Scholarships at University of Oxford

This scheme provides Chinese students who demonstrate academic excellence and leadership potential with the opportunity to study for a DPhil at the University of Oxford.

The scholarships are supported jointly by the China Scholarship Council (on behalf of the Chinese Ministry of Education) and the University of Oxford. Another strand of this scholarship is the China Scholarship Council-PAG Oxford Scholarships. They are funded by PAG, which is one of the regions' largest Asia-focused investment managers. The scholarships enable academically excellent Chinese students to pursue doctoral studies in the Social Sciences and Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences at the University of Oxford. 

The scholarship will cover 100% of course fees, a grant for living costs (at least £19,237) and one return flight from China to the UK. Awards are made for the full duration of your fee liability for the agreed course.

Scholarship outcomes

The timeline for this scholarship may differ from that used for other scholarships run by the China Scholarship Council (CSC); the guidance on this page only relates to the CSC’s partnership scholarship with Oxford.

Decisions for 2025-26 entry are expected to be made by the end of June 2025. If you have not heard from us by this time, then please assume that your application has been unsuccessful. 

Eligibility

You must be applying to start a new full-time DPhil course at Oxford.

You must be a national of and ordinarily resident in mainland China (not including Hong Kong or Macau). You must also be intending to return to China once your course is completed.

Scholarships will be awarded on the basis of academic merit, potential to become a leader in your field and potential to become a decision-maker and opinion former within China.

The Felix Scholarship enables outstanding students from India to pursue graduate studies in any subject at the University of Oxford, the University of Reading and the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London (SOAS). Felix has been supporting students at Oxford since 1991. The scholarships are administered by the three partner universities, with the support of the Felix Trustees. Please see the Felix Scholarship website for more information.

The scholarship will cover 100% of course fees, a grant for living costs (around £18,300) and one return flight from India to the UK. Awards are made for the full duration of your fee liability for the agreed course.

At Oxford, one award is also made each year to a non-Indian student who is ordinarily resident in a low income country outside India. 

Eligibility

To be eligible for both the Indian and the non-Indian scholarship, you must be applying to start a new full-time Master's course or full-time DPhil course at Oxford. You must not have previously studied a course at the same level as the course to which you are applying (i.e. if you already have a Master's degree, you will not be considered for this scholarship if you are applying for another Master's course). You must be unable to take up your place at Oxford without financial assistance.

Indian scholarship

In addition, for the Indian scholarship, the following eligibility criteria apply:

• You must be a national of and ordinarily resident in India;

• You must have a first-class undergraduate or master's degree from an Indian university;

• You must not hold a degree from a university outside of India (this rule does not apply to study undertaken whilst in receipt of a Felix Scholarship); and

• You are expected to return to India after completing your studies.

Non-Indian scholarship

One award is made each year to a non-Indian student who is a national of and ordinarily resident in a country (outside of India) which is categorized as Other Low Income Countries or Least Developed Countries on the DAC List of ODA Recipients.

In addition, for the non-Indian scholarship, the following eligibility criteria apply:

• You should have a first-class undergraduate degree;

• You must not already hold a degree from a university outside of your home country (this rule does not apply to study undertaken whilst in receipt of a Felix Scholarship); and 

• You are expected to return to your home county after completing your studies.

Both scholarships will be awarded on the basis of academic merit and financial need. 

Up to five full scholarships are available for applicants who are ordinarily resident in Cambodia, mainland China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand or Vietnam and who are applying to a range of full-time master’s or DPhil courses at Oxford.

The scholarships have been made possible through the support of University partners and the Jardine Foundation, an educational trust supporting scholars who have the potential to become outstanding citizens with a high commitment to the community.

The scholarship covers course fees and a grant for living costs. Awards are made for the full duration of your fee liability for the agreed course.

The scholarship is only tenable at one of the Foundation’s four link colleges: Exeter College, Oriel College, The Queen’s College and Trinity College. All eligible applicants will be considered for this scholarship, regardless of which college (if any) you state as your preference on the graduate application form. However, successful applicants will be transferred to one of the link colleges in order to take up the scholarship.

