Brazil Master and PhD Scholarships

Key Details and Dates

• Application open: 5/25/2026
• Application Deadline: 7/6/2026
• Result Announcement Dates: 11/9/2026
• Important Dates:
  • Document review (Phase 1): July 13 – July 31, 2026
  •  Merit and admissibility analysis (Phase 2): August 10 – September 9, 2026
  • Final classification (Phase 3): October 13 – 16, 2026
  • Final approval by universities: October 26 – 30, 2026
• Funding Type: Scholarship with monthly stipends
• Organizer: International Cooperation Group of Brazilian Universities (GCUB)
• Host Institutions: 58 Participating Brazilian Universities
• Eligible Countries: All
• Eligible Gender: Male/Female
• Target Group: International students interested in Master’s or Doctoral Degrees
• Field: Various fields of study
• Study Level: Master’s or Doctoral
• Number of Opportunities: 880 scholarships
• Duration: Up to 24 months for Master’s programs, up to 48 months for Doctoral programs
• Program Language: Language requirements vary based on the chosen Graduate Programs
• Host Country: Brazil

Benefits and Financial Aids

Selected candidates will benefit from the program as follows:

• Exemption from enrollment fees, tuition, or academic fees
• Monthly scholarships based on Brazilian federal funding standards
• Access to university facilities and services such as classrooms, libraries, laboratories, and other university services

Note: Applicants should be able to support themselves for initial financial expenses until the first scholarship payment

Eligibility Criteria

All applicants should meet these requirements:

• Applicants should have citizenship of a country with diplomatic relations with Brazil
• Not holding Brazilian nationality
• Good physical and mental health
• Ability to finance additional expenses not covered by the scholarship
• They must have applied for a Master’s or Doctoral program (Each applicant can enroll in up to four Master’s or Doctoral programs)
• Submit a graduation diploma for Master’s or Doctoral applications
• Additional requirements for Doctoral candidates regarding previous degrees
• Their application should be in one of the following languages: Portuguese, English, Spanish, or French.

Required Documents

To apply for a Brazilian Master’s or Doctoral scholarship, candidates must use the Online Application Form exclusively. They need to upload the required documents in PDF format directly onto the form:

• Copy the identification document (citizenship, passport, or national identification document) in PDF format.
• Curriculum Vitae (no need to include proof of courses or experience at the time of application, but they may be requested later).
• For Master’s candidates: Diploma, certificate of completion of university studies, or declaration from the university certifying completion of an undergraduate course.
• For Doctorate candidates: Diploma or certificate of completion of university studies for an undergraduate course or bachelor’s degree, and a Master’s degree if required by the chosen Doctoral program.
• Two essays for each program of study option chosen:
• Essay 1: Academic expectations and interests; professional expectations and perspectives for returning to the country of origin (maximum 1,000 words).
• Essay 2: A research proposal (maximum 4,000 words) outlining the research topic and problem, scope and justification, objectives, literature review, methodology, timeline, and references.
• For university professors: proof of a binding contract with an institution of higher  education.

Selection Process

The three-phase evaluation process includes document analysis, merit assessment, and final classification. Evaluation criteria include academic merit, geographical distribution, and gender equality:

Phase 1: Documental Consistency Analysis:

• Conducted by a Committee appointed by the Executive Board of GCUB, overseen by a GCUB-associated University.
• Analysis of submitted documentation as per the outlined requirements.
• Incomplete or late submissions will result in elimination.

Phase 2: Analysis of Merit and Admissibility:

• Responsibility of host universities.
• GCUB forwards approved applications from Phase 1 to chosen universities.
• Universities assess applications based on provided documents, aiming to pre-approve candidates.
• Universities are encouraged to pre-approve four times more candidates than available scholarships.
• Consideration of geographical distribution and academic merit.

Phase 3: Final Classification:

• Conducted by an Evaluation Advisory Committee comprising PhD-holding professors from GCUB-linked universities.
• The committee distributes and ranks pre-approved candidates from Phase 2 based on specified criteria.
• Criteria include geographical distribution, academic affiliations, course preferences, Human Development Index, and gender equality.
• No reconsideration requests are accepted during any stage of the application selection process.
• Neither GCUB nor participating universities issue documents to applicants during the selection phases.

Selection Results:

• Results are announced on GCUB’s website.
• Selected candidates are notified via email, including information on approval, university, and selected courses.
• Substitutes are called if a candidate declines the scholarship based on the Evaluation Advisory Committee’s ranking.

University Responsibilities:

• Selected candidates receive an Acceptance Letter from the host university in the third phase.
• For candidates in Health  Sciences, an additional letter from the Program Coordinator outlines limitations on patient procedures.
• Candidates in Medical programs receive specific guidelines regarding medical practice, including supervision responsibilities.
• An electronic format acceptance letter was sent to applicants, with a copy sent to GCUB.
• Host universities may also send a hard copy of the Acceptance Letter to candidates’ addresses.

How to Apply?

• Complete the online application form.
• Upload the required documents in PDF format.
• Submit applications within the specified deadline