STORYMOJA

Commonwealth Shared Scholarships, set up by DFID in 1986, represent a 

unique partnership between the United Kingdom government and UK 

Universities. Shared Scholarships have enabled thousands of students, who 

would not otherwise have been enabled to do so, to benefit from UK higher 

education.  

 

For 2009, the range of opportunities listed in the following pages is wide. We 

are delighted that over 30 UK universities have offered to support our 

scholarships by contributing the stipend for the students from their own 

resources, or those which the university has been able to generate from 

elsewhere. Indeed it is the mark of UK Universities’ commitment that the 

scheme receives many more bids each year than it has the resources to fulfil. 

This reflects the confidence of the Department for International Development, 

which provides the government funding for the scheme, that higher education 

and scholarships in particular have a critical role to play in influencing the 

development of some of the world’s poorest countries. We are pleased to see 

that this approach has been increasingly taken by other international agencies. 

 

Although the scheme is now managed by the Commonwealth Scholarship 

Commission, its success depends critically on the support of participating 

universities, the Department for International Development and the students 

themselves. To all of these, we extend our grateful thanks and express the hope 

that the 2009 intake will be one of the most successful ever. 

 

SHARED SCHOLARSHIP SCHEME 

 

1. GENERAL 

  

Awards made under this scheme are jointly funded by the Department for 

International Development (DFID), as part of the United Kingdom International 

Development programme to developing countries, and participating institutions 

in the UK.  The scheme is administered by the Commonwealth Scholarship 

Commission (CSC), whose secretariat is provided by the Association of 

Commonwealth Universities, Woburn House, 20-24 Tavistock Square, London 

WC1H 9HF. 

 

2. AIMS 

 

The aim of the scheme is to assist students, from developing Commonwealth 

countries, of excellent academic calibre who, for financial reasons, are unable 

to study in Britain and are outside the scope of other British Government 

Support Schemes, but would benefit from higher education in the United 

Kingdom, enabling them to contribute toward the development of their home 

countries. 

 

3. LEVEL OF STUDY 

 

Awards are for taught masters courses only.  No awards will be made for 

undergraduate or doctoral study. 

 

4. SUBJECTS 

 

Subjects must be related to the economic, social and technological development 

of the student’s home country; see page 8 for a full list of eligible courses. 

 

 

5. DURATION OF AWARDS 

 

Awards are normally tenable for one-year taught postgraduate courses only. 

 

6. ELIGIBILITY 

 

6.1 Candidates are normally expected to hold a first degree at either first 

class or upper second-class level.  Sponsoring institutions are asked to 

give priority to candidates under the age of 30 but may give reasons for 

wishing to make exceptions for older candidates.  They must also 

confirm that candidates are sufficiently fluent in written and oral English 

to pursue their proposed studies immediately, as no pre-course English 

Language Teaching is available under these awards.  Candidates who 

have already studied for one year or more in a developed country or who 

possess sufficient resources to self-fund, are not eligible for an award. 

 

6.2 Candidates must certify in writing that they 

 

i) are nationals of a Commonwealth developing country, and not at 

present living or studying in a developed country; 

 

ii) have not undertaken studies lasting one year or more in a 

developed country; 

 

iii) are not at present employed by a national Government department 

or parastatal organisation; 

 

iv) are themselves, or through their families, unable to pay to study 

in the United Kingdom; 

 

v) will return to their home country as soon as their awards ends. 

 

6.3 Candidates are advised that false declarations will cause at least DFID’s 

share of the award to be terminated, even if the course of study has 

started.  In such circumstances, the candidate will be required to refund 

any payments made by DFID in connection with the award. 

 

 

 5 

7. COSTS 

 

 

7.1 DFID and participating United Kingdom institutions will jointly meet 

the full costs of an award holder’s study in the United Kingdom 

including air fares to and from the United Kingdom.  Maintenance 

allowance is paid by the scholar’s host institution, at the level set by the 

UK Government: £935 per month for scholars based in London and 

£767 per month for the rest of the UK. (July 2008 figures) 

 

7.2 A grant of up to £225 to cover thesis (Master’s) costs is available; also 

available is £100 for study travel. The cost of up to 10 Kilograms of 

excess baggage (books only) is available for scholars returning home at 

the end of their awards. 

 

7.3 No additional allowances are paid for spouses or other dependants. 

 

8. APPLICATION AND SELECTION  

 

8.1 Although institutions will normally recruit direct, the availability of 

these awards will be advertised through British High Commissions if the 

institutions have indicated their wish to avail themselves of this service. 

