Commonwealth Shared Scholarships Scheme (DFID Award)

Commonwealth Shared Scholarships are offered by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC) in partnership with UK universities. These scholarships are for students from least developed and lower middle income Commonwealth countries, who would not otherwise be able to afford to undertake Master’s level study in the UK, to gain skills and knowledge which will allow them to contribute to the development of their home countries.

• Closing date and time for submission of application: 18 December 2019 at 16:00 with applications for admission submitted at least two weeks before the closing date
• The scholarship will cover the full tuition fees and a monthly stipend, the scholar’s air fare to and from the UK at the start and end of the programme, a grant to cover thesis costs and study travel.
• Studentships start September 2020

In partnership with the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC) the University has three awards under this scheme to support scholars commencing their studies in 2020-21. The awards are available to eligible students taking the following one year full-time Master's degree programmes:

Please click on the course link above for further information about the course content, academic qualifications and English Language qualifications.

To apply for these scholarships, applicants must:

• Be a citizen of or have been granted refugee status by an eligible Commonwealth country, or be a British Protected Person
• Be permanently resident in an eligible Commonwealth country
• Be available to start your academic studies in the UK by the start of the UK academic year in September/ October 2020
• Hold a first degree of at least upper second class (2:1) standard, or a second class degree and a relevant postgraduate qualification (usually a Master’s degree) by the specified closing date (18 December 2019). The CSC would not normally fund a second UK Master’s degree. For comparability of qualifications refer to International Students: Your Country
• Not have studied or worked for one (academic) year or more in a high income country
• Be unable to afford to study in the UK without this scholarship
• Have applied for and been offered a full time place at Queen’s on one of the eligible one year Masters programmes above;
• Satisfy the University’s English Language requirements for entry to the programme normally by the specified closing date or shortly afterwards;
• Confirm that they will return to their home country as soon as possible after the award comes to an end

Before completing an application form please read the scholarship terms and conditions here.

Candidates must apply for both admission and a scholarship. See step 1 and step 2 below. It is recommended candidate(s) should where possible wait until an offer of a University place has been confirmed before applying for the Shared scholarship.  

Step 1 – Apply for Admission

Candidates must apply online for a place on one of the eligible courses at Queen’s University Belfast.  Further guidance is provided on the University website in Applying for Postgraduate Study at Queen's.

It will not be possible to assess your application without a fully-completed application form and supporting documentation as detailed at Essential Supporting Documentation and English Language Requirements. It is recommended candidates apply for admission in advance and at least two weeks prior to 18 December2019 closing date to allow sufficient time for a decision to be processed. 

Note entry to postgraduate taught Masters programmes at Queen’s usually requires either a UK upper second-class (2:1) or equivalent qualification acceptable to the University.  To be eligible for consideration for the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship candidates must have qualifications equivalent to a UK upper second-class (2:1) undergraduate degree or a lower second class undergraduate degree (2:2) and also a relevant postgraduate qualification (usually a Master’s degree) by the specified closing date (18 December2019). For comparability of qualifications refer to International-students/Your-Country/.

Step 2 – Apply for a Commonwealth Shared Scholarship

Candidates must make a scholarship application using the CSC’s online application system. You will need to confirm your Queen’s application number on the scholarship form. The CSC will not accept applications that are not submitted using their online application system. Please see Commonwealth Shared Scholarships website for more information on applying for the scholarship. 

The closing date for applications is 16:00 (GMT) on 18 December 2019.

Please check Commonwealth Shared Scholarships website for more information about how to apply for the scholarship. 

Candidates should provide any information that they wish to be considered by 18 December2019 closing date to facilitate the selection process.  The University will consider scholarship applications according to: academic merit of the candidate and potential impact of the work on the development of the candidate’s home country. The University will put forward their selected candidates to the CSC by 27 March 2020. The CSC will then confirm that these candidates meet the eligibility criteria for this scheme. Universities will inform candidates of their results by June 2020.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Visit the FAQ page if you are having any issues:

Queries/Contact details

Queries about Commonwealth Shared Scholarships at Queen’s should be directed initially to the graduateschool@qub.ac.uk  

Queries about Admission should be sent to: intl.student@qub.ac.uk

 
It is expected that up to three Commonwealth Shared Scholarships will be available at Queen’s University Belfast for September 2020 entry.