Australia Awards Africa Scholarships

Australia Awards scholarships are the Australian Government's flagship development scholarships, run in Africa by DFAT through Australia Awards Africa. For the 2027 intake the programme was open to citizens of 25 eligible African countries - Algeria, Angola, Botswana, Cote d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, The Gambia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe - taking a Masters qualification at an Australian tertiary institution. Check the country list again when the 2028 intake profile is published: the site's own eligibility table currently ticks the Australia Awards Scholarships column for only Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia, so the 25-country list may not carry forward. Ghana is on both lists. The priority fields for the current round are agriculture and food security, climate change, foreign policy and international security, gender, disability and social inclusion, and mining and energy. Applicants are assessed on professional and personal qualities, academic competence and, above all, their potential to have a positive impact on inclusive development back home.

This is a scholarship for people already in work, not for new graduates. Country-specific conditions require you to be a minimum of 25 years old on 1 February of the intake year, to have at least five years of post-graduate work experience in a field relevant to your proposed study, to be employed at the time of applying, to already hold an undergraduate degree, and not to already hold or be studying for a Masters. You must be a citizen of an eligible country and be residing in and applying from your country of citizenship, unless you work for an African regional organisation or are on diplomatic mission for your home country. English is tested: at least IELTS 6.5 with no band below 6.0, or internet-based TOEFL 84 with a minimum of 21 in all subtests, or PTE Academic 58 with no communicative skill below 50. Australia Awards Africa also runs Short Course Awards for mid to senior-level professionals working in a relevant government ministry or agency, on topics such as countering terrorism and violent extremism, financing climate action and continental trade facilitation; those are nominated through your ministry, not applied for directly.

The award covers return air travel, a one-off establishment allowance on arrival, full tuition fees, a contribution to living expenses, an introductory academic programme, overseas student health cover for the whole scholarship, supplementary academic support, a fieldwork allowance for research students and for coursework Masters with a compulsory fieldwork component, and reasonable accommodation for scholars with disabilities who need it. Applications are strongly encouraged from women, people with disability and other marginalised groups, and the programme runs a GEDSI Support Hub and makes equity of access adjustments. Applications for the 2027 intake ran from 1 February 2026 to 30 April 2026 at 11:59pm AEST; Australia Awards Africa states that applications for the 2028 intake will open from 1 February 2027. You apply online through OASIS via the Australia Awards Africa website and must supply a passport, undergraduate degree certificate and transcript, a CV, an employer referee report, an academic referee report and an English test certificate.