8.2 Applications should be made directly to the institutions at which 

candidates wish to study.  The sponsoring institutions will be the judges 

of academic calibre and will forward their nominations to the 

Commonwealth Scholarship Commission for its agreement.  Institutions 

will normally advise candidates of the result not later than July. 

 

8.3 Candidates should note that although they may apply to more than one 

institution, only one offer of award may be accepted.  

 

SHARED SCHOLARSHIP SCHEME  

List of Participating Universities 2009–2010 and Institutions total awards closing Date  

ABERYSTWYTH 1 *  

ASTON 2 1 May 2009  

BANGOR 3 31 March 2009  

BATH 2 1 March 2009  

BELFAST 1 31 March 2009  

BIRMINGHAM 1 *  

BOURNEMOUTH 1 30 April 2009  

BRADFORD 1 1 May 2009  

BRIGHTON 2 *  

BRISTOL 6 3 March 2009  

BUCKINGHAM 1 31 May 2009**  

CAMBRIDGE 46 *  

CARDIFF 1 30 April 2009  

CITY 2 *  

COVENTRY 1 *  

CRANFIELD 8 1 May 2009  

DUNDEE 2 6 April 2009  

EAST LONDON 1 *  

EDINBURGH 4 *  

EXETER 2 *  

GLAMORGAN 2 31 March 2009  

GLASGOW 5 15 May 2009  

GLASGOW CALEDONIAN 3 30 April 2009  

GLOUCESTERSHIRE 1 1 May 2009  

GREENWICH 8 15 April 2009  

HERIOT-WATT 3 *  

HUDDERSFIELD 2 31 March 2009  

 

Candidates should note that institutions are asked to forward their 

nominations to the CSC no later than 31 May 2009; *candidates should 

contact the institution so as to ascertain the latest date that the institution 

is willing to accept applications. 

 

INSTITUTIONS TOTAL AWARDS CLOSING DATE  

HULL 5 10 April 2009  

KENT 1 *  

LEEDS 7 1 April 2009  

LEEDS METROPOLITAN 8 *  

LEICESTER 3 *  

LONDON KING’S 6 30 April 2009  

LONDON ROYAL HOLLOWAY 2 31 January 2009  

LONDON ROYAL VET. COLLEGE 3 20 March 2009  

LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS 5 *  

LONDON SHTM 6 *  

LONDON  SOAS 1 2 March 2009  

LONDON SCHOOL OF PHARMACY 4 *  

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE  LONDON 3 31 March 2009  

LONDON SOUTH BANK 1 *  

LOUGHBOROUGH 3 31 March 2009  

NEWCASTLE 4 *  

NOTTINGHAM 8 1 May 2009  

OXFORD 3 13 March 2009  

ST ANDREWS 2 *  

SHEFFIELD HALLAM 5 1 May 2009  

STRATHCLYDE 5 1 April 2009  

SUSSEX (IDS) 2 *  

WARWICK 5 *  

WESTMINSTER 2 15 May 2009  

WEST OF ENGLAND 1 *  

WEST OF SCOTLAND 2 24 April 2009  

WORCESTER 1 31 March 2009  

 8 

Shared Scholarship Scheme (SSS) Awards are offered only for subjects relating 

to the economic, social and technological development of a candidate’s country.   

The following additional information has been provided by institutions 

participating in the scheme and gives details of the eligible courses (or 

departments) in each institution. 

 

All awards are offered for courses at masters level (taught) 

 

ABERYSTWYTH: Selected courses in the Institute of Geography & Earth 

Sciences and the Department for Information Studies 

ASTON: Applied Linguistics; TESOL Studies; Translation Studies; TESOL & 

Translation Studies.  

