Commonwealth Scholarship Commission

** Please note that the current round of applications is now closed. Check the page again in February 2023 for details of 2023 entry scholarships.

 

2022 entry scholarships

The School of Natural Sciences has secured up to 15 distance learning scholarships from the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC) for 2022 entry. These scholarships are for 3 years part time study on either MSc Agroforestry & Food Security or MSc Tropical Forestry. During years 1 and 2, students study ‘taught modules’ which are assessed via individual and group coursework assessments and exams. Year 3 is a self-directed dissertation.

Scholarships are worth £18,000, which covers tuition fees and a generous bursary to enable scholars to attend a compulsory two-week study tour scheduled to be held overseas in the 2023-2024 academic year. A small study grant is also available to help scholars with study costs associated with distance learning (e.g. internet usage). The current scholarships are only available for entrants who are able to start the programme in September 2022.

Scholarships are available for applicants from the following developing commonwealth countries: Ghana, India, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, The Gambia, Uganda and Zambia.

Programme specific details are available via the links below:

• MSc Agroforestry & Food Security
• MSc Tropical Forestry

Entry Requirements

Applicants should have at least an upper-second class degree in a relevant subject (forestry, conservation, land management, natural sciences, economics). Candidates with lower qualifications (e.g. lower second class degree) who have significant relevant professional work experience may also be considered.

In order to study on this programme, students must have regular access to a computer with internet access: the University cannot provide such facilities to distance learning students. A small study grant (~GBP £150/year) will be provided to successful scholars to assist them with the costs of computing and internet access.

Applicants must ensure they are eligible for entry to the programme and that distance learning is an appropriate mode of study for them before applying for a CSC scholarship.

Scholarship Application Process

**IMPORTANT**

Applicants MUST apply directly to the CSC for these scholarships AND to Bangor University for their chosen course.

Application to the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC)

The candidate application round is a two-stage process with two deadlines:

1. All applications must be submitted by 18:00 (GMT) on Tuesday 15 March 2022.
2. Applications must include the following supporting documentation by 17:00 (GMT) on Tuesday 5 April 2022 in order for your application to be eligible for consideration:

• At least one reference– submitted directly by the referee to the online application system (referees will be sent an email request)
• An offer letter from Bangor university to start your chosen course of study in the 2022-2023 academic year – uploaded to the CSC’s Online Application System
• Full transcripts detailing all your higher education qualifications (with certified translations if not in English) – uploaded to the online application system

The CSC will not accept supporting documentation submitted outside the online application system.

Supporting documentation uploaded to the online application system must be uploaded as files that are no more than 5 MB in size and must be in one of the following formats: PDF, .doc, .docx, .odt, .jpg, .jpeg. Files submitted in any other format (including Zip files and PDF Portfolios) will NOT be accepted.

Applicants are responsible for seeking permission from their referees in advance of submitting their application; for ensuring that their referees are available to complete the reference by the deadline and have received the reference request email from the online application system.

The CSC’s online application form is now open.

All queries from candidates about the CSC’s Online Application System should be directed to https://cscuk.fcdo.gov.uk/about-us/contact-us/

Application to Bangor University

Apply online here 

Do not delay preparing and submitting your application to Bangor University as it takes time for offer letters to be prepared.

Bangor University scholarship nomination procedure:

In order for us to nominate the most suitable applicants, we shall select candidates for scholarships based on the batch applications to the CSC’s Online Application System.

To assist us in this, please outline the following in a relevant section of your CSC’s Online Application System application form;

• Why you want to study your chosen course at postgraduate level
• Why distance learning is your preferred route for undertaking further education
• Why you are well-suited to study by distance learning
• How your registration on a distance learning forestry programme will fit into your existing work and personal commitments
• You may also add other relevant information and/or experience you feel is necessary to support your application.

Once we have reviewed all applications, we will arrange MS Teams (or Skype) interviews with shortlisted candidates. Therefore, you MUST include both your email address and a Skype / telephone number by which we can contact you.

Applicants who we are unable to contact via email or telephone for interview will not be shortlisted.

Applicants who do not have access to reliable electricity and computing facilities will not be shortlisted.

Applicants who are shortlisted by Bangor University for the CSC scholarship will be contacted by email to arrange a telephone interview. We will then submit our nominations (15 nominees plus 5 reserves) to the CSC who will make the final decisions. We expect the CSC to announce their final decisions by July/August 2022.

Contact us

Further enquiries about the programme should be directed to distance@bangor.ac.uk or telephone 01248 382351.