Gates Cambridge Scholarship is one of the world’s most prestigious and competitive postgraduate awards, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. It is specifically for students from countries outside the UK, including Bangladeshi citizens, to pursue a degree at the University of Cambridge.

Bangladesh has a history of successful Gates Cambridge Scholars, demonstrating that it is an achievable goal for exceptional students.

Key Features of the Gates Cambridge Scholarship

 

The scholarship is a full-cost award and covers virtually everything you need to study at Cambridge:

  • University Composition Fee: The full tuition fee at the appropriate international rate.

  • Maintenance Allowance: A stipend for living costs (e.g., £21,000 for 12 months at the 2024-25 rate, adjusted for course length).

  • Travel Costs: One economy single airfare at the beginning and end of the course.

  • Visa Costs: Inbound visa costs and the cost of the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS).

  • Discretionary Funding: Additional funds for academic development (conferences, research materials), fieldwork (for PhD), and a Dependent Children Allowance (if applicable).

Eligible Courses

 

The scholarship is for postgraduate degrees at the University of Cambridge:

  • PhD (Doctor of Philosophy)

  • MPhil (Master of Philosophy)

  • MLitt (Master of Letters)

  • One-year postgraduate courses (full-time)

Courses NOT covered include undergraduate degrees (BA), part-time degrees other than the PhD, and professional courses like the MBA, MFin, or PGCE.

Selection Criteria and Application Process

Gates Cambridge employs a needs-blind admission process, meaning financial circumstances are not considered. Scholars are selected based on four key criteria:

1. Academic Excellence

  • You must show outstanding intellectual ability, usually demonstrated by top grades (e.g., a GPA equivalent to a First-Class Honours degree).

  • Your academic department at Cambridge must nominate you as one of their most academically outstanding applicants.

2. Reasons for Choice of Course

  • You must make a strong case for why the specific postgraduate degree at Cambridge is essential for your future career plans.

  • PhD applicants must often contact a potential supervisor and develop a research proposal.

3. A Commitment to Improving the Lives of Others

  • This is a defining characteristic. You must provide evidence of your past, current, and future dedication to contributing positively to the societies in which you will live and work.

4. A Capacity for Leadership

  • Applicants must demonstrate leadership potential, which can be shown through initiating change, bringing others together to achieve a goal, or professional impact.

How to Apply

The application process is integrated with your application for admission to the University of Cambridge:

  1. Apply for Course and College: You must submit your application for a graduate course and a College place through the University’s application portal.

  2. Apply for Funding: Within the funding section of the application, you must select and complete the specific Gates Cambridge Scholarship section.

  3. Required Documents: You will need to submit your academic transcripts, two academic references, a research proposal (for PhD), and the specific Gates Cambridge Selection Questions (essays) addressing the four criteria above. You also require an additional Gates Cambridge Reference that assesses your suitability for the scholarship.