Master's Programs FAQ
Find answers to common questions about the master's application process, tuition and financial aid, student support services, and information for admitted students.
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Master's Programs FAQ
Find answers to common questions about the master's application process, tuition and financial aid, student support services, and information for admitted students.
Considering a Brown Master’s?
Brown master's tuition varies by program. Many Brown master's programs require between eight to twelve courses and total tuition averages $77,000 or $38,500 a year, before applicable fees and living expenses (excluding MFA programs). Please note, many programs also offer merit scholarships, and some offer paid co-ops and internships to help offset costs.
The best way to understand the cost is to review the tuition and fee information for the specific program you're considering.
Yes. Many Brown master's programs offer merit-based scholarships, although availability, eligibility, and award amounts vary by program.
Some programs offer scholarships of up to 50% of tuition. Applicants should review the funding information for their specific program for details.
Yes. Several Brown master's programs offer merit-based scholarships that are not based on financial need.
Scholarship decisions and criteria vary by program. Depending on the program, awards may consider academic preparation, professional experience, leadership, and the overall strength of the application.
Scholarship amounts vary by program. Some Brown master's programs offer merit scholarships of up to 50% of tuition.
Programs that offer scholarships up to 50% include Brown's online master's programs as well as the Master's in Cybersecurity program (although limited).
Because tuition and scholarship opportunities differ across programs, prospective students should review their program's specific funding information to understand the potential cost after scholarship assistance.
Brown's cost of attendance is an estimate of the total cost of attending graduate school for a period of time. It can include tuition as well as expenses such as housing, food, health insurance, transportation, books and personal expenses.
Your program's tuition is only one component of that total.
If your master's program requires eight courses, for example, you should look at the total tuition required for those courses rather than assuming that Brown's annual cost-of-attendance figure is the tuition price of your degree.
Brown master's programs have different curricular structures depending on the field and degree. Many traditional on-campus require eight courses, which can be completed over a traditional two-year course of study when students take two courses per semester. Students in the one-year programs complete two courses every quarter.
An eight-course curriculum allows students to pursue a focused master's degree while still having time to engage deeply with their field, develop relationships with faculty and classmates, and take advantage of Brown's academic and professional resources.
The actual time required to complete a degree depends on the program's curriculum, course schedule, enrollment status, and the pace at which a student takes courses. Review your specific program's curriculum and degree requirements for details.
A master's degree can be valuable for many reasons. It can help you advance your career, develop new expertise, change career direction or pursue a subject you're passionate about.
Nationally, workers with master's degrees earn a median 19% more per week than workers with bachelor's degrees, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
For some students, earning a master's at Brown is also a personal or lifelong goal—the opportunity to challenge yourself, join an Ivy League academic community or achieve something you've always wanted to do.
The right question is whether the experience and opportunities align with your goals and aspirations.
No. You do not need to have attended an Ivy League institution as an undergraduate to apply to a Brown master's program.
Brown master's students come from a wide range of colleges and universities, academic disciplines and professional backgrounds. Brown has a distinctive culture that many students experience as open, collaborative and welcoming.
Each master's program has its own admissions requirements and evaluates applicants according to its individual criteria.
General FAQ
Yes. Students may apply for a permit to park at Brown lots and University-owned streets. Parking is also available on the street and at metered spaces for students and visitors without a permit. More information about parking and transit options can be found on Brown’s transportation website.
Cross-registration between Harvard and RISD is subject to approval by the Director of Graduate Studies of a particular Master’s program and a Dean of the Graduate School. If approved, Brown students may register for up to (1) one course. More information about cross-registration can be found here.
Cross registration between Harvard and RISD is not currently available for students enrolled in online Master’s programs.
No, classes are not typically available in multiple formats. If you’re enrolled in a residential program, you will not be eligible to enroll in an online version of the same class otherwise offered on-campus.
Students enrolled in an online master’s program may only register for the courses outlined within their curriculum sequence. Online master’s courses are not offered in-person, and residential master’s students are not eligible to enroll in courses that are offered in the online master’s programs.
