Can GREAT Scholarships Fund an MBA, PhD, MRes or 2-Year Master’s in the UK?

The GREAT Scholarship primarily funds one-year, full-time taught postgraduate courses in the UK. Most eligible programmes are MSc, MA, LLM and similar campus-based master’s degrees. MBA and MRes courses may qualify at selected universities, but standard PhD and two-year master’s programmes are generally not covered.

Can GREAT Fund an MBA?

An MBA is not automatically eligible or excluded. The decision is made by each participating university.

The University of Manchester excluded MBA applicants from its 2026 GREAT Scholarship, despite allowing applications from many other taught postgraduate subjects. Imperial College London, however, listed its Business School among participating departments for certain eligible nationalities, provided the course was a one-year, full-time master’s programme.

Applicants must therefore check both the eligible-course list and country-specific rules. A university offering GREAT Scholarships does not necessarily offer them for its MBA.

Can GREAT Fund a PhD?

The standard GREAT Scholarship does not normally fund PhD programmes. The central scheme is designed around one-year postgraduate study and usually contributes at least £10,000 toward master’s tuition. A doctorate normally lasts three or more years and requires a different funding structure.

PhD applicants should instead search for university doctoral studentships, UK Research and Innovation funding, Commonwealth PhD Scholarships, Gates Cambridge, Clarendon or project-funded research positions.

Can GREAT Scholarship Fund an MRes Programme?

An MRes or master’s-by-research programme is a university-specific case. Imperial’s current scholarship information includes both postgraduate-taught and master’s-research study levels. Manchester, by contrast, excludes numerous MSc-by-Research and other research-focused programmes.

The presence of a dissertation does not make an MSc or MA ineligible; most taught master’s degrees include research. What matters is whether the university formally classifies the course as taught or research and whether that exact programme appears in the scholarship rules.

Can GREAT Fund a Two-Year Master’s?

Usually not. The British Council describes GREAT scholarship as supporting one-year taught postgraduate courses. SOAS expressly excludes two-year programmes, while Imperial excludes courses lasting longer than one year.

Applicants should not assume that £10,000 would be renewed for a second year. Even where a longer course is exceptionally accepted, the award may be a one-time tuition contribution rather than £10,000 annually.

Which Programmes Have the Best Chance of Eligibility?

The safest options are:

• One-year, full-time MSc, MA or LLM programmes
• Campus-based taught courses beginning in the specified intake
• Programmes included on the university’s nationality-specific GREAT page

MBA, MRes, clinical, architecture, distance-learning and professional programmes require individual verification.

The practical rule is simple: GREAT funds the exact course approved by the participating university—not every programme carrying the word “master’s.”