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MA Funding
The department provides some MA Scholarships which are listed below. For a more comprehensive list of MA funding accessible across UCL, visit the Scholarships and Funding website. You may find the UCL Scholarships Finder of particular use.
We will continue to update this page regularly with details of scholarships offered in 2024/25.
- Fer-Garb Scholarship 2024-25
The Fer-Garb Scholarship is for home students who have been offered a place to study on the MA in History of Art at UCL. We particularly encourage applications from individuals belonging to underrepresented groups in academia and who may not otherwise be able to take up their offer. We also particularly encourage applications from students who hope to pursue doctoral research in History of Art. Students interested in studying any period of art, from early modern to contemporary, are encouraged to apply.
The Scholarship has been created thanks to the generosity of a History of Art alumnus, with the aim of supporting the most promising students to pursue the MA in History of Art at UCL, regardless of financial hardship. It will cover fees (£15,100) and provide a stipend (£19,500) for one year of full-time study (or pro-rata for two years part-time). In order to apply for the Fer-Garb scholarship, students must have applied for a place on the MA programme in History of Art at UCL.
The Department will be offering two Fer-Garb scholarships for 2024-2025.
How to apply:
In addition to completing the general application, students wishing to be considered for the Fer-Garb Scholarship must submit the following to Naomi Quinn-Friedman by Tuesday 30 April 2024:
- A statement demonstrating how you fulfil the aims of the scholarship and your reasons for wishing to pursue this particular programme of study in the History of Art Department at UCL (approximately 500 words)
- CV
- Transcripts
- All applicants should also declare any other sources of funding, received or awaiting decision.
- The Klesch Collection Grants for Education
The Klesch Collection offers grants towards the yearly cost of university fees to graduate students who have been accepted into a full-time Art History MA or PhD course of study beginning in the next academic year.
- New Narratives Scholarships
The Paul Mellon Centre is launching a new set of awards supporting students and researchers from a diverse range of backgrounds.
The New Narratives initiative will develop a dynamic community of writers and thinkers with new perspectives on British art and visual culture of all periods. It aims to broaden the field of British art history and open it up to a wider range of individuals.
The New Narratives scheme particularly welcomes applications from those who are under-represented within the academic field of the Humanities in the UK, including, for example, black and minority ethnic individuals. It will also take into account the intent to pursue research, activities or a career pathway that contribute to the reframing of British Art history and that challenge the received histories of British Art, as well as demonstrated interest or involvement in such research and issues in the applicant’s work, community, academic or educational experience.
MA/MPhil Studentship: £32,000 for one year to cover course fees and living expenses
Applications for the 2024 awards will close 31 January 2024.
PhD Funding
There are many opportunities to secure funding for your research degree and colleagues would be happy to support you with your application. Below is a list of some of the main sources of funding secured by our PhD students. For a more comprehensive list visit the Scholarships and Funding website. You may find the UCL Scholarships Finder of particular use.
Our students have also been successful in applying for sources of support from overseas funding agencies and educational charities, so we encourage you to investigate these where relevant.
- Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Scholarships
The department has typically secured 2-4 AHRC scholarships. AHRC scholarships are awarded and administered by the London Arts and Humanities Partnership (LAHP). Applicants for these scholarships must apply to the UCL History of Art research degree before applying for funding via LAHP.
Applicants will have ideally applied for a place to study at UCL by the middle of December but must have applied to UCL by Friday 12th January 2024, and should then apply directly to LAHP for the studentship competition. Please ensure that you give your prospective supervisor and the Departmental Graduate Tutor plenty of notice of your intention to apply. The LAHP Open studentship competition for 2024/25 entry will open for applications on 27th November 2023. The deadline is 26th January 2024 at 5pm. For more information, please see the LAHP website.
From October 2021, LAHP can award up to 30% of its studentships (including stipend) to international students. The AHRC will only fund the Home fee. The difference between the Home and International fee must be found elsewhere, e.g. from an external funder or student contribution. LAHP encourages international applicants to apply to other funding sources that could cover the difference between the Home and International fee. The Department is not able to determine your fee status. Please refer to the UKRI eligibility criteria for further information about ‘Home’ and ‘International’ fee status.
Questions should be sent to the PG Administrator Naomi Quinn-Friedman.
The selection process takes place in March, results will be announced in April.
