Guidelines

The Government of Mexico, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Spanish only), offers 15 scholarships for study or research at the Master’s, PhD, or Postdoctoral level. These scholarships are offered on a reciprocal basis.

Candidates who do not meet Spanish language requirements will be eligible for six months of Spanish language training before the start of postgraduate courses. This language training will be provided in public institutions designated by the Secretaria de Relaciones Exteriores. This language training is subject to a letter of acceptance for graduate studies by a university included in the Mexican Grant Program (Spanish only).

Canadians should apply only to the programs listed below in the "Award Duration" section. Scholarships are tenable at the following institutions and hospitals (Spanish only) with bilateral programs.

Please note that not all programs on the Government of Mexico website are available for Canadians citizens.

Scholarship Value

The award includes:

• full tuition for the academic program;
• tuition for the language program (if applicable, available only for Canadians);
• monthly living allowance: four times the current minimum monthly wage in Mexico City for specializations, Master’s degrees, research at the Master’s degree level, Spanish and Mexican culture courses; five times the current minimum monthly wage in Mexico City for doctoral studies and research, postdoctoral fellowships, medical specializations and sub-specializations, and expert and artist residencies;
• medical insurance from the Mexican Social Security Institute; and
• transportation to and from Mexico City and the host institution.

Scholarship Duration

Varies on the level and program of study:

• up to 12 months for specialization studies;
• up to 12 months for Master’s studies;
• up to 12 months for PhD studies;
• up to 12 months for graduate and postdoctoral research; and
• six months of Spanish language training.

Awards are tenable as of the start of the September 2012 academic year. This scholarship may not be extended.

Eligibility

Applicants:

• must be Canadian citizens, permanently residing in Canada by the competition deadline;
• must hold the equivalent of an undergraduate and/or graduate degree from a recognized Canadian institution (as required by the degree program for which the award is requested);
• must have a minimum grade average of 8 on a 0 to 10 scale (equivalent to a B grade);
• must already be accepted by the host Mexican institution;

Desired Qualifications

Preference will be given to candidates in the priority areas identified by the Canada-Mexico Trade, Investment and Innovation Working Group including:

• study topics that are of priority for the development of their country;
• work in areas that are particularly important for their country’s institutional development;
• graduate programs not available in their country;
• work on human, social or economic development programs, with marginalized groups or in socially deprived or economically depressed areas;
• study or research in institutions located outside of the Mexico City metropolitan area;
• hold faculty or research positions at public universities or scientific research centers in their country; and
• are public officials in charge of areas or programs of special interest to their country.

Terms and Conditions

• Scholarships granted are subject to final acceptance by a university included in the Mexican Grant Program (Spanish only). Please note that not all the programs listed are applicable to Canadian citizens.
• No changes (tenure, host institution, etc.) are permitted once the scholarship has been awarded and accepted by the applicant.
• Applicants applying for postdoctoral research must submit documentary proof of a PhD degree.
• This scholarship is non-transferable.
• The duration of the scholarship cannot be extended.
• A scholarship recipient must complete his/her degree program within the period covered by the scholarship.
• Scholarships are not granted for joint Master’s or PhD programs, distance learning, or open education programs.

Deadline

The competition for 2012-2013 is now closed.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that supporting documents are submitted by the deadline. All required information must appear in the space provided. Supporting documents other than those specifically requested will not be accepted.

It is strongly recommend that the applicant collects all the required supporting documents in sealed envelopes and sends them to the scholarship administrator in one package by a method that provides confirmation of its delivery, such as courier service or registered mail.

If the applicant is unable to collect all the required supporting documents into one package, the applicant must ensure that their referees and institution(s) issuing transcripts submit the documents directly to the scholarship administrator by the deadline. The applicant’s name and the scholarship program for which the applicant is applying must be on all documentation sent to the scholarship administrator.

All supporting documentation should be sent to the scholarship administrator at:

Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE)
Attn: Foreign Government Awards - Mexico
220 Laurier Avenue West, Suite 1550
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5Z9

We are unable to acknowledge receipt, by letter or telephone, but you can e-mail us at: scholarships-bourses@cbie.ca

Review Procedures and Conditions

Selection Process

All applications are reviewed by the agency that coordinates the competition in the country of application. All complete applications received by the deadline that meet the eligibility requirements are evaluated. The agency recommends a list of pre-selected candidates to the scholarship program manager in Canada.

Notification

Applicants who are pre-selected by the Canadian Scholarship Selection Committee will be notified in November by the scholarship administrator that their applications will be forwarded to Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Spanish only) as nominees. Those who are not pre-selected will also be notified in November.

Applicants must ensure that a permanent email address is included in the application.

Final Selection

For the 2012 competition (tenable from September 2013), a total of 15 scholarships are available to applicants from Canada.

The scholarship administrator will notify all nominees of their final selection in January following the competition.

Conditions

All recommendations of the Canadian Scholarship Selection Committee and decisions made by the host countries are final and are not open to appeal.

