We list 12 fully Funded Masters Arts & Humanities Scholarships for Nigerian Students, with the deadline, study level and eligibility of each one taken from the award's own terms. Most are held in China (4), Australia (2) and the Netherlands (1). 7 state eligibility that includes Nigerian applicants. Awards with a known closing date are listed soonest first.
These awards do not restrict the field of study, so arts & humanities applicants can apply too.
Written from the 12 awards on this page — every figure below is counted from what the awards themselves state. 4 min read.
This page collects 12 fully funded masters scholarships in arts and humanities that are open to Nigerian students. Every award on the list is labelled fully funded by the body offering it, and every one of the 12 is at masters level. The list is not restricted to one subject inside the faculty: it covers the range of arts and humanities programmes that these universities and governments fund, from taught masters to research masters.
Seven of the 12 also fund PhD study, so a number of them can carry you past the masters if you later choose to continue. Four of them include bachelors study as well, and one is a fellowship. If you are searching only for a masters place, the 12 on this page are the ones to read first.
China accounts for the largest share, with 4 of the 12. Australia follows with 2. The remaining awards are spread one each across the Netherlands, Qatar, Romania, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States.
That spread matters when you are weighing cost and logistics. A Chinese or Qatari award may suit you if you want a lower cost of living and a shorter flight home. A UK or US award carries a different set of visa and funding conditions. Read each individual page rather than assuming the terms are the same.
The brief counts what each award states in its own text. Across the 12:
These are the benefits the awards write down, not a promise that every award covers all of them. Check the wording on the page for the award you are applying to, and note whether the stipend is paid monthly, per session, or as a lump sum.
For 7 of the 12 awards, Nigerian students may apply. None of those 7 names Nigeria or a region as a requirement; all 7 simply carry no nationality restriction. For the other 5, eligibility is not stated on the award itself, so you will need to confirm with the provider before you spend money on a transcript or a courier.
This is the point where many Nigerian applicants waste fees. If the award page does not say who may apply, email the admissions or scholarships office and ask directly, in writing, before you pay for anything.
Across the 12 awards, the requirements stated in writing are:
Two things follow from this. First, recommendation letters are the single most common requirement, so line up your referees early — a former lecturer or a supervisor who can speak to your written work, not a family friend. Second, only 2 awards state a minimum degree class, but where a class is stated it is usually phrased as an upper second. On a Nigerian transcript, upper second corresponds to Second Class Upper (2:1).
Only 4 awards state an English test requirement. Some universities waive the test where your previous degree was taught in English; whether yours qualifies is decided by the university, not by this page. Ask before you book a test date.
You come into this list holding a first degree or HND — B.Sc, B.A, B.Eng, LLB, MBBS or HND. The awards here are for taught and research masters.
Whether an HND is accepted for a particular masters is decided by each university, so treat that as a question to put to the department. If you hold a 2:1 or better, you are within the class most commonly named. If your class is lower, look for awards that do not state a minimum, and make your research proposal or writing sample carry the weight.
Seven of the 12 awards carry a stated date, and 7 are still open. Seven recur, meaning the cycle repeats each year, so a missed date is not always the end of the road. Five awards are undated on the page, which usually means the provider confirms the window later.
October is the busiest month, with 3 deadlines. December carries 2, and January carries 1. The awards closing soonest are:
One further award on the list, the Romania Government Scholarships 2026-2027, closes 12 March and covers undergraduate, masters and PhD study.
Start with the five awards above, since their dates are known and nearest. Open each page, read the eligibility section first, and only then decide whether to apply. If the award does not state who may apply, send one short email asking whether Nigerian applicants are eligible and whether an English test waiver is available for a degree taught in English.
In parallel, request your transcript and your referee letters. These take the longest and cost the most, and they are needed for 6 of the 12 awards. Do not order a courier or pay a transcript fee for an award you have not confirmed you qualify for.
Then work through the rest of the 12. With 7 awards open to Nigerian applicants without a nationality restriction, and 7 still open, there is more than one route on this page. Pick two or three that match your subject and your degree class, and give each application the time its research proposal or writing sample deserves.
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