Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies (OCIS) Scholarships at the University of Oxford 2027/2028

About this scholarship

Full scholarships for a master's or a DPhil at the University of Oxford from 2027, for nationals and residents of listed countries, Palestine and every Arab country among them. Only 2 or 3 awards are expected.

Funding type

Covers: 100% of course fees and a grant for living costs of at least GBP 21,805, for the full period of fee liability of your course. Any other funding you hold is taken into account when the value of the award is set. The page does not mention travel, visa or health surcharge costs.

Tuition fees

Covered

Living costs

Covered

Travel

Not specified

Insurance

Not specified

Eligibility requirements

Nationalities

Listed nationalities only — Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Benin, Brunei, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Comoros, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Gabon, Gambia, Guinea, Guyana, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestinian Territories, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Suriname, Syria, Tajikistan, Togo, Tunisia, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Yemen

Residence condition

Must live in listed countries — Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Benin, Brunei, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Comoros, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Gabon, Gambia, Guinea, Guyana, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestinian Territories, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Suriname, Syria, Tajikistan, Togo, Tunisia, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Yemen, United Kingdom

A national of, and ordinarily resident in, one of the listed countries. They include Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Iraq, Yemen, Sudan, Libya, the Gulf states and the Maghreb countries, as well as Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, Indonesia and others UK residents from a Muslim community can also apply, with preference for those from a financially disadvantaged household You must be applying to start a new full-time master's or DPhil at Oxford. Postgraduate certificates and diplomas and part-time courses are excluded Your study must be derived from or relevant to the Islamic tradition, or of relevance or benefit to the Muslim world, in any subject You should intend to return to your country of residence after the course Selection is on academic merit and financial need Not open to people who hold a deferred offer from an earlier year

Minimum grade

Not stated

Work experience asked for

Not stated

Return condition

Return condition not stated

How to apply

Straight to the provider

Language requirements and exemptions

Language test required IELTS Cambridge English TOEFL iBT Other test Waiver possible

You must meet the English requirement of your Oxford course, at the standard or higher level shown on the course page. Accepted tests are IELTS Academic, C1 Advanced, C2 Proficiency and the Oxford Test of English Advanced. The standard level is IELTS 7.0 with 6.5 in each part, and the higher level is IELTS 7.5 with 7.0 in each part. TOEFL iBT is accepted only if you took it before 21 January 2026. You can ask for a test waiver, for example after a degree of at least nine months taught in English and completed no more than two academic years before your course. The department decides.

University admission details

Admission included in application?

There is no separate scholarship application. In the Oxford graduate application, tick the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies Scholarship box in the University of Oxford Scholarships section. Upload the OCIS Scholarships Supporting Statement with your application. The form is on the scholarship page. Apply by the December or January deadline of your course. Deadlines differ by course and the scholarship page gives no single date, so check the course page. For example, the 2027-28 deadline is 12:00 midday UK time on 2 December 2026 for the MSc in Global Governance and Diplomacy, and on 27 January 2027 for the DPhil in Law. Only applicants offered a place after the December or January round are considered. Applications held over to the March deadline or put on a waiting list are not. Financial need is judged from the information in your application. Applicants will be contacted by June 2027.

Required documents

The Oxford graduate application with the documents your course asks for The OCIS Scholarships Supporting Statement English test certificate if your course requires one

Application steps

Choose a full-time master's or DPhil at Oxford and note its December or January deadline. Download the supporting statement form from the scholarship page and complete it. In the Oxford application, tick the OCIS Scholarship box and upload the supporting statement. Submit the complete application before your course deadline.

Requirement checklist

Scholarship contacts

Contact form of the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies (choose Visiting Fellowships, Scholarships): Contact form (opens in a new tab)

Scholarship page on the Oxford website: Contact form (opens in a new tab)

Universities and contacts