Ertegun Scholarship 2027/28: Fully Funded Master

The Ertegun Scholarship 2027/28 is one of the University of Oxford’s most competitive fully funded graduate scholarships for students pursuing eligible Master’s and DPhil programmes in the Humanities.

Officially known as the Mica and Ahmet Ertegun Graduate Scholarship Programme in the Humanities, the scholarship covers Oxford course fees in full and provides a generous annual grant for living costs. Scholars also receive dedicated access to Ertegun House, individual study space, academic mentorship, lectures, seminars, performances and an interdisciplinary intellectual community.

The programme is open to applicants from all countries and all backgrounds, including UK students. Both eligible Master’s and doctoral applicants can compete, but the course must be a new full-time graduate programme included on the official Ertegun eligibility list.

Ertegun is exceptionally competitive. Oxford reports more than 1,500 applications for a maximum of around 15 awards each year, with historical average success rates of approximately 1.5% for Master’s applicants and 1.3% for doctoral applicants.

Students comparing Oxford funding opportunities can also read Scholarships Central’s Clarendon Scholarship 2027 guide, Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholarship 2027/28 guide, browse Master’s Scholarships, or explore PhD Scholarships.

Ertegun Scholarship 2027/28 Overview

Scholarship Detail	Information
Scholarship	Mica and Ahmet Ertegun Graduate Scholarship Programme in the Humanities
University	University of Oxford
Country	United Kingdom
Study levels	Master’s and DPhil
Main field	Humanities
Study mode	Full-time only
Nationality	All countries, including UK students
Course fees	100% covered
Living grant	Annual living-cost grant
Latest published rate	£21,805 for 2026/27
2027/28 living rate	To be confirmed/updated by Oxford
Approximate awards	Maximum of around 15 per year
Applications	1,500+ annually
Master’s historical success rate	About 1.5%
Doctoral historical success rate	About 1.3%
Separate scholarship application	Yes, through Oxford application + Ertegun supporting statement
Supporting statement	Mandatory
Interview	Yes, for shortlisted applicants
Deadline	Early January/relevant Oxford funding deadline
Results	First offers normally by end of March; further offers in April
Other scholarship simultaneously	Ertegun cannot normally be held with another award

Oxford confirms the core eligibility, application, funding, selection and competition information on the official Ertegun programme page.

What Is the Ertegun Graduate Scholarship?

The Ertegun Graduate Scholarship Programme was established to support exceptional graduate students studying Humanities subjects at Oxford.

The programme’s mission is not simply to fund degrees. It aims to support Scholars who want to broaden their knowledge, extend their intellectual vision and exchange ideas across disciplines and cultures.

Ertegun Scholars become part of a small interdisciplinary community rather than receiving only financial assistance.

Oxford describes the programme as bringing outstanding Humanities graduate students together with academics and researchers in a setting designed to encourage dialogue across:

• academic disciplines;
• cultures;
• generations;
• intellectual traditions.

How Competitive Is the Ertegun Scholarship?

The Ertegun Scholarship is extremely selective.

Oxford currently reports:

• more than 1,500 applications each year;
• a maximum of around 15 awards;
• historical average Master’s success rate of 1.5%;
• historical average doctoral success rate of 1.3%.

These figures should be treated as historical programme statistics rather than a prediction of any individual’s chances.

The competition level means that simply meeting Oxford’s academic entry requirements is not enough. Applicants need an exceptionally strong graduate application as well as a compelling Ertegun supporting statement.

Ertegun Scholarship Benefits

100% Oxford Course Fees

All Ertegun Scholarships cover the recipient’s Oxford course fees in full.

This applies for the full period of fee liability for the approved course.

Annual Living-Cost Grant

Scholars also receive a generous annual grant intended to cover the normal living costs of a single student in Oxford.

Oxford currently publishes:

£21,805 per year for 2026/27.

This is the latest confirmed rate shown on the Ertegun website.

