MBZUAI Admission 2027 for Pakistani Students: Apply by 15 December 2026, and MSc Funding Is No Longer Automatic

Short answer: Pakistani students have until 15 December 2026, 5:00 pm UAE time (6:00 pm in Pakistan), to apply for MBZUAI's MSc and PhD programmes starting in August 2027. The fee is AED 200. The big change: MBZUAI now treats MSc students as fee-paying by default. Funding with a stipend of AED 15,500 for international MSc students comes only through a faculty-backed assistantship or merit award.

MBZUAI, the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence in Abu Dhabi, is a graduate university for AI. We read its graduate master's admissions page and its admissions FAQ on 20 October 2026. If you remember MBZUAI as "fully funded for everyone", read the funding section of this MBZUAI admission guide twice.

Apply by 15 December 2026 for most MSc and PhD programmes

MBZUAI's portal opened on 7 September 2026. The final deadline for all graduate programmes except two is 15 December 2026 at 5:00 pm Gulf Standard Time. That is 6:00 pm in Pakistan. Decisions come on 31 March 2027.

The fall 2027 semester starts in mid-August 2027, MBZUAI says. You may send only one application per cycle. A second submission is not processed. So pick your programme with care before you pay.

MSc funding is no longer automatic

MBZUAI's page now says MSc students are "fee-paying by default". Funding comes through a faculty advisor's research or teaching assistantship, or merit-based funding considered at admission. It is "not guaranteed for all admitted students". PhD students are centrally funded in year one.

For PhD students, the university pays during year one while you are matched with a faculty advisor. From year two at the latest, funding moves to your advisor. It depends on a confirmed match and good progress. For MSc students, funding moves to the advisor as soon as a match is confirmed.

Funded students get free tuition, a monthly stipend, one return air ticket home each year, health insurance and a UAE residence visa with Emirates ID. MBZUAI's table lists the stipend for international students at AED 15,500 for MSc and AED 17,500 for PhD. Any outside scholarship you hold normally replaces the university stipend rather than adding to it.

You need a STEM degree with a CGPA of 3.0 or 3.5

MBZUAI wants a degree in a STEM field such as computer science, electrical or computer engineering, mathematics or physics. The minimum CGPA is 3.0 or 3.5 out of 4.0, depending on the programme. Final year students can apply with their transcript so far.

Degrees earned outside the UAE need a Certificate of Recognition from the UAE, which you submit during your first semester. You must also include English proficiency in your application. Without an IELTS or TOEFL score, or an accepted medium of instruction letter, the application is incomplete. A Pakistani university's letter is accepted only provisionally, and may be checked. The current IELTS fee in Pakistan is worth budgeting now.

1. Choose one MSc or PhD programme and check its CGPA cut-off.
2. Book your IELTS or TOEFL, or get a signed medium of instruction letter.
3. Create an account on MBZUAI's applicant portal.
4. Complete the screening exam the portal asks for.
5. Pay the AED 200 fee, since unpaid applications are not reviewed.
6. Submit before 5:00 pm GST on 15 December 2026.

The AED 200 fee comes after the screening exam

All graduate applicants pay AED 200 after completing MBZUAI's screening exam. If the fee is unpaid, the application is incomplete and is not reviewed. For graduate applicants, the fee comes back only if you enrol.

Pay with a card that works for international payments, and keep the receipt. Use only MBZUAI's own applicant portal. The process has no agent step, and paying one is a risk, as our note on choosing a study abroad agent explains.

The Applied AI master's is fully fee-paying at AED 170,000

The Master in Applied Artificial Intelligence (MAAI) is a separate, fee-based programme with no university or faculty funding. It costs AED 5,000 per credit for 34 credits, AED 170,000 in total, about USD 46,291 by MBZUAI's own figure.

MAAI has a later deadline of 28 February 2027. It suits working professionals who can pay. For a funded research route, the MSc or PhD with a faculty match is the one to target. If you want a funded PhD inside Pakistan instead, see the national AI plan PhD scholarship.

Common questions

What is the MBZUAI deadline for 2027 admission?

15 December 2026 at 5:00 pm GST for most MSc and PhD programmes, which is 6:00 pm in Pakistan.

Is MBZUAI still fully funded?

Not for every MSc student. MBZUAI says MSc students are fee-paying by default unless they secure an assistantship or merit funding. PhD year one is centrally funded.

How much is the MBZUAI stipend?

MBZUAI's table lists AED 15,500 for international MSc students and AED 17,500 for PhD students, as a monthly stipend for funded students.

What CGPA do I need for MBZUAI?

At least 3.0 or 3.5 out of 4.0, depending on the programme, in a STEM degree.

Is there an application fee?

Yes, AED 200, paid after the screening exam. It is refunded only if you enrol.

Do I need IELTS or TOEFL?

You need English proficiency in the application. A medium of instruction letter is accepted provisionally and may be checked.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked 20 October 2026. Dates, funding rules, stipends, requirements and MAAI costs come from MBZUAI's graduate master's admissions page, and the fee and English rules from its admissions page and FAQ, both read on 20 October 2026. The Pakistan time of the deadline is our conversion, as GST is one hour behind PKT. MBZUAI says MSc cost of attendance for fall 2027 is still being finalised, so we could not give MSc tuition. We did not see the screening exam itself.