University of Essex Scholarships support talented postgraduate students, particularly PhD students, to study at the University. Scholarships worth a total of more than £700,000 per academic year are distributed in the form of University of Essex Scholarships. Each university department has a share of the scholarship fund which it can use to support students.

How much are the Scholarships worth?
There are three types of scholarship awards which are listed below. These are awarded for each year of study during the standard minimum period of enrolment for your degree, subject to satisfactory progress.

• £10,000 For research students only
• £5,000 For research or Masters students
• £2,000 For research or Masters students

These are indicative amounts and the final decision on the value of a scholarship awarded to each applicant will be made by the department.

Please note that some departments choose to use this funding to support research students only.

For further information see the web pages for the department to which you are applying.

When a Scholarship is awarded it is deducted against the tuition fees payable. Any balance is then paid to you in termly instalments. Depending on the size of the Scholarship awarded, it may be necessary for you to make a contribution to your tuition fees.

In some cases, departments may also offer additional top-up teaching or research scholarships, which provide opportunities to gain teaching or additional research experience.

Who is eligible?
All scholarships are available to UK, EU and Overseas students and to both full-time and part-time students. To be eligible to be considered for a University of Essex Scholarship, you must:

Research students

• Hold an offer from the University of Essex for a PhD, Integrated PhD or part-time Professional Doctorate (not MPhil, Doctor of Medicine, Masters by Dissertation or full-time Professional Doctorate)

Taught students

• Hold an offer for a Masters degree (not Postgraduate/Graduate Diploma or Postgraduate/Graduate Certificate)

All students

• complete the University of Essex Scholarship application form by 13 May 2011. The will become available to you via your myEssex applicant portal after the University has made you an offer for a relevant course.

Please note that you must be applying for a new programme of study, starting in October 2011, at the University of Essex in order to be eligible for the University of Essex Scholarship. Students who are already completing one degree at Essex but wish to apply for support for another are eligible to apply.

How can you apply?
Applications for the University of Essex Scholarship close on 13 May 2011. You should complete the University of Essex Scholarship application form online via your myEssex applicant portal. This will become available to you once you have received an official offer of admission from the Graduate Admissions Office.

If you have any questions about the application process, please e-mail: scholarships (non-Essex users should add @essex.ac.uk to create a full e-mail address).

Please note: applicants for East 15 Acting School will be contacted directly by the school to make applications for a range of scholarship opportunities, including University scholarships.

How are candidates selected?
University of Essex Scholarships support talented postgraduate students who can demonstrate an excellent academic background and the potential for future achievement, as well as financial need. Candidates who satisfy the above criteria, and who have received an offer of admission, will be selected for the award of a scholarship on the following criteria:

Academic ability:
Based on previous academic qualifications. For research students, normally a first class Bachelor’s degree or high 2.1 or equivalent, and/or Master’s degree with distinction or merit. For Masters students, normally a first class Bachelor’s degree or high 2.1 or equivalent.

Research potential
Research candidates:
Based on the candidate’s research proposal submitted with their application, as well as their statement on the scholarship application form. Departments will take into account the fit of the proposed project with their own research strategy.

Masters candidates:
Based on the candidate’s aptitude for Master’s level work, in particular their capacity to undertake a successful dissertation and to engage with scholarship surrounding the discipline. Evidence will be taken from their references, postgraduate application and the statement on the scholarship application form. Departments will rountinely seek to identify applicants who are potential PhD candidates.

Financial need:
Based on evidence provided on the scholarship application form. Candidates should provide evidence that they have applied for financial support from other sources. In the case of UK/EU applicants they should have applied for research council funding. Where a student applies for and is awarded a University of Essex Scholarship and subsequently obtains full external funding, the University will rescind the Scholarship offer. Where partial external funding is obtained, the department may choose to continue, reduce or rescind the Scholarship offer as it sees fit.

You should check the departmental web pages for information on any additional criteria before completing your application.

When are successful candidates notified?
Successful candidates will normally be notified in June 2011. Formal notification of a Scholarship award will be sent from the Graduate Admissions Office.

Information on Subject Areas

• For further information please see Areas of Study
• The University of Essex has an international reputation for research excellence and for the high quality of its postgraduate training.
• If you wish to receive information on the studentships programme, and/or details of research opportunities in particular departments, please contact the department you are interested in at the address below:

University of Essex
Wivenhoe Park
Colchester
CO4 3SQ
Telephone: 01206 873942

Further details are available from the Graduate Administrator in your department; from the Graduate Admissions Office, room 5S.7.30 (tel. 01206 872719); or the Registry, room 6.112 (tel. 01206 873942 or 01206 872967). The University of Essex website offers additional information about funding.

• Academic Excellence International Masters Scholarship, University of Essex, UK
• Essex Business School MBA Scholarship, University of Essex, UK
• PhD Studentship in the Computational Investigation of Drug Resistant Mutations in the Kinases, University of Southampton, UK
• Mathematics & Statistics Scholarships for Taught Masters, University of Glasgow, UK
• Geographical & Earth Sciences International Academic Excellence Awards, University of Glasgow, UK
• Computing Science International Academic Excellence Scholarships, University of Glasgow, UK
• La Trobe University Postgraduate Research Scholarships (LTUPRS), Australia
• The Beth Yarrow Memorial Award In Medical Science, University of New South Wales, Australia
• Prime Minister’s Australia Asia Incoming Postgraduate Award, Australia
• Postgraduate Research Scholarship in Mathematics, University of Kent, UK