Skip to main content Skip to secondary navigation
Students in discussion

Forms & Processes

Main content start

This page is designed to help you navigate the university’s forms, petitions, and request processes.

Waiting on the approval of a submitted form?

After you submit an eForm, it will go through an approval workflow that may include multiple waypoints. You may check the status of your pending form at any time in the eForms portal. 

Note: the listed deadlines relate to form submission. All forms submitted by the deadline are considered "on time," regardless of approval status. 

Degree Progress & Program Changes

Deadlines: Autumn Quarter: June 1, Winter Quarter: September 1, Spring Quarter: January 7

More info: See detailed information on the form.

Where: Downloadable PDF: Application for Grad Non-Matric Status (submit this form to Graduate Admissions)

Processing: Variable

Deadline: Application to Graduate Deadline of the degree conferral quarter / Late Application to Graduate Deadline of the degree conferral quarter.

Open: After the Application to Graduate Deadline of the quarter prior to the degree conferral quarter.

More info: how-to instructions. See also Stanford Bulletin Policy.

Where: Submit via Axess

Processing: Degree conferral status posts on the conferral date.

Related help tickets:

Deadline: Deadlines may vary by department

More info: Used to request permission to participate in your department's Commencement ceremony without graduating in Spring Quarter.

Where: Downloadable PDF: Commencement Walkthough Petition for Dept Ceremonies (submit this form to your department).

Note: This form is not used by all departments. Please check with your department first regarding their walkthrough process.

Deadline: Late Application to Graduate Deadline in the final undergraduate quarter.

More info: Coterm Course Transfer Form

Where: Axess eForms portal

Processing: 2-4 weeks

Deadline: Final Study List Deadline of degree conferral quarter.

Where: Axess eForms portal

Processing: 1-2 weeks

Deadline: The submission portal closes after the last day of classes each quarter. The petition must be submitted prior to degree conferral.

Open: After the student enrolls in classes--but prior to the last day of classes each quarter, the Grad Auth may be submitted for the current term or for an upcoming future term (activation for a future quarter typically occurs 10 days before Axess opens for enrollment for that quarter)

More info: See Graduate Changes of Degree Programs

Where: Submit via Axess

More info: Students use the Joint Degree Program Student Checklist as a guide to plan a joint degree program. The form is for student use, and does not need to be submitted to the University.

Where: Downloadable PDF: Joint Degree Student Checklist

Deadline: Due prior to applying to graduate

More info

Where: Submit directly via Axess.

Note: If you have already applied to graduate, you will need to submit your request via the help ticket Request Emergency Change to Plan.

Please note: as of Summer 2023-2024, since MAP will launch July 30, the MMF form is being retired!

Staff colleagues, please see our intranet pages for details:

Deadline: Final Study List Deadline of degree conferral quarter

More info: Bulletin policy

Where: Axess eForms portal

Processing: 3 weeks

More info: Proposal form for M.A., M.F.A., M.A.T., or M.S. students

Where: Downloadable PDF: Program Proposal for a Master's Degree (submit this form to your department)

Deadlines: After the Grad Auth is processed to add the second degree within the quarter

Open: Do not submit  this eForm until both programs are fully matriculated

More Info: If graduate students matriculate in two programs in different schools (e.g., School of Education M.A. adding a Graduate School of Business M.B.A.), then the Tuition Agreement for Students with Multiple Programs form is required to determine the tuition amount assessed each quarter and to prevent duplicate tuition charges.

Where: Axess eForms portal

Processing: 3-5 days

Enrollment

Deadlines: Term Withdrawal Deadline of the effective quarter

More info: This eForm will become available on the Preliminary Study List deadline. Please use to annul or cancel your summer registration.

  • Please note: visiting Summer Session students do not use this eForm annulment process, and should contact summersession@stanford.edu for assistance.

Where: Axess eForms portal

Processing: 1-2 weeks after the form is received by the Registrar's Office

Auditing is only allowed for matriculated undergraduates, matriculated graduate/professional students, postdoctoral scholars, visiting scholars, Stanford faculty, and Stanford staff, with the consent of the instructor, department and Office of the University Registrar.

Deadline: Final Study List Deadline of the effective quarter. Not valid after this date. Not available for Summer quarters.

Open: Only available during the open enrollment period for the effective quarter.

More info:

  • Use the form below to apply for an auditor status (for those affiliated with Stanford only; no fee) in order to audit courses. Consult the Bulletin for applicable policies. See also Cardinal at Work.
  • Obtain the approval of the instructor and department administrator via email, and upload a PDF of each email approval when you submit your request.