The Canadian Scholarship Selection Committee is not able to provide feedback for unsuccessful candidates. Applications submitted directly to the Embassy of Mexico or to Ministry of Foreign Affairs-Mexico will not be considered.

Applications and documents submitted will NOT be returned.

These scholarships are subject to the availability of funding provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Mexico.

Application Process

To be considered for a Foreign Government Award-MEXICO an applicant must complete the following two-step process:

1. Applicants must first complete and submit the online application available on this site and upload the supporting documents as requested.
2. Applicants must then also complete the Mexican application “MEXICAN GOVERNMENT SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM FOR FOREIGNERS 2012” available on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico (Spanish only) website and send it to the scholarship administration along with supporting documents to the address listed further below.

Late or incomplete submissions will not be considered.

Instructions

Applicants are encouraged to read the instructions below carefully before beginning the online application. If applicants experience difficulty filling out or submitting the application, applicants should send an email to admin-scholarships-bourses@cbie.ca.

Applicants:

• must complete the Foreign Government Awards online application form;
• must enter data in the fields provided, following the instructions for each item;
• must, upon completion, verify the data prior to submitting;
• can obtain a hard copy for record keeping by printing the form using the print function in the browser, prior to submitting; and
• must click SUBMIT. A confirmation page and reference number will appear after submission.

Supporting documentation

Applicants are required to submit online, by mail or by email, the following supporting documents to complete the application process. Application material may be submitted in English or in French but pre-selected candidates will be required to provide a translation into Spanish.

The following documents must be uploaded to the online application form in one of the following formats: .pdf, .jpg, .doc, .docx, .txt, .gif:

• Curriculum vitae: the curriculum vitae should not include photographs or any personal information such as a date of birth. (Maximum four pages)
• Certificate of admission: a certificate of admission from the host institution or an official document testifying that the applicant will have access to the facilities needed to complete the proposed research project. Length of program and start/end dates should be provided.
• Proof of registration for studies in progress: for research fellowship, including courses being taken

The following documents must be sent by mail

• Copies of degree certificates and diplomas: the copies should include undergraduate and graduate degrees. If the degrees are in a different language, they must include a translation into English or French by a certified translator.
• Transcript: a transcript of all post-secondary studies to date (complete academic record(s) including College of Applied Arts and Technology and CÉGEP) with the cumulative grade point average (GPA) for each. If not indicated on the transcript, attach a separate certificate indicating the cumulative GPA.
• Proof of Canadian citizenship: one certified copy of the following: birth certificate, citizenship card or passport (must not include original documents). A certificate of baptism is not accepted as proof of Canadian citizenship.
• Acceptance letter: for mobility scholarships, applicants must submit a letter from the home institution certifying the academic credits the applicant has received.
• Artwork samples, if applicable: artwork sample for applicants in Fine Arts, Music and Architecture. Applicants in the history or theory of art, music, or architecture are not required to submit samples.
• Artwork samples required are as follows: applicants in the Fine Arts (painting, graphic arts, sculpture and photography) must submit up to 20 slides of 20 original pieces; Film-makers and video artists must submit at least one recent film, indicating when it was made, how the applicant was involved in its production and the running time. These must be provided on a USB key, CD or DVD, be dated, and clearly identified with the applicant's name.
• Applicants in Music must submit a USB key, CD or DVD of three original work pieces totalling no more than 30 minutes. The recordings of singers and instrumentalists must be chosen from three different musical periods, except in the case of Baroque musicians, who must include movements from three different types of pieces. Piano accompaniments may be included. Composers must submit scores and recordings of three different types of works composed by them. All recordings must begin with a spoken declaration by the applicant's music professor that the samples on the recording were performed or written by the applicant and are unedited.
• Applicants in Architecture must submit up to 10 reproductions of drawings on CD, DVD or a USB Key.

Only samples as specified above will be presented to the selection committee.

The following documents must be sent by email

• Letters of recommendation: three letters of recommendation, at least one from an academic source. Letters of recommendation must be sent separately, by the referee, as a PDF document to the scholarship administrator at admin-scholarships-bourses@cbie.ca. Document titles must clearly identify the name of the applicant in the following format:

Subject: FGA-MEXICO-LETTER-last name of the candidate-last name of the referee.

The letters of recommendation must arrive by the deadline for the application to be considered.

Mexican Government Application

Applicants must complete the Mexican Government Application in either English or Spanish and submit all documents listed at the end of the form with the exception of any documents already submitted as part of Step One.

• Proof of proficiency in Spanish (if applicable)
• Recent medical health certificate translated into Spanish
• Eight recent passport-size photographs (3 X 3 cm). Applicant’s full name and nationality must be written on the back of each photograph.

About

The Canada-Mexico awards are based on reciprocal agreements between the Government of Canada and the Government of Mexico. Under this agreement, the Mexican Grant program provides 15 awards to Canadian citizens wishing to pursue studies or research in Mexico and includes the possibility of preliminary language training.