The University of Oxford and the Mastercard Foundation have established an innovative and ambitious partnership under the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program and the Africa Oxford Initiative (AfOx) to offer a range of scholarships for African candidates applying for taught postgraduate courses at the University of Oxford for 2025/26 entry. The Mastercard Foundation AfOx Scholarships cover course fees and a grant for living costs for taught postgraduate students at the UKRI minimum doctoral stipend rate. Awards are made for the full duration of your fee liability for the agreed taught postgraduate course.

Eligible offer holders will be automatically considered and contacted by Student Fees and Funding via email. Eligible candidates will be invited to demonstrate how they meet the following selection criteria. In awarding the Scholarships the panel looks at four areas: 1) Academic merit and potential 2) Leadership experience and capacity development 3) Alignment with AfOx values and themes 4) Commitment to Africa’s development.

This new scholarship programme will increase the number of women from low and middle-income countries who are able to take up offers to study science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects at postgraduate level at Oxford. The programme, which will provide support for up to 30 taught master’s students over a period of five years, has been made possible by a generous donation from the Optiver Foundation.

About

The next Optiver Foundation Scholars will begin their studies at Oxford in October 2025, and will be the third cohort of the scholarship scheme. Scholars will join the Departments of Statistics, Computer Science, Physics, Chemistry and Engineering Science, or the Mathematical Institute, and will receive full financial support to cover their course fees, as well as a grant for living costs. The donation will also enable the provision of tailored induction activities, mentoring, and on-course support for the scholars.

Thanks to the generosity of the Optiver Foundation, Oxford will also develop and pilot a new way of assessing the socio-economic background of international applicants. This will ensure that the funding provided through the new Optiver Foundation Scholarship Programme is finely targeted at eligible offer-holders who are most in need of financial support. Key findings from this pilot will be used to inform future scholarship programme development at the University.

Oxford is committed to nurturing the global researchers, academics and scientific leaders of the future. However, financial barriers are known to prevent some talented students from pursuing postgraduate study at the University, particularly those from more disadvantaged backgrounds. This situation is further compounded in STEM disciplines (excluding biomedical and life sciences), where, despite progress in recent years, additional barriers have resulted in lower participation of women on postgraduate courses – both internationally and at Oxford.

By targeting support at women from low to middle-income countries, the Optiver Foundation Scholarship Programme will play an important role in increasing postgraduate diversity in STEM subjects at Oxford, as well as contributing to a more a diverse workforce in the longer term.

Eligibility

Up to six scholarships are available to females who are ordinarily resident in an eligible country and who are applying to start an eligible master's course at Oxford in October 2025. 

For selection purposes we will include all candidates on relevant courses who have indicated on the postgraduate application form that their sex is female. The sex on the application form must match that shown in identity documents, e.g. passport or visa, but does not have to be the applicant’s legal sex. Transgender people may be able to obtain a passport or visa in a binary sex other than their legal sex.  

Eligible Courses

• MSc Energy Systems (Engineering Science)

• MSc Advanced Computer Science

• MSc Mathematical and Theoretical Physics

• MSc Mathematical Modelling and Scientific Computing

• MSc Mathematical Sciences 

• MSc Mathematics and Foundations of Computer Science

• MSc Statistical Science

• MSc Theoretical and Computational Chemistry

These scholarships have been established by the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies to allow graduates to pursue study of benefit to the Muslim world.

About

The Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies is an institution for the advanced study of Islam and the Muslim world. The Centre provides a meeting point for the Western and Islamic worlds of learning. At Oxford, it contributes to the multi-disciplinary and cross-disciplinary study of the Islamic world. Beyond Oxford, its role is strengthened by an international network of academic contacts.

The scholarship will cover 100% of course fees and a grant for living costs (at least £19,237). Awards are made for the full duration of your fee liability for the agreed course. Awards may be offered in conjunction with other sources of funding, although this will be taken into account when determining the value of the award.

Eligibility

You must be applying to start a new full-time Master's or DPhil course at Oxford.

You must be either:

• ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom and from a Muslim community (with preference given to those from a financially disadvantaged household), or

• a national of, and ordinarily resident in, Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Benin, Brunei Darussalam, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Comoros, Cote d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Gabon, Gambia, Guinea, Guyana, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Suriname, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Yemen.

