering
Stanford University
Stauffer III, Room 113
381 North South Mall
Stanford, CA 94305-5025
USA
Tel: 650.725.3151

There are four major components required to complete your application file: the application itself with its statement of purpose, your GRE scores, three or more letters of recommendation, and your official transcripts.

Question: When will I find out about the decision on my application?

Answer: It is critical that that all applicants maintain current and correct email addresses, so that we can communicate with you via email. Ph.D. applicants can expect to hear from us in January/early February; first-round M.S. applicants by the end of March. The department's Admissions Committee begins its assessment of applications as soon as they are complete. The final Ph.D. decisions are made after the Ph.D. deadline, in order that the entire pool may be considered. Once the Ph.D. decisions are made, decisions on completed M.S. applications are made on a rolling basis. All Ph.D. and first round M.S. decisions will be communicated to you promptly, in writing.

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