Mo Ibrahim Foundation Scholarship (MSc Development Policy and Politics)

Who can apply

An African national domiciled or permanently resident in an African country, preference given to those living in Sub-Saharan Africa
A first-class honours degree or equivalent from an approved university; Birmingham states applicants who do not meet this will not be considered
Under 30 years of age at the time of applying
Good written and spoken English is required; applicants whose first language is not English need at least IELTS 6.5 or TOEFL 580 (paper-based) / 93 (internet-based)
Nationals of Cameroon or Sudan should check the UK government's current "visa brake" policy before applying: since 26 March 2026 it refuses Student visa applications made from outside the UK by nationals of those two countries (also Afghanistan and Myanmar, neither eligible here), regardless of any offer or funding already secured; the restriction is reviewed periodically rather than indefinite, so confirm the live status on gov.uk before investing time in an application

One scholarship a year, and a high bar to clear

Only one scholarship is awarded a year, and the bar is set accordingly high: a first-class honours degree, full stop, with Birmingham warning directly that anyone falling short “will not be considered and should not apply.” The age limit, under 30 at the time of applying, is equally firm.

The UK’s visa brake affects two eligible nationalities right now

One live restriction matters more than anything else on this page for two of the otherwise-eligible nationalities. Since 26 March 2026, the UK government’s “visa brake” policy refuses Student visa applications made from outside the UK by nationals of Cameroon and Sudan (also Afghanistan and Myanmar, though neither is relevant to this African-nationals-only scholarship), regardless of any offer, sponsorship or scholarship already secured. Birmingham’s own page for this scholarship links directly to the UK government’s guidance on it. The brake is reviewed periodically rather than permanent, but no end date has been announced, so a Cameroonian or Sudanese applicant should check gov.uk directly for the current status before spending time on an application they may not be able to use even if selected.

The two-year structure: MSc, then a real internship

What makes this worth the bar is the structure, not just the money. The MSc pathway itself runs through compulsory modules in International Development and Development Policy and Politics, plus a 60-credit dissertation that may involve overseas fieldwork in a country of the candidate’s choosing, a required choice between Governance for Development and Democracy, Dictatorship and Development, and a further 60 credits of optional modules from across the School of Government or, with the Programme Director’s agreement, elsewhere at Birmingham. On top of the MSc year, the scholar spends a full second year on internship: six months with Birmingham’s International Development Department doing research alongside academics and the GSDRC, then six months at the Mo Ibrahim Foundation’s office in London, working across the Foundation’s initiatives and taking part in the Now Generation Forum for African emerging leaders and the Ibrahim Governance Weekend, with that second half funded directly by the Foundation rather than the university. For the wider cost picture of studying in the UK beyond what this scholarship covers, see the guide to studying in the UK.

Which first degrees actually qualify

The first-class-honours requirement is not restricted to a narrow list of degrees. Birmingham names relevant subjects as broadly as Social Policy, Sociology, Criminology, Cultural Studies, Politics, International Relations, Human Geography, general Social Sciences (excluding business-related degrees), Development Studies, Diplomacy, Environmental Studies, Psychology, Public Administration, Anthropology, Urban and Regional Planning, Community or Rural Development, and Education, so a degree that does not sound obviously “development-related” may still qualify.

Two names, two “only” scholarship lists: a naming discrepancy worth knowing

Two of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation’s own pages disagree with each other, worth knowing before you treat any single page as definitive. The Foundation’s scholarships page calls this award an MSc in Governance and State-Building, while Birmingham’s own current page, the one actually running the programme, calls it the MSc in Development Policy and Politics; take Birmingham’s naming as the live one. Separately, the Foundation’s page currently lists only this Birmingham award and a Chatham House Academy Fellowship as its “only” scholarships. A separate Mo Ibrahim Foundation Scholarship at SOAS has run in past cycles but does not appear on the Foundation’s own page, so which one is out of date is worth confirming before assuming SOAS’s version is still current.