If you would like to apply to a Fifth Year Master's program, please follow the instructions below:

• Create an application at this link.
• Choose your Brown affiliation. By choosing Senior undergraduate, your application and program of study choices will be for 5th year programs. Please keep in mind that "5th Year" will not be included in the program name. If you wish to apply to a regular master's program (without the benefit of using 2 undergraduate courses towards your master's), please contact masters_admissions@brown.edu. 
• Choose the program and term to which you would like to apply.
• Complete your application and submit all materials required by your program’s deadline. 
• Required materials:
  • Unofficial transcripts
  • Two letters of recommendation 
  • Personal statement and/or program-specific questions
  • Resume/CV
• Students interested in the UGMPH program will apply through SOPHAS Express, and more information on this program can be found at this link.

You are eligible to apply to a fifth-year master’s program in the final academic year of undergraduate study at Brown.

• If you are graduating in May, please apply between September 1 and your program’s application deadline during your senior year.
• If you are graduating in December and applying for Spring entry, please apply in your final Fall semester.
• If you are graduating in December and applying for Summer or Fall entry, please apply between September 1 and your program’s application deadline.

If you have any questions about when you should apply to your program or how to indicate your Brown community status, please contact masters_admissions@brown.edu.

Note: If you are applying to the combined Baccalaureate and MAT program, you are eligible to apply in your junior year. If you are applying to the UG/MPH program, you are eligible to apply in your sophomore or junior year via SOPHAS Express.

The main benefit of completing a Fifth-Year Master’s is that you can use two of your undergraduate courses towards your master’s degree  (1 of which must be taken in your second-to-last or final semester of undergraduate studies), which means there is a tuition reduction of two courses.

Additionally, when applying, your application fee is waived, the GRE requirement is waived (if required by your program of interest), and the English language proficiency test (TOEFL/IELTS) is waived for international students.

You must be in contact with the Director of Graduate Studies of your program of interest to confirm that you have 1 or 2 courses that are eligible to be used towards your master’s degree. You will also indicate this within the application.

It depends. Some programs have specific pre-requisite courses as part of their application requirements, while others may be more flexible and do not require pre-requisite coursework. We always recommend reviewing the department webpage and connecting with the program directly for more information about specific program requirements before you apply. You can also email masters_admissions@brown.edu and we can find the right person to connect you with.

Check out our Center for Master’s Students Excellence and The Master’s Student Affairs Team at the Division of Master’s and Professional Programs. This team exclusively supports master’s students in areas of academic advising, career development, social belonging and more.

The master’s recruitment team hosts a number of virtual office hours and information sessions where you can learn more information about specific programs or most master’s focused support. You can view and register for those virtual events here.

No, Fifth-Year Master’s students will instead be eligible to apply for Graduate Student Housing with priority given to 1st-year students. You can find more information about that at the Graduate Student Housing website here.

Fifth-year students are able to apply up to 2 courses from undergrad toward their master’s, resulting in a tuition reduction of up to 2 courses. Scholarship opportunities for master’s students are extremely limited and are not centrally managed. Some programs which offer scholarships may still consider fifth-year students for merit or need-based scholarships. We recommend reaching out to the program directly to confirm.

No. If you are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, you may apply for the FAFSA to be considered for graduate student loans. You can view more information about Graduate Financial Aid as well here.

Yes, though the fees may be a little different. You can view more information about graduate student health insurance plans here and meal plans here.

Yes, you will need to work directly with OISSS to submit updated financials in order to change your degree level on your I-20. Please contact oisss@brown.edu with questions. 

You can email masters_admissions@brown.edu