Where: Submit application for Auditor Status online (SUNet ID login required)

Processing: 3-5 business days

Deadline: Final Study List Deadline of the effective quarter. Not valid after this date.

More info: If you are an admitted, non-matriculated student, obtain the approval(s) of the instructor(s) of the courses and submit the completed and signed form to the email address at the top of the PDF.

Where: Downloadable PDF: Course Enrollment Request - Nonmatric GR, not available in eForms Portal

Processing: 3-5 business days

Deadlines:

  • Late drop and change of grading basis requests are only considered for the current quarter, and must be submitted by the grading deadline of the effective quarter.
  • Late adds, section changes, changes to variable units, withdrawals, and extensions of "Incomplete" ("I") grades are only considered within one year of when you took the course(For instance, if during Spring 24-25 a student wants to make a retroactive change to their enrollment, they will only be able to request changes as far back as Spring 23-24.)

Where: Axess eForms portal

Processing: One week

Note: For enrollment petitions, coterm students should use the petition protocol applicable to the course: Use the undergraduate process (via Academic Advising) if the course is on the undergraduate transcript; use the graduate process if the course is on the graduate transcript.

Deadline: Term withdrawal deadline of the effective quarter

More info: Use to petition for reinstatement and enrollment if you were discontinued this quarter due to no enrollment. Students who were discontinued in a previous term must instead submit the Reinstatement in Graduate Study Application.

Where: eForm via https://eforms.stanford.edu/ (Note: not the standard path to the Axess eForms portal)

Processing:3-5 business days

Deadline: Final Study List Deadline of effective quarter

Open: Only available during the open enrollment period for the effective quarter

More info: Use when Axess will not permit dropping below 3 units in one career even if the student remains at full-time status across both degrees. Starting in Autumn 2020, SimpleEnroll allows coterminal students to drop to 0 units in one of their careers if they meet the minimum enrollment in their other career

Where: Axess eForms portal

Processing: 3-5 business days

Deadline: Deadline depends on type of exception requested

More info: Use to request second repeat, late add, late section change, late change of unit total, late study list, or late withdraw

Where: PDF available from the Academic Advising Requests for Exceptions to Academic Policy page

Deadline: Final Study List Deadline of effective quarter

Open: First day of the effective quarter

More info: Academic Advising Requests for Exceptions to Academic Policy and Can I Take More Than 20 Units in a Quarter?

Where: PDF available from the Academic Advising Requests for Exceptions to Academic Policy page

Deadline: Final Study List Deadline of effective quarter

Open: First day of the effective quarter

More info: Academic Advising Requests for Exceptions to Academic Policy and Can I Take More Than 20 Units in a Quarter?

Where: Axess eForms portal

Deadline: Second repeat petitions need to be submitted by the Final Study List Deadline of effective quarter

Open: eForm is open but submissions should adhere to above deadlines

More info: Second repeats (third enrollments in non-repeatable courses) will still adhere to the Repeat Policy.

Where: Axess eForms portal

Processing: 2 weeks

As of Spring 2024-2025, graduate requests for section change will be submitted via the Enrollment Change Petition. (There is no longer a separate section change form.)

Deadline: Submissions are only considered within one year of when the student took the course(For instance, if during Spring 24-25 a student wants to make a retroactive change to their enrollment, they will only be able to request changes as far back as Spring 23-24.)

 

Deadline: Drops and unit adjustments by the Final Study List Deadline; withdrawals by the Withdrawal and Grading Basis Deadline

Open: When enrollment opens for the effective quarter

More info: This form should be used by student-athletes requesting a course drop, withdrawal, or unit adjustment to be enrolled below the unit minimum when system restrictions or policy prevent you from completing the action for the course(s) online via Axess. Students must discuss this change in enrollment with an AARC advisor to determine the impact on athletic eligibility prior to submitting this form.  This form will only be processed following approval from the Compliance Services Office in the Department of Athletics, Physical Education and Recreation.

Where: PDF in Axess eForms portal

Processing: 3-5 business days

Deadline: Due prior to the Final Study List Deadline or Grading Basis Deadline for your particular alternate-schedule Summer class. May not be used after the applicable deadline

More info: Prior to the Preliminary Study List Deadline, any student wishing to remove their final class from their study list may submit this form. After the Preliminary Study List Deadline, this form should only be used by students enrolled in non-standard scheduled Summer Classes who are unable to update their study lists in Axess after the Final Study List

Where: Axess eForms portal

Processing: 3-5 business days

Graduate Candidacy, Orals, and Dissertations/Theses

Deadline: Must be submitted by candidates for Engineer degree by the end of the second quarter in the program (fourth quarter for Honors Cooperative students).

