FAQs

Q:  Am I academically qualified for a Commonwealth Shared Scholarship (MA Conflict Transformation & Social Justice or MPH Global Health)?

A: In order to be considered for a Commonwealth Shared Scholarship for the eligible programmes (MA Conflict Transformation & Social Justice or MPH Global Health), you must hold the minimum of a first degree which is equivalent to UK upper second class (2.1) honours degree standard or UK lower second class (2:2) classification plus a relevant postgraduate qualification (usually a Master’s degree).

For guidance on the comparability of your qualification to UK 2.1 and 2.2 Honours degree standard, you should visit the section for your Country at www.qub.ac.uk/International/International-students/Your-Country/

If you are unsure whether you meet the entry requirements, you should proceed to submit your application to the Direct Application Portal at http://www.qub.ac.uk/Study/PostgraduateStudy/How-to-apply/Apply-online/

There is no fee required to submit an application and this is the quickest and easiest way to obtain an assessment of your eligibility for the programme.  An assessment of your eligibility for the Scholarship will be made separately at a later date.

Q: I have not finished my first degree: can I still apply for the MA Conflict Transformation & Social Justice or MPH Global Health?

A:  If your first degree is not yet complete, you can still submit an application, but in order to be considered for the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship, your first degree must be complete and awarded by the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship closing date for Queen’s which is 12 April 2018.

If you are deemed eligible for an offer for the Master’s programme/s, but your degree is not complete at the time of submitting your application to the Direct Application Portal, your offer will be conditional on either an academic or an English language qualification or both.

You will not receive an unconditional offer of a place until we have received your final results.

If you are made a conditional offer of a place then you should upload your final results when you receive them (final transcript and degree certificate) through the Direct Application Portal https://dap.qub.ac.uk/portal/user/u_login.php to confirm that you have met the condition(s) of your offer.

Q: By what date should I apply for admission to these programmes (MA Conflict Transformation & Social Justice or MPH Global Health) in order to be considered for the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship?

A:  You should apply for admission (a place) well in advance and at least two weeks before the closing date (12 April 2018) to allow sufficient time for a decision on your application to be processed.

Q: What is the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship deadline for submitting evidence of my qualifications?

A:  You must hold a first degree of at least upper second class (UK 2.1) honours standard, or lower second class (2:2) classification plus a relevant postgraduate qualification (usually a Master’s degree), by the specified closing date (12 April 2018). You will therefore be required to submit evidence of your awarded qualification by this date.

Q: What is the deadline for applying for the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship?

A:  In addition to applying for your chosen programme, you must also apply via the EAS Portal [https://csc.do-it-online.org.uk/csc/electronicapplicationsystem.htm] by 12 April 2018. It is recommended that you wait until you receive an offer of admission for your chosen programme/s before applying for the Scholarship on the EAS portal.  Further details on how to apply via the EAS Portal and frequently asked questions can be found at: CSCUK: DFID – Shared Scholarships Information [http://cscuk.dfid.gov.uk/apply/eas/applicants/shared-scholarships/].

Q: Which English language tests are acceptable and what grades will I require?

A: The English language requirements for the two eligible programmes are as follows:

MA Conflict Transformation and Social Justice -  IELTS* 6.5, with not less than 5.5 in any component, or an equivalent qualification acceptable to the University is required. *Taken within the last 2 years.

MPH Global Health - IELTS* 6.5, with not less than 6.0 in any component, or an equivalent qualification acceptable to the University is required. * Taken within the last 2 years.

A list of alternative acceptable English language tests, together with the required grades, can be found at: go.qub.ac.uk/EnglishLanguageReqs  

Q: Do I need to provide an English language certificate if my degree was taught in English?

Even if your degree was taught in English, it is still likely that you will require a Secure English Language test.

Only applicants who are either Nationals of a country which is deemed by the UKVI to be majority-English-speaking*, or who hold a degree or an equivalent qualification which was taught in a country deemed to be majority-English-speaking** will normally be assumed to have met the English language requirements (please see below for details).

Please note that we do not accept a letter from your University stating that you are proficient in the English language. This is not acceptable for meeting the English language requirement.

* You are from a majority English-speaking country if you are a national of:

Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, New Zealand, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, United States of America

** If you have completed an academic qualification equivalent to a UK Bachelor's degree which was taught in one of the majority English-speaking countries listed below, you are normally exempt from additional English language requirements:

Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, New Zealand, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, The United Kingdom, United States of America

The following web page provides further information in the section called “Degrees taught or researched in English”. https://www.gov.uk/english-language

Candidates who have studied or worked for one (academic) year or more in a developed country are not eligible for consideration for a Commonwealth Shared Scholarships.

Q: What if I don't have my English Language test results yet?

A: If you have not yet obtained your English language test results, it may be possible to send these in later.

However, in order to be eligible for consideration for the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship, you must provide your English language test certificate by 30 April 2018. It will not be possible to consider your application for the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship if we do not receive your English language test result by this date.

