Tuition and fees

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    Use the tables below to determine the minimum length of the program you’re going to take. Keep in mind that thesis-based programs can take longer to complete than what is listed. Talk to your department or school to get a sense of what to expect.

How to finance graduate school

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Transferring from a master's program to a PhD?

As of September 2019, new international PhD students are no longer charged international differential fees.

If you're a master's student who began your graduate program in September 2019 or beyond and then transferred (fast-track) to a PhD program, you will be reimbursed any international differential fees paid, where applicable, and the difference in tuition between master's and PhD programs paid from the start of your master's program to the date of your transfer to a PhD program. If eligible, reimbursed fees will be sent to you via electronic funds transfer (ETF) approximately six-to-eight weeks after the start of the term in which the transfer takes effect, with no action required on your part.

This refund is not included in the FGS-enforced scholarship cap for PhD students. If you were funded by departmental sources (such as a research grant) during the refund-eligible terms of your program, please discuss potential impacts on future departmental funding with your supervisor or graduate coordinator.

If you have any general questions about this process, please contact GradFunding@dal.ca.

Paying by the term or the course

Program Fee Degrees charge a flat rate for each term and Per-Course Fee Degrees charge by the course. Discover which kind of program you’re taking and how long you can expect to study in your program in the lists below. Please note this information refers to full-time programs only.

Program Fee Degrees:

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Standard program duration: 5 years or longer
Full-time program fees: Full-time fees throughout the program

Graduate Diploma in Orthoptics and Ophthalmic Medical Technology (OOMT)
Standard program duration: 2 years
Full-time program fees: 2 years

Master of Applied Computer Science (MACSc)
Standard program duration: 16 months or longer
Full-time program fees: 1 year

Master of Applied Science (MASc)
Standard program duration: 2 years or longer
Full-time program fees: 1 year

Master of Arts (MA)
Standard program duration: 16 months or longer
Full-time program fees: 1 year

Master of Arts (MA) in Economics without a thesis
Standard program duration: 12 months
Full-time program fees: 1 year

Master of Business Administration – Corporate Residency (MBA – CORP)
Standard program duration: 23 months or longer
Full-time program fees: 2 years

Master of Computer Science (MCSc)
Standard program duration: 2 years or longer
Full-time program fees: 1 year

Master of Development Economics (MDE) with thesis
Standard program duration: 16 months or longer
Full-time program fees: 1 year

Master of Development Economics (MDE) without a thesis
Standard program duration: 12 months
Full-time program fees: 1 year

Master of Digital Innovation (MDI)
Standard program duration: 16 months or longer
Full-time program fees: 16 months

Master of Engineering (MENG) (for Internetworking, see listing under 'Per-course fee degrees')
Standard program duration: 16 months or longer
Full-time program fees: 1 year

Master of Environmental Studies (MES)
Standard program duration: 2 years or longer
Full-time program fees: 2 years

Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
Standard program duration: 16 months or longer
Full-time program fees: 2 years

Master of Health Administration (MHA)
Standard program duration: 16 months or longer
Full-time program fees: 16 months

Master of Laws (LLM)
Standard program duration: 16 months or longer
Full-time program fees: 1 year

Master of Marine Management (MMM)
Standard program duration: 16 months or longer
Full-time program fees: 1 year

Master of Nursing (MN)
Standard program duration: 16 months or longer
Full-time program fees: 1 year

Master of Periodontics (MPERIO)
Standard program duration: 3 years or longer
Full-time program fees: 3 years

Master of Science (MSc)
Standard program duration: 2 years or longer
Full-time program fees: 1 years

Master of Science in Audiology (MSc)
Standard program duration: 3 years or longer
Full-time program fees: 3 years

Master of Science in Business (MSc)
Standard program duration: 16 months or longer
Full-time program fees: 1 year

Master of Science in Clinical Vision Science (MSc)
Standard program duration: 3 years or longer
Full-time program fees: 2 years

