Erasmus Mundus, explained

How to read this chapter. Statements marked Official summarise European Commission or EACEA material. Statements marked Common practice describe what many programme pages say, based on the programmes researched for this site; your programme may differ. Everything else is general guidance. Rules change between calls, so confirm the current version before relying on any detail.

The pathway at a glance

1. 1

   Official catalogue

   Find programmes currently listed by EACEA

   ›
2. 2

   Programme selection

   Shortlist programmes that fit your goals

   ›
3. 3

   Eligibility check

   Read each programme's own entry rules

   ›
4. 4

   Document preparation

   Transcripts, CV, letters, tests, extras

   ›
5. 5

   Application submission

   Apply directly to each consortium's portal

   ›
6. 6

   Admission and scholarship decisions

   Often two separate outcomes

   ›
7. 7

   Enrolment

   Accept, sign the student agreement, arrange visas

1. What an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master is

An Erasmus Mundus Joint Master (EMJM) is a single, integrated master's programme designed and delivered by a consortium: a group of higher education institutions in different countries, often with associated partners such as companies, research centres or universities outside Europe. The European Union selects consortia through competitive calls and funds them for a fixed period, which includes money for student scholarships.

Official: EACEA publishes the Erasmus Mundus Catalogue (opens in a new tab) of running programmes. Students apply directly to the consortium, not to the European Commission (EMJM presentation, EACEA (opens in a new tab)).

What this means for you: there is no central application form, no single deadline and no single set of entry requirements. You are applying to up to dozens of independent selection processes that share a brand and some EU rules.

2. How it differs from a conventional master's

The practical differences: you move country during the programme, you deal with more than one university administration, and your residence permits, insurance and housing are planned more than once.

3. How the consortium operates

A consortium agrees a common curriculum, a joint selection process, shared quality rules and a student agreement that every enrolled student signs. One institution is the coordinator: it usually manages the application portal, the scholarship payments and communication with EACEA. Full partners deliver teaching and award degrees; associated partners may host internships, research projects or thesis supervision.

Practical implication: questions about eligibility, documents and deadlines go to the programme's own contact (often the coordinator's office), not to EACEA. When partner universities publish different dates or rules from the consortium site, ask the consortium which applies.

4. Why you study in several countries

Mobility is a defining feature, not an option. Official: an EMJM requires study periods in at least two countries, at least one of which is an EU Member State or a third country associated to the programme, with each period worth at least 30 ECTS (EACEA (opens in a new tab)). Some programmes add a third country, a field school, a summer school or an internship abroad.

Common practice: several programmes require that the study countries differ from your country of residence, and some fix the first-year university for everyone while letting you choose the second-year specialisation.

Plan for: moving at least once (budget for deposits and travel), different academic calendars, possibly different teaching languages by track, and a separate residence permit in each country.

5. Joint degree or multiple degrees

At graduation you receive either:

• a joint degree: one diploma issued on behalf of two or more universities; or
• a double or multiple degree: separate national degrees from each university where you studied, usually with a joint diploma supplement.

Both are recognised master's degrees. The difference matters mostly for recognition in your home country and for professions that check the awarding institution. The degree type can depend on your mobility track. Each profile on this site records it where an official source stated it.

6. Duration and ECTS credits

Official: programmes last one to two academic years and are worth 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits (EACEA (opens in a new tab)). One ECTS credit corresponds to roughly 25 to 30 hours of student work. Most programmes in our dataset are two years and 120 ECTS; a few are one year (60 ECTS) or 18 months (90 ECTS).

Why it matters: some employers and doctoral programmes in non-European systems expect a two-year master's, and some national recognition bodies check the credit total. Shorter programmes cost less in time but leave less room for an internship or a long thesis.

7. How Erasmus Mundus scholarships work

The EU funds each selected consortium for a fixed number of intakes. Part of that grant pays for scholarships that the consortium awards to the best-ranked applicants.

Official: for programmes selected from 2021 onwards, EACEA states that the old distinction between "Programme" and "Partner" countries no longer applies and all students receive the same scholarship (EACEA scholarships page (opens in a new tab)).

Common practice (check your programme):

• The monthly allowance most programmes publish is EUR 1,400 per month for the full duration, up to 24 months (for example, Bioceb gives a maximum of EUR 33,600, which is 24 months at EUR 1,400).
• No more than 10% of scholarships may go to students of the same nationality (stated by, among others, MATHS-DISC and EMLDS).
• Students who already held an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master scholarship are not eligible for another (stated by IMARC, MUrCS and Mundus Journalism, among others).
• Many consortia ask scholarship applicants for proof of residence issued within a recent period, because residence can affect eligibility under their rules.

Scholarship numbers are small: programmes in our dataset typically announce between 12 and 25 scholarships per intake.

8. What a scholarship may cover

Read your programme's scholarship page for the exact terms. Programme pages commonly describe these components:

• Participation costs: tuition and mandatory fees, often including full insurance. For example, EMAI's page lists tuition fees, travel and installation, subsistence, visa fees and insurance as covered.
• Monthly allowance for living costs (commonly EUR 1,400).
• Travel, installation or visa contributions, depending on the programme.

