A Masters Course is academically demanding, and the Beit Scholarship process is competitive. Our Scholars must be equipped to cope with a rigorous workload whilst studying in a foreign country. That said, every application received will go through the same sifting process and be read thoroughly and completely. There will be occasions when a strong and relevant work record and employer’s reference will add substance to a degree that is not a Distinction.

You may apply as soon as you have a confirmed university offer. If you have not had an offer before our deadline date of 13 February 2026, it is better to wait for confirmation before submitting. Applications will remain open until close of business on this date and no preference is given to earlier applications. 

If you have not received a reply from the University/s by the closing date, but you think an offer is imminent, you may then submit your application online. If you have applied to and are awaiting a reply from Oxford, Cambridge or Edinburgh, who often take longest to respond, we will wait for you if you apply by 13 February 2026

In this instance, please upload proof of your university application/s where you would have uploaded a copy of your offer/s; and let us know the reason for delay in the last question on the application form, where you are able to provide any additional information or special circumstances (e.g. applying to Oxford, Cambridge or Edinburgh).  

Your references may be submitted after the deadline date, provided they are promptly received. However, if you are concerned about delays by your referees, you may direct them to our website https://beittrust.org.uk/beit-trust-scholarships/ where they can download a pdf version of the relevant reference form, complete and email it directly to scholarships@beittrust.org.uk. 

A two-year graduate work visa is available in the UK, which gives our scholars the opportunity to obtain valuable work experience, which should enhance their prospects of employment on return to their countries, and boost their capacity to contribute to national development. We support these applications provided the scholar enters into employment relevant to their academic background and/or profession; and that they intend to return home on completion of the visa to deploy the skills and knowledge they have acquired. This latter conditionality is fundamental to the Beit Scholarship programme.

Read what it says in the rubric on the scholarship application form.  Less is more, and your Personal Statement should be no more than 300 words.  What we seek is this:

• Why you think the discipline is important.
• How it will help develop your country.
• You may say something about why you were attracted to or qualified for the discipline, but the statement should be less about you and more about how it will benefit the county and its people.
• Stay on topic. 

Ideally, we look for a balance of the two, but much depends on the specifics of the individual application.  But an application without some relevant work experience would need to be academically outstanding to prosper. 

We look for evidence of leadership potential in your academic or professional field, or via community engagement. This can manifest itself through activities which you have initiated, or in which you have demonstrated leadership/taken responsibility. Your referees’ feedback might highlight and describe such activities, and will carry weight. So will your personal statement, which should express a clear sense of how you consider your postgraduate degree will help you add value to your country’s development and the wellbeing of its people.  

Any adult person, who is not related to you, who knows you in a personal capacity, and has done so for a reasonable time. 

Preferable but not mandatory, depending on the merits of your application. See the answer to Q5 above.

Volunteer work that is or has been sustained, and which has added value for the people or communities involved, will receive its full weight in terms of consideration.

In some cases, you will be invited to reapply – perhaps after a further period of work experience. While we try to give feedback on unsuccessful applications, we are not always able to do so. Even if you are not specifically invited to reapply, all valid and complete applications will be accepted and go through the same sifting process. While there is no absolute rule as to how many times you can apply, if you have not been successful after a second time, and not specially asked to re-apply, it is probable that you will not eventually gain a Beit Scholarship.

This request is normally encountered in applications to Glasgow and Edinburgh (although not always).  Please state that you will be applying for a Beit Trust Scholarship, which would be jointly funded by the Partner University to which you are applying.  They have in the past then waived the demand for the upfront payment of a fee. 

If you are shortlisted for interview only, and hold a conditional offer which includes taking an English Language Test, please alert the Trust at scholarships@beittrust.org.uk, as it may not be a requirement in the jointly funded partnership agreement with that University.