Deadline: 1 December 2021
The Center for African Studies at the University of California - Berkeley is pleased to announce a new phase of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of California, Berkeley. With the Mastercard Foundation, US Berkeley is embarking on a ten-year partnership in 2020 to support 108 master’s degree students from Sub-Saharan African countries who are academically talented and committed to transformative change on the continent. The Program will recruit widely across Sub-Saharan Africa and will encourage applications particularly from women, people with disabilities, and those who are refugees or displaced. Since 2012, the MCF Scholars Program has supported over 120 students from Sub-Saharan African countries to pursue bachelor’s and master’s degrees at UC Berkeley.
BENEFITS
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.
As part of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Network, Scholars will have access to the Africa Careers Network to assist in identifying employment opportunities on the continent upon completion of their studies. Furthermore, the team at Berkeley will assist Scholars in finding suitable employment opportunities in Africa and make sure they are aware of opportunities in Africa during their studies at Berkeley.
REQUIREMENTS
The five main eligibility criteria are:
Being a citizen of a Sub-Saharan African country
Excelling academically
Coming from an economically disadvantaged background
Having demonstrated the will to give back to your community, country, or continent
Having expressed the desire and intention to return to your home country after completing your studies
ELIGIBLE PROGRAMS
UC Berkeley offers the following Master's programs. When considering any program, please keep in mind that it is your motivation for choosing your field, as well as your career goals that will determine if you are eligible for the Scholarship. Please revisit Eligibility Requirements to see if your goals are in line with those of the Mastercard Foundation Scholar Program.
**Please note that doctoral programs do not qualify for the Scholars Program.
UC Berkeley offers many master's degree programs, including the following:
Architecture (M.Arch) - Our priority is the two year, not three year program. Contact us
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)
Master of Development Engineering (M.DevEng)
Master of Design (M.Des)
Folklore (MA)
Journalism (MJ)
Information Management & Systems (MIMS)
Public Health
Masters of Public Health (MPH), various concentrations
Masters of Science (MS), Environomental Health Sciences and Epidemiology
Masters of Arts (MA), Biostatistics
Public Policy (MPP)
Social Welfare (MSW)
Contact us if you are interested in UC Berkeley programs not listed here.
*MBA students need to secure additional funding from Haas Business School through obtaining Haas scholarships, which requires meeting the Round One application deadline. We encourage you to contact us if you are interested to learn more details about this unique process.
Similarly, if you are interested in a concurrent degree program, be sure to contact each program, and also contact us to discuss any effect this may have on your funding structure.
When considering any program, please keep in mind that it is your motivation for choosing your field, as well as your career goals that will determine if you are eligible for the Scholarship. Please revisit Eligibility Requirements to see if your goals are in line with those of the Mastercard Foundation Scholar Program.
MORE INFO: https://mcfscholarsprogram.berkeley.edu/