Because that figure is explicitly identified as the 2026/27 rate, applicants for 2027/28 should not assume £21,805 is the final 2027/28 amount. Oxford may update the living grant before the new academic year.

Multi-Year Funding

For programmes lasting more than one year, the scholarship normally covers the full period of fee liability.

However, continuation from one year to the next is subject to:

satisfactory academic progress and the programme’s annual renewal process.

This is particularly important for DPhil and multi-year Master’s applicants.

What Is Ertegun House?

One of the scholarship’s most distinctive benefits is access to the Mica and Ahmet Ertegun House for the Study of the Humanities.

Each Ertegun Scholar receives access to dedicated space for study and research, including an exclusive desk.

Ertegun House also hosts:

• lectures;
• seminars;
• concerts;
• performances;
• visiting speakers;
• student-organised conferences;
• social events;
• interdisciplinary discussions.

The House is designed to function as the centre of the Ertegun Scholar community rather than simply as office space.

Academic Mentoring

Ertegun Scholars receive one-to-one mentorship and support from the programme’s academic leadership and Scholar-in-Residence structure.

This makes the scholarship meaningfully different from funding programmes that provide tuition and a stipend without a dedicated intellectual community.

Who Can Apply for the Ertegun Scholarship?

Applicants need to satisfy both:

1. Oxford admission requirements for their chosen graduate programme; and
2. Ertegun-specific scholarship requirements.

Applicants From Any Country

The scholarship is open worldwide.

Oxford states that students from:

all countries and all backgrounds, including UK students

are welcome to apply.

There is no separate nationality quota published on the current programme page.

Master’s Students

Eligible Master’s applicants may apply if their programme appears on the official Ertegun course list and is studied full-time.

Eligible formats include a range of Oxford:

• MSt;
• MPhil;
• MSc;
• BPhil;
• other approved graduate Humanities degrees.

DPhil Students

Yes. Unlike some Oxford scholarships focused mainly on taught Master’s programmes, Ertegun also supports eligible DPhil programmes.

The selected doctorate must appear on the programme’s official eligible-course list.

Students seeking other doctoral opportunities can also browse Scholarships Central’s PhD Scholarships directory.

Full-Time Study Only

Ertegun awards are available only to applicants beginning a:

new full-time graduate course.

Part-time programmes are not eligible.

Current Oxford Students

A current Oxford student may apply only if they are applying to begin a new course.

Ertegun cannot normally be used to fund the second or third year of a graduate programme that the student has already started.

Eligible Subjects for the Ertegun Scholarship

Ertegun primarily supports graduate programmes administered through Oxford’s Humanities Division.

The main eligible academic areas include:

• Asian and Middle Eastern Studies;
• Classics;
• Classical Archaeology;
• English Language and Literature;
• Fine Art — specifically the eligible DPhil route in Contemporary Art History and Theory;
• History;
• History of Art;
• History of Architecture;
• Linguistics, Philology and Phonetics;
• Medieval and Modern Languages;
• Music;
• Philosophy;
• Theology and Religion.

Several interdisciplinary programmes are also eligible, including:

• Celtic Studies;
• Comparative Literature and Critical Translation;
• Medieval Studies;
• Film Aesthetics;
• Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies;
• Digital Scholarship.

Important: Not Every Humanities-Looking Course Is Automatically Eligible

Oxford explicitly warns applicants to check the official course list.

If the selected course is not included on the Ertegun eligibility list, the applicant is not eligible simply because the programme appears related to the Humanities.

The University’s general application portal displays many scholarship names and does not automatically confirm individual course eligibility.

Applicants should therefore verify their programme using the official Ertegun scholarship page before selecting the scholarship.

Eligible Global and Area Studies Exceptions

Although Ertegun is primarily a Humanities scholarship, Oxford currently includes several specifically approved programmes associated with the Oxford School of Global and Area Studies or Social Sciences.

