Commonwealth Scholarships for Master’s and PhD study – developing Commonwealth country citizens
Commonwealth
Scholarships for Master’s and PhD study – developing Commonwealth country
citizens
Commonwealth Scholarships for Master’s
and PhD study in the UK are funded by the UK Department
for International Development (DFID), with the aim of contributing
to the UK’s international development aims and wider overseas interests,
supporting excellence in UK higher education, and sustaining the principles of
the Commonwealth.
The Commonwealth Scholarship is for
the following levels of study:
- Master’s (one-year courses only)
- PhD
All subject areas are eligible,
although the CSC’s selection criteria give priority to applications that
demonstrate the strongest relevance to development.
You should apply to study at a UK
university with which the CSC has a part funding agreement.
Deadline 15 November 2016
Eligibility
To apply for these scholarships, you
must:
- Be a Commonwealth citizen, refugee, or British
protected person
- Be permanently resident in a developing
Commonwealth country
- Be available to start your academic studies in the UK
by the start of the UK academic year in September/October 2017
- By October 2017, hold a first degree of at least upper
second class (2:1) honours standard, or a second class degree and a
relevant postgraduate qualification (usually a Master’s degree)
The CSC promotes equal opportunity,
gender equity, and cultural exchange. Applications are encouraged from a
diverse range of candidates. The CSC is committed to administering and managing
its scholarships and fellowships in a fair and transparent manner
Terms
and conditions
If you are applying for PhD study,
you may, if you wish, propose to study at one university for a four-year PhD,
but this must be based in a recognised Doctoral Training Centre. You must
research this option thoroughly (further details can be found on the websites
of the individual Research Councils in the UK) and justify the
added value of this above a three-year PhD. As the CSC will fund only a limited
number of four-year PhDs, if you do choose this option, you are strongly
advised to also propose at least one three-year PhD choice.
Selection
process
Each year, the CSC invites selected
nominating bodies to submit a specific number of nominations. The deadline for
nominating bodies to submit nominations to the CSC is 13 December 2016.
The CSC invites around three times
more nominations than scholarships available – therefore, nominated candidates
are not guaranteed to be awarded a scholarship. There are no quotas for
scholarships for any individual country. Candidates nominated by national
nominating agencies are in competition with those nominated by other nominating
bodies, and the same standards will be applied to applications made through
either channel.
Each nominated candidate’s
application is first considered by a member of the CSC’s panel of advisers with
expertise in the subject area concerned, and then by the CSC’s selection
committee in competition with other candidates.
Applications are considered
according to the following selection criteria:
- Academic merit of the candidate
- Quality of the plan of study
- Potential impact of the work on the development of the
candidate’s home country
.
How
to apply
You must apply to one of the
following nominating bodies in the first instance – the CSC does not accept
direct applications for these scholarships:
All applications must be made
through your nominating body in your home country. Each nominating body is
responsible for its own selection process. You must check with your nominating
body for their specific advice and rules for applying, their own eligibility
criteria, and their own closing date for applications. The CSC does not impose
any age limit on applicants, but nominating bodies may do so in line with their
own priorities.
You must make an application using
the CSC’s Electronic Application System (EAS), in addition to any other
application form that you are required to complete by your nominating body.
Click here for full information on how to use the EAS, including
detailed guides.
Your application must be submitted
to and endorsed by one of the approved nominating bodies listed above. The CSC
will not accept any applications that are not submitted via the EAS to a
nominating body in your home country.
All applications must be submitted
by 23.59 (GMT) on 15 November 2016 at the latest.
You are advised to complete and
submit your application as soon as possible, as the EAS will be very busy in
the days leading up to the application deadline.
You must provide the following
supporting documentation to be received by the CSC by 6 January 2017 in
order for your application to be eligible for consideration:
v References from at least two individuals
v Transcripts
v For PhD candidates only, supporting statement from a
proposed supervisor in the UK from at least one of the institutions named on
your application form
Please note that the CSC does not
charge candidates to apply for any of its scholarships or fellowships through
its Electronic Application System (EAS), and it does not charge organisations
to nominate candidates.
