Provisional University Bulletin (2026-2027)

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences was formally established in 1953 when the university's Board of Trustees authorized graduate study in the departments of Chemistry, Music, Psychology and Near Eastern and Judaic Studies. The general direction of the Graduate School is vested in the Council of the Graduate School, composed of a faculty representative of each graduate program.

The Council is chaired by the Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences or their designee. The functions of the Graduate Council, exercised in consonance with university policy, are to determine requirements for admission; provide programs of study and examination; establish and maintain requirements for graduate degrees; make recommendations for degrees; make recommendations for new areas of graduate study; establish such regulations as may be considered necessary or expedient for governing the Graduate School; and exercise a general supervision over its affairs. The Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences is the chief executive officer of the Graduate School. The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences is governed by its governance document.

The overarching aim of the Graduate School is to assemble a community of scholars, scientists, and artists in which to pursue study, research, and training. This objective is attained by clear programs of study, the limited number of students accepted, and close contact between students and faculty. The smaller size of our programs engenders a high degree of collaboration and relationship building among our community of scholars, encouraging interdisciplinary approaches and a commitment to fostering the intellectual potential of each student. Graduate programs are designed to educate broadly as well as train professionally, preparing graduates for successful careers in academia, government and the private and nonprofit sectors. 

Ancient Mediterranean Studies(MA)

Anthropology (MA, PhD)

Anthropology & Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (MA)

Biochemistry and Biophysics (MS, PhD)

Biotechnology (MS)

Biotechnology and Business Administration (dual MS/MBA)

Chemistry (MA, MS, PhD)

Chinese Language and Culture(MA)

Computational Linguistics (MS)

Computer Science (MS, PhD)

Education (Teacher Leadership) (MEd, Advanced Graduate Studies)

English (MA, PhD)

English & Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (MA)

History (MA, PhD)

Jewish Professional Leadership (MA)

Jewish Professional Leadership & Business Administration (dual MA/MBA)

Jewish Professional Leadership & Educational Leadership (dual MA/EdM)

Jewish Professional Leadership & Near Eastern and Judaic Studies (joint MA)

Jewish Professional Leadership & Public Policy (dual MA/MPP)

Mathematics (MA, MS, PhD, postbaccalaureate)

Molecular and Cell Biology (MS, PhD)

Music Composition and Theory (MA, MFA, PhD)

Musicology (MA, PhD)

Music & Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (MA in passing)

Near Eastern and Judaic Studies (MA, PhD)

Near Eastern and Judaic Studies & Conflict Resolution and Coexistence (joint MA)

Near Eastern and Judaic Studies & Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (joint MA)

Neuroscience (MS, PhD)

Philosophy (MA)

Physics (MS, PhD)

Politics (MA, PhD)

Psychology (MA, PhD)

Sociology (PhD)

Sociology & Social Policy (joint PhD)

Sociology & Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (joint MA)

Studio Art (postbaccalaureate)

Theater Arts: Acting (on hiatus)

Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (MA) (on hiatus)

Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies & Sustainable International Development (joint MA)

Only well-qualified applicants who have completed a U.S. bachelor's degree (or the international equivalent) will be considered for admission to the Graduate School.

Graduates of international colleges and universities who have the equivalent of an American bachelor's degree and international students who have graduated with a bachelor’s degree from American universities may apply for admission and financial assistance at Brandeis, which is authorized under federal law to enroll nonimmigrant alien students.

Applying to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

Specific requirements for each graduate program are to be found under the appropriate headings in this Bulletin and on the GSAS website. Each applicant should consult these requirements before submitting an application. Most international applicants are required to submit official English Proficiency scores. Please see the GSAS website to determine which applicants have the requirement waived. With limited exceptions, a student may apply to only one graduate program in an academic year.

Applicants are encouraged to apply online. The application for admission should be completed and submitted to GSAS by the specified deadline.