BANGOR: International Natural Resources Development and Exercise 

Rehabilitation. Contact Ioan Ap Dewi -  aos0004@bangor.ac.uk 

BATH: International Development; Wellbeing & Human Development; 

Globalisation & International Policy Analysis 

http://www.bath.ac.uk/econ-dev/pg/funding-uob.html 

BELFAST: Social Inclusion & Early Years Education; Leadership for 

Sustainable Development 

http://www.qub.ac.uk/home/Research/PostgraduateOffice/PostgraduateAwards/Prospe 

ctiveStudents/InternationalApplicants/ResearchDegrees/Funding 

BIRMINGHAM: Selected courses in the International Development 

Department 

http://www.as.bham.ac.uk/study/support/finance/international/intoffice.shtml 

BOURNEMOUTH: World Heritage Resource Management; Tourism 

Management; Public Health. 

http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/futurestudents/funding/index.html  

BRADFORD: Diversity & Social Policy 

Contact Leah Midgley – l.j.midgley@bradford.ac.uk 

BRIGHTON: Education; Tourism Management; Water & Environmental 

Management; Sustainability of the Built Environment; Applied Geology 

http://www.bton.ac.uk/studentlife/money/scholarships/commonwealth_shared.p 

hp?PageId=539 

BRISTOL: Conflict: Security & Development; Earth System Science; 

Education; Gender & International Relations; International Development; 

International Relations; International Law; Meat Science & Technology; 

Quantative Development Economics; Transfusion and Transplantation Sciences 

and Water & Environmental Management 

www.bristol.ac.uk/studentfunding/overseas_pg/dfid.html 

BUCKINGHAM: Service Management. Contact Debbie Millns – 

debbie.millnes@buckingham.ac.uk ** January 2010 enrolment 

 

CAMBRIDGE: In the areas of Business & Finance; Chemistry; Computing; 

Development Studies; Education; Engineering; Environment; Finance; Law; 

Linguistics; Mathematics and Science 

http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/univ/gsprospectus/funding/overseas/countries/sha 

red.html 

CARDIFF: International Planning and Development 

CITY: International Journalism; Publishing Studies; Culture, Policy & 

Management; Nursing & Midwifery; Energy, Environmental Technology & 

Economics; Power Systems & Energy Management; Project Management, 

Finance & Risk; Systems & Control. http://www.city.ac.uk 

COVENTRY: Peace & Reconciliation Studies 

CRANFIELD: Design for Sustainability; Environmental Management for 

Business; Economics for Natural Resource and Environmental Management; 

Geographical Information Management; Global Security; Integrated Waste 

Management; Logistics & Supply Chain Management; Manufacturing; Natural 

Resource Management; Thermal Power; Water and Wastewater Engineering; 

Water Management. 

http://www.cranfield.ac.uk/registry/cranfield/international%20student%20support/page18 

281.jsp  

DUNDEE: International Business; International Business & Marketing; 

International Business & Finance; Environmental Remote Sensing; Remote 

Sensing & Computing; International Finance. 

http://www.dundee.ac.uk/postgraduate/  

EAST LONDON: NGO & Development Management; Refugee Studies; 

International Social Work – awards to be offered to nationals from Botswana, 

Namibia, Tanzania and Uganda 

EDINBURGH: African Studies african.studies@ed.ac.uk 

EXETER: Public Administration 

GLAMORGAN: Management & Development of International Finance 

Systems; International Logistics & Supply Chain Management; International 

Logistics & Transport; Female Entrepreneurship; Marketing; Forensic 

Accounting; Strategic Human Resource Management 

http://glamlifenews.glam.ac.uk/news/2008/oct/22/applications-invited- 

commonwealth-shared-scholarsh/ 

GLASGOW: In the areas of Development Studies; Human Rights; 

International Politics; International Law; Global Movements, Social Justice & 

Sustainability; Human Nutrition; Public Health; Water Resource Engineering 

Management; Geospatial & Mapping Sciences; Geoinformation Technology & 

Cartography; Geotechnical Engineering; Carbon Management; Health & Well- 

Being – awards to be offered to nationals from Bangladesh; Ghana; Kenya; 

Lesotho; Malawi; Nigeria; Pakistan; Sierra Leone; South Africa; Tanzania; 

Uganda and Zambia – will select from course applicants 

GLASGOW CALEDONIAN: International Project Management; 

Construction Management; Waste Management; Energy & Environmental 

Management; Mobile & Pervasive Computing; Wireless Communication 

 

Technologies; Wireless Networking; International Business. Contact Lyn 

McQuire – L.McQuire@gcal.ac.uk 

GLOUCESTERSHIRE: Environmental Policy & Management 

http://www.glos.ac.uk/international/fees/Pages/scholarships.aspx 

GREENWICH: Natural Resources.  

Contact Peter Burt – P.J.A.Burt@greenwich.ac.uk 

HERIOT-WATT: for the taught masters courses within the Schools of Life 

Sciences: Built Environment and Engineering & Physical Sciences 

HUDDERSFIELD: Nutrition & Food Sciences; Risk, Disaster & 

Environmental Management; Global Logistics & Supply Chain Management; 

Professional Development (International Education); Health & Social Care. 

