THE MASTERCARD FOUNDATION SCHOLARS PROGRAM AT UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO
We are pleased to announce the start of the 2025-2026 Mastercard Foundation graduate
scholarship recruitment at the University of Toronto. This scholarship opportunity is open to
recent alumni and graduating students at our Africa Health Collaborative partner universities.
These graduate scholarships will be awarded to those individuals who have demonstrated
academic excellence in the associated health related disciplines, and a personal commitment to
going back and giving back to their home countries at the completion of their degree.
Our Africa Health Collaborative Partner Universities
• Addis Ababa University
• African Institute for Mathematical Sciences
• African Leadership University
• Amref International University/Amref Health Africa
• Ashesi University
• Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
• Moi University
• University of Cape Town
The Award
This fully comprehensive scholarship provides full financial assistance for tuition, travel
expenses, housing, food, books, and other expenses for the duration of the professional program.
In addition to financial support, scholars will be provided with a comprehensive support network
to ensure academic success. Furthermore, each scholar will take part in a two-week summer
orientation program which will ensure that they are fully engaged from the very beginning of
their graduate studies, and which will ease their transition to life as a graduate student in the city
of Toronto to their preparedness for return to Africa.
Graduate Programs
Up to 25 Mastercard Foundation scholarships will be awarded for the 2025-2026 academic year
split across the following graduate programs:
• Master of Health Administration
• Master of Occupational and Environmental Health
• Master of Social and Behavioural Health Sciences
• Master of Financial Insurance
• Master of Engineering (Biomedical)
• Master of Biotechnology (for 2026 start)
Please keep in mind when considering your program of study that you meet all the program requirements. Also, please remember that it is your motivation for choosing your field, as well as your career goals and aspirations of giving back to Africa, that will help determine your eligibility for the scholarship.
Eligibility Assessment
Applicants MUST meet the following six eligibility criteria:
• Be a citizen and currently residing in a Sub-Saharan African country
• Be graduating or have graduated within the last 5 years from a partner institution of the Africa Health Collaborative (listed on page one) and have not yet started studies at the graduate level
• Have demonstrated academic excellence and leadership qualities during his/her undergraduate years
• Be academically admissible to one of the sponsored graduate programs listed above
• Demonstrate a desire and commitment to return home following graduation to contribute to the ongoing economic growth and social development in Africa
SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION PROCEDURE
Step One
Prospective applicants must first consult the admission requirements for their chosen program of study. The links above will guide you in exploring these different programs.
If you meet the academic requirements of your program of interest, please follow through to step two.
Step Two
Sign up to attend a scholarship information session and complete the Mastercard Foundation Scholarship application. Deadline for submission of the completed application and receipt of all required attachments is Monday, November 4, 2024 at 12 noon (Toronto time).
If your application for the Mastercard Foundation scholarship meets all criteria and is approved by the Scholarship Admission Committee, you will receive an email to move forward to step three. These notifications to successful applicants will be made in early December.
Step Three
Begin your graduate application to the department/program of your interest from the University of Toronto, School of Graduate Studies website. The School of Graduate Studies (SGS) is the central location for graduate applications at the university. Each department and program area will inform you as to the specific requirements of their department and provide you with subsequent dates for the submission of supplementary information. This is an online process that will require you to upload documents to your application. Please follow specifically the instructions of your prospective department once you receive them.
We will offer three virtual information sessions for interested applicants. The dates of these sessions are:
Tuesday, October 8, 2024 at 2:00 pm EST (Toronto time) – REGISTER HERE
Wednesday, October 9, 2024 at 10:00 am EST (Toronto time) – REGISTER HERE
Thursday, October 10, 2024 at 11:00 am EDT (Toronto time) – REGISTER HERE
To convert these session times to your relevant time zone, please click here
You can direct any questions to the University of Toronto’s Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program [Email: mcf.cie@utoronto.ca]
