Introduction
Pursuing a PhD can be a significant financial undertaking. Fortunately, there are numerous fully funded scholarships available globally that can alleviate financial burdens. This post outlines 25 prominent fully funded PhD scholarships, including each program’s requirements and application deadlines.
1. Fulbright Foreign Student Program (USA)
Requirements: Bachelor’s degree, TOEFL/IELTS scores, GRE (for some fields), personal statement, and recommendation letters.
Application Period: Varies by country, typically from February to October yearly.
2. Rhodes Scholarships (UK)
Requirements: High academic achievement, leadership qualities, personal statement, and recommendation letters.
Application Period: Opens in July and closes in October annually.
3. DAAD Scholarship for Development-Related Postgraduate Courses (Germany)
Requirements: Bachelor’s degree, minimum (2 years) of professional experience, and academic transcripts.
Application Period: Annually from June to September.
4. Gates Cambridge Scholarships (UK)
Requirements: Outstanding intellectual ability, leadership potential, and a commitment to improving the lives of others.
Application Period: Opens in September and closes in December annually.
5. Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships (Canada)
Requirements: High academic performance, research potential, and leadership qualities.
Application Period: Opens in July and closes in November yearly.
6. Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships (Switzerland)
Requirements: Master’s degree or equivalent from a recognized university, and submission of a research proposal.
Application Period: Typically from September to November.
7. Commonwealth Scholarships (UK)
Requirements: Citizen of a developing Commonwealth country, undergraduate degree, and research proposal.
Application Period: Varies annually but generally opens in August.
8. Australia Awards Scholarships (Australia)
Requirements: Bachelor’s degree, strong academic and leadership qualities, and a development impact plan.
Application Period: February to April yearly.
9. Eiffel Excellence Scholarship Program (France)
Requirements: Candidate must be 30 years old or younger, with a bachelor’s or equivalent degree.
Application Period: Varies but generally opens annually in October.
10. Swedish Institute Scholarships for Global Professionals (Sweden)
Requirements: Bachelor’s degree, minimum of 3,000 hours of full-time work experience, and leadership experience.
Application Period: Opens in early December, closes in mid-January.
11. New Zealand Development Scholarships (New Zealand)
Requirements: Bachelor’s degree, work experience, from a developing country.
Application Period: February annually.
12. Chinese Government Scholarships (China)
Requirements: Bachelor’s degree, good academic standing, research proposal.
Application Period: Opens early January, closes in early April.
13. Korean Government Scholarship Program (South Korea)
Requirements: Non-Korean citizen, below 40 years of age, with a bachelor’s degree.
Application Period: Opens in February, closes in March yearly.
14. Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarships (Japan)
Requirements: Bachelor’s degree, strong academic records, research proposal.
Application Period: Varies but typically opens in April.
15. Singapore International Graduate Award (Singapore)
Requirements: Bachelor’s degree, proficient in English, and a strong interest in research.
Application Period: Opens December and closes January.
16. Taiwan International Graduate Program Scholarship (Taiwan)
Requirements: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree, letters of reference, research proposal.
Application Period: Opens in January, closes in March.
17. Turkish Government Scholarships (Turkey)
Requirements: Bachelor’s degree, good health and academic records.
Application Period: Opens November and closes in March annually.
18. Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (Hong Kong)
Requirements: Bachelor’s degree, research proposal, and personal statement.
Application Period: Typically opens in September, closes early December.
19. Mexican Government Scholarships for International Students (Mexico)
Requirements: Bachelor’s degree, academic transcript, and research proposal.
Application Period: Opens April, closes in August.
20. Finnish Government Scholarship Pool (Finland)
Requirements: Bachelor’s degree, research proposal, and recommendations.
Application Period: Opens annually in October, closes in January.
21. Slovak Government Scholarship (Slovakia)
Requirements: Bachelor’s degree, from a developing country, and good academic records.
Application Period: Opens February, closes in May yearly.
22. Hungarian Government Scholarships (Hungary)
Requirements: Bachelor’s degree, research proposal, and good academic standing.
Application Period: Opens November, closes in January.
23. Rotary Foundation Global Scholarship Grants (Global)
Requirements: Strong academic background, bachelor’s degree, and a commitment to humanitarian goals.
Application Period: Varies by district.
24. Erasmus Mundus Scholarships (EU)
Requirements: Bachelor’s degree, strong academic records, and language proficiency.
Application Period: Varies, but typically opens in October.
25. Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) (EU)
Requirements: Mobility rule (must not have lived in the host country for more than 12 months in the last 3 years), bachelor’s degree, and research proposal.
Application Period: Opens annually, typically from January to April.
Conclusion
These scholarships present excellent opportunities for prospective PhD students to pursue their research and academic goals without financial strain. Aspiring scholars should carefully review the requirements and deadlines for the scholarships that align with their goals to ensure successful application submissions.
