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Funding for postgraduate study

There are many ways to fund your postgraduate studies, suitable for the type of postgraduate course or programme that you will be pursuing.

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My advice to prospective postgraduates is to do as much research into funding as possible. Take a chance when considering and applying for funding. Even if you think you might not quite meet the criteria, you might be pleasantly surprised.

Emma, MA Medieval Studies

Funding for postgraduate taught courses

Student finance

Postgraduate loans

If you are starting your master’s degree in September 2023 or later, you may be able to apply for UK Government postgraduate funding to support your study at Cardiff University.

Bursaries for Welsh master’s students

If you're a Welsh student starting a master's then you may be eligible for a Welsh Government bursary.

NHS funding for pre-registration Occupational Therapy and pre-registration Physiotherapy

Eligibility for NHS funding is subject to new students committing in advance to work in Wales for 18 months post-qualification.

Social work bursaries

To fund your social work degree, you can apply to either Social Care Wales or the NHS Business Services Authority.

Cardiff University funding

Alumni Discount

The alumni discount is available for Cardiff University graduates who are planning to start an eligible master's programme in 2023/24.

Master’s Scholarships

An award open to students with a home fee status intending to study one of our taught master’s degrees.

Vice-Chancellor's International Scholarship

Our Vice-Chancellor's International Scholarships offer funding awards to international students across a variety of postgraduate taught programmes.

Bar Training Course Scholarship

Our Cardiff University Bar Training Course Scholarship is available to any student who has been awarded a first-class degree.

The Stationers’ Foundation bursaries

The School of Journalism, Media and Culture has partnered with The Stationers’ Foundation to offer two generous bursaries to UK students studying either News Journalism or Data Journalism.

Funding for postgraduate research programmes

Student finance

Doctoral loans

If you're ordinarily resident in the UK and starting your PhD in September 2023, you may be able to apply for a UK Government postgraduate doctoral loan to support your study.

Cardiff University funding

Doctoral Training Initiatives

Our research-intensive profile and reputation enables us to secure funding for doctoral education from a wide range of sources.

PhD studentships and projects

See the range of PhD studentships and projects that are currently available.

Research Councils

The UK's seven Research Councils provide government funding for postgraduate study for UK and EU students to research organisations.

Additional funding sources

Unistaff Jobshop

The Jobshop is the student employment service owned and run by Cardiff University Students’ Union and Cardiff University.

External grants

James Pantyfedwen Foundation Grants

The James Pantyfedwen Foundation distributes grants each year to support postgraduate students from Wales studying for a Master’s or PhD.