Applications Open for Australia Awards Scholarships in Bhutan

Deadline: 30 April 2020

Australia’s international development assistance in Bhutan helps promote prosperity, reduce poverty, and enhance political stability.

Australia Awards scholarships are prestigious international awards offered by the Australian Government to the next generation of global leaders for development. Through study and research, recipients develop the skills and knowledge to drive change and help build enduring people-to-people links with Australia.

Applicants are assessed on their professional and personal qualities, academic competence and, most importantly, their potential to impact on development challenges in Bhutan.

Applications are strongly encouraged from women, people with disability and other marginalised groups.

Priority Areas

The priority areas of study for Bhutan are:

Masters Degree programs
- Accounting/Finance
- Cyber/Network Security
- Economics
- Education (Early Childhood)
- Education Studies
- Electrical Engineering
- Forensic Accounting
- Geospatial Engineering
- Human Resource Management
- Media and Communication
- Strategic Studies
VET/TAFE programs
- Commercial Cookery
- Tourism Management

Benefits

Australia Awards scholarships are offered for the minimum period necessary for the individual to complete the academic program specified by the Australian education institution, including any preparatory training. Scholarship recipients will receive the following:

return air travel,
a one-off establishment allowance on arrival,
full tuition fees,
contribution to living expenses,
introductory academic program,
overseas student health cover for the duration of the scholarship,
supplementary academic support,
fieldwork allowance for research students and masters by coursework which has a compulsory fieldwork component.

Level of Study

Australia Awards scholarships provide citizens of Bhutan with the opportunity to obtain a qualification at an Australian tertiary or TAFE institution. Awards will be offered for commencement in 2021 within the following allocations:

postgraduate (Masters) and vocational (Diploma) qualifications.

Eligibility Criteria

In addition to the eligibility requirements, applicants from Bhutan must meet the following conditions:

Have completed a tertiary level qualification at least equivalent to an Australian Bachelor Degree for Masters Degree applicants, and Year 12 or equivalent for Diploma courses.
Be currently employed in an organisation on a full-time basis.
Have at least three years of relevant work experience for Master’s level applicants, including probation period and one year of relevant work experience for Diploma level applicants.
Fit the target applicant profile of a field of study advertised for study commencing in 2021.
Provide an employer nomination letter from the Human Resource Officer of the parent organisation/agency. In addition, applicants under the purview of the Ministry of Labour and Human Resources (MoLHR) must also submit a nomination letter from the Department of Employment and Human Resources.
Meet minimum English proficiency requirements:
- Masters Degree applicants — minimum academic IELTS overall score of 6.5 with no band less than 6.0 or equivalent TOEFL/PTE scores.
- Diploma applicants — minimum academic IELTS overall score of 5.5 with no band less than 5.5 or equivalent TOEFL/PTE scores.
- Scores must be valid at 1 January 2021.
Scholarships will not be available for courses of study in Australia where the applicant has already achieved that qualification and the qualification is deemed to be equivalent to the Australian qualification.
Australia Awards Scholarships program will request recognition of prior learning for all scholarship recipients from Bhutan. If this request is granted, the recipient may be placed in a degree program that may be shorter in duration than what they have originally applied for.