Admissions: External Applicants

External applicants:  Applications for September 2024-June 2025 are closed. Applications for  2025-2026 will be open in mid-September 2025.

Please review all information below and on the CHPR Frequently Asked Questions page (FAQ) before starting your online application. All required application materials are due and must be received by the application due date. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

Stanford fellows on MCHRI or T-32 (or similar) grants: Post docs are eligible to apply on a rolling admission basis to start the program autumn quarter. Please contact TO Preising for more information on how to apply.

Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program (KHS): The Knight-Hennessy Scholars program awards up to 100 high-achieving students every year with full funding to pursue a graduate education at Stanford, including the MS in CHPR. Two applications must be submitted separately; one to Knight-Hennessy and one to the CHPR program. CHPR applications from Knight Hennessy applicants were due on December 1, 2023. All required application materials were due and must have been received by the application due date. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

Eligibility for all applicants: To be eligible for admission to a graduate program at Stanford, applicants must meet one of the following conditions:

  1. Completion of a bachelor’s degree from a U.S. college or university accredited by a regional accrediting association; or
  2. Completion of an international degree that is equivalent to a U.S. bachelor’s degree from a college or university of recognized standing. Please see the minimum international education requirements.

Please note that adequate command of spoken and written English is required for admission. International students enrolled at Stanford must be able to read English with ease, understand rapid idiomatic English as used in lectures and group discussions, and express thoughts quickly and clearly in spoken and written English. Applicants whose first language is not English must submit a recent official score from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or obtain a TOEFL waiver from Graduate Admissions. Stanford accepts only ETS (Educational Testing Service) scores and does not accept IELTS scores. U.S. citizenship does not automatically exempt an applicant from taking the TOEFL if the applicant’s first language is not English. For guidance on English profiency, see the Office of Graduate Admissions webpage International Applicants- English Proficiency and  Exam Requirements for International Applicants.  

Required Application Materials: Instructions about submitting these application materials are found within Stanford’s online application.  All materials are due by the application due date. Incomplete applications are not reviewed. Please see our FAQ page for more information.

  • 3 letters of recommendation
    • At least one letter of recommendation should be from a faculty member at the last school you attended as a full-time student (unless you have been out of school for more than five years)
  • GRE or MCAT test scores are optional
  • TOEFL scores or a TOEFL waiver, if applicable
  • Resume or curriculum vitae (CV)
  • Statement of Purpose (1-2 pages, 1 inch margins, 12 point font, single spaced)
    • The Statement of Purpose should describe succinctly your reasons for applying to CHPR at Stanford, your preparation for this field of study, research interests, future career plans, and other aspects of your background and interests which may aid the admissions committee in evaluating your aptitude and motivation for graduate study.
  • Transcript(s) from all postsecondary institutions you have attended as a full-time student for one year (i.e. three quarters or two semesters) or longer.
    • You must upload one scanned version of your transcript(s) in the online application. Please make sure that you upload a copy of the unofficial transcript for every school attended into your application. 
  • $125 application fee

How to Apply

  1. Thoroughly review the information on our website (including the FAQ page) and familiarize yourself with the information provided on Stanford’s Office of Graduate Admissions website.
  2. Complete the online application at the Stanford Office of Graduate Admissions website by clicking on "APPLY NOW". The application will be available mid-September each year.
  3. Ensure you’ve completed and submitted all the “Required Application Materials” described above by the application deadline.
  4. Check the status of your application (e.g., letters of recommendation received, official TOEFL scores, etc.) by logging into your application account (go to the Graduate Admissions "Apply Now" page and click on the "Visit Your Status Page" button at the bottom of the page). All materials, including all letters of recommendation, must be received by the due date. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.
  5. Admission decisions will be communicated in early March. If admitted, you must provide official transcripts (direct from the institution) to Graduate Admissions for review and verification. Any offer of admission is contingent upon authentication of official transcripts submitted directly from your institution to Graduate Admissions. Instructions for submitting official transcripts will be sent to admitted students.  See here for more transcript information.

The selection of MS students admitted to the CHPR program in the Department of Medicine 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 statement of purpose, personal qualities and characteristics, and past accomplishments.