ESE Admissions

Graduate students are admitted by the department of Energy Science and Engineering. All undergraduates are admitted by Stanford University Undergraduate Admissions regardless of their major interest. Our department evaluates applicants holistically on the basis of their academic achievements, letters of recommendation, statement of purpose, work experience and Graduate Records Examination (GRE) scores. There are no minimum grade point averages or GRE scores: the admissions committee reviews each application carefully to determine the overall demonstrated and potential ability.

Application Deadline

Applications to Energy Science and Engineering graduate programs must be received by the deadline of Tuesday, December 2, 2025 at 11:59 pm Pacific Time in order to be considered for 2025-26 admission cycle. 

Join dozens of Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability 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 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. Two applications must be submitted separately; one to Knight-Hennessy and one to the Stanford graduate degree program. The KHS application deadline is October 8, 2025. Learn more about KHS admission.

Application Procedure

• Prospective Undergraduate Applicants should visit the Stanford Undergraduate Admissions for information.
• Prospective Graduate Applicants should visit Stanford Graduate Admissions for additional information. The online application is also available on the Graduate Admissions website.

Specific information on the course of study for all undergraduate and graduate programs offered by the Department of Energy Science and Engineering can be found in the Stanford Registrar's Bulletin in the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability section.

The following items must be received in the electronic application:

• General Graduate Admissions information
• Statement of purpose
• Three letters of recommendation
• Official GRE scores (required)
• Official TOEFL/IELTS scores (if applicable)
• Academic transcripts for both undergraduate and graduate institutions                                             
• Supplemental Form
  The research-related questions on the Supplemental Form are as follows:
  (1) Designate up to three ESE faculty members with whom you would like to work. These should correspond to the Academic Interests selected in the drop-down menu in your online application.
  (2) Describe why you selected the faculty member(s) you did, and how your research/technical interests align with theirs. Feel free to point to specific projects and/or papers in your response, as appropriate. 
  You can see a list of ESE faculty and a brief description of their research.

Transcripts

Please upload one scanned version of your  transcript(s) in the online application. If you are offered admission to Stanford and accept the offer, you will be required to submit official transcripts/degree conferral documents. Visit Grad Admissions for more information on submitting your transcripts. 

*The University reserves the right to request additional information.

GRE and TOEFL/IELTS

Be sure to schedule your GRE and TOEFL/IELTS (if needed) exam dates to give you enough time to meet the application deadline. The GRE exam is required of all applicants, while the TOEFL/IELTS is required of most international applicants whose first language is not English. You can check the Graduate Admissions FAQ for more information. There can be no substitutions for these exams.

GRE scores can be no older than 5 years prior to your application. Strong quantitative skills are essential for successful completion of all programs, therefore the admissions committee expects a high quantitative score. Please note that because most GRE testing sites are closed we are now allowing the GRE to be taken at home.

TOEFL scores must be no older than two years prior to your application. Please check requirements on the Graduate Admissions website.

The Stanford score recipient code for ETS is 4704 (no department code is needed for ESE). Please include a copy of your GRE scores with your application or note your scores in the electronic application. Official ETS scores for both GRE and TOEFL/IELTS must be received by the application deadline.

Application Status

Due to the high volume of applications, we cannot respond to individual inquiries about the status of documents submitted. A comprehensive review of all application materials will begin after the deadline. You will be contacted directly for any missing materials.

If you have any questions, please refer to our Admissions FAQ or contact our Student Services Administrator.