Graduate Scholarships
Scholarships for 2026 Entry
Who can apply? UK residents applying for the MSc in Criminology and Criminal Justice.
Money available: £9,000 towards course fees.
Application details:
The bursary is generously supported by the Kalisher Trust (http://www.thekalishertrust.org/) and Wadham College, Oxford. In addition to satisfying the high academic standards of the Centre for Criminology, Faculty of Law, and Wadham College candidates for the award must satisfy the Kalisher Trust’s objectives of furthering access to the Criminal Bar for students from backgrounds who are under-represented in the legal profession. The scholarship is intended to encourage and assist those intending to practise at the Criminal Bar who demonstrate ‘exceptional promise but modest means’. Applications are invited from UK residents who can demonstrate:
- Intellectual ability – demonstrated by academic performance, past work, activities and other experience.
- Motivation to succeed at the Criminal Bar including steps taken to acquire the personal skills required of a Barrister, and a demonstration of the will to succeed.
- Potential as an advocate – both in oral and written skills.
- Personal qualities – including self-reliance, independence, integrity, reliability and humanity.
- Financial need - candidates will be asked to supply to the interview panel, in confidence, information demonstrating financial need. Please note that the scholarship will not cover the fees for the course in full, and the selected candidate, like all other applicants offered places in the University, will be required to demonstrate to Wadham College that they have sufficient funds to cover the additional costs.
Application process:
At the time of application to the University, applicants are required to submit to the Centre for Criminology an additional statement asking to be considered for this scholarship and explaining why they believe they meet the selection criteria, in particularly to discuss their motivation to succeed at the Criminal Bar. This statement should be no more than 800 words. Those shortlisted for the scholarship will be invited for interview.
Those wishing to be considered need not name Wadham as their first-choice college when applying for the course; the recipient of the scholarship will receive a place at Wadham should they wish to take up the offer of funding.
Who can apply? Any student applying for a graduate course in the Medical Sciences Division to which Wadham normally admits students, with a preference for students who are normally resident in Hong Kong.
Money available: The scholarship will cover course fees in full, plus a stipend for the duration of fee liability in line with that offered by UKRI (£20,780 in 2025-26, to increase in 2026-27).
The Mok Scholarship is jointly funded by the University and Edwin Mok, alumnus of Wadham College. Edwin Mok studied Law at Wadham from 1979 and was one of the first Lee Shau Scholars to arrive at the College from Hong Kong. Edwin is a distinguished alumnus and Foundation Fellow of the College.
Application process: Applicants must apply to the University of Oxford by the relevant January application deadline. No separate application is required to be considered for this scholarship, and all eligible applicants will be considered automatically.
The scholarship is only tenable at Wadham 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, the recipient of the scholarship will be transferred to Wadham College in order to take it up.
Who can apply? Applicants for postgraduate research courses offered by the Department of Chemistry. The scholarship is open to home and overseas graduate students. Please ensure that you meet the selection criteria for your course.
Money available: 100% of course fees and a grant for living costs for the duration of the course equivalent to an UKRI stipend (£20,780 in 2025-26, to increase in 2026-27). This scholarship has been made possible thanks to a generous donation by the family of David Richards, an alumnus of Wadham College.
Scholarships are awarded to applicants who have demonstrated excellent academic ability, who will contribute to the University’s ground-breaking research, and who will go on to contribute to the world as leaders in their field, pushing the frontiers of knowledge. The Richards family bequest contributes 60% of the funds for these scholarships, with the remaining 40% being contributed by the University of Oxford.
To be eligible for consideration for this scholarship, applicants must be successful in being offered a place on their course after consideration of applications received by the relevant January deadline for the course. Course applications which are held over after the January deadline to be re-evaluated against applications received by the March deadline or course applications which have been put on a waiting list are not eligible for scholarship consideration.
Who can apply? Applicants for the DPhil in Atmospheric, Oceanic and Planetary Physics. This scholarship is open to home and international graduate students. Please ensure that you meet the selection criteria for your course.
Money available: 100% of course fees and a grant for living costs for the duration of the course equivalent to an UKRI stipend (£20,780 in 2025-26, to increase in 2026-27). This scholarship has been made possible thanks to a generous donation by the family of David Richards, an alumnus of Wadham College.
Scholarships are awarded to applicants who have demonstrated excellent academic ability, who will contribute to the University’s ground-breaking research, and who will go on to contribute to the world as leaders in their field, pushing the frontiers of knowledge. The Richards family bequest contributes 60% of the funds for these scholarships, with the remaining 40% being contributed by the University of Oxford.
To be eligible for consideration for these scholarships, applicants must be successful in being offered a place on their course after consideration of applications received by the relevant January deadline for the course. Course applications which are held over after the January deadline to be re-evaluated against applications received by the March deadline or course applications which have been put on a waiting list are not eligible for scholarship consideration.
The scholarship is only tenable at Wadham 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, the recipient of the scholarship will be transferred to Wadham College in order to take it up.
