Graduate Funding & Scholarships
Faculty Studentship Information
The Faculty and University have a number of studentships available to fund graduate study in English. In recent years about 11 studentships a year have been offered to study on our master's programmes, and about 20 studentships a year to study on our doctoral programme. Most of these are offered to UK students, but some of the studentships on both the master's programme and the doctoral programme are awarded to EU and overseas students.
Funding is very competitive and there is a limited amount of funding available. You are therefore strongly encouraged to search for external sources of funding.
If you receive an offer of a place, your college will require you to complete a Financial Declaration form. This aims to ensure that you are fully aware of the expected fees and living costs associated with your chosen programme of study. See full details of fees.
The faculty nominates candidates each year for Clarendon Scholarships, which cover course fees and a grant for living expenses. All applications are automatically considered, so there is no need to submit any further information. The Humanities Division offers around 35 Clarendon scholarships a year. Smaller numbers of other scholarships are also offered. All eligible candidates are automatically considered for these scholarships.
The Faculty also offers studentships in partnership with some colleges, and makes recommendations for a number of trust-funded studentships, managed by other committees and Boards. All eligible candidates are automatically considered for these studentships, which are open to UK students only.
Faculty & college-partnered funding for 2025-26
The list of Faculty scholarships is not yet finalised for 25-26 entry; this page will be updated as more funding opportunities are confirmed.
Oxford-Wolfson-Marriott Graduate Scholarship in English
The Faculty of English and Wolfson College are offering a fully-funded three-year graduate Scholarship for a DPhil student in English to study at the University of Oxford as a graduate Scholar at Wolfson College. The scholarship will be jointly funded by the Faculty of English and the Oxford-Wolfson-Marriott Graduate Scholarship fund with each party agreeing to contribute 50% towards the cost of a full Home/ROI award, including course fees and living costs. Living costs will be at the UKRI recommended DPhil rate.
The Scholarship will be awarded from the beginning of the academic year 2025-26. The duration of the Scholarship will be for three years, assuming standard periods of fee liability.
When there are two or more candidates of equal academic merit, then applicants who have listed Wolfson as their first-choice college will receive preference.
If no candidate has listed Wolfson as a first-choice college, then Student Fees and Funding will negotiate with the first-choice college of the preferred candidate to have them released to Wolfson.
All eligible applicants who have applied for admission to the University by the relevant January deadline for their course will be considered for this scholarship. No additional application materials will be requested.
Other opportunities for 2025-26
For the following studentships, candidates should check the criteria relating to each award as some may have particular application requirements:
Open-Oxford-Cambridge AHRC DTP-funded Collaborative Doctoral Award: Chaucer's Thameside Life and Poetry
Applications are invited for an Open-Oxford-Cambridge AHRC DTP-funded Collaborative Doctoral Award at the University of Oxford, in partnership with The National Archives. This fully-funded studentship is available from October 2025. Further details about the value of an Open-Oxford-Cambridge AHRC DTP award are available on the DTP’s studentships page. The studentship can be studied either full or part-time. Closing date: 7th January 2025 (midday, UK time).
https://www.oocdtp.ac.uk/ox-cda-turner-nationalarchives
Open-Oxford-Cambridge AHRC DTP standard route funding
The Open-Oxford-Cambridge DTP offers at least 77 doctoral studentships each year for postgraduate research in the arts and humanities across our three consortium universities: the Open University, the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge.
In order to be considered for a studentship you must tick the relevant box in the studentships section of the Oxford application form. You will also need to complete the OOC DTP Application Form and upload it as an additional document when completing your application. To be considered for an award via the DTP's Black and Global Majority studentships initiative, you must also disclose ethnicity information in the monitoring section of the university’s admissions system.
Applying as an on-course student at Oxford
If you are a current doctoral student at the University of Oxford who commenced their first year of study in October 2024 (full-time) or in October 2022, 2023 or 2024 (part-time), you may be eligible to apply for an Open-Oxford-Cambridge AHRC DTP studentship.