You should be intending to return to your country of ordinary residence once your course is completed.  

Scholarships will be awarded on the basis of academic merit and financial need. Financial need will be assessed using the information provided in your Oxford application. 

You should be intending to undertake study in a field derived from or of relevance to the Islamic tradition, or which is of relevance and/or benefit to the Muslim world.

This scholarship is not open to candidates applying for postgraduate certificate or postgraduate diploma courses, part-time courses or non-matriculated courses.

The Oxford Kobe Scholarships are available for applicants who are nationals of Japan and who are applying to start any full-time or part-time graduate course at Oxford.

The scholarships have been funded by a donation to St Catherine's College. 

The scholarships cover course fees and a grant for living costs. Awards are made for the full duration of fee liability for the agreed course. Applicants should not be intending to exercise in Great Britain the skills which may be obtained as a result of the scholarship.

One of the scholarships will only be tenable at St Catherine's College. All eligible applicants will be considered for this scholarship, regardless of which college (if any) you state as your preference on the graduate application form. However, one successful applicant will be transferred to St Catherine's College in order to take up the scholarship.

The Oxford-Adrian Swire Graduate Scholarship is available for applicants who are nationals of Hong Kong, the People’s Republic of China or Macau and who are applying to a full or part-time graduate course in the departments of Economics, Politics and Sociology. Preference will be given to candidates who have completed the majority of their higher education in China (including Hong Kong and Macau).

The scholarship is funded by the University of Oxford and Nuffield College, and it is named in honour of Sir Adrian Swire, Honorary Fellow and former Visiting Fellow of Nuffield College.

The scholarship covers course fees and a grant for living costs. Awards are made for the full duration of fee liability for the agreed course.

The scholarship is only tenable at Nuffield College. All eligible applicants will be considered for this scholarship, regardless of which college (if any) they state as their preference on the graduate application form. However, successful applicants will be transferred to Nuffield College in order to take up the scholarship.

One full scholarship is available for applicants who are ordinarily resident in India, or who have previously studied at an Indian higher education institution. You must be applying for a DPhil course with proposed research in the eligible areas of study.

For DPhil courses, the proposed area of study must be relevant to the Oxford India Centre for Sustainable Development's agenda of interdisciplinary research on sustainable development and India. The Centre's core research areas are: sustainable cities, climate change and clean energy, healthcare innovation, environmental sustainability and food and water security, law, governance and human rights are cross-cutting themes. Independent proposals on any India-related theme which fits within the overall aims of the Centre will be considered.

Scholarships will be awarded on the basis of academic merit, relevance of studies to the Centre’s interdisciplinary aims, understanding of the development challenges faced by India, and leadership and entrepreneurial potential. Somerville College and the University have established these scholarships with the generous support of the Government of India.

The scholarship covers course fees and a grant for living costs. Awards are made for the full duration of your fee liability for the agreed course. 

The scholarship is only tenable at Somerville College. All eligible applicants will be considered for this scholarship, regardless of which college (if any) you state as your preference on the graduate application form. However, successful applicants will be transferred to Somerville College in order to take up the scholarship.

There is no separate application process for this scholarship, however, you may be invited to attend an interview (via Microsoft Teams) if you are shortlisted for the scholarship.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club Graduate Scholarships are funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust. Since 1998, the Trust has been awarding annual scholarships at the city's tertiary institutions to students who combine outstanding academic performance with a strong commitment to serving the community. The scholarships are available for applicants who are ordinarily resident and have permanent residency in Hong Kong. DPhil courses with four years of fee liability are not eligible (e.g. 1+3 and CDT programmes). To check the fee liability for your course, please see the Fee Liability page.

Selection will be based on the following criteria: academic merit; evidence of outstanding leadership and teamwork; commitment to service and improving the lives of others; and strength of character, including integrity, courage, responsibility, empathy, social awareness, and humility. 

The University of Oxford Croucher Scholarships fund academically excellent students who are permanent residents of Hong Kong to study a DPhil course in a subject linked to the natural sciences, technology or medicine at Oxford.

About

The scheme is jointly funded by the Croucher Foundation and the University of Oxford.

