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The Commonwealth Shared Scholarship provides international applicants from developing countries with financial support to study at the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom. This scholarship, which is available for a master’s program, is one of the fully funded opportunities supported by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission.
The University of Birmingham is a prestigious higher institution that received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Queen’s College, Birmingham, and Mason Science College.
The Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme is a joint initiative between the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and UK universities, including the University of Birmingham, to jointly support scholarships for students from developing Commonwealth countries who would not otherwise be able to study in the United Kingdom. The UK higher institution invites applications from qualified foreign candidates to indicate interest in the 2025/2026 Commonwealth Shared Scholarships.
Tuition Fees
The tuition fees for the master’s program at the University of Birmingham range from £10,900 for domestic students to £27,200 for international students. The cost of study for a part-time MA/MSc is around £5,450. Many postgraduate degree courses in the United Kingdom can be completed in one year of full-time study.
Eligibility Criteria
For an applicant to be eligible;
- You must be a national of a Commonwealth developing country.
- You should not be presently living or studying in a developed country.
- You have not undertaken studies lasting one year or more in a developed country.
- You should be unable to pay to study in the United Kingdom;
- You must agree to return to your own country to work or study as soon as the award ends.
- DFID requires that the University certify when submitting its shortlist of candidates that the candidates are sufficiently proficient in the English language to cope with the course for which they have applied.
Candidates must have been offered admission to pursue one of the following master’s programs at the University of Birmingham:
- MA Africa and Development
- MSc Development Policy and Politics
- MSc Conflict, Security, and Development
- MSc Clinical Oncology
- MSc Environment, Development, and Politics
Eligible Programs
These are the subject areas for which the 2025 Commonwealth Shared Scholarship for Developing Countries 2025 will be applicable;
- Arts and Law
- African Studies
- Medicine and Health
- International Development
Eligible Countries
Students from the countries mentioned below will be considered for the Commonwealth Scholarship Program.
Bangladesh, Belize, Botswana, Cameroon, Dominica, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, The, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, India, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu and Zambia.
Scholarship Benefits
The Commonwealth Shared Scholarship award is financed jointly by the University and the DFID. It will provide full tuition coverage, accommodation, a living stipend, full visa and airfare costs to and from the United Kingdom, a maintenance stipend, Immigration Health Surcharge costs, a one-off arrival allowance payment, thesis expenses, and a study travel grant.
Application Procedure
To apply for the 2025 Commonwealth Shared Scholarship, follow these guidelines;
- Make an application on the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship website before the deadline.
- Apply to study one of the approved programs at the Univerity of Birmingham.
- Applications for 2025 entry are due to open soon. A provisional date has been provided, but you are strongly encouraged to check the Commonwealth Shared Scholarships webpage for announcements of the official deadline date.
Deadline/Expiration: December 18, 2025
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