Graduate Application Process

Application and Selection Sequence

• September through early January: Master's degree program prospective applicants must first apply to the University of California, Berkeley through the regular admissions process. Admission application deadlines vary from September to early January with most in December. If a graduate program has multilple admission rounds with staggered deadlines, only those who submit applications in the first round (before January) can be considered for the Scholars Program.
• February: The Scholars Program at UC Berkeley will invite candidates nominated by the graduate degree programs to complete a supplemental application.
• March: The Scholars Program will invite selected candidates for an online interview.
• Late March/early April: The Scholars Program will communicate final decisions.

Deadlines and Requirements

Graduate application deadlines vary by program. Please visit the Graduate Division Admissions Website for up to date information on:

• Program deadlines
• Admission requirements
• Information for international students

Which Master's Degree program?

Please note that bachelor and doctoral programs do not qualify for the Scholars Program at UC Berkeley.

UC Berkeley offers many master's degree programs. The following are eligible for the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program:

• Architecture (M.Arch)
  • We only fund the two-year program. 
• Art (MFA)
• Business Administration (MBA)
  • MBA students need to secure additional funding from Haas Business School through obtaining Haas scholarships, which requires meeting the Round One application deadline. We encourage you to contact us if you are interested to learn more details about this unique process.
• City & Regional Planning (MCP)
• Development Practice (MDP)
• Education (MA)
• College of Natural Resources 
  • Energy & Resources (ERG)
  • Masters of Climate Solutions (MCS)
  • Masters of Forestry (MF)
  • Masters of Science in Rangeland and Wildlife Management (MS) 
• College of Engineering (M.DevEng, M.Eng, MS)
  • Master of Engineering (M.Eng), various concentrations 
  • Master of Science Civil and Environmental Engineering (MS)
  • Industrial Engineering and Operations Research (MS)
  • Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (MS)
  • Mechanical Engineering (MS)
  • Master of Development Engineering (M.DevEng)
  • Master of Design (M.Des) (joint with College of Environmental Design)
• Folklore (MA)
• Global Studies (MA)
• Information Management & Systems (MIMS)
• Journalism (MJ)
  • Only applicants who meet the Round 1 deadline can be considered.
• Law (LLM) - Traditional Program
• Public Health (MPH, MS, MA)
  • Community Health Sciences (MPH)
  • Health Policy and Management (MPH)
  • Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology (MPH)
  • Interdisciplinary Division (MPH)
  • Environmental Health Sciences (MPH, MS)
  • Epidemiology (MPH, MS)
  • Biostatistics (MPH, MA)
• Public Policy (MPP)
• Social Welfare (MSW)
• Translational Medicine (MTM)

Contact us if you are interested in UC Berkeley programs not listed here.

Note: We only make awards for master's degree program that are two years or less. Hence, concurrent and dual degree programs are not eligible since they take longer than two years. 

When considering any program, please keep in mind that it is your motivation for choosing your field, as well as your career goals that will determine if you are eligible for the Scholarship. Please revisit Eligibility Requirements to see if your goals are in line with those of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program.

Application Guidance and Tips

• Watch the 2023 informational webinar that took place during the UC Berkeley Diversity Recruitment Fair.
• Mastercard Foundation Application Tip Series.
• Resources from UC Berkeley's Graduate Division
  
  • Steps for prospective students
  • Getting into Graduate School program.
  • Attend the next online Graduate Diversity Admissions Fair. Dates are annually announced in August.