Postgraduate Tuition Fees

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

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Full-time fees

A full-time taught postgraduate course usually takes one year to complete. Refer to the course page for fees.

Part-time fees

Most taught postgraduate courses (MA, MSc) are £500 per 10-credit module for 2025/26 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 Master's Loan

Postgraduate students can apply for a non-means-tested Postgraduate Master's Loan of up to £12,471 in academic year 2024/25. 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.uk website.

Funding your postgraduate research course

Postgraduate Doctoral Loan

Postgraduate research students starting in academic year 2024/25 can apply for a non-means-tested Postgraduate Doctoral Loan of up to £29,390. The loan is spread over the duration of the course and is 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.uk website.

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.

2025/26 UK/Ireland/EU settled/pre-settled postgraduate research fees

PhD and MPhil fees

On-campus full-time: £4,700–£6,200 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: £6,600 per year
PhD by Existing Published or Creative Works: £8,000 per year
Professional Doctorate: £5,100 per year
Higher Research Degree: £4,100 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.

International Fees

2025/26 international fees

Postgraduate fees (MA, MSc):

£17,000–£21,000

PhD and MPhil fees:

On-campus full-time: £14,500–£17,000 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:

Doctorate of Business Administration: £8,00 per year
PhD by Existing Published or Creative Works: £8,000 per year
Professional Doctorate: £8,000 per year
Higher Research Degree: £6,000 per year

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.