Durham University has unveiled the Inspiring Excellence 5K Postgraduate Scholarship for 2025, offering 200 international students the chance to receive a £5,000 tuition fee discount for full-time, one-year taught master’s programs starting in September 2025.
According to the institution, the £5,000 scholarship, which is applied directly to tuition fees, will be awarded to 200 international students.
The scholarship is merit-based, intended to support students with exceptional academic records and strong potential for success in their respective fields.
This scholarship is available for various master’s programs at Durham University, excluding certain courses such as MBA and business school programs. These are the exceptions:
- All Business School Masters and MBA programmes
- Any second year of a taught postgraduate programme
- PGCE
- PGCERT (Education)
- MA – Conservation of Archaeological and Museum Objects
- Executive MSc in Behavioural Science
- All research postgraduate programmes
- MSW – Social Work
- Graduate Diplomas
Eligibility and requirements
To be eligible for Durham’s Inspiring Excellence 5K postgraduate scholarships, applicants must:
- Have applied to a one-year, full-time (in-person) taught MSc, MA, LLM or MDS qualification (MBA programmes are excluded)
- Start master’s studies in September 2025
- Have received an offer for a Master’s programme at Durham by 04 May 4th 2025 (for 1st Selection) and 08th June 8th 2025 (for 2nd selection)
- Be classed as an overseas student for fee-paying purposes
- Meet or exceed the entry requirements for the programme applied for at Durham University
- Not already receive any other scholarship from the university except if eligible for the Durham International Scholarship worth £5,000 (only for students from Bangladesh, India, Nigeria, Malaysia, Pakistan and Vietnam)
- Are self-funded and not supported by external sponsor or scholarship bodies
- Complete the Inspiring Excellence 5K postgraduate scholarship application form
Students must also meet or exceed the entry requirements for their chosen program and be classified as overseas students for tuition purposes. Visit the link for more information:https://www.durham.ac.uk/media/durham-university/global/2025-5K-INSPIRING-EXCELLENCE-SCHOLARSHIP-Application-Guidance.pdf
Applicants must apply separately for the Inspiring Excellence 5K Scholarship, and the scholarship cannot be transferred or converted into cash.
Furthermore, the scholarship is only available to students who are not already receiving other Durham University funding, except the Durham International Scholarship for students from select countries.
Selection criteria
The institution informs that ‘the scholarship is a competitive scheme, and not all applications will be successful. A panel of key members of staff will select the most suitable applications. In addition to the application form responses, nationality diversity and balance across. Programmes will also be considered in the selection.”
It is stated that due to the volume of applications for this award, the university is unable to provide feedback to unsuccessful applicants.
Additional funding options for select countries
Eligible students from Bangladesh, India, Nigeria, Malaysia, Pakistan, and Vietnam can combine the Inspiring Excellence 5K Scholarship with the Durham International Scholarship, potentially receiving a total tuition fee discount of £10,000.
- The Durham International Scholarship, worth £5,000, is automatically awarded to students from these countries and can be combined with the 5K scholarship.
- However, applicants must ensure they meet all eligibility criteria and apply for the specific scholarships accordingly.
Application timeline and deadlines
The application process for the scholarship opened on March 14th, 2025. The first round of applications is due by April 30th, 2025, with selected scholars being announced on May 12th, 2025.
- These scholars must confirm their place at Durham University by paying a deposit within two weeks.
- The second round of applications will close on June 8th, 2025, with the final announcement of selected scholars on June 16th, 2025. A waiting list of scholars will be confirmed by July 7th, 2025.
Durham University encourages all interested students to visit the scholarship application page and submit their applications on time. Detailed application guidance is available through the university’s official website.
