Tuition & Financial Aid
Tuition
*All tuition information should be verified through each program's respective source.
MS and PhD
Entering Ph.D. students are assessed $20,360 each semester (fall and spring) during academic years 1-3. The tuition charge for continuing Ph.D. students is $2,865 each semester (fall and spring) during academic years 4+.
Tuition charges for part-time master's or Continuing Studies students is $1,860 per unit or semester hour and $15,405 per semester.
Lean more on Duke's graduate school website.
MEng
Program tuition for the 2011-2012 academic year is $14,220 per semester taken at the university. Download this .pdf for tuition details.
MEMP
Program tuition for the 2011-2012 academic year is $20,335 per semester. Download this .pdf for tuition details or this one for the distance memp.
Financial Aid
The contributions of graduate students are highly valued in the university, and Duke has a strong commitment to financially support the students it selects for graduate study.
Support for Ph.D. Candidates
University Fellowships
The Duke University Graduate School and the Pratt School of Engineering share a strong commitment to financially supporting students admitted into a doctoral program. A variety of funding mechanisms exist to cover tuition and fees. Support includes University allocated awards, endowed fellowships, foundation grants, and other private support, as well as federal research and training grants. Students wishing to be considered for financial awards administered by the Graduate School should check the appropriate box of the online application and make certain that a complete application is received by the deadline date for the fall semester.
First-year PhD Fellowships
Most entering first-year students receive University allocated service-free awards, which pay all or part of the student’s tuition and fees and annual health insurance. The maximum award value is currently $18,820, plus the health insurance fee, which varies depending individual characteristics, such as age. Students also receive a stipend of $24,750.
Continuing PhD Fellowships
During their second and third years, PhD students continue to receive tuition remission, including the summer, as well as their health insurance, fees and stipend. Beginning in year four, students receive $2,650 in tuition remission, fees and stipend. Duke continues to pay the health insurance fee until the sixth year.
Non-University Fellowships
Potential students, as well as continuing PhD candidates, are encouraged to compete for national and foundation awards for graduate study. These external awards are often prestigious and provide a valuable acknowledgement of a student’s intellectual project and promise. Duke’s Office of Research Support lists awards available from various federal and private funding sources. See Pratt's list of fellowships and Duke’s Office of Research Support website.
Teaching and Research Assistantships
Teaching is considered an integral part of the graduate experience. It prepares future Ph.D. holders for a possible academic career by providing experience in lecturing, teaching laboratory experiments, and tutoring individual students. It helps develop skills in communicating ideas and fair grading. As part of graduate training, each doctoral graduate student is required to serve two semesters as a teaching assistant (TA), while each Master's graduate student is expected to serve one semester in that capacity. A typical teaching workload of a TA is about 10 hours per week, for which the student is paid an hourly rate. Most departments also have paid research assistantships available, which are primarily funded through federal or private grants.
Support for Master Students
Because Master's degrees are professional degrees rather than research degrees, most students pay their own tuition costs. Many students take out loans and feel there will be an excellent "return on investment" when they get out into the work force.
US citizens and eligible non-citizens are able to borrow through the Federal Stafford Loan Program. Applicants for assistance through this program must file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which may be completed online at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/. When completing the online form students will be asked for Duke's Title IV Code; it is 002920.
Maximum eligibility under the Stafford Subsidized Loan Program is $8500 per year. In addition students can borrow up to $12000 more per year under the Stafford Unsubsidized Loan Program. For further information on the FAFSA and the US Department of Educationâ's Stafford Loan Program, please call 1-800-433-3243.
International applicants are not eligible for Federal loans; however, many international students take out loans in their home countries, and some US banks may offer loans to international students for study in the US.
Fellowships
Some departments will occasionally provide some reduced-tuition assistance, but most of Pratt’s masters students pay through a combination of loans and their own money.
Also see Duke Graduate School Master Student Financial Aid web page.
On-Campus Work
While enrolled in the program, many students work in a variety of places, such as campus libraries and various departments within Duke University. Teaching assistantships are available in various departments, and some departments have research assistantships as well. These positions are paid an hourly rate, and most students work between 10 to 20 hours per week. Positions are generally posted and filled just a week or two before classes begin each semester.
