Doctoral Programs Degree Progress Checklist

Consult the GSE Doctoral Handbook and Stanford Bulletin for your year of admission for detailed PhD requirements.

Maintained enrollment or registration status in each quarter of the regular academic year (i.e., autumn, winter, and spring) unless on an approved leave of absence.
Satisfied English language proficiency for international/foreign students.
Completed First-Year (a.k.a., Third-Quarter or Preliminary) Review.
Submitted preliminary Graduate Study Program (GSP).
When applicable, prior graduate credit from another institution transferred to Stanford. Consulted Doctoral Programs Officer regarding forms and potential residency implications.
Completed Second-Year (a.k.a., Sixth-Quarter or Specialty) Review. This is the qualifying process for doctoral candidacy and includes a Qualifying Paper.
Submitted final Graduate Study Program (GSP).
Applied for doctoral candidacy. Candidacy application is consistent with final Graduate Study Program (GSP), with no incomplete or missing grades.
Maintained valid candidacy status (or pre-candidacy status before advancing to candidacy) at all times. Pre-candidacy is valid for two years from the start of the PhD program, and candidacy is valid for five years after advancement.
Completed disciplinary minor or master’s requirement outside of education. PhD Minor, Interdisciplinary Distributed Minor (IDDM), or Stanford MA/MS declared or finished, when applicable. (Can be satisfied by a prior, non-Stanford MA/MS when outside of Education and approved by advisor and review committee.)
Earned at least 135 units of doctoral residency credit
Completed all courses listed on final Graduate Study Program (GSP) and Doctoral Candidacy form with passing grades. Includes PhD Minor or Stanford MA/MS courses, when applicable.
Completed dissertation proposal and hearing.
Dissertation Reading Committee formed and paperwork submitted.
Changes to courses listed in final Graduate Study Program (GSP) and Candidacy Application were made via Academic Program Revision form, when applicable.
Oral Examination scheduled. Forms and dissertation drafts submitted at least one month in advance.
Dissertation revisions completed and final drafts submitted to Registrar’s Office by the published deadline.
Applied to graduate online via AXESS before the published deadline for the quarter in which you graduate. Resolved any enrollment, or other, holds before graduating.