The Desmond Tutu/Church of Scotland Masters Scholarship

The award goes to a student from Africa, belonging to one of the listed churches, who is accepted full-time on a one-year Master’s programme in the School of Divinity and has official endorsement from their church. Both taught Master’s and Master’s by Research programmes are eligible. The Church of Scotland expects the student to be part of a Church of Scotland community while in Edinburgh. Award holders are also expected to be active members of the postgraduate community and to present their work to other students and staff.

The award covers full overseas tuition, accommodation (possibly shared) in a Church of Scotland flat in Edinburgh, a monthly allowance, visa costs, one return airfare, and insurance through Church of Scotland business travel. It lasts one academic year only. An earlier round listed the allowance as £500 per calendar month, but check the current amount.

1. Be a new applicant who has applied for a taught Master’s or Master’s by Research in the School of Divinity. You don’t need to hold an offer already to apply.
2. Be from an African country and study full-time.
3. Hold, or expect to obtain, the equivalent of a UK first-class or 2:1 Honours degree.
4. Be affiliated with one of these churches:
5. Synod of the Nile of the Evangelical Church of Egypt
6. Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana
7. Presbyterian Church of Ghana
8. Presbyterian Church of East Africa, Kenya
9. Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (General Synod, Synod of Blantyre, Synod of Livingstonia, Nkhoma Synod)
10. Igreja Evangélica de Cristo em Moçambique
11. Presbyterian Church of Nigeria
12. Presbyterian Church of South Sudan
13. United Church of Zambia
14. Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa
15. Shortlisted candidates need official endorsement from the General Secretary or Principal Clerk of their church.
16. If your Master’s programme runs longer than one year, you can still apply, but the funding covers one year only, so you’d need to budget for the rest.