Who can apply? Applicants to DPhil courses offered by the Faculty of History, who will be conducting research which is interdisciplinary in nature. This scholarship is open to home and international graduate students. Please ensure that you meet the selection criteria for your course.
Money available: 100% of course fees and a stipend equivalent to that offered by the AHRC for the duration of fee liability (£20,780 in 2025-26, to increase in 2026-27). These scholarships have been made possible thanks to a generous donation by the family of David Richards, an alumnus of Wadham College.
The scholarship will be awarded to an applicant who has demonstrated excellent academic ability, who will contribute to the University’s ground-breaking research, and who will go on to contribute to the world as leaders in their field, pushing the frontiers of knowledge. The Richards family bequest contributes 60% of the funds for these scholarships, with the remaining 40% being contributed by the Arts and Humanities Research Council via the University of Oxford.
To be eligible for consideration for these scholarships, applicants must be successful in being offered a place on their course after consideration of applications received by the relevant January deadline for the course. Course applications which are held over after the January deadline to be re-evaluated against applications received by the March deadline or course applications which have been put on a waiting list are not eligible for scholarship consideration.
Who can apply? Applicants applying to the DPhil in Theoretical Physics whose research relates to Particle Theory. The scholarship is open to those holding Home fee status.
Money available: 100% of course fees and a grant for living costs equivalent to an UKRI stipend for the duration of fee liability (£20,780 in 2025-26, to increase in 2026-27). This scholarship has been made possible through the generosity of an alumnus who wishes the successful candidate to be associated with Wadham College.
Application process: To be eligible for consideration for this scholarship, applicants must be successful in being offered a place on their course after consideration of applications received by the relevant January deadline. Course applications which are held over after the January deadline to be re-evaluated against applications received by the March deadline or course applications which have been put on a waiting list are not eligible for scholarship consideration. Those wishing to be considered need not name Wadham as their first-choice college when applying for the course; the recipient of the scholarship will receive a place at Wadham should they wish to take up the offer of funding.
Who can apply? The Oxford-Dowding Graduate Scholarship is available for applicants who are applying to any full or part-time Humanities graduate course at Oxford, within the range accepted by Wadham College.
Money available: The scholarship covers course fees and a grant for living costs for the duration of the course equivalent to an UKRI stipend (£20,780 in 2025-26, to increase in 2026-27). Awards are made for the full duration of your fee liability for the agreed course.
This scholarship has been made possible through the support of the University and David Dowding, who read Oriental Studies at Wadham in 1967, and is now pleased to ensure that future generation of Humanities students can receive the same quality of teaching that he enjoyed.
Application process: Applicants must apply to the University of Oxford for admission by the relevant January application deadline. No separate application is required to be considered for this scholarship. All eligible applicants will be considered automatically.
The scholarship is only tenable at Wadham 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 Wadham College in order to take up the scholarship.
Who can apply? Applicants for the following courses:
- MSc African Studies,
- Master in Public Policy (MPP); and
- MSc in Sustainability, Enterprise and the Environment.
Applicants will be ordinarily resident in South Africa, and have not previously studied at a university outside of South Africa. The successful applicant will demonstrate the potential to be a destiny changer, and to rise to a position of leadership and influence. This scholarship is for full-time study only (not part-time).
Money available: Full course fees, plus a stipend in line with that offered by UKRI (£20,780 in 2025-26, to increase in 2026-27).
These scholarships are offered through the generosity of the FirstRand Foundation, the corporate foundation of South African financial institution FirstRand Limited, and the University of Oxford’s African Studies Centre, Blavatnik School of Government, and the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment. Its aim is to attract applicants from South Africa who demonstrate the greatest potential to become the leaders, influencers, decision-makers, and opinion-makers of the future.
Application process: If you wish to be considered for this scholarship you should submit your application for the course in the ordinary way by the January 2026 deadline. You will also need to apply for the scholarship directly via the FirstRand website – please note that applications do not open until December 2025.
You do not need to have nominated Wadham as your first-choice college to be considered for the scholarship, and if you name a college of preference other than Wadham you will still automatically be considered for the scholarship. Following the January deadline, shortlisted applicants will be invited to interview in South Africa, after which the scholarship will be offered to the successful candidate; receipt of the scholarship will then be conditional on them taking up the offer of a college place at Wadham.
Who can apply? Any applicant for the Bachelor of Civil Law (BCL).
Money available: Full course fees, plus a stipend equivalent to that offered by the UKRI (£20,780 in 2025-26, to increase in 2026-27)
Application details: The College offers a postgraduate scholarship for a candidate of exceptional academic merit studying for the Oxford BCL programme. The scholarship, which is named in honour of Jeffrey Hackney, an Emeritus Law Fellow of the College, is tenable only at Wadham College. It will be awarded on grounds of academic excellence and aptitude.
Application process: Applicants must apply to the University of Oxford for admission by the relevant January application deadline. No separate application is required to be considered for this scholarship. All eligible applicants will be considered automatically.
