Funding
Postgraduate degrees (both MSc and PhD) are supported by studentships and fellowships from several agencies including the UK Research councils, the WMO, and the British Council. Fees and maintenance costs are updated every year. In 2012/2013, fees for UK and European Union students are £3,828 per year, and for students from outside the European Union they are GBP £13,645 per year.
Research Council Studentships
We receive a number of Research Studentships, which provide support for three years for students registered for higher degree by research. Most of these studentships are from the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC); we apply for these studentships on your behalf. They are allocated on a competitive basis. Only students with first or upper second class honours degrees will be considered for grants.
Fee and maintenance awards (UK citizens and EU residents of the UK)
NERC Studentships (covering both fees and a maintenance grant of £13,590/year (2012/2013 level), tax free) are open to all UK students and other European Union students who have lived in the UK for the past three years. Other students may also be eligible if they have an established relevant connection with the UK. A relevant connection constitutes being resident in the UK for the past three years, not for the sole purpose of education, and not being subject to any restriction on the period for which he/she may stay in the UK. Note that these are guidelines: NERC decides cases on an individual basis.
Fee-only awards (EU)
For European Union students who have not lived in the UK for the past three years, we can use our NERC-studentship funding to pay the fees of a limited number of students. To apply for this funding you need to include a separate request (200 words maximum) with your application explaining why you would require this funding. This funding is awarded on a competitive basis and, is taken from the same budget that pays maintenance awards to UK students, limiting the number of fee-only awards that can be allocated each year. If you receive a fee-only award, the University requires a guarantee that you are able to obtain funds to cover maintenance (living costs), e.g. from another funding body or private funding.
Other sources of funding
Overseas students (non-UK)
Overseas students are usually funded by their own government, by bodies such as the World Meteorological Organization and the British Council, or by private finance. A small number of scholarships are also available to students from developing countries. Some countries also have bilateral agreements with Britain. See our information for international students for further details.
Private funding
For private funding, the University requires guarantees that funds are available to cover both fees and maintenance. The Unversity maintains a page stating fees and maintenance costs. These are updated every year. In general, the responsibility for finding suitable funding lies with the student. Unlike in the United States, this University has no teaching assistant or scholarship scheme, although modest amounts of money can usually be earned in your second and third years by demonstrating undergraduate and postgraduate courses.