These include:

• MPhil in Japanese Studies;
• MSc in Japanese Studies;
• MPhil Modern Chinese Studies;
• MSc Contemporary Chinese Studies;
• MPhil Modern South Asian Studies;
• MSc Modern South Asian Studies;
• MSc in Modern Middle Eastern Studies;
• MPhil in Classical Archaeology;
• MSt in Classical Archaeology;
• DPhil in Classical Archaeology.

Applicants in these programmes should follow the specific deadline instructions published by Ertegun for those exceptions.

Is There a Minimum GPA for the Ertegun Scholarship?

Oxford does not publish one universal Ertegun GPA cutoff.

Applicants need to satisfy the academic entry requirements of their chosen Oxford graduate course and compete successfully in a highly selective scholarship process.

Third-party claims that the Ertegun Scholarship universally requires a specific GPA such as 3.8/4.0 should therefore not be treated as an official scholarship rule.

The actual academic requirements vary by Oxford course.

Is IELTS Required for the Ertegun Scholarship?

Ertegun does not publish one universal scholarship-specific IELTS or TOEFL requirement.

Instead, applicants must satisfy the English-language requirement of their chosen Oxford graduate programme.

Depending on the course and applicant’s educational background, Oxford may require:

• IELTS Academic;
• TOEFL;
• another accepted qualification;
• or allow an applicable exemption.

Applicants should check the language requirement shown on the exact Oxford course page.

Can You Hold Ertegun With Another Scholarship?

Oxford states that:

the Ertegun Scholarship may not be held in conjunction with another award.

An applicant may still be considered for different Oxford scholarship schemes during the funding process, but if they ultimately receive Ertegun funding, the Ertegun award itself cannot normally be combined with another scholarship.

Ertegun Scholarship vs Clarendon Scholarship

Both are major Oxford graduate funding programmes, but the application processes are different.

Feature	Ertegun	Clarendon
Main academic scope	Eligible Humanities programmes	Much broader Oxford graduate portfolio
Master’s eligible	Yes	Yes
DPhil eligible	Yes	Yes
Nationality restriction	None	None
Separate scholarship statement	Yes	No
Scholarship selection box	Yes	Automatic consideration when eligible
Full course fees	Yes	Yes
Living support	Yes	Yes
Dedicated Scholar House	Yes – Ertegun House	No equivalent Ertegun-style house
Can be held with another award	Ertegun says no	Rules depend on award combination

Oxford’s Humanities Division confirms that Clarendon applicants are generally automatically considered when they submit an eligible application by the funding deadline, whereas Ertegun requires the applicant to select the scholarship and upload a supporting statement.

Read Scholarships Central’s full Clarendon Scholarship 2027 guide for the separate application process.

Ertegun Scholarship vs Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholarship

These scholarships also target different applicant profiles.

The Ertegun Scholarship primarily supports eligible Humanities Master’s and DPhil programmes and is open to applicants from all countries.

The Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholarship supports a defined list of primarily Master’s programmes and places strong emphasis on leadership, public impact and applicants from eligible developing and emerging economies.

For the separate eligibility, course list and leadership requirements, see Scholarships Central’s Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholarship 2027/28 guide.

The Ertegun Supporting Statement Is Mandatory

Applicants are not automatically considered for Ertegun simply because they apply to an eligible Oxford course.

They must:

1. select Ertegun Graduate Scholarships in the Humanities in the funding section of the Oxford graduate application;
2. complete the Ertegun supporting statement;
3. upload the statement as a PDF;
4. submit it by the applicable scholarship deadline.

Oxford explicitly states that an Ertegun scholarship application cannot be reviewed without the supporting statement.

What Does the Ertegun Supporting Statement Ask?

The current programme page confirms that the statement contains three questions related to the aims and mission of the Ertegun Scholarship Programme.

Recent official Ertegun guidance frames these around three broad areas:

1. Study and Career Plans

Applicants are asked to explain their current academic and career direction and how their plans connect with the mission of the Ertegun programme.

