Zoroastrian Studies Scholarship

Key information

Deadline date
Amount
£16,500

Scholarship overview

The Zoroastrian Studies Scholarship was established in memory of Professor Mary Boyce by those who knew and admired her, in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the study of Zoroastrianism. It also reflects her deep belief in the importance of scholarships in supporting and inspiring future generations of scholars.

There is one scholarship available for 2026/27 which will provide a minimum of £16,500 towards tuition fees. If the awardee’s tuition fees are lower than this amount, any remainder will be paid directly to the student as a maintenance stipend.

Eligible programmes

New admissions (beginning in 2026/27) for full-time, 1 year taught masters degrees in the following subjects:

This scholarship does not allow for pre-sessional courses.

Candidate criteria

This scholarship is open to Home and Overseas fee status applicants. Applicants must:

  • Possess or expect to be awarded a first class honours degree from a UK university or international equivalent. Applicants with a non-UK masters degree must be in the top rank as evidenced by references and transcripts. Applicants with a 2:1 may also apply but will not be given preference.
  • Have applied to SOAS but are not required to have received an offer of admission by the scholarship deadline. You will need to have received an unconditional offer by the time the relevant panel meets to discuss scholarship applications.
  • Meet the English language condition of their offer of admission to study at SOAS, if applicable. If your offer is conditional on English, please arrange your English test and ensure you meet the English requirements as soon as possible.
  • Complete the compulsory 60-credit dissertation in Zoroastrianism and the 30-credit module: Zoroastrianism, Historical and Contemporary Perspectives. In addition to this, applicants may wish to take one further 30-credit language module (e.g., Avestan language module).

How to apply

Step 1

Apply for your programme. To apply for a master’s degree programme, please see Taught Masters applications.

Applicants applying for scholarships must submit an application for admission as soon as possible. Please note that complete applications for admission can take up to 4 weeks to be considered by the department, although this duration can vary depending on the time of year. You should be prepared to wait up to 6 weeks in busy periods.

Step 2

Apply for the scholarship by 12:00 PM (midday) UK local time on 17 July 2026. You must apply for this scholarship via the admissions portal and will need to have applied for a course to get login credentials for this.

Candidate assessment

  • Candidates will be assessed by a selection panel based on their academic merit and personal statement.
  • Information included in your scholarship and admissions applications will be reviewed by the panel.
  • Preference will be given to candidates who are ordinarily resident in an African and those who demonstrate an interest in governance and/or development in Africa.
  • Applicants should not use generative AI tools to write their scholarship application statements. You may, however, use AI tools to check grammar and spelling or to help you plan the structure of your statements. For further guidance on appropriate AI use, please refer to our guidance to students on the use of AI.
  • Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

Notification of results

The scholarship shortlisting and awarding period is expected to be completed by the end of July at the earliest. Successful candidates will be contacted first, and once all awards have been allocated, unsuccessful candidates will be notified.

Contact

For any enquiries regarding the scholarship application procedure, please email scholarships@soas.ac.uk.

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