Co-Term FAQ
At Stanford, you can get both your BS and MS degrees together by participating in the coterminal Master's program, or "Co-Term" for short. This program is extremely popular in computer science, with students from a variety of undergraduate backgrounds (including CS, CSE, EE, Psychology, etc.) pursuing an MSCS. Applications to the program are available from the CS Graduate Admissions office in Gates 196 and differ very little from the regular application to the masters program in computer science.
When am I eligible to apply for the Co-Term?
You can apply after you have earned a minimum of 120 units toward graduation (UTG) as shown on the undergraduate
unofficial transcript. This includes allowable Advanced Placement (AP) and transfer credit.
Can I count courses I took as an undergrad towards my Masters Degree?
You can count courses that you took up to 2 quarters from the quarter you started the coterm. So,
let's say you apply in Fall of your Junior year (so you will start in Winter of your Junior year). This means you can count classes you took starting in the Spring of your Sophomore year towards your master's degree.
When do I have to decide which classes count for each degree?
When you sign up for classes on Axess, you should sign up for them in your undergraduate or graduate career, depending on which one you want to use the class for. You can contact Old Union if you later want to switch a class from one career to another. However once you graduate with a BS, the classes you used towards the BS are locked in. At this point you can not use them towards your MS, so plan accordingly.
What does Matriculating mean?
Switching to grad student status is called "matriculating." You can matriculate anytime after you have 180 units and you will usually be automatically matriculated after 12 quarters at Stanford if you have 180 units. If you have not automatically been matriculated and you want to matriculate, or you were automatically matriculated and should not have been, you should talk to Claire Stager.
What changes once I Matriculate?
Once you matriculate, you must pay grad student tuition. Grad student tuition is about $500 more per quarter than undergraduate tuition if you want to take more than 10 units. However, as a grad student you are also elegible to pay reduced tuition. Reduced tuition allows you to take 8-10 units per quarter and is about 2/3 the price of full tuition. You are still considered a full time student, even if you are enrolled at the reduced tuition rate. As a grad student you are also eligible for TA/RA-ships.
Where can I find more information about the Co-term application process?
Check out the admissions office Co-term page for all sorts of valuable Co-term information, as well as application details and deadlines.
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