Online Birmingham Masters Scholarship

Scholarships available for online Masters degrees in 2025

Our Online Birmingham Masters Scholarship offers £3,000 via a tuition fee discount, to support the brightest and best applicants undertaking a postgraduate course via distance learning in 2025.

In celebration of our 125th anniversary, we are continuing our rich tradition of supporting and welcoming the brightest students to the University by offering a £3,000 tuition fee discount through our Online Birmingham Masters Scholarship scheme.

These scholarships are our commitment to our distance learning students who choose to forge their future at Birmingham. The Online Birmingham Masters Scholarships will support students to study an academically-rigorous degree to enhance their knowledge and career whilst studying flexibly around their existing commitments. As valued members of our postgraduate community, these scholarships will support new students to continue our civic mission around the world.

You can submit an application for the Online Birmingham Masters Scholarship by using the below button to complete our embedded form.

  • 3 students sat looking at a laptop studying

    Apply for your scholarship

    Applications for the Online Birmingham Masters Scholarship are open. You should submit a scholarship application before the relevant deadline outlined below.

    You should submit a course application before you apply to our scholarship so that you have a Student ID.

    Apply now

Who can apply?

The scheme is open to all distance learning students who are studying an eligible online Masters degree as listed below. Scholarship applications will need to be received before the relevant deadline. Please note that the MBA degrees have different scholarship deadlines due to the course start dates.

Eligible online courses

  • LLM Environmental and Energy Law
  • Master of Business Administration (MBA) Online
  • MBA Clinical Leadership
  • MBA Engineering Leadership
  • MA Digital Media and Global Communications
  • MSc Applications of Data Science
  • MSc Bioinformatics
  • MSc International Management
  • MSc Mental Health
  • MSc Public Health
  • MSc Strategic Marketing Practice
  • MSc Urban Planning
  • MSc Urban Sustainability
  • Master of Public Administration (MPA)

Scholarship Application Deadlines

Deadlines for the Online Birmingham Masters Scholarship will take place before your course's start date.

Online MBAs

Scholarship applications for the online MBAs have the following deadlines:

  • The deadline for students starting in March closed 23:59 (UK time) on Friday 7 February 2025.
  • The deadline for students starting in July is 23:59 (UK time) on Friday 27 June 2025.
  • The deadline for students starting in October is 23:59 (UK time) on Friday 26 September 2025.

All other courses

The other eligible courses for the Online Birmingham Masters Scholarship will have the following deadlines:

  • The deadline for students starting in March is 23:59 (UK time) on Friday 14 February 2025.
  • The deadline for students starting in June is 23:59 (UK time) on Friday 30 May 2025.
  • The deadline for students starting in October is 23:59 (UK time) is Friday 3 October 2025.
  • A student working in a study space

    Is your course not listed above?

    If you're studying a Masters degree in 2025/26 that isn't listed above, including other distance learning courses, you may still be able to apply for a £3,000 tuition fee waiver through our Birmingham Masters Scholarship.

    Apply to the Birmingham Masters Scholarship by 31 July 2025.

    Birmingham Masters Scholarship

What is the selection criteria?

The Online Birmingham Masters Scholarship will be awarded to more than 40 candidates beginning online Masters study in 2025, and awards will be based on previous academic and/or professional performance.

You are expected to attain a First-class or Upper Second-class (2:1) Honours degree (or the equivalent) for your undergraduate qualification and to provide evidence of your achievements.

Eligibility criteria

The Online Birmingham Masters Scholarship will be available to students who are:

  • Self-funded — you must be self-funding or applying for a postgraduate government loan to pay your fees and living expenses;
  • Not already registered on a postgraduate programme — applicants must not currently be enrolled on a postgraduate degree course;
  • Studying one of the eligible online Masters degrees in 2025 (see below).

Eligible online courses

  • LLM Environmental and Energy Law
  • Master of Business Administration (MBA) Online
  • MBA Clinical Leadership
  • MBA Engineering Leadership
  • MA Digital Media and Global Communications
  • MSc Applications of Data Science
  • MSc Bioinformatics
  • MSc International Management
  • MSc Mental Health
  • MSc Public Health
  • MSc Strategic Marketing Practice
  • MSc Urban Planning
  • MSc Urban Sustainability
  • Master of Public Administration (MPA)

If you're studying a Masters degree not listed above, including other distance learning courses, you may still be eligible for our Birmingham Masters Scholarship.

How to apply

To be considered for an award, applicants must, by the deadline, have done both of the following:

  1. Made an application to their intended Masters programme. Please apply through the relevant programme page on the Course finder section of the University of Birmingham website. This must include all of the relevant supporting documentation: references, transcripts if available, and English language certification if applicable.
  2. Completed the Online Birmingham Masters Scholarships application form.

You should enter the application ID number that you were given during the application to your Masters programme. If you do not input the correct ID number, your application may be void or may experience a delay in being processed.

Scholarship Application Deadlines

Deadlines for the Online Birmingham Masters Scholarship will take place before your course's start date.

The Online MBAs

Scholarship applications for the online MBAs have the following deadlines:

  • The deadline for students starting in February closed 23:59 (UK time) on Friday 7 February 2025.
  • The deadline for students starting in July is 23:59 (UK time) on Friday 27 June 2025.
  • The deadline for students starting in October is 23:59 (UK time) on Friday 26 September 2025.

All other courses

The other eligible courses for the Online Birmingham Masters Scholarship will have the following deadlines:

  • The deadline for students starting in March is 23:59 (UK time) on Friday 14 February 2025.
  • The deadline for students starting in June is 23:59 (UK time) on Friday 30 May 2025.
  • The deadline for students starting in October is 23:59 (UK time) is Friday 3 October 2025.