Admission Procedure

All applicants are considered on a competitive basis. The number of students admitted each year in each program is limited so that the Graduate School may operate effectively under its distinctive principles of individualized study and apprenticeship. Consequently, admission may sometimes be denied to qualified persons.

Meeting the minimum standards of admission merely qualifies the applicant for a place in the group from which final selections will be made. Selections are based on the applicant's ability to do graduate work of high quality, as shown by the distinction of the student's previous record, particularly in the proposed area of study; the letters of recommendation submitted in support of the application; and the student's presumed adaptability to the particular graduate programs offered by Brandeis. In addition, knowledge of foreign languages, relevant practical experience in the field, samples of work, the results of the standardized tests (if provided/required), and indications of character are considered.

Each application for admission with all supporting records is first examined by the appropriate program committee. The committee recommends to the Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences which applicants should be selected for admission and financial aid. The Dean reviews applications in the light of the program's recommendations.

Acceptance of Admission Offer

A student who has been accepted for admission to the Graduate School will be notified by a letter specifying the date by which they must accept the offer of admission and awards, if any. A non-refundable enrollment deposit of $300 must be paid by each master's degree or postbaccalaureate program applicant upon notification of acceptance (unless otherwise indicated in the offer of admission). This deposit reserves a place in the class and is credited toward the first semester tuition bill.

If the admitted student fails to enroll or withdraws the application, the enrollment deposit is not refunded. If an admitted student declines the offer or fails to reply by the date specified, the admission offer becomes void.

Brandeis subscribes to the "Resolution Regarding Scholars, Fellows, Trainees, and Graduate Assistants" of the Council of Graduate Schools in the United States. This resolution ensures that admitted students are not required to respond to offers of financial support before April 15 each year. Its purpose is to reduce pressure on students to accept the first offer of financial support that they receive, giving them the opportunity to consider their available funding options. The resolution does not impose a deadline by which universities must respond to all applicants, and institutions may choose to extend admission and financial support offers after April 15. The resolution states:

Acceptance of an offer of financial support* (such as a graduate scholarship, fellowship, traineeship, or assistantship) for the next academic year by a prospective or enrolled graduate student completes an agreement that both student and graduate school expect to honor. In that context, the conditions affecting such offers and their acceptance must be defined carefully and understood by all parties.

Students are under no obligation to respond to offers of financial support prior to April 15; earlier deadlines for acceptance of such offers violate the intent of this Resolution. In those instances in which a student accepts an offer before April 15 and subsequently desires to withdraw that acceptance, the student may submit in writing a resignation of the appointment at any time through April 15. There has been a change in our process for students who want to withdraw from an offer of acceptance of financial support, starting with Fall 2020 admissions. In this case, the applicant must first inform the program that they are withdrawing or resigning from the offer of financial support that they previously had accepted. Starting in Fall 2020, applicants are no longer required to obtain a formal release from the program whose offer they accepted, either before or after the April 15 deadline. Once they have informed the program that they are withdrawing their acceptance of the offer, they then can accept any other offers.

Admitted students must provide the Graduate School office with official copies of all transcripts, including an official, final transcript of their undergraduate record. Admission offers may be revoked for fraud, misrepresentation, material omission of fact, dishonesty, violation of University standards in the application for admission, violation of University academic standards, or any other pre-matriculation misconduct.

Students are required to submit health and immunization records before their arrival to campus. Students will have to enroll in, or provide proof of, qualifying health insurance coverage. Registration is conditional upon receipt of required forms. More information can be found on the Admitted Student Checklist.

Admission is valid for the length of the program and is contingent on satisfactory academic progress. Admission to the Graduate School does not imply that the successful applicant will ultimately be accepted as a candidate for a graduate degree. Superior performance at Brandeis is essential. Brandeis University reserves the right to deny admission or permission to register or require the withdrawal of any student at any time for any reason it considers sufficient, including but not limited to character and personal conduct.