Current faculty, staff and students can ride the Brown University shuttle and RIPTA buses/trolleys for free anytime, anywhere in the state with their Brown ID. Brown’s investment in RIPTA's University Pass Program (U-PASS) is one of many transportation initiatives benefiting its employees, students, and the broader community. Please note individuals with a Brown Visitor ID are not eligible for the RIPTA U-PASS program.
Applicants
Select Master’s programs offer an opportunity for you to connect with faculty and/or Student Ambassadors before submitting an application. A general department email can be found in the master’s programs list, where you can inquire directly about connecting with current students.
For questions or assistance needed with the Master’s program application, please contact the Enrollment team at masters_admissions@brown.edu.
For Professional Master's programs, contact professional@brown.edu.
For Online Master’s programs, contact onlinemasters_admissions@brown.edu.
No. The GRE requirement cannot be waived. However, not all master's programs require the GRE. Please check your program's admissions requirements for more information.
Yes. Applicants are eligible to apply for a need-based application fee waiver through a form on the application. Veterans and Active Duty Military personnel are eligible for a waiver after providing necessary documentation.
Also, on occasion, students who attend information sessions for the programs are offered application fee waivers.
Depending on the approval of any respective program, up to (1) one course may be eligible for transfer. Prospective students are encouraged to reach out directly to their program of interest to inquire about more information on transfer credit policies.
All of our programs require that applicants have earned a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution in the United States or an equivalent degree from outside of the United States prior to enrolling at Brown. If your credentials are from outside the United States, we suggest you review the free Degree Equivalency Tool from World Education Services. Please note that Brown reserves the right to determine if an applicant has obtained (or is currently completing) an equivalent bachelor's degree, independent of the results generated from the WES Degree Equivalency Tool.
If you believe that your credentials are equivalent to a bachelor's degree from the United States, then you are welcome to submit an application to Brown. At the time of application, we require, at a minimum, copies of transcripts of all prior institutions attended. Please ensure these transcripts are translated into English.
No, official transcripts are not required at the time of application. Official transcripts are required only if you are admitted and decide to enroll. Official transcripts must be submitted prior to starting your first semester.
Letters of recommendation must come directly from the recommender and cannot be submitted by an applicant. As you complete the application, you’ll be prompted to add the email addresses of your recommenders, and they will receive an email from Brown to submit their letters through an external platform. Please note that letters of recommendation may be received before a completed application.
It is important to ask for recommendations from people who know you well, and can write a detailed and thoughtful assessment on your behalf. Generally, character references from family, friends, and from people whom you have not worked with, are not particularly strong or helpful. If you have completed a degree program within the last few years, we recommend that at least (1) one recommendation be an academic reference. Some programs may have specific requirements related to recommender type. Please check your program’s admissions requirements to confirm.
Select Master’s programs have priority deadlines and/or release admission decisions on a rolling basis. For residential programs that start in the Fall or Summer, admission decisions will be released in early March. For residential programs that start in the Spring, decisions will be released beginning in November. Applicants will be notified via the email they used to submit their application.
Yes. Brown will consider late submission of supplemental materials only if they are received within two (2) weeks of a specific program’s deadline. Please see application deadlines per program here. *Grace period subject to change by individual program.
For programs within the School of Public Health, you will need to submit an official credential evaluation from WES, ECE or TEC at the time of application. For all other programs, an official credential evaluation is required only if you are admitted and decide to enroll.
For online Master’s programs, you may submit your application with an unofficial copy of your credential evaluation, but applications will not be considered complete or rendered an admissions decision until official scores are received directly from the WES, ECE or TEC.
For applicants who received a degree from an institution in which English was not the sole-language of instruction, you will be prompted within the application to submit proof of English-language proficiency. If received from an institution in English was the sole-language of instruction, this requirement will be automatically waived.
For more information visit this page.
You may submit an application with only self-reported scores, but applications will not be considered complete until official scores are received directly from ETS/IELTS.
For more information visit this page.
