Choose the right scholarship for your degree
Otago offers research Master's scholarships to support students during the thesis part of a research Master's degree (pre-thesis papers are not covered by these scholarships), or those studying for a coursework Master's that does not have a thesis component. Find out more about the different Masters' options, and how to get started, below.
How to get started
Consult our list of scholarship types (PDF), and choose the right one for your Otago Master's degree.
Research Master's scholarships - domestic applicants
How to apply
Applications are made online through the eVision portal. The application form will be available through an alert, see the "When to apply" section below.
When to apply
Applications for Research Master's scholarships should occur either:
- when applying for admission (if the degree is by thesis only, or if the thesis will begin straight away) – you will receive an alert in your eVision portal after applying for admission to your programme, inviting you to apply for a scholarship; or,
- just before the thesis component is about to begin (usually at the start of the second year for a master's degree by papers and thesis) – you will receive an alert in your eVision portal after enrolling in your thesis paper.
MDiet applicants
Invitations to apply for the University of Otago Research Master's Scholarship will be sent once you have completed your application for admission to the programme. Applications will be assessed in July of the first year of your qualification once your semester one grades are available.
Scholarships available
The University of Otago Master's Research Scholarship is the main masters scholarship, open to domestic applicants. In addition there are a number of specialised scholarships which can all be applied for online through eVision in the process mentioned above.
University of Otago Māori Master's Research Scholarship
$18,204 plus tuition fee waiver for Māori thesis Master's candidates.
University of Otago Pacific Islands Master's Research Scholarship
$18,204 plus tuition fee waiver for indigenous Pacific Island thesis Master's candidates.
Bamforth Postgraduate Scholarship
$18,204 per year plus tuition fee waiver for 1 year of Master's study
Bruggeman Postgraduate Scholarship in Classics
Postgraduate funding to support Classics students.
Daniel Taylor Senior Scholarship in Philosophy
$1,000 towards research costs for Philosophy Master's thesis students.
David Renfrew White Postgraduate Scholarship in Education
$18,204 plus tuition fee waiver for Master's thesis student.
Duffus Lubecki Scholarship in Applied Science
$18,204 towards postgraduate study in Applied Science.
Fanny Evans Postgraduate Scholarship for Women
Scholarship funds to help women postgraduate students.
James Park Scholarship in Geology
Postgraduate funding to support research in the area of New Zealand mineral resources.
John Edmond Postgraduate Scholarship for Industrial Research in Chemistry
$18,204 to support Master's students studying Chemistry.
Macandrew-Stout Postgraduate Scholarship in Economics
Funding to support postgraduate students studying Economics.
Otago Council Inc Scholarship in Science
Scholarship funding to support Research Master's students undergoing research and data collection.
Senior Smeaton Scholarship
Funds to support postgraduate study in Experimental Science.
Waddell Smith Postgraduate Scholarship in Education
$2,000 towards postgraduate study in Education.
Research Master's Scholarships - international applicants
There are eight University of Otago International Master's Research Scholarships available per year – two per teaching Division. Due to the limited number of these scholarships, applicants require very good grades to be successful. We only recommend applying if your grades in the later years of your degree are at A or A+ level.
Please note this Scholarship will only provide support for the thesis component of a Master's Research degree for up to 1 year full-time enrolment. It also only partially covers the cost of your tuition fees. As an international student you will be charged a higher level of tuition fees than a New Zealand domestic student. The Scholarship covers tuition fees for your thesis only at the domestic fee rate, i.e. the cost a New Zealand student would pay for their fees. This will be significantly less than the overall cost of your tuition fees and you will need to pay the difference between the two rates yourself. Please check with our International Office for tuition fee rates.
International Master's Research Scholarships are currently available in each Division for candidates planning to start within the time frames specified below. Note that these dates can change based on submission or withdrawal of current candidates. Please check back often.
| Commerce/School of Business | Funding is available for 2024. |
|---|---|
| Health Sciences | Funding is available from February 2024. |
| Humanities | Funding is available for 2024. |
| Sciences | Funding is available from February 2024 |
(Please note the above dates apply only to University of Otago International Master's Research Scholarships).
How to apply
Applications are made online through the eVision portal after applying for admission to a programme. The application form will be available through an alert at one of the following times:
- when applying for admission (if the degree is by thesis only, or if the thesis will begin straight away) – you will receive an alert in your eVision portal after applying for admission to your programme, inviting you to apply for a scholarship; or,
- just before the thesis component is about to begin (usually at the start of the second year for a master's degree by papers and thesis) – you will receive an alert in your eVision portal after enrolling in your thesis paper.
International grade requirements
Research Master's scholarship regulations
Read the University of Otago Postgraduate Scholarship Regulations (PDF)
Coursework Master's scholarships
The University of Otago Coursework Master's Scholarship is open to both domestic and international applicants, and are for students who are studying Master's degrees which don't include a full thesis component (although they may include a research report or dissertation).
Some degrees also have a thesis or non-thesis option (usually with the decision made after an initial year of study). In such cases the non-thesis option is eligible for coursework Master's scholarship support. Note that coursework Master's scholarships are not available to research master's students completing a papers year prior to beginning their thesis.
View this table, if you are unsure of the type of Master's scholarship you can apply for. (PDF)
How to apply
Due to the limited number of University of Otago Coursework Masters Scholarships available (20), application invitations are restricted by a nomination system. Once a student has been admitted to their programme of choice, the department will assess their suitability for scholarship funding and advise the Scholarships Office that they wish to nominate a candidate for this scholarship. The Scholarships Office will then send an invite to the candidate via eVision. Please note that due to the competitive nature of this scholarship, candidates who will likely be nominated for this scholarship will usually need to have a GPA of at least an A on their most recent year of study. A decision regarding these scholarships will be made by the month preceding commencement of the programme of study.
Regulations
Read the University of Otago Coursework Master's Scholarship regulations (PDF)
International grade requirements
Find out more about scholarships at Otago
Tel 0800 80 80 98
Email scholarships@otago.ac.nz
Scholarships at Otago