Funding

In order to complete a master’s degree you will need to make a large investment with your time, effort, and funds. In recognition of this personal investment, NYU Abu Dhabi strives to provide scholarships for students admitted to this program. Over recent years, the admitted applicants were offered NYUAD scholarships covering between 50% and 85% of the tuition and fees.

NYUAD funding does not cover travel, housing or living expenses during the program. For that reason, applicants should create a budget before applying and be confident that their personal and external funding will cover the remaining costs of tuition and their living expenses during this full-time program.

If you would like to discuss your budget for studying in this program, please contact the Graduate Admissions office: nyuad.graduateadmissions@nyu.edu

Scholarships

Over recent years, the admitted applicants were offered NYUAD scholarships covering between 50% and 85% of the tuition and fees.

The tuition and fees below are for students in the MFA Art & Media program based on figures for the 2024-2025 academic year.

Year 1 (US$)	Fall	Spring	Summer	Total
Tuition	35,888	26,916	8,973	71,777
Fees	1,715	1,407	791	3,913
			Year 1 Total	75,690

Year 2	Fall	Spring		Total
Tuition	35,888	26,916		62,804
Fees	1,715	1,407		3,122
			Year 2 Total	65,926
			Program Total	141,616

Important Consideration: The above figures are best estimates. Therefore, the actual tuition and fees on a student’s bill may differ from the figures shown above.

How much can scholarships cover (in US$) ?

Scholarship	Scholarship $	Tuition & Fees $ Balance
85%	120,374	21,242
75%	106,212	35,404
50%	70,808	70,808

The expenses listed below are representative and actual figures will differ depending on the student’s individual needs and circumstances.

Year 1 (US$)	Fall	Spring	Summer	Total
Travel¹	1,000	0	1,000	2,000
Campus housing²	4,412	4,412	0	8,824
Books & supplies³	1,200	0	0	1,200
Living expenses⁴	5,300	3,975	1,325	10,600
Health insurance⁵	-	-		-
			Year 1 Total	22,624

Year 2	Fall	Spring	Total
Travel¹	1,000	1,000	2,000
Campus housing²	4,412	4,412	8,824
Books & supplies³	800	0	800
Living expenses⁴	5,300	3,975	9,275
Health insurance⁵	-	-	-
		Year 2 Total	20,899
		Program Total	43,523

Travel: This is a highly variable cost depending on the student’s situation. The estimates provided in the table are based on one-way economy flights from New York to Abu Dhabi (as of December 2022).
Housing: The rent for on-campus housing in a shared 2-bedroom apartment is $8,824 per year. The payments are split and appear on the Fall and Spring semester bills.
Books: This estimate is based on input from faculty and students.
Living expenses: This is a highly variable cost depending on the student’s situation. The budget provides a basic standard of student living, based on student input.
Health insurance: NYUAD covers the cost of the mandatory health insurance coverage needed for the UAE and international travel.

You will indicate in the application if you want to be considered for an academic merit-based fellowship. The information provided in the application is sufficient and no additional information needs to be submitted by the applicant to receive a fellowship. Academic merit is determined by the selection committee during the admissions process. Top ranked candidates are offered larger scholarships.

In past intakes, most admitted applicants were offered scholarships covering 30%-80% of the tuition and fees. The top academically-ranked admitted applicants are occasionally offered scholarships covering almost all of their tuition & fees.
You will need to source funds to pay for housing, travel, living expenses, and the tuition and fees balance not covered by NYUAD scholarships and grants. These sources usually include:
- Personal and family funds
- Student loans
- External scholarships
EducationUSA is a U.S. Department of State network of over 430 international student advising centers in more than 175 countries and territories. These offices offer financial advice for international students.

Students are expected to use personal and external funds to cover part of their total expenses. For that reason, you should prepare a budget now so that you are able to focus fully on your studies during the program.

When preparing a budget it is useful to consider two factors: expense amounts (how much to pay) and timing (when to pay). Contact the Graduate Admissions office if you would like help creating your own budget.

When	Expense type
Start/end of each year	Travel
Each semester	Tuition and fees: At the start of each semester you will receive a bill from the university for your tuition and fees. A portion of your scholarship and grant is deducted from the tuition and fees. The portion is based on the number of credits you’re taking in that semester. Housing: In the academic year 2022-2023, the annual rent for a room in a 2-bedroom, shared apartment is $8,824. If you’re living on campus, you will receive a bill from the university for housing rent at the start of the Fall ($4,412) and Spring ($4,412). Books & supplies: As needed when you start new courses.
Each month or week	Food/Restaurants, Transportation, Entertainment, and Other expenses depending on the student's needs

NYU Payment Plan for tuition and fees: Students can request a payment plan for tuition and fees from the bursar’s office. The plan allows the student to spread the semester’s charges over the semester as follows:

When in the semester	Portion of tuition and fees balance to pay
Start	50%
Month 2	25%
Month 3	25%

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