Ertegun Scholarship Application 2027–28: Eligibility, Benefits, Supporting Statement and How to Apply

An Ertegun Scholarship application is made inside your University of Oxford graduate application: you pick the scholarship in the funding section and add a short supporting statement. This guide explains who can apply for the Mica and Ahmet Ertegun Graduate Scholarship Programme in the Humanities for 2027-28 entry, what it pays, which documents you need and the January deadlines that matter. The key facts are also on our Ertegun Scholarship 2027–28 listing.

We checked every detail on 25 October 2026 against official Ertegun and Oxford pages. Where they do not give a detail, we say so.

Ertegun Scholarship at a glance

Full name	Mica and Ahmet Ertegun Graduate Scholarship Programme in the Humanities
University	University of Oxford, United Kingdom
Level	Full-time Master’s (MSt, MPhil, MSc, BPhil) and DPhil courses on the eligible list
Funding	Course fees in full plus an annual living-costs grant (£21,805 for 2026-27)
Who can apply	Students from all countries and backgrounds, including UK students
Awards	Around 15 a year, from over 1,500 applicants
How to apply	Select the scholarship on the Oxford graduate application form and upload the Ertegun supporting statement
Deadline	Your course’s early January deadline: 5 January 2027 for many courses, 7 January 2027 for some (12:00 midday UK time)
Results	First offers by the end of March; selection complete by the end of April

What the Ertegun Scholarship covers

• Course fees in full. All Ertegun Scholarships pay your Oxford course fees.
• A living-costs grant. The annual grant for 2026-27 is £21,805, which Oxford says is normally enough for a single student living in Oxford. The official website does not yet state the 2027-28 rate.
• Ertegun House. Scholars get dedicated use of the house, with space for writing and research, plus social occasions, lectures, performances and other activities designed for them.
• The whole course. The award runs for the full duration of your fee liability. On courses longer than one year it is renewed each year if your academic progress is satisfactory.

For comparison, Oxford estimates living costs for 2027-28 at £1,475 to £2,175 a month for a single full-time student.

Who can apply

Students from all countries and all backgrounds are welcome, including UK students. To be eligible you must:

• apply to start a new full-time graduate course at Oxford (part-time courses are not eligible);
• choose a course on the official list of eligible courses, which covers Humanities Division courses in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, Classics, English, Fine Art (DPhil in Contemporary Art History and Theory only), History, Linguistics, Medieval and Modern Languages, Music, Philosophy, Theology and Religion, and interdisciplinary subjects such as Celtic Studies, Comparative Literature and Critical Translation, Medieval Studies, Film Aesthetics, Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies and Digital Scholarship;
• meet your course’s entry requirements, including English; and
• not hold the Ertegun alongside any other award.

Some courses outside the Humanities Division also qualify: the MPhil, MSt and DPhil in Classical Archaeology, and Oxford School of Global and Area Studies courses such as the MPhil and MSc in Japanese Studies, Modern Chinese and Contemporary Chinese Studies, Modern South Asian Studies and the MSc in Modern Middle Eastern Studies. Current Oxford students can apply only if they are starting a new course, not for funding for a later year of their current course.

The list linked from the Ertegun website is labelled 2025; if in doubt, email the Ertegun Administrator at administrator@ertegun.ox.ac.uk.

Ertegun Scholarship application deadlines for 2027–28

The Ertegun Scholarship follows Oxford’s early January deadline. Your application, including the supporting statement, must be in by the January deadline on your course page. Examples from the 2027-28 course pages:

Course	Deadline (12:00 midday UK time)
DPhil in English	Tuesday 5 January 2027
BPhil in Philosophy	Tuesday 5 January 2027
DPhil in History	Thursday 7 January 2027
MSt in Classical Archaeology	Thursday 7 January 2027 (final deadline for Oxford scholarships)
MPhil in Japanese Studies	Tuesday 26 January 2027

In Pakistan (PKT), 12:00 midday UK time in January is 5:00 pm the same day. If your Humanities course has a later deadline, you must still apply by the early January deadline to be considered. The listed Global and Area Studies courses are the exception and use their own January deadline.

