Welcome students from Africa

Full tuition fee and stipend for talented and motivated postgraduate students to study MSc Intelligence, Security, and Disaster Management from September 2025. Applications open to students from the following Commonwealth countries:

• Bangladesh

• Belize

• Botswana

• Cameroon

• Dominica

• Eswatini

• Fiji

• Gabon

• Ghana

• Grenada

• Guyana

• India

• Jamaica

• Kenya

• Kiribati

• Lesotho

• Malawi

• Malaysia

• Maldives

• Mauritius

• Montserrat

• Mozambique

• Namibia

• Nauru

• Nigeria

• Pakistan

• Papua New Guinea

• Rwanda

• Saint Helena

• Saint Lucia

• Saint Vincent and The Grenadines

• Samoa

• Sierra Leone

• Solomon Islands

• South Africa

• Sri Lanka

• Tanzania

• The Gambia

• Togo

• Tonga

• Tuvalu

• Uganda

• Vanuatu

• Zambia

The deadline for this scholarship has now passed.

More information can be found on the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship website.

As part of our commitment to our international student family, we are delighted to offer a range of prestigious tuition scholarships on courses starting in September 2025.

The University of Derby is a TEF Gold institution, and it is important to us that we attract the brightest, most ambitious, and capable students. We want scholars who enhance our community of excellence and who will build their future here in the UK or will be a proud alumni representative of the University around the world.

Subject to conditions outlined below, we can confirm that students will be eligible for the award of a Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship of £2,000, which will be deducted from their first-year tuition fee. This £2,000 scholarship is in addition to our existing Full Payment Discount whereby students who pay their annual tuition fee in full ahead of enrolment benefit from a £1,000 discount.*

Who can apply?

To be eligible students must be:

• An overseas fee payer
• Self-financing their tuition fees
• Entering a UK campus-based full-time taught postgraduate course or a full-time taught undergraduate course
• Starting in September 2025
• Studying at the University of Derby for the first time

Students who qualify for the Vice-Chancellor’s scholarship will not be eligible for the International Alumni Discount or any other University financial awards (apart from the Full Payment Discount).

How students will receive their scholarship 

The Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship award will be automatically applied. It will be deducted from the fee amount outstanding, which should be paid in line with university guidance.  

Students who receive an award will still need to:

• Meet any academic conditions in their offer
• Have paid their deposit of £8,000
• Have successfully completed their pre-CAS interview (if appropriate)
• Have been issued a CAS (if appropriate)
• Have completed enrolment

Students who pay the full international fee upfront, prior to enrolling, will receive an additional £1,000 fee discount. 

For students wanting to confirm their place and ensure they can satisfy immigration requirements (including their pre-CAS interview) in time to arrive in the country by the start of the course, we strongly recommend that the above steps are completed ASAP.

Need help?

For questions about Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship, please contact our Admissions office on askadmissions@derby.ac.uk.

*For further details on the £2,000 Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship and £1,000 Full Payment Discount visit our Scholarships, Bursaries and Discounts webpage and note that Terms and Conditions apply. 

International Foundation Programme

West African Senior School Certificate Examination, NECO Senior School Certificate or General Certificate of Education Ordinary.

Students with five passes at grade C or above would usually be eligible for the IFY.

UKVI IELTS 4.5 with a minimum of 4.0 in all components (CEFR B1) is also required.

Undergraduate

Students with a minimum CGPA of 2.5 in the National Diploma can typically be considered for direct entrance onto Bachelor programmes.

Students with a minimum CGPA of 2.5 in the Ordinary National Diploma can typically be considered for direct entrance to the first year of Bachelor programmes.

Students with a minimum CGPA of 2.5 in the Higher National Diploma can typically be considered for direct entrance onto the final year of Bachelor programmes.

The West African GCE Advanced Levels are comparable in terms of grading and equivalence to UK A levels.

Postgraduate

Bachelor degrees from NARIC or government recognised institutions can normally be accepted for master’s studies.

A score of 60-70% or Second Class Honours (Upper Division) is considered comparable to a UK 2:1

A score of 50-59% or Second Class Honours (Lower Division) is considered comparable to a UK 2:2

English

Undergraduate

WAEC C6 – (Equivalent to IELTS 6.0)
WAEC B3 - (Equivalent to IELTS 7.0)

Postgraduate

We accept WAEC C6 for an IELTS equivalent of 6.0 or 6.5 for PG plus 4 years study at University taught in English
For IELTS 7 or above an IELTS is required
If you do not meet the criteria above then you will require an Academic IELTS

International Foundation Programme

West African Senior School Certificate Examination / General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level.

Student with five passes at Grade C in either of the above awards would usually be eligible for the International Foundation Year.

UKVI IELTS 4.5 with a minimum of 4.0 in all components (CEFR B1) is also required.

Undergraduate

Students with a minimum CGPA of 2.5 in the Ordinary National Diploma can typically be considered for entrance to the first year of Bachelor programmes.

Students with a minimum CGPA of 2.5 in the Higher National Diploma can typically be considered for entrance to the final year of Bachelor programmes.

The General Certificate of Education Advanced Levels is comparable in terms of grading and equivalence to UK A levels.

Postgraduate

We require a Bachelor degree from a NARIC or government recognised institution. The majority of universities use the UK grading system.

Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology do not have a 3rd class descriptor.

English

Undergraduate

WASSCE C6 – (Equivalent to IELTS 6.0)
WASSCE B3 - (Equivalent to IELTS 7.0)

Postgraduate

We accept WASSCE C6 for an IELTS equivalent of 6.0 or 6.5 for PG plus 4 years study at University taught in English
For IELTS 7 or above an IELTS is required
If you do not meet the criteria above then you will require an Academic IELTS

International Foundation Programme

Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education

Students with minimum grades of C in five subjects would usually be eligible for the International Foundation Year.

UKVI IELTS 4.5 with a minimum of 4.0 in all components (CEFR B1) is also required.

Undergraduate

Students with a minimum score of 60% in the University Diploma / Ordinary Diploma / Ordinary Technician Diploma can typically be considered for direct entrance to bachelor programmes.

Students who have successfully completed one year of a Kenyan degree programme can typically be considered for direct entrance to bachelor programmes.

Students with a minimum score of 60% in the Higher Diploma / Higher Technician Diploma can typically be considered for entrance to the final year of a Bachelor programme.

Postgraduate

We require a Bachelor degree from a NARIC or government recognised institution, a typical offer would be:

A score of 60% is considered comparable to a UK 2:1
A score of 50% is considered comparable to a UK 2:2

Degrees issued by private institutions must have national recognition from CHE. You can download the list of approved private degrees here.

English 

The following awards offer English language exemptions:

Undergraduate

KCSE with a grade C – (Equivalent to IELTS 6.0)
KCSE with a grade C – (Equivalent to IELTS 6.5)
KCSE with a grade B - (Equivalent to IELTS 7.0)

Postgraduate

Accept KCSE with a C for an IELTS equivalent of 6.0 or 6.5 for plus 3/4 years study at University taught in English
For IELTS 7 or above an IELTS is required

N.B. Some programmes will require IELTS with no exemptions.

• Botswana Accountancy College (Botswana)