MMus Scholarship

MMus Music & Culture Scholarship Opportunity

MMus Music and Culture Application Timeline and Funding Opportunities

All applications for the MMus received before Friday 16 May 2026 will receive full consideration. Applications submitted before this date will be considered for the six School of Music fee-reduction scholarships (see below). Before this deadline, applications are reviewed on a rolling basis until all places have been filled by suitably qualified and capable applicants. After this deadline, applications to the MMus may be considered subject to the availability of places on the course, but they will not be eligible for the School of Music Scholarships.

Depending on the funding opportunities for which you are eligible, you may need to apply significantly earlier than this deadline. If you are a student from outside the EU/EEA, the UK, or Switzerland, and you want to apply either for UCD’s Global Excellence Scholarships or for the Government of Ireland International Education Scholarships, you will need to have an offer to study on the MMus by the time you apply for these scholarships. We therefore recommend that you submit your application for the MMus at least 1 month before the published deadline for these scholarships (see below).

Funding Opportunities for MMus Applicants

School of Music Scholarships

The School of Music at University College Dublin is delighted to announce six scholarships for our 2026/27 MMus in Music and Culture students. Those awarded will be given a partial fee waiver for the programme. There are two types of award available:

• Non-EU students will receive a fee waiver of €5,000
• EU students (including Ireland) will receive a fee waiver of €2,000

Two fee scholarships will be available in each of the three strands of specialisation covered in the course:

• The Harry White Scholarships in Historical Musicology.
• The School of Music Scholarships in Ethnomusicology.
• The School of Music Scholarships in Composition and Practice-Based Research.

Application Process

In order to be eligible for these fee waiver scholarships, applicants should submit their application to UCD’s MMus programme before Friday 16 May 2026. There is no separate application process for these scholarships. All applicants who receive an offer or conditional offer for the MMus in Music and Culture by the deadline will be automatically considered. Candidates will be notified of the results of the scholarship competition by late May.

The fee waiver scholarship will be awarded by a committee of School of Music faculty. These merit awards will be based on academic performance in previous studies. Decisions made by the committee are final. 

Terms and Conditions:

1. Once scholarship awards are issued, students must accept this offer within two weeks of the notification being distributed. It is the student’s responsibility to formally accept the scholarship offer; a non-response will be considered as declining the offer.
2. In order to be eligible to be considered for this scholarship, applicants must have 'Application complete', ‘Offer’ or ‘Accept’ (or "Conditional Offer" or "Conditional Accept") status associated with their application by the application deadline.
3. Decisions will be made by the Scholarship Committee, and all decisions are final.
4. This scholarship cannot be combined with the International Student Scholarship, offered by UCD Global.
5. The issued scholarship will be deducted from the student’s University fee account.
6. Continuous enrolment and attendance are required to retain a scholarship award.
7. Successful applicants must attend the programme in person. Remote attendance is not permitted.
8. A student who withdraws, cancels or becomes inactive, is suspended, or dismissed from the University will lose their scholarship eligibility. 
9. A student who declines an initial offer of admission and accompanying scholarship offer will not retain their scholarship offer if they reapply at a later date.
10. Any additional fees accrued in the event of a repeated module will not be covered by the waiver.
11. By applying for the scholarship, you are agreeing to the Terms and Conditions.

UCD Global Excellence Scholarships

What it offers: either 50% or 100% of fees.

Conditions: Applicants must already have an offer before applying. They must be non-EU students (details about residency and citizenship requirements here)

Timeline: Students have to submit a separate application, which they can only do once they have received their offer for the MMus. They should therefore apply for the MMus at least one month before the deadlines below, which differ by region. Decisions about the Global Excellence Scholarships are announced around seven weeks after the relevant deadline.

North America: to be announced (last year the deadline was in early February)

South Asia: to be announced (last year the deadline was in late February)

All other regions: to be announced (last year the deadline was in late March)

Government of Ireland International Education Scholarships

What it offers: 100% of fees and a stipend of €10000.

Conditions: Applicants must already have an offer before applying. They must have a domiciliary of origin outside the EU/EEA, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

Timeline: Students have to submit a separate application, which they can only do once they have received their offer for the MMus. They should therefore apply for the MMus at least one month before the deadline, which is yet to be announced for 2026 entry, but last year it was in early March. Decisions are released in June or July.

(opens in a new window)International Student Scholarships

What it offers: Varying amounts of fee-reduction.

Conditions: Applicants must be ‘non-EU’ for fee purposes. It cannot be combined with any other tuition scholarship. In the instance that an applicant is awarded more than one scholarship offer, they will receive the scholarship of greater financial value, unless otherwise requested by the recipient.

Timeline: Candidates are automatically considered for this scholarship when they apply for the MMus.

(opens in a new window)SUSI Grants

What it offers: Varying amounts of financial support.

Conditions:

• Candidates must be an Irish, EU, EEA, UK or Swiss national or have a specific immigration status or leave to remain permission from the Department of Justice.
• Candidates must have been resident in the Irish State, the EU, EEA, UK or Swiss Federation for three of the last five years.
• Candidates’ total reckonable household income must fall below specific income thresholds.
• Candidates must be progressing in your education by attending an approved course:
  • that leads to a higher level of qualification than any you may already hold;
  • that is at a higher level than any course you may have previously attended;
  • in which you are progressing in your studies and not repeating any part of a course, except in exceptional circumstances.