Kalisher Trust Scholarship

Through the generosity of Kalisher Trust and Wadham College, the Centre for Criminology, University of Oxford, is offering a partial scholarship for UK residents applying for the MSc Criminology and Criminal Justice degree commencing in October 2025. The scholarships are intended to encourage and assist those intending to practise at the Criminal Bar who demonstrate ‘exceptional promise but modest means’. Applications are invited from UK residents. The award will be to the value of £13,000 towards course fees: with £6,000 coming from Kalisher Trust, £3,000 - from Wadham College and £4,000 - from the Law Faculty.

Those wishing to be considered need not name Wadham as their first choice college when applying for the course; the recipient of the scholarship will receive a place at Wadham should they wish to take up the offer of funding.

How to apply

At the time of application to the University, applicants are required to submit to the Graduate Studies Administrator at the Centre for Criminology an additional statement asking to be considered for this scholarship and explaining why they believe they meet the selection criteria below, in particularly to discuss their motivation to succeed at the Criminal Bar. This statement should be no more than 800 words. Those shortlisted for the scholarship will be invited for an interview. Application statements should be sent to gsa@crim.ox.ac.uk. 

Selection criteria

In addition to satisfying the high academic standards of the Centre for Criminology, Faculty of Law, and Wadham College, University of Oxford, candidates for the award must satisfy the Kalisher Trust’s objectives of furthering access to the Criminal Bar for students from backgrounds who are underrepresented in the legal profession.

The scholarships are intended to encourage and assist those intending to practise at the Criminal Bar who demonstrate ‘exceptional promise but modest means’.

Applications are invited from eligible candidates who can demonstrate:

1. Intellectual ability – demonstrated by academic performance, past work, activities and other experience.
2. Motivation to succeed at the Criminal Bar – including steps taken to acquire the personal skills required of a Barrister, and a demonstration of the will to succeed.
3. Potential as an advocate – both in oral and written skills.
4. Personal qualities – including self-reliance, independence, integrity, reliability and humanity.
5. Financial need - candidates will be asked to supply to the interview panel, in confidence, information demonstrating financial need. Please note that the scholarship will not cover the fees for the course in full, and the selected candidate, like all other applicants offered places in the University, will be required to demonstrate to Wadham College that he or she has sufficient funds to cover the additional costs.

If you have any further questions about this opportunity, please feel free to contact us at gsa@crim.ox.ac.uk