Australia Awards Scholarships (Masters and Short Courses) for 1,000 African Students 2020/2021

Application Deadlines: 

• Australia Awards Masters Scholarships: 6th December 2019
• Australia Awards Short Courses Scholarships: 17th January 2020

Offered annually? Yes

Eligible Countries: Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroun, Cape Verde, Comoros, Congo(Republic of), Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome & Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia etc

In addition to the above, the following countries are eligible for Short Course Awards (SCAs)


Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Mauritania, Niger, North Sudan, Republic of Guinea, South Sudan

About the Award: There are two categories of Award: Australian Awards Scholarships for Masters to undertake higher degree studies in Australia at Masters level. And Australia Awards Scholarships for Short Courses, to undertake short-term, targeted professional training courses, in Australia and/or in Africa, in a range of development-focused sectors.
Australia Awards Scholarships, a cornerstone of the Australian Government’s development assistance program for Africa, provide access to postgraduate education, training and professional development opportunities for suitably qualified Africans from eligible countries. On their return to the workplace, Australia Awards Scholarships Alumni are expected to contribute actively to development in their home countries.

To be taken at: African or Australian Universities.

Priority Fields (varies by African country)

• Agriculture/Food Security
• Education
• Health
• Public Policy (including public sector management, public sector reform, trade, international diplomacy)
• Environmental Management
• Natural Resource Management (including mining related subjects)
• Technical and Vocational Education & Training (available for Short Courses only)
• Energy (including Natural Gas and Oil Technology)
• Infrastructure
• Natural Resource Management
• Transport (including Ports, Roads and Airports Management)

Offered Since: 1980

Type: Masters taught degrees and short courses

Eligibility: To be considered for a masters scholarship or short course award, applicants must meet their country’s eligibility requirements. In general, the following requirements apply

• Citizen of an eligible African country
• Minimum academic requirement: Bachelor’s degree or equivalent
• Mid-level to senior-level professional, currently employed in a relevant field
• Meet relevant post-graduate work experience requirements
• Demonstrate a clear vision of how the knowledge gained through the scholarship will be used to improve policy, practice or reform in their home country
• Satisfactory English proficiency to enable full participation in a training course delivered in English
• Satisfy all requirements of the Australian Government for the appropriate student visa (subclass 500).

Target Group

• You are a national of an African country. See country list below
• You are an early or mid-career professional working in the Public Sector, the Private Sector or a Non-Government Organisation (Civil Society) in one of the listed priority fields of study.
• You wish to undertake a Masters degree in Australia in one of the listed priority fields of study. You cannot study a Masters of Business Administration.
• You have a clear vision for how you will use the knowledge gained through the Masters degree to improve policy, practice or education in the proposed field of study.
• Gender Equality: Australia Awards target equal participation by women and men. Applications from women are strongly encouraged, and mechanisms are in place to support women applicants and Awardees.
• Disability Inclusion: Australia Awards aim to ensure that people with a disability are given fair and equal opportunity to compete for and obtain a scholarship. Applications from people with a disability are strongly encouraged. Mechanisms are in place to support applicants and Awardees requiring specific assistance.

Number of Scholarships: Up to 1,000

Value of Scholarships: This is a Full government sponsored scholarship

Duration of Scholarship: For the duration of candidate’s programme

How to Apply:

Visit Programme Webpage for Details