The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at McGill University in Montreal gives 35 fully funded master's scholarships a year to young Africans who want to transform nutrition, public health, public policy and sustainable agriculture on the continent.
Applications for the Fall 2027 cohort have closed. McGill says information on the next recruitment cycle will appear on its website in spring 2027.
What the scholarship covers
Full international student tuition
On-campus housing
A personal monthly stipend
Pre-arrival and immigration support
Academic tools and resources
Who can apply
The program is open to citizens and residents of every African country who are 35 or younger when they apply, have a bachelor's degree closely related to their chosen programme, and have never started or completed a master's degree.
Applicants need a valid passport, must be admissible to Canada on a study permit, and must show leadership, community service, a wish to give back at home, and that money has limited their education. Dual citizens and refugees, asylees or permanent residents of the US, Canada, the UK or the EU are not eligible.
Priority goes to women, people affected by forced displacement and people living with a disability. A First Class degree or equivalent improves your chance of admission.
Eligible programmes
There are 13 programmes: 11 without a thesis, in animal science, bioresource engineering, biostatistics, biotechnology, food science, food safety, human nutrition, public health and public policy, and thesis-based master's degrees in animal science and bioresource engineering.
How to apply
You apply to the scholarship first. Eligible applicants must attend an information session to get the application form, and those who pass pre-screening receive a fee waiver and instructions for applying to McGill. Do not contact professors directly; the team arranges supervisors for thesis applicants.
McGill warns that application information on websites other than mcgill.ca may be fraudulent.
