Admissions

Before you Apply

Students are admitted to the Oceans PhD Program to work with a specific faculty advisor, or in some cases, co-advisors. Oceans faculty are based either on Stanford’s main campus in Palo Alto or at Hopkins Marine Station in Monterey Bay. Prospective applicants should familiarize themselves with the research interests of departmental faculty and identify those whose work aligns with their academic background, research experience, and future goals (visit Faculty profiles.) Applicants will be asked to indicate faculty members whose research interests most closely match their own as part of the application process.

The Oceans Department values the diverse perspectives, experiences, backgrounds, and skills that are essential to our interdisciplinary, solutions-oriented approach to education and research. We encourage applications from individuals with a wide range of academic and professional experiences, including those with non-traditional educational pathways, first-generation college students, international students, and others whose backgrounds and experiences would contribute to a vibrant and inclusive scholarly community.

For additional guidance on applying to graduate school, please visit the Doerr School of Sustainability’s Community Resources and advice from recent graduate students. 

For information about the application process, please visit Graduate Admissions. General questions about the Oceans PhD Program may be directed to oceansgradprogram@stanford.edu.

Oceans Virtual Open House 

The Oceans Department is hosting a Graduate Admissions Virtual Open House on October 22, 2026 from 2:00-3:00 PM (PST). Register here. This is a great way to meeting faculty, students, and learn about the department and the PhD program. 

Application Deadline

Applications to the Oceans graduate program must be received by the deadline of Wednesday, December 2, 2026, at 5:00 pm (PST) in order to be considered for 2027-28 admission cycle. Applications will open in mid-September.

Applicants to the Knight-Hennessy Scholars program: more information will follow.

Fee Waivers

If you qualify for one of the following, you may request an application fee waiver. Submit your fee waiver request by the deadline and before you submit your online application for graduate study to ensure a timely decision. Requests are due by Wednesday November 18, 2026.

Knight-Hennessy Scholars

Join a multidisciplinary, multicultural community of graduate students united by independence of thought, purposeful leadership, and civic mindset as Knight-Hennessy Scholars (KHS). Each year, up to 100 future global leaders will be Knight-Hennessy scholars. Knight-Hennessy scholars span all seven schools at the university and bring a wide array of diverse academic experiences prior to enrolling at Stanford. Knight-Hennessy scholars receive funding for up to three years for any graduate degree(s) at Stanford. This funding applies to the degree(s) to which scholars are preparing to enroll at the time of scholar selection. Candidates of any country may apply. KHS applicants must have earned their first undergraduate degree within the last seven years, and must apply to both a Stanford graduate program and to KHS. Stanford PhD students may also apply to KHS during their first year of PhD enrollment. If you aspire to be a leader in your field, we invite you to apply.  Learn more about KHS admission.

Application Status

Due to the high volume of applications, we cannot respond to individual inquiries about the status of an application or of documents submitted. We will accept letters of recommendation and official test scores after the regular application deadline. Decisions will be made on all applications by the end of March.

For more information about the application process and specific requirements, please visit Graduate Admissions.