McGill University and the Mastercard Foundation are pleased to announce the 2024 Mastercard Foundation Scholarships at McGill University in Canada. The program has been created to offer full scholarships to economically challenged, academically gifted Master’s students from Sub-Saharan Africa eligible countries.

This scholarship program is designed to sponsor outstanding, community engaged students to attend university who otherwise would not have the opportunity, thereby, fostering the development of future Sub-Saharan African leaders and entrepreneurs.

Founded in 1821, McGill University is one of Canada’s best-known institutions of higher learning and one of the leading universities in the world. The university is located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada and is known for attracting the brightest students from across Canada, the United States, and around the world. McGill University has the most internationally diverse student body of any research-intensive university in Canada, with students from over 150 countries.

Programme Details

• Host institution: McGill University, Quebec – Canada.
• Eligible Programs (non-thesis only): Please check the eligible fields section below.
• Number of Awards: Not specified
• Duration: Duration of the candidate’s program.
• Eligible Countries: Please find the full list below.

Mastercard Foundation Scholarships at McGill University Benefits

The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program provides financial, social, and academic support to Scholars. Financial support includes, but is not limited to, tuition fees, accommodation, books, and other scholastic materials.

In addition, Scholars are provided with a comprehensive support network that includes an array of mentoring and support services to ensure each student’s academic success, community service engagement and transition to socially relevant employment opportunities.

Eligible Countries

This scholarship to study in Canada is opened for citizens of the following countries: Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau,

Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, The Gambia, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Eligible fields of study at the McGill University

In order to be considered for the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, you must be admissible to one of the eligible non-thesis programs at McGill University. Please find the full the full list below.

1. Animal Science: Sustainable Agriculture
2. Bioresource Engineering – Environmental Engineering
3. Bioresource Engineering – Integrated Food & Bioprocessing
4. Bioresource Engineering – Integrated Water Resource Management
5. Biostatistics
6. Biotechnology
7. Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry – Food Science
8. Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry – Food Safety
9. Human Nutrition: Project
10. Public Health
11. Public Policy (maximum of 5 Scholars per year)

Mastercard Foundation Scholarships at McGill University Eligibility

To be eligible for consideration for the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at McGill, you must meet the following requirements:

1. Be admissible to one of the eligible non-thesis programs at McGill University (see Program List);
2. Have never registered for /completed any graduate studies;
3. Be a citizen of, and reside in a Sub-Saharan African Country (see list of eligible countries);
4. Have a valid passport and be admissible to Canada as an International Student (requiring a Study Permit). Those with dual citizenship, asylee, refugee or permanent resident status in the US, Canada, UK or EU are not eligible.
5. You are welcome to apply even if you do not identify with a Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program priority group. However those who self-identify with one of the following groups will be given precedence in the selection process.
   • Woman
   • Refugee or Internally Displaced Person
   • Person with Disabilities
6. Have an exceptional record of service and activity in your school and/or community;
7. Have an intent to return to your country immediately upon the completion of your degree with the goal of transforming your community through social and economic development;
8. Must be less than 35 years old at the time of application.

Furthermore, applicants must also meet the standard graduate admission requirements.

Similar opportunities

1. UK Government Chevening Scholarships for Foreign Students;
2. Korean Government Scholarship;
3. Mohamed Bin Zayed University Scholarships.

How to Apply for the Mastercard Foundation Scholarship

interested candidates who would like to apply for this North America scholarship program must follow the steps below:

Steps 1

McGill Graduate Programs: Begin McGill University Graduate Application, prospective applicants should not proceed with the payment of the application, but complete all other components.

Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program: Complete the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program Application form in order to have your application pre-screened for academic and scholarship eligibility. Only complete applications that meet the minimum eligibility requirements will be considered.

Steps 2

Pre-Screening : At this phase, applications are reviewed and will be notified within a reasonable timeframe.

Steps 3

Submission of Application to McGill University : If successful during the pre-screening phase, applicants will be notified, and granted a fee waiver to be able to submit their application for admission to McGill University.

Steps 4

Department Decision : Once all of the requested documents have been received, the department will review the application in line with their deadlines.

• If the applicant is admitted to their program of study, their Scholarship application will move on to the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program Selection Committee for review.
• If the applicant is refused admission, they are no longer eligible for the scholarship.
• There may be instances where applicants are admitted to McGill University but are not awarded the scholarship, and they must find other sources of funding.

The deadline to submit your application for admission is your chosen program’s deadline. Please visit the programs’ page for precise deadline. The Submission Deadline for the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program Application is December 1, 2023. To know more about the Program, please visit the official page. To be the first to see latest opportunities, please follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.