Breakspear scholarship

Award overview

• Level: Postgraduate
• Mode of study: Full-time
• Tuition fee status: Home
• Value: £12,000
• Number of awards: One
• Deadline: 31 July 2026

The Breakspear Scholarship, named in honour of Nicholas Breakspear, Pope Adrian IV - the only English Pope - offers a full fee waiver for a full time, home, postgraduate student in history.

The Breakspear Scholarship is funded by a generous donation from alumnus Adrian Waddingham CBE

Eligibility

Students studying in the School of Historical Studies for one of the following master's programmes are eligible to apply:

• MA European History
• MA Public History and Heritage
• MA Contemporary History and Politics
• MA Global History: Empires, States and Cultures
• MA Historical Research

The scholarship will be awarded to a home student with a strong academic track record who would not have the opportunity to study without scholarship funding.

You must be applying to study on a Birkbeck programme that is based at our Bloomsbury campus in London (this includes programmes delivered online).

Value

£12,000 to be used for tuition fees only. 

If your programme is over multiple years then the payment will be split across those years.

Deadline

31 July 2026.

How to apply

To apply for this scholarship, please complete the online application form.

Birkbeck reserves the right to withdraw or amend a scholarship without prior notification. Scholarships are offered subject to funding and availability.

Students can receive only one Birkbeck scholarship.  If the student applies for multiple scholarships, and is placed within the number of awards available, they would receive the highest value award only.