Apply through Oxford, with one extra document
There is no separate Ertegun application form. You apply for your Oxford graduate course as normal and, in the funding section of the Oxford graduate application, select “Ertegun Graduate Scholarships in the Humanities”. You must also upload a supporting statement, a Word template that you save and upload as a PDF, answering three questions that relate to the aims and mission of the programme. The programme says an application cannot be reviewed without it, and that the committee reads it together with your course application. Treat it as a separate piece of writing, not a copy of your course statement.
Check that your course is on the list
Eligibility is by course, not by subject, and it is your responsibility to check. The programme covers courses in the faculties of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, Classics, English, Fine Art (the DPhil in Contemporary Art History and Theory only), History, Linguistics, Medieval and Modern Languages, Music, Philosophy, and Theology and Religion, plus interdisciplinary courses such as Celtic Studies, Comparative Literature and Critical Translation, Medieval Studies, Film Aesthetics, Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies, and Digital Scholarship. A short list of Global and Area Studies and Classical Archaeology courses is also eligible, namely the MPhil and MSc in Japanese Studies, the MPhil in Modern Chinese Studies, the MSc in Contemporary Chinese Studies, the MPhil and MSc in Modern South Asian Studies, the MSc in Modern Middle Eastern Studies, and the MPhil, MSt and DPhil in Classical Archaeology. Part-time courses and courses run outside the Humanities Division are not eligible. If you are unsure, the programme gives an administrator’s email address for questions about your particular course.
The deadline is the early January date, whatever your course says
This is the rule that catches applicants. The programme says it adheres to the early January deadline, so if your Humanities course stays open longer, you still have to submit in time for the early January date to be considered. The exception is the Global and Area Studies courses on its list, which use their own course deadlines. For 2027-28 entry, the BPhil in Philosophy and the MSc in Modern Middle Eastern Studies close at 12:00 midday UK time on 5 January 2027, and the DPhil in History, the MPhil in Economic and Social History and the DPhil in Theology and Religion close at midday on 7 January. If your course has an earlier deadline than the Ertegun date, submit your course application by that earlier date, tick the Ertegun option and upload a placeholder statement saying you will provide it for the January deadline. The programme says you then send the completed statement to Graduate Admissions with your full name, course details and student number.
What it pays, and how hard it is to win
The scholarship covers course fees in full and a living grant, £21,805 for 2026-27, for the full length of your fee liability. Courses longer than a year are renewed annually on satisfactory progress. The programme pages do not mention flights, visa costs or the health surcharge, so ask before you assume they are covered, and our guide to studying in the UK explains those costs. The odds are long. The programme says it receives over 1,500 applicants for a maximum of around 15 awards a year, an average success rate of 1.5% for master’s candidates and 1.3% for doctoral candidates, so apply for other funding at the same time.
Selection and interviews
Faculties first identify shortlisted candidates and interview them, usually by videoconference or telephone, so the interview is a chance to expand on your supporting statement. The shortlist then goes to a selection committee led by the Head of the Humanities Division with a representative from each eligible faculty. The programme expects the first offers by the end of March and the process to finish by the end of April. Successful candidates are told by email, and if you do not hear, your application has been unsuccessful, with no individual feedback. Scholars also get dedicated space at Ertegun House and a programme of lectures and social events.
Check the UK visa position first
An Oxford offer and a scholarship do not guarantee a UK Student visa. The scholarship is open to all nationalities, but the UK government’s visa brake says Student visa applications made from outside the UK by nationals of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan will be refused, and that it is reviewed regularly. If you hold one of those nationalities, read that page before you spend money on applications.
How it differs from Clarendon
Humanities applicants often look at the Clarendon Fund Scholarships alongside this one. The practical difference is the process: for the Clarendon you are considered through your course application, while the Ertegun needs the separate supporting statement and an early January submission. The two are different awards, so check each programme’s rules before you assume you can apply for both.