Brown's Master of Arts in Urban Education Policy (UEP) program is designed for a variety of people: recent college graduates, early-career individuals, mid-career professionals, and career-changers.

Brown's graduate program in Urban Education Policy is a one-year program. It begins each June and ends with Commencement the following May. Fall and spring semester starts are not permitted.

All courses are in-person and students are required to be located in or near Providence, RI for the duration of the program to participate in internships. 

Yes! Our Student Ambassadors are present at information sessions or you can use our Contact an Ambassador form to connect.

Email us to arrange for a tour or visit Brown's Admissions page for more information about in-person and virtual campus tours.

There are no specific course requirements for admission to our Urban Education Policy program, though most successful applicants have experience in qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection and study.  

Professional work experience is not a requirement for applying to the program. We suggest, however, that prospective students have some experience in education, nonprofit organizations, or government offices. Prior professional experience will strengthen an application.

The admissions committee looks for a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Students with lower GPAs are not typically accepted but there are exceptions.

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is not required, though applicants may submit optional GRE scores to be considered. To do so, be sure to request official GRE scores to be sent to Brown University. The Brown University Institution Code is 3094. 

All international applicants whose native language is not English must submit an official Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score. Please visit this website for more information and exceptions. 

The application opens each year in September and is due January 15 for all applicants, including Brown seniors applying as fifth-year master's students. 

The admission committee assesses applications holistically. A strong applicant has a demonstrated interest in the critical issues affecting education and a desire to influence educational policy and practice.

A non-refundable application fee of $100 is required of all applicants. The fee must be paid by credit card. Applications will not be processed until this fee is received.

All students, including U.S. citizens and international students, are eligible for application fee waivers.

Application Fee Waivers

1) The Application Fee is automatically waived for:

• Active duty U.S. Military personnel, as well as U.S. Military veterans. Please be sure to list your status within the application.
• Domestic or international applicants who are members/alumni of certain programs listed within the application.

2) If you would like to request an Application Fee Waiver based on high financial need:

Application fee waiver requests can be found within the application and will be considered if they are accompanied by documentation that substantiates your financial hardship. The fee waiver request form must be submitted no later than three days before the application deadline. Applicants will be notified by email regarding the outcome of their request and should not submit their application until receiving notification about their waiver.

UEP applicants are also welcome to apply for an Urban Education Fellowship (UEF), which provides loan forgiveness to alums who stay in the community for at least three years serving urban students and schools. UEF recipients are required to work for three years in a full-time position within a public sector education organization or non-profit entity in the state’s urban core region.

To apply for an Urban Education Fellowship, please follow the instructions within the program application. 

International students who would be in F-1 visa status while enrolled in the program are not eligible for an Urban Education Fellowship.

Brown's graduate program in Urban Education Policy offers financial aid packages through a combination of merit-based and need-based scholarships. For those who qualify and apply, financial aid can also come in the form of an Urban Education Fellowship. We do not offer graduate assistantships or other forms of employment as part of our financial aid packages.

Applicants who are accepted to the program receive their financial aid packages at the same time as their admissions letter. Please see this website for information. 

Yes, international students are eligible for both merit-based and need-based scholarships. 

All students who apply for admission are automatically considered for merit-based scholarships.

Domestic and International applicants are encouraged to apply for a need-based scholarship by completing either the FAFSA or the CSS Profile and submitting it with their application.

If you have questions regarding sensitive financial information, please contact the Graduate School's financial aid office or (401) 863-2721.

Brown will release admission decisions between late February and early March. You will receive an automated email when an update has been posted to your Brown University application status page. 

Please accept or decline the admission offer no later than April 15 by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. We strongly encourage submitting the decision sooner. 

An offer of admission to the UEP program is made only for the upcoming academic year. The program will grant deferrals only in rare circumstances and scholarships do not defer.