MBZUAI Admissions & Financial Aid — Full Scholarships for AI Graduate Students

About this opportunity

NOTE: The direct /admissions-aid URL returned a Cloudflare 403 on retrieval. The details below are compiled from verified official sources: the MBZUAI Graduate Admission Process page, Admissions FAQ, Registrar's Office Policy Manual, Student Handbook 2024-2025, and the Tahnoon bin Zayed Scholarship announcement page — all hosted on mbzuai.ac.ae or its static CDN (staticcdn.mbzuai.ac.ae). === Graduate Funding (Ph.D. / M.Sc.) === All admitted full-time graduate students receive a full scholarship that includes: - 100% tuition fees (free) - Accommodation (University dorm or allowance) - Health insurance for the funded period - A competitive monthly stipend - Annual return airfare to the student's home country To retain the scholarship, students must maintain a minimum CGPA as per their intake year, complete degree requirements within the allowed duration, maintain a clean conduct record, and abide by the Code of Conduct. Entitlements are individualized by category (e.g., Ph.D. single UAE, Ph.D. international, M.Sc. married UAE, etc.). Ph.D. funding structure: - Year 1: centrally funded by the University while matching with a faculty advisor. - By end of Year 1: confirmed faculty advisor match is required. - From Year 2: moves to the faculty advisor's funding source. - Funding guarantee: subject to confirmed advisor match and satisfactory progress. M.Sc. funding: - Not automatically funded (fee-paying by default). - Merit-based funding is considered during the admissions review process. - Additional funding can come through a faculty-sponsored research/teaching assistantship or an approved government scholarship (for UAE nationals). Once a match is confirmed, funding transfers immediately. MAAI (Master in Applied Artificial Intelligence) is a fee-based program; it is NOT eligible for University or faculty-sponsored funding. Tuition: AED 5,000 per credit (~USD 1,362); 34 credit hours; total AED 170,000 (~USD 46,291). Application fee: AED 200 (~USD 55). Fee waivers are available only if: (a) the screening exam score is 75% or above; (b) the applicant is already enrolled (reimbursed upon enrollment); or (c) for undergraduate applicants, the screening exam requirement is waived. Applications with unpaid fees are considered incomplete and will not proceed. === Undergraduate Scholarship: Tahnoon bin Zayed Scholarship in AI Excellence === A merit-based scholarship launched under the vision of Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and under the guidance of Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Designed to support approximately 350 outstanding undergraduate students (UAE and international) over six years. Benefits include: full financial support throughout the four-year program, access to entrepreneurial resources and innovation capabilities, an advanced academic ecosystem at a leading AI university, and exclusive opportunities to represent the UAE at high-profile youth-focused events. Eligibility: open to undergraduate applicants from the UAE and worldwide; must meet all admission requirements and receive full acceptance to the undergraduate program. For more information, contact ug.admission@mbzuai.ac.ae.

Format: onsite

Who can apply

• Graduate (Ph.D./M.Sc.): must meet admission requirements and complete screening exam
• Graduate M.Sc.: funding not automatic; must secure faculty-sponsored assistantship, government scholarship, or merit-based award
• MAAI (fee-based): open to all applicants; not eligible for scholarship funding
• Undergraduate Tahnoon Scholarship: must receive full acceptance and meet admission requirements
• International applicants welcome across all programs

What you get

• Full scholarship for admitted graduate students: tuition, accommodation, health insurance, monthly stipend, annual return ticket
• Ph.D. funding guaranteed from Year 1 (university-funded) through advisor match by end of Year 1
• M.Sc. merit-based funding considered during admissions review
• Undergraduate Tahnoon bin Zayed Scholarship: ~350 students, UAE + international eligible, full four-year support
• Fee waivers for application fee when screening exam score is 75%+

How to apply

1. 1
   Review eligibility

   Check that you meet all criteria before starting your application.

2. 2
   Prepare documents

   Gather transcripts, recommendation letters, and any required essays or statements.

3. 3
   Submit application

   Apply directly through the official link below. Deadline: Rolling. No fixed deadline.