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Master’s Scholarships 2020
The University of Reading offers a range of scholarships to master’s students. Some awards are offered directly by the University and others are allocated to our students by external funding bodies.
University of Reading Master’s Scholarships 2020
The Schools featured here offer partial scholarships through the University of Reading’s 2020 Master’s Scholarships Scheme. These scholarships are awarded primarily on the basis of previous academic achievement. In order to apply, a candidate must have received an offer of admission to one our participating master’s courses. Scholarships are awarded in two rounds. Round one will review applications received by 1 March 2020 and round two will consider applications received by 1 June 2020. Candidates unsuccessful in round one automatically go forward for consideration in round two, provided they still hold a valid offer of admission to an eligible course.
Scholarship guidelines
- These scholarships take the form of a tuition fee reduction.
- Study may be on a full-time or part-time basis. The fee reduction is applied in a single payment at the commencement of the master's degree.
- There are two types of scholarships – those for international students (applicants who are classified as overseas for tuition fees purposes) and awards for ‘UK/EU students, whose tuition fees are ordinarily lower.
- Tuition fees are confirmed when an offer of admission is made.
- The scholarships in this scheme are awarded primarily on the basis of previous academic accomplishment.
How to apply
Scholarship applications are now open. To be considered for a scholarship you first need to submit an application for your chosen master’s programme and receive an offer.
Interested in applying for a master's programme?
If you would like to apply for one of our master's programmes, please use our online application service.
Receive funding updates
To receive updates on funding opportunities along with other information about the University of Reading, please submit your details here.
Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Science
4 scholarships of £3,000 each for international students and 5 scholarships of £1,000 each for UK/EU students offered to offered admission to:
Architecture
Students enrolling on our Master of Architecture in 2020, who hold a first-class honours degree, have the opportunity to apply for a scholarship worth £1,000 for each of the two years of the course. This scholarship is subject to conditions, including successful progression between each academic year.
Arts and Communication Design
5 scholarships of £3,000 each for international students and 5 scholarships of £1,500 each for UK/EU students offered admission to:
- MA Creative Enterprise: Art pathway
- MA Creative Enterprise: Communication Design Pathway
- MA Creative Enterprise: Film Pathway
- MA Creative Enterprise: Theatre Pathway
- MA Fine Art
- MA Communication Design: Book Design Pathway
- MA Communication Design: Graphic Design Pathway
- MA Communication Design: Information Design Pathway
- MA Communication Design: Typeface Design Pathway
- MA Research Typography and Graphic Communication
Computer science
10 scholarships of £3,000 each for international students and 5 scholarships of £1,000 each for Home/EU students offered admission to:
Construction Management and Engineering
3 scholarships of £3,000 each for international students and 3 scholarships of £2,000 each for UK/EU students offered admission to:
Education
2 scholarships of £2,500 for international students offered admission to:
English Language and Applied Linguistics
1 scholarship of £3,000 for an international student and 1 scholarship of £1,500 for a UK/EU student offered admission to:
1 scholarship of £3,000 for an international student and 1 scholarship of £1,500 for a UK/EU student offered admission to:
Food and nutritional Sciences
4 scholarships of £5,000 each for international students offered admission to:
Henley Business School Scholarships
Henley Business School offers a substantial scholarship fund to UK, EU and international students applying for their master’s courses.
Read more on MBA Scholarships and Henley Business Postgraduate Scholarships.
H. Knapman Scholarship - accommodation scholarship for scientists
Three accommodation scholarships for St Patrick's Hall. These scholarships have an approximate value of £5100 each for international, EU or UK students studying on a full-time basis and offered admission to an MSc course in one of the following Science departments:
- Biological Sciences
- Chemistry
- Computer Science
- Food and Nutritional Sciences
- Meteorology
- Pharmacy
Through a generous donation we are able to fund three accommodation scholarships for students who will commence an MSc course in one of our Science departments in September 2020. The scholarship will pay for 40 weeks of accommodation in one of the standard rooms in St Patrick’s Hall (students wishing to stay in Reading longer may source accommodation for the remainder of their studies at their own expense via our STAY at Reading service). The scholarship can be held in conjunction with another scholarship that pays full or partial tuition fees but the H. Knapman Scholarship cannot be offered to a student who already has a scholarship that provides a full stipend for living costs (e.g. Chevening, CSC, Felix).
