Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Doha, Qatar gives tuition waivers and monthly stipends to selected graduate students. The support is strong, but it is not given to everyone who gets admitted. Funding is decided during the admissions review, and there is no separate scholarship form to fill.
You apply for admission to a master’s, PhD, Juris Doctor or LLM program, and the university decides whether you also get funding. If you plan to study in Qatar, it is worth understanding exactly how this works before you send your application.
How the funding is divided
The tuition waiver depends on your degree level and your college. PhD students get the highest share, master’s students get a smaller share, and some programs get no waiver at all.
| Program level | Tuition waiver | Monthly stipend (if selected) |
|---|---|---|
| PhD, science and engineering colleges | 100% | QAR 9,000/month, up to 45 months |
| PhD, humanities, social sciences and law colleges | 100% | QAR 9,000/month, up to 45 months |
| Master’s, science and engineering colleges | 75% | QAR 7,000/month, up to 21 months |
| Master’s, MA and JD, humanities, social sciences and law | 60% | QAR 7,000/month, up to 21 months |
| LLM, MS Economics, certificates | 0% (not covered) | Not specified |
A 60 percent waiver means you still pay the remaining 40 percent yourself, so check the fee page of your chosen college before you decide. The stipend is separate: it goes only to selected full-time students who work as research or teaching assistants for 10 hours a week.
What the stipend covers in real life
Doha is an expensive city, and the stipend is meant to cover your real living costs — rent, food, transport and daily needs. One detail many students miss: housing is not given free, you pay it out of the stipend, and meal plans are not included separately. You also receive one round-trip airfare — a flight to Doha at the start and a flight home after graduation.
Should you apply? An honest check
You are a strong fit if you:
- Want a graduate degree from a Qatar Foundation university in Education City, Doha.
- Plan to study in one of HBKU’s colleges: Islamic studies, humanities and social sciences, science and engineering, law, health and life sciences, or public policy.
- Can study full-time, because the stipend requires it.
- Meet the English requirement, such as an IELTS score of 6.5 or an equal qualification.
- Understand the award is competitive and merit and need-based — never guaranteed.
Think twice if you:
- Want the LLM, MS Economics or a certificate — these carry no tuition waiver.
- Plan to study part-time. Working professionals with more than 40 percent of a full-time workload are not eligible for stipends.
- Need a free housing package on top of everything else. At HBKU, housing comes out of the stipend, not in addition to it.
- Assume admission means automatic funding. It does not — the scholarship decision happens separately inside the admissions review.
What you need before you apply
You need a bachelor’s degree for a master’s program and a master’s degree for a PhD. The scholarships are open to all nationalities. English proficiency is also required, for example an IELTS score of 6.5 or an equivalent test result.
There is no separate scholarship application, so your admission file is also your scholarship file. Your grades, statement, references and experience count twice — first for admission, then for funding. Since the award is merit and need-based, show why you chose HBKU and your specific college, not just that you want to study abroad.
How to apply
- Go to the official graduate admissions page and click “Apply Now” — applications are currently open.
- Choose your college and program carefully, because the waiver level differs by college, as the table above shows.
- Prepare your documents: degrees, transcripts, English test score, statement of purpose and references.
- Submit before the deadline: 1 February 2027 for international graduate applicants. Qatari citizens and residents have a later deadline of 15 March 2027.
- Wait for the admissions decision. Scholarship decisions come with it, since funding is decided during the review itself.
What happens after you apply
The university reviews your file for both admission and funding at the same time. If you are offered a place with a scholarship, your offer letter will show the waiver and stipend details. If funding is not offered, you can still accept the admission and pay the fees yourself — so decide in advance whether you would go without support.
Comparing your options
For another graduate route in the Gulf, the KAUST Scholarships in Saudi Arabia are worth a look. For a prestigious master’s in Asia, see the Yenching Academy Scholarship at Peking University. And for Europe, the UNIL Masters Scholarship in Switzerland comes with CHF 1,600 in monthly support. Compare deadlines and rules side by side before choosing.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Is the HBKU Graduate Scholarship fully funded?
A: Not for everyone. PhD students in selected colleges get a 100 percent tuition waiver and selected students get monthly stipends, but master’s students get 75 or 60 percent waivers and some programs get nothing. It is competitive, not guaranteed.
Q: What is the application deadline?
A: International graduate applicants must apply by 1 February 2027. Qatari citizens and residents have until 15 March 2027.
Q: Do I get free housing?
A: No. Housing is not covered directly — you pay for it out of your monthly stipend. Meal plans are not included separately either.
Q: Can I apply if I already work full-time?
A: You can apply for admission, but stipend recipients must be full-time students. Working professionals with more than 40 percent of a full-time workload are not eligible for stipends.
Q: What stipend amounts are published?
A: For international students: QAR 9,000 per month for PhD students (up to 45 months) and QAR 7,000 per month for master’s students (up to 21 months), for those selected as research or teaching assistants.
