Master's Degree in Cyprus for African Students

What a master’s degree in Cyprus looks like

The qualification is the Metaptychiako Diploma Master (Μεταπτυχιακό Δίπλωμα Μάστερ) — Master's degree. It runs 1.5 to 2 years and carries 90 ECTS as a minimum, spread over three semesters; the rules allow up to eight, and many programmes run 120 ECTS over two years. Teaching starts in September, February, and admission is Rolling rather than fixed to one closing date.

English is normal at master’s level, the opposite of the bachelor’s picture. The University of Nicosia teaches all its programmes in English, Neapolis University Pafos lists 27 English-taught master’s programmes, UCLan Cyprus 18, the University of Limassol 9 and the Open University of Cyprus 6.

Apply only in the Republic of Cyprus: 12 universities are recognised there, and institutions in the north cannot file an immigration application for you. Cyprus is in the EU but not in Schengen, so the degree is an EU qualification while the residence permit covers Cyprus alone.

Is an African bachelor’s accepted?

Yes, and the three-year question has a plain answer. Three-year African bachelor's degrees are accepted: the requirement is a degree awarded by an institution accredited in the country where it operates, or a qualification evaluated as equivalent by KYSATS, which recognises 3–4 year bachelor's degrees of 180–240 ECTS and three-year higher diplomas of 180 ECTS. No four-year or honours rule.

Your class of degree decides more than the number of years. Lower second class (2:2) is the mainstream floor at the private universities; selective programmes and the public universities expect an upper second (2:1) or 6.5 out of 10.

The universities say it in their own words. UCLan Cyprus asks for a Lower Second Class honours degree or equivalent, and does not say whether a three-year degree counts — confirm before paying an application fee. The University of Limassol accepts the same class, a US GPA of 3.0 or above, or 6.5 out of 10. European University Cyprus takes a bachelor’s from any accredited institution, and the Open University of Cyprus any three-year or four-year degree in a related field, with no minimum class published. Neapolis University Pafos assesses recognition case by case.

Budget for the paperwork: KYSATS (EUR 85.43 per application) where equivalence is asked for, an apostille on your certificates (yes), and two references from university teachers. No German-style APS check is involved (no).

How much a master’s costs in Cyprus

The public route is the cheapest accredited master’s on the island. The University of Cyprus and the Cyprus University of Technology charge €5,125 per programme — the whole degree, paid in three instalments, not a yearly rate. The Open University of Cyprus prices its English-taught master’s at €5,400–5,850 per programme.

Private fees run €6,237–14,220 per year, and how they are quoted matters. Most private universities price the whole 90-ECTS programme rather than one year, so do not multiply the headline figure. European University Cyprus quotes €6,237–8,910 per programme, Frederick University €9,000 per programme, UCLan Cyprus €9,500 per programme and the University of Nicosia €12,060–35,280 per programme. Philips University bills €11,500 per year — an annual rate.

Smaller lines sit around the tuition: €30–65 per semester at some universities, health cover at €120–300 per year and the permit at €70–140. Living costs are €700–1,000 per month, lowest in Nicosia at €600–650 per month. A public master’s plus Nicosia living is the cheapest realistic total; the full breakdown is on our cost of studying in Cyprus page.

English requirements for a master’s

The national reference floor is IELTS 6, a figure that comes from admissions intermediaries rather than an official text, and each university sets its own. The University of Cyprus, European University Cyprus and UCLan Cyprus ask 6.5 and AUB–Mediterraneo 7. The Cyprus University of Technology and the Open University of Cyprus accept 5.5, and Frederick University, Neapolis University Pafos, the University of Limassol and Philips University accept 5.

A medium-of-instruction letter replaces the test at the Cyprus University of Technology, the Open University of Cyprus and UCLan Cyprus, is judged case by case at Philips University, and is not accepted at the University of Cyprus, which also refuses certificates more than two years old. Immigration law sets no language condition, but the Migration Department does not accept UKVI IELTS certificates, so book the academic test. See studying in Cyprus without IELTS.