Where: Downloadable PDF: Application for Candidacy for Degree of Engineer (submit this form to your department).

Deadline: You are expected to be admitted for candidacy by the end of the second year of doctoral study.

Where: Downloadable PDF: Application for Candidacy for Doctoral Degree (submit this form to your department).

More info: If your candidacy or master's program has expired, this form should be completed and submitted to your department for approval.

Where: Downloadable PDF: Application for Extension of Candidacy or Master's Program (submit this form to your department).

More info: This form is to be submitted by the student to the department graduate studies administrator to request approval for a change of dissertation advisor, the addition or deletion of a doctoral dissertation reading committee member, or the addition or deletion of a co-advisor.

Where: Downloadable PDF: Change of Advisor or Reading Committee Memeber (submit this form to your department).

More info: Please see Registrar's Dissertation and Thesis Submission website. This form is only for doctoral students who choose to submit their dissertation via the paper process. This form authorizes online publication of your doctoral dissertation and the separate abstract through ProQuest.

Where: Downloadable PDF: Doctoral Dissertation Agreement Form

More info: Submit to initiate the department appointment of a Doctoral Dissertation Reading Committee.

Where: Downloadable PDF: Doctoral Dissertation Reading Committee Form (submit this form to your department)

More info: This petition is to be submitted to the department to request approval for doctoral dissertation reading committee and/or university oral examination committee members who are not members of the Stanford Academic Council

Where: Downloadable PDF: Petition for Non-Academic Council Doctoral Committee Members (submit this form to your department)

Deadline: To accommodate processing times, we recommend that students submit this form at least 48 hours prior to the Dissertation Deadline of the effective quarter

Open: Closes after the Dissertation Deadline. Reopens the first day of classes of the subsequent quarter

More info: This form is a prerequisite for dissertation or thesis submission and requires processing time. Instructions for Submission of the Reading Committee Page eForm

Where: Axess eForms portal

Processing: 2 business days

Deadline: Once the examiners, date, and time for your oral examination have been established, this form must be submitted to your department for approval two weeks prior to the proposed date of your examination.

Where: Downloadable PDF: University Oral Exam Form (submit this form to your department)

Special Registration Statuses

Deadline: Preliminary Study List Deadline of effective quarter.

Open: When enrollment opens for the effective quarter

More info: Special Registration Statuses

Where: Axess eForms portal

Processing: 1-2 weeks

As of August 2024, undergraduate students who wish to take their last units out of residence should indicate this decision directly on their Graduation Quarter or Permit To Attend for Services Only (PSO) request form.

Deadline: Preliminary Study List Deadline of effective quarter

Open: When enrollment opens for the effective quarter

More info

Where: Axess eForms portal

Processing: 1-2 weeks

Deadline: Course Withdrawal deadline of effective quarter

Open: When enrollment opens for the effective quarter

More info

Where: Axess eForms portal

Processing: 1-2 weeks

Deadline: Preliminary Study List Deadline of the effective quarter

Open: When enrollment opens for the effective quarter

More info: You must check your eligibility before submitting. To request 13th-quarter financial aid, you'll also need to complete the process outlined by the Financial Aid Office.

Where: Axess eForms portal

Processing: 1-2 weeks

Deadline: Preliminary Study List Deadline of effective quarter

Open: When enrollment opens for the effective quarter

More info

Where: Axess eForms portal

Processing: 1-2 weeks

Deadline: Course withdrawal deadline of effective quarter

Where: Please see the Academic Advising Requests for Exceptions to Academic Policy page for details

Deadline: Preliminary Study List Deadline of effective quarter

Open: When enrollment opens for the effective quarter

More info: TGR status and TGR request form This eForm is also used to request "TGR Final Registration"

Where: Axess eForms portal

Processing: 1-2 weeks

Transcripts & Certifications

Please see Registrar's Certifications & Verifications website (additional certification/verification-related subpages are indexed in the sidebar menu)

More info: Available only to students conferring a degree in Winter Quarter. Please see Registrar's H-1B Degree Certification Letter page

Where: Submit via specialized help ticket; available only during submission window for Winter Quarter

Processing: Letters will be issued once all requirements are met upon the Grades Due deadline for the quarter

Leave, Withdraw, and Return/Reinstate

Deadline: Final Study List Deadline of the effective quarter

Open: Two weeks before Axess opens for enrollment for the effective quarter.

