The Scholarships funded through the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Tourism (MFT) are intended for students who are nationals of Small Island Developing States eligible for Official Development Assistance to enable them to follow postgraduate programmes offered by the Islands and Small States Institute (ISSI) at the University of Malta.

Applicants who intend to apply for a scholarship must meet the entry requirements set out by the University of Malta and the conditions for joining the specific programme indicated above at the time of application. Applicants who can only be considered on a conditional basis (i.e. are not in a position to provide proof of attainment of the academic qualifications required to join the programme) at the time of application cannot be considered for the scholarship.

Applicants will be required to attend an online interview.

Applicants for other courses cannot be considered for this scholarship.

Applicants must be nationals of Small Island Developing States eligible for Official Development Assistance. Dual nationals who also hold EU/EEA or non-SIDS nationality are not eligible. 

Candidates employed in public office or working actively with NGOs in their home country will be preferred.

The scholarship holders will expected to start the course in October 2026 and will be requested to enter into an agreement with the University of Malta and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Malta, for the duration of their studies. This agreement will be binding in terms of the observation of rules and regulations of the University of Malta, to seriously engage in studies, register monthly progress with his academic tutor/coordinator and complete the set programme within the established time-frame.

The Scholarship offers an opportunity for prospective students who are nationals of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) eligible for Official Development Assistance (ODA) to read for a postgraduate course on Islands and Small States Studies. The aim is to provide the successful candidates with the capacity to better understand the economic, social, political, cultural and environmental dynamics in islands and small states, and to strengthen their professional knowledge to achieve higher employability.

Scholarships are intended for students who wish to follow:

Master of Arts (Research on Islands and Small States)

Themes for research shall be those included in the Malta’s Foreign Policy Statement  and in the UM Strategic Plan 2026-2030, with core themes being: 

- sustainability; 
- security; 
- solidarity; 
- women, peace and security; 
- children and armed conflicts; 
- climate and oceans; and 
- literacy.

Only applicants who have obtained a full acceptance to start the course in October 2026 will be considered for the scholarship award. 

Applicants who have a conditional acceptance cannot be considered for the award of the above scholarships. 

Admission Requirements for the Master of Arts (Research in Islands and Small States) are available here. 

English Language Proficiency:

Applicants are required to present an internationally recognised English Language Proficiency Certificate at the required level.  Further information about English Language Requirements for the 2026-27 academic year entry is available here. 

Candidates are expected to have the necessary IELTS results by the very latest 1^st July 2026.

Three scholarships will be awarded at Masters Level for academic year 2026-27.

These scholarships will cover: 

- University of Malta Tuition Fees

- EUR 1,000 research grant available for a maximum of twelve (12) months only, to cover costs for field work (travel, primary data collection, software licenses to analyse the data) against receipts.

Students registered for the Master’s Programme will be expected to follow the online offer of the programme.  Should the scholarship-holder decide to physically reside in Malta, then the student will have to bear all applicable travel, living, accommodation, and other costs related to living in Malta. Contact is to be made with the International Office to seek advice as to whether the student would be eligible for a visa and residence permit in view of restrictions that may apply on students following online programmes. 

In the event the Scholarship Awardee requires an extension of studies after the first year of the full-time studies for the Master’s Programme, an annual enrolment fee of EUR 400 for the respective programme will apply subject to approval of the extension request by the UM.

The selected students are expected to join the programme at the start of the 1st Semester of the academic year 2026-2027 and follow the online offer of the programme. The academic calendar is available here.

Master’s Level:

Students registered for the Master’s Programme will be expected to follow the online offer of the programme.  

Expressions of interest for Masters by Research must reach the Islands and Small States Institute by 31 May 2026 by email.

The deadline to apply for the scholarship is 1 July 2026 14:00 CEST.

Applicants are to follow at two-step procedure:

1. Online Application to be considered for admission to the course:

Applicants are to first submit an online application, settle the application fees and provide copies of their academic qualifications and all required documentation to the University of Malta.

Only applicants who have completed the online registration, including payment, will be considered. 

The online application is available here. 

2. Scholarship Application:

By the 1^st July deadline, apart from the online application, interested candidates are to send an email addressed to the attention of the Director of the International Office to be considered for the scholarships. 

The email should include:

• A letter of motivation;
• Three letters of reference.  The Letters must be on letterheads and signed.  Applicants are expected to provide contact emails and telephone numbers of the referees along with the letters;
• Curriculum Vitae (kindly include mobile number);
• Proof of nationality (eligible are applicants who are nationals of Small Island Developing States eligible for Official Development Assistance.

The subject line should read “Islands and Small States Scholarship” and it is highly recommended that students submit all documents together in one email and clearly indicate their selected course.

Documents, applications and requests that are submitted after the deadline cannot be considered.

For Academic Matters please contact the ISSI on islands@um.edu.mt 

For Scholarship Application / General Enquiries please contact the International Office on scholarships@um.edu.mt