Edinburgh Arts Excellence Scholarship

Scholarships are awarded on a competitive basis and applications are assessed holistically. Applicants from a wide range of academic backgrounds are encouraged to apply, and relevant professional experience, extracurricular involvement, or non‑traditional educational pathways may also be taken into account as part of the assessment process.

The selection panel will consider:

• Academic achievement, typically demonstrated through undergraduate study, with higher awards available for stronger academic profiles

• Future potential, including career ambitions and alignment with the chosen graduate program

• Personal qualities and experiences that demonstrate leadership, resilience, creativity, or initiative

• The applicant’s potential contribution to the Edinburgh Napier University community.

Film MA - 1 year

Music MA - 1 year

Screenwriting MA - 1 year

Sports Journalism MA - 1 year

Journalism MA - 1 year

Publishing MSc - 1 year

Heritage and Exhibition Design MA - 1 year

Design for Interactive Experience MA - 1 year

Creative Advertising MSc - 1 year

Design Research MSc - 1 year

Lighting Design MA - 1 year

Motion Graphics MA - 1 year

Service Design MA - 1 year

Sound Design MSc - 1 year

Creative Writing MA - 1 year 

A scholarship award for a fully funded place for one year of an arts MA or MFA program is equivalent to around £20,000/ $26,500 for our most common tuition fee rate for international graduate students.

The standard estimate for UK student living expenses outside of London is around £1,136 per month (just over £25,000/$34,000 for 2 years study) and you may need to show you have this money, for a year period of study, as part of your student visa application. The majority of programmes covered by this scholarship are one year of study, only the MFA degrees are two years in duration.

Therefore, compared to Yale Arts Graduate programmes, RISD (Rhode Island School of Design) or a college like Columbia, you’re saving around $24,000 to $180,000* by choosing to study in Edinburgh with our full scholarship. With added free access to our wellbeing services, including student counselling, and extensive in-house career support staff and resources, as well as a beautiful city setting – we think that’s a really good deal!

*based on publicly available Total COA (cost of attendance) at the time of writing.

If you have applied by the deadline of 7 December 2026, your scholarship application will be considered.

Scholarship decisions for September 2027 entry will be communicated to successful applicants in Spring 2027.

If you have an offer of admission for your selected course with us but you aren’t selected for this particular award, please don’t be discouraged - it’s a highly competitive process. There are also other scholarships offered each year to US students, some past scholarship opportunities have included:

North American Undergraduate Scholarship

North American Postgraduate Scholarship

This year we’re specifically focusing on our arts graduate programs, but there are also other scholarships and bursaries available, based on country of residency, or academic achievement.

We’ve previously welcomed study abroad students from Alaska to Florida, as well as from around the world. We have a long-standing dual degree with Seton Hill. These students study with us for short periods, will you make your mark by coming long haul to study long-term?

We’re well connected to the US Eastern Seaboard with direct flights from Boston (6.5 hour flight) and New York (7 hour flight). There are also direct flights from: Atlanta (8 hours), Philadelphia (7 hours), Chicago (7.75 hours) Washington DC (7.5 hours) so wherever you’re coming from, you can make Edinburgh your student home.

• This scholarship is only available for Year 1 of a full-time taught postgraduate degree.
• Any additional years of study are exempt from the discount of the scholarship.
• The Scholarship is exclusively available to USA domiciled students (ordinarily resident in the US); this means that even if you study abroad during term time, your usual residence is in the USA.
• If you have discounted tuition fees from a partner university or have been granted another scholarship, you are not eligible for this scholarship.
• MRes (postgraduate research degree) programmes are not eligible for this award.
• Any award granted under this scholarship is for entry onto a full-time postgraduate taught programme in September 2027.

This scholarship offers awards ranging from partial fee reductions up to 100% tuition coverage for one year of study, depending on the strength of your application. It applies to tuition fees only, so you should plan separately for living expenses, accommodation, and material costs, which are not included in the award.

But do remember, being a student in the UK means you will get a wide range of student discounts including to books and study essentials, gym memberships, and eating out. You can also access a lower rate IHS (Immigration Health Surcharge) to use the NHS (National Health Service) if you include this in your visa. Visit the government website to learn more.

This scholarship is specifically designed for students who are ordinarily resident in the United States. This means that your country of residence full-time is legally the USA. You can hold other citizenships, but your main address of residence must be the USA. You are still eligible if you have been studying abroad for your undergraduate degree.

You can apply to the scholarship before you receive an offer of a place, but you must have an application already accepted for your chosen course in order to be awarded the scholarship. Learn more about how to apply for your postgraduate study.

Once you have registered with the form below, you will need to complete your application to the postgraduate course. Once you’ve completed the form, we will send you more information about the scholarship timeline and you’ll need to complete a scholarship application including a 250-word personal statement. Both your application to the course, and your application to the scholarship must be completed before the 7 December 2026 deadline. Your scholarship application should highlight your achievements, motivation for postgraduate study, and how the scholarship would impact your goals. Your application is assessed holistically, considering academic background, experience, and your potential contribution to the university community.

This scholarship applies to Year 1 of a full-time taught postgraduate degree only. Most eligible MA and MSc programmes are one year in duration, meaning the award can cover the full tuition for the full period of study. If you decide to continue your study on longer programs, funding does not extend beyond the first year.

The scholarship is available for September 2027 entry only. You cannot defer your entry to the course or apply for this scholarship again if you have already been awarded it.

This scholarship cannot be combined with other tuition discounts or awards from Edinburgh Napier University or partner institutions. If you are already receiving reduced tuition fees or another scholarship, you won’t be eligible. You should therefore consider this as a standalone award when planning your funding options.

You can however use US Federal Aid in combination with this scholarship, so this could be a good option if you receive a partial scholarship, or would need to fund further years of study. Learn more about USA Federal Aid at Edinburgh Napier University.