Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at McGill University

Benefits & funding

• Full international-student tuition
• On-campus housing
• Personal monthly stipend for food, personal expenses, and transportation
• Academic resources: book allowance, laptop, and tutoring
• Pre-arrival and immigration support
• Leadership and professional development programming
• Post-graduation transition expenses
• Successfully pre-screened applicants receive a McGill application fee waiver

Eligibility

• Citizen of an African country and currently living in an African country
• Aged 35 or under at the time of application
• Holds a bachelor’s degree in a subject closely related to the chosen program (first-class honors preferred)
• Has never registered for or completed a master’s degree
• Meets McGill University’s graduate admission requirements for the chosen program
• Applicants holding dual citizenship, asylee, refugee, or permanent-resident status in the US, Canada, UK, or EU are not eligible
• Priority is given to women, people living with disabilities, and people affected by forced displacement (refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced people, and returnees)
• Eligible programs (13): non-thesis master’s in Animal Science (Sustainable Agriculture), Bioresource Engineering (Environmental, Food & Bioprocessing, or Water Management), Biostatistics, Biotechnology, Food Science, Food Safety, Human Nutrition, Public Health, and Public Policy; thesis master’s in Animal Science and Bioresource Engineering

Application process

1. 1
   Check the eligibility criteria and choose one of the 13 eligible master’s programs.
2. 2
   Register for and attend a mandatory online information session (held June 23 – July 15, 2026 for the Fall 2027 cycle); only attendees receive the application form link.
3. 3
   Complete the program application between August 3 (9:00 a.m. EST) and August 21, 2026 (4:00 p.m. EST).
4. 4
   Pre-screening results arrive within 4–6 weeks; successful candidates receive a fee waiver and apply for McGill admission by December 1, 2026.
5. 5
   Admission decisions are announced in early-to-mid February 2027; the scholarship committee selects recipients between mid-February and early March 2027.

Program timeline

1. Mandatory online information sessions

   Jun 23, 2026 – Jul 15, 2026

2. Applications open (9:00 a.m. EST)

   Aug 3, 2026

3. Application deadline (4:00 p.m. EST)

   Aug 21, 2026

4. Pre-screened candidates apply for McGill admission

   September – November 2026

5. McGill admission application deadline for fee-waiver recipients

   Dec 1, 2026

6. Admission decisions announced

   Early–mid February 2027

7. Scholarship recipients selected

   Mid-February – early March 2027

8. Program begins

   Fall 2027