Admissions Deferrals

Admitted master's and postbaccalaureate applicants may request a maximum one-year deferral of their enrollment. If admitted students are interested in deferring their admission, then they should email the Graduate School at gsas@brandeis.edu as soon as possible to make the request. Requests for admission deferral are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and deferrals are not guaranteed. Students will be asked to pay their $300 non-refundable enrollment deposit (if applicable) in order to start the deferral process. Updates on the deferral process will be provided in writing from the Graduate School. Original financial awards (if any) are not guaranteed and will be reassessed if the deferral is granted.

Admitted doctoral applicants are not eligible to defer their admission and must reapply the following year. If you are an admitted PhD student facing extraordinary circumstances that could delay the start of your doctoral studies, then please contact the Graduate School at gsas@brandeis.edu as soon as possible.

Readmission

A student who has not been enrolled in the Graduate School for more than one year and who did not obtain a leave of absence must request readmission from the program and the Graduate School. Readmission is not valid for a new program; the student can only be readmitted into the program from which they withdrew. The student's graduate program will determine in each case whether a student should be readmitted. If the program's requirements have changed during the student's absence or the student is not deemed current in their field of study, the program may require the student to repeat or supplement previous academic requirements, including foreign language or qualifying exams. When a student is reinstated, the student will be informed of current status regarding credits and time to degree. When a student withdraws or remains unenrolled in the program for more than a year, the funding package from the Graduate School awarded to the student is forfeit. Typically, when a student is readmitted, they are not eligible for GSAS funding or aid.

The following general requirements apply to the awarding of graduate degrees and postbaccalaureate credits in all areas of study. For specific program requirements students should consult the appropriate section of this Bulletin.

A. Residency Requirements

All GSAS programs have a certain number of in-person residence semesters in which students are expected to be physically in the greater Boston area and participating in the in-person life of the university community. Please check your specific program for the length of the in-person residency. When students are in the residency portion of their program, they pay the full-time tuition rate for their program unless they are a part-time student in which case they pay the part-time rate.

Once the in-person residency portion of the program is completed, students have the option to remain in-person or remote (if pedagogically possible and in compliance with university policies and federal regulations about fellowship and wage distributions) to complete the academic requirements of the degree program.

A student in residency should typically be enrolled in at least 12 credits per term, and the time-to-degree limit for each degree assumes this rate of full-time enrollment. A full-time resident student may take up to 20 credits per term, but no student may receive credit for, or be charged for, more than a full-time program in any term. Thus, the minimum residence requirement for any degree may not be satisfied by an accelerated program of study or payment of more than the full-time tuition rate in any single academic year.

After completing the residency requirement and coursework requirements for their program, a student must still maintain full time enrollment and register for a minimum of 12 graduate research credits. PhD students who are in the post-residency billing cohort status must register for CONT500a every semester (or an equivalent departmental research course). Master's students who are in the extended master's billing cohort status must register for CONT200a (or an equivalent departmental research course).

B. Annual Academic Performance Review, Academic Standing and Progress to the Degree

Graduate programs review students' academic progress annually and make recommendations for a student’s continuation in the program. However, programs with shorter lengths (1-2 years) may also review academic records at the end of each semester. A program may also initiate an academic review if a student is not making suitable academic progress.

At this review, the records of all graduate students will be carefully reviewed with reference to the timely completion of coursework and non-course degree requirements, the quality of the work and research in progress and the student’s overall academic performance in the program. Satisfactory academic progress in a program also involves maintaining the professional and departmental standards expected in a particular discipline or program.

Federal regulations require that a student receiving federal assistance make satisfactory academic progress in accordance with standards set by the university. Any student who passes their annual academic review within their program is allowed to enroll for the following year and is considered to be making satisfactory academic progress and is eligible for financial aid from federal sources.

Academic insufficiency or failure to make suitable progress toward the degree may result in withdrawal from the program. Brandeis University reserves the right to deny permission to register or require the withdrawal of any student at any time for any reason it considers sufficient, including but not limited to character and personal conduct.

