Postgraduate Funding Opportunities

The Postgraduate Support Office (PSO) helps current and prospective students access funding for postgraduate studies and research by announcing calls for funding through the University website (www.up.ac.za/funding), social media platforms, faculties and information sessions.

Different forms of funding opportunities (internal and external) are made available and administered through the PGSO. The different available funding programmes support successful students either on a full cost or partial cost basis, subject to the funder's discretion.

Internally funded opportunities

1. UP Doctoral Research Bursary
2. UP Postgraduate Bursary
3. UP Doctoral Commonwealth Bursary

Externally funded

1. NRF Postgraduate Bursaries and SARAO
2. DSI-CSIR and CSIR
3. Mandela Rhodes
4. HWSETA (Health SETA)
5. DSAC (Dept of Sports, Arts and Culture)
6. OWSD (Org for Women in Science from Developing Countries)
7. Queen Elizabeth Commonwealth Scholarship
8. Margaret McNamara Scholarship
9. HUAWEI and many other

A handful of external funding programmes to study abroad are also available and administered through this office and these include:

1. Fulbright Scholarship.

2. Rhodes Oxford Scholarship.

3. FirstRand International Scholarship.

4. UK Commonwealth Scholarship and many others.

For full details on the conditions and criteria for the respective opportunities visit www.up.ac.za/funding or send an email to [email protected]. All NRF related queries must be directed to [email protected].

Important Information

Students who wish to pursue postgraduate studies are encouraged to seek funding from various sources and not rely on the institution to provide funding.

It is important for prospective Masters and Doctoral students to search for funding concurrently as you apply for admission to UP. You should start your search for funding at least a year in advance in order to secure it prior to registration.

A supervisor and research stream must be identified prior to commencing an academic admission application and an application for funding.

The search for funding must commence a year prior to academic registration as funding periods vary.

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