University of York Wolfson Humanities Scholarship 2027

With generous funding from the Wolfson Foundation, the Wolfson Postgraduate Scholarships fund doctoral research in three areas: History, Literature and Languages.

The Wolfson Foundation awards funding to outstanding students who demonstrate the potential to make an impact on their chosen field. There are three scholarships available for 2027/28, generally expected to represent each of the three areas: History, Literature and Languages.

The Wolfson Scholarship disciplines are defined as:

• History: As well as broad-based historical and historiographical studies, this may include such areas as classics, history of art, visual culture, or architectural history, provided the research is grounded within historical methodology.
• Languages: Research should be in applied languages other than English. It may involve the study of literary or historical texts, theatre, film or other visual media, translation, or the philosophy of language, provided that the research is focused primarily on a language other than English. It excludes linguistics. While research can be working with any language, it is expected that the student’s final thesis is written in English.
• Literature: As well as literary and textual studies, this may include research that involves critical theory, theatre, film and other visual media, provided there is a literary element within the research, eg translation of literature to screen. It excludes creative writing. 

Table of Content

• Summary
• Benefits
• Requirements
• Interview Process
• Application Deadline
• How To Apply

Summary

• Application DeadlineJanuary 20, 2027
• Study LevelPhD
• SponsorUniversity of York
• City to studyYork
• School to studyUniversity of York
• Course to studyHistory , Languages , Literature
• Eligible CountryAll Countries

Benefits

Each scholarship offers £38,000 per student per year (i.e. £114,000 over three years) and covers:

• Tuition fees at the home rate (overseas students are eligible to apply but an award will only cover tuition fees at the home rate).
• Maintenance, research, travel and training costs (where there is remaining balance).

Requirements

Open to International (including EU), International (non-EU) and UK (home) students.

Open to students in the following departments: Centre for Medieval Studies, Centre for Women's Studies, Department of Archaeology, Department of English and Related Literature, Department of History, Department of History of Art, Department of Language and Linguistic Science, Department of Philosophy, School of Arts and Creative Technologies and York School of Architecture.

Wolfson will only cover the UK (Home) fee rate for International students, so the difference between the Home fee rate and the International fee rate will have to be met from other sources.

In order to be eligible you must:

• Have applied for, and ideally be in receipt of, an offer of a place on a PhD programme in a relevant department (in the area(s) of architecture, history, literature, and languages).
• Expect to begin your studies PhD studies in September 2027 (deferrals are not permitted).
• Have an outstanding academic record, usually a first class honours degrees at undergraduate level and a Masters degree from a recognised university in a field of study relevant to your proposed doctoral research.
• Be resident within the UK for the duration of your studies and live within a reasonable distance of your host university (with the exception of periods of fieldwork or when attending conferences).
• It is the Foundation’s hope that the scholars will become significant contributors to the culture of society, whether in the academic sphere or in other areas of intellectual and cultural leadership. You should therefore demonstrate the potential to make an impact on your chosen field.
• The scheme is open to all nationalities and to both full and part-time students.

Selection Process

• If successful, your details will be passed to the relevant scholarship panels for consideration.

Check also:
Free Ongoing Fully Funded Scholarships Guide 2026 (Download Now)

Application Deadline

How To Apply

Interested and qualified? Go to University of York on uni-york.formstack.com to apply

• You can download a PDF version of the application form if you'd like to review the questions before submitting your application: Wolfson Humanities Scholarship Application Form 2027_2028.pdf (PDF , 237kb)

For more information, kindly visit University of York scholarship webpage.