A strong answer should make clear:

• what you want to study;
• what intellectual skills and knowledge you expect to gain;
• what your longer-term ambitions are;
• why Ertegun would broaden your perspective beyond your immediate research.

2. Acting as an Ambassador for the Humanities

Applicants are asked to reflect on how they could contribute to their home country or community and support the wider role of the Humanities.

Relevant evidence may include:

• teaching;
• public engagement;
• writing;
• cultural initiatives;
• community projects;
• interdisciplinary work;
• previous contributions to Humanities-related activities.

3. Contribution to Ertegun House

The third theme concerns how the applicant would contribute to the academic, social and cultural life of the Ertegun House community.

This is important because the programme is selecting members of a community, not only recipients of money.

Applicants should use the latest supporting statement issued for the 2027/28 application cycle when they apply, because wording or formatting can change between cycles.

How to Write a Strong Ertegun Supporting Statement

The statement should complement the Oxford course application rather than repeat it.

A useful approach is:

experience → intellectual direction → Ertegun opportunity → contribution → long-term impact

Avoid generic claims such as:

“I love the Humanities and Oxford is the best university.”

Instead, use specific evidence showing:

• how your academic interests developed;
• what questions you want to investigate;
• how you engage with ideas outside your immediate specialism;
• what you would contribute to other Ertegun Scholars;
• how Humanities study will shape your future work.

Because Ertegun emphasizes exchanging ideas and extending intellectual vision, applicants should show openness to interdisciplinary discussion rather than present themselves only as specialists working in isolation.

How to Apply for the Ertegun Scholarship 2027/28

Step 1: Choose an Eligible Oxford Graduate Course

First, identify a Master’s or DPhil programme on the official Ertegun eligibility list.

Do not rely only on the general Oxford scholarship selector.

Step 2: Check the Course Admission Requirements

Review:

• academic requirements;
• English-language requirements;
• required references;
• supporting documents;
• written work;
• research proposal requirements where applicable.

Oxford makes clear that Ertegun applicants must separately satisfy the normal admission criteria for their chosen programme.

Step 3: Start the Oxford Graduate Application

Apply through Oxford’s normal graduate admissions process.

Oxford’s scholarship directory confirms that applicants need to submit their graduate application by the relevant January funding deadline.

Step 4: Select Ertegun in the Funding Section

Choose:

Mica and Ahmet Ertegun Postgraduate Scholarships in the Humanities

or the current equivalent wording shown in the Oxford application system.

Step 5: Complete the Supporting Statement

Download the latest Ertegun supporting statement from the official programme page and answer all required sections.

Step 6: Upload the Statement as a PDF

Oxford specifically requires the completed statement to be uploaded as a PDF document with the graduate application.

Step 7: Submit Before the Ertegun Deadline

Do not rely on a later ordinary course deadline if you want Ertegun consideration.

The scholarship follows a special early-January rule explained below.

Ertegun Scholarship Deadline 2027/28

This is one of the most important areas to understand.

There is not a simple universal deadline that should be copied from a third-party scholarship website.

Oxford’s central scholarship listing says applicants must submit by the relevant January deadline for their course.

The dedicated Ertegun page adds an important rule:

Ertegun Follows the Early-January Deadline

For most eligible Humanities programmes, Ertegun adheres to the early January funding deadline.

If an eligible Humanities course has a later ordinary application deadline, applicants still need to submit early enough for Ertegun consideration.

Applicants should therefore check the exact 2027/28 date on their Oxford course page rather than relying on an old January 5 or January 7 date published elsewhere.

What If Your Oxford Course Has an Earlier Deadline?

Oxford provides an unusual exception for applicants whose course closes before the Ertegun deadline.

The preferred option is to submit the entire scholarship package with the course application.

