If you're an international student, took your undergraduate degree overseas or in the UK and are self-funding your postgraduate studies, you could be eligible for a scholarship worth up to £5,000, paid as a discount on your tuition fee. For eligible students with a UK degree, the amount of the award will be set at £2,000.
2025-2026 Eligibility
Country
|
Academic requirement
|
Scholarship award
|
Argentina
|
7.5/10
|
£4,000
|
Azerbaijan
|
Equivalent to UK 2.2 who graduate from institutions in Azerbaijan regardless of whether institution is Azeri
|
£4,000
|
Bahrain
|
CGPA 3.0/4.0 or above, or 75% or above
|
£4,000
|
Bangladesh
|
CGPA 3.2/4.0, or 60%, or B in a 4-year degree from a specified institution
|
£5,000
|
Brazil
|
75% or 7.5/10 or B+
|
£4,000
|
Bolivia
|
75% for students who graduate from private institutions, or 66% for students who graduate from public institutions
|
£4,000
|
Cambodia
|
CGPA 3.2/4.0 or above, or 80% or above, or B+ or above, or Very Good, in a 4 year undergraduate degree from the Royal University of Phnom Penh, the University of Cambodia, Pannasastra University of Cambodia, the Royal University of Agriculture, Zaman University, or Paragon International University
|
£4,000
|
Canada
|
A, or CGPA 3.5/4.00, or CGPA 8/9.00, or CPGA 9/10 or 85% (where pass mark is 60%), or 84% (where pass mark is 50%)
|
£3,000
|
Chile
|
75% or 6/7.00
|
£3,000
|
China
|
70% or 2/4.00 CGPA from Tier 1, 75% or 2.5/4.00 CGPA from Tier 2 universities
|
£2,500
|
Colombia
|
4/5.00
|
£4,000
|
Costa Rica
|
8/10
|
£4,000
|
Dominican Republic
|
85% or CGPA 3.50/4.00
|
£4,000
|
Ecuador
|
8/10
|
£4,000
|
El Salvador
|
7.5/10
|
£4,000
|
Guatemala
|
Public Universities 70% / Private Universities 80%
|
£4,000
|
Hong Kong
|
2:1, or CGPA 3.0/4.30 or above, or 78% or above
|
£2,000
|
India
|
Tier 2 60% or CGPA 6.5/10 or CGPA 2.6/4
|
£3,000
|
Tier 1 55% or CGPA 6/10 or CGPA 2.4/4
|
£4,000
|
Indonesia
|
CGPA 3.0/4.00 or above
|
£4,000
|
Iran
|
14/20
|
£4,500
|
Japan
|
B or CGPA 2.5/4.00
|
£4,000
|
Jordan
|
CGPA 3.0/4.0 or above, or B or above, or 76% or above
|
£3,000
|
Kazakhstan
|
5 (excellent) or 3.75/4.0, or 4/4.33, or 4.0/5.0
|
£3,000
|
Lebanon
|
16/20, or 80% or CGPA 2.80/4.00
|
£3,000
|
Malaysia
|
First class, or CGPA 3.25/4.00 or above
|
£4,000
|
Mexico
|
80% or CGPA 8/10
|
£4,000
|
Nepal
|
70% (first division) or CGPA 3.50/4.00
|
£5,000
|
65% (first division) or CGPA 3/4.00
|
£3,000
|
Nicaragua
|
80%
|
£4,000
|
Norway
|
B
|
£3,000
|
Pakistan
|
65% or above, where pass mark is 33%, or 70% or above, where pass mark is 50%, or 80% or above where the pass mark is 60%, or CGPA 3.00 or above
|
£5,000
|
63% or above, where pass mark is 33%, or
65% or above, where pass mark is 50%, or
75% or above where the pass mark is 60%, or
CGPA 2.90 or above
|
£4,000
|
Panama
|
B or 81%
|
£4,000
|
Paraguay
|
80% or 4/5.00
|
£4,000
|
Peru
|
15/20
|
£4,000
|
Philippines
|
CGPA 1.75/ 5.00 (where degree completed at the University of Philippines or University of Santo Tomas, on or before 2021).
CGPA 3.00/ 4.00 (where degree completed at Ateneo de Manila University or De La Salle University, on or before 2021).
