Birmingham Masters Scholarship

Our Birmingham Masters Scholarship offers £3,000 via a tuition fee discount, to support the brightest and best applicants undertaking Masters study at Birmingham during the 2025/26 academic year.

In celebration of our 125th anniversary, we are continuing our rich tradition of supporting and welcoming the brightest students to the University by offering a £3,000 tuition fee discount through our Birmingham Masters Scholarship scheme.

Whilst maintaining our civic history, we also want you to excel at Birmingham and to stand out in an increasingly-competitive global job market once you graduate. Alongside our robust personal and academic support, we are offering the financial support to alleviate traditional barriers to postgraduate study. With the opportunity to focus on your studies, we are excited to see how you will progress our ambitious legacy to the next level.

To forge your future, you can submit an application for the Birmingham Masters Scholarship by either using the below button or the embedded form.

Who can apply?

The scheme is open to all UK or Ireland students who are eligible for 'Home' fees and studying an eligible Masters degree. However, in recognition of the importance of talent retention in the Midlands, we will be prioritising applications from students who have graduated from one of the Midlands-based universities.

At Birmingham we value the regional talent that chooses to live and work in Birmingham and the surrounding areas. We understand the importance of retaining the skills, experience and knowledge of our Midlands graduates, and want to ensure finances are not a barrier to further professional development.

Due to the high volume of applications, the Birmingham Masters Scholarship will have two rounds. This is so we can process applications as and when we receive them and respond to applicants in a timely manner.

The deadline for round one is 23:59 (UK time) on 30 April 2025.
The deadline for round two is 23:59 (UK time) on 31 July 2025.

If you are made a reserve in round one, you do not need to re-apply to the scholarship scheme as your application will be automatically carried over into the second round.

Apply Now

What is the selection criteria?

The Birmingham Masters Scholarships will be awarded to more than 200 candidates beginning Masters study in 2025, and awards will be based on previous academic and/or professional performance.

You are expected to attain a First-class or Upper Second-class (2:1) Honours degree (or the equivalent) for your undergraduate qualification and to provide evidence of your achievements.

Eligibility criteria

The Birmingham Masters Scholarships will be available to students who are:

Domiciled in the UK — students recorded as Home for fee status purposes are eligible, provided that they meet the other eligibility criteria;
Self-funded — you must be self-funding or applying for a postgraduate government loan to pay your fees and living expenses;
Not already registered on a postgraduate programme — applicants must not currently be enrolled on a postgraduate degree course;
Undertaking an 180-credits Masters course in an eligible subject in the 2025/26 academic year.

Eligible courses include the following, delivered at our Edgbaston Campus, Stratford-upon-Avon, partnered institutions or by distance learning:

LLM
MA (Taught)
MSc (Pre-reg)
MSc (Taught)
MPH
MEd
MBA
MPA

As the scholarship is only applicable to full postgraduate taught 180-credit Masters degrees, ineligible courses include:

MA/MSc by Research
MRes (combined taught and research)
Integrated Masters degrees (such as MSci, MEng and MBChB etc.)
Intercalated Masters degrees
Postgraduate Diplomas (PGDip)
Postgraduate Certificates (PGCert)
Postgraduate Research programmes (such as PhDs or PhDs with integrated study)
Schools Direct programmes
SKE
EngD
LLB for Graduates
Programmes delivered at our Dubai Campus
All top-up programmes (e.g., MSc Physician Associate Studies

How to apply

To be considered for an award, applicants must, by the deadline, have done both of the following:

Made an application to their intended Masters programme. Please apply through the relevant programme page on the Course finder section of the University of Birmingham website. This must include all of the relevant supporting documentation: references, transcripts if available, and English language certification if applicable.
Completed the Birmingham Masters Scholarships application form.

You should enter the application ID number that you were given during the application to your Masters programme. If you do not input the correct ID number, your application may be void or may experience a delay in being processed.

The deadline for round one is 23:59 (UK time) on 30 April 2025.
The deadline for round two is 23:59 (UK time) on 31 July 2025.

If you are made a reserve within round one, your application will automatically be carried over into round two. You do not need to re-apply.

Judging Criteria

Eligibility to receive the scholarship will be determined by a University selection panel based on the following criteria:

Academic excellence and previous study - Birmingham Masters Scholarships are primarily awarded on the basis of academic performance in the applicants’ previous studies
Professional qualifications and achievements - Qualifications and other notable achievements from relevant professional roles will be taken into account
Priority will be given to applications from students who have graduated from one of the Midlands-based universities.
Other University or College subject priorities

Priority consideration for the Birmingham Masters Scholarships will be allocated to students who have completed a degree at a university based in the Midlands. Please see the terms and conditions for the list of Midlands-based universities who will be considered as a priority.

