Gates Cambridge Scholarship by field of study

The Gates Cambridge Scholarship does not fund a subject area — it funds people who have been admitted to a specific course at the University of Cambridge. That makes “by field of study” the most practical way to read this scholarship: every discipline Cambridge teaches is eligible, so your real questions are about field fit. Why this department, why this course, why Cambridge for your field — and can you prove it with the documents your discipline respects? This page works through the field angle: eligible fields, how selection reads field fit, and the application evidence that differs from one discipline to another.

Key Details

Host Institution: University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
Eligible Degrees: PhD (up to 4 years), MSc/MLit (1–2 years), one-year postgraduate courses
Number of Awards: ~80 scholarships per year (approximately 25 for US citizens; ~55 for all other international applicants)
Stipend / Coverage: University Composition Fee (full tuition), maintenance allowance of £21,000/year for 12 months (pro rata for shorter courses), one economy-class return airfare at start and end of course, inbound visa costs and Immigration Health Surcharge, and additional discretionary funding (e.g., for academic development, family allowance)
Eligibility: Any citizen of a country outside the United Kingdom; must be applying to pursue a full-time postgraduate degree at the University of Cambridge; must demonstrate academic excellence, leadership, and commitment to improving the lives of others
Excluded Programmes: MBA, MFin, PGCE, part-time degrees, and certain medical qualifications
Application Deadlines:
– US Citizens resident in the US: 16 October 2026
– All other international applicants: 3 December 2026 or 7 January 2027 (depending on course)
Applications Open: September 2026
Official Website: www.gatescambridge.org/apply

Gates Cambridge Scholarship: key details

How to Apply

Applications are submitted through the University of Cambridge’s Applicant Portal simultaneously with your Cambridge course application. You must nominate yourself for the Gates Cambridge Scholarship during your Cambridge application. Your application is assessed on four criteria: academic excellence, reasons for choice of course, commitment to improving the lives of others, and leadership capacity. Two references and a research proposal (for research degrees) are also required.

The Gates Cambridge Scholarship represents an extraordinary opportunity to join a global community of scholar-leaders at one of the world’s finest universities, fully supported to pursue research that matters.

Always verify deadlines and details on the official Gates Cambridge website before applying.

Eligible fields: everything Cambridge teaches

There is no subject quota and no excluded discipline. Scholars come from the sciences, engineering, medicine-adjacent courses, social sciences, arts and humanities — anywhere a full-time Cambridge postgraduate course exists, a Gates Cambridge application can sit behind it. Roughly two-thirds of awards go to PhD scholars, with the rest funding master’s and one-year postgraduate study. Your field does not change the value of the award: tuition, maintenance, airfare and visa costs are covered on the same terms in every discipline.

How field fit is judged

One of the four selection criteria is your reason for choosing your course, and it is scored on field-specific evidence: the named supervisor, laboratory, archive, clinic or research group that only Cambridge offers you; why your project belongs in that department rather than anywhere else; and how the course advances the contribution you want to make in your field. Generic praise of Cambridge scores badly in every discipline. Academic excellence, the second criterion, is also read within your field’s norms — first-class results, prizes, publications or performances, whatever excellence looks like in your discipline.

Documents that differ by field

Research degrees (all fields): a research proposal written to your department’s expectations, plus transcripts and two references who can judge your work in the field.
Humanities and social sciences: some courses ask for samples of written work; your proposal carries more of the argument than in lab sciences.
Laboratory sciences and engineering: evidence of research experience — placements, projects, publications — and a realistic match with a specific research group.
Taught master’s and one-year courses: the statement of purpose and your academic record carry the field case; a few courses set additional tests or requirements, so always check your course page.

The field exceptions

A small set of programmes is excluded for every field: the MBA, the MFin, the PGCE, part-time degrees and certain medical qualifications. If your field’s natural Cambridge route is one of these, the scholarship cannot fund it, and no strength of application changes that.

Want the general version? This page covers the Gates Cambridge Scholarship from the field-of-study angle. For the complete overview — the full funding package, the general deadlines and the standard application route — see Gates Cambridge Scholarship 2027 — the full programme guide.

Frequently asked questions

Which fields of study can the Gates Cambridge Scholarship fund?

Any field in which Cambridge offers a full-time postgraduate course — sciences, engineering, humanities, social sciences and more. A few programmes are excluded in all fields, including the MBA, MFin and PGCE.

Do I choose the scholarship first or the course?

There is one application: you apply for your Cambridge course and indicate your interest in Gates Cambridge within it. Admission to the course comes first; the Trust selects from admitted applicants.

Does my field change the value of the scholarship?

No. Tuition, the maintenance allowance, airfare and visa costs are covered on the same basis across disciplines.

Can I change field from my first degree?

Yes, if the department admits you to its course. Your application must make the field case: why this course, and why your background prepares you for it.