VCUarts Qatar Undergraduate Merit Scholarship 2027

The VCUarts Qatar Undergraduate Merit Scholarship is designed to recognise incoming students who demonstrate exceptional academic achievement and creative potential.

VCUarts Qatar is the Qatar campus of Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts and offers undergraduate programmes in art, design and art history. Students graduate with degrees issued by Virginia Commonwealth University in the United States.

There is no separate application for the merit scholarship. All applicants who submit an application to an eligible VCUarts Qatar undergraduate BA or BFA programme are automatically considered.

Scholarship selection takes a holistic approach, considering both academic performance and creative excellence. BFA applicants demonstrate their creative potential through an art portfolio, while BA applicants are assessed partly through their required essay.

The scholarship can provide up to US$40,000 per academic year. Funding is applied directly towards tuition and, where approved, remaining funds may be applied towards Qatar Foundation student housing.

The award is renewable for up to four academic years, provided recipients continue to meet the scholarship renewal requirements.

VCUarts Qatar offers five undergraduate degree programmes:

• Art History – BA
• Graphic Design – BFA
• Interior Design – BFA
• Painting + Printmaking – BFA
• Kinetic Imaging – BFA

Students entering a BFA programme first complete the mandatory Art Foundation year before progressing into their selected BFA major.

• Applicants must be incoming students applying to an undergraduate programme at VCUarts Qatar.
• Current VCUarts Qatar students are not eligible for this merit scholarship.
• Both local and international applicants can be considered.
• Applicants must have a minimum GPA of 3.30 on a 4.0 scale.
• BA applicants must submit an essay demonstrating excellence relevant to arts and design.
• BFA applicants must submit an art portfolio demonstrating creative excellence.
• Applicants must meet the merit scholarship’s English-language requirement.
• Accepted scholarship-level English evidence includes IELTS 7.0+, TOEFL iBT 4.5+ for tests taken on or after 21 January 2026, TOEFL 94+ for tests taken before 21 January 2026, or Duolingo within the stated 130–135 range.
• Applicants must also satisfy the general VCUarts Qatar undergraduate admission requirements.

• Scholarship worth up to US$40,000 per year.
• Funding applied directly towards undergraduate tuition.
• Scholarship funding can cover tuition up to the amount specified by VCUarts Qatar.
• Remaining scholarship funding, where approved, may be applied towards Qatar Foundation student housing.
• Renewable for up to four academic years.
• No separate scholarship application.
• Automatic annual scholarship review for existing recipients.
• Access to undergraduate art and design education at VCUarts Qatar.
• Opportunity to study within Qatar Foundation’s Education City.

For renewal, recipients must:

• Maintain good academic standing.
• Maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00.
• Remain in their original major.
• Continue to meet scholarship conditions.
• Remain subject to continued scholarship funding from Qatar Foundation.

There is no separate scholarship document package. Applicants are considered through their undergraduate admissions application.

General undergraduate application documents include:

• Completed Common Application.
• Official Grade 10, 11 and 12 high-school transcripts.
• Passport identification pages.
• Qatar ID for applicants who are residents of Qatar.
• One recommendation from a teacher, adviser or counsellor.
• Official English-language proficiency results where required.
• Art portfolio for BFA applicants.
• Required essay for BA in Art History applicants.
• Official English translation for transcripts issued in another language, where applicable.
• Qatar Ministry of Education Certificate of Equivalency where applicable.

For merit scholarship assessment specifically:

• BFA applicants should submit a strong portfolio demonstrating artistic and creative excellence.
• BA applicants should submit a strong essay demonstrating their academic and creative potential.
• Applicants must meet the scholarship’s GPA and English-language thresholds.

• Academic achievement.
• Minimum GPA of 3.30/4.0.
• Creative excellence.
• Quality of the BFA portfolio or BA essay.
• English-language proficiency.
• Overall quality of the undergraduate application.
• Letter of recommendation.
• Potential interview performance where an interview is requested.

• Receive up to US$40,000 per year towards undergraduate study.
• Study art and design in Qatar’s Education City.
• Earn a degree issued by Virginia Commonwealth University.
• Join an international creative and academic community.
• Develop professional-level creative skills.
• Access studio-, laboratory- and research-based learning.
• Study alongside students from diverse backgrounds.
• Build a portfolio and professional creative network.
• Access opportunities across the wider Education City environment.
• Potentially retain scholarship support for up to four academic years.