Fees and funding

Postgraduate master's loans are available to eligible applicants.

To give you an indication of when you can apply, last year the application process opened in early June for applicants beginning postgraduate study that September. This postgraduate student loan, potentially up to £11,570, is:

• a contribution towards the cost of study to be used towards tuition fees, maintenance costs or other costs;
• non-means tested;
• paid directly into a student's UK bank account.

Further information can be found by downloading the Government Response to the Consultation on Support for Postgraduate Study.

Find out more

• GOV.UK
• The University website

The Manchester Alumni Scholarship Scheme offers eligible applicants a £3,000 reduction on tuition fees.

It is a means of supporting our outstanding graduates who wish to progress to master's level study having completed their undergraduate degree with us.

Eligibility criteria

The scholarship is available to applicants to a School of Arts Languages and Cultures master’s course who:

• Are a University of Manchester graduate
• Have received a first-class honours degree
• Are applying within three years of receiving their degree
• Are an international, EU or home student who will study full-time, part-time or by distance learning
• Have accepted an offer of a place on a School of Arts Languages and Cultures master's course by the end of June in the year their course starts
• Are not in receipt of a School or Faculty award covering full tuition fees (unless otherwise stipulated by a particular School or Faculty award).

Automatically considered

You do not need to apply for this scholarship separately. You will be automatically considered on the basis of your application for the course.

If you meet the eligibility criteria, you will be awarded the scholarship automatically, as long as you have accepted an offer of a place on a School of Arts Languages and Cultures master's course by the end of June in the year your course starts.

Any scholarship awarded will be applied as a reduction in the annual tuition fee for the course, rather than as a cash payment.

Last year, the University offered 75 bursaries worth £4,000 in funding for students from underrepresented groups.

Applicants need to meet a number of criteria to be eligible. Last year, there were more eligible applications than places, so meeting the criteria is no guarantee of an award.

For more information and how to apply/discover if you are eligible, please visit the Manchester Master's Bursary page on the main University website.

A number of bursaries will be available for September 2023/24.

These are set at Home fees level and will be available to all candidates applying for a place on a master's course in the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures (SALC), on a competitive basis.

Students wishing to apply for these awards must have applied for the master's course by the funding deadline of 1st March, 2023.

The funding application is separate to the standard online admissions form for the course.

The Funding Application form

Download the funding application form (you might need to right-click and open in new window, then wait for download options).

Transcripts

We will use the interim or final transcripts submitted with your admissions application form.

Interim transcripts for UoM fasttrack applicants will be provided automatically by the School. 

References

All applicants should send their two referees to the online referee report form. References will then come to us directly and will be attached to your funding application. We will also check the references with your application to the course as these can also be used for your funding application.

Deadline

Please submit the completed funding application to MASALCfunding@manchester.ac.uk by 5pm on 1st March, 2023.

Notification of outcome

Successful applicants will be notified in early May.

Some subject areas may have their own additional funding (see the relevant section below). Unsuccessful funding applicants for eligible sybjects will automatically be considered for subject area funding, where applicable.

ESRC North West Social Science DTP (NWSSDTP) 1+3 Studentships in the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures 2022-23

Type of award

• Studentship

Managing departments

• Faculty of Humanities
• School of Arts, Languages and Cultures

Value

Subject to residential eligibility status, the award covers tuition fees, a maintenance stipend (the annual maintenance stipend for 2021-22 was £15,609), a research training support grant and an opportunity to apply for additional funding towards overseas fieldwork, difficult language training, overseas institutional visits and internships. An additional disability allowance can be provided where appropriate.

Students opting to study part-time will receive a pro-rata maintenance stipend. 

Specified use

Tuition fees, research expenses and living allowance, subject to eligibility.

Tenable period

Studentships are available for PGT students on a 1+3 basis (master's and doctoral study) for 12 - 24 months (part-time studentships are also available).

Continuation of award

Continuation of the award is subject to satisfactory progress.

Number available

A number of awards are available on a competitive basis.

Funding provider

ESRC North West Social Sciences Doctoral Training Partnership

Level(s) of study

This funding is available to students undertaking the following types of study:

• Postgraduate taught
• Postgraduate research

Allowed study options

This funding is available to students undertaking the following modes of study:

• Full-time
• Part-time

Subject restrictions

This funding is available to students undertaking study in:

• Arab World Studies
• Chinese Studies
• East Asian Studies
• History
• Humanitarianism and Conflict Response
• Japanese Studies
• Linguistics and English Language
• Middle Eastern Studies
• Russian and East European Studies
• Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies

Academic requirements

Please refer to our master's application guidance.

Nationality restrictions

This funding is available to students from the UK and EU.

Other eligibility criteria

Please refer to the application guidance on the How to apply page of the NWSSDTP website.

