Skip to content

Chevening Scholarship

Study level:
Postgraduate Taught
Academic entry year:
2021/22
Attendance of study:
full-time
Available to:
prospective students

Chevening Scholarships are the UK government’s global scholarship programme, funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and partner organisations. The Scholarships are an important element in Britain’s public diplomacy effort and bring young professionals, who have already displayed outstanding leadership talents, to study in the UK.

Chevening Scholarships operate in 116 countries worldwide, and this year will support approximately 700 individuals. Awards are typically for a one-year Master’s degree (although some awards are for tailor-made short courses), in any subject and at any of the UK’s leading universities.

The Chevening programme began in 1983 and has developed into a prestigious international scheme. 

Who are Chevening Scholarships aimed at?

Chevening Scholarships are for talented people who have been identified as potential future leaders across a wide range of fields; including politics, business, the media, civil society, religion, and academia.

Applicants should be high calibre graduates with the personal, intellectual and interpersonal qualities necessary for leadership. Scholars undertake to return to their home country unless there are genuinely exceptional circumstances.

They have an excellent record of rising to positions of leadership in their respective professions. For example, past alumni include Baldwin Spencer, the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda; Anote Tong, the President of Kiribati; Sergei Stanishev, the former Prime Minister of Bulgaria; Alvaro Uribe Velez, the former President of Colombia; Marek Belka, the former Prime Minister of Poland; and Gega Mgaloblishvili, the former Prime Minister of Georgia.

Where do most Chevening Scholars come from?

Countries with most Chevening Scholars this year include: China, India, Indonesia, Egypt, South Korea and Brazil – but the reach is genuinely global, with the exception of countries within the European Union and United States of America.

Who funds Chevening Scholarships?

The majority of funding comes from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. However, individual awards are co-sponsored by a wide range of international and local sponsors. UK universities also contribute through joint scholarships, recognising the exceptional quality of Chevening Scholars.

The objective of the Chevening programme

The objective of the Chevening programme is to support foreign policy priorities and achieve FCO objectives by creating lasting positive relationships with future leaders, influencers and decision makers. The programme provides a unique opportunity for leaders of the future to build a global network of continuing professional significance and also to establish social, cultural, academic or commercial partnerships with the UK.

Applicable courses

Full-time Master's courses starting in September 2020

Criteria (from the Chevening website):

Full-time

Start in the autumn term (usually September/October)

Taught master's (i.e. not research-focused MRes programmes)

Lead to a Master’s degree qualification

Based in the UK

Course cannot be:

Distance learning

Part-time

Less than nine months in duration

More than 12 months in duration 

PhD or DPhil are not permitted

Taught with more than one month of study outside the UK

Eligibility

Scholars are personally selected by British High Commissioners throughout the world, sometimes in partnership with appropriate sponsoring organisations.

To be eligible for a Chevening Award you must:

  • Be a citizen of a Chevening-eligible country
  • Return to your country of citizenship for a minimum of two years after your award has ended
  • Have an undergraduate degree that will enable you to gain entry to a postgraduate programme at a UK university. This is typically equivalent to an upper second-class 2:1 honours degree in the UK.
  • Have at least two years’ work experience (this may be up to five years for fellowship programmes, please refer to your country page for further details)
  • Apply to three different eligible UK university courses and have received an unconditional offer from one of these choices by 11 July 2021
  • Meet the Chevening English language requirement by 11 July 2021

You are not eligible for a Chevening Award if you:

  • Hold British or dual British citizenship (unless you are a citizen of a British Overseas Territory or hold BN(O) and are applying from Hong Kong)
  • Hold refugee status in a non-Chevening eligible country. Applicants who are citizens of a Chevening-eligible country and who hold refugee status in a Chevening-eligible country are eligible for an award.
  • Are an employee, a former employee, or relative of an employee (since July 2016) of Her Majesty’s Government (including British Embassies/High Commissions, the Department for International Development, the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, Department for International Trade, the Ministry of Defence and the Home Office), the British Council, or a staff member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities. Employees, former employees, or relatives of an employee (since July 2016) of Chevening Partner organisations are eligible to apply, but cannot receive a Chevening/Partner Award from the organisation for which they work, previously worked, or are affiliated with through relatives.(Note: Immediate relatives are defined as parents or step-parents, siblings or step-siblings, children or step-children, spouse, civil partner or unmarried partner (where the couple have been in a relationship akin to marriage or civil partnership for at least two years)
  • Have previously studied in the UK with funding from a UK Government-funded scholarship. However, if you have previously studied under a UK Government-funded scholarship (including Chevening), you may be eligible to apply for a Chevening Fellowship five years after completion of your initial UK Government-funded scholarship.

