Australia Awards are prestigious international scholarships funded by the Australian Government. They offer the next generation of global leaders an opportunity to undertake study, research and professional development in Australia. The Awards strive to develop leadership potential and stimulate lasting change by empowering a global network of talented individuals through high-quality education experiences in Australia and overseas.

Graduates return home with new ideas and knowledge, and the ability to make a significant contribution to their home countries as leaders in their field.

Australia Awards, funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAT), consist of Australia Awards Scholarships and Australia Awards Short Course Awards.

Australia Awards Scholarships are a key component of Australia’s bilateral aid program for Vietnam and are awarded each year to meet Vietnam’s priority human resource and development needs and improve links between Australia and Vietnam. 

Australia Awards Short Courses are only available under Aus4Skills non-scholarship human resource development components.

A ‘Formal degree’ is ‘Bang chinh quy’.

‘Bang tai chuc‘ and ‘Bang Chuyen Tu‘ are not formal degrees and are not eligible for an Australia Awards Scholarship. ‘Bang Lien Thong‘ is considered a formal degree if the applicant has graduated from a three-year college course.

Master’s by Research applicants should show evidence of contacting a potential supervisor with their application and should supply evidence of past research and highlight outcomes. Please refer to guidance on How to find a supervisor and how to prepare a research proposal.

State companies are considered part of the private sector.

Yes. If candidates are working on a Government project at the central, provincial, or district level and are not a Government employee, they are eligible to apply for Australia Awards Scholarships if they meet the eligibility requirements of their respective group of employment (see the Eligibility Criteria section).

No. Applicants cannot apply for a scholarship for a second master’s degree irrespective of whether the first degree has been completed.

However, disadvantaged applicants (people with disabilities or rural disadvantaged applicants), in accordance to the definition under Australia Awards Scholarships in Vietnam, could apply for a different field of study from their previous master’s degree.

 IELTS, TOEFL iBT or PTE Academic test certificates will be valid if the tests have been on or after 1 January 2025. Valid certificates if required must be submitted with the online application by 30 April 2026 and will not be accepted if submitted after that date.

No, these test certificates cannot be submitted after the scholarship application period closes on 30 April 2026. Applications and/or supporting documents, including English language test results, received after the closing date will not be considered.

Yes, they need to have an IELTS Academic (or TOEFL iBT or PTE Academic) certificate. All applicants, whether at application or as a short-listed candidate following the DFAT-funded IELTS selection test, must have a valid IELTS Academic (or TOEFL iBT or PTE Academic) certificate that meets the minimum English language requirements for the designated employment groups.

The 24-month full-time work experience is calculated from the day of course completion shown on the university transcript to the scholarship application closing date, which should be supported by a work contract or official recruitment decision for government employees.

All applicants, except disadvantaged applicants, must have 24-month full-time work experience in Vietnam by the scholarship application closing date. Any post-graduation probation period will be included as part of the 24-month calculation. Work experience undertaken during studies will not be taken into account.

Applicants with disabilities s are not required to be employed for a full 24-month period, but they should have at least 12-month full-time or 24-month part-time work experience calculated as set out above. Applicants from rural disadvantaged areas are required to have at least 12-month full-time employment.

No. The work experience does not have to be continuous or with the same employer but should be recent and relevant to the proposed field of study.

All applicants must submit certified copies of work contract(s) with their application, or official recruitment decision(s) if they are government employees, to prove they have the required period of full-time work experience. These documents do not have to be translated into English. All applicants are also required to submit with their applications an Employer Reference Letter from their current employer.

All applicants MUST submit their application online through the OASIS system together with supporting documentation by 30 April 2026. Hard-copy applications will not be accepted and will be deemed ineligible.

A list of supporting documents must be uploaded with the online application form. Failure to provide all required documents may make an application ineligible. Please refer to Supporting Documents for the full list of required documents.

Please note that disadvantaged applicants and public sector applicants do not need to submit an English language certificate with their applications. However, if shortlisted for an interview, applicants from these groups must sit for an IELTS selection test, which is paid by DFAT, and meet the English language requirement of the respective employment groups.

University academic transcripts can be certified by the Rector, Deputy Rector, the Head of the Training Department or Deputy Head of the Training Department of the university/college or by an approved notary. Other documents must be certified by an approved notary.