Application procedure

How to apply

Please see the application guidance on the NWSSDTP website and submit the ESRC NWSSDTP application form, research proposal, academic transcripts and references to Mr Kevin Little, the Postgraduate Taught Coordinator at masalcfunding@manchester.ac.uk by 5pm GMT, Monday 3 February 2020. Applications received after the deadline will not be accepted.

You must also submit your online application for a place on your chosen master's course AND your chosen PhD programme by Monday 13 January 2020. These should be complete applications comprising an application form and all necessary supporting documents.

Please note that when applying for the PhD you should indicate that it is part of your ESRC 1+3 funding application. 

Application form

• See the How to apply page of the NWSSDTP website

Additional documentation

In addition to the application form, the following supporting documents are required:

• Research proposal
• Degree certificates and transcripts
• References

Selection criteria

Please see the NWSSDTP website.

Selection body

The School of Arts, Languages and Cultures and the NWSSDTP Studentship Committee.

Closing date

ESRC NWSSDTP applications must be submitted by 5pm GMT, Tuesday 1 February 2022.

Master’s and PhD programme applications must be submitted by Friday 14 January 2022.

Decision date

We expect to communicate the outcome to applicants no later than the end of March 2020. Due to the volume of applications, individual feedback will not be given.

Useful links

• Applying for a master's course
• Applying for a postgraduate research programme
• North West Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership: How to apply

Equity and Merit Scholarships aim to assist talented but economically disadvantaged students from some of the world’s poorest countries. The scholarships are available for academically excellent professionals from Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania. The eligible courses offered by HCRI are Humanitarianism and Conflict Response MA and International Disaster Management MSc.

Find out more on the main university website:

• Equity and Merit Scholarships for international master's students

Classics and Ancient History

Heywood and Victoria Scholarship

Applications are invited for the Heywood and Victoria Scholarship, which will offer £6500 towards fees for study of the MA in Classics and Ancient History (full time or part time).

For current University of Manchester applicants (or alumni within the past three years), this bursary can be combined with the Manchester Alumni Scholarship Scheme (£3,000). More details.

How to apply

All applicants to the MA in Classics and Ancient History who apply to the School funding competition will also be considered for this scholarship (there is no separate application form for this specific award). Candidates wishing to accept the offer of a scholarship must, at the same time, accept the offer of a place.

Details of the The School funding competition and application form can be found under the School awards section.

In 2021, The Creative Writing department offered two bursaries, one each for:

• Poetry
• Fiction

Each award was worth the part-time UK fee for one year of study.

All students who are offered a place are eligible, so there is no formal application process. The decision is based on the quality of the writing sample submitted in the application process and the award must be applied toward the tuition fees. Therefore, if you already have tuition fees awards worth more than £5,000 you will be ineligible for these bursaries.

The winners will be notified in May.

All HCRI bursary and scholarship information is available directly through the HCRI website.

MA Modern Languages and Cultures Bursary

We will be offering one bursary next year for one candidate studying a Spanish, Latin American, Portuguese, Brazilian or Luso-African topic. This bursary is to be offered as a fee rebate only (if awarded to a part-time student the bursary will cover their Year 1 fee only).

Submit your application

• Download the funding application form (you might need to right-click and open in new window, then wait for download options).
• You should send your two referees to the online referee report form. References will then come to us directly and be attached to your application. We will also check the references with your application to the course as these can also be used for your funding application.

Deadline

1st March, 2023.

 

Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation studentships

Up to three Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation studentships worth £10,000 for one year may be available for MA and PhD students focusing on the study of Japan. This includes:

• Students applying for the MA in Modern Languages and Cultures and committed to conducting their major coursework options and dissertation on Japan. Eligibility is limited to UK nationals, or non-UK nationals who are either settled in the UK or who have been ordinarily resident in the UK for the three years before the programme. Applicants should have, or expect to have, a good 2.1 class degree or above.
• Students applying for or engaged in the PhD in Japanese Studies, or for another PhD programme if the thesis is on Japan. Students of any nationality are eligible, though in the case of non-UK nationals, priority is expected to be given to those who have already completed at least one year of postgraduate study at a UK university. Applicants should have a good 2.1 class degree or above at BA level, or a merit or above at Masters level (or overseas equivalent).

Interested applicants should contact Dr Peter Cave (peter.cave@manchester.ac.uk) for the application form, which should be returned to Dr Cave by 5 pm GMT on Monday 28 February 2022. PhD students who have already received the Sasakawa studentship may be nominated again, and receive the studentship for up to three years, though repeated awards cannot be guaranteed. Students who are awarded a full scholarship (covering tuition fees and living costs) from another source cannot receive the Sasakawa studentship as well.

 

Daiwa Scholarships in Japanese Studies

This is a postgraduate Scholarship programme to support the study of Japanese Studies at either Masters or PhD level, and in either Japan or the UK. Only UK citizens who hold or are completing a degree in Japanese Studies, defined as a course focussing primarily on the study of Japan, and containing a substantial Japanese language component are eligible to apply.

