Hello! I’m Catriona, a Programme Officer – International at Chevening. Last year, we held a number of themed Q&A sessions. In relation to work experience, we noticed a number of recurring questions, which we have summarised below.
(1) All applicants must have worked at least 2,800 hours to be eligible for a Chevening Scholarship.
This equates to approximately two years of full-time employment, based on the assumption that full-time employees work on average 35 hours per week and 40 weeks per year.
However, if you have worked over 2,800 hours in less than two years (i.e. by working more than 35 hours per week), you are also eligible.
You may meet the 2,800 hours work experience requirement over a longer period than two years, if for example, you have worked part-time. To calculate the number of hours worked, the application system will automatically multiply your weekly hours by the number of weeks in the role.
All applicants must have met the work experience requirement when they submit their application.
(2) We consider all types of work experience.
This includes full-time employment, part-time employment, voluntary work, paid or unpaid internships, freelancing, and self-employment. Work experience from before, during or after your undergraduate degree is eligible and can take place in any country, regardless of whether or not it is your country of citizenship. If your work experience was a mandatory part of your university course, this will not count towards the work experience criteria.
(3) Your work experience does not need to be related to the course/s you want to study.
We accept work experience from any field. However, if your course choices are not related to your work experience, you will need to explain why you are seeking to make a career change. Note the transferable skills you have gained from your current field of work and how they will help you in your studies and with your future career goals.
(4) You are not required to provide evidence of your work experience.
We do not require physical proof of your work experience (for example, payslips, a certificate, a letter from your company) or any other type of documentation. However, if your application is progressed to interview stage, you will be asked a series of questions about your work experience. Therefore, you will need to be able to expand on the employment information that you provided in the application form.
We hope you found the opportunity to ask questions in the live session useful. If you still have questions on the work experience criteria, here are a few things that you can do:
If you already have all the information you need, please apply before the November deadline.
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