Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at Sciences Po (graduate)
Sciences Po (with the Mastercard Foundation)
Full scholarship (tuition and living costs in France, reserved housing in Paris) for African citizens under 35 to pursue a two-year master's at one of Sciences Po's seven graduate schools. Eligibility/fee-waiver window: October to mid-December 2026 for the 2027 intake.
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Eligibility
- Who can apply
- Africa
- Education required
- Bachelors completed
- Age
- up to 34 (Under 35 years of age on 1 September of the year in which the scholarship application is submitted)
- Fields
- Social sciences, Public policy, International relations, Economics, Law, Business, Arts humanities
- Language
- Minimum C1 level in French or English depending on the programme; language test results required with the admission file
- Also required
- Citizenship of an African country only; dual citizens of a non-African country are not eligible
- Bachelor's (completed or in progress) from a listed partner university (Ghana: Ashesi, Catholic University of Ghana, GIMPA, KNUST, University of Cape Coast, University of Ghana), OR a bachelor's plus a recognised bridge/mentoring programme, OR a bachelor's plus current/former UNHCR refugee status
- Must not hold or be pursuing a master's degree
- First-time applicant to the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program
- Not currently enrolled at Sciences Po, nor enrolled in or graduated from a French higher-education institution
- Meet Sciences Po's minimum academic results table for your home university's country
- Apply to a two-year master's (dual degrees and one-year master's excluded); journalism masters are not eligible
- Demonstrable need for funding (proof of financial circumstances required)
About this opportunity
Sciences Po has been a Mastercard Foundation partner since 2017; Phase II (2024-2033) aims to support 1,450 students. The scholarship covers full tuition and living expenses for a two-year master's (dual-degree and one-year programmes excluded), with reserved housing in Paris and tailored support.
You must hold African citizenship only (no dual citizenship outside Africa); be completing or hold a bachelor's from a listed partner university (Ghana: Ashesi, Catholic University of Ghana, GIMPA, KNUST, University of Cape Coast, University of Ghana), or have done a recognised bridge programme, or hold/have held UNHCR refugee status; be under 35 on 1 September of the application year; not hold or be pursuing a master's; and be a first-time applicant. Steps: request the fee waiver (Oct to mid-Dec 2026), apply via International Graduate Admissions (C1 French or English), then interview online.
- Level
- Master's
- Where
- France
- Duration
- 2 years (two-year master's programmes only)
- Number of awards
- Not stated per year; Phase II (2024-2033) aims to support 1,450 students and young professionals overall
- Difficulty
- Very high · about 10 weeks to prepare
Funding
Fully funded
- tuition
- stipend
- accommodation
Scholarships cover the full cost of tuition and living expenses in France throughout the period of study, with housing in Paris reserved for scholarship holders and tailored support through to first employment.
What you will need
- Passport or national ID
- Academic transcripts
- Degree certificate
- CV / résumé
- Motivation letter
- Reference letters (2)
- Language test (e.g. IELTS/TOEFL)
Eligibility stage: valid ID, proof of bachelor's (transcript/diploma/certificate) from a partner university, or bridge-programme certificate, or UNHCR registration card. Admission stage: complete Sciences Po master's file including CV, motivation letter, all higher-education transcripts, two academic references (from institutional emails), language test scores and ID. Written scholarship answers and a 25-minute online interview follow.
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