Applicants who hold (or are completing) combined honours courses where Japanese Studies accounts for at least 50% of the course may also apply. The Scholarship will cover university fees for the course in question, plus living expenses. Living expenses will be payable at a rate of £1,200 per month for periods spent in the UK, and ¥260,000 per month for periods spent in Japan.

Candidates for the Daiwa Scholarships in Japanese Studies must be:  British citizens who are holders of an Honours degree in Japanese Studies, defined as a course focussing primarily on the study of Japan, and containing a substantial Japanese language component, and enrolled or enrolling in a Japanese Studies-related course in either Japan or the UK.

Application is made directly to the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation (deadline Thursday, 27 January 2022), and 3 scholarships per year are available to support study at UK universities.

More information: https://dajf.org.uk/scholarships/japanese-studies

Queries can be directed to scholarships@dajf.org.uk

MusM part-fee bursaries

For 2023 at least one part-fee bursary is available to applicants to MusM Musicology, MusM Ethnomusicology, MusM Composition (Electroacoustic Music and Interactive Media), and MusM Composition (Instrumental and Vocal music). To apply for this bursary, you must initially apply for the School bursary.

• the University of Manchester postgraduate admissions form (non-Fast Track applicants only), transcript, and two references;
• the School's MA Funding Application Form (this is applicable to all applicants who wish to be considered for funding).

Students who apply through this process will be considered for both the School awards and this subject bursary.

To apply

• Download the funding application form (you might need to right-click and open in a new window, then wait for download options).
• You should send your two referees to the online referee report form. References will then come to us directly and be attached to your application. We will also check the references with your application to the course as these can also be used for your funding application.

Deadline

Please submit the completed funding application to MASALCfunding@manchester.ac.uk by 5pm on Wednesday, 1 March 2023.

Religions and Theology subject-specific funding opportunities

Jewish Studies MA Fee Bursary

The competition is open to all students who fulfil the formal criteria for the MA programme, offering £11,000 towards fees for the study of MA Religions and Theology (full time). One bursary will be awarded on a competitive basis.

How to apply 

The competition is open to students who apply for MA Religions and Theology with an intention to make Jewish Studies a prime focus of their study, by allocating at least 60 credits to topics in Jewish Studies including the MA dissertation. This bursary will be awarded based on a case for support in Jewish Studies (500 words). Applications can be made using the following form:

• funding application form (you may need to righ-click and open in new window) 

Please attach the completed application form to an email addressed to Laura Mitchell:

• laura.mitchell@manchester.ac.uk

Deadline

Applications to this fee bursary will be considered from the beginning of March 2023 onwards, with applications encouraged as soon as possible, and no later than 5pm on 8 May 2023. 

Details of the Jewish Studies MA Fee Bursary

For informal enquiries please contact Prof. Alex Samely: alex.samely@manchester.ac.uk.

 

Bishop Lee MA tuition fees bursary (Biblical Studies)

The competition is open to all students who fulfil the formal criteria for the MA programme, offering £3,500 towards fees for the study of MA Religions and Theology (full time).

How to apply

The competition is open to students who apply for MA Religions and Theology with an intention to focus on Biblical Studies. This bursary will be awarded on the basis of a case for support in Biblical Studies (500 words). The application form for your case for support can be found here:

• funding application form (you may need to righ-click and open in new window)

Deadline and length

• Deadline: Monday 8 May, 2023
• Length: 500 words

This bursary can be combined with the Manchester Alumni Scholarship Scheme (£3,000) and Alumni Scholarship if a First is achieved (£3,000).

To apply, applicants should attach the completed application form to an email addressed to Dr Michael Hoelzl:

• michael.hoelzl@manchester.ac.uk

Informal enquiries may be also directed to Dr Michael Hoelzl.

Chadwick MA tuition fees bursary (Theology, Philosophy, Ethics)

The competition is open to all students who fulfil the formal criteria for the MA programme, offering £3,500 towards fees for the study of MA Religions and Theology (full time).

How to apply

The competition is open to students who apply for MA Religions and Theology with an intention to focus on Religion and Politics, Theological aspects of contemporary Ethics or Philosophy of Religion in their MA dissertation. This bursary will be awarded on the basis of a case for support in Theological Studies in Philosophy and Ethics (500 words). Applications can be made using the following form:

• funding application form (you may need to righ-click and open in new window)

Please attach the completed application form to an email addressed to Dr Michael Hoelzl:

• michael.hoelzl@manchester.ac.uk

Essay deadline and length

• Deadline: Monday, 8 May, 2023
• Length: 500 words

This bursary can be combined with the Manchester Alumni Scholarship Scheme (£3,000) and Alumni Scholarship if a First is achieved (£3,000).

Informal enquiries may be also directed to Dr Michael Hoelzl.