Scholarships and funding

Scholarships and funding

A number of scholarships are available to students of Journalism, both within UC and externally. Search the UC Scholarships database for general UC funding opportunities.

Major scholarship opportunities for Journalism students

Robert Bell Scholarship

Each year, at least one Robert Bell Scholarship (worth $5000 each) is awarded to students enrolled in the journalism programme based on their previous academic records. Admission to the core journalism course COMS331 is deemed to constitute an application.

D.W. Bain Prize

Awarded annually to the top Journalism student.

Asia scholarships for undergraduates 

The Asia New Zealand Foundation offers a Asian scholarships for undergraduates. Full details about the available scholarships can be found on their website.

Robert Bell Travelling Scholarship in Journalism

Students who graduate with UC's Bachelor of Communication (Journalism) or Graduate Diploma in Journalism are eligible to apply for the annual Robert Bell Travelling Scholarship in Journalism. The scholarship is worth about $15,000 and enables journalists to travel overseas to conduct research into and/or for news media.

Past research reports include:

• Anna Leask - 2024 - Breaking Bad-NZ's youth crime crisis
  
• Charles Anderson - 2023 - A journalist's handbook to the metaverse
  
• Katie Kenny-2021-Newsroom impact tracking-Robert Bell report
• Alex Baird-2021-Kōrero Pono-Improving mainstream news media reporting
• Tess McClure, 2017, Sustaining hyper-local public interest journalism‌
• Talia Shadwell, 2017, The collaborative newsrooms of the future‌
• Katie Chapman: professional development in the work room
• John Hartevelt, 2013 Making or breaking news?
• Farming media online - what can New Zealand learn from the UK?
• Rebecca Todds, iPad Newspapers in the UK: One Year On
• Shanna Crispin, 2011 Attracting Young Readers – Tactics for Engagement.
• Jerry Andrew, 2011 Tackling the Digital Future of Sports Journalism
• Sara Vui'Talitu, Media Freedom in the Pacific Region
• Kineta Knight, The digitalisation of radio
• Mike Steere, The Age of Podcasting

Asia New Zealand internship scholarships and travel grants

Internships

The Asia New Zealand Foundation offers New Zealand journalism student graduates and working journalists the opportunity to take up internships at news organisations in Asia, ranging from six weeks to three months in length. Past internships have included:

• CNBC Asia in Singapore
• Deccan Herald
• International New York Times in Hong Kong
• Jakarta Globe
• Korea JoongAng Daily
• Philippine Star
• Phnom Penh Post
• Shanghai Daily
• Malaysiakini.com

You can find more information about the internships and how to apply on the Asia New Zealand Foundation website.

Travel grants

The Asia New Zealand Foundation awards travel grants to journalists who have a clear plan of what stories they want to cover in Asia, as well as discretionary grants for work placements and exchanges with Asian media organisations. You can find out more information about these grants on the Asia New Zealand Foundation website.