​More info: Students currently on an approved Leave of Absence (LOA) should use the eForms listed below to request to return for classes earlier than stated in their original LOA submission.

Processing: 1-2 weeks

Where: eForm in Axess eForms portal

Deadline: Term Withdrawal Deadline of effective quarter

Open: When enrollment opens for the effective quarter

More info: Registrar's Leave of Absence website

Where: Axess eForms portal

Processing: 1-2 weeks

Deadline: Term withdrawal deadline of the effective quarter

More info: Use to petition for reinstatement and Leave of Absence if you were discontinued this quarter due to no enrollment. Students who were discontinued in a previous term must instead follow the applicable reinstatement process (Reinstatement in Graduate Study Application and/or Request to Return and Register for Undergraduate Students)

Where: eForm via https://eforms.stanford.edu/ (note: not the standard path to the Axess eForms portal)

Processing: 3-5 business days

Deadline: Term withdrawal deadline, as stated in the Academic Calendar. 

More info:

Where: Axess eForms portal

Processing: 2-3 weeks for an immediate request or 2-3 weeks after the grades due deadline for a end of term request.

Deadline: Preliminary Study List Deadline of the quarter of requested re-enrollment

More info: If you are an admitted graduate student who has not maintained continuous registration (and has not been on an approved leave of absence), you must apply for reinstatement. After completing this form, submit it to your department for approval and they will submit it to Enrollment & Records. If approved for reinstatement, you will be billed for the reinstatement fee. Information for Coterms

Where: Downloadable PDF: Reinstatement in Graduate Study Application

Submit via email to: enrollment@stanford.edu

Processing: 1-2 weeks

Deadline: Preliminary Study List Deadline of the quarter of requested re-enrollment

Where: Downloadable PDF: Coterm Request for Reinstatement Application

Forms signed by the graduate department should be submitted to your Undergraduate Academic Advisor

Processing: 1-2 weeks

If you are an admitted coterminal student who has not conferred your undergraduate degree and have not maintained continuous registration (and has not been on an approved leave of absence), you must apply for reinstatement. After completing this form, submit it to your graduate department for their determination. Once your graduate department has signed the form, students are required to meet with their Undergraduate Academic Advisor to review and submit the PDF form. If approved for reinstatement into graduate study (as determined by the graduate department), you will be billed for the reinstatement fee. Information for Coterms.

For more information, please see the Academic Advising Requests for Exceptions to Academic Policy page, as well as the Returning to Stanford page.

Undergraduate petitions related to academic standing and policies are administered by the Office of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education (VPUE). Please see the Academic Advising Requests for Exceptions to Academic Policy page, as well as the Returning to Stanford page.

Transfer Credit & Exchange Programs

Deadline: At least four weeks before requested exchange quarter

More info: For UC Berkeley or UC San Francisco graduate students who wish to enroll in Stanford courses. 

Where: Downloadable PDF: Exchange Program at Stanford For UC Berkeley or US San Francisco Students - GR

Processing: 1 week

Deadline: At least four weeks before requested exchange quarter

More info: For Stanford graduate students. See UC Exchange Program website

Where: PDF in Axess eForms portal

Processing: 2-4 weeks

Deadline: At least four weeks before requested exchange quarter

More info: For Stanford graduate students. See UC Exchange Programs website

Where: PDF in Axess eForms portal

Processing: 2-4 weeks

Deadline: Final Study List Deadline of degree conferral quarter

More info: Graduate Residency Transfer Credit or the Stanford Bulletin Transfer Work page

Where: Axess eForms portal

Processing: 2-4 weeks, from the receipt of the student's transcript

Deadline: At least two months before the enrollment date at the host institution

More info: Stanford doctoral students who wish to participate in the the IvyPlus Exchange Scholars Program with other IvyPlus schools should submit this completed application to your department who should then submit the approved form to Degree Progress in the Office of the University Registrar

Where: Downloadable PDF: IvyPlus Exchange Scholars Program Application - GR

Processing: 2-4 weeks

Deadline: Quarter prior to your degree conferral quarter

More info: Transfer Credit or Stanford Bulletin Policy

Where: Link can be found on the Transfer Credit page

Processing: 6-8 weeks

  • If your transcript is not already on file with the Registrar’s Office at the time of your submission request, students can expect an additional 8–12 week processing time from the point that we receive the official transcript.
  • If you are requesting an evaluation for the University Writing Requirements, please anticipate a 4-5 month processing time.