Takulandilani Malawi

If you have any questions about studying at Aberystwyth University, please contact the Regional Officer for your country:

Contact: Jack Latchford-Coates
Email: jac136@aber.ac.uk
Phone: +44 (0) 1970 621892

Entry Requirements

Entry Requirements

Undergraduate

Course with an integrated foundation: Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) with 7 overall.

Direct entry:

A MSCE Certificate AND International Foundation Programme.
A-Levels (104-128 UCAS points)
International Baccalaureate (28 - 32 points)

Postgraduate

Generally, the minimum entry requirement for most taught masters courses is the equivalent (see below) of a lower second class honours degree (2.2). However, some departments may require upper second class honours degrees (2.1) (e.g. Department of International Politics) or relevant work experience.

Bachelor's 2.2	Bachelor's 2.1	Bachelor's 1st
Master's degree: Pass with Credit (60% to 69%)	Master's degree: Pass with marginal Distinction (70% to 74%)	Master's degree: Pass with Distinction (75%)

English Requirement

IELTS score of at least 6.0 - 7.5

C in English from Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE)

If you require help or assistance with your English then our International English Centre will be pleased to offer assistance and guidance. The Centre offers an intensive full-time course available before you commence your degree and provides ongoing support throughout the duration of your studies.

Scholarships

Award	Value & Benefit	Further Information
Aberystwyth Malawi Scholarship (Undergraduate)	£2,000 tuition fee discount for every taught year of studies	Students must be self-funded and not receive any other scholarships apart from the International Accommodation Award.
Vice-Chancellor's Scholarship (Postgraduate)	£3,000 tuition fee discount	Students must have the equivalent of a UK First Class Honours degree to be eligible for this Scholarship. Students must be self-funded and not receive any other scholarships apart from the International Accommodation Award.
International Accommodation Award (Foundation, Undergraduate and Postgraduate)	International students are eligible to receive inclusive university accommodation for each year of studies. Subject to availability. *Terms and conditions apply.	See our International Accommodation Award page for more information.
Caru Aber International Award	This award gives a £1,000 tuition fee discount to any international fee-paying students who spent a period of time studying with us as an associate student.	See our Caru Aber International Award page for more information.
AberDoc Scholarship Competition (PhD students only)	Grant for up to 3 years covering fees and maintenance with access to a conference fund.	See our AberDoc Scholarship Competition page for more information.
International Family Award	£1,000 tuition fee discount available to international fee-paying students who have a family member that has studied, or is studying, at Aberystwyth University.	See our International Family Award page for more information.
Commonwealth Shared Scholarship (MRes Parasite Control course only)	2 x scholarships that cover fees, approved fares and personal maintenance. (May not be held alongside other scholarships, awards, or bursaries that cover the same costs.)	See the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship page for more information.
Chevening Scholarship (Postgraduate)	Chevening Scholarships provide full funding for a one-year Master’s degree in any subject.	See our Chevening Scholarship page for more information.
Departmental Awards	Worth up to £500 per year.	See our Departmental Scholarships page for more information.

For further information on Scholarships and Bursaries please see our Fees & Scholarships page or contact the International Recruitment & Development Office on international@aber.ac.uk

Agents

Aberystwyth University carefully selects overseas representatives and will only work with companies and individuals who meet our high standards of professionalism and service. For guidance on how to choose an agency please see the Student Guide to Choosing an Education Agent.

For further information, please also refer to the British Council's guidance for agents, the UKCISA Code of Ethics and the QAA's Quality Code for UK higher education.

World Student Advisors

Tel: +265 888 772 850
Email: Tim.hunt@worldstudentadvisors.com
Website: www.worldstudentadvisors.com

Distance Learning Student Profiles

IBERS’ International Distance Learning Scholarship begins to bear fruit (well, cobs!)

A light bulb went off in my head when Dr Phillips told me that each research paper always has a clear overall message. His words were a game changer.

For the past two years, IBERS has been providing a scholarship to students from the Global South. The aim of the scholarship is to provide agricultural advisers and influencers with access to the latest thinking in agriculture. To qualify, students must be working in the agrifood sector either for a state-funded body or an NGO. One of these students, Seke Kazuru, is a bioinformatics scientist working with researchers in both public and private sector agriculture in Malawi. Seke says:

My job basically involves working with large amounts of data, processing, analysing, visualizing, and interpreting it for decision makers to make evidence-based decisions.

During the first covid-19 lockdown in Malawi, Seke began to feel that he needed a new challenge. He has an ongoing interest in using technology to improve crops and decided that studying online would be a way to challenge himself and learn more about this topic whist still being able to meet work and family commitments. Seke says:

I needed to study at a world class institution while still at my job and looking after my family. IBERS courses clearly fit this bill, the courses are flexible and convenient.

Seke has done a few MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) and so had some idea what it might be like to be a distance learner and the amount of effort required. His main concern was that it would be a lonely activity, which is always a worry with distance learning. However, this was not the case. Seke says:

It was much more interesting than I thought it would be. The first course I took had several students and I enjoyed the presentations and the forums. I enjoyed the interactions with the tutors, especially the online meetings and the seminars.

Whilst he found the courses are more intensive than he expected, requiring more commitment to complete than a MOOC, Seke felt that format works very well especially for students from his part of the world. Seke says:

One of the biggest advantages of these courses is that I directly apply my experience and knowledge to the modules, in doing so it is easy to notice gaps in my knowledge and this encourages me to do more research. Even for the tasks that I routinely do, I now question myself more and I always want to find out what the current research on a particular topic is about.

Seke has now started the research project for his MRes. He will be using high tech methods to dissect the genetics and morphological characteristics of some of Malawi’s local maize landraces in the hope of reducing the growth of aflatoxin-producing fungi in the crop. Aflatoxins are particularly harmful to children causing stunted growth, delayed development, liver damage, and liver cancer.

Seke says:

This research is important as it will inform maize breeders and researchers what to consider in breeding maize varieties to enhance the future health of the population.

IBERS is proud to continue to provide scholarships to students from: Cameroon, Colombia, Malawi, Pakistan, South Africa, Tanzania, Trinidad, Uganda, and Zambia. For more information on distance learning courses offered through IBERS see https://www.aber.ac.uk/en/ibers/study-with-us/ibers-pg-study/ibers-dl/