Scholarships by Distance Learning

The Commission's funding for scholarships by distance learning began in 2002-03. Since then over 500 scholarships have been awarded, with many graduates of the programme already applying the skills they learned.

The first phase of awards were to support courses at UK universities chosen on the grounds of their impact on international development and offered in partnership with institutions in developing Commonwealth countries. The Commission hopes that this set of awards will be used to improve the long-term capacity of institutions, as well as the individual recipients. The fifth 'cohort' of these awards will be taken up in 2006/07.

The second phase of awards, which will commence in 2006/07, are similarly to support courses at UK universities chosen on the grounds of their impact on international development. Whilst robust mechanisms for the support of students remain a requirement for support from the Commission, these awards do not require formal institutional partnerships. The Commission hopes that this second strand of scholarships will complement its existing "partnership" model and will enable it to support an even wider range of courses of major development value. The Commission has recently invited United Kingdom institutions to submit Expressions of Interest for a second tranche of awards to be taken up in 2007/08.

New Distance Learning Scholarships in Health and in Education
Please note: these awards are for tenure in African Commonwealth countries only


The Department for International Development has awarded the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC) £1.8 million to support up to 200 new scholarships in the areas of health and education, all of which will be based in Africa. The aim of this new scheme is to enable universities to target groups of working professionals who can interact with each other before, during and after their studies.
&vbcr; UK universities have been invited to submit proposals to the CSC by 15th December 2006. It is hoped that proposals will be agreed upon in January 2007.
Proposal form for DL scholarships


The following are institutions engaged in the delivery of the Commission’s new 2nd strand, or “non-partnership” scholarships:

Cardiff University
This course offers an MSc in Palliative Medicine; its target audience is medical practitioners working in any field of medicine where palliative care forms a significant part of their clinical practice.
www.palliumwales.co.uk
www.cardiff.ac.uk/indes.html


Imperial College Wye
This course is a Masters of Science in Agricultural Science offered as a University of London external degree under the academic supervision of Imperial College Wye. The course is designed to enhance the understanding and skills required by practitioners working to promote economic growth, environmental sustainability and human capacity in poor areas.
www.wye.ic.ac.uk/EP


School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London
This course offers an MSc in Public Policy and Management and provides essential skills in areas such as financial planning and control, taxation and debt, information systems, human resource management, management of change, decentralisation, investment appraisal and structural adjustment.
www.cefims.ac.uk


The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
This course offers a Masters of Science degree in Epidemiology and aims to provide a broad foundation for working successfully in many different areas related to public health and to address the needs of health professionals in different economic environments.
www.lshtm.ac.uk


The Open University
This course offers a Masters of Science in Global Development Management. The programme aims to improve the work of development professionals by providing them with both conceptual tools for critical understanding, and practical skills in institutional development and strategic and project management.
www.open.ac.uk


University of Ulster
This course offers a Masters of Science in Biomedical Sciences and is designed to provide clinically relevant and service driven postgraduate education for those working in the area of medical laboratory science within the health service as well as health related industry and research.
www.ulster.ac.uk


The following are institutions engaged in the delivery of 1st strand or "partnership" scholarships:

Imperial College Wye/University of Pretoria
This course is a Masters of Science in Agricultural Science offered as a University of London external degree under the academic supervision of Imperial College Wye. The course is designed to enhance the understanding and skills required by practitioners working to promote economic growth, environmental sustainability and human capacity in poor areas.
www.wye.ic.ac.uk/EP
www.up.ac.za/academic/ecoagric

University of Sunderland/Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture
This course is a Masters of Science in Computer Based Information Systems. This is a conversion course for non-IT graduates and is specifically designed to address the need for IT expertise and infrastructure in rural areas. Any students who do not complete the full Masters degree will be awarded a University of Sunderland Postgraduate Certificate or Diploma.

WEDC-Loughborough University
This course offers a Masters of Science in Water & Waste Engineering or Water & Environmental Management, or the Diploma in Technology for Development. It aims to encourage the integration of technological, environmental, social, economic and management input for effective and sustainable development.
wedc.lboro.ac.uk/education/education.htm

Loughborough University/Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology
This course offers a Masters of Science in Renewable Energy Systems Technology, with Postgraduate Certificate or Diploma also available. The course aims to address the need for appropriate professional-level training.
www.lboro.ac.uk/prospectus/pg/application_forms.htm

Institute of Education University of London/Aga Khan University
The course on offer is the Master of Arts in Education and International Development. The primary aim of the course is to explore the impact of social and economic divisions, sustainable development and globalisation in relation to national and transnational educational initiatives.
www.ioe.ac.uk

Leeds Metropolitan University/Chainama College of Health Sciences, Zambia
This course offers a Master of Science in Health Promotion/Environmental Health, with a Postgraduate Certificate and Diploma also available. The aim of the course is to assist the College in its provision of Masters level education in Health Promotion and Environmental Health; this is currently not available in Zambia.
www.lmu.ac.uk/hen.healthed/he.htm

Staffordshire University/University of Madras
The course on offer is the Master of Arts degree in Sustainable Development; the Postgraduate Certificate and Diploma are also available. The degree aims to enable students to acquire the advanced knowledge, understanding and skills needed for progressing sustainability agendas in a variety of social contexts.
www.staffs.ac.uk/distlearn

University of Bath/Chartered Institute of Building-South Africa
This course offers a Master of Science degree or Postgraduate Diploma in Construction Management and aims at developing the skills of construction managers in South Africa, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
www.bath.ac.uk/dacs/cmdl

University of Dundee/Kenya Medical Training College
This course offers a Masters degree in Nursing, with a Postgraduate Certificate or Diploma also available. The course is designed to develop the individual practitioner from a level of competence through to proficiency and expertise.
www.dundee.ac.uk/meded/

University of London External Programme/University of Ghana
Currently, the Commission is supporting a pilot project, under the aegis of the External Programme, by which Imperial College London offers a Master of Science and a Postgraduate Diploma in sustainable agriculture and rural development. The Programme's aim is to enhance the ability of the University of Ghana to deliver courses of immediate relevance in terms of economic growth and environmental sustainability.
www.londonexternal.ac.uk

Leeds Metropolitan University/Dar Es Salaam Institute of Technology, Tanzania
This course offers a Masters degree in Facilities Management and is designed to foster a culture of sustainable development and resource management.
zirconia.lmu.ac.uk:8900/public/MMSCFM

University of Stirling/Bangladesh Agricultural University
This course offers a Masters degree in Aquatic Resource Development and is designed to empower individuals who wish to develop the skills necessary to run and manage aquatic systems.


University College London/Walter Sisulu University
The course on offer is a Masters degree in International Primary Health Care; it is aimed at senior clinicians, researchers and policy makers in regions where primary health care is at an intermediate stage of development.
www.londonexternal.ac.uk/prospective_students/postgraduate/ucl/health_care/index.shtml

University of Edinburgh/University of Makerere
The programme is a Masters in International Animal Health aimed at graduates with a degree in veterinary medicine, agricultural science, biology or a related science. Using innovative approaches to online learning, this programme will provide graduates with the knowledge and skills needed to advance in the Animal Health sector.