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HCP Admissions FAQ

FAQs specific to the Honors Cooperative Program.

Questions that apply to every applicant are on our M.S. Admissions FAQ page.

 

As stated on the Statistics department admissions webpage, the Statistics Master's degree requirements cannot be completed entirely online. 
 
M.S. students should be aware that they will not be able to take all of the necessary courses online in Statistics. Attendance in courses offered only on-campus will be necessary to complete such a degree. Please make arrangements with your employer to be on campus during some quarters during the middle of the day to complete the needed course work.

By participating in the HCP program, the student acknowledges that the degree’s curricular requirements are not formatted for distance learners and that many of the required courses are not delivered online.

 

Honors Cooperative Student Policy and Procedure is set by SCPD: HCP student handbook

Degree Program policy is determined by the Statistics department: M.S. program page

Graduate Admissions policy is set by the University: Start here

Bechtel International Center: F-1 student visa enrollment

Stats HCP FAQ

The Graduate Admissions Application system (Applyweb) opens in mid-to-late September each year for the following autumn quarter start.

Applications are accepted for matriculation in autumn quarter only.

 

Please review the University's application requirements before getting started. Starting your application.

Along with the FAQ page, applicants should refer to the Department's walk-through of the application if any questions arise.

 

Applicants must apply through the normal graduate admissions process, and compete with all other applicants for admission to the program. (Application is NOT through SCPD.) Although not required, applicants can indicate in the application under the Application Options section their interest in enrolling as an HCP student. Employer information is not required as part of the application.

If admitted, students arrange their (HCP) part-time status and tuition payment options through the Stanford Center for Professional Development (SCPD).

No, although we advise prospective applicants to examine the required courses of the Statistics M.S. degree and evaluate what pre-requisites they may need to take before applying. In general, advanced undergraduate level courses in linear algebra, statistics/probability and proficiency in programming is highly recommended.

SCPD offers what is known as the Honors Cooperative Program (HCP) for students to complete the Statistics Master's degree part-time (minimum 3 units per quarter; majority of courses are offered for 3 units*). Students must be sponsored by an employer. Admitted (Stats MS) applicants can enroll as an HCP student, which allows a student to finish the degree within 5 years (GAP 5.2). This does not equate to an online degree program as the majority of degree required courses are offered on-campus only.

HCP students are admitted and graded based on the same standards as full-time Stanford students and have full student privileges, rights and responsibilities. Access to online graduate courses is only granted through the end of the academic quarter in which you are enrolled. In the event that courses are not available online, HCP students may attend courses on Stanford’s campus.
For further details about the Honors Cooperative program: http://scpd.stanford.edu/programs/masters-degrees; GAP 5.2

* Courswork: http://scpd.stanford.edu/programs/courses/graduate-courses/time-commitment

No; the Statistics Data Science track is not offered as a part-time degree (HCP). Only the Statistics Master's degree is offered as an HCP degree.

Yes, HCP students are granted the same privileges, rights, and responsibilities and receive the same degree as full-time students. There is no HCP designation on the diploma or transcript.

HCP students typically enroll in one (at most two classes) per quarter (must be enrolled in a minimum of 3 units). Summer quarter enrollment is optional.

Please refer to Stanford Graduate Admissions | International Applicants for eligibility guidelines related to study outside of the U.S., which are set by the University not the department.

All applicants to the M.S. program must follow the same application procedure as new applicants. No credits from another institution may be transferred to the M.S. degree at Stanford.

Tuition and fees are listed on the SCPD website under "Graduate Course Tuition - Master’s Degree Courses." We encourage you to check with your employer to see if you qualify for tuition reimbursement from your company.

The majority of required courses are not offered online and therefore HCP students must be able to attend classes on-campus. Students should be aware that most courses are offered only once a year and that prerequisites for those courses may not always be offered in sequence. Online courses are typically only offered during summer quarter.

Requests to transfer from part-time to full-time are reviewed by the department on a case-by-case basis. HCP students seeking to transfer to the full-time on-campus program, and full-time students seeking to transfer to the part-time HCP program, must submit a student transfer request at least 3 weeks before the beginning of the quarter.

 

Please note the following limitations:

  • Students can make a maximum of two (2) transfers during the program (e.g. transfer from part-time to full-time (1) and back to part-time (2))
  • Students may not transfer to full-time status for the final quarter of their degree program

Please submit the Student Transfer Request Form to SCPD. They will route the form to the Statistics department for approval. You will receive a formal notice from the SCPD office when a decision has been made.

Up to 18 units of qualifying coursework taken as an NDO student may be applied toward the master's degree requirements at Stanford if the student later applies and is admitted to the Statistics M.S. degree program.

Please refer the same question on the Admissions FAQ page: [...] academics/ms-admissions-faq

Yes; you are still eligible to apply to our M.S. program. However, in your application you should clearly articulate your reasons for pursuing another master's degree and how this connects to your future career goals.

Yes; however, we recommend that you submit no more than one professional reference (academic references are strongly preferred). It is ultimately your decision as to which references will best support your application. Your application will still be reviewed regardless of where your letters of recommendation come from.

Yes. HCP students may choose the course delivery option that works best for them.

International Student Visa Status

Students who are not citizens of the United States must have a current US legal status document with an expiration date that covers the duration of enrollment to participate in the Honors Cooperative Program (HCP). Required documentation includes: Permanent Resident Card, Notice of Action, US visa stamp or an official US document specifying the student’s status. Part-time master’s students are required to submit copies of their updated US legal residency documentation to the Graduate Admissions Office.

 

All students who reside in the United States who are not US citizens must have a current US legal status document with an expiration date that covers the duration of the quarter for enrollment. Required documentation includes: Permanent Resident Card, Notice of Action, US visa stamp or an official US document specifying the student’s status.

 

If you wish to pursue full-time academic or vocational studies in the United States, you may be eligible for one of two nonimmigrant student categories. The “F” category is for academic students and is sponsored by the University. Full-time enrollment is required, with the exception of approved special registration status.

 

No. Master's degree diploma is exactly the same, no matter how you complete the degree.

No. A person on the H-1B visa is allowed to work in the U.S. and with sponsorship of their employer pursue a degree (part-time). When a person must switch to an F-1 student visa, they must enroll as a full-time student; that person is then ineligible to participate as an HCP student. Students on the F-1 visa are now allowed to work full-time during the academic year.