Degrees are granted on the evidence of intellectual growth and development, rather than solely on the basis of formal course credits. Fulfillment of the minimum requirements cannot, therefore, be regarded as the sole requisite for degrees.

C. Postbaccalaureate Students

A postbaccalaureate student is a student who holds a bachelor's degree and is working in an approved course of study in one of the following areas: mathematics or studio art.

Residency Requirement: typically, 2 semesters. Please consult your program section in this Bulletin for specifics.

Postbaccalaureate programs may not be pursued concurrently with other formal degree work. Students who subsequently become candidates for graduate degrees are subject to the Graduate School's policy regarding transfer credit toward graduate degrees.

D. Master of Arts, Master of Fine Arts, Master of Science, and Master of Education

Master of Arts, Master of Science, and Master of Education

Residency Requirement

The minimum residence requirement for most full-time master's degree students is two semesters (one academic year).  A few programs have a three semester or four semester requirement, so consult specific programs for this information. Master’s degree students may take an additional one or two semesters as an extended master's student to complete degree requirements. Transfer credit may not normally be applied to residence requirements for the MA and MS degrees.

Time-to-Degree

The master's degree must be earned within three years from the inception of full-time graduate study at Brandeis.

Required Exams and Language Proficiency

Programs offering master's degrees may require that the candidate demonstrate a reading knowledge of at least one foreign language and pass a general or qualifying examination which, at the program's discretion, may be in one or more parts and may be written, oral or both.

Master's Thesis Requirement

Students entering programs with a master's thesis requirement must electronically deposit their thesis to ProQuest ETD. For instructions on how to do this, visit the Thesis and Dissertation Guide.

Master of Fine Arts

Residency Requirement

The minimum residence requirement for all MFA students in music is four semesters. Transfer credit may not normally be applied to residence requirements for the MFA degree.

Time-to-Degree

The Master of Fine Arts degree must be earned within three years from the inception of full-time graduate study at Brandeis.

Master’s Thesis Requirement

Students entering programs with a master's thesis requirement must electronically deposit their thesis to ProQuest ETD. For instructions on how to do this, visit the Thesis and Dissertation Guide.

E. Doctor of Philosophy

To be eligible for the PhD degree, the student must (1) complete all course, residence and teaching requirements, (2) pass all language and qualifying examinations, (3) have written and successfully defended the doctoral dissertation and (4) be otherwise in good standing. Each program reserves the right to require prospective candidates for the degree to perform work in excess of its minimum standards to assure thorough mastery of the area.

Residency Requirement

The in-person residence requirement for all students is six semesters. A maximum of two semesters of approved transfer credit may be granted toward residence for the PhD degree.

Time-to-Degree

The Doctor of Philosophy must be earned within eight years from the inception of full-time graduate study at Brandeis. Leaves of Absence and Health Leaves of Absence stop the time-to-degree clock. Students may apply for a year-long extension of their time-to-degree, for a maximum of two extensions. Each semester the Graduate School will initiate the extension application process for students who are approaching the end of their time-to-degree clock. If a student does not complete the degree within ten years from the inception of full-time graduate study, they will be withdrawn from the PhD program.

In recognition of the extraordinary circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic and the myriad research and health disruptions of our doctoral students' progress, GSAS will grant an extension of time to degree for any doctoral student who was enrolled during the Spring 2020, Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 semesters, thereby extending their time-to-degree from eight to nine years. For students who matriculated in Summer 2021 and going forward, the time-to-degree policy returns to eight years.

Required Language Proficiency

Prospective candidates may be required to demonstrate proficiency in at least one foreign language.

Required Examinations

In all areas of study, the student must satisfactorily pass a general or qualifying examination, which at the program's discretion, may be in one or more parts and may be written, oral or both.

