StudyDesk Scholarships
About the scholarship
The Oxford-Pershing Square Graduate Scholarships are funded by the Pershing Square Foundation — established by Bill Ackman and Karen Ackman — in partnership with the University of Oxford. The Foundation’s gift of £7.8 million, combined with £5.2 million from the University’s Graduate Scholarship Matched Fund, created a £13 million endowment, so the scholarship is funded in perpetuity rather than year to year.
What makes this award different from most Oxford MBA scholarships is its scope. It does not fund the MBA year alone — it covers both degrees in the Oxford 1+1 MBA: a one-year Master’s degree in a specialist subject, then the one-year MBA at Saïd Business School. That is two full Oxford degrees, both fully funded, with living costs for each year of study, plus mentorship, conferences and a spring trek to New York. The price is the double admission: you must win a place on both programmes in the same cycle, and only then are you considered for one of the five awards.
Eligibility
- Be of any nationality; there is no age limit.
- Be admitted to both a 1+1 MBA partnering programme and the MBA before being considered — applicants on a waiting list are not considered.
- Priority is given to new applicants to the Oxford 1+1 MBA; then to applicants admitted to a full-time one-year Master’s course not on the partnering list plus the MBA; then to current Master’s students admitted to the MBA who were not considered in the previous year.
- Show the intention to focus on addressing world-scale social challenges in your career, in an existing organisation or through a new enterprise.
- Demonstrate leadership potential and academic achievement, including degree results and GMAT or GRE score.
- Show strong personal character, integrity and commitment, and a clear vision of how the 1+1 MBA will help you achieve your goals.
Benefits
- Course fees for both degrees — the Master’s degree and the MBA.
- A living-cost grant of at least £21,805 for each year of study.
- Mentorship, conferences, termly and scholar community events.
- A spring trek to New York hosted by the Pershing Square Foundation.
- Two full Oxford degrees under one funding umbrella — the only award that funds the complete 1+1 MBA combination.
Documents to prepare
- Academic transcripts and degree certificate.
- An updated CV.
- A statement of purpose.
- The scholarship essay (maximum 500 words): "How do you intend to change the world, and what does this tell us about you as a person?"
- English-language evidence if your previous education was not in English.
- GMAT or GRE scores and letters of recommendation, as the MBA and Master’s applications require.
- A valid passport or identification document.
How to apply
- Choose an eligible Master’s programme that participates in the Oxford 1+1 MBA Programme.
- Submit separate applications for the Master’s programme and the Oxford MBA, in the same application cycle.
- Upload the scholarship essay (maximum 500 words) in the Funding section of the 1+1 MBA application.
- Make sure both applications are complete and submitted by their respective deadlines — the MBA by 6 January 2027, the Master’s by its own deadline in December 2026 or January 2027.
- There is no separate scholarship application — consideration is based on the two programme applications and the essay.
FAQs
Yes. It covers full course fees for both the Master’s degree and the MBA, plus a living-cost grant of at least £21,805 for each year of study.
Up to five scholarships are awarded annually.
6 January 2027 for the 1+1 MBA application. Your chosen Master’s programme has its own deadline in December 2026 or January 2027. One tracker gives 7 January and another 8 January 2027; Oxford’s published deadline of 6 January 2027 is used here.
No. There is no separate scholarship application. You apply to both programmes and upload the 500-word scholarship essay in the Funding section of the 1+1 MBA application.
Current Master’s students admitted to the MBA who were not considered for the scholarship in the previous year are considered, but at the lowest priority. New applicants to the 1+1 MBA are considered first.
"How do you intend to change the world, and what does this tell us about you as a person?" — in 500 words or fewer.
Verified 26 Oct 2026: sbs.ox.ac.uk (official Oxford-Pershing Square Graduate Scholarships page) — up to five full awards covering both the Master’s and MBA degrees, living-cost grant of at least £21,805 for each year of study, eligibility priority order, admission to both programmes required (waiting list not considered); gradualin.com, scholarshipsads.com, european-funding-guide.eu, youthexpat.com — deadline 6 January 2027, 500-word essay question, shortlisting early April 2027, interviews late April/early May, spring trek to New York, £13 million endowment. One tracker gives 7 January 2027 and another 8 January 2027; Oxford’s published deadline of 6 January 2027 is used here.
