MBZUAI Graduate Scholarships — M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Artificial Intelligence

MBZUAI Graduate Scholarships support M.Sc. and Ph.D. students in Artificial Intelligence at the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Funding is fully funded for funded students only — it is NOT guaranteed for all admitted students. PhD students are centrally funded in Year 1, moving to faculty advisor funding by Year 2. M.Sc. funding is via merit funding at admission or a faculty-sponsored assistantship; otherwise students are fee-paying by default. The Master in Applied Artificial Intelligence (MAAI) is fee-based and NOT eligible for funding.

Deadline: 15 December 2026 at 5 p.m. GST for all graduate programmes, except Computational Biology, which closes 22 January, and MAAI, which closes 28 February. Decisions are expected by 31 March, and offers must be responded to by 15 April.

Apply via the official MBZUAI admissions page and the application portal at apply.mbzuai.ac.ae. Only one application per admission cycle is permitted.

For funded students: free tuition, a monthly stipend of AED 15,500 for M.Sc. students and AED 17,500 for Ph.D. students (international students), one return airfare home each year, health insurance, and a university-sponsored UAE residence visa and Emirates ID where eligible.

PhD funding is centrally funded in Year 1 and moves to faculty advisor funding by Year 2. M.Sc. funding is via merit funding at admission or a faculty-sponsored assistantship. Funding is NOT guaranteed for all admitted students, and the Master in Applied Artificial Intelligence (MAAI) is fee-based and NOT eligible for funding.

Applicants must hold a STEM degree — computer science, electrical/computer engineering, mathematics, physics or a related field — from an accredited university recognised by the UAE Ministry of Education. A minimum CGPA of 3.0 or 3.5 out of 4.0 is required, depending on the programme. Senior-level students may apply with a transcript. The scholarships are open to international students, including applicants from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Nepal. Only one application per admission cycle is permitted.

For funded students: free tuition; a monthly stipend of AED 15,500 for M.Sc. students and AED 17,500 for Ph.D. students (international students); one return airfare home each year; health insurance; and a university-sponsored UAE residence visa and Emirates ID where eligible. Decisions are expected by 31 March, and offers must be responded to by 15 April.

STEM degree from an accredited university recognised by the UAE Ministry of Education; minimum CGPA 3.0 or 3.5 out of 4.0 depending on programme. Senior-level students may apply with a transcript.

See the official MBZUAI admissions page for the current application documents and programme-specific requirements. Only one application per admission cycle is permitted.

Apply through the MBZUAI application portal at apply.mbzuai.ac.ae, linked from the official admissions page at https://mbzuai.ac.ae/admissions/graduate-masters-admissions. Submit by 15 December 2026 at 5 p.m. GST, except Computational Biology (22 January) and MAAI (28 February). Decisions are expected by 31 March, and offers must be responded to by 15 April.