CGPA 1.75 or below/ 5.00, or CGPA 3.0 or above/ 4.00 (where degree completed at any other institution, from 2022 onwards)
|
£4,000
|
Russia
|
CGPA 4.5 or above
|
£2,000
|
Sri Lanka
|
70% or A (where degree awarded before 2010), or B+ or CGPA 3.30 (where degree awarded after 2010)
|
£5,000
|
55% or B (where degree awarded before 2010), or B or CGPA 3.00 (where degree awarded after 2010)
|
£3,000
|
South Korea
|
B+ or CGPA 3.00/ 4.00 or above, or CGPA 3.20/ 4.50 or above
|
£4,000
|
Taiwan
|
70% (national institution), 75% (other institution)
|
£4,000
|
Thailand
|
Undergraduate degree awarded by the following institutions only -
-
Chulalongkorn University,
-
Mahidol University,
-
King Mongkut's University of Technology,
-
Mae Fah Luang University,
-
Chiang Mai University,
-
Thammasat University,
-
Kasetsart University
CGPA 2.8 or above, or 68% (in a Law degree awarded by Thammasat University) CGPA 2.55 or above, or 65.5% (in a Law degree awarded by Thammasat University)
|
£5,000
£4,000
|
Undergraduate degree awarded by all other institutions (those not noted above)
CGPA 3.5 or above
CGPA 3.0 or above
|
£5,000
£4,000
|
Turkey
|
CGPA 3.00/4.00 or above OR 75%
|
£4,000
|
Uruguay
|
8.5/12
|
£4,000
|
USA
|
CGPA 3.25/4.00 or above
|
£3,000
|
Venezuela
|
15/20
|
£4,000
|
Vietnam
|
CGPA 8/10 or above or CGPA 3.5/4.00 or above
|
£5,000
|
CGPA 7/10 or above or CGPA 3/4.00 or above
|
£3,000
|
Terms and conditions
Eligibility
To be eligible for this scholarship, applicants must:
◼ Be overseas fee payers and ◼ Be entirely self-funded, and; ◼ Be ordinarily resident in one of the countries specified in the table above and; ◼ Have an undergraduate degree (or Masters degree) awarded by an institution based in one of the countries listed in the table above and ◼ Have met the academic requirement for that country, as specified in the table above. ◼ If eligible, the amount you will be awarded is the scholarship award for your country of ordinary residence and not the country your degree is from (if this is different).
◼ If you are ordinarily resident in one of the countries listed below but have taken your undergraduate degree in the UK and achieved a 2:1 or above – you will also be eligible for this scholarship. The amount awarded will be based on the country where you are ordinarily resident. Applicants will not be eligible an award based on holding a Masters degree from the UK. ◼ Students must have been awarded an undergraduate degree (this includes integrated Masters degrees) with the grade specified or above. A Pass grade in a Masters degree from any of the countries listed in the table above (excluding the UK) can be taken to compensate for a lower Bachelors grade. ◼ Students must register at the University of Essex in October 2025 or January 2026 for the first year of a full-time Masters course in academic year 2025-26 only, leading to the degree of: ̶ MA, MFA, MSc, LLM, MPP, MBM, MRes, MBA ◼ This scholarship is available for the first year of taught Masters study only. ◼ Successful applicants should be available for promotional activities.
Students who are not eligible
The following students are NOT eligible for the Academic Excellence International Masters Scholarship regardless of meeting the above criteria: ◼ Students who are fully or partly sponsored. ◼ Students studying: ̶ a course that is normally delivered wholly online by Kaplan Open Learning, operating as University of Essex Online. ̶ a course below Masters level at the University of Essex: including, but not limited to, Graduate Certificates, Graduate Diplomas, Postgraduate Certificates, and Postgraduate Diplomas. ◼ Students studying courses that are classed as research degrees: including, but not limited to, MPhil, MAD, MSD. ◼ Students awarded the scholarship who defer entry to following academic years will not be eligible to receive the award and will be considered in line with the terms and conditions that apply in the new proposed year of entry. ◼ The award cannot be held in conjunction with any other University of Essex scholarships, including the University of Essex alumni loyalty discount.
◼ Students who are joining Essex through a link agreement which includes a discounted fee or eligible for a Global Partner Scholarship. In this case, where a student is also eligible for this award, we will apply the award which is greater in value. ◼ University of Essex International College (UEIC) Pathway students. ◼ Current students whose first year of Postgraduate study at the University of Essex was prior to academic year 2025-26. |