The scholarship is only tenable at Wadham 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 Wadham College in order to take up the scholarship.
Who can apply? One scholarship for research students in Humanities or Social Sciences. This scholarship is made available through the generosity of the Clarendon Fund, and the Monckton Trust (set up by HH Monckton in November 1941). Clarendon Scholars are selected for their outstanding academic merit and potential.
Money available: The scholarship will cover course fees in full, plus a stipend in line with that offered by the equivalent UK research council (£20,780 in 2025-26, to increase in 2026-27).
Application process: Applicants must apply to the University of Oxford for admission to a PGR course in the Humanities or Social Sciences by the relevant January application deadline. No separate application is required to be considered for this award, and applicants do not need to nominate Wadham as their preferred college. All eligible applicants will be considered automatically.
More information on Clarendon scholarships is available at https://www.ox.ac.uk/clarendon.
Who can apply? Any student who has graduated from a UK University and to whom sufficient funding is not available for either the MSt in Medieval Studies or the MSt in Medieval History.
Money available: Full course fees (at the Home rate), plus a stipend equivalent to that offered by the ARHC (£20,780 in 2025-26, to increase in 2026-27).
Application process: Applicants must apply to the University of Oxford for admission by the relevant January application deadline. No separate application is required to be considered for this scholarship. All eligible applicants will be considered automatically.
The scholarship is only tenable at Wadham 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 Wadham College in order to take up the scholarship.
Who can apply? The Wadham-Woodward UKRI scholarship is open to applicants with Home fee status applying to any full-time 1 to 3 year graduate course in the Humanities to which Wadham admits.
Money available: The scholarship covers Home course fees and a grant for living costs (£20,780 in 2025-26, to increase in 2026-27). Awards are made for the full duration of your fee liability for the agreed course.
This scholarship has been made possible through the support from Wadham donors and UKRI.
Application process: Applicants must apply to the University of Oxford for admission by the relevant January application deadline. No separate application is required to be considered for this scholarship. All eligible applicants will be considered automatically.
The scholarship is only tenable at Wadham 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 Wadham College in order to take up the scholarship.
Future Scholarships (not available for 2026 entry)
We do not anticipate this scholarship being available again until the 2027/28 academic year.
Who can apply? Any student studying for a postgraduate research course in Humanities which is related to languages and to which Wadham normally admits students.
Money available: 100% of course fees and a grant for living costs for the duration of the course equivalent to an AHRC stipend.
Application process: Applicants must apply to the University of Oxford by the relevant January application deadline. No separate application is required to be considered for this scholarship, and all eligible applicants will be considered automatically.
The scholarship is only tenable at Wadham 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, the recipient of the scholarship will be transferred to Wadham College in order to take up the scholarship.
We do not anticipate this scholarship being available again until the 2027/28 academic year.
Who can apply? Any applicant to the MSt or MPhil in Greek and/or Latin Languages and Literature or Greek and/or Roman History who intends to proceed to study for a DPhil.
Money available: Full course fees, plus maintenance expenses equivalent to an UKRI stipend for up to four years (£20,780 in 2025-26, to increase in 2026-27). Continuation of the scholarship after the first year is conditional on being admitted to either the DPhil in Classical Languages and Literature or the DPhil in Ancient History. The scholarship is jointly funded by the University and Wadham College, as a result of a generous benefaction from NR Murray.
Application details: Applicants must apply to the University of Oxford for admission by the relevant January 2025 application deadline. No separate application is required to be considered for this scholarship. All eligible applicants will be considered automatically.
The scholarship is only tenable at Wadham College. All eligible applicants are 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 Wadham College in order to take up the scholarship.
The Oxford-Murray Classics Scholarship is awarded to a student who has demonstrated excellent academic ability, who will contribute to the University’s ground-breaking research, and who will go on to contribute as a leader in the field.
We do not anticipate this scholarship being available again until the 2028/29 academic year.
Who can apply? Applicants for the DPhil and MPhil in Economics. The scholarship is open to home and international graduate students. Please ensure that you meet the selection criteria for your course.
Money available: 100% of course fees and a stipend equivalent to that offered by UKRI for the duration of fee liability (£20,780 in 2025-26, to increase in 2026-27). This scholarship has been made possible thanks to a generous donation by the family of David Richards, an alumnus of Wadham College.
Scholarships are awarded to applicants who have demonstrated excellent academic ability, who will contribute to the University’s ground-breaking research, and who will go on to contribute to the world as leaders in their field, pushing the frontiers of knowledge. The Richards family bequest contributes 60% of the funds for these scholarships, with the remaining 40% being contributed by the University of Oxford.
To be eligible for consideration for this scholarship, applicants must be successful in being offered a place on their course after consideration of applications received by the relevant January deadline. Course applications which are held over after the January deadline to be re-evaluated against applications received by the March deadline or course applications which have been put on a waiting list are not eligible for scholarship consideration.
The scholarship is only tenable at Wadham 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, the recipient of the scholarship will be transferred to Wadham College in order to take it up.