University Of California Berkeley MasterCard Scholarships

UC Berkeley MasterCard Scholarships aim to create a cohort of ethical, enterprising, and energetic young leaders who will improve Africa’s economy.

Over USD $1.2 billion has been committed to supporting the education and leadership development of over 40,000 young people through the Scholars Program.

The Mastercard Foundation and the University of California, Berkeley are members of a global network of education institutions and non-profits that believe education drives social and economic progress.

Scholarship Details:

From 2012 to 2020, the Program supported over 120 undergraduate and master’s students at UC Berkeley’s Center for African Studies. This Program excludes doctoral students.

Over 108 master’s students will receive financing from the Berkeley Program through 2030.

Master’s degree applicants must apply to the university through the standard admissions procedure to be eligible for the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program. The Program will invite eligible students to apply for the Scholarship when they apply to a degree program.

Scholarship Requirements:

To be considered for the Scholarship, you must:

• Being a citizen of a Sub-Saharan African country: This includes Africans who are refugees or displaced within the African continent. This scholarship is not intended for citizens of North African countries. Those with dual citizenship, asylee, refugee or permanent resident status in the US, Canada, UK or EU are not eligible.
• Having academic talent: All prospective Scholars must first be admitted to a UC Berkeley master’s degree program to be considered for the Scholarship. An important criteria for admission to the University is demonstrated academic excellence.
• Demonstrating leadership potential: The Program seeks those committed to developing the skills and mindsets associated with transformative leadership, i.e, that which engages others in an ethical manner to generate positive and lasting change.
• Coming from a socio-economically disadvantaged background: This Scholarship is designed for those extremely talented individuals who might not otherwise have access to quality further education.
• Having demonstrated the commitment to give back to your community, country, or continent: We are searching for students that are well-rounded and involved in activities outside of the classroom. Some may be directly related to your subject of study, but others (social, economic, and political) that you are working on and are passionate about may also be included. Applicants should comment on their accomplishments in both their UC Berkeley application and their Scholarship application.
• Having expressed the desire and intention to return to your home country after completing your studies: We are searching for students that are well-rounded and involved in activities outside of the classroom. Some may be directly related to your subject of study, but others (social, economic, and political) that you are working on and are passionate about may also be included.
• Applicants should comment on their accomplishments in both their UC Berkeley application and their Scholarship application.

Scholarship Duration and Reward

• The Scholarship is fully-funded
• Mastercard Foundation Scholars receive a comprehensive scholarship equivalent to the costs associated with earning a master’s degree, which includes travel, tuition, Berkeley student fees, visa and SEVIS fees, housing, food, living expenses, and cohort signature programs which will focus on leadership and entrepreneurship.
• 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.

Method of Application

• Master’s degree applicants must first apply to a graduate progam before they will be considered for the Mastercard Foundations Scholars Program. Not all degree programs are eligible. Here is a list of Master’s Degree programs.
• Each eligible graduate degree program(link is external) has specific requirements and applicants should carefully review those. The Graduate Division(link is external) also provides detailed information on the admissions process for international students.
• Direct questions regarding admission requirements should be made to the specific graduate program. We outline more details of the Scholars Program application process for master’s program here. We will accept applications through the fall of 2028.
• While the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at UC Berkeley is not open to undergraduates, students at this level are welcome to apply to the University of California, Berkeley. More information on the undergraduate process is available on the Undergraduate Admissions site(link is external).

CLICK HERE TO APPLY

DEADLINE: March 1, 2024