The Commonwealth Scholarships are offered in partnership with selected universities in the UK. Commonwealth Scholarships aims at helping motivated and talented individuals who could not afford to study in the UK and enable them to gain the skills and knowledge required for sustainable development. This scholarship is only for Master’s courses and not for undergraduate or PhD study
This Scholarship focuses on candidates from least developed and lower-middle-income Commonwealth countries, to partake in full-time Master’s study on selected courses at a UK university.
A Commonwealth Shared Scholarship covers fees, approved fares and personal maintenance. Other scholarships, awards or bursaries that cover the same costs may not be held concurrently.
The Commonwealth Scholarship is categorized into six development schemes:
• SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FOR DEVELOPMENT
• STRENGTHENING HEALTH SYSTEMS & CAPACITY
• PROMOTING GLOBAL PROSPERITY
• STRENGTHENING GLOBAL PEACE, SECURITY & GOVERNANCE
• STRENGTHENING RESILIENCE & RESPONSE TO CRISES
• ACCESS, INCLUSION & OPPORTUNITY
The recruitment process will be conducted by each participating University and a specific number of candidates will be selected to be awarded the Commonwealth Scholarships.
Applications will be considered based on the following criteria:
• Academic merit of the candidate
• Quality of the plan of study
• Potential impact on the development of the candidate’s home country.
Here’s a list of the participating Universities and respective approved courses which you can apply for your scholarship to be tenable for selection:
UNIVERSITIES AND THE COURSES THEY OFFER
• Brunel University London –LLM International Human Rights Law
• Cranford University – MSc Water and Sanitation for Development
• Goldsmiths, University of London – MA Queer History
• Goldsmiths, University of London –MA Race, Media and Social Justice
• Liverpool Hope University–MA Disability Studies
• Liverpool Hope University–MA Education
• London School of Economics and Political Science–MSc Gender, Development and Globalisation
• Queen’s University Belfast–MSc City Planning and Design
• SOAS, University of London–MSc Development Studies
• SOAS, University of London–MSc Political Economy of Development
• University College London–MA Education, Gender and International Development
• University of Bristol–MSc Education (Policy and International Development)
• University of Bristol –MSc Gender and International Relations
• University of Cambridge–MPhil Education Leadership and Improvement
• University of Glasgow–MSc Education for Sustainable Futures in Adult, Community and Youth Contexts
• University of Leicester–MA Media, Gender and Social Justice
• University of Nottingham–MA Education
• University of Portsmouth–MSc Educational Leadership and Management
• University of Southampton–MSc Gerontology
• University of St Andrews–MLitt Global Social and Political Thought
• University of Sussex (Institute of Development Studies)–MA Gender and Development
• University of Sussex (Institute of Development Studies)–MA Power, Participation and Social Change
• University of Warwick–MA Gender and International Development
• University of Warwick–MA Applied Theatre: Arts, Action, Change
ELIGIBILITY.
To be eligible for the Commonwealth scholarships, you must:
• Be a citizen of or have been granted refugee status by an eligible Commonwealth country, or be a British Protected Person.
• Be a 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 2022
• By September 2022, hold a first degree of at least upper second-class (2:1) honours standard, or a lower second-class degree (2:2) and a relevant postgraduate qualification (usually a Master’s degree).
• Not have studied or worked for one (academic) year or more in a high-income country
• Be unable to afford to study at a UK university without this scholarship
• Have provided all supporting documentation in the required format.
Here are the 23 eligible countries listed below whose candidates can apply for Commonwealth Shared Scholarships in 2022:
Bangladesh
Cameroon
Eswatini
The Gambia
Ghana
India
Kenya
Kiribati
Lesotho
Malawi
Mozambique
Nigeria
Pakistan
Papua New Guinea
Rwanda
Sierra Leone
Solomon Islands
Sri Lanka
Tanzania
Tuvalu
Uganda
Vanuatu
Zambia
HOW TO APPLY
• Candidates can apply for more than one course and to more than one university through the Commonwealth Shared Scholarships Scheme, but can only accept one offer of the Scholarship.
• Candidates must also secure admission to their respective courses in addition to applying for a Shared Scholarship. Candidates should check with their chosen university for their specific advice on when to apply, admission requirements and rules for applying.
• Candidates must make your application using the CSC’s online application system, in addition to any other application which are required to complete by the nominating body. The CSC will not accept any applications that are not submitted via the online application system.
Commonwealth Shared Scholarships for the academic year 2022/2023 are now closed. Applicants will be notified of the outcome by June 2022.