The United States currently faces a critical shortage of computer science faculty at a time when student interest in the field is expanding rapidly. To address this shortfall, the Stanford Computer Science Department has created a new Master’s program in Computer Science Education designed specifically for people who already hold a Ph.D. in another discipline and who already have a track record of success as teachers. The goal of this one-year program is to prepare students to take teaching positions in colleges and universities that are currently unable to hire faculty in computer science.
Given that the national need is so pressing, the Computer Science Department has decided to run the program on a pilot basis in the 2017-18 academic year, even though the regular deadlines have passed. We have therefore reopened admissions on Monday, Jan 9, 2017 for this program only, with a deadline of Friday, February 10, 2017, 11:59PM PST. We intend to offer full funding (tuition + stipend) for all students accepted to the pilot program.
Application Requirements
Admission to the Master’s Program in Computer Science Education is limited to candidates who meet the following additional requirements:
- An earned doctorate in an academic discipline other than computer science
- Experience and evidence of excellence in teaching at the university level
- Successful completion of a standard introductory programming sequence, presumably as part of an earlier degree
Application Process
The online application can be found on the Graduate admissions website. Applicants applying for this program should keep the following points in mind:
- On page 5 of the online application, you should list your primary academic interests (presumably outside of computer science) in the “Additional Interests” section and select the “Computer Science Education” option in the “Departmental Specialization” section.
- On page 9, you should indicate that you will be taking the GRE at some future date. The GRE requirement will be waived for applicants for this program who hold the required Ph.D. degree.
- On page 11, you should leave the financial aid section blank. Stanford will offer full funding to all students accepted into the pilot program.
In addition to the strong academic preparation required for any graduate program at Stanford, we are looking for candidates who are excellent teachers and who are able to supply evidence of successful university teaching. Please submit a list of courses that you have taught along with the associated teaching evaluations. You should also ask your recommenders to concentrate on your teaching experience and expertise; recommendations that focus on your research strengths will carry relatively weight.
