Erasmus Mundus: your gateway to studying in Europe!

What is Erasmus Mundus?

“Erasmus Mundus” is an educational cooperation and mobility initiative developed by the European Union to promote European higher education worldwide. In total, the program has produced over 14,000 Master’s students from all over the world and has created more than 130 Master’s programs with over 300 participating universities. In addition, the newly-developed joint doctoral program now boasts over 350 students.

Erasmus Mundus funds a number of scholarships for students and academics studying or teaching on Erasmus Mundus Master’s courses. Since 2010, fellowships have also been available for doctoral candidates following one of the joint doctorates. Scholarships cover participation costs, subsistence costs, and insurance for the duration of the study period. Many students also have the right to a contribution to travel costs. See the table below for a detailed breakdown.

What programs are offered?

Erasmus Mundus offers high-quality joint Master’s and doctoral programs that are coordinated by a consortium of European and possible third-country higher education institutions. The programs are offered in a wide range of subjects and specializations, including:

• Agriculture and veterinary studies
• Engineering, manufacture and construction
• Health and welfare
• Humanities and the arts
• Sciences, mathematics and computing
• Social sciences, business and law

For a full list of programs offered, visit: eacea.ec.europa.eu/erasmus_mundus/results_compendia/selected_pro…

Why should I apply?

Erasmus Mundus was founded with the intention of promoting European higher education worldwide, making Europe easily accessible for foreign students and with establishing a framework for exchange and dialogue between cultures. As such, Erasmus Mundus prepares its participants for life in a global, knowledge-based society.

Pursuing an Erasmus Mundus Master’s or doctoral program offers a unique opportunity to specialize in your field and earn joint degrees from more than one university whilst indulging yourself in several different cultures, learning various languages and being part of a new generation of globally-educated graduates. Not to mention that all of this could be free if you are awarded one of the generous scholarships!

Am I eligible?

The Erasmus Mundus Programme is open to students, doctoral candidates, teachers, researchers and university staff (academic and/or administrative) from any part of the world. All students at the Master’s or doctoral level who have obtained a first higher education degree or demonstrate a recognised equivalent level of learning according to national legislation and practices in the degree awarding countries are eligible to apply. Students applying for an Erasmus Mundus scholarship for a specific academic intake are not allowed to submit a scholarship application to more than three different programs. In addition, students who have previously been awarded an Erasmus Mundus Master’s or doctoral scholarship are not eligible to apply for an additional scholarship under this scheme. Selection criteria are unique to each program but in general, selection is based on a combination of academic merit, professional experience and enthusiasm for the subject.

How do I apply?

Look for the programs that are relevant to your field in the following list and go to their respective websites where application procedures and deadlines will be clearly outlined: eacea.ec.europa.eu/erasmus_mundus/results_compendia/selected_pro…

Remember that you can apply to a maximum of 3 programs, which is advisable since it will increase your chances of being accepted into one of them.

All programs commence in August/September and applications open sometime in the fall of the previous year. Generally, applications close around December or January and applicants are notified of selection decisions by early Spring. However, the application deadlines vary from program to program so it is advisable to keep those in mind for each individual application.