Deadline for applications: Monday 6th May, 4pm GMT (9am MST)

Scholarship overview

In partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, Arizona State University will provide a comprehensive 9-month academic and practical training in artificial intelligence (AI) and business for selected Mastercard Foundation Fellows. The Programme seeks to cultivate leadership, entrepreneurship and technical AI skills, enabling students to become AI leaders equipped to tackle challenges in Africa and around the world. 5 Scholarships are available for students admitted for the 2024/2025 academic year, which will cover full tuition fees, accommodation costs and full support. In addition to financial support, scholars will participate in activities as part of the broader Mastercard Foundation Scholars programme at Arizona State University, including leadership curriculum, one-on-one mentoring and other events and programming. Women, refugees, displaced persons and people with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply. ASU is committed to improving the quality of students' educational experience by ensuring accessibility to all programmes and services.

Programme offer 

Master's Degree in Artificial Intelligence in Business,
MS-AIB Eligibility Criteria

• Applicants must qualify academically for admission to the course of their choice which includes proficiency in English.
• Candidates must be citizens of an African country committed to ethical leadership and with demonstrated involvement in their community.
• Candidates must be between 18 and 33 years old by the application deadline.
• Candidates must demonstrate a record of leadership and service in their community.
• Candidates must demonstrate academic excellence and ambitions that exceed their financial resources.
• Applicants must have obtained an undergraduate degree with a minimum of 4 years of study.
• Applicants must not have started or completed another postgraduate or master's degree before August 2024.
• Applicants must be able to live in Phoenix, Arizona for the duration of the programme.
• It is recommended that candidates have a solid grounding in maths, statistics and computer science.

Scholarship value

The grant will cover the following:

• Costs incurred for processing visa applications
• Costs incurred for English language tests
• Costs incurred in implementing the programme
• Flight tickets to and from Phoenix, Arizona
• Full tuition, books and fees
• Campus accommodation
• Participation in the scholarship programme

The awards are valid for the duration of the postgraduate study programme.

The deadline for all entries will be 4pm GMT (9am MST) on Monday 6 May.   All applicants are advised to apply for the scholarship first and, if successful, will be assisted in the application process for admission to Arizona State University. Video or telephone interviews will be held in the summer of 2024, with final decisions made by the end of May 2024. All successful candidates will travel to Phoenix, Arizona, to join the Programme in August 2024.
All applicants, once registered, must have read and understood the application guidelines and eligibility criteria before submitting an application to the Programme to avoid errors or incorrect information. Arizona State University and the Mastercard Foundation reserve the right to cancel incomplete and/or late applications, to make changes to the conditions of the scholarship or not to grant any award. Admission to the academic programme does not guarantee admission to the scholarship programme.

Please direct any questions to mastercardfdnscholars@asu.edu.

There are 2 ways to submit your application:

We encourage candidates to submit an online application. To proceed to the online application, click on NEXT .
OR
If you have limited Internet access, you can fill in a downloadable version of the application. To access the download form, click  HERE . This will take you to a link containing a Word document. Don't ask for editing access. Instead, click on "Open with" to download the file to the platform of your choice. Or click on the Download icon on the right-hand side of the screen to download the file directly. To send the completed form, send it by e-mail to  mastercardfndnscholars@asu.edu together with all the necessary annexes.