China Merit Scholarship – School of Chemistry and School of Engineering

The University of Edinburgh has a strong history of global partnership, community, and exchange. We uphold a tradition of celebrating diversity and embracing international students, who enrich the student body and the extraordinary educational experience we offer.

The Scholarship award

The School of Chemistry and the School of Engineering are offering an international scholarship for academically gifted Postgraduate Taught (PGT) Masters students applying from China. These awards, which cover £2500 towards tuition fees for PGT Masters students studying on campus during the 2026/2027 academic year, will be tenable for the first year of study only. 

Eligibility criteria

The China Merit Scholarship will be awarded to any successful applicant who:

  • Firmly accepts an offer to join a full-time, on-campus PGT Masters programme within the following Schools in the College of Science and Engineering:
    • School of Chemistry
    • School of Engineering

Please note: Certain Masters programmes are excluded from the Scholarship. See below for details.

  • Is ordinarily domiciled in China at the time of application
  • Has International fee status - International fee status
  • Is either fully or partially self-funded
  • Has achieved an undergraduate degree studied and awarded in China at the minimum level outlined in the table below
  • Where required, has achieved an undergraduate degree, where at least 50% of the programme was studied at a higher education institution in China and awarded at the minimum level outlined in the table below.

Please note: There are different eligibility criteria for the School of Chemistry and the School of Engineering.

School of Chemistry - Award criteria

Table 1: Awarding minimum for University of Edinburgh programmes owned by the School of Chemistry.
Institution Type Award Minimum
C9, 985 or 211 university Overall weighted average grade of 80%
Non-211 university Overall weighted average grade of 85%
UK-based university (where at least 50% of the programme was completed in China, i.e., 2+2 or 3+1) 2.1 Honours
Combination of China-based and other overseas university (where at least 50% of the programme was completed in China, i.e., 2+2 or 3+1) Equivalent of a UK 2.1 Honours

School of Engineering - Award criteria

Table 2: Awarding minimum for University of Edinburgh programmes owned by the School of Engineering.
Institution Type Award minimum
C9, 985 or 211 university Overall weighted average grade of 85%
Non-211 university Overall weighted average grade of 90%
UK university based in China (the full degree must have been completed in China and no other country) 1st Class Honours

You will not be eligible for this scholarship if: 

  • You are fully sponsored by your employer.
  • You are already in receipt of a full scholarship or are awarded one at a later date.
  • You have applied for any of the following Masters programmes in the School of Engineering: MSc Biomedical Engineering; International Master of Science in Fire Safety Engineering; MSc Sensor and Imaging Systems.
  • You have already accepted any other University of Edinburgh scholarship. If you are subsequently offered and accept another University of Edinburgh scholarship, you must let us know by contacting: futurestudents@ed.ac.uk
  • You are studying for an online degree.
  • You are currently already studying for a postgraduate Masters degree at the University of Edinburgh within the 2025-2026 academic year.

You can read the full Terms and Conditions for the China Merit Scholarship here: Terms and Conditions

These scholarships are awarded to any student who has accepted an unconditional offer on a PGT Masters programme and meets the eligibility criteria outlined above. For entry into the 2026/2027 academic year, the Scholarship will be awarded to every eligible unconditional offer holder who achieves the listed grades in the above tables. No separate application is necessary, and the Scholarship will be automatically applied to your student tuition fee balance.

Please note that your CAS will show the full tuition fees for your programme of study. However, it will also note that you are the recipient of a scholarship, to the value of £2500 that will be deducted from the full tuition fees when you enrol at the University.  As this information will be included on your CAS, you do not need to include a letter confirming the China Merit Scholarship with your visa application.  More information about applying for a visa can be found on our website at: Applying for a visa

If at the point of registration, a student is recorded as self-funded and in receipt of the China Merit Scholarship, the invoice issued will be reduced by the scholarship amount. If, at a later date, the student is awarded a full scholarship, they would then be required to advise their funder that the original invoice included the China Merit Scholarship, which does not apply when a full scholarship is in place, and to refer to the offer letter.


The University of Edinburgh will inform successful scholarship awardees by email after they have received an unconditional offer for an on-campus, full-time PGT Masters programme once the necessary administration has been completed. Notification times may vary, and take longer during busy periods. 

If you have not received a notification within 10 working days of firmly accepting your unconditional offer then please get in touch with us by emailing futurestudents@ed.ac.uk


Any queries about the scholarships should be directed to: futurestudents@ed.ac.uk


Important

The University reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to amend or withdraw any of the advertised scholarships, without further notice.

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