Membership criteria are set to ensure that universities within ACU membership are committed to the mission, vision and values of the ACU, as well as a steadfast belief in education, social responsibility, international development, and collaboration with other like-minded institutions.
Full members
- Must be legally incorporated and situated in the Commonwealth (unless they have chosen to remain in membership when their country withdraws or is removed from the Commonwealth)
- Must be approved by the appropriate government authority to provide higher education
- Must be approved by the appropriate government authority to award their own degrees
- Must have at least 250 full-time equivalent students (50% of whom must be studying at first or higher degree level)
- Must have graduated at least one cohort of students
Associate members
- Must be legally incorporated and situated in the Commonwealth (unless they have chosen to remain in membership when their country withdraws or is removed from the Commonwealth)
- Will normally be university colleges, colleges of universities, or other higher education institutions whose students may be awarded the degrees of another institution under a franchise, licence or other collaborative agreement. The degree-awarding institution itself must be located in the Commonwealth and eligible for full membership of the ACU
- Must be approved by the appropriate government authority to provide higher education
- Must have at least 250 full-time equivalent students (50% of whom must be studying at first or higher degree level)
- Must have graduated at least one cohort of students
Application Guidance
The application form consists of the following sections:
- Eligibility
- Personal Details
- Academic & Employment Record
- Course at host university
- Statements
- Upload supporting documents (including references)
The statement section is formed of 3 main statements for the Master’s application. Guidance for what is required for each statement is shown below, as well as on the application form itself.
Plagiarism is not allowed. Applications shown to be plagiarised will not be considered.
Master’s Applications
Please note that for only citizens of the awarding country are eligible to apply. I.e. For the OCPP scholarships Ghana, the awarding country is Ghana and so only Ghanaian citizens are eligible to apply.
Statement 1: Plan of study (300-400 words)
The OCPP Scholarships provide unique opportunities for students from the awarding country to undertake a fully funded Master’s in marine science related courses.
Your statement should answer the following questions:
- Why have you chosen to study this course
- What specific features of the course do you find interesting?
- Why do you want to undertake this course at this institution and in this country?
- What have you done to research your chosen university?
- Explain how your previous studies and experiences make you a suitable candidate for this course.
- Provide a short description of the proposed MSc research project that you would like to undertake (this can include a problem statement, the aims of the research, a short methods overview).
Statement 2: Impact and Policy (200-300 words)
The OCPP scholarships will enable scholars from the awarding country to undertake an MSc, harnessing their regional knowledge to help develop solutions to marine environmental problems.
Your statement should consider the following questions:
- Describe briefly one challenge or problem related to the conservation and sustainable management of marine resources that you would like to address.
- How do you hope to contribute to addressing this?
- How will your proposed study help you contribute towards a solution to this challenge?
- Demonstrate how your MSc training and research that you are planning to undertake will have an impact on the awarding country.
Statement 3: Personal Development (200-300 words)
Your statement should answer the following questions:
- Explain how the course/research that you intend to undertake on your proposed course will contribute to your career future career plans and career development.
- What skills do you expect to gain from this scholarship?
- How you will apply/share the knowledge and skills gained on award with your local community and/or the society when you return home?
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