Frequently Asked Questions

To meet the evolution of design, our Master’s program has transformed over our 50+ year history.  We recently broadened the program requirements from being a product design program, with a focus on physical design, and into a program with focuses around physical, digital, and human behavioral design.  We currently have two degrees active in this transition:

• MS Design Impact currently has enrolled students who began their studies prior to academic year 2023-2024.  This program will conclude with the last cohort graduating in June 2024.
• MS Design began in the academic year 2022-2023.  Current enrolled students could choose this program or stay with MS Design Impact.  All new cohorts beginning in the academic year 2023-2024 will be required to take MS Design.

Our program results in a Master of Science in Design, so having an undergraduate science or engineering degree of any kind would be the most straightforward and desired preparation for our program. However, we consider for admission any students who apply with a B.S. degree. The program no longer accepts students with a background in Art. We do not have the resources necessary to respond to inquiries that ask if a particular degree is equivalent to a B.S. degree. To answer this question yourself, please consult with the institution that granted the degree and attach official documentation from the institution supporting that your degree is a B.S. equivalent under the Supplemental Materials section of your online application.

For general university-wide admission requirements or troubleshooting technical challenges in the Grad Admissions application portal, please email gradadmissions@stanford.edu.

The online application will open in late September 2023 at the Stanford Graduate Admissions site for students entering Fall of 2024. It will remain open until our application deadline on Friday, December 01, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time

GRE scores are not required by the Stanford Design Program for the current 2023-24 Grad Admissions cycle (students entering Fall of 2024). Stanford is a highly selective university and we expect that all graduate students will be able to demonstrate academic excellence prior to admission. We do not have a specific GPA requirement for admission, and during the admissions process, the committee casts a wide net, considering your overall academic preparedness; your career and life experience.

Successful applicants will bring maturity, self-efficacy, and unique skills to the program. Thus, many successful applicants have some industry experience. Our program is very self-directed and students need to have sufficient experience to be successful – typically one or more years of professional employment. And you will be put in leadership positions in a variety of your classes – it helps to have some previous experience leading teams before you arrive at Stanford. The Loft, which is the facility where our students live and work, is a learning community where students teach each other. We expect you to teach what you know to your peers. In order for the Loft to “work”, we rely on mature graduate students who are self-confident enough to teach and learn from each other.

We are looking for a balance of design potential and design experience in incoming students. No specific design experience or employment is required. The admissions committee evaluates your statement of purpose, portfolio website, academic preparation, recommendations, and previous life experience in conjunction with each other. That said, you do not need anyone’s permission to be a designer. Design can be a philosophy, a viewpoint, or a unique way of framing and tackling a problem. The best candidates cannot help themselves; they are always trying to improve and change the world around them. If you want to change something, you have to design. Show us what you care about through what you work on. One of our favorite professors used to say, “Use design to design.” We still agree.

International applicants follow the same application process as domestic applicants. Two areas to be aware of:

• If you attended an undergraduate institution outside the U.S., refer to our Eligibility page for the minimum level of study required for international institutions.
• If your first language is not English, you are required to submit TOEFL scores or demonstrate that you qualify for an exemption/waiver. Refer to the TOEFL section for details.

This is a forward-looking essay no more than two pages in length, addressing your plans for Stanford and beyond. This essay should not dwell on past experiences. The place to show us about your past experiences is your application website. Instead, in the Statement of Purpose, past experiences should be mentioned to bolster your plans for the future.

Yes, a digital application website is required. Provide the full webpage URL (Uniform Resource Locators) when prompted in the online application portal.

We are a masters-level program that teaches design thinking, creativity methodology, a human centered-ethnographic approach to design, strategic innovation, and design leadership. Once a basic mastery of these proficiencies is obtained, they are applied to solve problems that will benefit the world. Therefore, students who enter the program should have already mastered basic skills that they can bring with them as a toolkit for the program. For example, they could bring design skills such as quick idea sketching, product rendering, and prototype building. Or, they could bring skill sets in coding, storytelling, or manufacturing. Your website is intended to help us assess the toolkit you are bringing to the program: your underlying visual and creative abilities. Some of our current students’ websites are available here on our program site and each one is unique.

There are no specific guidelines on the kind of website you submit or how many projects should be part of this website. Think of the website as your vehicle to demonstrate who you are and how you think. Your website is our window into your creativity. It also shows us what kinds of design problems are important to you, so make it personal.

Passwords to projects that must remain confidential can be submitted via the online application portal also. However, we strongly recommend only doing this if the projects are highly confidential.

Join dozens of Stanford Engineering students who receive up to three years of funding and valuable leadership skills as Knight-Hennessy Scholars (KHS). KHS admits up to 100 select applicants each year from across Stanford’s seven graduate schools, and delivers engaging experiences that prepare them to be visionary, courageous, and collaborative leaders ready to address complex global challenges. As a scholar, you join a multidisciplinary and multicultural cohort, participate in up to three years of leadership programming, and receive full funding for up to three years of your graduate studies at Stanford.

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. If you aspire to be a leader in your field, we invite you to apply. The KHS application deadline is October 11, 2023. Learn more about KHS admission.

MS Design students are offered Course Assistantships upon acceptance to offset the cost of attendance. Offers do vary each year.