Stanford University

APPLYING TO THE DOCTORAL PROGRAM

APPLICATION PROCESS | OUTLINE

1. online university application

Consult the Office of Graduate Admissions online at gradadmissions.stanford.edu/apply-now. For the 2024-25 academic year, the online application will open in mid-September. Applications are due Tuesday, November 26, 2024. The application must be submitted and all required supporting documents, including unofficial transcript(s), and letters of recommendation must be received by the deadline. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

 

2. additional application materials

Stanford TAPS requires that you prepare certain written application materials to accompany your application, including:

  1. Statement of Purpose
  2. Artistic Statement
  3. Summary Of Production Experience & Resume/CV
  4. Sample of written work
  5. Transcripts from each college attended
  6. Three letters of recommendation

Specifics regarding all application materials can be found below under “Application Details.”

PLEASE NOTE: Stanford TAPS no longer requires the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) for the Ph.D. application

 

3. after applying

Applicants may be contacted for follow-up information or an interview. Admission decisions for those applying will be communicated in March. The selection of Ph.D. students admitted to TAPS 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 and other required written materials, personal qualities and characteristics, and past accomplishments.

 

APPLICATION DEADLINE | NOVEMBER 26, 2024

To ensure careful consideration of your dossier, be sure that all materials have been uploaded successfully with your application by the application deadline.

 

KNIGHT-HENNESSY SCHOLARS

Join dozens of Stanford School of Humanities and Sciences students who gain valuable leadership skills in a multidisciplinary, multicultural community as Knight-Hennessy Scholars (KHS).

KHS admits up to 100 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 distinguished cohort, participate in up to three years of KHS’s leadership program, and receive full funding for up to three years of your PhD 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. 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. The KHS application deadline is October 9, 2024. Learn more about KHS admission.

 

 

The Department of Theater and Performance Studies recognizes that the Supreme Court issued a ruling in June 2023 about the consideration of certain types of demographic information as part of an admission review. All applications submitted during upcoming application cycles will be reviewed in conformance with that decision.

The Department of Theater and Performance Studies welcomes graduate applications from individuals with a broad range of life experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds who would contribute to our community of scholars. Review of applications is holistic and individualized, considering each applicant’s academic record and accomplishments, letters of recommendation, and admissions essays in order to understand how an applicant’s life experiences have shaped their past and potential contributions to their field.

APPLICATION MATERIAL DETAILS

Please note that the following items must be uploaded through the online application system at the time you submit your application; mailed materials will not be accepted:

  1. Statement of Purpose
  2. Artistic Statement
  3. Summary Of Production Experience & Resume/CV
  4. Sample of written work
  5. Transcripts from each college attended
  6. Three letters of recommendation

QUESTIONS?

Please review the FAQs linked below. For other questions regarding the application process, please contact the TAPS Student Services Manager, Katie Dooling: kdooling [AT] stanford.edu

FAQs

APPLICATION MATERIAL SPECIFICS

Statement of Purpose

The Statement of Purpose should describe succinctly your reasons for applying to the proposed program 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. The Statement of Purpose should not exceed two pages (double spaced).

Artistic Statement

Provide the Committee with a brief (no more than 3 pages double spaced) description of your theoretical approach to production/artistic practice. Please be prepared to provide the committee with examples of your artistic practice should you be selected for the short list.

Summary of Production Experience & Resume/CV

Submit this information in list form, noting all significant work on productions including acting, directing, choreography, dancing, design, technical work, crew work, stage managing, devised theater, and the like. Include a statement indicating your engagement with live theater and performance.

Sample of Written Work

Submit one or two papers. No more than 25 pages total. For example, any analysis of a play, critical engagements with performance, or work on aesthetic theory. Titles of papers recently submitted include the following: “The Artificial Tradition: Escaping Representation,” and “Trapped in The Infernal Machine: Cocteau Seeks the Fourth Dimension.” We request that you do not send M.A. theses.

Transcripts

You must list and provide your unofficial transcript for every post-secondary institution where you were enrolled — or are currently enrolled — in an undergraduate or graduate degree program. Stanford considers unofficial transcripts to be sufficient for the review process. If you are offered admission to Stanford and accept the offer, you will be required to submit official transcripts/degree conferral documents (except for those attended for less than one academic year or on a part-time basis).

Letters of Recommendation

You must provide three letters and evaluations from faculty or others qualified to evaluate your potential for graduate study. At least one letter and evaluation should be from a faculty member at the last school you attended as a fulltime student (unless you have been out of school for more than five years). Substitutions for faculty recommendations may include work associates or others who can comment on your academic potential for graduate work. When applying online, you will be asked to submit the names, titles, addresses, institution or business names, and email addresses of your three recommenders, and they will be notified of how to upload their letters electronically.

After Applying

Applicants may be contacted for follow-up information or an interview. Admission decisions for those applying will be communicated in March. The selection of Ph.D. students admitted to TAPS 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 and other required written materials, personal qualities and characteristics, and past accomplishments.