The University of Westminster International Postgraduate Excellence Award – January 2027 is a tuition-fee scholarship for high-achieving international students starting an eligible full-time Master’s degree at the University of Westminster in London.
The award is designed for international students who have demonstrated academic excellence and show passion for their chosen field of study. For students starting a one-year full-time Master’s course in January 2027, the scholarship provides £3,000 toward tuition fees. Students enrolling on the two-year Master’s with Integrated Professional Year Experience programme can receive £5,000 toward tuition fees.
The scholarship is highly competitive, and applicants are selected primarily on academic excellence.
The application deadline for the January 2027 award is 30 November 2026.
Degree Level
The International Postgraduate Excellence Award is available for eligible:
- Full-time Master’s degrees
- Two-year Master’s with Integrated Professional Year Experience programmes
The award is not available for:
- Doctoral programmes
- Online or distance-learning courses
- Postgraduate Certificate programmes
- Postgraduate Diploma programmes
- Professional courses such as RIBA Part III
- Courses where the applicant is eligible for another tuition-fee discount, such as an alumni or partner-student discount
Students interested in MPhil or PhD funding should explore Westminster’s separate research-degree funding opportunities.
Available Subjects
The International Postgraduate Excellence Award is not restricted to one academic subject. It supports eligible full-time Master’s programmes at the University of Westminster, subject to the scholarship’s exclusions and course-specific requirements.
Potential areas of study include:
- Business and Management
- Finance and Accounting
- Marketing
- International Business
- Human Resource Management
- Economics
- International Relations
- Politics
- Public Policy
- Global Development
- Data Science
- Computer Science and Technology
- Biomedical Sciences
- Public Health
- Biotechnology
- Architecture
- Fashion
- Creative Industries
- Media and Communication
- Arts and Humanities
- Design
Applicants should check the specific Master’s course page because not every postgraduate programme is eligible for the scholarship.
The scholarship contributes to tuition fees:
- £3,000 for a one-year full-time Master’s course
- £5,000 for the two-year Master’s with Integrated Professional Year Experience programme
The scholarship is paid toward tuition fees rather than as a cash living allowance.
For the standard one-year Master’s award, the £3,000 scholarship is applied to tuition fees during the first academic year.
Students receiving the award must cover their remaining tuition fees and living costs themselves.
The £3,000 or £5,000 scholarship also cannot be used toward the £5,500 deposit required to secure a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) for the student visa.
Eligible Nationalities
- The International Postgraduate Excellence Award is intended for students classified by the University of Westminster as having overseas fee status.
- International students from different countries can therefore be considered, provided they meet the scholarship and Master’s admission requirements.
- Applicants should check Westminster’s country-specific academic equivalency information to determine whether their previous qualification meets the required UK academic standard.
Eligibility Criteria
To be considered for the January 2027 International Postgraduate Excellence Award, applicants must generally:
- Be classified as an overseas student for tuition-fee purposes.
- Hold an offer for an eligible full-time Master’s course starting in January 2027.
- Have a minimum qualification equivalent to a UK 2:1 Honours degree.
- Demonstrate academic excellence.
- Show passion for their chosen field of study.
- Meet the academic conditions attached to their offer.
- Meet the requirements for issuance of a CAS where applicable.
- Be able to enrol on the course by the University’s required deadline.
- Not be eligible for another applicable tuition-fee discount.
- Meet the University’s requirements for international postgraduate study.
Applicants should note that meeting the minimum academic requirement does not guarantee the scholarship. Westminster states that applicants are selected principally on the basis of academic excellence.
Academic Requirement
Applicants need a minimum qualification equivalent to a UK 2:1 Honours degree.
Because international qualifications are assessed according to the applicant’s country and previous institution, students should consult the University of Westminster’s overseas academic qualification equivalency information.
Academic excellence is the principal selection factor for this award.
A strong academic record should therefore be clearly demonstrated through the applicant’s previous degree results and supporting academic documentation.
Required Documents
Applicants should first prepare the documents required for admission to their selected University of Westminster Master’s programme.
Depending on the course and applicant, these may include:
- Academic transcripts
- Degree certificate or evidence of previous qualification
- Personal statement
- Details of referees
- English-language evidence where required
- Passport copy for international students requiring a Student visa
- Evidence of relevant academic or professional experience where required by the course
- Course-specific documents such as portfolios or additional statements where applicable
Applicants should check their individual Master’s course page because document requirements vary between programmes.
For scholarship consideration, applicants must also have an offer for an eligible full-time Master’s course starting in January 2027.
How Winners Are Selected
The International Postgraduate Excellence Award is competitive.
Westminster states that applicants are selected principally on the basis of academic excellence.
The scholarship selection therefore focuses particularly on:
- Previous academic achievement
- Academic qualification and degree results
- Relevance of previous study to the chosen field
- Evidence of academic potential
- Passion for the chosen field of study
The University makes the final scholarship decision.
Under Westminster’s scholarship terms, scholarship decisions are final and individual feedback is not normally provided.
Applicants should also note that students can generally receive only one University of Westminster scholarship or applicable award.
Application Procedure
The application process involves applying for an eligible Master’s course and then applying for the scholarship.
Step 1: Choose a Master’s Programme
- Select an eligible full-time Master’s programme beginning in January 2027 at the University of Westminster.
Step 2: Check Admission Requirements
- Review the specific academic, English-language, and document requirements for the selected course.
Step 3: Apply for Admission
- Submit your postgraduate application to the University of Westminster and provide the required supporting documents.
Step 4: Obtain an Offer
- Applicants must hold an offer for an eligible full-time Master’s programme starting in January 2027.
Step 5: Apply for the Scholarship
- Complete the International Postgraduate Excellence Award application through the University’s scholarship application system before the scholarship deadline.
Step 6: Submit Before the Deadline
- Make sure the scholarship application is complete and submitted by 30 November 2026.
Applicants should apply early because Westminster recommends applying as soon as possible, particularly where a course or scholarship is competitive.
Important Dates
For the January 2027 International Postgraduate Excellence Award:
- Scholarship application deadline: 30 November 2026
- January 2027 Master’s international application deadline: 20 November 2026
- January 2027 Master’s home application deadline: 7 December 2026
- First week of teaching: 18 January 2027
- Final enrolment date: 5 February 2027
International applicants should pay particular attention to the earlier 20 November 2026 course application deadline as well as the 30 November 2026 scholarship deadline.
Applicants should remember:
- The award is for international students with overseas fee status.
- It is available for eligible full-time Master’s programmes starting in January 2027.
- The standard award is £3,000.
- The two-year Master’s with Integrated Professional Year Experience programme can receive £5,000.
- The scholarship is a tuition-fee contribution rather than a fully funded scholarship.
- A minimum UK equivalent Good 2:1 Honours degree is required.
- Academic excellence is the principal selection criterion.
- Doctoral programmes are excluded.
- Online and distance-learning programmes are excluded.
- Postgraduate Certificates and Diplomas are excluded.
- Professional courses such as RIBA Part III are excluded.
- Students receiving certain other tuition-fee discounts may not be eligible.
- The scholarship cannot be used toward the £5,500 CAS deposit.
- The scholarship does not cover living expenses.
- The scholarship deadline is 30 November 2026.
- The January 2027 international Master’s application deadline is 20 November 2026.