The Croucher Foundation is a private trust set up by the late Noel Croucher, one of the founders of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and a British businessman who lived in Hong Kong for over 70 years. It is a private, independent foundation based in Hong Kong, without affiliation to any organisation, and derives direct income entirely from its own investments in different parts of the world.

The Foundation specialises in promoting the standard of natural science, technology and medicine in Hong Kong through awards and grants to scientists based in and serving Hong Kong. The work of the Foundation has been conducted with the support of panels of international experts invited to assess the scientific values of individual projects.

The scholarship will cover 100% of course fees and a grant for living costs (of at least £19,968). Awards are made for the full duration of your fee liability for the agreed course. The Croucher Foundation will also consider applications directly from scholarship recipients for the cost of airfares and conference attendance.

Eligibility

You must be applying to start a new full-time DPhil course at Oxford in a subject linked to the natural sciences, technology or medicine within the University's Medical Sciences Division or Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences Division.

You must be ordinarily resident in Hong Kong, hold a Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card and intend to reside in Hong Kong once your course is completed.

You must hold an undergraduate degree with first class Honours (or equivalent) or a substantive postgraduate degree at Master's level or above.

The Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholarships and Leadership Programme cultivates the leaders of tomorrow by providing an opportunity for outstanding university graduates and professionals mainly from developing and emerging economies, but also those who would not otherwise be able to support themselves, to pursue fully-funded graduate studies at the University of Oxford alongside a comprehensive programme of leadership development, long-term mentoring and networking.

About

The Oxford-Weidenfeld and Hoffmann Scholarships and Leadership Programme was established in 2015 thanks to generous donations from multiple donors to mark the 95th birthday of Lord Weidenfeld. In June 2017, Trustee and Chairman André Hoffmann made an additional donation of £9m to the Trust which, thanks to matched funding of £6m from Oxford University, doubled the size of the Oxford-Weidenfeld and Hoffmann Scholarships and Leadership Programme.

This scholarship is part of the Oxford Graduate Scholarships, which were established through a ground-breaking matched funding initiative to create fully-funded scholarships for graduate students of the highest calibre from across the world. The University contributes 40% of the funds for these scholarships, together with 60% from generous donations provided by supporters of the Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Trust, including Fondation Hoffmann. 

The Leadership Programme is a unique part of these scholarships, and over the course of a year scholars take part in philosophical discussions, learn business skills and receive communication training within a supportive community.

The scholarship will cover 100% of course fees and a grant for living costs (of at least £19,237). Awards are made to cover the full duration of your fee liability for the agreed course.

Eligibility

You must be applying to start a new full-time graduate course at Oxford.

Eligible courses 

• BCL Bachelor of Civil Law

• MBA Master of Business Administration

• MJur Magister Juris

• MPP Master of Public Policy

• MSc Advanced Computer Science

• MSc African Studies

• MSt Asian and Middle Eastern Studies

• MSc Biodiversity, Conservation and Nature Recovery

• MSc Comparative Social Policy

• MSc Contemporary Chinese Studies

• MSc Criminology and Criminal Justice

• MSt Diplomatic Studies

• MSc Economics for Development

• MSc Education (Comparative and International Education)

• MSc Education (Digital and Social Change)

• MSc Education (Higher Education)

• MSc Energy Systems

• MSc Environmental Change and Management

• MSc Evidence-Based Social Intervention and Policy Evaluation

• MSc Financial Economics

• MSc Global Governance and Diplomacy

• MSc Global Health Science and Epidemiology

• MSc Health Service Improvement and Evaluation

• MSc International Health and Tropical Medicine

• MSt Islamic Studies and History

• MSt Jewish Studies

• MSt Japanese Studies

• MSt Korean Studies

• MSc Latin American Studies

• MSc Law and Finance

• MSc Mathematical Modelling and Scientific Computing

• MSc Migration Studies

• MSc Modern Middle Eastern Studies

• MSc Modern South Asian Studies

• MSc Nature, Society and Environmental Governance

• MSc Refugee and Forced Migration Studies

• MSc Russian and East European Studies

• MSt Slavonic Studies

• MSc Social Data Science

• MSc Social Science of the Internet

• MSc Sustainability, Enterprise and the Environment

• MSc Water Science, Policy and Management

• MSt Women's Gender, and Sexuality Studies