Clarendon Scholarships are entirely supported by the University of Oxford and are available to all full and part-time Master’s Degree and Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) applicants. Students can apply for this opportunity to study in the United Kingdom regardless of their nationality, country of residence, or field of study.

If suitable students apply by the December or January deadlines for their course, the University automatically considers them for Clarendon. There is no need for applicants to submit a separate application.

Clarendon Scholarships pay course tuition as well as living expenses during the period of fee responsibility. Students may receive a minimum of £17,668 for the academic year 2023-24.

The Clarendon Scholarships are awarded based on the applicants’ high academic merit and potential. These awards are quite competitive.

Scholarship Timeline

Admissions Deadline: The deadline for 2023-24 is already passed; candidates may check the 2024-25 admission deadlines on December 2023 and January 2024

Note: Application deadlines for some courses are updated until September 2023. This update occured on 30 June 2023 for a total of 68 courses. Please find the list of the courses here.

Departmental Nominations: February or March each year

Clarendon Partnership Awards Dates: April, May, and June

Application Outcome: April of each year

Notifications for Unsuccessful Students: Mid-June

Key Details of the Scholarships

Host University: University of Oxford

Location: United Kingdom (UK)

Scholarship Duration: Full period of fee liability (the duration that students should pay the course fees)

Study Type: Full and part-time

Study Level: Master and Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil)

Subject or Fields of Study: Course Offered by University

Scholarship Values

Full-Time Courses:

Clarendon Scholarships cover course fees and provide a grant for living expenses for the period of fee liability. This grant applies to full-time home and overseas fee-paying students.

Students for full-time courses may receive an annual grant to cover their living expenses of at least the minimum Research Council doctoral stipend rate. For the academic year 2023-24, students may receive a minimum of £17,668.

Part-Time Courses:

Students will receive a study support grant for a part-time course to help them with non-fee costs. The amount of the study support grants varies -they might be a sixth, a third, or half of the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) doctoral stipend rate.

The University of Oxford may slightly reduce the study support grant for part-time students where course fees cover some other study costs. This cost may include, for example, accommodation while on a residential study period.

Who Can Apply for Clarendon Scholarships?

Applicants willing to apply for the University of Oxford Clarendon Scholarships should fulfill these eligibility criteria:

• Applicants from around the world can apply for this scholarship, while there is no rustication on nationality and country of residence
• Candidates who have applied for admission for any full or part-time Master’s or Ph.D. courses at Oxford University by the relevant December or January deadline for their course can apply for this opportunity.
• Applicants applying to start a new DPhil or Master’s course at the University of Oxford are eligible, including current Master’s degree students at Oxford willing to re-apply for a DPhil or a second Master’s course.
• Current students willing to study for the same degree at Oxford in the next year are not eligible for this scholarship.
• Students who hold a late graduate offer are not eligible for this scholarship.
• Postgraduate Diploma or Certificate courses are not eligible to apply.

Selection Criteria

Selection criteria for each course may vary slightly depending on the subject area. Also, the requirements may differ whether applicants apply for a taught or research degree. Anyhow, applicants should fulfill these selection criteria:

Outstanding Academic Record:

An excellent academic record for the Clarendon Scholarships is essential. It means that the applicants should have a first-class honors degree or its equivalent (GPA score of at least 3.7 if the mark is out of 4)

Alternatively, an applicant should provide an outstanding academic record at the Master’s level, demonstrating that the Master’s degree can compensate for a moderate first-degree performance.

Additionally, applicants should provide supporting evidence of high academic achievement. The supporting documents may include individual marks of transcripts, previous university prizes or awards, information on their overall position within their cohort, and publications (if applicable).

Future Potential and Aptitude:

Particular consideration goes to a candidate’s future academic potential and aptitude for the applied course of study. For this purpose, the University may assess and review references and research proposals and the likelihood of contributing significantly to the field of study.

Student Motivation:

Evidence of the applicant’s commitment to the proposed course and evaluation of the personal statement and the referees’ reports are essential to receive the Clarendon Scholarships.

Selection Process

• Academics working in the applicant’s desired field of study will evaluate the applications for the Clarendon Scholarships. The Academics will assess the applications against the academic quality and suitability.
• After the academic’s department assessments, the relevant department will decide on the applicants’ graduate place and notify them of their application’s outcome.
• Parallelly, academics and the relevant department will determine whom to nominate to the division for a Clarendon scholarship based on the selection criteria.
• After confirming the shortlist, the Clarendon Fund Administrator will contact successful applicants and provide them with the scholarship offer letter.
• If an applicant receives the offer for a Clarendon scholarship, their funding is now secure as long as they meet the requirements of their offer to study at Oxford.
• Once the Clarendon Fund Administrator confirms each scholar’s funding package, they will receive the funding breakdown letter (aka a ‘CB2’) indicating the funding arrangements.

How to Apply?

Applicants should fill out the online application to apply for University of Scholarships Clarendon Scholarships. Please find your desired course and read the full application procedure and detailed information relevant to each course.

Course Offered by University

Visit the University of Oxford website to learn more about the Clarendon Scholarships.