Those interested in applying for funding from the London Arts and Humanities Partnership (LAHP) are encouraged to attend an information session.
- Research Excellence Scholarship (RES)
UCL is offering 40 fully funded UCL Research Excellence Scholarships (RES) to exceptional applicants from any country. Both prospective and current UCL doctoral students can apply.
The UCL-RES scholarship consists of full fees (either Home or Overseas) plus a maintenance stipend which increases each year with inflation. For 2023/24, the rate is £20,622 for full-time study (rates are calculated 'pro rata' for part-time students). For 2024/25, the rate is to be confirmed. Please check the scholarship page for further updates
The scholarship also includes additional research costs of up to £1,200 per year for the stated duration of the programme.
Awards are made for the normal length of the programme of study. This is normally 3 years for a full-time MPhil/PhD/EngD degree programme (or 5 years for part-time study), subject to sufficient academic progress. Please note the funding does not cover CRS/writing up year(s).
The application material should be sent to Naomi Quinn-Friedman.
You must apply for admission and submit the additional information to the department no later than Friday 12 January 2024.
- UCL Research Opportunity Scholarship
This scholarship is intended to support BME postgraduate research degree students who are UK permanent residents. Applicants should have applied for a place to study at UCL and should have notified the department they would like to be considered for a UCL-ROS by Friday 12th January 2024. Please notify if you wish to be considered for this award.
- Departmental Funding: Department Research Studentship
This prestigious studentship provides UCL tuition fees at the Home rate and a maintenance stipend for three years and provides opportunities for the award-holder to gain valuable teaching experience in the Department, helping them to develop the skills necessary for an academic career. The scholarship is awarded on the basis of an outstanding PhD proposal and exceptional academic record.
The award lasts for three years, must be held full-time, and may not be held concurrently with any other substantial award. As part of the studentship, the holder will be required to act as teaching assistant on a one-term course for each of the three years. These will follow a progression of teaching responsibility that we envision culminating in sole responsibility for an Art in London course (subject to availability). The remuneration for these teaching duties is included within the stipend. Successful candidates are also expected to play a full part in the Department's activities.
Eligibility: UK PhD students only
Value: Fees plus stipend (£21,181) for 3 yearsThe studentship will be awarded on the basis of:
- An outstanding PhD proposal
- An excellent academic track record (usually documented by first-class BA and MA degrees)
- Evidence of an aptitude for and commitment to teaching in History of Art as a career
How to apply:
Applications for 2024-25 entry are now open. Deadline for applications is Monday 13th May 2024 at 5pm.
Please read the eligibility for each source of funding before applying. Applications must be made using the form below and should be sent to Naomi Quinn-Friedman.
Home candidates who wish to be considered for departmental funding should first apply to the AHRC scholarships via LAHP (details above) and later for the Department Research Studentship. The decisions over the departmental studentship will be taken after we have learned about the outcome of the LAHP studentship competition.
You must declare any other sources of funding to which you have also applied.
- Departmental Funding: Critical Histories of Art Studentship
The Critical Histories of Art studentship is awarded to a student who is particularly committed to new critical approaches to the History of Art. The studentship covers UCL tuition fees at the Home rate and provides a maintenance stipend each year. It lasts for three years, must be held full-time, and may not be held concurrently with any other substantial award.
Selection is made on the basis of the following criteria:
An outstanding PhD proposal that demonstrates commitment to new critical approaches to the History of Art
An excellent academic track record (usually documented by first class BA and MA degrees)Eligibility: UK PhD students only
Value: Fees plus stipend (£21,181) for 3 yearsHow to apply:
Applications for 2024-25 entry are now open. Deadline for applications is Monday 13th May 2024 at 5pm.
Please read the eligibility for each source of funding before applying. Applications must be made using the form below and should be sent to Naomi Quinn-Friedman.
Home candidates who wish to be considered for departmental funding should first apply to the AHRC scholarships via LAHP and later for the Department Research Studentship. The decisions over the Critical Histories studentship will be taken after we have learned about the outcome of the LAHP studentship competition.
You must declare any other sources of funding to which you have also applied.
- Departmental Funding: Departmental Bursary
The Departmental Bursary aims to enable postgraduate research students in the UCL History of Art Department to take up their offer of study at UCL, regardless of their financial situation, by relieving financial pressures for those in need.
