Edinburg Mastercard Foundation Online learning Scholarships – The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program aims to make a meaningful impact in addressing the climate crisis.
Our program is dedicated to nurturing a community of talented, entrepreneurial, and compassionate leaders from across Sub-Saharan Africa.
We empower young people with the necessary knowledge, skills, and networks to drive sustainable transitions by offering a range of exceptional sustainability-focused postgraduate opportunities through the Scholars Program at the University of Edinburgh.
Applying for an online learning scholarship
From 23 October 2023, we will be recruiting exceptional young people with great academic and leadership experience who have overcome barriers to their education and are diligently committed to pursuing their studies to apply for an Online Scholarship at the University of Edinburgh.
Online studies are an excellent way to earn a qualification for those who would like to continue working and prefer to study in their local context (for example, to be closer to their families).
Online qualifications through the University of Edinburgh are equivalent to degrees taught on campus.
Applicants can apply for either:
- Online Masters (part-time over 3 years) OR
- Online Post-graduate Diploma (part-time over 2 years)
Online Masters
Masters programmes normally aim at those who have completed an undergraduate degree and want to develop more specialised knowledge in the same subject or similar career area.
Applicants who already have a postgraduate qualification are not able to apply for this scholarship.
The Mastercard Foundation scholarship is designed to cover three years of part-time online study for the following programmes ONLY:
- International Development (Masters route only)
- Global Food Security and Nutrition (Masters or Diploma)
- Global Challenges (Masters or Diploma)
- Carbon Management (Masters route only)
- One Health (Masters or Diploma)
- Circular Economy (Masters or Diploma)
- Sustainable Lands and Cities (Masters or Diploma)
- Social Justice and Community Action (Masters or Diploma)
Online postgraduate diploma
Postgraduate diplomas are aimed at those who are considering a potential change in their careers and tend to be more vocational.
Candidates with either an undergraduate or Master’s degree from a Sub-Saharan African university are equally able to apply (provided they will graduate from either degree by September 2023 and provide their degree certificates and transcripts by 7 December.
The scholarship is designed to cover two years of part-time online study for the following programmes ONLY:
- Global Food Security and Nutrition
- Global Challenges
- Social Justice and Community Action
- Circular Economy
- Sustainable Land and Cities
Apply for the Mastercard Foundation Scholarship Programme before applying to the University
If you are only applying for the Mastercard Foundation Scholarship please apply for the Mastercard Foundation Scholarship Program first, only once you have received a scholarship offer should you apply to any of the above programmes through the University of Edinburgh admissions process. Only in the case of applying for other scholarships should you consider applying to the university first.
You must meet the eligibility criteria to apply:
- Applicants must qualify academically for admission to the University of Edinburgh for a relevant degree programme listed. You will generally need to have achieved the equivalent of a UK Second Class (Upper) Bachelor’s (Hons) degree or higher. Find out more about the postgraduate entry requirements for your country:
Postgraduate entry requirements
- Applicants will have faced significant barriers to education (social, financial, personal, practical or health related).
- Applicants must have graduated from an undergraduate study by September 2023 and must have a degree certificate and official final transcript to upload alongside their application by 7 December.
- Applicants must be residents and citizens or hold refugee status in a Sub-Saharan African country.
- Applicants must have faced barriers to education and early career
- Applicants must demonstrate a track record of leadership and service within their community.
- Applicants must demonstrate experience, or at least ambition, in making a meaningful impact in addressing the climate crisis
- Applicants must be 35 or under as of 1 September 2024
- Applicants should not have previously completed a postgraduate degree and should not be enrolled (or apply to enrol) at a separate university whilst on the Mastercard Foundation Scholarship.
- If applying for the online Masters programme: Applicants should not have previously completed a postgraduate degree and should not be enrolled (or apply to enrol) at a separate university whilst on the Mastercard Foundation Scholarship.
- If applying for the online Postgraduate Diploma: Applicants can either have an undergraduate or Master’s degree from a Sub-Saharan African university (provided they will graduate from either degree by 7th December 2023). If you have a Master’s degree, our admissions team will review your first degree (undergraduate) to meet the postgraduate diploma entry requirement. The Scholars Program will review your Master’s degree transcripts to confirm your university’s graduation date and location.
- We particularly welcome applications from female scholars, scholars from refugee and displaced backgrounds, and scholars with disabilities (see FAQs below for further information).
Application timeline 2023/24
| 23 October 2023 (10am UK time) | Applications open |
| 1 December 2023 (5pm UK time) | Applicants need to have completed registration to scholarship application site, and completed the eligibility assessment and declaration. |
| 7 December 2023 (5pm UK time) | Applications close |
| Early February 2024 | Online Distance Learners (ODL) Interview shortlisting begins; both successful and unsuccessful applicants will be notified. |
| Mid to Late February 2024 | ODL interviews take place |
| By mid March | ODL Interview outcomes will be announced |
| March – July 2024 | Support provided through admissions processes |
| September 2024 | Academic program starts |
How to apply
You must qualify academically for admission to the University of Edinburgh. We require that applicants apply for this scholarship before applying to the University.
The Scholars Program will not accept applications submitted outside the online application system.
Please review our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) section, below, for further details.
If you have any queries regarding the Mastercard Foundation Scholarships, which are not answered in the FAQs, please contact us at: [email protected]
Apply for a postgraduate scholarship
Selection Process
The selection process for applications is based on the following criteria:
- Academic merit of the candidate that qualifies for admissions to the University of Edinburgh
- Track record as a transformative leader and service within their community
- Quality of application in line with the Scholars Program theme of climate justice.
- 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).
For more Information : Visit the website for Edinburg Mastercard Foundation Online learning Scholarships
