John O'Brien Memorial Coursework Scholarships

1. Background

a. Established in 2008 by a bequest to establish a memorial fund in perpetuity named the John O'Brien Memorial Fund. The purpose of the bequest is to provide scholarships in the University of Sydney Law School in particular for students in criminal law. Awarded annually to commencing students in the Master of Criminology by coursework.

2. Eligibility

a. The Scholarship is offered subject to the applicant having an unconditional offer of admission for a Master of Criminology in the Sydney Law School.

b. Students who have already commenced their Master of Criminology, or students transferring from other postgraduate programs are not eligible to apply.

c. Applicants must have achieved a Weighted Average Mark (WAM) of 70 or equivalent in their prior tertiary studies.

3. Selection Criteria

a. The Scholarship will be awarded on the basis of:

I. academic merit, and

II. a personal statement which demonstrates the applicant’s professional experience and commitment to applying the learning offered in the Master of Criminology to make a positive difference to the criminal justice system.  

b. The Scholarship will be awarded by a selection committee consisting of the Head of School and Dean of the University of Sydney law School or their nominee, and at least one other  member of staff from the School.

4. Value

a. The Scholarship is valued at $10,000.

b. Recipients studying full-time will receive two equal instalments of $5,000 after each relevant census date. Students studying part-time will receive four equal instalments of $2,500 after the relevant census dates.

c. The Scholarship has a maximum duration of one year for full-time and two years for part-time recipients.

d. Deferral of the Scholarship is not permitted without the prior permission of the Head of School and Dean of the University of Sydney law School and it is not transferable to another University school, faculty or university.

e. The Scholarship will be offered subject to the availability of funds.

f. No other amount is payable.

5. Ongoing Eligibility

a. To continue receipt of the Scholarship, the recipient must maintain a minimum Semester Average Mark (SAM) of 65 each semester.

b. Recipients must remain continuously enrolled in the masters program. Full-time recipients must complete 48 credit points of study within one year and part-time recipients must complete 48 credit points of study within two years. If a change in candidature results in a recipient’s course end date being extended, the end date of the scholarship will not be extended.

c. Recipients undertaking an exchange during the tenure of this Scholarship are required to have achieved a Satisfied Requirements grade (SR) to receive their next payment.

6. Termination

a. The Scholarship will be terminated if the recipient:

I. withdraws from an eligible course or fails to enrol,

II. commences part-time study without prior approval,

III. does not maintain satisfactory academic performance,

IV. is determined by the University to be guilty of serious misconduct, including, but not limited to, having provided false or misleading information as part of their Scholarship application,

V. is awarded an alternative primary scholarship. In such circumstances this scholarship will be terminated in favour of the alternative scholarship where the alternative scholarship is of higher value,

VI. does not resume study at the end of a period of approved leave, or

VII. any other provision as indicated in these terms that would lead to termination.

b. Once the Scholarship has been terminated, it will not be reinstated unless due to University error.

c. Where a student is found guilty of serious misconduct or the Scholarship is terminated under any instance in the Termination Clause of these terms and conditions, the University reserves the right to request that any Scholarship funds paid to the Scholarship recipient be reimbursed.

7. Other

a. Scholarship recipients may be invited to represent the School at student orientation, recruitment and corporate networking events.