Documents checklist

• Ertegun supporting statement for 2027 entry, written in the Word template and uploaded as a PDF. Without it, your scholarship application cannot be reviewed.
• Three referees, registered in the form.
• Official transcripts, with a certified translation if they are not in English.
• Course documents set by your course page, such as a personal statement or statement of purpose, a research proposal for a DPhil, and written work.
• CV/résumé only if your course asks for one. Some courses, such as the DPhil in English, collect this in the form and remove uploaded CVs.
• English test results if your first language is not English. The courses we checked need Oxford’s higher level, for example IELTS Academic 7.5 with at least 7.0 in each part.
• Application fee, for example £20 for the DPhil in English and £75 for the BPhil in Philosophy. Fee waivers exist for some applicants, including those from low-income countries.

What the supporting statement asks

Section B asks for your course and a summary of your planned research (up to 300 words). Section C has three questions: how your study and career plans will advance the programme’s mission (up to 500 words); how you will contribute to your country of origin and act as an ambassador for the Humanities (up to 500 words); and how you would contribute to the Ertegun House community (up to 300 words). The mission is to support scholars who plan to enlarge their knowledge, extend their vision and exchange their ideas.

How to apply for the Ertegun Scholarship, step by step

1. Confirm your course is eligible. Find your exact course and degree type on the Ertegun list.
2. Note your deadline. Check your course page for its January date and time.
3. Download the supporting statement template for 2027 entry from the Ertegun website and draft your answers.
4. Start the Oxford Graduate Application Form and register your three referees early.
5. Select the Ertegun scholarship in the funding section. It appears as ‘Ertegun Graduate Scholarships in the Humanities’.
6. Upload the statement as a PDF with your other documents.
7. Pay the fee and submit before 12:00 midday UK time on your January deadline.
8. Prepare for an interview. Shortlisted candidates speak with a faculty representative.

If you apply for an earlier course deadline, Oxford prefers all material at once. Exceptionally, you can upload a placeholder and email the statement to Graduate Admissions (ga@admin.ox.ac.uk) by the January deadline, with your name, course and student number.

How Ertegun Scholars are selected

Faculties identify shortlisted candidates and nominate them to the Ertegun Scholarships Selection Committee. The committee is made up of the Head of the Humanities Division and one representative from each eligible faculty, acting with the Board of Ertegun Overseers. Shortlisted candidates are interviewed by a faculty representative, usually by videoconference or telephone, and can expand on their statement. Successful candidates hear by email; others are not contacted and no feedback is given.

Tips for a strong application

• Apply early. Your referees need time, and Oxford suggests submitting two weeks before the deadline.
• Answer the mission directly. Show how you will enlarge your knowledge, extend your vision and exchange ideas.
• Make question two concrete. Show how you already contribute to the humanities at home and what you will do next.
• Strengthen the course application too. Our research proposal template and advice on strong recommendation letters can help.

Other funding to consider

Applying by the January deadline also puts you in line for other Oxford scholarships, such as the Clarendon Fund; see our Oxford University Scholarships 2027–28 listing. You could also consider the Rhodes Scholarship for Oxford, the Gates Cambridge Scholarship and the Sheffield AHRC PhD Studentships, or read our overview of fully funded scholarships in the UK.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Ertegun Scholarship fully funded?

Yes. It covers course fees in full and gives an annual living-costs grant (£21,805 for 2026-27), plus use of Ertegun House.

What is the deadline for 2027-28 entry?

Your course’s early January deadline at 12:00 midday UK time: 5 January 2027 for many courses, such as the DPhil in English, and 7 January 2027 for some, such as the DPhil in History.

Is there a separate Ertegun application form?

No. Select the scholarship in the funding section of your Oxford graduate application and upload the Ertegun supporting statement as a PDF.

Can international and UK students apply?

Yes. Students from all countries and all backgrounds are welcome, including UK students.

How many Ertegun Scholarships are awarded?

Around 15 a year from over 1,500 applicants, an average success rate of 1.5% for Master’s and 1.3% for doctoral candidates.

Can I study part-time or combine it with another award?

No. Part-time courses are not eligible, and the Ertegun cannot be held with any other award.

What IELTS score do I need?

It depends on your course. The courses we checked need Oxford’s higher level, such as IELTS Academic 7.5 with 7.0 in each part.

When will I hear back?

Oxford expects first offers by the end of March, further offers in April and selection finished by the end of April.

Where to apply

Read the full rules and download the supporting statement on the official Ertegun scholarships page, check the Oxford A-Z of scholarships and follow Oxford’s graduate Application Guide to apply by your January 2027 deadline. Our Ertegun Scholarship listing keeps the key facts in one place.