Value: Up to £15k one-off payment. For OS students this will be paid as a contribution to tuition fees of £15k. For UK students this will be paid as full fees at the UK rate plus a research allowance of around c. £9k.
Eligibility: All research students regardless of fee statusHow to apply:
Applications for 2024-25 entry are now open. Deadline for applications is Monday 13th May 2024 at 5pm.
Please read the eligibility for each source of funding before applying. Applications must be made using the form below and should be sent to Naomi Quinn-Friedman.
Home/EU candidates who wish to be considered for departmental funding should first apply to the AHRC scholarships via LAHP and later for the Departmental Bursary. The decisions over the departmental bursary will be taken after we have learned about the outcome of the LAHP studentship competition.
You must declare any other sources of funding to which you have also applied.
- The Klesch Collection Grants for Education
The Klesch Collection grants offer funds towards the yearly cost of university fees to graduate students who have been accepted into a full-time Art History MA or PhD course of study beginning in the next academic year.
- New Narratives Scholarships
The Paul Mellon Centre awards support students and researchers from a diverse range of backgrounds.
The New Narratives initiative will develop a dynamic community of writers and thinkers with new perspectives on British art and visual culture of all periods. It aims to broaden the field of British art history and to open it up to a wider range of individuals.
The New Narratives scheme particularly welcomes applications from those who are under-represented within the academic field of the Humanities in the UK, including, for example, black and minority ethnic individuals. It will also take into account the intent to pursue research, activities or a career pathway that contribute to the reframing of British Art history and that challenge the received histories of British Art, as well as demonstrated interest or involvement in such research and issues in the applicant’s work, community, academic or educational experience.
Doctoral Scholarship: £32,000 per year for three years to cover course fees and living expenses
The next round of applications will open in Spring 2024. The latest updates can be found on the website.
- Research Excellence Scholarships for Cross-disciplinary Training (One-Year)
UCL's Research Excellence Scholarship for Cross-disciplinary Training (RXD) is a new award for current research students to spend a year in another department acquiring new research skills.
UCL is offering up to 4 scholarships annually are available to full-time UCL MPhil/PhD and EngD students from any country wishing to spend an additional year of their MPhil/PhD or EngD in another
UCL department acquiring research skills and knowledge from a different discipline, which can be applied in their normal area of research. Training should be of one year's duration to permit sustained exposure to the new discipline.
The scholarships can be taken at any point during the fee-paying period of their MPhil/PhD or EngD programme.
The scholarships consist of fees equivalent to the applicable graduate rate (UK or overseas) plus a maintenance stipend of £20,622 (2023/24) or - in the case of recipients who already hold a UKRI grant - one that will match their current maintenance grant. The scholarship also includes additional research costs of up to £1,200.
The Cross-disciplinary Scholarships are tenable for one academic year of full-time study in the host department, starting from September.
Scholarships are awarded on the basis of the potential impact that the training would have on the scope and impact of the project and the effect on career aspirations of the candidate.
Complete applications must be submitted by 26 January 2024. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered for funding.
Applications should be sent by email to Student Funding.
- Wolfson Scholarships
For the 2024/25 academic year, there will be 3 awards for the Faculty of Social and Historical Sciences.
The Wolfson Scholarships are open to both UK and Overseas applicants. The nominations are made by the department and then processed at Faculty level.
The awards are available for doctoral research only, and will be paid over three years (or up to six years part time). For full-time students, it is expected that students complete their doctorate in three years.
Students should have an outstanding academic record, usually a first-class honours degree at undergraduate level and a Master's degree from a recognised university in a field of study relevant to their proposed doctoral research.
Applicants wishing to be considered for nomination for the Wolfson scholarship should apply in the system before 12th Jan 2024 (inclusive of transcripts, references) and email the PGR Admin at naomi.quinn-friedman@ucl.ac.uk to inform them that they should be added to the Wolfson applicants' list, while attaching the following documents:- A CV, if not attached to the programme application in the applicant portal (if included in the programme application please state so in your email to the PGR admin)
- A personal statement, f not attached to the programme application in the applicant portal (if included in the programme application please state so in your email to the PGR admin)
- An expanded outline of the research of no more than 2 pages, which does not need to contain references or a bibliography
- A reference from your intended supervisor or an email stating that the supervisor is willing to provide it over a short turnaround if you are nominated for the next stage
Further information about these awards can be found here.
