Saïd Business School - Forte Foundation Fellowships

Forté Fellowship at Oxford Saïd Business School

You will receive up to about EUR 34,500 (£30,000) for your MBA programme at the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford. Up to three scholarships (for postgraduate study) are awarded each year. In addition to the financial support, you will become part of the Forté network, a community of over 100,000 women from leading business schools and partner organisations. This gives you access to free webinars and workshops on leadership, an online community for scholarship holders and alumni, a listing in the annual Forté CV directory, which is sent to partner organisations, invitations to job vacancies and executive programmes at these companies, an invitation to the Forté Pre-MBA Leadership Conference, and lifetime access to Forté events. The Saïd Business School has been running these scholarships since 2013 in partnership with the charitable Forté Foundation to support women on their path to leadership roles in business.

Who can apply

• Programme: You are applying for the full-time MBA at Oxford Saïd Business School.
• Field of study: The MBA is a degree programme in the field of business and management and is therefore aimed at students of economics.
• Nationality: All nationalities can apply.
• Focus: The award aims to increase the number of women in leadership roles. According to Forté, individuals of all genders and gender identities are eligible.
• Grades: You have an outstanding academic record, as demonstrated by your degree, your GMAT or GRE result, and any university honours you may have received.
• Leadership: You demonstrate clear leadership qualities in an academic setting, within a team, in the community or in a creative field.
• Commitment: You can demonstrate a concrete commitment to promoting women in business, for example through involvement in relevant organisations, mentoring or initiatives. Participation in the Forté MBALaunch programme is an advantage, but not a requirement.

How to apply

There is no separate application process. You submit a complete MBA application to Oxford Saïd by the MBA application deadline, and the university uses this application to decide who will receive a scholarship. There is no fixed application deadline for the scholarship. All eligible applicants who have been offered a place will be considered after each MBA admissions round. You should therefore apply early, as scholarships may no longer be available in later rounds.

How realistic are your chances?

Each year, no more than three scholarships are awarded, and applicants must first secure a place on the highly competitive Oxford MBA programme. This makes the award a demanding challenge. Good grades are a basic requirement. What sets applicants apart from the rest is clear evidence of leadership qualities and their commitment to women in business. As scholarships may no longer be available in later admission rounds, you’ll improve your chances by applying in an early round.