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University of Reading Master’s Scholarships 2024

These scholarships are now closed for applications for 2024 entry.

The University of Reading offers an extensive range of scholarships to master’s students. Some awards are provided directly by the University, others are allocated to our students by donors and sponsors and a few are jointly funded. We are delighted that in 2024/25 we will be offering more funding than in any previous year.

The University of Reading’s Master’s Scholarships Scheme offers three funding opportunities:

  • Centenary Scholarships – To mark the upcoming 100th anniversary of our Royal Charter, the University is offering 125 scholarships for which all master’s students are eligible to apply.  These awards have been allocated to particular countries.
  • Subject Scholarships – These awards are provided by most of our Schools and are course-specific.  Students may be considered for both this scholarship and the Centenary Scholarship.
  • Alumni Master’s Scholarships – These scholarships are funded by the generosity of university donors and provide financial support for alumni who have previously studied at the University of Reading.
There are two rounds of scholarship applications received. Round One closed on 1 March 2024 and Round Two closed on 31 May 2024. 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.



Read more about types of scholarships

HOW TO APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIPS

Scholarships are now closed for applications for 2024 entry.

To apply for a scholarship, you need to have an offer for your chosen course first. Once you have an offer, please apply for the scholarships via me@reading applicant portal. The scholarship application form will be accessible up until the closing date. 

Before applying for the Centenary, Subject and Alumni Master’s Scholarships, please read our Guidance on Completing the Scholarship Application Form for useful information about the application process.


Centenary scholarships

This scholarship is now closed for applications for 2024 entry.

Centenary Scholarships are available to students from across the world.

The allocation of Centenary Scholarships by country will be as follows:


Read more about the distribution of Centenary Scholarships

Alumni Master’s Scholarship

This scholarship is now closed for applications for 2024 entry.

Previous students can also be considered for an Alumni Master’s Scholarship. These scholarships are funded by the generosity of university donors and provide financial support for alumni who have previously studied at the University of Reading. 

The award provides a living expenses grant of £3,000 and is available to both UK and International students. There are 10 scholarships available. To apply, use the same application form as the Centenary and Subject Scholarships, which will be available on me@reading. Students will be considered for each scholarship they are eligible for.


Stefani (Cyprus), MSc in International Human Resource Management with Vice-Chancellor Robert Van de Noort at the Scholarship Reception. 

What advice would you give to students applying for a scholarship? 
Stefani: "I would say go for it, because from my experience University of Reading really values excellence and gives plenty of opportunities."
 How did you feel being told you had been chosen for a scholarship?
Stefani: "I firstly felt surprised and then really valued. I truly felt like the hard work I have done in the past is valuable and appreciated."

Subject scholarships

This section contains a breakdown of Subject Scholarships.

Please note that these scholarships are now closed for applications for 2024 entry.


ARTS AND COMMUNICATION DESIGN

This scholarship is now closed for applications for 2024 entry.

3 x £5,000 scholarships for international students and 3 x £2,500 scholarships for UK/Republic of Ireland students offered admission to:


Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Science

This scholarship is now closed for applications for 2024 entry.

3 x £5,000 scholarships for international students and 2 x £2,500 scholarships for UK/Republic of Ireland students offered admission to:


Computer science

This scholarship is now closed for applications for 2024 entry.

10 x £5,000 scholarships for international students and 5 x £2,500 scholarships for UK/Republic of Ireland students offered admission to:


Construction Management and Engineering

This scholarship is now closed for applications for 2024 entry.

3 x £5,000 scholarships for international students and 3 x £2,500 scholarships for UK/Republic of Ireland students offered admission to:


Education

This scholarship is now closed for applications for 2024 entry.

1 £5,000 scholarship for international students and 1 x £2,500 scholarship for UK/Republic of Ireland students offered admission to:

The MA Education course allows students to focus on specialisms including Early Years Education, Inclusive Education, Leadership and Management, Creativity in Education or Research Methods.


English Language and Applied Linguistics

This scholarship is now closed for applications for 2024 entry.

1 x £5,000 scholarship for international students and 1 x £2,500 scholarship for UK/Republic of Ireland students offered admission to:


Law

This scholarship is now closed for applications for 2024 entry.

