Masters Degree Tuition and Fees
The amount of tuition and the general fee increases each year, and is set in late spring by the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania. The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania reserve the right to increase tuition and fees and otherwise to amend the regulations concerning tuition, fees, and method of payment at any time and to make such changes applicable to students in the University at that time as well as to new students.
All continuing and new students in the Weitzman School, whether or not they advance register, are billed with the same due date for full tuition and general fees according to a set schedule. Tuition and general fees must be paid before the appointed date of registration for each semester.
Weitzman is a full-tuition school; during the fall and spring terms (and summer term for AAD students, as noted below), all Weitzman students are charged the full-time tuition rate if they take 3, 4, or 5 CUs (see details below about exceptions due to official part-time status). Taking required CUs in the summer, or reducing CUs in one term in order to overload CUs in a future term does not alter the full-tuition bill for the fall and spring terms unless a student has been approved in advance for part-time status. Taking courses in the summer or taking more than 5 CUs in any term will result in additional tuition charges.
All Weitzman School students in professional degree programs are permitted to take up to five (5) course units (CUs) within the full-time tuition and general fee cost. Students may register for six (6) course units with the written permission of their department chair and the course instructor. If the student is auditing the 6th CU, there will be no additional tuition or general fee charge. If the student is taking the 6th CU for credit, the student will be charged tuition for the additional course unit, at the per-CU rate. There is no change in tuition and fees for full-time students who are registered for three (3) or four (4) CUs and audit a 5th course. Students who register for less than three (3) course units who wish to audit a course will be charged tuition and fees for the audited course.
Students who declare part-time status and are approved for part-time enrollment by their program chair or director are billed at the per-CU rate. These students are specially coded as part-time by the Registrar for the term in which they have been approved for part-time status. (Note: part-time status needs to be requested each term; approval of part-time status in one term does not confirm part-time status for another term.) Students who know they will be changing to part-time status should review the Part-time status section and consult with the Weitzman Registrar. Upon completion of course requirements, a candidate for a Master of Science degree must be continuously enrolled until graduation and pay a master’s thesis fee each semester. Please review the “Enrollment Status” section for additional information.
Summer Tuition
Summer tuition is based on the tuition and fee rates approved by the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania for the upcoming academic year. This means that summer tuition and fees are billed at the same rate as the upcoming Fall and Spring terms, and not at the rate used in the preceding Fall and Spring terms.
For students in degree programs with required full-time summer coursework (such as the MSD-AAD), standard full-time tuition rates for the upcoming academic year apply. In all other situations, Weitzman students who choose to take courses over the summer are charged Weitzman's per-CU tuition rate. There is no discount in future terms if courses counting towards the degree are taken during the summer.
PhD Tuition and Fees
In addition to tuition, doctoral students pay a full or reduced general fee (outlined in the tuition and fees chart below). There are two types of tuition categories for doctoral students:
Full Tuition: tuition for full-time PhD students will be charged at a “Full-Tuition Flat Rate” for the first three years (six terms, excluding summers) of enrollment. Full tuition applies whether the student takes three, four, or five courses in a semester or is on dissertation status. (The fifth course can only be taken as an audit.)
Reduced Tuition: doctoral students are eligible for reduced tuition in year four if coursework has been completed. If it has, the student will be charged reduced tuition until the degree is awarded or for a maximum of five (5) additional years from the semester the student goes on reduced tuition status.
Tuition Waiver: doctoral students who defend early in the semester, by the "tuition waiver-defend by date" set by the Office of the Provost, qualify for a tuition waiver (in the form of a refund) for that final term. Because students are charged tuition at the start of the term regardless of the anticipated tuition defense date, it is the student's responsibility to reach out to the Weitzman Registrar to request a tuition refund in instances where the early defense deadline has been met.
2023 - 2024 Tuition and Fees
The tuition and fees in this table apply to the Summer 2023, Fall 2023, and Spring 2024 terms.
Tuition: Masters Students | |
Fall/Spring Full-Time Tuition (charged for 3, 4, or 5 CUs) | $29,339 per term |
Per-CU Rate (charged to part-time students in Fall/Spring and all students taking Weitzman summer courses) | $7,428 per CU |
Masters Completion Seminar (.25 CU)* | $1,857 per term |
Masters Thesis (ARCH 990, HSPV 990, MUSA 990) | $1,154 per term |
Summer 2023 CPT Course (International students only, and only if applicable) | $500 |
*Students taking the Masters Completion Seminar are charged 25% of the per-CU General Fee rate | |
Tuition: Doctoral Students | |
Fall/Spring Full-Time Tuition | $20,772 per term |
Fall/Spring Reduced Tuition | $2,596 per term |
Fees | |
General Fee (Full-time Masters students and Full Tuition Doctoral Students) | $1,901 per term |
Per-CU General Fee (Masters students taking 2 or fewer CUs; Masters students enrolled in summer courses) | $474 per CU |
Reduced General Fee (Reduced-Tuition Doctoral Students) | $474 per term |
Clinical Fee (All students except those who are part-time) | $344 per term |
2023 Summer Institutes | |
ARCH 7910, 7920, 7930, 7940, 7990, 8000 | $800 each |
CPLN 7930 | $250 |
HSPV 7900 | $500 |
LARP 7890, 7900, 7910, 7920 for 3 year program OR 7930, 7940, 7950 for 2 year program | $900 total |
MUSA 7940 and 7950 | $400 each |
Acceptance Deposit
When an applicant accepts admission to the university, they are required to pay a non-refundable deposit of $500, which shall be credited toward the first semester’s tuition charges. The University will furnish instructions concerning the date the deposit is due to the candidate with the notification of acceptance.
Financial Aid
Fellowships and scholarships are awarded by the Dean on the recommendation of the Chair of the student’s Department. In order to receive scholarship or fellowship aid from the Weitzman School, students must be enrolled full-time and maintain a fully paid balance at the University of Pennsylvania. Offers of financial aid remain valid for one year and are generally carried into subsequent years provided the student maintains good academic performance. Upon transfer to another Department within the Weitzman School, a student may not receive the same Weitzman School scholarship. If a student is enrolled in a dual-degree program and discontinues one of the programs, their Weitzman School scholarship may be reduced.
Changes in a student’s registration may affect the Weitzman School scholarship they are receiving. If a student registers for 2 course units, they will receive ½ their scholarship. If a student registers for 1 course unit, they will receive ¼ of their scholarship.
A student’s loan eligibility may be impacted if they drop below full-time status (less than three (3) course units). If a student withdraws from a course(s) their scholarship may be withdrawn as well. When a student takes a leave of absence, any Weitzman School scholarship they were receiving will be reinstated when they return from leave, assuming that they left in good academic standing.
Visit Weitzman Financial Aid and Financial Aid FAQs for more information.