Masters scholarships at the University of Oxford
THE SCHOLARSHIPS
The OSI/FCO Chevening Scholarships, which are funded by the Open Society Institute, the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the University of Oxford, are intended to provide opportunities for postgraduate study in the United Kingdom for scholars and young professionals who demonstrate both academic excellence and the potential to become leaders, decision makers and opinion formers in their home countries. Each scholarship provides tuition fees at the University of Oxford, a stipend to cover living costs (for one person only) and return air travel from the scholar’s home country. On completion of the scholarship, scholars will return to their home countries to continue their studies/work there.
ELIGIBILITY
– All one year taught Masters courses within the University of Oxford’s Social Sciences and Humanities Divisions (except for the courses listed under `Management studies`) are eligible for the scholarship. You can check if your course is eligible by consulting the University’s prospectus or visiting the Graduate Admissions website http://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/postgraduate_courses/index.html
– Any scholarship awards are conditional upon you being offered a place to study at Oxford, and meeting all the conditions of that offer (e.g. obtaining the required score in English language proficiency).
– Applicants will be required to have passed an English proficiency test before being offered a Scholarship. The minimum requirement for study at Oxford is IELTS 7.5 (with minimum 7.0 in each component) or TOEFL – 630 (minimum Test of Written English score – 5) or Computer based TOEFL – 267 (minimum essay writing score – 5) or Internet based TOEFL – 109 or Cambridge Certificate of proficiency in English – B.
– All applicants must have completed at least three years of BA course (in the Bologna system) or four years of university study and have obtained, or expect to obtain, the appropriate degree(s) not later than September 2010.
– Applicants must be citizens of and resident in one of the following countries: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia, Croatia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, FYR Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Russia (Nizhny Novgorod, Irkutsk, Samara, Vladivostok and Tomsk), Serbia, Ukraine or Uzbekistan. Applicants who are temporarily out of the country (for a total period of less than three consecutive months) may be treated as being resident.
– Applicants should be planning to return to their home country at the end of the period of study.
– Preference will be given to applicants who have not previously studied in Western universities.
– Applicants must demonstrate the potential to become leaders, decision makers, and opinion formers in their home country. This requirement will be treated as of considerable importance in the selection process.
– Applicants should have a proven track record of success or excellence in their professional life distinguishing them from their peers and contemporaries.
– Employees, employee’s relatives (or former employees who have left employment less than 2 years before) of the FCO, the British Council, the Educational Advising Centers or other OSI representations in the region, or the participating Universities will not be eligible to apply for these awards. In accordance with FCO guidelines, those who in the past three years received UK Government funded scholarships or those who are seeking military training are also not eligible for this scholarship.
Please note that all successful applicants will be invited to attend a 1-month preparatory academic writing summer school in August 2010. The Network Scholarship Programs (NSP) Pre-Academic Summer is designed to prepare NSP grantees for successful academic experiences in the UK. Successful applicants will be provided with the opportunity to refine their research and writing skills through intensive courses in academic writing and social sciences. The exact date and location of the summer school will be available at a later stage of the selection process.
HOW TO APPLY
You apply as part of your application to study at the University of Oxford. You do this by ticking the "OSI/FCO Chevening" box in section M of the Application Form for Graduate Study 2010-2011. You must also provide a supporting statement on your potential to become a leader or opinion former in your home country. Please apply using the paper form, not the online application form.
OSIAF-Armenia office will assist you by arranging for your application to be sent to Oxford, and will also arrange for payment of the £25 application fee. Please send your Application Form for Graduate Study (and all required supporting materials) together with the Scholarship Supporting Statement for University of Oxford Masters applicants in three copies (one original and two sets of copies) to the address below by 12 January 2010. Any applications received after this time will be too late to be sent to Oxford.
Applicants shall check the requirements for individual courses as additional supporting materials such as written work might be needed.
Applicants must tick ‘OSI/FCO Chevening’ box in the funding section of Graduate Admissions form.
For more information, please contact Anna Gevorgyan at 010 533862; 010 536758; email: [email protected]; address: 7/1 Tumanyan St, 2nd cul-de-sac, Yerevan, Armenia
TIMETABLE
The closing date is 12 January 2010. Scholarship applications must be received by the local OSI office NO LATER THAN THIS DATE. It is expected that interviews of short-listed candidates will be held in April 2010; precise dates to be announced nearer the time. Local OSI offices will arrange English language tests for short-listed candidates after the interviews in April/May, if applicants have not already successfully taken a test in the 2 years prior to the interview. Final decisions on the award of scholarships will normally be made by the beginning of June.