University of Westminster International Postgraduate Excellence Award 2026

If you’ve come across Westminster’s International Postgraduate Excellence Award before, it’s worth double-checking which version you’re actually looking at. The university runs at least two under nearly identical names, one offering £3,000 for standard one-year Master’s programmes, and this one, offering £5,000, reserved specifically for students enrolling in the 2-year Master’s with Integrated Professional Year Experience.

That extra year, and the placement experience built into it, is exactly why this version carries a larger award. The September 2026 application window closed on 26th June 2026, and decisions are due within four weeks of that date, meaning anyone who applied should hear back within the next few weeks. If you’re planning instead, here’s everything worth knowing about how this award actually works.

University of Westminster International Postgraduate Summary

The University of Westminster International Postgraduate Award Description

Westminster’s Integrated Professional Year Experience Master’s programmes are built around a specific idea: rather than finishing your Master’s after twelve months and heading straight into the job market, you spend a second year embedded in a professional placement relevant to your field, graduating with genuine, structured work experience layered onto your academic qualification.

This scholarship exists to make that extended, more expensive route more accessible to international students, recognising that a two-year commitment carries a heavier financial load than the standard one-year Master’s. Like its £3,000 sibling award, it’s judged on academic excellence and demonstrated passion for your subject rather than financial need, and it sits within Westminster’s much broader scholarship ecosystem. The university runs comparable postgraduate awards for both its September and January intakes, so this isn’t necessarily a single once-a-year opportunity if the January route also applies to your intended programme.

The scholarship is only available for eligible postgraduate taught programmes. Students applying for the following types of programmes are not eligible:

• Professional courses such as RIBA Part III
• Doctoral programmes
• Online or distance learning courses
• Postgraduate Certificate or Diploma courses
• Part-time courses
• Integrated Master’s, MPhil or PhD programmes

What the Award Covers

• £5,000 applied directly toward your tuition fees, paid straight to the university rather than to you personally.
• The award covers your first year of study only. Since this is a two-year programme, you’re responsible for full tuition fees in year two, including your professional placement year.
• Importantly, this scholarship cannot be put toward the £5,500 CAS deposit required to secure your student visa confirmation — that cost needs to be budgeted for and paid separately, in full.
• Beyond the tuition reduction, recipients are expected to maintain satisfactory academic progress and may be asked to take part in University promotional activities, similar to Westminster’s other merit-based awards.
• The core value of the programme itself — the built-in professional placement year — isn’t part of the scholarship per se, but it’s the reason this award exists as a distinct, higher-value scholarship compared to Westminster’s standard one-year postgraduate awards.

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Eligibility Requirements

• You must be classified as an overseas fee-paying student.
• You must hold an offer for a full-time Master’s course starting in September 2026, specifically one delivered as a 2-year programme with Integrated Professional Year Experience.
• You need a minimum UK equivalent of a Good 2:1 Honours degree.
• You must meet every condition attached to both your academic offer and your CAS issuance.
• You must be self-funded and not already receiving another University of Westminster tuition discount or scholarship.
• You need to be able to cover your own living costs throughout your studies in the UK. This award doesn’t extend to maintenance funding.
• You must join your course before the enrolment deadline and maintain satisfactory academic progress throughout the full two years, not just your first.
• Standard exclusions apply: professional courses like RIBA Part III, doctoral programmes, online or distance learning courses, Postgraduate Certificate or Diploma courses, part-time study, and Integrated Master’s, MPhil, or PhD programmes are all ineligible.

Required Documents

• Completed scholarship application form.
• Offer letter for an eligible full-time Master’s programme with Integrated Professional Year Experience.
• Academic transcripts and degree certificate.
• Evidence confirming your UK-equivalent 2:1 Honours degree.
• A personal statement.
• A passport copy.
• Any additional documents the University of Westminster specifically requests during review.

What to Do Before the Next Cycle Opens

The September 2026 window has closed, but Westminster runs a fairly predictable calendar for this award, so the months ahead are genuinely useful for getting ahead of the next one rather than just waiting:

1. Get your course application moving early.

You can’t apply for this scholarship without first holding an offer for an eligible 2-year Integrated Professional Year Experience programme, so treat your admissions application as the real starting line. Applying well ahead of any scholarship deadline also gives you room to fix anything in your file before the funding window even opens.

2. Check whether your target programme has a January intake option too.

Westminster runs equivalent scholarship structures for several of its postgraduate awards across both September and January starts. If your intended course offers a January entry point, there may be a separate scholarship window worth watching for sooner than you’d expect.

3. Firm up your overseas fee status documentation now.

This is a straightforward eligibility check, but it’s worth confirming early rather than discovering an issue during application season, when there’s less time to resolve it.

4. Start drafting your personal statement well before the next window opens.

Since selection weighs heavily on demonstrated passion for your subject, not just your grades, a statement written and revised over several weeks will consistently read stronger than one assembled in the final days before a deadline.

5. Gather your transcripts and degree certificate evidence in advance.

Have your UK-equivalent 2:1 documentation ready to go, so that once the scholarship form reopens, submitting is a formality rather than a scramble to track down paperwork.

6. Separately, start budgeting for your £5,500 CAS deposit.

Since this scholarship can never be used toward that cost, it’s worth having that figure covered independently, well ahead of your visa application stage, regardless of your scholarship outcome.

7. Watch Westminster’s scholarships page from several months out.

Based on this year’s late-June deadline, expect a similar window to open in the first half of 2027 for the September 2027 entry. Check periodically as that period approaches rather than waiting for a single reminder.

When the next window does open, the actual submission step is simple: complete the scholarship form and attach your documents before the deadline. Everything above is what actually determines whether that submission is competitive once it goes in.

Application Deadline

The September 2026 intake deadline was 26th June 2026, and that window has closed. Outcomes are expected within four weeks of that date, putting notifications around 24th July 2026, just a few weeks away as of this writing. Westminster maintains a parallel January-intake structure for several of its postgraduate awards, so if your target programme also runs a January start, it’s worth checking whether an equivalent scholarship window opens for that intake as well.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this the same as Westminster’s £3,000 International Postgraduate Excellence Award?

No. This is a separate, higher-value version of the award, specifically for students enrolling in the 2-year Master’s with Integrated Professional Year Experience. The standard £3,000 award applies to regular one-year Master’s programmes instead.

Is the September 2026 window still open?

No. The deadline was 26th June 2026. Outcomes are expected within four weeks, so around 24th July 2026 for anyone who has already applied.

Can Nigerian or other African students apply for this scholarship?

Yes. It’s open to international, fee-paying students from any country, provided you hold an offer for an eligible Integrated Professional Year Experience programme and meet the academic requirements.

Does the £5,000 cover both years of the programme?

No. It’s applied to your first year only. Since this is a two-year programme, you’re responsible for full tuition fees in your second year, the placement year.

Can I use this award toward my CAS visa deposit?

No. The award cannot be applied to the £5,500 CAS deposit required for your student visa. That cost must be covered separately and in full, regardless of your scholarship outcome.

Disclaimer: All scholarship details, deadlines, and eligibility criteria in this post were verified from official sources as of July 2026. Information is subject to change without notice. Always confirm the latest details directly on the official University of Westminster International Postgraduate Excellence Award (2-Year Integrated Professional Year Experience) page before submitting your application. ScholarWaka is not affiliated with the University of Westminster.

Official Application Portal