The University of Malta scholarship for research students is a tuition fee waiver, not a cash award. If you are a non-EU/EEA student with an unconditional offer for a Master's by Research or a PhD at the University of Malta, the university can waive between 40% and 100% of the international tuition fee for the normal length of your programme. That is the whole deal. There is no monthly stipend, no flight ticket and no living allowance.
For a Pakistani student this is a fairly clear fit on paper. Pakistan is outside the EU and EEA, which is the main citizenship condition, and Malta teaches in English. The catch is money for daily life, which you will have to find yourself. You can read the full scholarship details on our listing before going further.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Provider | University of Malta |
| Funding | Partial funding: tuition fee waiver of 40% to 100% |
| Level | Master's by Research and PhD (full-time or part-time) |
| Fields | All fields |
| Deadline | 30 April each year for October entry, and within one month of your unconditional offer |
| Country | Malta |
| Official site | um.edu.mt |
A fee waiver tied to admission, not a separate competition
Most scholarships Pakistani students chase run as their own contest: you apply to the scholarship and the university at the same time, or the scholarship body places you. This one works the other way round. You must first be admitted to a research programme at the University of Malta, and only an unconditional offer counts. A conditional offer (for example, one waiting on your final transcript or an English test result) does not let you apply yet.
Once you hold that unconditional offer, you request the scholarship application form from the University's International Office and submit it. The university then reviews it and decides what percentage of your fee to waive, somewhere from 40% to 100%. You do not choose the percentage, and you should not plan your budget around getting the full 100% until you see it in writing.
The scheme is only for research degrees. Taught master's programmes are not mentioned as eligible, and professional doctorates and MBA-type programmes are explicitly excluded. If your plan is a coursework master's in business or management, this scholarship is not for you.
What 40% to 100% off tuition actually leaves you paying
The waiver covers tuition at the international student rate for the normal full duration of your Master's by Research or PhD. You also get access to the university's research facilities, libraries and supervision as an enrolled researcher, and there is no separate fee to apply for the scholarship.
Here is what it does not cover, and where students get caught out:
- Living costs, including accommodation, food and transport in Malta.
- In most cases, bench fees. These are charges for laboratory or equipment use, common in STEM research programmes.
- Whatever share of tuition remains if you receive less than a 100% waiver.
A 40% waiver and a 100% waiver are very different outcomes. With 40%, you still pay most of the international fee yourself. So treat this as a discount you might get, then work out whether you can afford the programme at the lowest end of the range. If you can, the scholarship becomes a bonus rather than a gamble. If you can only go with a full waiver, be honest with yourself about that before you resign from a job or turn down other offers.
Bench fees deserve a direct question to your department. If you are applying for a PhD in a lab-based science, ask what the bench fee is for your project and whether anything in your case is covered. The university's own guidance only says the waiver does not cover them "in most cases", so the answer may depend on your programme.
Eligibility, and why Pakistani applicants qualify on citizenship
The conditions are short:
- You hold citizenship of a country outside the EU/EEA. Pakistani citizens meet this.
- You have an unconditional offer of admission to a full-time or part-time Master's by Research or PhD programme at the University of Malta.
- The programme is a research degree, not a professional doctorate or an MBA-type programme.
- You submit the scholarship application within one month of receiving the unconditional offer.
There is no stated age limit, minimum CGPA or specific English test score for the scholarship itself. Those requirements, where they exist, sit in the admission process for your programme, so check them on the programme page. If you also hold a second passport from an EU or EEA country, you would likely fall outside this scheme, so ask the International Office before applying.
The paperwork is light because admission did the heavy lifting
Because you have already been admitted, the scholarship application asks for relatively little:
- Your unconditional letter of admission from the University of Malta.
- The completed scholarship application form.
- A copy of your passport.
- Academic transcripts and degree certificates (already submitted during admission).
- Your CV.
The form itself comes from the International Office, and the requirements can be more specific than this list. Ask them in advance what they need so that you are not scrambling inside the one-month window. For your admission file and later the visa, our documents checklist for international scholarships covers the general paperwork Pakistani students usually prepare.
Getting from offer letter to October start
- Apply for a Master's by Research or PhD programme at the University of Malta. Programme admission runs on a rolling basis.
- When you receive an unconditional offer, request the scholarship application form from the International Office.
- Submit the scholarship application within one month of your offer date.
- The university reviews it and sets your waiver percentage. A decision usually comes within a few weeks of applying.
- Accept the offer and confirm enrolment, taking any remaining tuition and bench fees into account.
- Apply for a Maltese student visa or residence permit as a non-EU/EEA national.
Studies begin in October. The listed scholarship deadline is 30 April for programmes starting that October, but the application is also tied to the one-month window after your unconditional offer. In practice, the safe reading is to treat whichever date comes first as your real deadline, and to confirm the exact deadline for your intake on the University of Malta International Office page.
Timing matters for Pakistani students in particular because the visa step comes last. If you get your offer late, receive a scholarship decision a few weeks later, and only then start on a residence permit, October can arrive quickly. Our guide to student visa rejection reasons for Pakistani students is useful here, since proof of funds for living costs will matter even with a full tuition waiver.
Where applicants lose out
The most common mistake with this scheme is sitting on an unconditional offer. The one-month clock starts on the offer date, not when you get around to reading the email. Have your CV and passport copy ready before the offer arrives.
The second is a weak research proposal. For PhD applicants, the waiver percentage often reflects how strong the university judges your proposal to be. A vague proposal may still get you admitted and still get you a waiver, but at the lower end of the range. Put serious work into the proposal: a clear question, a realistic method, and a reason the University of Malta is the right place to do it.
Third, not checking supervision. Supervisor availability in your area affects both admission and scholarship prospects. Before applying, look for faculty working on your topic and confirm someone can take you on. The university has built specific research strengths in marine sciences, digital technology and Mediterranean studies, so applicants in those areas may find a good match more easily.
Finally, students underestimate living costs. Malta is small, safe and English-speaking, and the university offers a personal research environment with close supervision. None of that pays rent. Budget for accommodation and daily expenses from your own funds or another source.
Who should skip it? Anyone set on a taught master's, an MBA, or a professional doctorate. Also anyone who needs a fully funded package with a stipend, because this scheme does not provide one. It suits research students who have some savings or family support for living costs and want to cut or remove tuition at an EU university.
Frequently asked questions
Does the University of Malta scholarship cover living costs?
No. It is a tuition fee waiver only, between 40% and 100%. Living costs and most bench fees are not covered.
Can I apply before receiving an admission offer?
No. Only applicants with an unconditional offer of admission to an eligible research programme can apply for the scholarship.
Are MBA or professional doctorate programmes eligible?
No. Only Master's by Research and PhD programmes qualify. Professional doctorates and MBA-type programmes are excluded.
Can part-time research students apply?
Yes. The scheme covers both full-time and part-time Master's by Research and PhD programmes, as long as you hold an unconditional offer.
How is my waiver percentage decided?
The university reviews your application and sets the percentage between 40% and 100%. For PhD applicants, the strength of the research proposal often plays a part.
What is the application deadline?
The listed deadline is 30 April for programmes starting in October, and the application must also be submitted within one month of your unconditional offer. Confirm the exact date for your intake with the International Office.
Before you apply, check current details on the University of Malta website and review the full scholarship page for this waiver.