Doctoral scholarships

Whakamāramatanga | Key information

There are a number of doctoral scholarships options available for students intending to enrol in a PhD at UC:

• The 'UC Doctoral Scholarships' is a term referring to a collection of scholarships which have central funding. See more details on these scholarships below.
• There are other scholarships available that students can apply for within our Scholarships Database. Check each scholarship's Regulations which outlines the eligibility and selection criteria. 
• Sometimes a Department has funding that they are able to offer a student a scholarship with - check with your supervisor if this is a possibility for you. 
• Try searching for a scholarship from an organisation external to UC.

UC Doctoral Scholarships

The collection of 'UC Doctoral Scholarships', are grouped into three categories. These, and their co-tenability conditions, are:

• Core – Not co-tenable with any other Core scholarships.
• Prestige – Co-tenable with Core scholarships.
• Recognition – Co-tenable with Core scholarships and do not include additional monetary value.

The Prestige and Recognition scholarships are selected from all the applicants who were assessed for a Core scholarship in any given year. Because of this, Prestige and Recognition scholarships are awarded at the end of each academic year (no separate application is required). If an applicant is awarded a Prestige scholarship, its value is added to the value of the Core Scholarship, so a stipend of $30,000 p.a. is increased to $35,000 p.a.

The scholarships listed within the 'UC Doctoral Scholarships' regulations are currently considered as part of the application-to-enrol process. These scholarships are a mix of awards, which recognise success within certain categories (academic, women, Māori, Pacific students, etc.). An application to study in a doctoral degree programme at UC is regarded as an application for these doctoral scholarships, and so submitting the enrolment application will ensure you have provided all the required information to be assessed for these.

Please note: These scholarships are subject to funding availability and are reviewed each year. The UC Scholarships Office administers most of these scholarships. Please search our scholarships database for all scholarships currently available.

Other Doctoral Scholarship Options

Discover some of the other scholarships that may assist in funding your doctoral studies below.

UC Research Student Publication Prize

The goal of the UC Research Student Publication Prize is to encourage students to publish their work in leading peer-reviewed publications, indexed in Scopus, during their doctoral or master's studies (e.g., journal articles, book chapters, monographs, or conference proceedings). Publication during the tenure of Doctoral or Master's studies enhances student’s employment prospects and, for UC, contributes to the enhancement of international university rankings.

You can read the regulations, check your eligibility and apply here.