University of Otago International Master’s Research Scholarship
The council of the University of Otago awards the University of Otago International Master’s Research Scholarship to the students taking up a thesis-based Master's program at the university. The scholarship is awarded on the recommendations of the Senate to first-year thesis research applicants.
- A total of eight University of Otago International Master’s Research Scholarships are awarded
- A scholarship amount of NZD 17,172 stipend per annum and an additional of a tuition fee waiver for a year on the domestic rate is awarded
- Scholarship applications can be made anytime. There are no deadlines.
- Only applicants having good academic records will be chosen for the award due to limited availability.
- An applicant must be an international student
- Applicants must be seeking admission to their first Master’s program at the University of Otago.
- Most often students with grade A or A+ are selected for the scholarship.
The University of Otago International Master’s Research Scholarship provides support for the thesis component of a Master's Research degree for up to a year full-time enrolment and also partially covers the cost of the tuition fees.
Highlights
| Scholarship Type | College-Specific, Merit-Based |
| Offered by | Institution |
| Organization | University of Otago |
| Application Deadline | N/A |
| Number of Scholarships | 8 |
| Amount | Variable Amount |
| Renewability | One Time Payment |
| International Student Eligible | Yes |
| Scholarship Website Link | https://www.otago.ac.nz/study/scholarships/database/search/otago014691.html |
Eligibility Criteria
The international applicants need to refer their qualifications to the Education Credential Evaluators, Inc. to check their credibility before applying for the University of Otago International Master’s Research Scholarship. Applicants applying for the scholarship must be:
- an international student
- undertaking a thesis-based first Master’s qualification
- Successfully enrolled in the Master’s program
Confirmation of the University of Otago International Master’s Research Scholarship is dependent on approval of their application for a Master’s program at the University of Otago and completion of the enrolment procedure.
Application Process
The application process for the scholarship includes submission of an application for a scholarship through the official website of the University of Otago at the specified time.
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.
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 the official website often.
| Commerce/School of Business | Funding is available for 2023. |
|---|---|
| Health Sciences | Funding is fully allocated for 2023. |
| Humanities | Funding is available for 2023. |
| Sciences | Funding is fully allocated for 2023. |
Selection Process
The selection of recipients for the scholarship award is determined by various factors. The academic performance is predominantly used to make the selection decision. The University of Otago International Master’s Research Scholarship is awarded based on:
- Academic records of the applicant:
- Applicants without a master’s degree applying for a scholarship will be selected based on the grades of advanced level papers of the most relevant degree.
- Applicants who have been awarded by any university will be assessed by calculation their GPA using the grades provided on the transcripts of the applicant’s most relevant papers.
- Any proficiency certificate or papers showing pass/ fail will not be considered for calculations.
- Applicant’s commitment and dedication towards the research.
The Head of the Department gives his/ her suggestions and ranking of the applicants based on the assessment of their applications. Applicants are required to accept the offer of a scholarship within the time frame specified in the offer.
Grant Details
The University of Otago International Master’s Research Scholarship is awarded to eight recipients annually from the international master’s study program. The award is given as a reduction of tuition fees up to 17,172 NZD. Also, recipients are entitled to receive a monthly living allowance in equal installments.
The offer for the international master’s scholarship has to be accepted or declined within the deadline specified in the scholarship offer. After the acceptance of the scholarship, the student must commence the degree not later than mentioned in the offer letter.
Terms and Conditions
There are some terms and conditions related to the tenure of the scholarship award. Details of these conditions can be found below:
- The Master’s scholarship is available for both part-time and full-time. But part-time scholarship is awarded only in cases where the full-time program is not possible.
- The awardee must research Dunedin, University of Otago, Christchurch or Wellington unless they have been approved previously by the scholarship committee.
- The Master’s scholarship is awarded for the shorter of one full year or until the thesis is submitted. Only students who are in the first year of their thesis will be eligible for the scholarship.
- Students may get the scholarship for a shorter duration if the registration has taken place for two months or more.
- The scholarship award is not permitted for overseas tenure during the program.
Certain conditions are also imposed on the recipient additional income after the scholarship has been awarded:
- A student cannot hold other scholarships concurrently if it is of a value more than half of the amount of emolument received from the University of Otago International Master’s Research Scholarship. Any special grants in respect of research, travel or others awarded for the research costs are not considered to be scholarships in this case.
- Any full-time scholarship recipient will not be offered employment for more than 10 hours per week across one year. Except for this, there is no other restriction on the income of recipients provided students maintain satisfactory progress in academics.
- Employees of the University of Otago pursuing a master’s program are not eligible for the scholarship funding.
It must be noted that the scholarship does not apply to any papers taken additionally along with a full-time thesis course. The scholarship award will cover tuition fees at the domestic fee rate i.e. the New Zealand student fee which will make the payment of the remaining amount relatively lower. International students are charged higher fees to complete their studies in New Zealand as compared to the New Zealand students therefore a scholarship is important for these students.
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