University of Otago International Master’s Research Scholarship — 2026 Funding Unavailable

Academic competitiveness

There is no universal guaranteed GPA cut-off published for this scholarship.

However:

Otago says applicants normally need very strong grades The university recommends applying when later-year grades are around A or A+ Most successful international postgraduate scholarship applicants generally fall within the US-equivalent A range

Meeting those grades does not guarantee selection because only four scholarships are normally available.

Required documents

The exact scholarship-document checklist appears inside eVision and may vary by programme. I cannot confirm one universal scholarship-specific checklist.

Applicants should normally prepare:

• Official tertiary academic transcripts
• Proof of identity or passport
• Research proposal
• Evidence of English-language ability where required
• Programme-specific academic documents
• CV or writing sample where required by the department
• Evidence of research preparation or experience
• Supervisor or departmental information where requested

The university confirms that postgraduate applicants must provide official tertiary transcripts, and international postgraduate applications may also require identity documents and a detailed research proposal.

Application steps

1. Select an eligible thesis-based master’s programme.
2. Check the department’s admission and research requirements.
3. Prepare the research proposal and academic documents.
4. Apply for admission through the University of Otago eVision portal.
5. Wait for a scholarship invitation or alert inside eVision.
6. Complete the scholarship application when the alert becomes available.
7. Ensure departmental assessment and enrolment requirements are completed.
8. Wait for the relevant scholarship review round.

For thesis-only programmes or programmes where the thesis begins immediately, the scholarship alert is normally issued after the admission application. For programmes with coursework before the thesis, the alert may appear closer to the thesis-enrolment stage.

Visa support

This scholarship does not state that it provides visa sponsorship.

International students are responsible for obtaining and maintaining an appropriate New Zealand student visa. The current Fee Paying Student Visa starts from NZ$850, and Immigration New Zealand generally requires tertiary students to show NZ$20,000 per year for living costs, along with appropriate health insurance.

The NZ$18,204 stipend is below the standard NZ$20,000 annual living-funds figure. This does not automatically make the visa impossible, but applicants may need additional financial evidence depending on Immigration New Zealand’s assessment.

Application fee

The official scholarship page does not state a separate scholarship application fee.

I cannot confirm that every applicant will face no external costs, because document certification, credential evaluation, visa processing, insurance, and programme-specific requirements may create additional expenses.

Important warnings

• Do not call this fully funded.
• Do not claim that 2026 applications are currently open.
• Funding applies only to the thesis component.
• Only four awards are normally available.
• The tuition waiver is capped at NZ$35,000.
• Insurance and student services fees are excluded.
• A scholarship invitation may only appear after the admission process begins.
• Admission does not guarantee a scholarship.
• Strong grades do not guarantee selection.
• 2027 availability has not yet been confirmed.