Deadline:
January 06, 2026
Location(s)
United States of America
Berkeley, CA 94720
Overview
The Center for African Studies(link is external) and the Mastercard Foundation(link is external) are engaged in a ten-year partnership to support 201 master’s degree students from African countries who are academically talented and committed to transformative change on the continent. The Program recruits widely across Africa and encourages applications particularly from women, people with disabilities, and those who are refugees or displaced.
Details
The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program
The University of California, Berkeley has partnered with The Mastercard Foundation(link is external) in a collaborative, global network of education institutions and non-profit organizations that believe education is a catalyst for social and economic advancement. The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program aims to develop a cohort of ethical, entrepreneurial, and energetic young leaders who will drive and lead socio-economic transformation in Africa. The Program is a growing commitment, and, to date, the Program has committed over USD $1.2 billion to supporting the education and leadership development of more than 40,000 young people.
The future of Africa will be shaped by its young people, including those talented, yet economically disadvantaged students who face significant barriers to accessing quality education. The Mastercard Foundation's strategy, Young Africa Works(link is external), aims to enable 30 million young people, particularly young women, to secure dignified and fulfilling work by 2030. To harness the potential impact of this generation, The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program(link is external) provides next-generation leaders who are committed to the social and economic transformation of their continent with access to quality education by delivering comprehensive financial, social, and academic support throughout their secondary and university education and supports their transition to further study or to the workforce.
The Program at UC Berkeley
Based in the Center for African Studies(link is external) at UC Berkeley, the Program provided support to over 120 students from 2012 to 2020, both undergraduate and master’s degree students. Students seeking doctoral degrees are not eligible for this Program. Going forward through 2030, the Program at UC Berkeley will provide support to over 200 master's degree students. To be considered for the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, master's degree seekers must first apply to the university through the regular admissions process. After students apply for admission to a degree program, the Program will invite them to apply for the Scholarship, if they meet eligibility requirements. Please refer to the Apply page for more information on the application process.
Aligned with the Foundation’s Young Africa Works(link is external) strategy and with Berkeley’s commitment to excellence for positive global contributions, the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at UC Berkeley seeks to enhance connections between the innovative and entrepreneurial ecosystems at Berkeley and those on the African continent. In addition to receiving high-quality education, Scholars will receive specialized training in leadership and entrepreneurship, and participate in program connecting them to the innovative ecosystems of the San Francisco Bay Area and Silicon Valley.
Collaboration with African universities is an important aspect of the Program. We anticipate working with at least three different African partners over the course of the grant to create opportunities to share Berkeley’s core competencies of innovation, entrepreneurship, and research with partner institutions in the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program network.
Through the grant, the Center for African Studies(link is external) will offer catalytic seed grants to Berkeley faculty to encourage research collaborations with scholars at African institutions on projects that tackle critical needs and issues relevant to the Young Africa Works strategy. These funded projects will also offer Mastercard Foundation Scholars with career-enhancing research opportunities. The initiative will include a local Advisory Board to assist with creating and enhancing links between the Bay Area and African innovation hubs. Another element is an Alumni Impact Fund that will leverage the creativity within our own Mastercard Foundation Scholars community.
Opportunity is About
Eligibility
Candidates should be from:
Description of Ideal Candidate
The main eligibility criteria are:
- Being a citizen of an African country: This includes Africans who have been forcibly displaced or have refugee status within the African continent. 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.
- Experienced significant barriers to accessing higher education: This Scholarship is designed for those extremely talented individuals who might have faced barriers to quality higher education, including social, financial, personal, practical or health related.
- Having demonstrated the commitment 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 in the application for the Scholars Program.
- Having expressed the desire and intention to return to your home country after completing your studies and post-graduation training: 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 the Program is to enable Scholars to return home, after forming valuable professional connections through internships, academic training and job placements.
Other considerations
All other things being equal, we will give priority to candidates who:
- Did their undergraduate degree at an African university.
- Do not already have a post-graduate degree (i.e., master's or doctorate).
- Have not already benefited from the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program.
Every year the mix of candidates varies. There are always more well-qualified and deserving candidates than there are spaces in the Scholars Program at UC Berkeley.
Dates
Deadline: January 06, 2026
Cost/funding for participants
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.
Un-save Opportunity
Internships, scholarships, student conferences and competitions.