The recommended minimum score for the TOEFL is 577 on the paper-based test and 90 on the Internet-based test. For IELTS, the recommended minimum overall band score is 7. Please note that select Master’s programs require scores that may be higher than this minimum stated. Applicants are highly encouraged to review program-specific TOEFL/IELTS scores before submitting an application.
For more information visit this page.
Yes. You may also email us at masters_admissions@brown.edu for help with troubleshooting.
No. However, all on-campus students (domestic and international) who are employed are limited to working 20 hours per week.
Our Office of International Student and Scholars (OISSS) can assist you with any visa related questions. You can make an appointment or find more contact info on the OISSS website.
Visas are not issued or supported for any online Master’s program. International students are welcome to apply and enroll in an online Master’s program. However, to comply with OFAC restrictions and licensing requirements, Brown University currently does not offer online programs to individuals physically located in the following areas: Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, and the Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine. Please note that this limitation is location based, as well as applies to all citizens of these countries, regardless of location, who are ordinarily resident in these countries. View more information pertaining to embargoed country regulations for online courses.
Yes, but each application is subject to a separate application fee. Should you be offered admission to more than one program, you may only accept the offer for one program.
Application fees are non-refundable. Please ensure that you are applying to the correct program and are aware of all application requirements before paying your application fee.
If your application fee waiver is not being applied to your application, please email masters_events@brown.edu.
If you are reaching out outside of business hours, you may submit your application without paying and reach out the next day for assistance.
Yes, Brown University has an AI policy for all master’s program applications. Applicants will be required to agree to the following statement when submitting their application:
- I certify that all information submitted in the admission process — including this application and any other supporting materials — is my own work, factually true, and honestly presented. While I may use artificial intelligence to assist with spelling and grammar review (in the same way as any other platform that supports basic proofreading), the content of all essays, short-answer questions and any other material submitted by me is my own work. Furthermore, I acknowledge that it is considered application misrepresentation to submit plagiarized essays or other written or oral material, or intentionally misrepresenting as one’s own original work: (1) another person’s thoughts, language, ideas, expressions, or experiences or (2) the substantive content or output of an artificial intelligence (AI) platform, technology, or algorithm (including but not limited to ChatGPT, Gemini, Bard, and Llama, for example).
Tuition and Aid
Updated tuition rates are found on the Student Financial Services website.
Scholarships are extremely limited and not available for every program. Some programs offer need and/or merit-based scholarships that may require a separate application. We recommend contacting your desired master's program and checking out their department website for more information on scholarship availability.
Financial aid in the form of loans can be applied for using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is available exclusively to domestic/U.S. citizens. Find more information about Graduate financial aid. There are alternative resources for international students not eligible for the FAFSA.
Access more information about master's degree funding.
Student Support
From personalized career advising appointments, to job boards and professional development funding, our diverse career services and professional development programs are designed to support career exploration, open doors to meaningful connections and empower the next generation of leaders.
Reach out to your program and/or join the master's student listserv managed by Graduate Student Council (GSC).
There are local daycare options in Providence; we also have a listserv for Brown students where you can connect with other graduate students who are also parents here.
Most (if not all) sports clubs are open to grad students, GCB, org fair at the start of the semester, most participants/members will likely be undergrad but welcome grad students. Explore over 20 Graduate Student Groups, including organizations and clubs, at Brown.
The open curriculum is mostly for undergrads.
The University is engaged in the work of creating a diverse and equitable academic community, as evidenced by Pathways to Diversity and Inclusion: An Action Plan for Brown University. This public document formalizes and expands on the strategy of Brown’s efforts articulated in the University’s Building on Distinction plan.
There are: winter coat funding, food support, regalia funding, medical, travel (which covers unexpected travel costs to or from Providence in the case of an emergency), car repair, textbooks/learning materials, and personal (this covers things like DACA fees, for example).
Brown students can ride the RIPTA buses and trolleys for free with their Brown ID. Current faculty, staff, and students are able to ride any RIPTA bus or trolley anytime, anywhere in the state at no charge. Brown’s investment in RIPTA's University Pass Program (U-PASS) program is one of many transportation initiatives benefiting its employees, students, and the broader community.
