TheSkoll Scholarshipis one of the world’s most prestigious opportunities for social innovators, offering full financial support to obtain a Master’s degree (MBA) at the University of Oxford, along with joining a global community of social innovators.
Scholarship Details
Purpose of the Scholarship:
To support social innovators seeking to develop their leadership and management skills to create effective social change.
Financial Coverage:
- Full coverage of MBA programme tuition fees.
- Partial support for living expenses.
Additional Benefits:
- Joining theSkoll Scholar Community, which provides continuous learning opportunities and networking with leaders in social innovation worldwide.
- Recognition of efforts focused on social impact rather than purely commercial or governmental objectives.
Eligibility Criteria
- Entrepreneurial Work
- A proven track record of creating change through entrepreneurial methods.
- Examples: founding or developing a social venture, leading social impact initiatives, or addressing a specific social or environmental issue.
- A proven track record of creating change through entrepreneurial methods.
- Creating Impact Focused on Systemic Change
- Clear and tangible results achieved through entrepreneurial efforts.
- Challenging and improving unfair practices within the applicant’s field of expertise.
- Clear and tangible results achieved through entrepreneurial efforts.
- Personal Qualities of a Social Innovator
- Perseverance, readiness to take risks, and the ability to learn from failure.
- Initiative-taking and exploring opportunities.
- Building networks and relationships to collaborate toward common goals.
- Lived experience or deep understanding of the issues being addressed.
- Perseverance, readiness to take risks, and the ability to learn from failure.
- Importance of the MBA to the Applicant’s Career Path
- Explaining how the MBA will contribute to professional development and increase social impact.
- Financial Need
- Demonstrating difficulty in affording the programme.
- Explaining the need for the scholarship based on professional experience or personal circumstances.
- Demonstrating difficulty in affording the programme.
- Diversity and Inclusion
- Encouraging women, underrepresented groups, and applicants from the Global South to apply.
- Building a collaborative environment that respects diverse perspectives.
Application Deadlines
Applicants must apply to theSaïd Business SchoolMBA programme in one of the four admission stages:
- Stage 1:Monday, 1 September 2025
- Stage 2:Wednesday, 1 October 2025
- Stage 3:Monday, 3 November 2025
- Stage 4:Wednesday, 7 January 2026
How to Apply
- Apply directly to the MBA programme atSaïd Business Schoolin one of the specified stages.
- Attach your answers to the Skoll Scholarship questions within your MBA application.
- After your MBA application is assessed, if accepted, it will automatically be forwarded to the Skoll Scholarship Selection Committee.
If shortlisted, you will receive an email from the Skoll Centre outlining the next steps, including:
Completing theLogistics and Reference Form.- Attending a first-stage online interview with the Scholarship Selection Committee.
- Successful candidates from the first interview will move on to the final online interview.
Important Notes
- Applicants must beacceptedinto the MBA programme and have submitted their scholarship essays before the deadlines.
- Adeposit feemust be paid to confirm your place in the programme; the payment deadline will be extended for candidates progressing in the scholarship selection process.
- At the final shortlisting stage, you must hold anunconditional offerfor the MBA programme; applicants with conditional offers will not be considered.