How long does a master's degree take in the US?

Typically 1-2 years. Some intensive programs finish in as little as 12 months, while lab- or thesis-heavy programs in engineering or the sciences can run up to 3 years.

How long does a PhD take in the US?

Generally 4-6 years if you start directly after a bachelor's degree, occasionally extending to 7-8 years in research-intensive fields. If you enter with a master's degree already completed, the timeline is usually shorter — around 3-5 years.

Do I need to take the GRE to apply?

It depends on the program. Many universities — including MIT, Harvard, Columbia, NYU, and the University of California system — made the GRE optional or eliminated it entirely after 2020, particularly for master's programs. Some engineering, science, and economics PhD programs still request it, so check each program's current requirement individually.

How much does a US master's degree cost?

Based on recent National Center for Education Statistics data, average published tuition is around $12,000/year at public universities and $21,000/year at private ones, though this varies widely by program. Including living costs, a two-year master's typically runs somewhere in the $35,000-70,000 range in total, before any scholarship or assistantship support.

Do PhD students usually pay for their own tuition?

No, not in most cases. The majority of PhD students in the US are "fully funded" — their tuition is waived and they receive a monthly stipend, most often through a Teaching or Research Assistantship. Fellowships, which don't require teaching or research work in exchange, are a smaller but valuable third funding path.

What visa do I need to study in the US, and what does it cost?

You'll need an F-1 student visa. Fees are the $350 I-901 SEVIS fee, paid once your I-20 is issued, plus the standard $185 MRV visa application fee — separate from your program's tuition and covered in full in our F-1 visa guide.

Can I work while studying on an F-1 visa?

Yes, within limits. On-campus work is allowed up to 20 hours a week during the semester without extra authorization. Curricular Practical Training (CPT) covers work tied to your program, and Optional Practical Training (OPT) allows up to 12 months of work after graduation, extendable by 24 months (36 total) for STEM graduates. Using 12 months or more of full-time CPT before graduating forfeits your OPT eligibility, so it's worth planning around that limit.

Planning a Master's or PhD in the US: Where to Start

Planning a master’s or PhD in the US involves two mostly separate tracks that eventually converge: the academic side — program length, admission requirements, and cost — and the immigration side, since studying full-time in the US requires an F-1 student visa. This guide walks through both, starting with what a US graduate degree actually looks like and ending with the visa steps that follow once you’re admitted.

Key Facts

Master’s duration: typically 1-2 years
PhD duration: 4-6 years starting after a bachelor’s; 3-5 years starting with a master’s already completed
Average published tuition: roughly $12,000/year (public) and $21,000/year (private), per NCES data — though most funded PhD students pay little to none of this directly
Typical PhD stipend: commonly $20,000-45,000/year through an assistantship, with tuition waived
Visa required: F-1, needing the $350 SEVIS fee and the standard $185 MRV visa fee
Post-graduation work: up to 12 months via OPT, extendable to 36 months total for STEM graduates

Master’s, PhD, or Integrated PhD: What’s the Difference?

	Master’s	PhD
Typical length	1-2 years	4-6 years (3-5 with a prior master’s)
Focus	Coursework, applied knowledge	Original research contribution
Thesis required?	Depends on program (thesis or non-thesis track)	Yes, always
Typical funding	Mostly self-funded, limited scholarships	Usually fully funded via TA/RA/fellowship
Common outcome	Career advancement, industry specialization	Academic or advanced research career
Entry requirement	Bachelor’s degree	Bachelor’s or master’s degree

Some departments — commonly in economics, psychology, and engineering — offer an integrated (direct-entry) PhD, where a student moves straight from a bachelor’s degree into a PhD program without a separate master’s application. Master’s-level coursework is folded into the first years of the PhD itself, which can shorten the overall timeline compared to completing two separate degrees.

What a Master’s Program Looks Like

Most master’s programs run 30-36 credit hours and end with either a thesis or a comprehensive exam/final project. The degree title depends on the field: Master of Arts (MA) in the social sciences and humanities, Master of Science (MS) in STEM fields, and separate designations like the MBA (business) or MFA (fine arts). A few programs, known as Professional Science Master’s (PSM), blend a science-heavy curriculum with the practical skills needed in industry or public-sector roles.

What a PhD Actually Involves

A US PhD unfolds in two broad phases:

Coursework and qualifying exams (roughly 1-2 years): foundational and advanced coursework in your field, ending with a qualifying or comprehensive exam that confirms you’re ready to move into independent research.
Dissertation research (typically 2-6 years): working under a faculty advisor to produce an original contribution to your field, culminating in a written dissertation and its defense.

Unlike a master’s, a PhD is not primarily coursework-driven — the dissertation research phase is where most of the timeline, and most of the intellectual work, actually happens.

