Sheffield postgraduate scholarships

The University of Sheffield is pleased to offer 100+ scholarships worth £10,000 each for home students starting a taught postgraduate course in 2017.

100 plus scholarships

The scholarships are for students who meet at least one of our widening participation criteria and/or students who achieve a first in their undergraduate degree. If your application is successful you can use the scholarship towards fees or living expenses, the choice is yours.

The deadline to apply for this scholarship scheme is Monday 15th May 2017.


Eligibility criteria

You can apply for a scholarship if you meet the following four criteria:

  • Studying a taught postgraduate course full-time or part-time for a maximum of four years.
  • Domiciled in the UK or European Union (EU) and not charged international rate fees.
  • Not already qualified at masters level, or higher.
  • Must be self funding - courses fully funded by the NHS or the Initial Teacher Training bursary, or courses that are eligible for undergraduate funding such as integrated masters are not eligible.

And one or both of the following:

From a group that is evidentially under-represented among the institution's taught masters population - see the widening participation criteria below.
Already achieved or currently predicted a first class undergraduate degree.

NB: Students intending to take a PG student loan can also apply for a scholarship.


Widening participation criteria

You are eligible to apply for the widening participation element of the scholarship if you meet any of the following:

  • You have been in care as a looked-after child for at least 13 weeks since the age of 14.
  • You have a disability.
  • You are a carer for an ill or disabled family member.
  • You come from one of the most deprived areas of the country as defined by the government's IMD (Indices of Multiple Deprivation) database. If your postcode IMD value is 16,250 or less, you meet this criteria. You can check your postcode using the IMD search tool. Please note this map only covers England and the postcode we will use is that of your home address in your last year of school or college.
  • You come from an area where it is unusual for people to go to university. This is defined by the government's classification called Polar 3, to meet this criteria your address must fall into quintile 1 or 2 in the young participation quintile or the Adult HE qualification quintile. Check your address area using the Participation of Local Areas (POLAR) search tool. We'll use your home address in your last year of school or college. Please note this information only covers the UK.
  • You were/are in receipt of a Maintenance Grant as an undergraduate.
  • You are from a black and minority ethnic group.
  • You are a woman applying for a postgraduate taught course in the Department of Economics; Aerospace Engineering; Department of Automatic Control & Systems Engineering; Bioengineering; Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering; Department of Civil & Structural Engineering; Department of Computer Science; Department of Electronic & Electrical Engineering; Department of Materials Science and Engineering; and Department of Mechanical Engineering.
  • You are a man applying for a postgraduate taught course in the School of Nursing and Midwifery; Department of Human Communication Sciences; Department of Psychology; and Department of Sociological Studies.

Academic merit criteria

You are eligible to apply for the academic merit element of the scholarship if you achieve a first in your undergraduate degree. You may be awarded a scholarship, but this is provisional on you achieving a first, we will require an academic transcript as evidence.

Selection process

A selection panel consisting of senior academic and professional services staff, will consider your scholarship application. The panel will look at personal circumstances of those who meet widening participation criteria and take into account achievements of the academic merit applicants. All applications are anonymised and the decision of the panel is discretionary and final.

When making their decision, the panel will give regard to the following:

  • Applicant has provided a clear rationale for applying for a postgraduate course at the University of Sheffield.
  • Applicant has identified clearly how the scholarship will be beneficial to her/his student experience.
  • Applicant has clearly articulated future ambitions; these goals relate to the postgraduate degree he/she has applied for, and they involve appropriate and credible contribution from which others will benefit.

Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their scholarship application before Friday 30th June 2017.

Four students laughing while sat at a bench, outside the Students' Union

International Merit Scholarships

We offer a generous package of financial support for international students including 75 undergraduate scholarships worth £10,000 towards the annual tuition fee and 125 postgraduate taught scholarships worth £5,000 towards the tuition fee. Applications are now open for existing offer holders.