Yes, Brown offers Psychiatry and individual counseling, in-person and online via telehealth, through the office of Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS). BWell Health Promotion and Health Services also offers preventaitve care, support groups, workshops, and health empowerment tools for master's students.
Yes- the gym is free for all master's students regardless of modality! If you are local, please feel free to check out more information on the gym membership included.
Contact Student Accessibility Services with questions about accessibility around campus.
Meal plans are available for on-campus master's students. Learn more on the Brown Dining website.
Students enrolled in an online program are not eligible to enroll in on-campus courses. However, you still have access to on-campus facilities such as the libraries and dining halls, and resources such as professional development, counseling and psychological services and English language support.
Yes, but it is extremely limited for on-campus master's students only. We recommend starting your housing search as soon as you have decided to enroll. Brown-affiliated and Brown-owned housing applications are available only for students who have submitted their enrollment deposit. Most master's students find housing that is off-campus but still easily accessible to campus. Learn more about Brown-owned and Brown affiliated housing.
On-campus and local online master's students can find resources on searching for housing here. You can also join the Graduate Student Listserv to find sublets/roommates.
Yes. All registered full and part-time students, including undergraduate, graduate and medical students, not enrolled in an exclusively online program are required to enroll in Brown’s Student Health Insurance Plan. For students who have comparable health insurance coverage which meets all Brown requirements, an annual waiver may be submitted for review through an external validation process. Please see more information about the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) here.
Students enrolled in an online Master’s program are automatically waived from SHIP and do not need to take additional action. However, if an online Master’s student is in need of SHIP, they are eligible to opt-in via our insurance broker’s website.
Yes. The Sheridan Center offers a wide array of teaching and learning services for current students, ranging from curriculum support to tutoring.workshops and/or individual support. Please see their website for more information.
Admitted Students
Reach out to your specific program for more ways to connect before you arrive on campus.
On-campus orientation occurs generally the last week of August before the first day of classes. International and All-Student orientations are available virtually.
Students enrolled in fully online Master’s programs are not required to attend on-campus orientation, but are welcome to participate.
Yes, all students are invited to join in the Fall orientation sessions.
To begin the visa application process, you will need to complete the Financial Certification process to receive an I-20 from Brown; this process begins annually in late March/early April for Summer and Fall start programs.
Once you decide to enroll and submit your enrollment deposit, the Office of International Student and Scholar Services (OISSS) and the Master’s Enrollment Team will provide instructions on how to start the visa application process via the OISSS Gateway Portal, which is sent to you via your Brown e-mail address. Please see the OISSS website for more information.
Please note, visas are not issued or supported for any online Master’s program. International students are welcome to apply and enroll in an online Master’s program. However, to comply with OFAC restrictions and licensing requirements, Brown University currently does not offer online programs to individuals physically located in the following areas: Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, and the Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine. Please note that this limitation is location based, as well as applies to all citizens of these countries, regardless of location, who are ordinarily resident in these countries. View more information pertaining to embargoed country regulations for online courses.
As stated in your acceptance letter, enrollment deposits are non-refundable. If you decide to withdraw your enrollment at Brown, the deposit is forfeited. If you enroll and attend Brown, the deposit will be applied to your tuition.
Yes. In order to defer your enrollment, you must obtain approval from your program to do so. All approved deferrals must:
- Complete your enrollment form indicating “Yes” that you intend to enroll
- Pay your non-refundable enrollment deposit
A second enrollment deposit will be required to re-confirm your enrollment in the term to which you deferred. All deposits are then applied to your tuition and fees.
External applicants (non-Brown 5th years) are eligible to defer their enrollment up to one year upon department approval.
Brown 5th year applicants are eligible to defer their enrollment up to two years, in one year increments, upon department approval. Please note that if you defer twice, you will be paying three deposits in total (one for your original admitted term, the intermediary term, and the term you will begin classes). All deposits paid will be applied to your tuition.
Please ensure that deferral requests are approved and processed at least one week before the start of classes.