Applications for this scholarship are now open. To be considered for a scholarship you first need to submit an application for your chosen master's programme and receive an offer of admission. The closing date for applications is 1 June 2020.
Humanities
2 scholarships of £1,500 each for international students and 3 scholarships of £1,500 each for UK/EU students offered admission to:
International Development, Agriculture and Economics Scholarships
The Graduate Institute of International Development, Agriculture and Economics (GIIDAE) has £300,000 worth of master’s scholarship funding available for the 2020-21 academic year. Further information is available on the GIIDAE website.
Law
2 scholarships of £3,000 each for international students and 3 scholarships of £1,500 each for UK/EU students offered admission to:
Meteorology Scholarships
2 scholarships of £3,000 each for international students and 2 scholarships of £1,500 each for UK/EU students offered admission to:
Politics, Economics and International Relations
6 scholarships of £3,000 each for international students and 4 scholarships of £1,500 each for UK/EU students offered admission to:
Psychology and clinical language sciences
5 scholarships of £3,000 each for international students offered admission to:
Harry Nursten Scholarship - Food and Nutritional Sciences
The Harry Nursten Postgraduate Scholarship aims to encourage students from under-represented groups to study at the postgraduate level in Food and Nutritional Sciences. The scholarship is able to make an award up to a value of £5,000 each year and each award is tenable for one year. In order to apply, you must have received an offer of admission to one our participating master’s courses. Scholarship awards are given based on academic merit to those most in financial need.
Alumni discounts
Already completed a qualification at the University of Reading? Then you are entitled to a discount on your tuition fees to help you progress to the next level of study, whether that is a master’s course or a PhD.
The discount is 10% off the fees for a master’s course or the first year of another postgraduate degree (up to a maximum of £1,000) and is automatically granted to eligible students. For part-time study, the discount applies to first-year fees.
Read more information on alumni discounts.
Scholarships offered by other sponsors
The University collaborates with many sponsors around the world and within the UK, including funding schemes run by governments, NGOs, and private and donor organisations.
A number of scholarships are listed below, however students seeking financial aid are also encouraged to research the opportunities that may be on offer in their own country or through other organisations.
Highways England Master's studentship in Archaeology
Highways England are funding two Master’s Studentships in Archaeology, to be run by the University of Reading in conjunction with MOLA Headland Infrastructure.
The award-holders will spend 12 weeks on a placement with MOLA specialists in addition to studying towards the University of Reading full-time MA Archaeology.
Each award focuses on a different topic:
- The effects of sub-sampling Roman pottery assemblages from large infrastructure projects
- Integrating scientific analysis into the study of Iron Age and Roman copper-alloy objects from large infrastructure projects
Each award covers:
- Tuition fees for new UK/EU students (£7,735)
- £5,000 during 12-week placement
- £11,500 stipend over the duration of the master’s course
Applications for Highways England 2020/21 have now closed.
To be considered for a Master’s Studentship in Archaeology you first need to submit an application for the full-time MA Archaeology programme and receive an offer. You will then be eligible to apply for the Master’s Studentship.
Chevening Scholarships
Chevening Scholarships are the UK government's global scholarship programme, funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and partner organisations. The University of Reading and Chevening have been working together for over 20 years, offering international students funding to complete their Master's degrees in Reading. Around 500 Chevening scholars have so far completed their studies at the University.
Commonwealth shared scholarships
Commonwealth Shared Scholarships are for candidates from less developed and lower middle income Commonwealth countries, for full-time Master’s study on selected courses.
The University of Reading, in partnership with the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission, offers four scholarships under this scheme for the following courses:
MSc Food Technology: Quality Assurance
This scholarship is only available for applicants from eligible Commonwealth countries (Bangladesh, Cameroon, Eswatini, The Gambia, Ghana, Guyana, India, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, Samoa, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu and Zambia.)