Universities to look at for a master’s

University of Cyprus, Nicosia, ranked #525 (QS 2027). A conventional master’s is €5,125 per programme, English-taught choice is limited to some programmes, and the bar is IELTS 6.5.

Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol, ranked 701–710 (QS 2027). The same public price of €5,125 per programme, IELTS 5.5, and a medium-of-instruction letter accepted.

Open University of Cyprus, Nicosia. 6 English-taught master’s at €5,400–5,850 per programme, taught at distance — check whether your programme carries a residence permit before planning a move.

European University Cyprus, Nicosia. €6,237–8,910 per programme with many English-taught programmes and IELTS 6.5. Its international share is 63 per cent.

Frederick University, Nicosia. €9,000 per programme at €100 per ECTS, with IELTS 5 — the lowest English bar among the larger private universities.

UCLan Cyprus, Larnaca. 18 English-taught master’s at €9,500 per programme after a bursary, IELTS 6.5, and a British degree structure.

University of Limassol, Limassol. 9 English-taught master’s at €8,250–12,430 per programme, IELTS 5, with distance options at the lower end of that range.

University of Nicosia, Nicosia, ranked 711–720 (QS 2027). Teaching is all in English at €12,060–35,280 per programme, the top of that range being an extended clinical programme.

Neapolis University Pafos, Paphos. The widest catalogue at 27 English-taught master’s and IELTS 5, but no master’s fee table is published — ask in writing. Full list on our universities in Cyprus page.

Scholarships for a master’s

Cyprus runs no national scholarship for international master’s students. The one scheme that funds a master’s here is Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters, and students from all nine of our origin countries are eligible. It covers full tuition plus €1,400 per month, for 12, 18 or 24 months (60, 90 or 120 ECTS); the scholarship runs for the full programme duration. You apply via-consortium, not to a Cypriot university, and you need no admission offer first (no). No more than 10 per cent of one project’s scholarships may go to applicants of a single nationality, so competition inside a large country group is severe. University money is thinner: UCLan Cyprus’s advertised master’s fee already includes a €1,000 bursary. More on scholarships in Cyprus.

How to apply for a master’s in Cyprus

1. Check the institution is licensed in the Republic of Cyprus and teaches your subject in English — the 12 recognised universities only.
2. Apostille your degree certificate and transcript, and order a KYSATS evaluation at KYSATS (EUR 85.43 per application) where equivalence is asked for.
3. Fix your deadline against the intake. University of Cyprus 31 March for September entry and 31 October for February entry (extended to 15 May for the 2026/27 admission, with visa-requiring applicants advised to file by 2 June); private universities late June and late October.
4. Sit an accepted English test, or request a medium-of-instruction letter where accepted. Avoid UKVI IELTS.
5. Apply direct: Direct to the institution; the University of Cyprus accepts applications only through its online postgraduate portal (applications.ucy.ac.cy/postgraduate_appl). Two references from university teachers are standard.
6. Accept the offer and pay what is due. Some private universities want about EUR 3,000 of tuition prepaid before submitting your immigration file.
7. Build the money and medical file: a bank balance of €5,000–7,000 per year set by your university, insurance, and the tests taken at home. Your university files the entry permit, and processing takes 4 to 13 weeks — see the Cyprus student visa requirements.
8. On arrival, register with the Migration Department within seven days.

After the master’s

A master’s is the level at which Cyprus opens a stay-back. The Job-search / entrepreneurship residence permit gives you 12 months after graduation to find work or start a business at your level of study, for a fee of €55. Bachelor’s graduates get nothing equivalent, so the master’s is what buys that extra year.

The doctoral route stays open: a Cypriot PhD runs 3 to 8 years at €4,000–6,500 per programme, can be done in English (yes), and pays assistantship stipends of €342–683 per month rather than a salary. It carries another 12 months of job-search time. See PhD study in Cyprus.