MasterCard University of California, Berkeley Masters Scholarships 2025/2026 for African Students – USA

The MasterCard University of California, Berkeley Masters Scholarships 2025/2026 for African Students will provide holistic support – financial, academic, social, and career counselling – to Masters students from Sub-Saharan Africa from 2020 to 2028.

Application Deadlines for the MasterCard University of California, Berkeley Masters Scholarships:

• Masters: Varies by Program (Deadlines of applicable Fields of Study fall between November 2024 to January 2025).
• MBA: 12th September 2024

Eligible Countries: Sub-Saharan African countries

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

About the MasterCard University of California, Berkeley Masters Scholarships: 

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.

We will accept applications through the fall of 2028.

Watch Tutorial: How to Apply to Win the MasterCard Foundation Scholarship

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

• 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)
• LL.M. Programs – Traditional and Thesis Track only

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 or Two application deadline. We encourage you to contact us if you are interested to learn more details about this unique process.

Type: Masters

Selection Criteria and Eligibility for MasterCard University of California, Berkeley Masters Scholarships: 

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.

FAQ for the MasterCard University of California, Berkeley Masters Scholarships

How do I apply as an International applicant to the MasterCard University of California, Berkeley Masters Scholarship?

• Master’s degree program prospective applicants must first apply to the University through the regular admissions process before they will be considered for the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program.
• After the graduate degree program admissions process is underway, the UCB Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program will invite prospective candidates to apply for the Scholarship.

What are the English Requirements?

Graduates of recognized academic institutions outside the United States should hold a degree equivalent to a U.S. bachelor’s degree. Equivalency is determined by International Evaluators in the Graduate Admissions Office.

Required Records: Upload unofficial transcripts with the application for the departmental initial review. Official transcripts or academic records for all university-level studies you have completed, at U.S. institutions and abroad will be required if admitted and decide to attend. If your academic records do not include official evidence of the award of your degree, you must also submit additional documents that verify the degree conferral. For information about the documents required for an initial review of your application, contact the department or program to which you are applying.

Academic records should be issued in the original language and accompanied by English translations if required (usually prepared by your university or Ministry of Education, unless the institution issues original documents in English). In general, records or transcripts must be issued by the school and include the school’s stamp or embossed seal and the signature of the authorizing official. For more detailed information on acceptable documents, please contact your prospective department or Graduate Admissions.

English translations are required for all languages except Spanish; degree names and grades should be transliterated, not converted into English words or the U.S. grades of A-F. If your home institution does not issue documents in English, you may submit translations prepared by certified translators from the American Translators Association.

Evidence of English Language Proficiency

All applicants who have completed a basic degree in a country/region in which the official language is not English are required to submit official evidence of English language proficiency. This requirement applies to institutions from Bangladesh, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Latin America, the Middle East, Israel, the People’s Republic of China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asian countries, most European countries, and countries in Africa in which English is not the official language.

If you have completed at least one year of full-time academic course work with grades of B or better in residence at a recognized U.S. institution, you do not need to take a standardized test. Instead, you must upload an unofficial transcript from the recognized U.S. institution.

To qualify for a TOEFL exemption you must:

• Have a basic degree from a recognized institution in a country where the official language is English.
• Have completed a basic or advanced degree at an institution, in the United States or a United States institution abroad, where the language of instruction is English and the institution is accredited by one of the United States’ regional accrediting agencies.
• Have completed at least one year of full-time academic course work with a grade B or better at a regionally accredited institution within the United States.

There are two standardized tests that are accepted: the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), and the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).

What about GRE?

Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

Most departments, schools, and groups require applicants to take a standardized test such as the GRE General Test, a GRE Subject Test, the GMAT or MCAT. Consult the department to which you are applying for the department’s requirements. To send an official score to UC Berkeley, list the institution code assigned by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) for UC Berkeley, 4833. No department code is needed unless specified by the specific program. ETS will not report test scores older than 5 years.

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