McCall MacBain Foundation / McGill University
McCall MacBain Scholarships at McGill University
Canada's largest leadership scholarship for graduate study. Each year up to 30 scholars (20 Canadian, 10 international) start a master's or professional degree at McGill with everything paid, plus a leadership programme and mentoring. Thai applicants compete in the international pool. Finalists who miss out can still receive a C$20,000-a-year award at McGill.
Application round
For the 2027 cohort, the international deadline was 19 August 2026 at 16:00 Eastern Time (03:00 on 20 August in Thailand); the Canada/US deadline was 23 September 2026. Semi-finalists are interviewed regionally from October to December, finalists in Montreal in March, and scholars start in September 2027.
Next round
Applications for the 2028 cohort are expected to open around June 2027, with the international deadline likely in August 2027. Register for an information session on the website to be notified.
The IELTS requirement
The scholarship itself asks for no test score; you must meet McGill's admission requirements for your programme, which include its English requirement. McGill graduate programmes commonly ask for around IELTS 6.5 overall, some higher. The scholarship application is separate from the McGill one, but finalists must submit their McGill application in December, so have the score by then at the latest.
Where is your IELTS score now?
Your university sets the IELTS score for this scholarship. Take the free level test to get an estimated band for each skill before you apply.
What it covers
- Tuition and fees for the full normal length of the master's or professional programme
- A living stipend of C$2,300 a month during academic terms
- A one-time relocation grant for moving to Montreal
- Up to C$5,000 for summer initiatives if you have no summer term
- Travel to the final interviews in Montreal
Who can apply
- Finishing your first bachelor's by August of the entry year, or graduated within the last five years, or graduated earlier and aged 30 or under on 1 January of the application year
- Applying for an eligible full-time McGill master's of 45 credits or more (MA, MSc, MEng, MBA, MPP and others), or a second-entry professional degree in law, dentistry or medicine; PhDs, part-time and executive programmes are excluded
- Meets McGill's degree and language requirements for the programme
- Judged on character, community engagement, leadership potential, entrepreneurial spirit and academic strength
- International applicants who reach the finals but miss the scholarship can receive a Finalist Award (C$20,000 a year for up to two years at McGill) or a Regional Award (C$10,000 at any public Canadian university)
Key facts
- Provider
- McCall MacBain Foundation / McGill University
- Where you study
- Canada
- Study level
- Master's
- Funding
- Fully funded
- Application round
- Dates for the next round aren't published yet
Already know your score?
Build an IELTS plan for this scholarship
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What band do you need?
Your overall IELTS target.
We checked these details against the provider's official page on November 1, 2026. Rules and dates change every round, so confirm them there before you apply.
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