Recommended sources of translation: Hanoi | Ho Chi Minh City

Following confirmation of eligibility, applications will be shortlisted. A Joint Selection Committee (JSC) comprising representatives from the Australian Embassy in Vietnam and the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) decides the shortlisted applicants for interview and, following interviews, the Australia Awards provisional awardees. The selection process includes an interview in English for all short-listed candidates. Applicants are assessed on the basis of merit, transparency and equal access based on the following factors:

• academic competence
• potential outcome, specifically the contribution to development outcomes in Vietnam and to promoting relationships between Vietnam and Australia
• professional and personal leadership attributes including relevant work experience.

Australia Awards Scholarships candidates will be notified of the outcomes of their applications in August.

A master’s by coursework is a degree where the course consists primarily of a series of compulsory and elective subjects. A master’s by coursework usually involves attendance at lectures, tutorials or laboratory classes, depending on the course and university. A master’s by coursework may also contain a minor thesis or research subject in one semester.

A master’s by research is awarded following the completion of a major thesis, involving original research, under the supervision of a senior academic (called a supervisor). Normally there are no lectures or classes, although some master’s by research degrees may also include one or two compulsory subjects.

Split courses are currently unavailable under Australia Awards Scholarships Intake 2027.

Applicants who nominate a course in a field of study in Australia that is different from their academic background can still be considered, depending on their relevant work experience and career goals. In the application, candidates must demonstrate how they would use the knowledge and skills gained in the proposed studies to advance Vietnam’s development when they return from Australia. Applicants should also consider whether they have sufficient academic and work background in the nominated field of study to meet entry requirements and successfully complete the course.

In the scholarship application, applicants must propose two courses as preference 1 and preference 2 in the same field of study yet at two different Australian universities. If applicants choose courses in different fields of study, they will be required to change one course so that both courses are in the same field of study.

Applicants should choose courses carefully in order to minimise the need to change courses after their application.

Conditional awardees are only allowed to change courses in exceptional circumstances. The change will be considered on a case-by-case basis with the condition that

1. the new course selected must be in the same field of study
2. be relevant to the candidate’s work experience and/or career objectives and
3. be supported by their employer if currently employed.

At the placement stage, if conditional candidates cannot satisfy the academic requirements and minimum IELTS Academic overall score of 6.5 (no sub-band below 6.0) (or TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic equivalent) or higher as per the English language entry requirement of their selected courses at an Australian university, which have been approved by the Joint Selection Committee, their scholarships may be withdrawn.

It is candidates’ responsibility to fulfil their contract’s obligations or any other agreements with their employers.

The scholarship will be available for full-time study of an Australian master qualification for the minimum period necessary for the individual to complete the academic program specified by the Australian education institution including any preparatory training, but not more than two years. If recognition of prior learning is granted, the recipient may be placed in a degree program that is shorter in duration than for which they have originally applied for.

Australia Awards Scholarships applicants are not obligated to apply to Australian universities before applying for a scholarship. The placement process will be arranged by Aus4Skills for the awardees after they have been selected for a conditional Australia Awards Scholarship.

For Australia Awards Scholarships Intake 2027, studies commence from January 2027 and be subject to approval of Government of Australia and Government of Vietnam.

Applicants are not allowed to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools and/or enlist paid writing services for scholarship applications.

The notable changes for Intake 2027 include:

• Additional Scholarships: Besides Australia Awards Scholarships (AAS), the Australian Government will provide additional scholarships under the Mekong-Australia Partnership (MAP) this year. These scholarships offer exclusive access to an on-award enrichment program and create opportunities for enduring connections between MAP scholars across the Mekong subregion. The application process and online portal for MAP-funded scholarships will be the same as for the Australia Awards Scholarships. Applicants can apply for a MAP-funded scholarship if the choice of study or research falls within one of the key thematic areas outlined . Applicants can also choose to apply for both an Australian Awards Scholarship and a MAP-funded scholarship.
• Second master’s degree: Applicants can not apply for a second master’s degree irrespective of whether the first degree has been completed, except disadvantaged applicants applying for a different field.
• Streamlined employment groups: Four categories including Public Sector, Private Sector, Vietnamese NGOs, and International NGOs.