Securing a University Scholarship – One Masters Student’s Story

Most students probably don’t even consider the possibility of doing a Masters degree while they’re still sitting their A-Levels.

But for me, the chance to study at postgraduate level was on the cards as soon as I finished college, because I was awarded a Masters scholarship from the University of Sheffield.

This blog shares my experience of receiving and negotiating a scholarship so early on in my university life, as well as some general reflections about the postgraduate application process.

After applying for an undergraduate degree in Journalism Studies through UCAS, the university contacted me with two scholarship options: a summer abroad studying with an international school during my Bachelors, or a fully funded, full-time Masters degree.

I picked the latter as this seemed like the most beneficial option for my long-term plans. Having made the decision, all I had to do was achieve the required grades and the scholarship was mine.

Suffice to say, I did it. The scholarship was always at the back of my mind while I did my undergraduate degree and was a big motivator for me to do well, but the specific course I wanted to study didn’t become clear to me until I reached my final year.

Rather than progressing onto a Journalism postgrad, I decided to sit an MA in Sociology. This wasn’t a random choice, nor was it chosen simply for the sake of doing a Masters and exploiting the stepping stones that had been laid out for me.

Having studied various Sociology optional modules throughout my undergraduate programme, I saw the chance to combine my journalistic insight with a genuine interest in studying the complexities of Sociology in more detail. I was also drawn to the prospect of conducting my own research into topics I was passionate about, a craving Journalism could only partially satisfy.

Applying for a Masters was not without its tensions. Receiving a scholarship doesn't mean that you're exempt from entry criteria, and mine was not a guarantee of a place on whichever course I picked.

So, I couldn’t (and didn’t) take it for granted when filling out my application, especially because I wanted to change fields. I still had to write a compelling personal statement which presented me as a good candidate to join the course and demonstrated I had the drive and appropriate skillset to go from a vocational course to a more academic one.

Upon receiving an offer letter which detailed the course fee, I worried that I had made a fatal error in my application or that the university had forgotten about my scholarship

As it turns out, I was just being paranoid. The Masters scholarship is a fee waiver to the value of the standard fee in my chosen department, and so processing the scholarship was dealt with by the Sociology department.

The task of changing disciplines was made easier by the instant transition between degrees. Part of the scholarship’s criteria was that I had to study my postgraduate course at the University of Sheffield, and it had to commence immediately after graduating from my Bachelors.

Going straight into a Masters after graduating seemed daunting at first. But in hindsight, doing so not only supported the transfer of the skills and knowledge I developed during my undergrad, it also eliminated the stress and confusion of deciding where and when to study.

I know I am incredibly fortunate to have been awarded my scholarship. Without it, I’m not sure a Masters degree would’ve even been possible for me.

It has been of tremendous academic and professional value to me, and I haven’t let it go to waste.

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