However, exceptionally, Oxford allows applicants to:

1. submit the graduate-course application by the earlier course deadline;
2. select the Ertegun Scholarship option;
3. upload a placeholder statement saying that the final Ertegun statement will be provided for the January deadline;
4. later send the completed supporting statement to Graduate Admissions by the Ertegun deadline.

Applicants using this route must include their full name, course details and student number when submitting the final statement.

What If Your Course Has a Later Deadline?

If an eligible Humanities course has a deadline later than early January, that does not mean you can wait until the later deadline and still receive Ertegun consideration.

Oxford explicitly states that Ertegun normally follows the early January deadline, except for the specifically identified eligible Global and Area Studies/related courses.

This is one of the most important practical rules in the entire application.

Ertegun Scholarship Selection Process

Selection happens in multiple stages.

Stage 1: Faculty Review

The relevant Oxford faculty first reviews eligible applicants and identifies strong candidates for Ertegun consideration.

Stage 2: Interview

Shortlisted candidates are interviewed by a faculty representative.

Oxford says this interview is normally conducted via:

• videoconference; or
• telephone.

The interview allows candidates to expand on the ideas presented in their supporting statement.

Applicants should therefore be ready to discuss:

• their academic plans;
• long-term goals;
• the importance of the Humanities;
• their potential contribution to Ertegun House;
• intellectual interests beyond their narrow research project.

Stage 3: Central Ertegun Selection Committee

Faculties nominate shortlisted candidates to the multidisciplinary Ertegun Scholarships Selection Committee.

The committee includes:

• the Head of Oxford’s Humanities Division;
• one representative from each eligible faculty;

and acts in consultation with the Board of Ertegun Overseers.

When Are Ertegun Scholarship Results Announced?

Oxford’s dedicated Ertegun page says:

• first-round scholarship offers are expected by the end of March;
• additional offers can follow in April;
• the selection process is normally completed by the end of April.

Successful applicants are contacted by email.

Because of the volume of applications, unsuccessful applicants are generally not contacted individually, and the programme does not provide application feedback.

Ertegun Scholarship Application Timeline 2027/28

Stage	Expected Timing
Oxford graduate applications	2026/27 admissions cycle for 2027 entry
Prepare Ertegun supporting statement	Before course funding deadline
Ertegun application deadline	Early January 2027 / relevant Oxford funding deadline
Faculty assessment	After application review
Shortlisted interviews	During selection process
First scholarship offers	By end of March 2027
Additional offers	April 2027
Selection complete	By end of April 2027
Oxford academic year begins	2027/28

Applicants should always use the exact deadline shown by Oxford for their chosen course.

Can Pakistani Students Apply?

Yes.

Ertegun has no nationality restriction, so eligible Pakistani applicants can compete alongside applicants from other countries.

A Pakistani applicant would still need to:

• qualify academically for the selected Oxford programme;
• apply to an Ertegun-eligible course;
• meet the English-language requirement;
• submit the Oxford graduate application by the applicable funding deadline;
• select Ertegun in the scholarship section;
• upload the supporting statement.

There is no separate Pakistan quota on the official Ertegun page.

Can Indian Students Apply?

Yes.

Applicants from India are eligible under the programme’s worldwide nationality policy, provided they meet Oxford admission and Ertegun course requirements.

Can UK Students Apply?

Yes.

Oxford specifically confirms that UK students are eligible.

Can Part-Time Students Apply?

No.

The scholarship is restricted to students starting a new full-time graduate course.

Can Current Oxford Students Apply?

Only if they are applying to start a new course.

The scholarship cannot be used simply to fund a later year of the graduate programme the student is already studying.

Can Ertegun Fund a DPhil?

Yes.

Eligible DPhil programmes are included alongside eligible taught graduate programmes. Applicants must verify that their exact DPhil appears on the official course list.

Is There an Ertegun Application Fee?

The Ertegun programme does not advertise a separate scholarship application fee.

