Merit Scholarships

Merit Scholarships will be available in 2008 to local fee paying postgraduate coursework students enrolled in Master degrees, Graduate Diplomas and Graduate Certificates. Students do not have to apply for the scholarships.

The Faculty of Arts will award up to 10 Merit Scholarships each year.

The Merit Scholarship will be a discount on course fees of $300 per unit of study commencing in the semester following the award of the scholarship. Merit Scholarship holders will be notified in writing of the award of a scholarship.

Students who have been granted a HECS place are not eligible for this scholarship.

Conditions
To be awarded the scholarship, candidates must:

be enrolled in a postgraduate coursework award program in the Faculty of Arts (ie Master, Graduate Diploma, Graduate Certificate)
be enrolled in a minimum of 2 units of study (12 credit points) in a semester
have confirmed by the semester results processing deadline all results within the enrolled program in that semester
achieve a Distinction average (75% or above) in the two best units of study within the award program in that semester

Note: Merit Scholarships will be awarded on the basis of the results confirmed at the semester results processing deadline, so late results will not be considered.

The Faculty will rank the eligible candidates according to merit in the given semester.

Faculty of Arts International Postgraduate Coursework Scholarships (IPCS)

For the first time in 2009, The Faculty of Arts will offer scholarships to outstanding international students undertaking a postgraduate coursework program in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Sydney. These scholarships cover the tuition fees for the whole degree program in which the applicant is enrolled. Note: the scholarships do not cover any other costs, such as travel, accommodation, text books, insurance, health cover and the like.

To be considered for an IPC scholarship, applicants must have an unconditional offer of a place in their chosen program of study in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Sydney.

Scholarships will be available for all postgraduate coursework degree programs in the Faculty of Arts. In the 2009 round of offers, applications for admission to the following degrees will be given priority:

Master of Arts (History)
Master of Cultural Studies
Master of Human Rights
Master of International Studies
Master of Media Practice
Master of Museum Studies
Master of Translation Studies

Eligibility
Applicants must have received an unconditional offer of admission to a Masters by coursework program in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Sydney. This means that applicants must have met the Faculty’s English language requirements, as well as academic admission requirements. For more information on English language requirements, please visit the International Office Website

Applicants must be commencing postgraduate study at the University for the first time. Applicants must be a citizen of a country other than Australia and New Zealand, and may not hold permanent residency in Australia. Applicants may not be in receipt of any other tuition fee scholarship.

Selection
Applicants will appreciate that there is strong competition for these scholarships. Selection is based on academic merit, including excellent results in the applicant's English language test. Applicants should provide a statement regarding why they want to undertake their chosen program at the University of Sydney, and what they hope to achieve following graduation. Please note: It is very important that applicants make clear the degree for which they are applying.

Scholarship Benefits
These scholarships exempt students from the international student tuition fees for the duration of the program.

Items NOT covered by the IPCS include:

Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC)
A living allowance
Travel or relocation costs
Overseas fieldwork costs
Visa application fees
Tuition fees for any units beyond those required for the completion of the degree

Commencement Date
Scholarships are awarded on the basis that the student will commence study in the year for which it is offered, and for the program in which a place has been offered in the Faculty of Arts. A scholarship holder may defer commencement of the program of study, and of the award of a scholarship, for only one semester, and then only under exceptional circumstances.

Duration
The scholarship is limited to the standard duration of the course of study (8 units of study for the various Masters degrees listed above; except: 12 units for the Master of Translation Studies). An extension of the scholarship is possible if the student’s program is upgraded to the degree of Master of Letters (offered in limited, not all, subject areas) and provided an extension of visa has been approved by the Australian Government.

Leave
Scholarship holders may in special circumstances take leave of absence from their scholarship for a maximum of one semester. Students must check their visa conditions before applying for leave; and they must apply for permission in advance of taking such leave.

Transferring Scholarships
These scholarships cannot be transferred from one institution to another, nor from the Faculty of Arts to another faculty in the University of Sydney. Scholarships might be transferable to another program within the Faculty, with the Faculty’s permission and appropriate departmental approval.

Termination of Scholarships

Scholarships will be terminated:

if the student fails to meet the eligibility requirements outlined in the conditions
if the student fails to make satisfactory progress in the program
when the student ceases to be enrolled as a full-time postgraduate coursework student at the University of Sydney
if the University determines that the student is guilty of serious misconduct, including, but not limited to, having provided false or misleading information
if the student does not resume study at the end of a period of approved leave
if the student is granted permanent residency in Australia. Students must immediately advise the International Office and the Faculty Office about any changes to their visa status
upon the death, incapacity, resignation or withdrawal of the student from the program of study.

How to Apply

Please note: The Faculty of Arts International Postgraduate Coursework Scholarships are available ONLY for postgraduate coursework degrees undertaken at Master level in the Faculty of Arts.

There is no application form for these scholarships. If you are interested and eligible to apply, please submit a personal statement with your application for admission to a postgraduate coursework degree in Arts. This personal statement should briefly set out your academic and extra-curricular or professional achievements (you must also provide original or certified academic transcripts with your application), and outline why you want to undertake your chosen course at the University of Sydney, and what you hope to achieve following graduation.

Please note: It is very important that applicants make clear the degree for which they are applying.

All applications for admission to the University should be addressed to:

Admissions Officer - Arts Postgraduate
International Office
Building G12
University of Sydney
NSW 2006
Australia

For further information about applications to admission to a postgraduate coursework degree in 2009, please see the International Office Website

Closing Dates

For applicants intending to commence study in Semester 1, (March) 2009:
31 OCTOBER 2008

For applicants intending to commence study in Semester 2, (July) 2009:
30 APRIL 2009