Bournemouth University offers an automatic £4,500 scholarship to eligible international postgraduate students — no application needed. Here’s who qualifies and how to make sure you receive it.

Overview

Most scholarships require you to write essays, gather referees, and compete against hundreds of other applicants. This one doesn’t.

The Bournemouth University Postgraduate Academic Excellence Scholarship for International Students is awarded automatically; if you meet the eligibility criteria, you don’t need to fill out a separate application. No scholarship essay. No extra forms. The university assesses your qualifications when you apply for admission, and if you qualify, the award follows.

The scholarship is worth £4,500, is available to an unlimited number of students, and applies to courses starting in January 2026, September 2026, and January 2027.

For international students self-funding a postgraduate degree in the UK, where tuition fees typically run between £14,000 and £20,000+ per year, £4,500 is a meaningful reduction. And the fact that it requires no additional application makes it one of the most accessible scholarships available at any UK university.

Here’s everything you need to know to make sure you qualify and actually receive it.

What Is Bournemouth University?

Bournemouth University (BU) is a public university located on England’s southern coast, in the county of Dorset. It has a strong reputation in creative arts and media, business, computing, health sciences, tourism, and social sciences, and consistently ranks well in the UK for graduate employability and student satisfaction.

Bournemouth itself is one of England’s most popular coastal towns, affordable relative to London, with good transport links and a genuinely pleasant quality of life. For international students looking for a UK university experience outside the pressure and cost of London, it’s a smart and underrated choice.

What You Get

The £4,500 is awarded in your first year only and is applied directly to your tuition fees. It cannot be deferred to a later cohort — if you defer your course entry, you will need to recheck your eligibility for the new intake year.

Who Can Apply? (Eligibility)

You ARE eligible if you:

• Are an overseas (international) applicant — this scholarship is specifically for non-UK students
• Are applying for a full-time taught postgraduate course delivered on campus, OR a part-time structured postgraduate course delivered on campus
• Have achieved a minimum of an upper second class (2:1) or first class Honours degree — or the equivalent from your country
• Are self-funded or partially funded — meaning you are not receiving full government or external sponsorship

You are NOT eligible if:

• You are applying for a Postgraduate Diploma course
• You are applying for a distance learning (online) course
• You are on certain professional development and Postgraduate Diploma courses taught by the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences
• You are a government or externally sponsored student — any student receiving government or external full funding is excluded from BU’s international academic scholarships
• You are already receiving another academic award from BU, though you can combine this scholarship with a BU Sports or Music scholarship

Special inclusions worth noting:

Despite the Postgraduate Diploma exclusion, eligible students on these specific courses will receive the award:

• MSc Public Health
• MA Social Work
• MSc Physician Associate Studies
• MSc Nutrition & Behaviour

If you’re on one of these programmes, you’re in — even if they sit within faculties that otherwise have restrictions.

The Grading Equivalency: What Counts as a 2:1 From Your Country?

The 2:1 (upper second class) standard is a UK grading reference. Every country has a different grading scale, and Bournemouth University publishes official equivalency tables to help you understand where you stand:

• For January 2026 entry: Use the 2025/26 equivalences table (available on the BU scholarship page)
• For September 2026 and January 2027 entry: Use the 2026/27 equivalences table

For Nigerian applicants specifically: A Nigerian undergraduate degree with a Second Class Upper (2:1) from any accredited Nigerian university is the standard equivalent. If you have a First Class, you’re clearly eligible. If you have a Second Class Lower (2:2), you do not meet the minimum; check the equivalency table to confirm.

If your country is not listed in the equivalency tables, contact BU’s International Admissions Team directly. They will assess your qualifications individually. Don’t assume you’re ineligible just because your country isn’t on the list. Get in touch and ask.

How the Automatic Process Works

Because no separate application is required, the process is straightforward — but there are a few things to understand so you don’t miss out:

What BU does automatically:

When you apply for admission to an eligible postgraduate course and meet the academic criteria, BU’s admissions system flags you for the scholarship. You should receive confirmation of the award when you enrol.

What you need to do:

• Apply for your chosen eligible postgraduate course at BU through the standard admissions process
• Ensure your academic transcripts are submitted accurately — the scholarship assessment is based on your original qualification records
• When you receive your offer and enrol, check for scholarship confirmation

If you don’t receive confirmation:

If you believe you are eligible but do not receive confirmation of the scholarship when you enrol, contact AskBU, Bournemouth University’s student support team. They will review your original qualification transcripts and confirm eligibility. Don’t assume the scholarship was assessed correctly without checking.

This is an important point: the process is automatic, but that doesn’t mean errors can’t occur. If you meet the criteria and haven’t heard anything about the award, follow up.

Which Courses Are Eligible?

The scholarship applies to full-time taught postgraduate courses and part-time structured postgraduate courses delivered on campus at Bournemouth University. This covers a wide range of Master’s programmes across BU’s faculties, including:

• Business and Law
• Computing and Informatics (including AI, Cybersecurity, Data Science)
• Media and Communication
• Health and Social Sciences (select programmes)
• Science and Technology
• Arts and Humanities

Not eligible: Postgraduate Diplomas, online/distance learning courses, and most professional development courses.

Always verify your specific course eligibility on the BU website or by contacting the International Admissions Team before you apply.

Can You Combine This With Other Funding?

You can receive this scholarship alongside:

• A BU Sports Scholarship
• A BU Music Scholarship

You cannot receive this scholarship alongside:

• Any other BU academic award
• Any government or external full sponsorship (e.g., a fully funded government scholarship from your home country)

If you’re partially funded — say, you’ve received a partial grant from your employer or a partial award from another source that doesn’t fully cover your fees — you may still be eligible. The key word is fully funded. Partially funded students qualify.

Entry Points and Deferral Policy

The scholarship covers three entry points:

Important: Scholarships cannot be deferred. If you accept a place for September 2026 and then defer to January 2027, your scholarship eligibility is reassessed for the new entry point — it does not carry over automatically. Plan your entry date carefully.

Why This Scholarship Matters for Nigerian and African Students

Postgraduate study in the UK is a significant financial commitment. For self-funded Nigerian students in particular, paying international tuition fees, living costs in the UK, and covering the gap between the naira and the pound, every reduction in fees matters concretely.

£4,500 applied to your first year tuition is not a token gesture. Depending on your programme, it represents between 20% and 30% of a year’s tuition fees at BU. Combined with BU’s relatively lower tuition costs compared to universities in London or other major English cities, the effective cost of a Bournemouth University postgraduate degree becomes meaningfully more accessible.

And because it’s automatic — no essay, no competition, no committee, the only thing standing between you and this award is applying for the right course with the right grades.

Quick Summary Table

Apply Now

There is no separate scholarship application. Your path to this award starts with applying to an eligible postgraduate programme at Bournemouth University.

For more information and application: 

Visit the official website of the Bournemouth University Academic Excellence Scholarship 2026–27