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Application Process for Stanford Alumni

Chris Alleyne-Levy

Stanford alumni within five years of graduation are eligible to apply to the MA or MPP in Public Policy. To ensure that your application for the Stanford MA or MPP degree is completed correctly, it is important that you thoroughly review both the information below as well as that found on the Stanford Office of Graduate Admissions website.

To be considered for matriculation beginning in the Autumn Quarter 2025, all application materials must be submitted no later than January 23, 2025. The online application for the MA and MPP will be available in mid-September.

To Apply: Complete the online application found on the Stanford Office of Graduate Admissions website.

Cost of Application: The fee for all applicants is $125. We are unable to refund your application fee, so please refer to eligibility requirements before submitting your application.

Questions about admissions should be directed to mppgradadmissions [at] stanford.edu (MPP Grad Admissions). Please be sure to review the FAQ first to make sure your questions haven't already been answered.

Note: The Public Policy Program recognizes that the Supreme Court issued a ruling in June 2023 about the consideration of certain types of demographic information as part of an admission review. All applications submitted during upcoming application cycles will be reviewed in conformance with that decision.

Chris Alleyne-Levy

Application Requirements

 

  • Application  
  • Official Transcripts. Copies of your transcripts must bear the official seal of the institution and the signature of the registrar. Transcripts must be uploaded to the online application
  • GRE Scores
  • Letters of Recommendation: Three confidential letters of recommendation from Stanford faculty members or an employer should be submitted electronically via the online application. Please see the Stanford Office of Graduate Admissions website regarding letters of recommendation. At least one  of the three letters must be from a Stanford faculty member
  • Statement of purpose (not to exceed two pages; upload to the online application)
  • Resume or Curriculum Vitae (upload to the online application)
  • Pre-requisite completion statement, demonstrating completion of required prerequisite course work in calculus and economics

Prerequisites

The Public Policy graduate curriculum assumes that students have completed the following:  Principles of Economics (Stanford equivalent: ECON 1) and Calculus (Stanford equivalent: MATH 20). While the prerequisites are not required to be completed at the time of application, they must be completed prior to matriculation. Students should have at least some background in economics and calculus. You may view the Stanford equivalents of these courses at the Explore Courses website. Additional information about the prerequisite courses can also be found in the FAQ.

Course Planning

Public Policy students are never required to repeat a course which duplicates or is closely related to material they have already mastered. Students may propose a course substitution by completing the Course Petition Form. This flexibility does not reduce the unit requirements for any degree.

All graduate degree candidates must submit a Master's Degree Program Proposal to the Public Policy office one quarter after beginning the degree and must amend this proposal formally if plans for meeting the degree requirements change.

Financial Aid

For information on different types of fee waivers (including the GRE fee), please visit: Application Fee Waivers.

Currently, the Public Policy Program is unable to offer funding. Typically, students take out loans to cover the cost of tuition and living expenses. The Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program is utilized by some Public Policy graduate students. In some cases, usually in the second year of study, students may be able to obtain research or teaching assistantships to support their education. Additional information concerning fellowships and assistantships can also be found in the FAQ. We offer a limited number of summer fellowships for MPP students pursuing internships with various nonprofit and government organizations.

Application Status

Check the status of your application (e.g., letter of recommendation, official transcripts, ETS scores, etc.), by logging into your application account Activity Log. 

Decision Notification

Admission notifications will be sent to applicants by April 1st. Admitted students are required to respond to offers of admission by May 1st.

The selection of graduate students admitted to the Public Policy program is based on an individualized, holistic review of each application, including (but not limited to) the applicant's academic record, the letters of recommendation, the scores on the GRE (or other graduate test), the statement of purpose, personal qualities and characteristics, and past accomplishments.