However, applicants still apply through Oxford’s graduate admissions system and should check whether the normal Oxford graduate application process requires a course application fee for their circumstances.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Ertegun Scholarship fully funded?

Yes. It covers Oxford course fees in full and provides an annual grant for living costs. Scholars also receive access to Ertegun House and the programme’s academic and community activities.

How much is the Ertegun stipend for 2027/28?

Oxford has not yet confirmed a specific 2027/28 figure on the current Ertegun page.

The latest published rate is £21,805 for 2026/27.

How many Ertegun Scholarships are available?

Oxford says a maximum of around 15 awards are made each year.

How many people apply?

More than 1,500 applicants compete annually according to Oxford’s current programme statistics.

What is the Ertegun Master’s success rate?

Oxford reports an average historical success rate of approximately 1.5% for Master’s candidates.

What is the Ertegun DPhil success rate?

The historical average is approximately 1.3% for doctoral applicants.

Is the Ertegun Scholarship open to international students?

Yes. Applicants from all countries are eligible, including UK students.

Does Ertegun have a GPA requirement?

Oxford does not publish one universal scholarship-specific GPA cutoff.

Applicants must satisfy the academic requirements of their selected Oxford course and compete successfully in the Ertegun selection process.

Is IELTS required?

The Ertegun Scholarship does not impose one universal IELTS score. Applicants must satisfy the English-language requirement of their chosen Oxford course.

Does Ertegun fund Master’s degrees?

Yes, provided the Master’s course is on the official eligibility list and is full-time.

Does Ertegun fund DPhil degrees?

Yes, eligible DPhil programmes can receive Ertegun funding.

Can part-time students apply?

No. Ertegun awards are for new full-time graduate courses.

Is the supporting statement compulsory?

Yes.

Oxford explicitly says an Ertegun application cannot be reviewed without the supporting statement.

Is there an interview?

Yes.

Shortlisted candidates are normally interviewed by a faculty representative before final nomination to the Ertegun Selection Committee.

Can I hold Clarendon and Ertegun together?

The Ertegun programme says its scholarship may not be held in conjunction with another award.

When will results be announced?

First-round offers are normally expected by the end of March, with additional offers in April and the overall selection process completed by the end of April.

Official Ertegun Scholarship Links

Applicants should use Oxford and the Ertegun Graduate Scholarship Programme as the final authority.

Official Ertegun Scholarship application and eligibility page

This is the primary source for eligibility, funding, application instructions, competition statistics, interviews, deadlines and results.

Oxford A–Z graduate scholarship directory

Use this to verify Oxford’s central 2027/28 scholarship instructions.

Ertegun House and Scholar experience

This explains the dedicated study environment, mentoring, lectures and Scholar community.

Oxford Humanities graduate funding guidance

Use this to compare Ertegun with Oxford’s other Humanities funding schemes.

Related Scholarships on Scholarships Central

Applicants looking for other Oxford or fully funded graduate opportunities can also use:

• Clarendon Scholarship 2027 at Oxford
• Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholarship 2027/28
• Master’s Scholarships directory
• PhD Scholarships directory
• Fully Funded Scholarships directory
• All Scholarships directory

Final Thoughts

The Ertegun Scholarship 2027/28 is one of Oxford’s most selective Humanities funding opportunities. It combines full course-fee coverage and living support with something less common in major scholarships: a dedicated interdisciplinary academic community based at Ertegun House.

Applicants should pay particular attention to three things.

First, course eligibility is specific. A programme must appear on the official Ertegun list.

Second, the scholarship requires a separate supporting statement and is not an automatic funding competition like Clarendon.

Third, applicants need to follow Ertegun’s early-January deadline rule even when their Humanities course would otherwise accept applications later.

With more than 1,500 applications competing for around 15 awards, a competitive application needs strong academic credentials, clear intellectual ambition and a convincing explanation of how the applicant would contribute not only to their academic discipline but also to the wider Ertegun community and the Humanities beyond Oxford.