UNITAR Outstanding Peacekeeper Scholarship for UN Peace Operation Staff

The Outstanding Peacekeeper Scholarship covers half of the tuition for online postgraduate study, so staff serving in a United Nations peace operation can build skills without leaving their mission area. UNITAR runs the award with the Open University of Catalonia, and it pays toward several online postgraduate programmes. The aim is to help recipients do their current job more effectively and move ahead in their UN career. Because the courses are delivered online, there is no need to travel outside the mission area to take part.

• Host: United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and Open University of Catalonia (UOC)
• Level: postgraduate qualification (International Master's degree, Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma)
• Study destination: online, no travel outside the mission area required
• Award: 50% of full tuition fees, up to USD 5,700
• Who can apply: all staff deployed in a United Nations peace operation
• Deadline: 1 July 2014
• Course starts: September 2014

United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR)
Open University of Catalonia (UOC)

International Master’s degree in Conflictology
Postgraduate Certificate in Armed Conflicts and Crisis Management
Postgraduate Diploma in Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding

This award is open to all staff deployed in a United Nations peace operation. That includes UN Volunteers, national staff, police, military and civilian personnel, and seconded staff. Staff from every field of work can apply, from human rights to DDR, security and political affairs.

The scholarship covers 50% of the full tuition fees for the programme, up to USD 5,700. Recipients can pay the remaining fees in up to three installments.

The scholarship is awarded on a competitive basis. Applicants must first meet the eligibility criteria for the study programme they choose. Applications are then ranked on the following criteria:

• proven ability to implement activities related to peace and conflict management
• relevance of the degree for career advancement
• citizenship of a developing country
• low financial resources
• no previous studies at the graduate level
• years of relevant work experience
• academic excellence

Where qualifications are equal, female applicants and applicants from Least Developed Countries are considered preferably.

To apply for the scholarship, pre-register on the UNITAR website and tick the relevant box on the form. Further information is available on the same webpage. The deadline is 1 July 2014, and the course starts September 2014.

This scholarship suits staff already deployed in a UN peace operation who want a postgraduate qualification but cannot leave their post to study. It fits people working in any area of the mission, from human rights and DDR to security and political affairs, who can show a record of work on peace and conflict management.

Because the award is competitive and ranked partly on financial need and on not having studied at graduate level before, applicants with limited resources and no prior graduate degree should consider it.

• Who can apply for the scholarship? All staff deployed in a United Nations peace operation, including UN Volunteers, national staff, police, military and civilian personnel, and seconded staff.
• What does the scholarship cover? 50% of the full tuition fees for the programme, up to USD 5,700. The remaining fees can be paid in up to three installments.
• Which programmes can I study? The International Master’s degree in Conflictology, the Postgraduate Certificate in Armed Conflicts and Crisis Management, and the Postgraduate Diploma in Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding.
• Do I have to travel to study? No. The programmes are online and do not require travel outside the mission area.
• What is the deadline? 1 July 2014. The course starts September 2014.
• How do I apply? Pre-register on the UNITAR website and tick the relevant box on the form.

• Read the official programme guidelines before you start, so you know which documents the application needs.
• Gather your records early, including proof of your mission deployment and your work history.
• Check the entry requirements for the specific programme you choose, since you must meet them as well as the scholarship criteria.
• Make your case on peace and conflict management work concrete, linking it to your career plans.
• Submit the form well before the deadline rather than on the final day.