Postgraduate funding

Scholarships are available to Master’s by thesis and PhD candidates, and graduate awards are available to those on Honours or coursework Master’s programmes.

Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington’s strong research culture is reflected in the range of its scholarships. Our scholarships are available for both domestic and international students.

Doctoral scholarships

Scholarships are awarded to candidates applying to the PhD programme on the basis of their academic merit, research ability, and, if relevant, publication record.

Scholarships

Approximately 120 new PhD scholarships are offered each year, in three rounds. Wellington Doctoral Scholarships currently provide an annual stipend of $29,500 plus tuition fees for up to three years.

Closing dates for PhD admission and scholarships are at the start of March, July, and November each year.

Submission Scholarship

The Wellington Doctoral Submission Scholarship enables doctoral candidates to fully concentrate on completing their thesis. The scholarship is only available for the final three months before submission of the thesis for examination.

Hardship Scholarship

The Wellington Doctoral Hardship Scholarship assists doctoral candidates who are experiencing unexpected financial hardship. The budget for this fund is limited and priority will be given to candidates who are nearing completion or who are under examination.

Other postgraduate scholarships

Master’s by thesis scholarships

Our Master’s by thesis scholarships are awarded to candidates on the basis of academic merit and the suitability of the research topic. They provide a stipend of $15,000 and domestic tuition fees for one year. Students must be undertaking a thesis of at least 90 points.

The closing date is 1 November each year.

Wellington Graduate Awards

Wellington Graduate Awards are open to students who will be enrolled full time in an Honours or Master’s degree taken via coursework, or who are doing a combination of coursework and a thesis/research project of fewer than 90 points.

The closing date is 1 November each year.

Contact the Scholarships Office

We want you to succeed in your studies. Our scholarships can help you achieve your best through financial support, work experience and exciting networking opportunities.

The University's Scholarships Office provides advice and can assisting you with putting your scholarships applications together.