The Doha Institute for Graduate Studies in Qatar is taking applications for its 2027/2028 master’s and PhD programmes, and the last day to apply is January 15, 2027. International students can get a scholarship that pays full tuition, gives free accommodation, and adds a monthly allowance and health insurance.
Before you get excited, two things. Most teaching at the Institute is in Arabic. And you can only skip IELTS if your last degree was taught in English and your school gives you a letter that says so.
Important dates for the Doha Institute scholarship 2027/2028
| What | Date |
|---|---|
| Applications opened | September 1, 2026 |
| Last day to apply for admission | January 15, 2027 |
| Finish your bachelor’s degree by | August 1, 2027 |
| Scholarship form | Sent to you after you are admitted |
Don’t wait for the last week. The scholarship form only comes after you get admission, so a late admission application means a late scholarship application too.
About the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies and its scholarships
Doha Institute for Graduate Studies is a school in Doha, Qatar, that gives master’s and PhD degrees. The Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies started it. This year it runs 19 master’s programmes and eight doctoral programmes.
The master’s scholarships are for courses in social sciences, humanities, public administration and development economics. So if your first degree is in one of those areas, or close to them, this is the one to look at. Engineering and medicine people, sorry, wrong door.
There are two scholarships. The Tamim Scholarship goes to students with outstanding grades. The Sanad Scholarship goes to students with financial need. For international students outside Qatar, both can come with full funding.
Benefits of the Doha Institute scholarship for international students
- 100% tuition waiver
- Free accommodation in the Institute’s dormitories
- A monthly stipend
- Health insurance
- Return flight tickets, one when you arrive and one after you graduate. Confirm this one with the Admissions Office before you count on it.
The monthly allowance amount is not published, so don’t plan around any number until the Institute tells you.
Who is eligible to apply for the Doha Institute scholarship
- A bachelor’s degree with a GPA of at least 3.0. Final-year students can also apply, as long as they will finish by August 1, 2027.
- PhD applicants need a master’s degree.
- You must be able to study and do research in both Arabic and English.
- If you don’t speak Arabic, you will write an Arabic test (oral and written) before you are admitted.
- English proof can be a TOEFL or IELTS result, or an official statement that your degree was taught in English.
The call says 3.0 but doesn’t say which scale. Many Nigerian schools grade on a 5.0 scale and some use 4.0. Write to the Admissions Office and ask how they will read your CGPA before you pay for any document.
English language requirement and IELTS for the Doha Institute scholarship
If your bachelor’s was taught in English, get an official letter from your university saying so. That letter can replace the test. Nigerian universities teach in English, so most of us fall here, but the letter has to come from the school, not from you.
If you do write the test, the level the Institute wants before you graduate is IELTS Academic 6.5 or TOEFL iBT 79. Students admitted with IELTS 5.5 or 6 must reach that level while they are studying. Our post on fully funded scholarships Nigerian students can apply for without IELTS covers other options if you want to skip the test.
The Arabic language part Nigerian applicants should not ignore
Teaching at the Institute is mainly in Arabic. English is needed too, but Arabic is the main language in class. That is why non-Arabic speakers have to pass an Arabic test before admission.
So if you have zero Arabic today, start now. January 15 is not far. Check the page of the programme you want and see what language its courses are taught in before you apply.
Things that can stop you from getting the Doha Institute scholarship
The scholarship does not cover Executive Master’s programmes, diplomas or certificate programmes.
- You cannot hold another scholarship at the same time.
- If you got a Doha Institute master’s scholarship before, you can’t get it again, even if you never finished that degree.
- Funding continues only if you keep good academic standing. Fall behind and the Institute can take it back.
- A student visa in Qatar does not allow you to bring your family.
- Getting admission does not mean you will get the scholarship. Those are two separate decisions.
How to apply for the Doha Institute scholarship 2027/2028 (step by step)
- Pick your master’s or PhD programme on the Doha Institute website. Make sure it is not an executive programme.
- Open the Institute’s online application system and create an account. You can fill the form in English or Arabic. Send one application only, because duplicates are not considered.
- Upload your documents. These include your transcripts certified by the proper authorities, your English proof, and whatever else your programme asks for. Anything that is not in Arabic or English needs a certified translation.
- Submit before January 15, 2027.
- Wait for the admission decision. After that, the Admissions Office sends the scholarship application form to students who qualify. Fill it and attach what they ask for.
The full document list for each programme is on the Institute’s scholarships page.
Your personal statement and documents matter a lot here. Read how to write a scholarship personal statement people will read and the common mistakes that make Nigerian students lose scholarship slots before you submit.
Doha Institute PhD scholarship for 2027/2028
PhD funding comes in three phases, and you move from one to the next by meeting academic targets.
| Phase | What it covers | What you need |
|---|---|---|
| Phase one | Two semesters of coursework | Be accepted, be unable to afford the cost, and have no other scholarship |
| Phase two | One academic year of full-time prospectus reading | A GPA of at least 3.5 in your phase one courses |
| Phase three | Two academic years of dissertation work | Finish the prospectus tasks and pass the comprehensive exam by the end of phase two |
Phase three can be extended, but only if you send a reasoned request and get approval from the Director of the Doctoral Studies Board and the Vice President for Academic Affairs.
There is a work condition too. Students on a full PhD scholarship must work for the Institute (research, teaching or other duties) not less than 10 hours a week during the semester. Partial scholarship students work hours matching their funding, up to 15 hours a week.
Other scholarships for Nigerians to apply for while you prepare
The Commonwealth Masters Scholarship closes much earlier, on October 20, 2026. Our Commonwealth Masters Scholarship checklist for Nigerians shows what to prepare. You can also see 8 postgraduate scholarships Nigerian students can apply for to study a master’s or PhD abroad, the King Abdulaziz University fully funded scholarship, and everything else on our scholarships page.
