• PhD (full-time or part-time*)
• MLitt (full-time)
• One year postgraduate course (full-time), with some exceptions – see below
  • Courses which Gates Cambridge does NOT consider:
    • Any Undergraduate degree, such as BA (undergraduate) or BA affiliated (a second BA)
    • MASt courses
    • Master of Business (MBA)
    • Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) and Global EMBA
    • Master of Finance (MFin)
    • Executive Master of Accounting
    • Business Doctorate (BusD)
    • PGCE
    • MBBChir Clinical Studies
    • MD Doctor of Medicine degree (6 years, part-time, Home students only)
    • Graduate Course in Medicine (A101)
    • Part-time degrees other than the PhD
    • Non-degree courses

• To be competitive for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship candidates must show evidence of academic excellence (through their transcripts, references, experience and the potential to succeed on the chosen course). Academic departments at the University of Cambridge nominate only the most academically outstanding applicants for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship, which ensures that those whom they select will thrive at Cambridge.
  
  

• A defining characteristic of the Gates Cambridge programme is the commitment of Scholars to improving the lives of others. They interpret this criterion broadly and applicants define it themselves by providing evidence of their past, current and future commitment to the societies in which they will live and work.
  
  

• Successful applicants must be able to demonstrate a capacity for leadership, which can be expressed in a multitude of ways. Applicants should provide evidence of their leadership experience to date and indicate the ways in which their leadership skills may have impact in the future careers.

• Please describe how, through your education and past experiences, you have displayed academic excellence. (200 words)
• Please explain why you want to study this specific course at the University of Cambridge, and how it will facilitate your future plans. (200 words)
• Please provide an example, or examples, of how you have demonstrated a commitment to improving the lives of others. Please explain why this is important to you and how it is relevant to your future plans. (300 words)
• Please provide an example, or examples, of how you have demonstrated a capacity for leadership. This could be by initiating a change or bringing others together to achieve a goal.  How will this help you make an impact in the future? (300 words)

These questions will be used by Gates Cambridge to help distinguish between candidates who have been nominated by their academic departments. It helps them identify how candidates fit into each of the four Gates Cambridge selection criteria and is the only part of the application form where applicants are specifically asked about their fit for the Gates Cambridge programme.

Applicants should use specific examples from their background, achievements, experiences, and future plans to demonstrate the answers to these questions. There is no right answer to these questions – they should be used as a starting point to reflect widely and deeply on the applicant’s values and experiences.

• How highly would you rank the applicant for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship?
• On what overall group are you basing this ranking?
• What is the size of this group?

The Gates Cambridge reference is used in the same way as the Gates Cambridge statement – to help distinguish between those candidates who have nominated by academic departments.

Referees are also asked how they rate the applicant for the scholarship: exceptional, strong, not strong, weak. They may paste/type up to 4,000 characters into the on-line reference or upload a separate letter

• You should ask someone of appropriate standing who is able to answer the question with authority and who understands the criteria and highly competitive nature of the Gates Cambridge programme and academic standards at the University of Cambridge.

• Many applicants ask a current or former academic advisor who is aware of their personal attributes, a current or former employer, or a senior member of an organisation with whom they have volunteered – although this is by no means an exhaustive list. Some applicants ask one of their two academic referees to write the Gates Cambridge reference: this is fine, as long as that person has a good understanding of your personal qualities and writes specifically about how you meet the Gates Cambridge criteria (and does not provide a third academic reference).
  
  
• You should not ask a friend or a family member, or someone who is unable to comment on your suitability for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship.
  
  

• It is essential that the Gates Cambridge referee is fully briefed about the Gates Cambridge Scholarship, especially its selection criteria, so they can write the most appropriate reference for you;
• It is useful when referees use specific examples of how you meet the Scholarship’s criteria;
• You will need to ensure your Gates Cambridge referee understands the need to keep the reference focused on the Gates Cambridge criteria (and not, for example, rehash a standard or previous reference).
• You must ensure both your academic and gates Cambridge referees submit their references by the specified deadline

• Gates Cambridge asks academic departments in Cambridge to nominate a small number of eligible applicants who meet all four of the scholarship’s criteria to a very high level. This ensures that those nominated by departments are academically outstanding and are likely to succeed as a postgraduate student at Cambridge and also that they show evidence of meeting Gates Cambridge’s selection criteria.  A relatively small number of those who apply for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship are nominated by departments and then invited to interview.
• All candidates nominated by academic departments are invited to a short interview to assess how they meet all four Gates Cambridge criteria.  Scholars are then selected after interview.
• You will be sent full details about the format and arrangements on the timing set out on Timeline page. If you are invited for interview you will have gone through an incredibly competitive process.
• You will be invited for a 25-30 minute interview and, depending on where you are, you can interview either in person or virtually. Where you are able to attend the interview in person they encourage this.
• There are four broadly subject-based interview panels:

  • Arts

  • Biological Sciences

  • Physical Sciences

  • Social Sciences