Please email the Humanities Division Scholarships Officer at ahrcdtp@admin.ox.ac.uk by 18 December 2024. You will then be sent further information and details of materials you will be required to provide (including a completed OOC DTP Application Form and academic references). The completed application must then be received by the deadline of 7 January 2025.
https://www.oocdtp.ac.uk/how-to-apply
Ertegun Postgraduate Scholarships in the Humanities
Available to UK, EU and overseas students applying for entry to master's and doctoral programmes. Please see the programme website.
Swire Scholarships - St Antony’s
The Swire Scholarships at St Antony’s are generously funded by the Swire Charitable Trust, founded by John Swire & Sons. Four fully funded scholarships are available to graduate students demonstrating exceptional academic merit and/or potential who will commence study on a course offered by St Antony’s College in 2025/26.
The scholarships are open to applicants who are permanent residents of Japan, Chinese mainland or Hong Kong SAR and have completed the majority of their formal education in their country/region of permanent residency.
The Scholarships will be awarded primarily on academic merit, although financial need may be taken into account.
Scholars must intend to return to their country/region of permanent residency after completing their course of study. Preference will be given to applicants who plan to pursue a career in government, business, academia or a recognised profession.
Applicants must apply for admission to a full-time graduate course of study that is offered by St Antony’s College to start in 2025/26, including a DPhil in English or the World Literatures in English MSt.
These scholarships require a separate application and candidates would need to complete an online form and submit it by the college deadline - 5pm (UK time) on 4th March 2025. You do not need to have received an offer from the Faculty of English by this point to be considered; you will need to submit an application to the University by the January deadline and complete the St Antony’s scholarship form.
The application form and further information can be found here: Swire Scholarships - St Antony's
Previous opportunities
Scholarships that were available in 24-25 are as follows.
Jeremy Griffiths Studentship
Available to candidates studying a subject related to the History of the Book before 1550 (held at St Hilda's College). Open to applicants for the MSt 650-1550 and MPhil (Medieval Studies).
Cecily Clark Studentship
Available to students of English Medieval Studies, with a preference for subjects relating to Middle English Philology.
The Anne Hudson Graduate Scholarships
Two of these are usually available each year, usually held at LMH, for outstanding doctoral candidates working on any area of Middle English Literature.
The Pamela Gradon Graduate Scholarship
This is usually available every three years, to be held at St Hugh’s, for an outstanding doctoral candidate working on any area of Middle English Literature.
Violet Vaughan Morgan Studentship – available to candidates studying on any of the English MSt strands.
Jon Blanchard studentship – any post-1550 MSt strand (annual studentship for 3 years, 2024-25, 2025-26 and 2026-27); UK students only; Mansfield College only
George Oakes studentships – MSt American literature – two studentships available in 2024-25 only; UK students only; Queen’s College only
Oxford – Wordsworth Scholarship
The Oxford – Wordsworth Scholarship is open to academically outstanding candidates who have been accepted on a one-year English MSt course for entry in October 2024. The scholarship may be combined with funding from another scholarship fund (e.g. Clarendon or Faculty funds) to cover up to the cost of full fees and a maintenance grant at the level of the AHRC stipend for the duration of the award-holder’s fee liability. All eligible applicants offered a place at Oxford for October 2024 will automatically be considered for this scholarship, whether or not they originally applied to Trinity College; there is no additional application form. The successful candidate will be informed by the end of April or early May 2024.
Oxford - Cecil Lubbock Graduate Scholarship
A Trinity College Scholarship for the DPhil in English Language and Literature, with a preference for those working in the areas of either medieval or 19th Century English, for entry in October 2024. This scholarship will cover full home fees and a maintenance grant at the level of the AHRC stipend, for the duration of the award-holder’s fee liability (i.e. up to three academic years). All applicants offered a place for entry in October 2024 for the DPhil in English Language and Literature will automatically be eligible for this scholarship, whether or not they originally applied to Trinity College; there is no additional application form. The successful candidate will be informed by the end of April or early May 2024.
