Postgraduate Tuition Fees
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We know how expensive postgraduate study can be. That's why we offer generous fee discounts to help ease your financial concerns.
We're here to support you as you make a fundamental investment in your future, and our fee reductions make postgraduate study all the more affordable.
A postgraduate degree not only broadens your career opportunities but increases your earning power.
Alumni Loyalty Scheme
University of Sunderland Alumni (graduates) who stay on or return to study with us and enrol on a full or part-time postgraduate course on either of our Sunderland campuses will receive a 20% waiver on the full cost of their course fees. Eligible courses must have a start date between 1 August 2024 and 31 July 2025, and cover the following awards: MA, MSc, LLM, MBA, MPhil, PhD, DProf, DBA, EdD, or PhD by Existing or Creative Works. PGCE and Apprenticeship courses are not eligible. See the Alumni Loyalty Scheme guidance notes.
Home Fees
Skip to International FeesFull-time fees
A full-time taught postgraduate course usually takes one year to complete. Some full-time taught postgraduate courses have different fees; you can find the fee for each course on the course page.
Part-time fees
Most taught postgraduate courses (MA, MSc) are £445 per 10-credit module for 2024/25 entry, but there are exceptions. Most postgraduate courses are 180 credits in total, and will normally take two years to complete on a part-time basis.
A small number of part-time taught postgraduate courses have different fees; you can find the fee for each course on the course page.
Funding your postgraduate course
Postgraduate students can apply for a non-means-tested Postgraduate Master's Loan of up to £11,222. The loans are available to full-time, part-time and distance learning students under 60 years of age.
Further details about the new loans can be found in our Help and Advice article and on the .gov website.
International Fees
International student fee discount
International fees apply to students who live outside of the UK. Tuition fees for international students are higher because the UK Government subsidises the cost of university tuition for UK students.
A full-time postgraduate course usually takes one year to complete. Fee information for each course can be found on the course page.
If you are an international postgraduate student, you are eligible for a £900 tuition fee reduction subject to availability.
Postgraduate research tuition fees
Tuition fees vary according to whether you study full-time or part-time, and whether you are a UK, EU or international applicant. Please note that there may be additional costs for research requirements such as consumables, travel and subsistence.
2023/24 UK/Ireland/EU settled/pre-settled postgraduate research fees
PhD and MPhil fees
- On-campus full-time: £4,500 per year
- On-campus part-time: £3,681 per year
- Distance learning full-time: £3,681 per year
- Distance learning part-time: £3,681 per year
Other research degree fees:
The following degrees are all studied on a part-time basis only:
- Doctorate of Business Administration: £6,000 per year
- PhD by Existing Published or Creative Works: £6,000 per year
- Professional Doctorate: £4,500 per year
- Higher Research Degree: £3,980 per year
2023/24 international postgraduate research fees
PhD and MPhil fees:
- On-campus full-time: £13,500 per year
- On-campus part-time: £8,500 per year
- Distance learning full-time: £8,000 per year
- Distance learning part-time: £8,000 per year
Other research degree fees:
The following postgraduate research degrees are all studied on a part-time basis only.
- Doctorate of Business Administration: £8,000 per year
- PhD by Existing Published or Creative Works: £7,000 per year
- Higher Research Degree: £4,500 per year
- Professional Doctorate: £8,000 per year
Write up fees:
PhD, MPhil and Professional Doctorate research degrees also have an additional write up fee. For more information about postgraduate research fees, please contact the Graduate Research Support team at grs@sunderland.ac.uk / 0191 515 2073 or 0191 515 2272.
Please note that part-time courses are not available to international students who require a Student visa to study in the UK.
There are now government loans to help with the costs of PhD study. Please see the video below.
The University of Sunderland's Student Financial Guidance team provides expert financial guidance to students and prospective students on a wide range of issues - so you can get expert help before you even apply for university. The service is free, confidential, impartial and non-judgemental.