Mastercard Foundation in Partnership with University of Edinburgh invites 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.
All Mastercard Foundation Scholars at the University of Edinburgh will participate in a Climate Leadership Programme. The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program aims to make a meaningful impact in addressing the climate crisis.
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.
Online qualifications through the University of Edinburgh are equivalent to degrees taught on campus.
Applicants can apply for either:
online Masters (part-time up to three years OR
online postgraduate diploma (part-time up to two 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 the online Masters.
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 African university are equally able to apply (provided they will graduate from either degree and provide their degree certificates and transcripts by the application deadline)
Established in 1583, The University of Edinburgh is a non-profit public higher education institution located in the urban setting of the small city of Edinburgh (population range of 250,000-499,999 inhabitants), Scotland. Officially accredited and/or recognized by the Privy Council, The University of Edinburgh is a very large (uniRank enrollment range: 40,000-44,999 students) coeducational higher education institution. The University of Edinburgh offers courses and programs leading to officially recognized higher education degrees in several areas of study. See the uniRank degree levels and areas of study matrix below for further details. This 436 years old higher-education institution has a selective admission policy based on students' past academic record and grades. International applicants are eligible to apply for enrollment.
Eligibility Criteria
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.
Applicants will have faced significant barriers to education (social, financial, personal, practical or health-related).
Applicants must have graduated from an undergraduate study and must have a degree certificate and official final transcript to upload alongside their application by 21 November 2025.
Applicants must be residents and citizens or hold refugee status in an African country (including North Africa).
Applicants must have faced barriers to education and in their 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 the year the programme commences. Therefore, for the 2026/27 academic year, we accept applications from those born on or after 1 January 1991. Anyone born in 1990 and prior is not eligible.
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 Scholars Program scholarship.
If applying for the online Masters programme: Applicants should not have previously completed a postgraduate degree and should not be enrolled (or applying to enrol) at a separate university.
If applying for the online Postgraduate Diploma: Applicants can either have an undergraduate or Masters degree from an African university (provided they will graduate from either degree by 21 November 2025). If you have a Masters degree, our admissions team will review your first degree (undergraduate) to meet the postgraduate diploma entry requirement. The Program will review your Masters degree transcripts to confirm your university’s graduation date and location.
We encourage applications from women, people from refugee and displaced backgrounds, and people with disabilities.
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Established in 1583, The University of Edinburgh is a non-profit public higher education institution located in the urban setting of the small city of Edinburgh (population range of 250,000-499,999 inhabitants), Scotland. Officially accredited and/or recognized by the Privy Council, The University of Edinburgh is a very large (uniRank enrollment range: 40,000-44,999 students) coeducational higher education institution. The University of Edinburgh offers courses and programs leading to officially recognized higher education degrees in several areas of study. See the uniRank degree levels and areas of study matrix below for further details. This 436 years old higher-education institution has a selective admission policy based on students' past academic record and grades. International applicants are eligible to apply for enrollment.