Sciences Po MasterCard Scholarships offers full funding, monthly stipends and accommodation for international students to earn a Master’s degree in France.
The scholarship is aimed at students who demonstrate academic excellence and strong leadership potential.
Scholarship Summary
- Host Country: France
- Category: Postgraduate Scholarships | Masters Scholarships
- Eligible Countries: All Sub-saharan African Countries
- Reward: Full Scholarship | Monthly Stipends | Accommodation | Airfare Tickets
- No IELTS Required
- Deadline: November 1, 2025
Scholarship Details
Sciences Po is part of the three European universities (the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge and Edinburgh) in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, since 2017.
Since then, the partnership has enabled 138 students from Sub-Saharan Africa to enroll in a degree programme in the social sciences at Sciences Po, with the aim of training a new generation of change-makers in their home countries.
The Mastercard Foundation works to provide access to inclusive and quality education to young people in Sub-Saharan Africa, and to enable as many of them as possible to secure dignified and fulfilling employment.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for this scholarship, applicants must:
- Be residents or citizens of a country in Sub-Saharan Africa.
- Show a willingness to commit to bringing about change in Africa
- Have a demonstrable need for higher education funding (please note that proof of applicants’ financial circumstances will be required as part of your application).
- Provide a recommendation from their university.
- Have obtained a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree (or international equivalent) by the following academic year.
- Be applying for a two-year Master’s programme at one of Sciences Po’s seven Graduate Schools. Applicants to one-year Master’s programmes, dual degree programmes or joint Master’s programmes are not eligible for the scholarship.
- Have attained a minimum of C1 level in French or English, depending on the programme you are applying for (see the language requirements for each programme). Please note that programmes are either taught entirely in French, entirely in English, or in both languages.
- Not have obtained or been working towards a prior Master’s degree.
- Be under 35 at the start of the graduate academic year.
Scholarship Benefits
Successful applicants of this scholarship will receive:
- Support in the run-up to their departure, specialist support on arrival and an official welcome programme.
- Housing in Paris reserved for scholarship holders.
- Personalised support throughout their studies, ensuring that every student has the best possible experience at Sciences Po.
- Careers support: guidance to help students identify their professional aspirations. A careers fair focusing on employment and internship opportunities in Africa; access to the university’s business incubator (FR) and its network of employers and alumni working in Africa; careers support workshops; participation in conferences, etc.
- A mentoring programme co-run with the Africa Division of Sciences Po Alumni.
- Access to the wide range of general resources that Sciences Po provides to guide students through every step of their studies.
Required Documents
To apply for this scholarship, applicants must:
- Personal details
- A letter of recommendation from the academic advisor at your university to support your application. For this, you will need to ask the person to complete and sign this form.
- Full information and evidence regarding your financial circumstances.
- Information regarding your academic record and extra-curricular attainments.
- A statement detailing your varied experiences of and view on issues specifically affecting Africa, and explaining how you plan to achieve change on the continent. The quality of this statement will be a deciding factor for the panel in charge of allocating the scholarships.
How to Apply
To apply for this scholarship:
- Prepare and submit all required documents
- Ensure to meet all the eligibility criteria for the scholarship
To apply for this scholarship, click HERE
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