Admission Requirements

For a Master’s Program

Bachelor’s degree and an official, translated transcript
GPA of roughly 3.00/4.00 or higher (requirements vary by school)
TOEFL iBT (commonly 80-100) or IELTS Academic (commonly 6.5-7.5)
GRE or GMAT scores, where still required — increasingly optional at many schools
Statement of Purpose
2-3 academic or professional recommendation letters
Current CV/resume
Application fee, typically $40-250 per school

For a PhD Program

Largely the same list, with more weight placed on research potential:

Bachelor’s degree (some programs prefer or require a master’s)
GPA of 3.00/4.00 minimum, often 3.50/4.00 or higher for competitive programs
English proficiency via TOEFL or IELTS
GRE scores, still requested in some engineering, science, and economics programs — confirm per program, since many have dropped this requirement
Statement of Purpose (typically 500-1,000 words)
2-3 academic recommendation letters
Academic CV, including publications, research projects, and prior lab or research experience
A writing sample (5-10 pages) for some programs

Choosing an advisor whose research interests align with yours matters more for PhD admissions than the university’s overall ranking — reaching out to a potential advisor before applying is common practice in many fields, and some programs ask you to name one directly in your application.

What It Costs

According to recent NCES data, average published graduate tuition is:

Institution Type	Typical Annual Tuition
Public university	$12,000 – 25,000
Private university	$21,000 – 45,000
Elite MBA / professional programs	$45,000 – 55,000+

On top of tuition, living costs — housing, transportation, health insurance, and food — typically run $1,000-2,500 per month depending on the city, with New York, San Francisco, and Boston sitting toward the higher end. Combined, a two-year master’s degree commonly totals somewhere in the $35,000-70,000 range before any funding is applied.

PhD students are the exception to most of this: the large majority are fully funded, meaning tuition is waived entirely and living costs are covered by an assistantship stipend rather than paid out of pocket.

Funding Your Degree

Master’s Funding

Options are more limited than for a PhD, but include university merit scholarships, partial tuition waivers, and a smaller number of assistantship positions. Beyond the university itself, many countries run their own government or bilateral scholarship programs worth checking — most countries have a national Fulbright commission, for instance. Turkey is a good example: Turkish applicants can pursue funding through YÖK, the Ministry of National Education, TÜBİTAK, the Turkish Education Foundation (TEV), and the Fulbright Turkey Commission — Fulbright’s master’s funding generally requires a minimum undergraduate GPA of about 3.00/4.00 (or 76.66/100).

PhD Funding: TA, RA, and Fellowships

Teaching Assistantship (TA): funding in exchange for teaching duties — leading discussion sections, grading, or running labs — alongside a tuition waiver.
Research Assistantship (RA): funding tied to working on your advisor’s research project, usually directly connected to your own dissertation topic.
Fellowships: merit-based funding, from the university or an outside body, that doesn’t require teaching or research work in exchange.

As with master’s funding, it’s worth checking your own country’s government and bilateral scholarship programs alongside university funding. Turkish PhD applicants, for example, can also pursue funding through Fulbright Turkey (typically requiring a minimum GPA of about 3.50/4.00, or 88.33/100), YÖK, the Ministry of National Education, and TÜBİTAK.

Fully-funded PhD stipends commonly range from $20,000 to $45,000 per year, with tuition covered separately — figures run higher at research universities in high-cost-of-living cities. For context on the scale involved, the National Institutes of Health’s minimum stipend for a first-year, NIH-funded postdoctoral researcher sits at roughly $63,000 annually for the current cycle — a useful benchmark, though actual PhD stipends vary considerably by university, field, and funding source.

The F-1 Visa Process, Briefly

Once you’re admitted and ready to enroll, the immigration side of the process begins:

Receive your I-20 from your school after accepting admission, and register in SEVIS, paying the $350 I-901 SEVIS fee.
Complete the DS-160 form and pay the standard $185 MRV visa fee — see our full fee breakdown for how these two fees differ.
Book and attend your visa interview, prepared to speak clearly about your program choice, your funding, and your plans after graduation — our F-1 visa guide and interview guide cover this in full.

If your application doesn’t go your way the first time, our guide on why student visas get refused covers the most common causes and how to strengthen a reapplication.

Working While You Study

F-1 status permits a specific, limited set of work options:

On-campus work — up to 20 hours a week during the semester, full-time during breaks, without needing separate authorization.
CPT (Curricular Practical Training) — work tied directly to a requirement of your program. Using 12 months or more of full-time CPT before you graduate forfeits your eligibility for OPT afterward, so this is worth planning around rather than using casually.
OPT (Optional Practical Training) — up to 12 months of work in your field after graduation, extendable by an additional 24 months (36 total) for STEM graduates.

Choosing the Right Program

International rankings like QS World University Rankings and Times Higher Education are a reasonable starting point, but shouldn’t be the only factor. For a master’s, consider the program’s accreditation and how well it connects to your intended career. For a PhD, faculty research fit typically matters more than the university’s overall rank — a strong department with the right advisor for your specific interests often serves you better than a higher-ranked school without one. If credential recognition back home matters to your plans, it’s also worth checking your target university’s status with your own country’s recognition body before committing — in Turkey, that’s YÖK’s recognition lists.

Get Support Planning Your Application

From narrowing down programs and advisors to preparing your F-1 visa application once you’re admitted, our team can help you plan the full path — not just the visa step at the end of it. Request a free pre-assessment to get started.