To apply, applicants are required to submit an application for the eligible course at the University of Reading as well as completing the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission’s online application form
Applications for this scholarship opened on 6 November 2019.
Deadline to apply for this scholarship is 16.00 GMT on 18 December 2019.Felix scholarships
Since 1991/92 the University of Reading has been one of three institutions in the UK that participates in the prestigious Felix Scholarships Scheme. It was founded to offer gifted underprivileged students from India and certain other developing countries the opportunity of furthering their postgraduate education by attending a university in the UK.
The deadline for applications is 30 January 2020.
Read more details about Felix Scholarship and find out how to apply.
JOINT JAPAN/WORLD BANK GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM (JJ/WBGSP)
The Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program (JJ/WBGSP) is open to applicants from developing countries with relevant professional experience and a history of supporting their countries' development efforts.
The scholarship is now open for applications from those holding an unconditional offer with one of these GIIDAE programmes:
Full details of the scholarship, eligibility criteria and how to apply can be found on the JJ/WBGSP website. For the 2020/21 program, the application deadline is April 23 2020.
Please note that applicants must have an unconditional offer for one or more of the Preferred Programmes before submitting a JJ/WBGSP scholarship application. To apply for our postgraduate courses, please click here.
Rotary Graduate Scholarship Programme - Environmental Programmes
Rotary District 1090, which represents the Rotary Clubs in the Thames Valley area, is looking to award two scholarships for postgraduate study in the academic year 2020/21. These scholarships are each for USD 30,000, with one for study at the University of Reading and the other at Brunel.
Rotary District 1090 will accept applications from candidates who have been offered a place on one of the following one-year full time master's courses at the University, starting September/October 2020:
- MSc in Environmental Management
- MSc in Environmental Pollution.
Applicants should be:
- from outside the UK
- from low- to middle-income countries.
Please note: you should only start your application after receiving an offer to study one of the above full-time courses. The deadline for applications is 5pm on 8th May 2020. You can apply online via the Rotary Scholarship application form.
For further information, including eligibility criteria, please visit the Rotary Scholars in District 1090 website (opens in new window).
Snowdon Masters Scholarships
The Snowdon Scholarship programme aims to give a small number of exceptionally talented disabled people an opportunity to achieve their true potential.
University of Reading - GREAT Scholarships 2020 - China and India
The University of Reading is pleased to have been selected by the British Council as a co-funder for three GREAT Scholarships.
- China – one in our School of Built Environment and the other in our School of Politics, Economics and International Relations.
- India - any master's course
Applications for GREAT Scholarships 2020/21 have now closed.
Information Design and Ernest Hoch Scholarships in Typography and Graphic Communication
Information Design Scholarship
Two scholarships of £3000 each are available to successful applicants who have been offered admission to our MA Communication Design: Information Design pathway. These scholarships are awarded on merit. Applicants must demonstrate strengths or interests in information design.
Ernest Hoch Scholarship
Two scholarships of £3000 each are available to successful applicants who have been offered admission to any MA programme in the Department of Typography & Graphic Communication. These scholarships are awarded on merit. Applicants must demonstrate strengths in areas related to the interests of Ernest Hoch, which are broadly defined as information design, design with an international context, and design education.
The courses covered by the Ernest Hoch Scholarship are:
- MA Creative Enterprise: Communication Design Pathway
- MA Communication Design: Book Design Pathway
- MA Communication Design: Graphic Design Pathway
- MA Communication Design: Information Design Pathway
- MA Communication Design: Typeface Design Pathway
- MA Research Typography and Graphic Communication
Deadline for applications: 1 June 2020.
To be considered for a scholarship you first need to submit an application for admission to one of the above master's programmes and receive an offer. You will then be eligible to apply for the scholarship.
Funding opportunities for postgraduate research
The University invests heavily in postgraduate research each year. For more information on our funding opportunities, please view the Graduate School's fees and funding page.