Teaching Assistantship or Teaching Fellow Requirements

Each student will have the opportunity to develop skills as a teacher through close supervision of progressive pedagogic experiences by assisting or teaching one or more courses. Typically, PhD programs require 2-6 TAships for each student. Some programs will require more than 6 semesters of TAships or will allow an internship to substitute for 1 required TAship–see your program handbook for details. Some programs have Teaching Fellow (instructor of record) requirements–see your program handbook for details.

Students serving as Teaching Assistants or Teaching Fellows are required to participate in several trainings, including training about their responsible reporter roles under Title IX and other university policies about discrimination and harassment.

Dissertation

In all areas of study, prospective candidates must write a doctoral dissertation and defend it in a final oral examination. PhD programs define and determine the parameters for the content of the dissertation; GSAS determines the formatting and publishing requirements for all dissertations in the school.

Dissertation Committee Membership

1. All dissertation committees should have at least three faculty members.
2. The student's principal advisor, who will guide the research and the preparation of the dissertation, will be a dissertation committee chair. Individual departments may opt to allow co-chairs.
3. Two of the committee members must come from the student’s own department or program (one of the two should be a committee chair).
4. At least one of the committee members must be tenured. This member does not need to be a chair.
5. At least one of the committee members must come from another department or from outside the university.
6. An emeritus faculty member at Brandeis may serve as one of the committee members from the student’s own department or, if this faculty member is emeritus in another department, the faculty member may serve as the outside reader. After retirement, an emeritus faculty member may serve on committees but not take on new chairships. They will not receive payment for this.
7. Should an inside reader, already committed to a dissertation reading committee, leave Brandeis for an appointment at another institution, this faculty member may be given a courtesy appointment in the department at Brandeis so that they may continue to serve on the committee as an advisor. However, this faculty member with a courtesy appointment cannot serve as the dissertation chair as a chair must be a current member of the faculty in the student’s department.
8. Normally, all members of the committee must hold a PhD degree, although the program chair, with the approval of the Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, may waive the requirement when a potential committee member has demonstrated a capacity to do research or be helpful in supervising a dissertation.
9. To request an exception to any of the above requirements, the program should contact the Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs for the Graduate School, who will then bring the request to the Dean of the Graduate School.

Dissertation Defense

Dissertation defenses are required to be public and open to any member of the faculty engaged in graduate instruction and invited faculty members from other institutions. Students must submit the date and time of their defense to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences’ Dissertation Defense Calendar Submission Form at least two weeks prior to the scheduled defense. A student must be registered and enrolled in the term(s) in which the dissertation is defended and deposited. The student and the dissertation committee can determine the modality of the defense (in-person, hybrid, remote). GSAS does not have specific rules about how far in advance of the defense the final copy of the dissertation must be submitted to the committee, department faculty, or GSAS faculty and staff.

Dissertation Revisions

A dissertation committee can conclude the oral examination by:

1. Passing the dissertation with no revisions
2. Passing the dissertation with minor revisions
3. Requiring substantial revisions

If the dissertation examining committee requires "substantial revisions" (involving significant matters of substance), the revisions must be reviewed and accepted by the entire committee, not just the dissertation supervisor. If these revisions are not made within six months of the dissertation defense, there must be a re-defense of the dissertation. If the dissertation examining committee requires "minor revisions" (e.g., stylistic changes, correction of typographical errors and re-formatting), the committee will indicate on the Defense Form whether the revisions may be reviewed and approved by the dissertation committee chair alone or require the full committee's approval. If these revisions are not made within three months of the dissertation defense, the dissertation is automatically reclassified as one requiring "substantial revisions" and subject to its six-month deadline (i.e., if after an additional three months the dissertation has not been approved by the committee and successfully deposited, there must be a re-defense).

