Fees and Funding
Please note that admissions for the course starting in October 2012 are now closed. The next course will start in October 2013 and admissions will open in September 2012. Our website will also be updated at that time with information specific to the 2013 course. Please email iphumrts@conted.ox.ac.uk inserting 'IHRL MST' in the subject line if you would like to be informed when admissions are open.
Course fees
The estimated total course fees for a student starting the course in 2012-13, and based on taking two consecutive years to complete the degree, are £18,317 for Home/EU students and £19,211 for overseas students (for information on the classification of students for fees purposes see the fee status section of the Fees and Funding website). This fee includes tuition plus accommodation and meals at New College for the nine weeks of residential sessions. Approximately £3250 of this fee covers your room and board at New College. Students who do not stay in the accommodation provided at New College receive a refund once fees have been paid.
In addition, a college fee will be payable. This fee varies from college to college but is likely to be between £2000 and £2400 over two academic years.
Applicants (especially those from overseas) should note that, in addition to the course and college fees, you will need to budget for your own travel costs, insurance and reading materials.
Applicants who are offered a place on the course will be asked to pay a non-refundable deposit of £1000 to confirm acceptance of their place (please note that this fee is part of the overall programme fee and not an additional charge). Payment of the remaining course fees for 2012-13 will then be due in August 2012 and fees for 2013-14 will be due in August 2013.
Funding
All applicants should visit the Fees and Funding section of the Graduate Studies Prospectus which has links to Oxford's Fees and Funding website and Funding Search. The fees and funding team provide information and advice to prospective and current students and also manage a number of Oxford and national scholarships. They also provide advice on fee status, fee liability, hardship applications and US loan applications. Although the information on their web pages is aimed primarily at full-time students they are very happy to provide individual advice for applicants to part-time programmes too. Their funding search tool will help you to determine which scholarships you may be eligible for.
Home/EU and International Students
Clarendon Fund
The Clarendon Fund offers 100 full scholarships every year to graduate students at the University of Oxford. From 1 September 2011, graduate applicants of any nationality applying for 2012/13 entry will be eligible for this prestigious scholarship funding which has, up until now, only been open to candidates with overseas fee status. Awards are made on the basis of academic excellence and potential across all degree-bearing subjects at graduate level. They cover tuition and college fees as well as a generous grant for living expenses. For futher information, visit the Clarendon Fund website.
Las Casas Service Learning and Social Justice scholarships
All applicants should investigate the 'Las Casas Service Learning and Social Justice' scholarships offered by Blackfriars Las Casas Institute which may not appear in the funding search. If you are eligible for these scholarships, and would like to apply, you will need to list Blackfriars as your choice of college on the application form.
International Human Rights Law Scholarship Fund
In addition to the University-wide scholarships, the Department for Continuing Education offers scholarships to support students on the MSt in International Human Rights Law. These funds are used by the Admissions Committee to make it possible for one or more outstanding human rights advocates to attend the course who otherwise would not be able to do so because of financal circumstances. In most, but not all, cases these funds are used to support applicants from poorer countries. There is no special application for this award; all candidates accepted by the Department who meet the criteria for the award are considered.
International Students
Oxford Scholarships
Student Funding Services administers a number of national and Oxford scholarships for international students on behalf of the University. Only a small number of the schemes are open to part-time students but we recommend that you check your eligibility for the following scholarship if you are from the Middle East.:
Saïd Foundation Oxford Scholarships: The Said Foundation Oxford Scholarships offer two scholarships every year to graduate students from the Middle East. The scholarships are open to Jordanians, Lebanese, Palestinians and Syrians resident in the Saïd Foundation's target countries (please refer to the above website). Applicants must be able to demonstrate their commitment to the future development of the region. The scholarships cover tuitoin and college fees, as well as a grant for living expenses.
You should also use the funding search tool to check your eligibility for any other scholarships. If you are eligible for any of the scholarships and wish to apply, you need to indicate this in the Scholarships section of the application form when you apply (more details about how to do this are included in Application Guide). Please note that you may only apply to these scholarships if you submit a complete application in time for assessment by Application Deadline 2 (20 January 2012) and you must indicate your interest in these scholarships at the time of application (i.e. it is not possible to apply for them after you have submitted your application for the course).
Chevening Scholarship Scheme
International students should also investigate the Chevening Scholarship Scheme which has, over 26 years, provided more than 30,000 Scholarships at Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the UK for postgraduate students or researchers from countries across the world. Largely funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the scheme also receives significant contributions from HEIs and other organisations in the UK, and from a wide range of overseas sponsors including governmental and private sector bodies, with which the FCO or its overseas Posts have partnership agreements. The programme is managed by the British Council, on behalf of the FCO, both in the UK and overseas.
Chevening scholarships are prestigious and sought after awards aimed at extremely capable individuals who have already made an impact and are motivated to pursue a career that will take them to a position of leadership within their own country. Candidates for Chevening Scholarships can apply to study any subject. British Embassies and High Commissions have discretion to select candidates according to their priorities; in some countries human rights are a priority, others less so. The awards are usually for postgraduate study for one year and may cover all or part of the student's costs
A central objective of the Chevening Programme is to foster close links between the recipient Scholars and the United Kingdom, an objective Oxford takes seriously. Towards this end, in addition to the requirements of the degree programme, Chevening Scholars are required to participate in an additional three week programme in Britain during which they conduct dissertation research and work with law firms and other organisations that share interests in the Scholars’ particular field of practice and study.
Since the beginning of the Master’s programme in International Human Rights Law in 2001, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the United Kingdom has provided generous scholarship support for our students from many countries through the Chevening Scholarship Scheme. You can apply for a Chevening Scholarship through e-Chevening, the Chevening on-line application system.
For further information about Chevening Scholarships, please look at www.chevening.com or contact the Embassy, High Commission or British Council office in your country.
Commonwealth/Chevening Scholarships for African Human Rights Advocates
Please note that admissions have now closed for these scholarships. We hope that they can be offered again for the course starting in September 2013 but this is subject to funding.
The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission and the Foreign Office’s Chevening Scholarship Fund have recently announced that they will jointly pay for five new scholarships for candidates from African Commonwealth countries to study on the MSt in International Human Rights Law, starting September 2012. The awards are intended for human rights advocates from African Commonwealth countries who would be unable, without assistance, to take up their place on the course. They provide course and college fees at the University of Oxford over two years, a stipend to cover living costs and return air travel from the scholar’s home country for each residential session.
In order to apply for this scheme applicants must submit their application to the University of Pretoria where an initial assessment of applications will take place. Shortlisted applications will then be forwarded to the University of Oxford for further assessment. The deadline for submitting the application to Pretoria is 30 March 2012 (this was extended from 30 November 2011). Click here to open detailed information about the scheme, including eligibility criteria and how to apply (this document has now been updated to reflect the new closing date and schedule for the application process). If you have already submitted an application to the scheme you should now expect to hear from the University of Pretoria in early April as to whether you are being invited to interview.
Student Loans
International students are also encouraged to contact the Ministry of Education or Education Department in their own country for information on national aid schemes. In some countries, students are able to apply for a student loan from the Department of Education.
Please note
If you are admitted to study on the degree course, the Department for Continuing Education and your college will ask you to supply evidence of your ability to cover the costs of the course. Student Funding Services can provide you with advice on obtaining financial aid but ultimately it is the responsibility of the student to find funding for the course fees and other expenses and to provide documentary evidence of this.