What the University of Melbourne Is Actually Offering
Let's put the numbers in perspective first. AUD $44,500 per year as a living allowance — that is roughly equivalent to ₦39 million, R810,000, or GHS 290,000 at current exchange rates. On top of that, your full tuition is covered. This is not a partial bursary that leaves you scrambling for the rest, this is a genuinely comprehensive funding package.
Here is the full breakdown of what scholars receive:
Full tuition fee offset — zero fees for up to 2 years (Masters) or 4 years (PhD)
Living allowance of AUD $44,500 per year, paid as a stipend for day-to-day living costs. This is indexed, meaning it increases over time
Relocation grant — AUD $3,000 if you are moving from outside Australia, which helps with the initial cost of settling in Melbourne
Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) — single membership provided for international students who need a student visa
Paid sick leave, maternity leave, and parenting leave provisions are included in the living allowance structure
What is not covered: airfare to Australia, visa application fees, accommodation costs (you find your own housing using the living allowance), and expenses for dependents or family members.
Is The University of Melbourne Human Rights Scholarship Right for You?
Apply if you are:
A graduate with a completed first degree or Master's, looking to do research-based postgraduate study
You must be applying for (or already enrolled in) a Master by Research or PhD — not a coursework degree
Your proposed research must be in the human rights field — this is not a general social science scholarship
You must be committed to studying full-time (exceptions only for documented compassionate circumstances)
You have never received a graduate research scholarship from the University of Melbourne or any other institution before
Someone with demonstrated human rights commitment beyond the classroom
Volunteer work with human rights organisations, legal aid clinics, refugee support groups, community advocacy — all of this matters
Work experience in NGOs, government human rights departments, or international organisations strengthens your application significantly
The scholarship explicitly looks for candidates whose commitment "extends beyond academic studies"
Do not waste your time applying if:
You want to do a coursework degree (MBA, LLM by coursework, taught Masters) — this is strictly for research degrees
You have already completed a research qualification at the same or higher level as the one you are applying for
You have previously received a graduate research scholarship anywhere — this disqualifies you
Your research topic is not clearly grounded in human rights — vaguely adjacent fields will not qualify
You want to study part-time without compelling documented reasons
You are applying in the hope of switching to a different field once you arrive — the scholarship is tied to your human rights research
One practical reality for African students: you must first secure admission into a Master by Research or PhD programme at the University of Melbourne. The scholarship application runs alongside (or after) your admission application — you cannot apply for the scholarship without at least having applied for the degree. Sort the admission process first.
Tips Nobody Tells You
1: Your personal statement must connect your past work to your future research — not just describe both separately
The biggest mistake applicants make is writing two separate paragraphs — one about their human rights experience, another about their research plans — with no thread connecting them. What the selection panel wants to see is a clear line: "I saw this human rights problem up close through my work/volunteering → I realised research was needed to address it → here is exactly how my proposed PhD will fill that gap." That narrative arc is what separates shortlisted candidates from rejected ones. Make the connection explicit and specific.
2: Treat your research proposal as if it will be read by a non-specialist
Many applicants from African universities are trained to write proposals in dense academic language for their field-specific supervisors. The Melbourne scholarship panel includes people outside your exact discipline. Write your research proposal (especially for PhD) in clear, accessible language. State your human rights problem in one or two sentences that anyone can understand. Then build your methodology on top of that clear foundation. Accessible does not mean shallow — it means organised.
3: Contact a potential supervisor before you apply — not after
The University of Melbourne's graduate research system works best when you have an identified supervisor before submitting your application. Browse the university's human rights academics, find one whose work aligns with your research interest, and send a short, professional email introducing yourself and your research idea. A supervisor who already knows your name when your application arrives carries real weight. It also tells the panel that your research is feasible at Melbourne specifically — not just generically interesting.
Why This Scholarship Is Especially Valuable for African Applicants
Here is what most guides do not say: the University of Melbourne Human Rights Scholarship is one of the very few fully funded research scholarships in Australia that has no nationality restriction. Most comparable awards either favour domestic students or have regional caps. This one is genuinely open to a student from Lagos, Accra, or Johannesburg on the same terms as an Australian citizen.
For African students specifically, the research topics that tend to be most competitive for this scholarship are exactly the issues our continent is living through right now — Indigenous land rights, refugee and displacement law, gender-based violence, corporate accountability in extractive industries, digital rights under authoritarian governments, and climate justice. If your research touches any of these areas with an African context, you are not at a disadvantage — you have primary insight that a European or American applicant simply does not have.
The University of Melbourne is currently ranked number one in Australia and 14th globally. A research degree from there, funded by a named human rights scholarship, opens doors in international law, the UN system, African regional human rights bodies like the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, and global NGOs in a way that very few other credentials can match.
The application window opens in April each year and closes 31 October. Results come in February. Start preparing your research proposal and reaching out to potential supervisors now — so that when you apply, you are submitting a polished, supervisor-backed application, not a rushed one.
Required Document Checklist
Full academic transcripts (all degrees)
Proof of degree qualifications / certificates
CV highlighting academic achievements, publications, and human rights work
Academic references (from lecturers or supervisors who know your research capacity)
Research proposal (PhD applicants especially — clear and well-structured)
Personal statement addressing: your commitment to human rights beyond academics, and how your research will contribute to the field
Proof of English language proficiency (as per University of Melbourne requirements)
Admission application to your chosen Master by Research or PhD programme
How to Apply (Step by Step)
Identify a human rights research supervisor at the University of Melbourne and make contact
Apply for admission into a Master by Research or PhD programme via the University of Melbourne's admissions portal
Complete the online scholarship application form by clicking the Apply button below
Upload all required documents
Submit before 31 October
Await notification via email in February of the following year
No feedback is provided to unsuccessful applicants.