Oxford is at the forefront of humanities research internationally, and attracts outstanding academics, researchers and students from across the globe.
Graduate students have the opportunity to undertake their studies and research in a stimulating, challenging and highly rewarding intellectual environment.
The Humanities Division offers taught graduate and research degrees in a wide range of subjects. Some of these subjects are relatively new and many cross the boundaries of traditional disciplines. Others are areas of academic research that have long been recognised as of central importance, and they include some that few other universities are still able to support. In every case our objective is to sustain and to teach the highest standards of scholarship.
Oxford is immensely proud to be able to offer the Ertegun Scholarships in the Humanities. The University has one goal in mind when selecting Ertegun Scholars: to choose the very best students who will realise Mica Ertegun’s Mission and one day become leaders in their chosen fields.
These are highly competitive scholarships with over 1,500 applicants for around 15 awards each year, with an average 1.5% success rate for Masters candidates and 1.3% for Doctoral candidates.
Eligibilities
Please note that the competition for the academic year 2022-23 opens on September 1, 2021. Candidates for the scholarship must be applying to study for a new graduate course at Oxford in 2022-23.
Applications to The Mica and Ahmet Ertegun Graduate Scholarship Programme may be made by those in fields covered by the following Faculties: Classics (including classical archaeology); English Language and Literature; Fine Art (DPhil in Contemporary Art History and Theory only), History (including History of Art and the History of Architecture); Linguistics, Philology and Phonetics; Medieval and Modern Languages (covering most European languages and their literature); Music; Oriental Studies (including Far Eastern and Middle Eastern Studies, and the study of a wide range of languages); Philosophy; Theology and Religion; and the Film Aesthetics and Women’s Studies interdisciplinary courses.
You must ensure you meet the criteria for entry to your course, including English language requirements.
This scholarship may not be held in conjunction with any other awards. Awards may only be offered for students starting a new graduate course. Current graduate students are not eligible to apply for funding for a second or third year of their course.
Application Process
For more information on submitting a graduate application, please see the Graduate Admissions website.
You apply for the scholarship at the same time as you apply to Oxford by selecting ‘Ertegun Graduate Scholarships in the Humanities’ in the Funding Section of the University’s Graduate Application Form. The online application form for October 2022 will be available from 1 September 2021, with a 7 January 2022 (noon) deadline. Some courses managed by the Social Sciences Division are also eligible. These have a later deadline of 21 January 2022. Please refer to the Graduate Admissions website for the most up to date information about deadlines.
You must also complete a supporting statement (Word doc) and upload it as a pdf document together with your Graduate Application Form by the application deadline in order for your application to be complete. The statement requires you to answer three questions (in no more than 500 words each) that relate to the aims and mission of the Ertegun Scholarship programme. The Selection Committee will consider your supporting statement in conjunction with your course application. Please check that you have uploaded your supporting statement as your Ertegun scholarship application cannot be reviewed without it.
Selection Process
Ertegun Scholars are selected in a highly competitive process by an Ertegun Scholarships Selection Committee made up of the Head of Oxford’s Humanities Division and one representative from each of the eligible faculties, acting in consultation with the Board of Ertegun Overseers.
Shortlisted candidates will initially be identified by faculties, before being nominated to the Selection Committee for its consideration. As part of that initial process, they will be interviewed by a Faculty representative (usually via videoconference or telephone). The interview will provide them with an opportunity to expand on the topics covered in their supporting statement.
All successful candidates will be notified by email. If you do not hear from us, then your application to this scheme has been unsuccessful. Due to the volume of applications we receive, we regret that we are unable to contact unsuccessful applicants individually or provide feedback on applications.
Award Value and Duration
All Ertegun Scholarships cover course fees in full. Scholars also receive a generous annual grant for living costs (the rate for 2021-22 is £15,609), which is normally sufficient to cover the living costs of a single student living in Oxford.
Ertegun Scholars also enjoy dedicated use of Ertegun House, which provides space for each Scholar for writing and research, as well as opportunities to participate in social occasions, lively lectures, performances and other activities developed expressly for the Scholars.
Awards are made for the full duration of a student’s fee liability for the agreed course. If your scholarship is offered for a course lasting more than one year, the continuation of your scholarship each year is subject to an annual renewal process based on satisfactory academic progress.