Please visit our website for full terms and conditions of the scholarship.

What are the terms and conditions of the scholarship?

You should familiarise yourself with the terms and conditions of the Birmingham Masters Scholarship before applying and, if your application is successful, before accepting the scholarship. All Birmingham Masters Scholarship offers are bound to these terms and conditions, and any scholarship offers may be revoked if any terms and conditions are not met.

The scholarship has been crucial to alleviating the financial pressure I was under after finishing my undergraduate degree and has allowed me to be able to study an MSc, limit any stress, and to flourish during the degree.
Jacob, Birmingham Masters Scholarship recipient

FAQs

Do I need to submit a study application?

Yes, students must submit an application to study one of the eligible courses before applying to the scholarship. If you only apply to the scholarship and don't submit a course application, the University will not be able to award you the scholarship; scholarship offers are entirely contingent upon you having an offer to study on one of the above eligible courses.

I am an international student. Am I eligible for scholarship funding?

No. Funding for this scholarship aims to support Home fee-paying students progress onto taught Masters study. Therefore, to be eligible for this scholarship's funding students must meet the nationality or residency status criteria to qualify for the UK government's postgraduate masters’ loan.

However, we have a range of scholarships specifically for international students which you can explore on our dedicated webpage for international scholarships.

I have received an email offering me the scholarship. How do I accept and receive payment?

If you have been successfully offered the scholarship, you will need to complete the acceptance form in your awarding email. Only once you have responded and accepted the scholarship will you receive the award; if you decline or do not respond by the deadline specified in your offer email, your scholarship will be reallocated.

After accepting the scholarship, you will need to accept your study offer and complete online registration to receive the £3,000 tuition fee waiver; delays in completing online registration will result in the delaying of the scholarship payment.

By accepting the scholarship you accept the terms and conditions of the Birmingham Masters Scholarship.

Is the scholarship paid to the University or to me?

The Birmingham Masters Scholarship is a £3,000 fee waiver and will be applied directly to your tuition fees; the waiver cannot be exchanged for any monetary value nor can it be paid directly to you. When paying the remainder of your tuition fees, whether by direct debit (monthly or termly) or a single payment, you will only need to pay the remaining value of your tuition fees minus the £3,000 waiver. Tuition fee payments will only be applicable once a student has completed online registration and enrolment.

Detailed information and guidance on how to pay your tuition fees can be found on our Funding pages.

Will I receive an updated tuition fee invoice?

If you are successfully awarded the Birmingham Masters Scholarship, your £3,000 tuition fee waiver will be applied directly to your tuition fee account. However, you will not receive an updated invoice reflecting the discounted value. You will need to manually deduct the £3,000 discount from your full tuition fees to calculate your outstanding fees that you are liable for.

When will I hear the outcome of my application?

Applications will be reviewed and marked after their respective deadlines. Successful applicants will be contacted typically within 3-4 weeks after the respective scholarship application deadline has passed. A scholarship offer email will be sent to awardees to accept or decline the scholarship offer; a deadline to respond will be included in this email. Students who are made a reserve will be contacted in due course as soon as any reallocated scholarships become available.

Due to the volume of applications for the scholarship, we are unable to offer individual responses to each application. Although we endeavour to keep you informed of scholarship updates, if you have not been contacted by the timeframes outlined in the above paragraph or by your course's start date, it may be the unfortunate case that your application has unsuccessful.

If I defer my course entry to the next year, can I still receive the scholarship?

No. As per the terms and conditions, the scholarship cannot be deferred and it is only tenable for one year. If you choose to defer your studies, you will need to re-apply for the scholarship in the next cycle if available.

Can I hold other scholarships alongside the Birmingham Masters Scholarship?

Generally, you will be able to hold other scholarships in conjunction with the Birmingham Masters Scholarship, such as the Postgraduate Access Scholarship and the Postgraduate Progression Award. However, you cannot hold the Birmingham Masters Scholarship in conjunction with any scholarship that covers the full tuition fee, whether awarded by the University or an external organisation or sponsor.

You should always read each scholarships' specific terms and conditions to ensure that the other scholarship can be held in conjunction with the Birmingham Masters Scholarship.

Students can apply for and receive a UK governmental loan as well as the Birmingham Masters Scholarship.

You are encouraged to familiarise yourself with the terms and conditions of the Birmingham Masters Scholarship when applying for and accepting the award.