Fellowships

The Center offers several fellowships for UC Berkeley students. The Financial Aid Office administers many need-based financial aid programs. The Graduate Division Fellowship Office, academic departments and professional schools administer other merit based programs. Information is available through the web links provided.

CAS 2026 Fellowship deadlines can be found here: https://africa.berkeley.edu/fellowships/cas-fellowships

Award for Best Undergraduate Thesis in African Studies

A prize of $250 will be awarded to the best senior thesis written by a UC Berkeley undergraduate on a topic related to Africa. The thesis can be written in any discipline or major. Applicants must submit an online application form, along with submitting a copy of the paper or thesis and a letter of recommendation from a faculty advisor to asc@berkeley.edu.

[Also see Geist and Rosberg undergraduate research fellowship below.]

Research Fellowships

The Center directly administers three fellowships for graduate students and one for undergraduates. See deadlines: https://africa.berkeley.edu/fellowships/cas-fellowships

Andrew and Mary Thompson Rocca Fellowship

The Center for African Studies offers two types of Rocca fellowships providing funding to UC Berkeley graduate students at different points in their doctoral studies.

Emeka Kalu Ezera Fellowship

Africa Research Travel Grant - currently inactive

Through a generous donation, we are about to offer a few awards ($500 - $2500) to help defray costs for graduate student research travel to Africa.

*To access this CAS application form, you first must be logged into a browser with a CalNet ID.

Geist and Rosberg Fellowships for Undergraduates

The Center for African Studies is pleased to announce the 2026 competition for undergraduate fellowships to support travel to Africa for research and study. Fellowships of up to $3,000 are awarded as a memorial to Carl Rosberg, founder of Berkeley's Center for African Studies and a pioneer in the study of African politics, and Judith Geist, who earned a PhD from Berkeley's Political Science Department and followed in Rosberg's footsteps with her work in East Africa.

Tuition & Stipend Programs

Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program

This program provides comprehensive scholarships and support to students from Sub-Saharan African countries for masters level programs. For more information, visit the program's website.

Language Fellowships

Foreign Language Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships - Officially Discontinued

CAS has received official word from the U.S. Department of Education that the Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) fellowships program has been discontinued because, as was stated the letter to grantee institutions, the Department judged "that the purpose of and functions of the international and foreign language education grant programs are not a priority of the Administration" and “are inconsistent with Administration priorities and do not advance American interests or values." 

Other CAS Fellowships

Cowell Fellowship (currently inactive)

The Center also administered the Cowell Fellowship from 2000 to 2009. This fellowship was specifically for Ph.D. graduate students at the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. The Fellowship recipient spent 6 to 12 months at UC Berkeley working with a UC Berkeley faculty mentor, taking courses (especially seminars and methodological courses), and conducting research using library and archival resources. Upon completion of the year at Berkeley, the Fellows returned to Tanzania and completed their degrees.

Non-CAS Fellowships

Institute of International Studies Fellowships

Many undergraduate and graduate students studying Africa have also received dissertation and pre-dissertation fellowships from the Institute of International Studies at UC Berkeley. For funding opportunities see: https://iis.berkeley.edu/fellowships-grants/resources

International House 

Other Resources