3 x £5,000 scholarships for international students and 3 x £2,500 scholarship for UK/Republic of Ireland students.


SCHOOL OF PSYCHOLOGY AND CLINICAL LANGUAGE SCIENCES

This scholarship is now closed for applications for 2024 entry.

2 x £5,000 scholarships for international students and 1 x £2,500 scholarship for UK and Republic/Ireland students offered admission to:

*Clinical Placement programme is NOT eligible for this funding.

SPCLS Centenary Bursary

The SPCLS Centenary Bursary aims to encourage students from under-represented groups to study at master’s level in Psychology.

One award will be given which will include a £2,000 fee-reduction and £2,000 bursary.

In order to apply, you must be a UK national and resident and have received an offer of admission to one our participating master’s courses.

Find out more about the scholarship and how to apply. 

 

Other University of Reading Scholarships

Alumni discounts

If you completed your undergraduate degree with us, you're entitled to a discount on your master's degree at Reading. You'll automatically receive £1,500 off the cost of your full-time tuition fees, or if you're a part-time student studying over two years, you'll receive a £750 discount each year.

Read more information on alumni discounts.

Climate Stripes Scholarship

This scholarship is now closed for applications for 2024 entry.

This is an exciting new scholarship for 2024 that was made possible thanks to the generosity of donors who share the University of Reading’s passion for Climate Science and improving climate education.

The award provides two awards of £10,000 (this is split with £5,000 as a tuition fee discount and £5,000 as a grant towards living expenses) and is available to International students who hold an offer for one of the below courses.

  • MSc Applied Meteorology and Climate
  • MSc Atmosphere, Oceans and Climate
  • MSc Climate Change and Artificial Intelligence

The application form, along with the Terms and Conditions, will be available on me@reading.


Entomology Bursary

The School of Biological Sciences recognises the importance of studying entomology at master’s level. The bursary will award £2,000 to all students who enrol to study on our MSc by Research Entomology programme in 2024. The Bursary can only be used against tuition fees and is designed to encourage more students to study in this fascinating field.

Frank Palmer Awards by the Department of English Language and Applied Linguistics

The Frank Palmer Award is named after renowned linguist and former Professor of Linguistics at Reading, Frank R. Palmer. It provides a 10% discount on the tuition fees to our most promising offer-holders for the following master’s programmes at the Department of English Language and Applied Linguistics.

To satisfy the eligibility criteria, students must have accepted an Unconditional offer of admission by 15 December 2024 (for February 2025 start) or 1 July 2025 (for September 2025 start)*. For more information on the Department of English Language and Applied Linguistics, please visit the Department website.

*Please note, if you hold a full scholarship or you are a sponsored student, you will not be eligible.

The Fulbright University of Reading Award in Food Security

The Fulbright University of Reading Award in Food Security offers funding for US students for the following Master’s and PhD programmes in Food and Nutritional Sciences:

  • MSc Food Science
  • MSc Food Technology – Quality Assurance
  • MSc Nutrition and Food Science
  • PhD in Food and Nutritional Sciences (first year funding only)

This award is possible through generous legacy gifts by Harry and Jean Nursten to the University of Reading and to the US-UK Fulbright Commission.

Harry Nursten Scholarship - Food and Nutritional Sciences

This scholarship is now closed for applications for 2024 entry.

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 be a UK national and resident and 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.

Read more about the Harry Nursten Scholarship


International Development, Agriculture and Economics Scholarships

The Graduate Institute of International Development, Agriculture and Economics (GIIDAE) has master’s scholarship funding available. Further information is available on the GIIDAE website.

H. Knapman Scholarship - accommodation scholarship for scientists

This scholarship is closed for 2023 entry. Information on 2024 entry will be made available shortly.

One accommodation scholarship for St Patrick's Hall with an approximate value of £5,500 for international 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

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).
 
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 scholarship application form will be made available to eligible students via the me@reading applicant portal, and will be accessible up until the closing date.