Contact Sue Staples – s.c.staples@hud.ac.uk 

HULL: Biotechnology & Molecular Biology; Biomedical Sciences; Education; 

Computer Science; Environmental Technology; GIS & Environmental 

Modelling; Urban & Regional Regeneration. Contact Vicky Davison - 

v.davison@hull.ac.uk 

KENT: Conservation & Tourism; International Finance & Economic 

Development; International Business Management; International Wildlife 

Trade & Conservation; Environmental Law and Policy LLM; International 

Security & The Politics of Terror; Tourism Management; Broadband & Mobile 

Communication Networks; International Conflict Analysis; Human Rights 

LLM; Political Sociology 

LEEDS: Sustainability (Environment & Development); Sustainability 

(Business, Environment & Corporate Responsibility); Sustainability (Climate 

Change); Hydrogeology; Activism & Social Change; Catchment Dynamics & 

Management; Geographical Information Systems (GIS); GIS for Catchment 

dynamics & Management; Public Health (International); Health Management, 

Planning & Policy; Hospitality Management; International Health; 

Development Studies; Development Studies & Disability; Development Studies 

& Education; Africa: Human & Sustainable Development; Disability Studies; 

Social Research; Social & Public Policy. 

http://www.leeds.ac.uk/rds/postgraduate_scholarships/csc-info.doc 

LEEDS METROPOLITAN: Public Health; Applied Global Ethics; 

Development in Global Societies; Peace & Development; Education & 

Professional Development; Childhood Studies; Early Years. Contact individual 

departments 

LEICESTER: Sustainable Management of Natural Resources; Environmental 

Informatics; Global Environmental Change; Banking & Finance; Economics; 

Money & Banking; Human Rights; Infection & Immunity; International 

Relations & World Order; International Security 

LONDON KING’S:  Environment & Development; Tourism, Environment & 

Development; Disasters, Adaptation & Development. 

http://www.kcl.ac.uk/graduate/funding/database/view/247/ 

 

LONDON ROYAL HOLLOWAY: Practising Sustainable Development; 

Sustainability & Management; Cultural Geography; Medical Sociology; Health 

Care Systems & International Health Policy.  

http://www.rhul.ac.uk/graduate-school/pages/commonwealth_sch.html 

LONDON ROYAL VET COLL: Control of Infectious Diseases in Animals; 

Veterinary Epidemiology; Wild Animal Health; Wild Animal Biology 

Contact: Lisa Shaw – lshaw@rvc.ac.uk 

LONDON LSE:  In the areas of Development Studies; Environmental Studies; 

Gender Studies; Health Policy, Planning & Financing; Health, Population & 

Society; Housing & Regeneration; International Employment Relations & 

Human Resource Management; Public Management & Governance; Public 

Policy & Administration; Regional & Urban Planning Studies; Regional 

Science; Social Policy; Urbanisation & Development – awards to be offered to 

nationals originating and living in Commonwealth countries in Africa. 

http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/studentServicesCentre/financialSupportOffice/ 

PgAppOverseasAwards/CSSS.htm  

LONDON SHTM: Community Eye Health 

LONDON SOAS: Selected taught masters courses within the Development 

Studies Department; Economics Department; Politics & International Studies 

Department; Centre for International Studies & Diplomacy; Law Department; 

Financial & Management Studies Department; Anthropology & Sociology 

Department; Faculty of Languages & Culture – awards to be offered to 

nationals originating and living in Commonwealth countries in Africa. 

www.soas.ac.uk/scholarships 

LONDON SCH OF PHARMACY: Clinical Pharmacy, International Practice 

& Policy; Drug Delivery; Drug Discovery; Pharmacognosy 

LONDON UCL: Environment & Sustainable Development; Social 

Development Practice; Development Administration & Planning; Urban 

Development Planning; Building & Urban Design in Development; Urban 

Economic Development – one award reserved for a candidate from Africa 

http://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/scholarships/graduate/deptscholarships/dpu 

LONDON SOUTH BANK: Development Studies; Health Services & Hospital 

Management; Health Information Systems; Planning Buildings for Health; 

Sustainable Energy Systems; International Tourism Marketing 

LOUGHBOROUGH: Water & Waste Engineering; Water & Environmental 

Management; Sustainable Infrastructure Services Management; Sustainability 

in the Built Environment; Renewable Energy Systems Technology; 

