How To Secure a Fully-funded PhD/Masters Scholarship Abroad

Do you want to secure a fully-funded PhD/Masters scholarship but don’t know where to start from? Here is where you should start. I am going to list the steps involved in applying for a Fully-funded PhD/Masters Scholarship

Steps Involved in Securing a Fully-funded PhD/Masters Scholarship Abroad

1. Identify The Country You Want to Study in

Where from you want to do PhD/Masters. This is important because the way you secure a scholarship varies from country to country. For example, in Australia, you need to contact the supervisor first. On contrary, in the US, you might need to first secure the scholarship. If you don’t have a country preference, well and good. Let’s move to step 2.

2. Identify The Scholarship You Want

Each country offers various types of PhD/Masters scholarships. For instance, in Australia, you can either get a university-funded scholarship or your scholarship can come from the professor’s funding. Identify it so that you can mention your preference while contacting the professor.

3. Check The Scholarship and Admission Requirements

Even if a professor agrees to supervise and fund your PhD/Masters, make sure you check the scholarship and admission requirements.

4. Fulfil the Requirements

Once you identify the requirements, start working on fulfilling the requirements. These requirements can include CV, SOP, research proposal, IELTS, etc. You should fulfill these requirements as soon as possible because these would be requirements in most of the scholarships/admissions you would apply for. Therefore, no point in unnecessary waiting anyway.

5. Find a Supervisor

Once you identify the scholarship and fulfill the basic requirements, you should find a supervisor most aligned with your research/background. How to find one? Go to the university website and then go to the specific school (e.g., computer science) where you can find the list of all supervisors.

6. Email the Supervisor

Write a solid and thoroughly proofread email to the identified supervisor. Express your interest in pursuing PhD/Masters under his/her supervision.

Align your research background with the supervisor’s background and demonstrate how you are the best fit for his/her lab. Happy to share an email template if you need one.

7. Apply for Admission and Scholarship

Once a supervisor agrees then apply for admission and scholarship. If you are applying in a country that doesn’t require correspondence with a supervisor, you can go ahead and apply via their online portal without the supervisor’s approval.

8. Apply for a Visa

After you successfully secure a PhD/Masters position, you will need to apply for a visa. This may require some additional documents.

9. When To Apply?

If you have completed your Masters/Bachelors and plan to get a PhD position, you should apply now. If you are currently doing Masters, you should wait until the last 6 months of your Masters.