University of Reading Sanctuary Scholarships

The University of Reading welcomes all students with the academic ability to succeed on our degree programmes, regardless of their background, and is committed to supporting those who face barriers to accessing university. This includes sanctuary seekers (people with refugee, humanitarian protected or asylum seeker status) who we support through our Sanctuary Scholarships scheme, which helps with the costs of higher education through bursaries and fee waivers.  

Applications for the 2024 entry sanctuary scholarships have now closed.

Read more about what is available and eligibility.

STATIONER’S FOUNDATION BURSARY & MENTORING FOR MA COMMUNICATION DESIGN

The Department of Typography and Graphic Communication is offering one bursary of £9,000 to a successful applicant from the United Kingdom who has been offered admission to the MA Communication Design programme. The award is on merit although applicants must be UK residents and must demonstrate financial need and an alignment to the interests of the Stationer’s Foundation (applications for the Book Design and Typeface Design pathways tend to align to these interests most directly, although applications from any of the MA Communication Design pathways can be considered).

For full information, visit the Stationer’s Foundation Postgraduate Bursary Scheme website.

The Stationer’s Foundation Bursary is applied as a discount of tuition fees. The deadline for applying is 17 June 2024. No applications after 23.59 GMT on that day will be considered.

To be considered for this Bursary, you first need to submit an application for admission to MA Communication Design and receive an offer. You will then be eligible to apply for the Bursary. The Bursary application form will be made available to eligible students via the me@reading applicant portal and will be accessible up to the closing date. Both Unconditional and Conditional offer holders may apply to this scholarship, however to accept the scholarship any conditions will need to have been met.

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.

Chevening Scholarships

Applications open

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.

Read more details about Chevening Scholarships

Commonwealth shared scholarships

These scholarships are now closed for applications for 2024 entry.

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 three scholarships under this scheme for the following courses: 

This scholarship is only available for applicants from eligible Commonwealth countries: Bangladesh, Belize, Botswana, Cameroon, Dominica, Eswatini, Fiji, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Montserrat, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, Saint Helena, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Zambia.

Read more about Commonwealth Shared Scholarship


Ernest Hoch Scholarship in Typography and Graphic Communication

This scholarship is now closed for applications for 2024 entry.

Two scholarships of £4,000 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:

The Ernest Hoch Scholarship is applied as a discount of tuition fees.

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. 

The scholarship application form will be made available to eligible students via the me@reading applicant portal.


Felix scholarships

The Felix Scholarship is now closed for applications.

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.

Read more details about Felix Scholarship.

GREAT scholarships

University of Reading - GREAT Scholarships

These scholarships are now closed for applications for 2024 entry.

The University of Reading is delighted to have been selected by the British Council as a co-funder for four GREAT Scholarships. These scholarships are awarded to master’s students from specific countries. Some are for specific courses, whilst others may be for any University of Reading master’s degree. and All GREAT scholarships have a value of £10,000.

Read more about the GREAT scholarship

The scholarship application form will be made available to eligible students via the me@reading applicant portal, and will be accessible up until the closing date.


ROTARY GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME

Please note that the deadline for applications has now passed.

Rotary District 1090 in the Thames Valley is planning to award one scholarship of USD 30,000 for postgraduate study at Reading University in the academic year 2024/25. Applicants’ studies, careers and community work must fit within Rotary’s area of focus, Protecting the Environment. Applicants must be from a low or middle-income country and outside the UK.

We will only accept applications from candidates who have been offered places to study on one of the following one-year full-time master’s courses at Reading University, starting September/October 2024:

  • MSc Environmental Management in the Department of Geography & Environmental Science
  • MSc Climate, Environment and Development in the Graduate Institute of International Development, Agriculture & Economics.

These courses match the Rotary Foundation cause of Protecting the Environment.

To read more about Rotary Foundation and Scholarships, please visit the Rotary Foundation Website. To apply for a Scholarship, visit the Rotary Scholarship Application Form.

Your application must explain how your proposed course of study meets the requirements of Rotary’s environmental area of focus. Please also note that you should only start the application after receiving an offer to study at the University of Reading on one of the above full‐time courses.

Your application must explain how your proposed course of study meets the requirements of Rotary’s environmental area of focus.  Please note also that you should only start the application after receiving an offer to study at Reading University on one of the above full-time courses.

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.

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