  • Afghanistan
  • Aland Islands
  • Albania
  • Algeria
  • American Samoa
  • Andorra
  • Angola
  • Anguilla
  • Antigua & Barbuda
  • Antilles (Netherlands)
  • Argentina
  • Armenia
  • Aruba
  • Australia
  • Austria
  • Azerbaijani Republic, The
  • Bahamas, The
  • Bahrain
  • Bangladesh
  • Barbados
  • Belarus
  • Belgium
  • Belize
  • Benin
  • Bermuda
  • Bhutan
  • Bolivia
  • Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba
  • Bosnia And Herzegovina
  • Botswana
  • Bouvet Island
  • Brazil
  • British Antarctic Territories
  • British Indian Ocean Territory
  • British Virgin Islands
  • Brunei Darussalam
  • Burkina Faso; Also Upper Volta
  • Bulgaria
  • Burundi
  • Myanmar
  • Cameroon
  • Canada
  • Cape Verde Islands
  • Cayman Islands
  • Canary Islands
  • Central African Republic
  • Chad
  • Channel Islands, not elsewhere specified
  • Chile
  • China
  • Christmas Island
  • Cocos (Keeling) Islands
  • Colombia
  • Comoros
  • Congo (Peoples Republic)
  • Congo, Democratic Republic
  • Cook Islands
  • Costa Rica
  • Croatia
  • Cuba
  • Cura
  • Cyprus (European Union)
  • Cyprus (Non-European Union)
  • Czech Republic
  • Denmark
  • Djibouti
  • Dominica
  • Dominican Republic
  • Timor Leste (East Timor)
  • Ecuador
  • Egypt, United Arab Republic of
  • El Salvador
  • England
  • Equatorial Guinea
  • Eritrea
  • Estonia
  • Ethiopia
  • Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
  • Faroe Islands
  • Fiji
  • Finland
  • France
  • French Guiana
  • French Polynesia
  • Gabon
  • Gambia, The Republic of The
  • Georgia
  • Germany
  • Ghana
  • Gibraltar
  • Greece
  • Greenland
  • Grenada
  • Guadeloupe
  • Guam
  • Guatemala
  • Guernsey
  • Guinea
  • Guinea Bissau
  • Guyana
  • Haiti
  • Honduras
  • Hong Kong
  • Hungary
  • Iceland
  • India
  • Indonesia
  • Iran
  • Iraq
  • Ireland, the Republic of
  • Isle of Man (The)
  • Israel
  • Italy
  • Cote D'Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
  • Jamaica
  • Japan
  • Jersey
  • Jordan
  • Cambodia
  • Kazakhstan
  • Kenya
  • Kiribati (The Gilbert Islands)
  • Korea (North), Democratic Peoples Republic of
  • Korea (South), Republic of
  • Kosovo
  • Kuwait
  • Kyrgyzstan
  • Laos People's Democratic Republic
  • Latvia
  • Lebanon
  • Lesotho
  • Liberia
  • Libya
  • Liechtenstein
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg
  • Macao (Special Administrative Region of China)
  • Macedonia
  • Madagascar
  • Malawi
  • Malaysia
  • Maldive Islands
  • Mali
  • Malta
  • Martinique
  • Mauritania
  • Mauritius
  • Mayotte (French Territorial Collectivity)
  • Mexico
  • Moldova, Republic of
  • Monaco
  • Mongolia
  • Montenegro
  • Montserrat
  • Morocco
  • Mozambique
  • Namibia
  • Nauru
  • Nepal
  • Netherlands
  • New Caledonia, also French Overseas Territori
  • New Zealand
  • Nicaragua
  • Niger
  • Nigeria
  • Niue
  • Norfolk Island
  • Northern Ireland
  • Northern Mariana Islands
  • Norway
  • Oman
  • Pakistan
  • Palau
  • Palestine; West Bank; Gaza Strip inc E Jerusa
  • Panama
  • Papua New Guinea
  • Paraguay
  • Peru
  • Philippines
  • Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oenno Islands
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Puerto Rico
  • Qatar
  • Reunion
  • Romania
  • Russia
  • Rwanda
  • Samoa, Independent State of
  • San Marino
  • Sao Tome & Principe
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Scotland
  • Senegal
  • Serbia
  • Seychelles
  • Sierra Leone
  • Singapore
  • Sint Maarten (Dutch part)
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • Solomon Islands
  • Somalia
  • South Africa
  • South Sudan
  • Spain
  • Sri Lanka
  • St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
  • St Pierre and Miquelon
  • St.Kitts and Nevis
  • St.Lucia
  • St.Vincent and the Grenadines
  • Sudan
  • Suriname
  • Svalbard and Jan Mayen
  • Swaziland
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland
  • Syrian Arab Republic
  • Taiwan
  • Tajikistan
  • Tanzania, United Republic of
  • Thailand
  • Togo
  • Tokelau
  • Tonga
  • Trinidad & Tobago
  • Tunisia
  • Türkiye
  • Turkmenistan
  • Turks & Caicos Islands
  • Tuvalu
  • Uganda
  • Ukraine
  • United Arab Emirates
  • United States of America
  • United States Virgin Islands
  • Uruguay
  • Uzbekistan
  • Vanuatu
  • Vatican City, Holy See Vatican City State
  • Venezuela
  • Vietnam
  • Wales
  • Wallis and Futuna
  • Western Sahara
  • Windward Islands (not otherwise specified)
  • Yemen, Republic of
  • Zambia
  • Zimbabwe

How to apply

Applications for Chevening Awards can only be submitted using the Chevening online application system, available through the 'apply' button on your country's page on the Chevening website. Applications for Chevening Awards can only be submitted using the Chevening online application system, available through the 'apply' button on your country's page on the Chevening website.

Closing date: 6 November 2020