Femi Akindele
Ireland Fellows Programme enables early to mid-career professionals from eligible countries, with leadership potential, to benefit from a prestigious, world-class, quality education contributing to capacity building.
It offers selected students the opportunity to undertake a fully funded one-year master’s level programme at a higher education institution (HEI) in Ireland. The award covers programme fees, flights, accommodation and living costs.
This post provides insight into the details, requirements, benefits, and the stepwise application procedure for interested applicants.
Ireland Fellows Program Summary
- Host Country: Ireland
- Study Abroad: Study in Europe
- Category: Postgraduate Scholarships | Masters Scholarships | Fellowships
- Eligible Countries: Developing Countries
- Reward: Full Scholarship | Flight Ticket | Accommodation | Living allowance
- Deadline: Not Specified.
Ireland Fellows Program Details:
The aims of the Ireland Fellows Program are to nurture future leaders; to develop in-country capacity to achieve national SDG goals; and to build positive relationships with Ireland.
The Programme is intended to support graduates on their return home, through the skills they develop, to contribute to capacity building in their home countries and to become one of the next generation of leaders in their respective fields.
It is also envisaged that they will contribute to building enduring positive personal and professional relationships with Ireland, promoting institutional linkages.
Ireland Fellows Program Requirements:
To be eligible for an Ireland Fellows Programme – Africa award commencing at the beginning of the academic year 2025/26, applicants must:
- Be a resident national of one of the countries listed below:
Angola, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. - Have a minimum of two or three years’ substantial work experience that is directly relevant to your proposed programme(s) of study, depending on the country (see Page 8 for details).
- Hold a bachelor’s level academic qualification from an accredited and government-recognised higher education institution, with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (4.0 scale) – i.e. a first-class honour, or second class honour. It must have been awarded in 2013 or later (i.e. within the last 12 years).
- Not already hold a qualification at master’s level or higher. Not currently undertaking a programme at master’s level or higher, or be due to start a programme at master’s level or higher in the academic year 2025/26.
- Be applying to commence a new programme at master’s level in Ireland no sooner than August 2025.
- Be able to demonstrate the following: leadership abilities and aspirations; a commitment to the achievement of the SDGs within your own country; and a commitment to contribute to building positive relationships with Ireland.
Ireland Fellows Program 2026 Duration and Reward
The award covers
- programme fees,
- flights,
- accommodation and living costs.
Eligible master’s level programmes in Ireland commence in August or September each year and, depending on the programme, will run for between 10 and 16 months.
How To Apply for Ireland Fellows Programme 2026 (Step by Step)
To apply for the Ireland Fellows Program, interested and qualified applicants should follow the steps below;
- Click on the link below to visit the fellowship page
- Please read the Applicant Guidance Note carefully before completing as eligibility criteria may differ from country to country.
The application process consists of three stages:
- Stage 1 Preliminary Application;
- Stage 2 Detailed Application;
- Stage 3 Interviews.
- All applicants who are selected to progress after the second stage will be required to sit an online Duolingo English Test.
- If shortlisted after the interview stage, all applicants will be required to take another English language test, normally the IELTS exam, unless they are already in possession of an IELTS certificate that is dated 2022 or later which shows the applicant has achieved the necessary score for the course(s) they intend to apply to.
- Early preparation for the IELTS exam is strongly advised, even for native English speakers.
