PhD Timeline

Graduate study in Chemistry at Stanford stresses the unique needs of the students; basic course and examination requirements are deliberately kept to a minimum to allow each candidate flexibility in fulfilling individual research interests. Graduate students are usually engaged in research by the second quarter of their first year. Many first-year students do two, five-week optional rotations during autumn quarter. As students meet with faculty members, they collect signatures for verfication on the Application to Start Research form. All six signatures from chemistry professors must be obtained by the end of autumn quarter, first year. All students join labs by the end of February of their first year and only after meeting with at least six faculty members. The only exception to this, are ChEM-H students in the CBI program. They have until the summer quarter, end of first year, to join a lab. Generally, University and Department requirements for the Ph.D. degree can be met in less than six years of residence.