Image
Application Requirements for STEP
The Stanford Teacher Education (STEP) application process gives you the opportunity to display your full range of experience, education, and enthusiasm for teaching. We carefully review and consider every application.
Applicants apply either to Elementary STEP or to Secondary STEP in one of the five subject areas for secondary certification: English, history/social science, math, science, or world languages.
The application for the 2026-2027 academic cycle will open around mid-September 2026. The deadline to submit applications will be January 2027. The application deadline for STEP (and all GSE MA programs) can be found on our "Apply" page here.
Start Application
For the 2027 cohort, select “Summer 2025-2026” as the start term. Choose a specialization or subject area within STEP. Choose “Elementary Education” or “Teaching of . . .” to select a secondary subject area.
The application submission is conducted entirely online through the Office of Graduate Admissions. Please complete and submit the online application.
Applicants for the STEP class of 2027 will start the program during summer quarter of 2026, which is part of Stanford’s 2025-2026 school year.
A non-refundable application fee of $125 is required with submission of the application. Please visit the graduate fee waiver page for information on fee waiver eligibility and process.
STEP Essay
Respond to the prompt below about your educational experience, interest in teaching, and views on the role of education.
Your essay should cover each of the points below in about 750-1,250 words, single spaced, with a maximum of three pages in length. Submit your essay electronically with the online application by uploading it in the personal statement section.
- Describe your educational background, your experience working with youth, and what draws you to becoming a teacher. Describe how your strengths, skills, interests, and experiences will contribute to the STEP community.
- For STEP Secondary (single-subject program), specify your interest in teaching a particular subject matter area. For STEP Elementary (multiple-subject program), specify your interest in teaching at the elementary level.
- As a program, we are committed to teaching for equity and justice. Explain what teaching for equity means to you and why you are drawn to joining a community of educators who share that commitment.
There is an option in the application to write an Enriching the Learning Community statement. STEP strongly encourages applicants to complete this statement in addition to the STEP essay.
Resume
Required of all applicants and should be uploaded following the essay.
Letters of Recommendation
Submit three letters of recommendation
The online application prompts you to identify and provide email addresses for three recommenders. Instructors, supervisors, and colleagues who have observed your work with youth are often good choices for recommenders.
You should notify recommenders that they will receive an email prompting them to submit their recommendations online. Letters of recommendation should speak to your commitment to the profession, character, work ethic, academic ability, and general fit for the STEP program.
Stanford GSE cannot accept mailed, emailed, or faxed recommendations.
Transcripts
Upload an unofficial or official transcript.
Submit a transcript for every institution you have attended for at least one year. Upload each official or unofficial transcript as a PDF document. Transcripts that are mailed, emailed, or faxed will not be accepted.
Admitted students will be required to submit official transcripts by mail. If you studied abroad and your coursework and grades are reflected on the transcript from your home institution, you do not need to submit original transcripts from the study abroad institution. We require transcripts from every college and university you have attended for at least one academic year as a full-time student. Upload transcripts as scanned copies or PDFs (no larger than 10MB) when submitting the online application. Please refrain from uploading a secured PDF/transcript with a digital signature, as our system cannot upload these properly.
If you earned a degree at the institution from which you are submitting a transcript, please ensure that the degree conferred and the degree conferral date are clearly visible on the document. If you are currently enrolled in a degree program and will not have earned the degree by the time you submit your application, submit your most recent in-progress transcript.
If admitted, we will contact you with instructions for sending official transcripts. Note that the instructions for sending transcripts in the online application and on the Stanford Graduate Admissions Office website differ from this GSE requirement.
Study Abroad
If the transcript from your home institution reflects your study abroad coursework and grades, you do not need to submit original transcripts from your abroad institution.
Foreign Institutions
If your institution provides a transcript in a language other than English, we require that you submit a translation, either provided by the institution or a certified translator. Translations must be literal and complete versions of the original records.
If your transcript does not include your degree conferred and your degree conferral date, please submit a scanned copy of your diploma, a conferral statement, or a conferral document in addition to your transcript. If you are currently enrolled in a degree program and will not have earned the degree by the time you submit your application, submit your most recent in-progress transcript.
STEP Supplemental Form
Fill out the STEP supplemental form (required) included in the online application. If you are interested in receiving a STEP fellowship, complete the fellowship section on the supplemental form.
Testing requirements - Secondary
| Requirement | Who | How to Fulfill | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
Subject Matter Competence (SMC) | All applicants | CSET (California Subject Examination for Teachers). More CSET specific details below. AND/OR Coursework that meets subject domains. Domains of the Subject Matter Requirements can be found here. OR Degree major that matches content area. Appropriate Degrees to Satisfy Subject Matter Competence can be found here. OR Undergraduate subject matter verification program approved by CCTC. List available here. For more information, visit CA Commission on Teacher Credentialing - Subject Matter Requirements | Those taking the CSET are encouraged to take the exam no later than March 31st. Coursework evaluations are due April 15th after receiving an offer of admission to the program. A minimum of 50% of subject matter competence is due upon program start date (at least two subtests/domains). STEP strongly encourages candidates to complete SMC before the start of the program. |
Basic Skills Requirement | All applicants | New provisions in California state law allow for a candidate’s bachelor’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution of higher education to serve as demonstration of basic skills requirement (BSR) in reading, writing, and mathematics. This should apply to nearly all STEP applicants, and thus the CBEST or other pathways to demonstrate basic skills is no longer required. (See here for additional details.) A bachelor’s degree (or higher) earned outside the United States must be deemed equivalent to a degree earned at a regionally accredited college or university in the United States to meet licensure requirements and satisfy the BSR. Educators who earned their degrees from outside of the United States must obtain an evaluation of their transcripts through a Commission-approved Foreign Transcript Evaluating Agency. See Leaflet CL-635 for more information.
