Full Program Details
Carnegie Mellon University Africa (CMU-Africa) in Kigali is taking applications for its fall 2027 master's programmes. Applications opened on 1 October 2026, the early admission deadline is 15 December 2026 and the final deadline is 15 January 2027. Apply for admission first. Only admitted applicants of African nationality are eligible for financial aid, including the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, and admitted applicants must complete a separate financial aid assessment form after submitting the application (it appears on the application status checklist). This is per the CMU-Africa FAQ.
CMU-Africa's tuition page lists 2026-2027 tuition at $16,000 for African students and $61,510 for international students. Mastercard Foundation Scholars have tuition and fees, health insurance, travel and basic living expenses covered.
Details at a glance:
- Host: Carnegie Mellon University Africa, Kigali Innovation City, Rwanda
- Level: Master of Science (MSIT, MS ECE or MS Engineering AI)
- Applications opened: 1 October 2026
- Early admission deadline: 15 December 2026
- Final application deadline: 15 January 2027
- Admission decisions: April to May 2027
- Semester starts: September 2027
- Application fee: none (CMU-Africa FAQ)
What the Scholarship Covers
CMU-Africa says the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program covers:
- Application preparation support and orientation
- Tuition and fees
- Health insurance
- Travel and basic living expenses
- Project and entrepreneurship support
Scholars also get career coaching, internship and career fair access, and leadership training. CMU-Africa does not publish the size of the living allowance on the pages we checked, so do not budget around a number until you see your award letter.
Admitted applicants of African nationality can be considered for need-based aid. CMU-Africa says many receive a package that covers a substantial fraction of the cost of attendance, and every student gets a financial aid award letter before enrolling. Other aid types it lists include a Government of Rwanda grant, a Government of Rwanda loan programme and several named fellowships. CMU-Africa also estimates living costs in Kigali at $345 to $580 a month.
Note that the official site is not fully consistent. The tuition page says all CMU-Africa students are eligible for need-based financial aid, while the FAQ limits aid to admitted applicants of African nationality. The tuition page lists $61,510 for international students and the FAQ says $60,300. Figures are for 2026-2027, so fall 2027 entrants should confirm the 2027-2028 rate.
Who Can Apply
- Admission is open to any applicant with a strong computer science or engineering background. Financial aid, including the Mastercard Foundation scholarship, is open only to admitted applicants of African nationality (per CMU-Africa FAQ).
- A bachelor's degree, or a transcript showing at least three-quarters of your undergraduate programme completed if you are in your final year
- English proficiency: IELTS, TOEFL or Duolingo English Test. CMU-Africa recommends at least 81 on TOEFL, 6.5 on IELTS or 120 on the Duolingo test. Graduates of the US, UK and Canada (outside Quebec) are exempt.
- For the scholarship itself: academic talent, a record of giving back to your community, leadership potential, and social and economic barriers to opportunity
- There is no GPA cut-off, but most admitted students have 3.0 or above. The FAQ says candidates without a strong computer science or engineering background are unlikely to succeed.
The Programmes
Programmes are full-time and in person, with no part-time track and fall entry only. You can apply to one programme.
- MS Information Technology: 16 to 20 months, covering data science, cybersecurity, software engineering and networks
- MS Electrical and Computer Engineering: 10 to 16 months
- MS Engineering Artificial Intelligence: 16 to 20 months, for students with solid maths and programming skills
How to Apply
- Create an account on the CMU-Africa application portal and choose MSIT, MS ECE or MS EAI. First-time users start a new application.
- Upload an unofficial transcript with the grading scale, a CV of at most two pages, your passport or national ID, and the contacts of three recommenders.
- Write the essays. MSIT and MS EAI ask for three short essays of up to 300 words. MS ECE asks for one statement of purpose. All applicants also record a video essay: 30 seconds to read the prompt, up to three minutes to answer, with no re-recording.
- Take the English test and the one-hour online technical test (CMU-Africa pays the technical test fee). If you apply by 15 December 2026 and have not received a free Duolingo test before, CMU-Africa gives you a free Duolingo English Test; returning applicants pay for tests themselves.
- Scholars are chosen from admitted students. After you submit, complete the separate financial aid assessment form on your status checklist; CMU-Africa's FAQ says only applicants who submit it are considered for aid.
- Wait for the decision between April and May 2027.
Why the 15 December date matters
The final deadline is 15 January, but the earlier date gets you a free Duolingo test. Later applications are only considered if submitted with a valid Duolingo, IELTS or TOEFL score, or a stated plan to take the test (FAQ). If you do not yet have a score, apply before 15 December.
GizPulse Verdict
Who this is for: African graduates in computing, engineering or related fields who want a US-accredited curriculum taught in Kigali, and who need financial support to afford it. The programmes run 10 to 20 months, shorter than most two-year master's degrees.
Who should pause: Non-African applicants: CMU-Africa's FAQ says financial aid is only for admitted applicants of African nationality, so expect to pay the international tuition. Also anyone who wants a guaranteed scholarship, since admission comes first and aid is need-based.
One tip to stand out: The scholarship criteria stress service and leadership, so use the essays and the CV to show specific things you have done for your community, with names, numbers and dates, not general statements about wanting to help.
Last verified on 23 October 2026 against the CMU-Africa how to apply, tuition and financial aid, Mastercard Foundation Scholars and FAQ pages. Related on GizPulse: CMU-Africa free AI certificate and UCT Mastercard Foundation Scholarship.
