About this scholarship
The Forward Bound scholarship is available to Health Promotion MSc applicants from low or lower-middle income countries where similar postgraduate education opportunities are not available. It is intended to support health and other professionals who are employed or who volunteer in roles where they will be able to influence health promotion practice and policy on their return.
The core objective of the scholarship is to empower recipients to use the knowledge and experience they gain from their masters’ to return to their country of origin and make a tangible difference to communities through health promotion in a professional and/or voluntary capacity.
The scholarship will fund course fees, travel costs, accommodation, visa, subsistence and health insurance for 12 months – equivalent to a cost of £28,000.
This is a highly competitive scholarship, by invitation by the course leader.
Invitation to apply for the scholarship is given to applicants as follows:
- Applicants who have a directly relevant degree (eg public health, nutrition, sport science, health sciences), relevant professional or voluntary experience, a strong personal statement and vision of how the Health Promotion MSc can enhance their future work for their country/community.
- Candidates with indirectly relevant degrees (eg psychology, social sciences, behavioural sciences) are also considered based on their professional or voluntary experience and strong personal statement as above.
- Candidates with non-relevant degrees (eg biosciences, business, lab technology) are only considered if they have extensive experience and a strong personal statement explaining their engagement in the health promotion and vision as above.
- Applicants who already hold a degree which is considered equivalent to a masters degree from the UK are unlikely to qualify for a Student Visa and are not normally invited to apply.
Please note that the Forward Bound Scholarship Award Committee's decision is final.
Who is eligible?
The Forward Bound Scholarship is for applicants from low-income countries, and lower-middle income countries where similar postgraduate education opportunities in health promotion/public health are not available.
To be eligible for the Forward Bound Scholarship, you need to have been offered a place on the Health Promotion MSc course (you must have applied before 30 April in your year of entry), and be living and/or working in a low income or low-middle income country as . We cannot offer the scholarship to applicants living/ working in countries where MSc provision is available: (currently The Gambia, Ghana and Nigeria).
Applicants would normally be working in a professional capacity in health promotion or a public health role. In exceptional cases, applicants whose influence is through non-paid roles – for example, through voluntary agencies or through other health related work – may also be considered.
Please note that applicants who have previously had an opportunity to study in the UK (or other higher income country included in the terms and conditions) are not eligible to apply.
Applicants must have an IELTS overall score of 6.5, and a minimum of 5.5 in each section (writing, reading, speaking, listening).
How to apply
Application is by invitation only. Application dates and deadlines for the next academic year will be updated in early 2025. Please check back then for more information.
First you need to apply for a place on the Health Promotion MSc course using the application form, stating clearly in the additional information section of the form that you would like to be considered for the Forward Bound scholarship.
- Your course application must be received before 23:59 GMT on 30 April 2025.
- Eligible candidates will be sent a scholarship application pack by email.
- Please note applications that have used AI to generate statements will be rejected.
- The closing date for scholarship applications is 16 May 2025.
- The scholarship panel will meet on 30 May 2025 and candidates will be informed of the outcome in June 2025.
Meet our scholars
We spoke with Caroline Mukebezi, our sixth Forward Bound scholar (2020–21) just before she left 91¶¶Òõ to hear about how the experience has been for her. You can also .
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