Stanford Graduate Summer Institute Overview

SGSI is taking place September 8-11, 2026 (with potential addition of Sept. 4th, 12th, or 14th at instructor’s discretion). SGSI happens two weeks before the Autumn Quarter begins so that you can immerse yourself without academic-year pressures. This timing also allows new students to participate in New Graduate Student Orientation* activities, which take place the week after SGSI. Some course schedules may vary, so please review each course’s specific schedule carefully and cross-reference with your calendar to ensure you can fully commit to your intended course.

*International students should verify that SGSI course schedules do not conflict with mandatory components of Bechtel's international student orientation.

SGSI is open to current and incoming graduate and professional students who will be enrolled in a degree program in Autumn 2026*. Each course is different, so check out their pages to learn more about their desired audience. Postdoctoral scholars will be invited to apply starting during the final/postdoc application period starting July 6th. University staff, recently graduated students, and visiting scholars are not eligible to participate.

*MSx Class of 2027 and first year MBA students are ineligible to participate due to mandatory program requirements.

Read the course descriptions and click the Apply button to begin. You will be asked to indicate your first and second choice courses and briefly describe your interest in each. After submitting your application, there are several important steps to follow if you receive an offer of admission to a course. Please review the steps below to ensure you don't miss anything that could lead to your application being withdrawn.  

1. Apply: Complete the application. You will need to return to your application portal for future steps.
2. Decision Notification: Wait for an email regarding your admission decision (all correspondence will be sent to your Stanford email ONLY).
3. Accept Offer: If admitted, formally accept the offer in your portal by the deadline specified in the email. This does not mean you are enrolled until you finish the steps below!
4. Participation Fee Agreement: Sign and submit the Participation Fee Agreement Form in the portal for official enrollment.
5. Confirmation of Enrollment: Upon enrollment in SGSI, you will receive a confirmation email. If you do not receive this email, contact us at vpgeapplications@stanford.edu immediately to avoid being withdrawn.

NOTE: To apply, you’ll need a Stanford University Network ID (SUNet ID) and password. Set up your account here: https://accounts.stanford.edu. All SGSI correspondence, some of which are time-sensitive, will be sent to your Stanford email account, so make sure to check it!

Full participation is expected of SGSI participants. VPGE and SGSI instructors make every effort to accommodate participants who must miss part of SGSI due to foreseen circumstances such as religious holidays or unforeseen circumstances such as family emergencies. If you realize you will have a conflict with any part of SGSI, please email vpgeapplications@stanford.edu as soon as possible so that we can communicate directly with you about your options.

SGSI courses have phased application rounds. The application dates and deadlines for each round are listed at the top of the page. However, courses will accept applications until they are full, and we recommend you apply as early as possible. As courses fill, they will be noted as “closed” on the course description page and will no longer accept new applicants. Waitlists are kept at the instructor’s discretion. The application closes for good on Sunday, Aug. 2nd, 2026.

No. SGSI 2026 will be offered fully in-person, and all participants are required to be on campus during the week of instruction.

Please ensure you have reviewed the FAQs and confirmed your eligibility to apply (see “Who can participate?” above).

If you are newly enrolled at Stanford, or recently returning after being away, it may take a few weeks for your student information to update in our system, which could prevent access to the application portal. If you encounter this issue, please email us at vpgeapplications@stanford.edu, and we will provide you with a Google Form version of the application. We will manually add your application to our system.

Participants can enroll in one course during the week of SGSI. All SGSI courses run concurrently, and individual course schedules vary. Select and apply for up to two courses that best match your interests and schedule. If you are offered admission to a course and accept that offer, that is the course you’ll be enrolled in for the duration of SGSI. 

In extreme cases, a course may be canceled. If you are enrolled in or have a pending application in a canceled course, you will be notified immediately and offered a spot in other courses where possible.

There are no prerequisites for participation. New and returning students from all degree programs are welcome to apply.

You will be notified by email that you’ve been offered admittance to a course. From there, you will need to accept the offer through your application portal and virtually sign the Participation Fee Agreement. The Participation Fee Agreement is to ensure that participants fulfill their commitment to the program, especially since it is space-limited. It authorizes VPGE to charge $100 to your Stanford bill if you do not fully attend the program. 

This agreement is not a deposit, and there is no charge for full participation in the program. Charges will only apply if you do not adhere to the agreement you sign, and the fee incurred will be billed to your Stanford account after the program concludes. Exceptions may be made for extenuating circumstances on an individual participant basis. Participants are not charged for absences caused by unforeseen emergencies. Departmental commitments, pre-scheduled orientations, and/or other university activities are not considered extenuating circumstances. Once you are offered admission to a course, please confirm your participation by the deadline stated in your admittance email; otherwise, your application will be withdrawn.

Yes. Graduate housing is aware of SGSI and has worked with participants in the past to arrange move-in dates that allow them to be fully moved in by the time SGSI begins. Please note that participating in SGSI may require an earlier move-in date than you were anticipating, resulting in additional housing costs. Please contact Stanford Student Housing for any housing-related questions you may have.

NOTE (international students): The 30-day window allotted for you to arrive in the US before the start of your graduate program is sufficient for your participation in SGSI. You do not need to request an earlier date of entry. 

NOTE (incoming GSB students): An early move-in request may not be granted due to a program occurring in the GSB residences prior to SGSI. Please contact gsb_residences@stanford.edu with your specific request.

SGSI is free for participants. SGSI courses do not offer grades or credit. Courses won’t show up on your transcript, but you can list them on your resume or curriculum vitae. 

No, SGSI is not a part of the Summer academic session. Rather, it is considered an early autumn quarter program similar to NGSO.

No. Stanford Ignite is a separate program, and it is not free.