Please indicate on your University application form when you took, or expect to take the English language test, and when you expect to receive your test results. You can then send in your test results once you have them. In this case, any offer you receive will be conditional upon the University receiving the test results.

Q: Do I need to send you my original English language test certificate by post?

A: No, you just need to upload clear scanned copies of your Certificate. Alternatively, you can email scanned copies to intl.student@qub.ac.uk

Q: There are two different types of evaluation for the IELTS English language test: ‘Academic’ and ‘General Training’. Which one should I take?

A: You should take the ‘Academic’ option. The ‘General Training’ is not accepted.

Q: What documents do I need to provide to make an application for my chosen programme?

A:  To make sure your application is processed in the fastest possible time, you should scan and upload the following supporting documents along with your application. We may not be able to make a decision on your application until we have received all your relevant documents.

Please provide good quality scanned copies of the following:

• Degree transcripts for all completed periods of study (undergraduate level and above).
• If your degree is still in progress, you must also provide a transcript. These can be requested from your University. 
• Copies of your official Degree/Diploma Certificates, for the qualification(s) you have already completed. These are the documents that confirm the level and title of your qualification(s), for example, Bachelor of Science in Mathematics.
• Certified translations, if your original documents are not in English. If you do not have translations at the time of application, please forward by email to intl.student@qub.ac.uk  when available.
• English language requirements: applicants whose first language is not English will need to show evidence of an acceptable level of competency in the English language.
  
  

Q: Do I need to provide all of the required documents at the time of application?

A:  It is advisable to provide all of the required documents listed above at the time of application. However, if you do not have all your documents at this time then it is still possible to make an application and provide further documents at a later date, as long as you include a full current transcript (and an English translation if required). We may then be able to make you an offer, conditional on providing further documents.

Please note though that no decision can be made without a full current transcript (and an English translation if required). If you submit an application without the required documents, we will contact you by email to request further documentation.

Q: My degree transcripts/degree award certificates are in a language that is not English, is this ok?

A: No. If any documents are not in English the original must be accompanied by a fully certified translation by a professional translator/translation company. This translation must include:

• details of the translator/translation company’s credentials; and
• confirmation that it is an accurate translation of the original document; and
• the translator/translation company’s contact details; and
• date and the original signature of the translator or an authorised official of the translation company.

We will not be able to process your application until you have uploaded a copy of your original documents and their official translation.

Q: How do I add supporting documents to my application after I have submitted it?

A: How you provide additional documentation depends on the status of your application.

If you have not yet received your offer, any additional documents (official transcripts, degree award certificates, English language test results) should be sent by email to intl.student@qub.ac.uk  These should not be uploaded to the Portal as they will overwrite any documentation you have already uploaded.

If you have already received your offer, you will need to send in evidence of your results. This documentation should be uploaded directly to the Postgraduate Application Portal https://dap.qub.ac.uk/portal/user/u_login.php 

You should upload an official transcript from your Higher Education Provider, confirming the title of the qualification awarded and the overall result and the final degree award certificate, if available. Where applicable, confirmation of your qualifications must be officially translated into English.

Q: Do I need to provide references with my application for admission?

A: You do not need to include reference letters with your application. These will be requested directly by the University, only if required. Please therefore ensure that you carefully enter the correct email addresses for your referees.

You must include the names and contact details of two referees, normally academics, who are familiar with your undergraduate and/or postgraduate studies. If you have taken a higher degree or postgraduate course, one of your referees should normally be from that institution. If you have been away from higher education for some time, you may use an employer as one of your referees.

Please note that you will be required to provide names and contact details for three referees when you apply for a Commonwealth Shared Scholarship on the EAS application portal.

Q: Do I need to send my original documents by post?

A: You should not send us original documents by post and all supporting documents should be scanned copies of the originals which you have uploaded when making your application online.

If you cannot find an answer to your query in the FAQs then please email us at intl.student@qub.ac.uk clearly indicating that you have read the Frequently Asked Questions.

A: Please refer to the Queen’s website for details of the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship application process at:

http://www.qub.ac.uk/graduate-school/funding-scholarships/international-prospective-taught/CommonwealthSharedScholarshipsSchemeDFIDAward/

Candidates must make their Commonwealth Shared Scholarship application using the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC) Electronic Application System (EAS). Click here for full information on how to use the EAS, including detailed guides and frequently asked questions (FAQs) at:

http://cscuk.dfid.gov.uk/apply/eas/applicants/shared-scholarships/

Please note each university has its own closing date for Commonwealth Shared Scholarship applications.  For Queen’s University Belfast candidates must apply for the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship by 12 April 2018.

If you cannot find an answer to your query relating to the Commonwealth Shared scholarship application in the FAQs then please email us at graduateschool@qub.ac.ukclearly indicating that you have read the Frequently Asked Questions.