Durham University has introduced the Inspiring Excellence 5K Postgraduate Scholarship for the 2025 academic year, offering a £5,000 tuition fee reduction to 200 international students enrolling in full-time, one-year taught master’s programmes commencing in September 2025.
As stated by the university, the £5,000 scholarship will be applied directly to tuition fees and is intended to support academically outstanding students with strong potential in their respective fields.
Scholarship Details and Exclusions
The scholarship applies to a wide range of master’s programmes at Durham University, with some exceptions. It is not available for:
– All Business School master’s and MBA programmes
– The second year of a taught postgraduate programme
– PGCE
– PGCERT (Education)
– MA – Conservation of Archaeological and Museum Objects
– Executive MSc in Behavioural Science
– Research postgraduate programmes
– MSW – Social Work
– Graduate Diplomas
Eligibility Criteria
To qualify for the Inspiring Excellence 5K postgraduate scholarship, applicants must:
– Apply for a one-year, full-time (in-person) taught MSc, MA, LLM, or MDS programme (excluding MBA)
– Begin their master’s studies in September 2025
– Receive an offer for a master’s programme at Durham by May 4, 2025 (first selection) or June 8, 2025 (second selection)
– Be classified as an overseas student for tuition purposes
– Meet or exceed the entry requirements for their chosen programme
– Not already hold another Durham University scholarship, except for the Durham International Scholarship (£5,000) available to students from Bangladesh, India, Nigeria, Malaysia, Pakistan, and Vietnam
– Be self-funded and not sponsored by external bodies
– Complete the Inspiring Excellence 5K postgraduate scholarship application form
Students must ensure they meet the programme’s entry requirements and are classified as international students for tuition purposes. Further details can be found here: [Durham University Scholarship Guidance](https://www.durham.ac.uk/media/durham-university/global/2025-5K-INSPIRING-EXCELLENCE-SCHOLARSHIP-Application-Guidance.pdf).
Applicants must submit a separate application for the Inspiring Excellence 5K Scholarship, which is non-transferable and cannot be converted into cash.
Selection Process
The university states, “The scholarship is a competitive scheme, and not all applications will be successful. A panel of key members of staff will select the most suitable applications. In addition to the application form responses, nationality diversity and balance across programmes will also be considered in the selection.”
Due to the high volume of applications, the university will not provide feedback to unsuccessful candidates.
Additional Funding for Select Countries
Students from Bangladesh, India, Nigeria, Malaysia, Pakistan, and Vietnam can combine the Inspiring Excellence 5K Scholarship with the Durham International Scholarship, potentially receiving a total tuition discount of £10,000.
The Durham International Scholarship, valued at £5,000, is automatically granted to students from these countries and can be used alongside the Inspiring Excellence 5K Scholarship.
Applicants must ensure they meet the eligibility criteria and apply accordingly.
Application Timeline and Deadlines
The application process for the scholarship opened on March 14, 2025.
The deadlines are as follows:
– First application round: Closes on April 30, 2025, with selected scholars announced on May 12, 2025
– Scholars must confirm their place by paying a deposit within two weeks
– Second application round: Closes on June 8, 2025, with final selections announced on June 16, 2025
– A waiting list of scholars will be confirmed by July 7, 2025
Durham University encourages interested students to visit the scholarship application page and submit their applications on time. Detailed guidance is available on the university’s official website.
