Wellington Doctoral Scholarship at Victoria University of Wellington, Round Closing 1 November 2026

About this scholarship

A scholarship for full-time PhD students at Victoria University of Wellington, with a stipend of NZD 32,000 a year and tuition fees for up to 3 years. About 110 are awarded each year.

Funding type

Covers: a stipend of NZD 32,000 a year and tuition fees at the domestic rate, for up to 3 years. The awardee must enrol full time and may not hold a paid position. Paid work of up to 600 hours a year is allowed with the approval of the supervisor and head of school. The page does not mention travel or insurance. Awards are competitive and the number is limited.

Tuition fees

Covered

Living costs

Covered

Travel

Not specified

Insurance

Not specified

Eligibility requirements

Nationalities

All nationalities

Residence condition

No residence condition

A graduate of any university in or outside New Zealand who intends to enrol full time for a PhD. The scholarship is for a first doctorate only Open to New Zealand and international students. Palestine is not named From a university outside New Zealand: a four-year bachelor's degree with a GPA of at least 3.0 out of 4.0, or a British-system bachelor's degree with first or upper second-class Honours, or other evidence of adequate training accepted by the Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Research Applicants are normally expected to have a bachelor's or master's degree with distinction equal to first-class Honours in New Zealand Admission to the PhD is not guaranteed, and it also depends on supervision and resources in your research area

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 TOEFL iBT PTE Academic Duolingo English Test Cambridge English Waiver possible

IELTS Academic 6.5 overall with no band below 6.0, or TOEFL iBT 90 (for the PhD, 90 with 21 in Writing and the other sub-scores at the mid-point of high-intermediate), or PTE 58 with a Communication score no lower than 50, or Duolingo 120 with no part below 105, or Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency with 176 and each skill no less than 169. These are the standard scores. The PhD in Law, the PhD in Education and the PhD in Linguistics/Applied Linguistics have higher requirements (for example IELTS 7.0 for Law and Linguistics, no band below 6.5 for Education); check the university's English requirements page. Nationals of countries on the university's List A, and people whose whole degree was taught in English in a List A country within the last 2 years, are generally exempt. The university says its English requirements are strict and not negotiable.

University admission details

Admission included in application?

Apply for the PhD and the scholarship together through the Communityforce system. You do not need a supervisor before you apply, but the university encourages you to write to researchers. There are three rounds each year, closing on 1 March, 1 July and 1 November. The next round closes at 4:30 pm New Zealand time on 1 November 2026. An application that is incomplete at that time is not considered; you must reapply in the next round, and only some of your information carries over. Offers come about six weeks after the closing date, and some applicants may not hear the final result for up to three months. An international awardee should normally start within nine months of accepting it. You should request your two referees' reports at least two weeks before the deadline.

Required documents

Expression of interest A 2,000-word sample of academic writing in English or te reo Māori Certified copies of certificates and transcripts, and a certified translation if needed Scholaro GPA report if your latest qualification is from outside New Zealand Proof of English proficiency Reports from two academic referees

Application steps

Check the doctoral entry requirements, find researchers in your field and write to them. Sign up for the Communityforce system and write your expression of interest. Upload your documents, create the Scholaro report and request your two referees' reports. Complete the application 100% before 4:30 pm New Zealand time on 1 November 2026.

Requirement checklist

Scholarship contacts

Doctoral Admissions and Scholarships team: [email protected]Copy

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