What usually is not covered: costs above the allowance in expensive cities, deposits and rent before the first payment arrives, and anything outside the programme period. Budget a cash buffer for the first month.

9. Scholarship funding is not admission

Admission (a place on the programme) and a scholarship (EU funding for that place) are related but separate outcomes in many programmes:

• You can be admitted with a scholarship, admitted without one (self-funded or with a partial waiver), placed on a reserve list for a scholarship, or not admitted.
• Several programmes run a scholarship round with an earlier deadline and a later self-funded round. Applying in the later round usually means you will not be considered for an EU scholarship.
• Some programmes offer their own fee waivers or partial grants in addition to EU scholarships.

Example: EU4M's official pages describe a 15 January deadline for EACEA scholarship applicants and 15 May for self-funded applicants, with notification of "acceptance with or without scholarship" at the end of March or beginning of April.

10. Who can apply

Official: EMJMs are open to students worldwide who hold a first higher education degree (bachelor's or equivalent), or can show a recognised equivalent level of learning, by the programme's start (European Commission, information for students (opens in a new tab)).

Each programme adds its own conditions: specific disciplines, credit minimums in subjects such as mathematics, a minimum grade, work experience, language levels, and sometimes a portfolio or test. The programme's rules decide your eligibility, not the general EU principle.

11. The bachelor's degree principle

You must hold a first-cycle degree (in Europe, usually 180 ECTS, three years) or its recognised equivalent by the date the programme sets. That date varies:

• some programmes require the degree by the application deadline (for example, EMLDS requires the official diploma at application);
• others accept final-year students and set a later cut-off, such as 31 July before a September start (GrEnFIn sets 23 July 2027), or different dates for EU and non-EU applicants (E-PiCo+ and DREAM use 31 July for non-European and 30 September for European graduates);
• some require more than 180 ECTS (EMLE asks for 240 ECTS; TERRA asks for 240 or 300 ECTS depending on the track).

12. Applying for admission versus applying for a scholarship

In most programmes you submit one application and tick or select whether you want to be considered for a scholarship. In others you complete an additional scholarship form (EMHRPP asks for a separate form uploaded with the application; without it you are treated as self-funding). Read the programme's application page closely for:

• whether the scholarship requires an earlier deadline;
• extra documents for scholarship applicants only (for example, residence proof, a portfolio, a motivation letter or reference letters);
• whether scholarship applicants are interviewed.

13. You apply directly to each consortium

Applications go through each programme's own system: a custom portal, a coordinating university's admissions platform (Studyinfo in Finland, DreamApply, e-candidat or eMundus, among others), or occasionally e-mail. Each has its own account, upload rules, file-size limits and referee process.

Practical tip: create a folder per programme containing that programme's version of each document, the screenshots of its requirements on the day you applied, and the submission confirmation.

14. Why eligibility, deadlines and requirements differ so much

Each consortium was designed separately, for a different discipline, by universities in different national systems with their own admission laws. That is why one programme accepts an English-taught degree as proof of English and another insists on a test taken in the last two years; why one wants two reference letters signed on letterhead and another wants referees to upload directly; and why deadlines in our dataset range from early December to spring.

Consequence: never copy requirements from one programme to another, and never rely on a general "Erasmus Mundus deadline".

15. Misconceptions and scams to avoid

Misconceptions

• "Being in the catalogue means the programme has scholarships." Not necessarily. Several programmes in our dataset report no Erasmus Mundus scholarships for their next intake (IMBRSea, emPLANT+ and Global-MINDS among them), or have paused intakes.
• "There is one Erasmus Mundus deadline." There is not. Each programme sets its own, and many have separate scholarship and self-funded deadlines.
• "A high grade guarantees a scholarship." Selection weighs several criteria (EPOG publishes 35% academic records, 30% languages, 15% background, 20% motivation and references). Strong applicants are often placed on reserve lists.
• "Erasmus Mundus is the same as Erasmus+ exchange." Exchange mobility is for students already enrolled at a home university. Erasmus Mundus is a full master's degree you apply to.

Scams

• No one can sell you an Erasmus Mundus scholarship, a "guaranteed admission" or a "priority slot". Selection is done by the consortium.
• Many programme pages in our dataset state that there is no application fee (HumanResponse, M3EP, GloFor and WAVES among them). Where a fee exists, it is published on the official site (Global-MINDS, which is self-funded from 2027, lists EUR 50). Never pay through a third-party link.
• Fake programme websites exist. WINTOUR's partner office reported a fake site in circulation. Reach the programme from the official catalogue (opens in a new tab) or the coordinating university's own domain.
• Scholarship blogs often copy last year's dates. Treat them as a starting point only.

Checklist

• ☐ I understand that I apply to each consortium separately, with its own rules and deadline.
• ☐ For each programme, I know whether scholarships are offered for my intake and whether the scholarship deadline is earlier.
• ☐ I know the date by which I must hold my bachelor's degree for each programme.
• ☐ I have reached each programme's website from the official catalogue or the coordinating university's domain.
• ☐ I have a budget for costs not covered by a scholarship, and a plan if I am admitted without one.