Construction Management; Sustainable Transport & Travel Planning; Global 

Transformations; International Financial & Political Relations; Environmental 

Monitoring for Management; Environmental Studies 

http://www.lboro.ac.uk/admin/ar/funding/pg/international/external/dfid/index.htm 

NEWCASTLE: Town Planning; Agricultural & Environmental Sciences; 

Tropical Coastal Management; Health Sciences 

 

NOTTINGHAM: In the areas of Environment; Food; Health and Technology 

http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/international/_media/pdf/2009-scholarships- 

pdf/commonwealth-shared-scholarship-dfid.pdf 

OXFORD: The Centre for Environmental Change and the African Studies 

Centre. Contact Jenny Carter – Jenny.Carter@admin.ox.ac.uk 

ST ANDREWS:  Finance and Finance & Management 

SHEFFIELD HALLAM:  Biosciences; Construction Management; Project 

Management; Sustainable Communities & Environments; Human Resource 

Management/Development; Environment; Health & Social Care and 

Hospitality & Tourism. 

http://www.shu.ac.uk/international/courses/scholarships.html#csss  

STRATHCLYDE:  Food Science & Microbiology; Food Biotechnology; 

Pharmaceutical Analysis; Electrical Power Engineering with Business; Energy 

Systems & the Environment; Offshore Floating Systems; Environmental 

Studies; Science: Technology and Sustainability; Economic Management & 

Policy; International Accounting & Finance; International Banking & Finance; 

International Marketing; International Hospitality Management; Human 

Resource Management for he Tourism & Hospitality Industries; Tourism in 

Developing Countries; International Public Policy; Human Rights Law and 

Refugee & Migration Studies 

http://www.strath.ac.uk/igo/postgraduatescholarships/award_27686_en.html 

SUSSEX (IDS): Development Studies; Gender & Development; Governance & 

Development; Participation, Power & Social Change; Poverty & Development; 

Science, Society & Development; Globalisation & Development 

WARWICK: Statistics; Economics; International Development & Human 

Rights; Warwick Manufacturing Group 

WESTMINSTER: International Human Resource Development; International 

Planning & Sustainable Development; International Development Management 

and Globalisation: Development & Transition. 

http://www.wmin.ac.uk/page-6593  

WEST OF ENGLAND: Public Health; Environmental Health; Cellular 

Pathology; Clinical Chemistry; Haematology; Medical Microbiology; 

Immunology; Built Environment Studies (Transport & Urban Design); 

Construction Project Management; Tourism & Sustainability; Urban & Rural 

Regeneration; Urban Design; Human Rights 

WEST OF SCOTLAND: Quality Management and Waste Management with 

Environmental Management. Contact Lesley Follan – Lesley.Follan@uws.ac.uk  

WORCESTER: Children’s Literature: international perspectives; Early 

Childhood; Education; Education Management & Leadership and Nutritional 

Therapy.  http://www.worc.ac.uk/international/181.html 

 

 

 

 

 

SHARED SCHOLARSHIP SCHEME ADDITIONAL NOTES 

 

 

Academic Technology Approval Scheme for International Students 

(ATAS) 

In common with other Governments around the world, the British Government 

is working hard to stop the spread of knowledge and skills that could be used in 

the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and their means of 

delivery. The ATAS is designed to ensure that people who are applying to study 

certain sensitive subjects in the UK do not have links to WMD programmes. 

Since 1 November 2007 non-EU/EEA (including Switzerland) nationals 

planning to undertake postgraduate study in the UK in certain science, 

engineering or technology disciplines are required to have an ATAS certificate 

before they can apply for a Visa or Entry Clearance (EC).  

Application is free and can be made online; the application should take 

approximately 30 minutes to complete. Applicants should hear about the result 

of their application within 10 working days from the date the application is 

received by the issuing department.  

For further information on the ATAS please go to www.fco.gov.uk/atas 

 

 

 

 

For further Information on the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship 

Scheme please contact the: 

 

Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC) 

c/o The Association of Commonwealth Universities 

Woburn House 

20 -24 Tavistock Square 

London 

WC1H 9HF 

 

Tel: +44 (0) 20 73 80 67 00 

Fax: +44 (0) 20 73 87 26 55 

 

E-Mail: info@acu.ac.uk 

Website: http://www.cscuk.org.uk/apply/sharedschol.asp