Job Description

Opportunity Description

The Gates Cambridge Scholarship funds non-UK citizens who want to study a postgraduate degree at the University of Cambridge. To win a place, applicants must meet four criteria: academic excellence, reasons for course choice, a commitment to improving lives, and leadership capacity. Cambridge offers about 80 scholarships each year and awards two-thirds of them to PhD students. The program builds a global network of future leaders who work to improve lives worldwide.

Funding

A Gates Cambridge Scholarship covers the full cost of studying at Cambridge. It pays the university composition fee, a maintenance allowance of £22,050 per year, one return economy airfare, and the immigration health surcharge. Scholars can also apply for discretionary funding, including academic development grants, a dependent children allowance, and hardship support. The scholarship does not cover bench fees or the cost of scientific equipment.

Key Details:

• Number of Awards: ~80 scholarships per year (~25 in the US round, ~55 in the International round)
• Host Institution: University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
• Application Cycle: 2027/8 entry (applications open September 2026)
• Deadlines:
  • US citizens resident in the USA: 14 October 2026 (12:00 GMT)
  • All other applicants: 8 December 2026 or 6 January 2027, depending on the course (check the Course Directory)
• Level: Postgraduate (PhD, MLitt, one-year taught courses)
• Type of Scholarship: Fully Funded

Who can apply?

You can apply for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship if you:

1. Hold citizenship of any country other than the United Kingdom
2. Want to pursue a PhD (full-time or part-time), an MLitt (full-time), or a one-year, full-time postgraduate course at Cambridge (some exceptions apply)
3. Have not yet started the course you’re applying to fund (current Cambridge students may apply for a new degree, but not to fund a degree already in progress)

Eligibility Criteria

You must meet all four criteria below:

• Academic excellence: Show your transcripts, references, and experience to prove you can succeed on your chosen course.
• Reasons for choice of course: Build a strong case for why you want this specific degree at Cambridge. PhD and most research MPhil applicants must contact a potential supervisor and develop a research project before applying. Taught MPhil and other applicants must explain how the course advances their career plans.
• A commitment to improving the lives of others: Prove your past, current, and future commitment to the communities you live and work in you define what this means for you.
• A capacity for leadership: Demonstrate leadership through concrete examples and explain how your leadership skills will shape your future impact.

Courses NOT eligible for this scholarship:

• Any undergraduate degree, including BA (undergraduate) or BA affiliated (second BA)
• Business Doctorate (BusD)
• Master of Business (MBA) and Executive MBA
• Master of Finance (MFin)
• MASt courses
• PGCE
• MBBChir Clinical Studies
• MD Doctor of Medicine (6 years, part-time)
• Graduate Course in Medicine (A101)
• Other part-time degrees (besides the piloted part-time PhD)
• Non-degree and professional development courses

Supporting Documents

• Gates Cambridge statement: four short essay answers covering the four selection criteria (roughly 200–300 words each, submitted through the funding application, not a single 3,000-character statement)
• Research proposal: PhD applicants only
• Gates Cambridge reference: one reference, in addition to your two academic references, that speaks directly to how you meet the scholarship’s criteria

How to apply?

Submit one combined application for admission and funding, including the Gates Cambridge section, through Cambridge’s Graduate Application Portal. Complete the admission section, the college preference, and the Gates Cambridge funding questions before your deadline.

Apply Now 

Read more about The Gates Cambridge Scholarships for International Students (Postgraduate & PhD); please visit the official website