Dissertation Submission and Publication

For information about the dissertation submission process, visit the Thesis and Dissertation Guide. No later than the dates specified for dissertation deposit in the current academic calendar for February, May, and August degrees, the candidate must electronically deposit the finished dissertation. The dissertation must have the signed approval of the dissertation supervisor and readers, and it must comply with the publishing and formatting guidelines outlined by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, which may be different from department guidelines. Submission of the dissertation to and acceptance by the Graduate School constitutes the completion of degree requirements.

Submitted dissertations are published electronically in the ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Database. In addition to publication in ProQuest, students’ dissertations are published in the Brandeis ScholarWorks once degrees are conferred. Dissertations published in ScholarWorks will be made available to the academic community through Open Access.

F. Joint Degrees

Joint degree programs allow students to pursue two courses of study and earn a single degree.

Consult the relevant sections of this Bulletin regarding the requirements for the joint degree programs.

The time to degree parameters for joint degrees remain the same—no additional time is granted for a student undertaking a joint degree course of study.

G. Dual Degrees

Dual degree programs allow students to pursue two courses of study and earn two separate degrees.

Consult the relevant sections of this Bulletin regarding the requirements for the dual degree programs.

The time to degree parameters for dual degrees remain the same—no additional time is granted for a student undertaking a dual degree course of study.

H. Degrees in Passing

Students enrolled in a PhD program are allowed to apply for a master's degree within that program if they have satisfied all the requirements for the particular master's degree and if that program allows for a master’s in passing. Students are limited to only one master's degree in passing. A thesis may be required for the master’s in passing. Students should check with their department for requirements. Students may not apply for a master's degree in passing if they already hold a master's degree from the university, unless there is no overlap (double counting) in the terms used to fulfill the in-person residency requirements for the two degrees. If a student leaves a PhD program, they can request a terminal master’s degree if they have fulfilled all the requirements for the particular master’s degree.

Access links to Graduate Academic Regulations

• Financial Regulations 2025-2026
• Tuition Charges for 2025-2026
• Fees for 2025-2026
• Refund policies

Fellowships and Scholarships

Students receiving financial aid from Brandeis, whether in the form of a fellowship or scholarship, are required to maintain a superior level of academic progress.

A fellowship is an academic award of honor to outstanding students to help them in furthering advanced study, research and training in teaching. A fellowship recipient must pay tuition and fees unless the award includes a scholarship in an amount covering tuition and fees.

A scholarship is an award on grounds of scholarly ability or financial need that will be applied directly to tuition. Full scholarships and partial scholarships are available. Students who receive scholarships are liable for any charges not covered by their award.

All awards are granted and accepted with the understanding that they may be revoked at any time for undesirable conduct or poor academic standing.

A student's tuition scholarship, fellowship and/or stipend are contingent on continued enrollment, as well as the conditions set out annually in this Bulletin, including, but not limited to, satisfactory academic progress. Changes in student status, such as leaves of absence, withdrawal, change of degree program, graduation or similar circumstances, will normally result in the cessation of university stipends and fellowships effective as of the date of any such change in status.

PhD students receiving full stipend funding from Brandeis will be limited to 20 hours per week of employment at Brandeis, including all employment completed as part of their PhD program.

All students contemplating outside employment that would require a significant portion of their time should discuss their intentions with their program adviser.

Research and Course Assistantships

Research and course assistantships are available in several programs. Interested students should speak with their department administrator or chair of the graduate program about the availability of these positions.

PhD students in the School of Science, Engineering, and Technology become Research Assistants (and thus members of the Graduate Assistant union) by virtue of joining a lab. Other, hourly RA roles may be available outside of the School of Science, Engineering, and Technology.

Need-Based Scholarships

Need-based scholarships may be available for master's and postbaccalaureate students, depending on their program of study. Students in eligible programs may apply for need-based scholarships by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as a domestic student or the CSS Profile as an international student.

Loans

Federal Direct Stafford Loans are available to U.S. citizens and permanent residents who are enrolled at least half-time in a degree program and who demonstrate need by filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. 

For additional details, please see Federal Loan information for 2025-2026.