University of British Columbia 2025 - 2026 Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program

Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at UBC : 2025/2026 Admissions Greetings! Thank you for your interest in the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of British Columbia (UBC). We are currently welcoming applications for the Fall 2025 intake.

The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the UBC, is pleased to provide comprehensive graduate scholarships to students from Sub-Saharan Africa. Students who have demonstrated academic talent, are facing the highest social and economic barriers to opportunity and have a personal commitment to give back to their communities are invited to apply for these scholarships.

Table of Content

• Summary
• Benefits
• Requirments
• Interview Process
• Application Documents
• Application Deadline
• How To Apply

Summary

• Application DeadlineOctober 31, 2024
• Study LevelMasters
• SponsorUniversity of British Columbia
• City to studyVancouver
• School to studyUniversity of British Columbia
• Eligible CountryAfghanistan , Albania , Algeria , American Samoa , Andorra , Angola , Anguilla , Antarctica , Antigua and Barbuda , Argentina , Armenia , Aruba , Australia , Austria , Azerbaijan , Bahamas , Bahrain , Bangladesh , Barbados , Belarus , Belgium , Belize , Benin , Bermuda , Bhutan , Bolivia , Bosnia and Herzegowina , Botswana , Bouvet Island , Brazil , British Indian Ocean Territory , Brunei Darussalam , Bulgaria , Burkina Faso , Burundi , Cambodia , Cameroon , Cape Verde , Cayman Islands , Central African Republic , Chad , Chile , China , Christmas Island , Cocos (Keeling) Islands , Colombia , Comoros , Congo , Cook Islands , Costa Rica , Cote d'Ivoire , Croatia (Hrvatska) , Cuba , Cyprus , Czech Republic , Denmark , Djibouti , Dominica , Dominican Republic , East Timor , Ecuador , Egypt , El Salvador , Equatorial Guinea , Eritrea , Estonia , Ethiopia , Falkland Islands (Malvinas) , Faroe Islands , Fiji , Finland , France , France Metropolitan , French Guiana , French Polynesia , French Southern Territories , Gabon , Gambia , Georgia , Germany , Ghana , Gibraltar , Greece , Greenland , Grenada , Guadeloupe , Guam , Guatemala , Guinea , Guinea-Bissau , Guyana , Haiti , Honduras , Hong Kong , Hungary , Iceland , India , Indonesia , Iran , Iraq , Ireland , Israel , Italy , Jamaica , Japan , Jordan , Kazakhstan , Kenya , Kiribati , Korea , Kuwait , Kyrgyzstan , Laos , Latvia , Lebanon , Lesotho , Liberia , Libyan Arab Jamahiriya , Liechtenstein , Lithuania , Luxembourg , Macau , Macedonia , Madagascar , Malawi , Malaysia , Maldives , Mali , Malta , Marshall Islands , Martinique , Mauritania , Mauritius , Mayotte , Mexico , Micronesia , Moldova , Monaco , Mongolia , Montserrat , Morocco , Mozambique , Myanmar , Namibia , Nauru , Nepal , Netherlands , Netherlands Antilles , New Caledonia , New Zealand , Nicaragua , Niger , Nigeria , Niue , Norfolk Island , Norway , Oman , Pakistan , Palau , Panama , Papua New Guinea , Paraguay , Peru , Philippines , Pitcairn , Poland , Portugal , Puerto Rico , Qatar , Reunion , Romania , Russian Federation , Rwanda , Saint Kitts and Nevis , Saint Lucia , Samoa , San Marino , Sao Tome and Principe , Saudi Arabia , Senegal , Seychelles , Sierra Leone , Singapore , Slovakia , Slovenia , Solomon Islands , Somalia , South Africa , Spain , Sri Lanka , St. Helena , Sudan , Suriname , Swaziland , Sweden , Switzerland , Syrian Arab Republic , Taiwan , Tajikistan , Tanzania , Thailand , Togo , Tokelau , Tonga , Trinidad and Tobago , Tunisia , Turkey , Turkmenistan , Turks and Caicos Islands , Tuvalu , Uganda , Ukraine , United Arab Emirates , United Kingdom , United States , Uruguay , Uzbekistan , Vanuatu , Venezuela , Vietnam , Western Sahara , Yemen , Yugoslavia , Zambia , Zimbabwe

Benefits

• Mastercard Foundation Scholarship Program only covers the expenses of the admitted scholars.
• Canadian citizens and Permanent Residents are not eligible to apply for this award.
• Funds from the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at UBC cannot be applied to pursue programs at other academic institutions.

Requirements

To be eligible for consideration for the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Masters’ Degree Program at UBC, the applicant must:

• have completed a Bachelor’s degree;
• not already have a Master’s degree;
• be 35 years old or younger at the time of application (i.e. born in 1989 or after);
• be a citizen or a refugee of a Sub-Saharan African country (listed here);
• be applying for a Master’s degree in one of the eligible programs listed below.

Interview Dates and Process

Selection Process

DECIDE your Program(s) of Interest from the list.

This scholarship is for the following programs ONLY

• Faculty of Land and Food Systems
  • Master of Food and Resource Economics (MFRE)
  • Master of Food Science (MFS)
  • Master of Land and Water Systems (MLWS)
• Faculty of Forestry
  • Master of Sustainable Forest Management (MSFM)
  • Master of International Forestry (MIF)
  • Master of Geomatics for Environmental Management (MGEM)
  • Master of Science/Master of Applied Science in Forestry (Thesis-based)
• Faculty of Science
  • Master of Data Science

Application Documents

The selection process for applications is based on the following criteria:

• Academic merit of the candidate that qualifies for admissions to the program of choice
• Track record as a transformative leader and service within their community.
• Quality of application in line with the Program theme.
• Potential impact on the development of the applicant’s home country.
• Applicants who have faced significant barriers to education (social, financial, personal, practical or health related).

Your fully completed application should include (all in one application form online):

• Complete the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program Application Form. 
• Submit the Personal Statements. Essay format is not acceptable:
• Submit a CV/resume. 
• Provide two reference letters. 
• Transcripts. 

Application Deadline

October 31, 2024

How To Apply

Are you qualified and interested in this opportunity? Kindly go to University of British Columbia on ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com to apply

Please read through all the application steps outlined below before proceeding to the application. This will help you understand our entire application process, answer any questions that may arise, and help you avoid any errors.

1.DECIDE your Program(s) of Interest from the list. This scholarship is for the following programs ONLY

• Faculty of Land and Food Systems
  • Master of Food and Resource Economics (MFRE)
  • Master of Food Science (MFS)
  • Master of Land and Water Systems (MLWS)
• Faculty of Forestry
  • Master of Sustainable Forest Management (MSFM)
  • Master of International Forestry (MIF)
  • Master of Geomatics for Environmental Management (MGEM)
  • Master of Science/Master of Applied Science in Forestry (Thesis-based)
• Faculty of Science
  • Master of Data Science

Consult the link below identifying the Minimum Academic Requirements/International Credentials for Graduate Students, listed by country to determine your academic eligibility for the degree program and the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program.

If your Bachelor’s degree was not taught in English, make arrangements to take an English Proficiency Exam (TOEFL or IELTS) and have the results sent to UBC. Please visit this website to confirm whether you meet UBC’s English requirement.

You must complete the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program Application before you apply to UBC. The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program Applications are due on October 31st, 2024. Late or incomplete packages cannot be accepted and UBC is not responsible for any packages not received by the deadline.

For more details on this scholarship - visit