MasterCard University of California, Berkeley Masters Scholarships 2021/2022

At University of California Berkeley, the MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program will provide holistic support – financial, academic, social, and career counselling – to Masters students from Sub-Saharan Africa from 2020 to 2028.

Application Deadlines:
Masters: Varies by Program (Deadlines of applicable Fields of Study fall between November 2020 to January 2021).
MBA: 24th September 2020 or 14th January 2021

Eligible Countries: Sub-Saharan African countries

To be taken at (country): University of California Berkeley, USA


Fields of Study: Graduate Scholars are pursuing or have earned Master’s degrees in:

• Architecture (M.Arch) – For Fall 2018 admissions, only the two year, not three year program, is eligible for the MCF Scholarship
• Art (MFA)
• Business Administration (MBA)*
• City & Regional Planning (MCP)
• Development Practice (MDP)
• Education (DMS, EMST, or MUSE)
• Energy & Resources (ERG)
• Engineering (M.Eng, MS)
• Master of Engineering (M.Eng), various concentrations
• Master of Science Civil and Environmental Engineering (MS)
• Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (MS)
• Mechanical Engineering (MS)
• Folklore (MA)
• Journalism (MJ)
• Information Management & Systems (MIMS)
• Public Health (MPH), various concentrations
• Public Policy (MPP)
• Social Welfare (MSW)

*MBA students need to secure additional funding from Haas Business School through obtaining Haas scholarships, which requires meeting the Round One or Two application deadline. We encourage you to contact us if you are interested to learn more details about this unique process.

About the Award: Administered out of the Center for African Studies, the program at the University of California, Berkeley is supported by a broad cross-section of functional and disciplinary units on campus including the Division of Student Affairs, the Graduate Division, the Berkeley International Office, and the International House.

Offered Since: 2012


Type: Masters

Selection Criteria and Eligibility: The five main eligibility criteria are:

• Being a citizen of a Sub-Saharan African country – If you have refugee status, are stateless, or have other questions regarding your citizenship, you may still be eligible. Please contact us directly to clarify. This scholarship is not intended for citizens of North African countries.
• Excelling academically – All prospective Scholars must first be admitted to UC Berkeley to be considered for the Scholarship. An important criteria for admission to the University is demonstrated academic excellence.
• Coming from an economically disadvantaged background – We aim to admit those from the bottom two income quintiles per country. This Scholarship is designed for those extremely talented individuals who have no other means of acquiring the further education required to help realize their dreams and ambitions.
• Having demonstrated the will to give back to your community, country, or continent – We are looking for well-rounded students who are engaged in activities beyond the classroom. Some may be directly related to your field of study, but this may also include other issues (social, economic, political) that you are working on and passionate about. Applicants should elaborate on their achievements both in their application to UC Berkeley, and then later on the Scholarship application.
• Having expressed the desire and intention to return to your home country after completing your studies – We are looking for students who are engaged with and passionate about issues affecting their communities, and who will take advantage of their education at UC Berkeley to better equip themselves with the knowledge and training to address these issues upon return. While important work can be done from abroad, the intention of this Program is to enable Scholars to return home, after forming valuable professional connections through internship and job placements.

Number of Scholarships: Not specified

Value of Scholarship: Fully-funded scholarship

*MBA students need to secure additional funding from Haas Business School through obtaining Haas scholarships, which requires meeting the Round One or Two application deadline. We encourage you to contact us if you are interested to learn more details about this unique process.

Duration of Scholarship: for the period of study

How to Apply: To be considered for the MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program, Graduate degree seekers must first be admitted to the university through the regular admissions process before they will be considered for the MasterCard Foundation Scholarship Program.

Visit Program Webpage for Details

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