| Applicants must receive a Bachelor's degree before the start of the program. |
TOEFL | International applicants EXEMPT: International applicants who completed a 4 year bachelor’s degree or 2 year masters in the US or at an institution where English is the main language | Register at https://www.ets.org/toefl Use Stanford Institution code: 4704 (no dept. code is required) For more information, visit the Grad Admissions FAQs | Take TOEFL no earlier than 18 months prior to deadline and no later than the application deadline. |
Subject Matter Competence – STEP secondary Option 1: California Subject Exam for Teachers (CSET) More Details:
The CSET is the primary way to verify your subject knowledge. CSET exams are offered as a computer-based test, year-round, Monday through Saturday, in California and across the country
Admitted students must pass a minimum of two CSET subtests in their intended teaching subject to begin the program in June. Therefore, STEP Secondary applicants should plan on taking at least two subsets of the CSET test no later than March 31st. Advanced registration is required.
We strongly encourage applicants to take the CSET before applying to STEP. Applications will be reviewed if candidates have not taken the exams or have not received their results by the application deadline. If you have previously passed any of the exams, include a score report with your application.
Admitted students must ultimately pass all subtests by August of their program year.
| STEP Secondary Program | CSET Test | CSET Subsets |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | Mathematics | Subset I (test code 211) Subset II (test code 212) Subset III (test code 213) |
| English | English | Subset I (test code 105) Subset II (test code 106) Subset III (test code 107) Subset IV (test code 108) |
| Social Sciences | Social Sciences | Subset I (test code 114) Subset II (test code 115) Subset III (test code 116) |
| Biology | Science | Subset I (test code 215) Subset II – Life Sciences (test code 217) |
| Chemistry | Science | Subset I (test code 215) Subset II – Chemistry (test code 218) |
| Earth Sciences | Science | Subset I (test code 215) Subset II – Earth and Space Sciences (test code 219) |
| Physics | Science | Subset I (test code 215) Subset II – Physics (test code 220) |
| French | French | Subset I (test code 148) Subset II (test code 149) Subset III (test code 150) |
| Spanish | Spanish | Subset I (test code 145) Subset II (test code 146) Subset III (test code 147) |
| Mandarin | Mandarin | Subset I (test code 163) Subset II (test code 164) Subset III (test code 165) |
CSET Stanford reporting code: 582
Please visit California Subject Exam for Teachers (CSET) page for information on test date locations, registering for the exam and test preparation materials.
Testing requirements - Elementary
| Requirement | Who | How to Fulfill | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
CSET: Multiple Subject | All applicants | CSET (California Subject Examination for Teachers) AND/OR Coursework that meets subject domains. Domains of the Subject Matter Requirements can be found here. OR Degree major in one of the following: Liberal Studies; Liberal Studies: Urban Education; Liberal Studies: Elementary Education; Liberal Arts; Elementary Education. Appropriate Degrees to Satisfy Subject Matter Competence can be found here. OR Undergraduate subject matter verification program approved by CCTC. List available here. For more information, visit CA Commission on Teacher Credentialing - Subject Matter Requirements | Those taking the CSET are encouraged to take the exam no later than March 31st. Coursework evaluations are due April 15th after receiving an offer of admission to the program. A minimum of 50% of subject matter competence is due upon program start date (at least two subtests/domains). STEP strongly encourages candidates to complete SMC before the start of the program. |
Basic Skills Requirement | All applicants | New provisions in California state law allow for a candidate’s bachelor’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution of higher education to serve as demonstration of basic skills requirement (BSR) in reading, writing, and mathematics. This should apply to nearly all STEP applicants, and thus the CBEST or other pathways to demonstrate basic skills is no longer required. (See here for additional details.) A bachelor’s degree (or higher) earned outside the United States must be deemed equivalent to a degree earned at a regionally accredited college or university in the United States to meet licensure requirements and satisfy the BSR. Educators who earned their degrees from outside of the United States must obtain an evaluation of their transcripts through a Commission-approved Foreign Transcript Evaluating Agency. See Leaflet CL-635 for more information. | All Applicants must receive a Bachelor's degree by the start of the program. |
TOEFL | International applicants EXEMPT: International applicants who completed a 4 year bachelor’s degree or 2 year masters in the US or at an institution where English is the main language | Register at https://www.ets.org/toefl Use Stanford Institution code: 4704 (no dept. code is required) For more information, visit the Grad Admissions FAQs | Take TOEFL no earlier than 18 months prior to deadline and no later than the application deadline. |
Option 1: California Subject Exam for Teachers (CSET) More Details
The CSET is the primary way to verify your subject knowledge. CSET Multiple Subject exams are offered as a computer based test, year-round, Monday through Saturday in California and across the country.
Admitted students must pass a minimum of two CSET Multiple Subject subtests to begin the program in June. Therefore, STEP Elementary applicants should plan on taking at least two subsets of the CSET test no later than March 31st. Advanced registration is required.
We strongly encourage applicants to take the CSET before applying to STEP. Applications will be reviewed if candidates have not taken the exams or have not received their results by the application deadline. If you have previously passed any of the exams, include a score report with your application.
Admitted students must ultimately pass all subtests by August of their program year.
| STEP Elementary Program | CSET Test | CSET Subsets |
|---|---|---|
| Elementary | Multiple Subjects | Subset I (test code 101) Subset II (test code 214) Subset III (test code 103) |
CSET Stanford reporting code: 582
Please visit California Subject Exam for Teachers (CSET) page for information on test date locations, registering for the exam and test preparation materials.
FAQ
Still have questions on application requirements? Check out our FAQ.
