History prizes and scholarships

Learn about prizes and scholarships available to students of History at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington.

Prizes

  • Arnold Atkinson Prize awarded to the undergraduate student submitting the best essay on an aspect of British or European history, or the history of former British colonies.
  • Australian High Commissioner’s Prize awarded to the student submitting the best essay on Australian history.
  • Beryl Hughes Prize awarded to the student submitting the most outstanding undergraduate or Honours essay in the area of women’s studies.
  • Bowen Prize awarded to the postgraduate student submitting the best essay or thesis on an aspect of British or European history, or the history of former British colonies.
  • Clare Galambos-Winter Prize in Holocaust Studies awarded to the student submitting the most outstanding essay on an aspect of the Holocaust and genocide.
  • Lotte Weiss Award in Holocaust and Genocide Studies awarded to the undergraduate or postgraduate student enrolled in studies related to the Holocaust, Jewish history and Genocide studies, displaying academic rigour and commitment to values of empathy, optimism and resilience.
  • F P Wilson Prize (Honours/300-level) awarded to the student (300-level or Honours) submitting the best essay on a topic of New Zealand history.
  • F P Wilson Prize (Masters thesis) awarded to the student submitting the most outstanding M.A. thesis on a topic of New Zealand history.
  • John F. Kennedy Prize in American History awarded to the student submitting the most outstanding essay on an aspect of American history or the history of New Zealand-U.S. relations.
  • Sekhar Bandyopadhyay Prize awarded to the student submitting an essay or thesis on an aspect of Indian history.
  • Zander and Durden Prize awarded to the student completing a thesis for the degree of M.A. or Ph.D.

Scholarships

The following postgraduate scholarships are of particular interest:

  • Jack Pearce Scholarship in New Zealand or English History. The Scholarship shall be awarded annually to a fulltime masters by thesis student undertaking research in New Zealand or English history.
  • James E. Worsfold Scholarship established through the Victoria University of Wellington Foundation by the Wellington Historical and Early Settlers’ Association Inc. Candidates must be studying for an MA or PhD relating to the history of the Wellington region between 1830 and 1900.
  • F P Wilson Scholarship awarded to the student who, having completed a B.A. with Honours, is preparing an M.A. thesis on a topic of New Zealand history.
  • Raye Freedman Scholarship in Holocaust Related Studies is in memory of ‘Rachel’ Raye Blumenthal Freedman and funded by the Raye Blumenthal Freedman Charitable Trust to encourage research and honour the memory of those who perished during the Holocaust. This scholarship is for any students wanting to further their studies at a Master's by thesis level and to specialise in issues related to the Holocaust or its impacts in contemporary life.

Scholarships for Māori and Pasifika students

The following scholarships are for Māori and Pasifika students studying History at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington:

  • Alastair Whitelaw Scholarship in History established from a bequest under the Will of Alastair Whitelaw, who died in 2015. He graduated from Victoria University of Wellington in 1955 and completed an MA at Oxford. He went on to teach History at both St Kentigern's and King's College in Auckland. This scholarship is designed to encourage and support Māori or Pasifika students to pursue a History major or a History Honours degree at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington.

Masters and PhD scholarships

The following Master's and PhD scholarships are of particular interest to History students:

  • Wellington Doctoral Scholarships (application deadlines 1 March, 1 July, 1 November)
  • Wellington Master’s by Thesis Scholarship (application deadline 1 November).
  • Jack Pearce Scholarship in New Zealand or English History (application deadline 31 October). The Scholarship shall be awarded annually to a full-time masters by thesis student undertaking research in New Zealand or English history.
  • Buchanan Scholarship in New Zealand History and Society (application deadline 1 November)
  • Laywood & Joyce Chan Award established to encourage students going on to postgraduate study with a focus on China, the Chinese language, and/or the contribution of the Chinese community to New Zealand. The awards are made to postgraduate students (Honours, Masters or PhD) intending to undertake research in Chinese history, politics or international relations; and to postgraduate students in Chinese language.
  • James E. Worsfold Scholarship (application deadline 15 November), established through the Victoria University of Wellington Foundation by the Wellington Historical and Early Settlers’ Association Inc. Candidates must be studying at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington for a BA(Hons), MA, or PhD degree relating to the history of the Wellington region.

More about scholarships

For more information about undergraduate or postgraduate scholarships, see the Wellington Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Scholarships and Prizes page or the Scholarships Office website.