Judging Criteria

Eligibility to receive the scholarship will be determined by a University selection panel based on the following criteria:

  • Academic excellence and previous study - Online Birmingham Masters Scholarships are primarily awarded on the basis of academic performance in the applicants’ previous studies
  • Professional qualifications and achievements - Qualifications and other notable achievements from relevant professional roles will be taken into account
  • Other University or College subject priorities

Please visit our website for full terms and conditions of the scholarship.

What are the terms and conditions of the scholarship?

You should familiarise yourself with the terms and conditions of the Online Birmingham Masters Scholarship before applying and, if your application is successful, before accepting the scholarship. All Online Birmingham Masters Scholarship offers are bound to these terms and conditions, and any scholarship offers may be revoked if any terms and conditions are not met.

The scholarship has been crucial to alleviating the financial pressure I was under after finishing my undergraduate degree and has allowed me to be able to study an MSc, limit any stress, and to flourish during the degree.

Jacob, Birmingham Masters Scholarship recipient

FAQs

Do I need to submit a study application?

Yes, students must submit an application to study one of the eligible courses before applying to the scholarship. If you only apply to the scholarship and don't submit a course application, the University will not be able to award you the scholarship; scholarship offers are entirely contingent upon you having an offer to study on one of the above eligible courses.

I am studying an online degree but it is not listed above. Can I still get a scholarship?

If you are studying an online Masters course commencing in the 2025/26 academic year, you may still be able to apply for the £3,000 tuition fee waiver through our Birmingham Masters Scholarship. You must be classified as a Home student and be studying on a 180-credit degree to apply. You can read the full eligibility criteria, terms and conditions and submit an application on our Birmingham Masters Scholarship webpage

I am an international student. Am I eligible for scholarship funding?

Yes. All students are eligible to apply for the Online Birmingham Masters Scholarship regardless of fee status, provided that you meet the other eligibility criteria.

We also have a range of scholarships specifically for international students which you can explore on our dedicated webpage for international scholarships.

I have received an email offering me the scholarship. How do I accept and receive payment?

If you have been successfully offered the scholarship, you will need to complete the acceptance form in your awarding email. Only once you have responded and accepted the scholarship will you receive the award; if you decline or do not respond by the deadline specified in your offer email, your scholarship will be reallocated.

After accepting the scholarship, you will need to accept your study offer and complete online registration to receive the £3,000 tuition fee waiver; delays in completing online registration will result in the delaying of the scholarship payment.

By accepting the scholarship you accept the terms and conditions of the Online Birmingham Masters Scholarship.

Is the scholarship paid to the University or to me?

The Online Birmingham Masters Scholarship is a £3,000 fee waiver and will be applied directly to your tuition fees; the waiver cannot be exchanged for any monetary value nor can it be paid directly to you. When paying the remainder of your tuition fees, whether by direct debit (monthly or termly) or a single payment, you will only need to pay the remaining value of your tuition fees minus the £3,000 waiver. Tuition fee payments will only be applicable once a student has completed online registration and enrolment. 

Detailed information and guidance on how to pay your tuition fees can be found on our Funding pages.

Will I receive an updated tuition fee invoice?

If you are successfully awarded the Online Birmingham Masters Scholarship, your £3,000 tuition fee waiver will be applied directly to your tuition fee account. However, you will not receive an updated invoice reflecting the discounted value. You will need to manually deduct the £3,000 discount from your full tuition fees to calculate your outstanding fees that you are liable for.

When will I hear the outcome of my application?

Applications will be reviewed and marked after their respective deadlines. Successful applicants will be contacted typically within 3-4 weeks after the respective scholarship application deadline has passed. A scholarship offer email will be sent to awardees to accept or decline the scholarship offer; a deadline to respond will be included in this email. Students who are made a reserve will be contacted in due course as soon as any reallocated scholarships become available.

Due to the volume of applications for the scholarship, we are unable to offer individual responses to each application. Although we endeavour to keep you informed of scholarship updates, if you have not been contacted by the timeframes outlined in the above paragraph or by your course's start date, it may be the unfortunate case that your application has unsuccessful.

If I defer my course entry to the next year, can I still receive the scholarship?

No. As per the terms and conditions, the scholarship cannot be deferred and it is only tenable for one year. If you choose to defer your studies, you will need to re-apply for the scholarship in the next cycle if available.

Can I hold other scholarships alongside the Online Birmingham Masters Scholarship?

Generally, you will be able to hold other scholarships in conjunction with the Online Birmingham Masters Scholarship, such as the Postgraduate Access Scholarship and Alumni Scholarship. However, you cannot hold the Online Birmingham Masters Scholarship in conjunction with any scholarship that covers the full tuition fee, whether awarded by the University or an external organisation or sponsor. 

You should always read each scholarships' specific terms and conditions to ensure that the other scholarship can be held in conjunction with the Online Birmingham Masters Scholarship. 

Students can apply for and receive a UK governmental loan as well as the Online Birmingham Masters Scholarship.

You are encouraged to familiarise yourself with the terms and conditions of the Online Birmingham Masters Scholarship when applying for and accepting the award.

Please note that the Online Birmingham Masters Scholarship and the Birmingham Masters Scholarship are part of the same scheme and you would not be able to hold both scholarships in conjunction. If you are studying one of the 14 online Masters courses listed above, you should apply to the Online Birmingham Masters Scholarship.

  • A student working in a study space

    Is your course not listed above?

    If you're studying a Masters degree in 2025/26 that isn't listed above, including other distance learning courses, you may still be able to apply for a £3,000 tuition fee waiver through our Birmingham Masters Scholarship.

    Apply to the Birmingham Masters Scholarship by 31 July 2025.

    Birmingham Masters Scholarship