Graduate School
Apply for MFA or Doctoral Study at Brown
Start your application and begin your graduate journey at Brown University.
Apply for MFA or Doctoral Study at Brown
Start your application and begin your graduate journey at Brown University.
Criteria for Admission
Admission to the Graduate School is determined at the program level with oversight by the Graduate School. Each program, in consultation with the dean of the Graduate School, sets its own admission criteria. The individual academic programs evaluate applications for admission. Admission decisions are made after a full review of the materials in the application. Programs consider previous records, test scores and recommendations and look for clear evidence of the ability to do advanced work of the highest quality. The admission decisions are final. There is no appeals process.
Application Requirements by Program
View application requirements for each program on the Graduate Programs site. Brown offers nearly 100 options for master’s, doctoral, executive leadership, certification and dual-degree medical programs.
Notification
Applicants should expect to be notified within four to eight weeks of the application deadline for their programs (February or March for a January 1 deadline). Whether or not applications that are submitted after a program's stated deadline will be reviewed is at the discretion of each program. While individual academic programs evaluate applicants for admission, offers of admission are only binding when made in writing by the dean of the Graduate School. Admission may, in some cases, be deferred; aid offers cannot be deferred.
The Graduate School follows Brown's policy on equal opportunity, nondiscrimination and affirmative action.
Program Inquiries
Doctoral or MFA Program Inquiries
For questions regarding the application process or admission to a doctoral or MFA program, email graduate_admissions@brown.edu, call the Graduate School at 401-863-2600 or complete the graduate admission inquiry form.
Master's (Non-MFA) Program Inquiries
For questions regarding the application process or admission to a Master's program (non-MFA), visit masters.brown.edu
Doctoral and MFA Applications
The Graduate School manages applications for all MFA and doctoral programs. Brown’s online application provides tools for collecting and submitting all documents and information required for the application. Individual academic departments may require additional information, so please check individual programs for guidance.
Master’s (Non-MFA) Applicants
If you are interested in applying for a Master’s (non-MFA) or professional program at Brown, visit masters.brown.edu for more information.
Application Materials
In general, the application for graduate study at Brown includes a personal statement, college transcripts, letters of recommendation and results for the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).
While most applicants must submit a personal statement regarding their interests and/or intended areas of study, some programs ask applicants to respond to short-answer questions instead of a personal statement. Some programs ask applicants to address specific questions in their personal statements (they are provided in the prompt).
Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit a scanned image of their college transcript at the time of application, which can speed processing; however, a final, official transcript will be required of all admitted students who matriculate. Applicants who have attended international institutions must submit transcripts or certified attestations of study, with certified English translations. Once translated, the original transcript and the certified translations are to be sent to the Graduate School admission office. College seniors should submit current transcripts, followed by a final official transcript showing the award of the baccalaureate degree prior to matriculation, as is required and mentioned above.
The Graduate School requires three letters of recommendation by persons well qualified to speak from first-hand knowledge about the applicant's potential for graduate study. All letters should comment on an applicant’s ability to do research and perform in the program’s required coursework. At least two of these letters should be from faculty at the institution of current study or, if the applicant is not in school at the time of application, at the institution most recently attended.
Letters of recommendation for applicants to MFA programs may be from academic or nonacademic sources; please consult individual program listings for details. Letters of recommendation must be submitted online. If you are using Interfolio, please refer to their website for instructions on submitting your recommendations electronically.
Applicants to programs requiring the GRE must have their results to the Graduate School or, if applying to one of the programs in the School of Public Health, to a separate Brown University code. Please refer to our GRE page and individual listings for the doctoral or master’s program for details.
All international applicants whose native language is not English must ensure that the Graduate School receives their official score from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), TOEFL ITP Plus for China or International English Language Testing System (IELTS).
A nonrefundable fee of $75 is charged for processing each application received by the Graduate School. This fee must be paid when the application is submitted. An application will not be processed unless the fee is paid.
Applicants who want to be evaluated by more than one graduate program must submit separate applications to each program for which they would like to be considered.
The Graduate School is not responsible for errors made by applicants during the application process. There are no application fee refunds.
Application fee waivers are available under certain circumstances. Applicants to Brown's graduate programs who can demonstrate financial need may apply for an application fee waiver.
All materials related to an application that are not submitted electronically as part of the online application should be mailed to the Graduate School admission office:
47 George St., Box 1867
Brown University
Providence, R.I. 02912.
Do not send any application materials directly to the program you are applying to as this will only slow the progress of your application. Material submitted in support of the application, including transcripts and writing samples, will not be returned to the applicant.
Additional Questions?
Complete the graduate admission inquiry form to request information about Brown's Graduate application process and admission requirements.