Commonwealth Scholarships for Developing Commonwealth Countries’ Students, UK

Commonwealth
Scholarships for Master’s and PhD study – developing Commonwealth country
citizens

Commonwealth Scholarships for
Master’s and PhD study in the UK
are offered for citizens of developing Commonwealth countries.
These scholarships 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 educatio
n, and sustaining
the principles of the Commonwealth. For information on other scholarships
offered by the CSC, visit our Apply page.

You can apply for a Commonwealth
Scholarship 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. Click here for a list of UK universities
which have part funding agreements with the CSC

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 –
for more information, see the CSC anti-fraud policy.

Terms and
conditions

For full terms and conditions,
see the Commonwealth Scholarships 2017 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

For further details, see the Selection criteria for 2017 Commonwealth Scholarships for
Master’s and PhD study

You may also find the Feedback for unsuccessful
candidates useful.

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:

National nominating agencies – this is the main route of
application. Click here for a list of national
nominating agencies, with contact details
Selected universities/university bodies, which can
nominate their own academic staff. Click here for a list
of nominating universities/university bodies
Selected non-governmental organisations and charitable
bodies

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:

References from at least two individuals
Transcripts
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

How to use
the EAS

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.

Choosing a
university/course

You may find the following
resources useful when researching your choices of institution and course of
study in the UK:

Education UK (British Council) – British Council
website, with guidance for international students and a course and
institution search
Postgrad.com
– information for postgraduate students, with a course search
Prospects – information on postgraduate study in the UK
Research
Excellent Framework 2014 results – results of a system for assessing
the quality of research in UK
higher education institutions
Steps to Postgraduate Study – a guide to asking the
right questions about taught postgraduate study in the UK
UCAS Postgraduate – guidance on how to find and apply
for a postgraduate course
Unistats
– the official website for comparing UK higher education course
data
UKCISA (UK Council for International Student Affairs)
– advice for international students on choosing a course of study