MBZUAI Full Scholarship Guide: Funded AI Degrees in the UAE

What MBZUAI is

The Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) is a graduate research university in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, dedicated entirely to artificial intelligence. It is English-taught and offers master's (MSc) and doctoral (PhD) programmes in fields such as machine learning, computer vision, and natural language processing.

MBZUAI offers a full scholarship to its admitted graduate students. The funding is extended as part of admission, so being accepted into a programme is what brings the scholarship with it.

What the scholarship covers

According to MBZUAI, full-time admitted MSc and PhD students receive a full scholarship that covers 100% of tuition together with a monthly stipend, health insurance, and UAE visa sponsorship for non-UAE nationals, along with other benefits the university publishes. The intent is that admitted students can focus on their studies and research without tuition costs.

The precise stipend amount, housing arrangements, and the complete benefit list are set by MBZUAI and can change between intakes, so confirm the current details on the official MBZUAI website rather than relying on a fixed figure.

• Full (100%) tuition coverage
• Monthly stipend (amount published by MBZUAI — verify the current figure)
• Health insurance coverage
• UAE visa sponsorship for non-UAE nationals
• Additional benefits as published by MBZUAI

Who is eligible

MBZUAI admits students internationally into its AI-focused MSc and PhD programmes. Eligibility is based on secular academic merit — your prior degree (often in a quantitative field such as computer science, engineering, or mathematics), academic record, statement of purpose, letters of recommendation, and English proficiency evidence such as IELTS or TOEFL; some programmes may consider standardised scores such as the GRE.

Entry requirements differ by programme and are updated each cycle, so check the requirements for your chosen MSc or PhD on the official MBZUAI admissions pages.

How to apply

You apply for admission to an MBZUAI graduate programme through the university's official online application; there is no separate scholarship application. Admitted students are extended the funded package with their offer.

Get your transcripts, statement of purpose, recommendation letters, and English proficiency results ready, and apply by the published deadline. Review the current steps and deadlines on the MBZUAI website. Admission to AI programmes is competitive, so meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee an offer, and no genuine scholarship is ever sold — never pay for a "guaranteed" award.

• Apply for admission via the official MBZUAI online application
• Submit transcripts, statement of purpose, and recommendation letters
• Provide English proficiency evidence (e.g. IELTS or TOEFL)
• Admitted students are extended the scholarship — no separate funding application