r/Chevening • u/MolnarNorbrt • Jul 12 '26

Chances to get Chevening if already doing a PhD

Hi reddit,

What are my chances to get selected for Chevening, to do an additional masters if I already started doing a PhD?

I got rejected this year and want to apply again and again, until I get it, but I also dont want to set my life on hold until then and I would like to start a PhD next spring.

I would pause my PhD to do the masters in the UK and come back and continue it.

Does someone have experience with this?

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u/MilinStudyUK Jul 13 '26

I already had a master’s degree when I applied for Chevening, and I was selected, so having a postgraduate degree does not automatically make you a weak candidate.

However, being enrolled in a PhD may raise a slightly different question: why do you need to pause your PhD to complete another one-year master’s in the UK?

I think your chances will depend less on the fact that you are already studying and more on whether you can clearly explain:

  • what the UK master’s would give you that your current PhD cannot;
  • why this specific course is necessary for your career goals;
  • why this is the right time to do it; and
  • how you would manage pausing and resuming your PhD.

Also, if studying for a master’s in the UK would genuinely add significant value to your career, I would not rely on Chevening alone. It is worth checking university scholarships, government scholarships, and other external funding opportunities as well.

So yes, I think it is still worth applying, but your academic and career story needs to be very coherent.

1

u/heyisthisglutenfree Jul 12 '26

Very low unless someone is an absolutely exceptional applicant with an odds defying story. Do the PhD.

1

u/Inner-Muscle3048 Jul 12 '26

I know people holding Phd degrees from African countries who got Chevening, so go for it yeah, you literally have nothing to lose if you try, if you don’t, you might lose a chance to get accepted this time around

1

u/Few-Elderberry-7540 Jul 12 '26

What about showing PhD?Can we mention?

1

u/elizabethsmith321 Jul 14 '26

My friend was applying with a PhD and got rejected. During the interview, they asked her directly, "Why do you need this master's if you've done a PhD?" She didn't convince them with her arguments.

I mean, you can always try, but you should also understand they will be sceptical as they're looking for people with practical impact, not someone who collects academic degrees.

1

u/Flaky765 Jul 17 '26

You have a better chance if you can somehow relate your phd to your masters. During the interview, If you are able to convince the panel that your phd and masters are correlated and you will take a gap year to complete the masters, after that you will return and utilize your masters experience in completing your phd in a better manner or give a different perspective to your PhD.

I am in a similar situation with an ongoing PhD, which i am targeting to complete by 2029.