Master of Science in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics (MSc)
Standard program duration: 16 months or longer
Full-time program fees: 1 year

Master of Science in Engineering Mathematics (MSc)
Standard program duration: 16 months or longer
Full-time program fees: 1 year

Master of Science in Food Science (MSc)
Standard program duration: 16 months or longer
Full-time program fees: 1 year

Master of Science in Human Communication Disorders (MSc)
Standard program duration: 3 years or longer
Full-time program fees: 3 years

Master of Science in Kinesiology (MSc)
Standard program duration: 16 months or longer
Full-time program fees: 1 year

Master of Science in Medical Neuroscience (MSc)
Standard program duration: 16 months or longer
Full-time program fees: 1 year

Master of Science in Occupational Science (MSc)
Standard program duration: 16 months or longer
Full-time program fees: 1 year

Master of Science in Occupational Therapy – Entry Level Program (MSc)
Standard program duration: 22 months or longer
Full-time program fees: 2 years

Master of Science in Occupational Therapy – Post Professional (MSc)
Standard program duration: 16 months or longer
Full-time program fees: 1 year

Master of Science in Physiotherapy – Entry to Practice (MSc)
Standard program duration: 2 years or longer
Full-time program fees: 28 months

Master of Science in Physiotherapy and Master of Science in Rehabilitation Research (MScPT/MScRR)
Standard program duration: 40 months
Program fee duration: 40 months

Master of Science in Speech Language Pathology (MSc)
Standard program duration: 3 years or longer
Full-time program fees: 3 years

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (MD/MSc)
Standard program duration: 5 years or longer
Full-time program fees: 5 years

Combined Master's and JD (MBA/JD, MHA/JD, MI/JD, MPA/JD)
Standard program duration: 4 years or longer
Full-time program fees: 4 years

Per-course fee degrees

Calculating tuition using credit hours

If you’re entering a Per-Course Fee Degree, you have another option to calculate your total approximate tuition. Multiply the "required credit hours" in the list below by the "per course/per hour" fee listed for your program in the Graduate Studies Fee Schedule on the Money Matters Website. Remember there may be additional ancillary and international tuition fees.

Master of Architecture (MARCH)
Standard program duration: 20 months or longer
Required credit hours: 63

Master of Business Administration – Financial or Leadership (MBA – FINL, FINS)
Standard program duration: N/A
Required credit hours: 42

Master of Engineering, Only Internetworking (MENG)
Standard program duration: 20 months or longer
Required credit hours: 50

Master of Information (MI)
Standard program duration: 20 months or longer
Required credit hours: 48

Master of Information Management (MIM)
Standard program duration: N/A
Required credit hours: 36

Master of Journalism (MJ)
Standard program duration: 20 months or longer
Required credit hours: 54

Master of Planning (MPLAN)
Standard program duration: 20 months or longer
Required credit hours: 60

Master of Public Administration (MPA)
Standard program duration: 2 years or longer
Required credit hours: 54

Master of Public Administration Management (MPAM)
Standard program duration: N/A
Required credit hours: 39

Master of Resource and Environmental Management (MREM)
Standard program duration: 16 months or longer
Required credit hours: 36

Master of Social Work (MSW)
Standard program duration: BSW Entry: 12 months, Non-BSW entry: 16 months or longer
Required credit hours: 30 (BSW), 54 (Non-BSW)

Graduate Diploma in Public Administration (GDPA)
Standard program duration: 8 months
Required credit hours: 27

Master of Information (MI) and Master of Public Administration (MPA) Combined Degree
Standard program duration: 3 years or longer
Required credit hours: 81

Master of Information (MI) and Master of Resource and Environmental Management (MREM) Combined Degree
Standard program duration: 2 years or longer
Required credit hours: 63

Graduate Diploma in Information Management (GDIM)
Standard program duration: 12 months
Required credit hours: 24

Graduate Diploma in Public Administration Management (GDPA(M))
Standard program duration: 8 months
Required credit hours: 21