PhD Minor

The Computer Science PhD minor offers students Significant Programming and Core Courses in Computer Science to acquire the breadth and depth of a PhD minor.

• A candidate must complete 20 units of Computer Science graduate-level coursework, 200-level courses or above, except for the preselected 100-level courses listed on the CS PhD Minor Worksheet found on the CS PhD Minor website opens in a new tab.

• Students must complete three (3) Computer Science Core courses and one (1) Significant Programming course, complete all courses for a letter grade, and maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 or better.

• All coursework must be completed before entering TGR status.

Note: The courses you take for the CS PhD minor cannot be used towards your master's degree.

How To Apply?

CS PhD Minor applications are accepted year-round. Students should apply for a CS PhD minor after being granted candidacy in their home department.

Students are not required to complete all coursework before applying to the CS PhD minor; however, they must consult the latest CS PhD minor Worksheet to ensure that their courses still align with the degree requirements. Any courses taken before submitting your application are not guaranteed to receive approval, and you may be required to take additional courses. Applications are not accepted from students who are nearing graduation or are on TGR status.

Students should only submit their applications via Axess if they have submitted their supporting documents to the Computer Science Department for review and have received an email approval from phdstudentservices@cs.stanford.edu.

Here are the steps to successfully submit a CS PhD minor application to the Computer Science Department:

• First, submit all supporting CS PhD Minor application documents, student transcript, CS PhD minor Worksheet, and a copy of the home department’s approved candidacy form/confirmation to the Computer Science Department via email to phdstudentservices@cs.stanford.edu for review.

• After the Computer Science Department has approved the applicant’s supporting documents, they will receive a confirmation email to submit their CS PhD minor application through Axess. Applicants must navigate to Student eForms inside Axess's My Academics drop-down menu.

• Finally, submit the application through Axess and select your home department and the Computer Science Department for approval. The application form is first approved by your home department and then the Computer Science Department.

NOTE: The courses are updated yearly during the Summer quarter. If you have already applied and have been approved for a CS PhD minor by our office, we will honor the courses you listed on your worksheet at the time of your application.

After Application Approval

After approval, students can change the courses as they see fit. Use the CS PhD minor Worksheet as your guide to find a replacement course. Students are expected to continue working on any planned courses and complete them before applying for TGR status.

Please ensure you meet the three core and one significant course requirements, take all coursework for a letter grade, maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 and above, and complete the courses before entering TGR status.

The CS PhD Minor is processed for conferral by the Computer Science Department. When you submit your application to graduate, your CS PhD minor degree conferral will automatically get routed to the Computer Science Department for approval. If any of the requirements are not met, it will result in your CS PhD minor program withdrawal.

If you have any questions regarding the PhD minor in Computer Science, please email phdstudentservices@cs.stanford.edu.