IHE Delft Water and Development Partnership Scholarship for the MSc in Water and Sustainable Development 2027/2028

About this scholarship

A scholarship from IHE Delft's Water and Development Partnership Programme, funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for the one year MSc in Water and Sustainable Development in Delft. It is for water professionals from listed countries, among them Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Palestine and Yemen. A full award pays tuition, insurance, international travel and a living allowance.

Funding type

Covers: in a full scholarship, the tuition fee, insurance, international travel and an allowance for living and accommodation for the whole study period. Not every award is a full scholarship. The page does not say what the other awards cover or how many awards there are. For 2027/2028 the tuition fee is EUR 21,210 before VAT for the 68 EC programme, and it includes the use of a laptop, field trips and study materials. Health insurance is EUR 684 and the residence permit EUR 254. IHE Delft estimates living and accommodation costs at about EUR 1,220 a month. Holders of a Mahmoud S. Rabbani Scholarship get priority, and this scholarship may then pay the costs that Rabbani does not cover.

Tuition fees

Covered

Living costs

Covered

Travel

Covered

Insurance

Covered

Eligibility requirements

Nationalities

Listed nationalities only — Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Palestinian Territories, Yemen, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Uganda, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Belize, Cape Verde, Comoros, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Fiji, Grenada, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Kiribati, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Micronesia, Montserrat, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & Grenadines, Samoa, São Tomé & Príncipe, Solomon Islands, Suriname, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu

Residence condition

Must live in listed countries — Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Palestinian Territories, Yemen, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Uganda, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Belize, Cape Verde, Comoros, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Fiji, Grenada, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Kiribati, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Micronesia, Montserrat, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & Grenadines, Samoa, São Tomé & Príncipe, Solomon Islands, Suriname, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu

A national of Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Palestine or Yemen in the Middle East, or of an eligible country in the Sahel (Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Nigeria), the Horn of Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Uganda) or one of the 32 Small Island Developing States on the page, which include Comoros You live and work in an eligible country, and your employer confirms your job in a signed statement Academic admission to the MSc in Water and Sustainable Development: usually a bachelor's degree at B/B+ (US) or upper second class (UK) level in a relevant field. Below that level, substantial work experience in the field and strong motivation can be accepted You agree to do your MSc research in your home country or region, linked to one of the programme's projects, and to take part in the seminars of the programme's learning networks You confirm that you will return to your country of origin or another priority country of the programme Strong priority goes to employees of the programme's partner organisations and to women. Selection also looks at motivation and academic background, with preference for relevant work experience The partner list of February 2026 includes the Palestinian Water Authority, the Palestinian Hydrology Group, the Union of Palestinian Water Service Providers and the Water Authority of Jordan

Minimum grade

Not stated

Work experience asked for

Not stated

Return condition

Return home after the award

How to apply

Straight to the provider

Language requirements and exemptions

Language test required IELTS TOEFL iBT PTE Academic Cambridge English TOEIC Other test Waiver possible

An English test is required for admission and for the scholarship. Nationals of a list of English-speaking countries with an English-taught bachelor's are exempt, and none of the Middle East countries of this scholarship are on that list. Minimum for the regular MSc: IELTS Academic 6.0 with 6.0 in writing, or TOEFL iBT 80 with 17 in writing. For TOEFL tests taken from 21 January 2026: 4 overall with 4 in writing. IHE Delft strongly advises reaching IELTS 6.5 before the programme starts. Also accepted: PTE Academic 61 with 62.2 in writing, LanguageCert Academic 65 with 65 in writing, TOEIC 865 in Listening and Reading plus 335 in Speaking and Writing, or Cambridge B2 First, C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency at grade C or higher (B2 First also with a score of 160). Results must be dated within 24 months before you apply. A university letter saying you studied in English does not replace the test. IELTS Online and the TOEFL Home Edition are accepted only when test centres in your country are closed or unsafe.

University admission details

Required before applying?

Apply first for academic admission to the MSc at apply.un-ihe.org. The 2027 round is open from 1 November 2026 to 1 July 2027, and IHE Delft advises applicants who need funding to apply as early as possible. Admission decisions come up to four weeks after you apply. After you receive your admission letter, send the employer statement to the admission and fellowship officer. Once it is received and approved, you take part in the scholarship selection. The deadline for the employer statement and your English test result is 1 June 2027, and the results come in July 2027. The time of day is not stated. Without a sufficient English result by 1 June 2027 you cannot take part in the selection. The notice at the top of the scholarship page and one line in its text still say 1 June 2026, but the timeline on the same page, the 2027/2028 fees page and the 2027 employer statement form all point to the 2027 round. Students must confirm how their study is funded by 1 August. The FAQ says the programme starts on the last Monday of October or the first Monday of November. The application portal says it starts at the end of November, and the 2027 employer statement form gives the study period as 24 November 2027 to 1 November 2028.

Required documents

Copy of your passport or ID Certified copies of your bachelor's diploma and transcript, and of your master's diploma and transcript if you have one, with sworn English translations if they are not in English Curriculum vitae Answers to the five motivation questions in the online application Two recommendation letters, dated and signed, from a superior at work or senior academic staff, not older than one year English test result dated within 24 months before you apply Employer statement on the 2027 IHE Delft template, on letterhead, dated and signed by your superior

Application steps

Apply for academic admission to the MSc in Water and Sustainable Development at apply.un-ihe.org from 1 November 2026, as early as you can. Book an English test early, as a sufficient result must reach IHE Delft by 1 June 2027. When your admission letter arrives, ask your employer to fill in and sign the 2027 employer statement. Send the signed statement to Marlies Baburek at [email protected] by 1 June 2027. If you are eligible for the Mahmoud S. Rabbani Scholarship, apply for it as well, as the page advises.

Requirement checklist

Scholarship contacts

Marlies Baburek, IHE Delft admission and fellowship officer for this scholarship: [email protected]Copy

Ineke Melis, coordinator of the IHE Delft Fellowship and Admission Office: [email protected]Copy

Universities and contacts