The Gates Cambridge Scholarships are one of the most prestigious international scholarships in the world.
The Gates Cambridge Scholarship programme was established in October 2000 by a donation of US$210m from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to the University of Cambridge; this is the largest ever single donation to a UK university.
Scholarships are awarded to outstanding applicants from countries outside the UK to pursue a full-time postgraduate degree in any subject available at the University of Cambridge. The selection criteria are:
outstanding intellectual ability
leadership potential
a commitment to improving the lives of others
a good fit between the applicant's qualifications and aspirations and the postgraduate programme at Cambridge for which they are applying
About the Gates Cambridge Scholarships
While at Cambridge, Scholars pursue full range of subjects available at the University and are spread through its departments and Colleges.
Our Alumni are pursuing further study or employment across many sectors of society and, despite the relative youth of the programme, are increasingly taking on leadership roles and applying their knowledge and skills to improve the lives of others.
The aim of the Gates Cambridge programme is to build a global network of future leaders committed to improving the lives of others.
Eligibility
Scholarships are available to citizens of all countries outside the UK for a postgraduate degree in any subject at Cambridge
You can apply for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship if you are:
a citizen of any country outside the United Kingdom
applying to pursue one of the following full-time residential courses of study at the University of Cambridge:
PhD (three year research-only degree)
MSc or MLitt (two year research-only degree)
One year postgraduate course (e.g. MPhil, LLM, MASt, Diploma, MBA etc.)
Curent student at Cambridge?
If you are applying for a new postgraduate course you can apply for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship.
For example, if you are currently studying for an MPhil you can apply for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship to pursue a PhD. Current Gates Cambirdge Scholars may also apply for a second scholarship if they are applying for a new degree. Current Cambridge students apply and are considered in the second, international deadline and go through the same process of departmental ranking, shortlisting and interviewing as all other candidates.
However, if you have already started a course you cannot apply for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship to fund the remainder of it.
Courses which are NOT eligible for Gates Cambridge Scholarships:
BA (undergraduate)
BA affiliated (a second BA)
MBBChir Clinical Studies
MD Doctor of Medicine degree (6 years, part-time)
Part-time degrees
Non-degree courses
Courses at universities other than Cambridge
Deadlines
Gates Cambridge runs two application rounds each year - you should ensure you apply by the relevant deadline.
The two application rounds:
Round 1: US citizens normally resident in the USA
Round 2: citizens of all countries other than the USA (except the United Kingdom) and US citizens normally resident outside the USA
Key dates for each round for October 2016 entry are given below.
Once you have submitted your application you and your referees will receive an email notification from the Graduate Admissions Office within 30 hours explaining how to upload supporting documents and references. You must submit this documentation by the deadlines given.
Once your application has been received, Gates Cambridge will ask academic departments in Cambridge to rank their very best candidates. A shortlisting committee then applies the four main criteria of the Scholarships to produce a final interview list.
We hold interviews in the USA in late January for Round 1 candidates and in Cambridge in late March for Round 2 candidates. If you are unable to attend in person we will interview you by Skype or phone. You will be told within a week of the interview whether you have been successful.
We advise that you begin your application as early as possible and do not wait until the deadline.
You must submit your application no later than midday (UK time) on the dates given. Gates Cambridge cannot guarantee that applications submitted after the deadlines will be considered.
You must supply all supporting documents (transcripts and anything else required by the department) within 14 days of submitting your application.
You must supply references (two academic, one personal) within 14 days of submitting your application.
If English is not your first language you will need to submit your language test scores.
*Note: if a course deadline is earlier than the relevant funding deadline above, you must apply by the earlier course deadline.
How to apply
Applicants apply on a single form for admission to a course and a College and for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship.
Standard applications (via the Graduate Admissions Office)
Applicants apply for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship and admission to their chosen postgraduate course at the University of Cambridge and a Cambridge College via the Graduate Admissions Office, using the GRADSAF form and supporting documents.
It is not possible to apply for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship without applying to the University of Cambridge. You must apply for admission as a postgraduate student to the University of Cambridge and a Gates Cambridge Scholarship at the same time, using the one application pack.
[If you are applying for admission to the MBA or Master of Finance programme you apply for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship via the Judge Business School (see below)]
To be considered for postgraduate admission and a Gates Cambridge Scholarship all applicants must submit the following documents to the Graduate Admissions Office by the relevant deadline:-
GRADSAF application form (which includes a Gates Cambridge section)
Academic transcripts
2 academic references
1 personal reference (for the Gates Cambridge Scholarship)
Although not specifically required for the Gates Cambridge application, the Graduate Admissions Office or academic department may require some applicants to submit the following for admission to the University:
English language test scores (if English is not your first language)
A research proposal, an example of your written work, a GRE/GMAT score, etc. Not all applicants will be required to submit such documents – you will find details of what you need to submit in the Graduate Studies Prospectus and department website.
It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure they submit all documents required so they can be considered for both admission and a Gates Cambridge Scholarship.
The Gates Cambridge Scholarships are one of the most prestigious international scholarships in the world.
The Gates Cambridge Scholarship programme was established in October 2000 by a donation of US$210m from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to the University of Cambridge; this is the largest ever single donation to a UK university.
Scholarships are awarded to outstanding applicants from countries outside the UK to pursue a full-time postgraduate degree in any subject available at the University of Cambridge.
