Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters (EMJM)
EU-funded master's programmes delivered by consortia of universities in at least three countries. You apply to the consortium, not to the EU — and that changes everything about how to plan.
Programme at a glance
- Scholarship
- Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters
- Provider
- European Commission, Erasmus+ programme (DG Education, Youth, Sport and Culture)
- Study level
- Master's
- Where you study
- Europe (multiple countries)
- Who it is for
- Students worldwide; each consortium sets its own academic entry requirements
- Application deadline
- Set individually by each consortium — there is no single EU-wide date
- Award details
- Full scholarship structure covering participation costs, travel and a monthly subsistence allowance
- Official application source
- erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu — official EMJM page (opens in a new tab)
- Last verified
Verify before you apply. Award values, closing dates and eligibility rules are set by the provider and change every cycle. ScholarBrief does not publish those figures. Treat the official page linked above as the only authority, and check it yourself before submitting anything.
What an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master is
An Erasmus Mundus Joint Master (EMJM) is an integrated master’s programme delivered jointly by a consortium of higher education institutions — at least three institutions from at least three different countries — usually with additional associated partners from industry, research or the public sector. Students study at more than one of them, with mandatory mobility between countries built into the structure rather than offered as an option.
Programmes run one to two academic years (60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits). Graduates receive either a genuine joint degree issued by the consortium or multiple degrees from the participating institutions, depending on what the national laws of the countries involved permit.
The programme is funded by the European Union through Erasmus+, and a defined number of full scholarships are attached to each course for the strongest applicants worldwide.
The structural fact that matters most
You apply to the consortium, not to the EU
There is no central Erasmus Mundus application, no single deadline, and no EU portal that processes candidates. Each consortium runs its own admissions: its own entry requirements, its own documents, its own selection committee and its own closing date. The European Commission publishes a catalogue of the funded courses; from there you go to each course’s own website and apply there.
This is the single most common misunderstanding about the scheme, and it produces a specific failure: students who find the catalogue in spring discover that the courses they wanted closed months earlier. Consortium deadlines cluster in the northern winter for entry the following autumn.
What the scholarship covers
An EMJM scholarship is a full package. Its components cover the course participation costs charged by the consortium, a contribution to travel and installation costs, and a monthly subsistence allowance for the duration of the programme. Rates are set at EU level and published in the Erasmus+ Programme Guide for each call; individual courses state what applies to their intake.
Note two things. First, scholarship numbers per course are small — a course may admit a full cohort while funding only a fraction of it, so admission and funding are separate outcomes. Second, several courses reserve or weight scholarships towards particular regions or target groups under the terms of their EU grant, which affects your realistic odds more than raw academic strength does.
How to approach it
- Search the official catalogue Use the EU’s Erasmus Mundus catalogue to find funded courses in your field. Do not rely on third-party lists, which include lapsed courses and courses that never held EMJM status.
- Read each consortium’s admission page in full Requirements vary sharply: some demand a specific undergraduate background, some require GRE-equivalent tests, most require proof of English at a stated level, several require a defined amount of prior professional exposure.
- Map the mobility before you commit You will move country at least once mid-degree. That means at least two immigration processes, two residence registrations, possibly two health insurance systems, and in some routes a visa that must be applied for from within Europe. Check what the consortium handles and what you handle.
- Apply to a small number, properly Most consortia allow you to apply to a limited number of EMJM courses in one cycle, and applying to more than allowed can invalidate all of them. Confirm the current limit in the call conditions.
- Prepare a genuinely tailored motivation letter Consortium committees are small, specialised and read every application in their own narrow field. A letter that could be sent to any programme is immediately identifiable.
- Track results and reserve lists Scholarship offers frequently move down reserve lists as candidates decline. Do not disengage after an initial rejection for funding if you are held in reserve.
What makes an applicant competitive
EMJM selection is more academically driven than the leadership-oriented government schemes. Consortia are choosing a cohort that can survive a demanding programme taught across several institutions and languages of instruction, so they weight: demonstrated preparation in the specific subject; evidence you can work independently in an unfamiliar system; and a clear reason why this consortium’s particular combination of institutions matches your goals.
That last point is the differentiator. A joint programme exists because the combination of partners offers something no single university does. If your motivation letter would read identically with a different consortium’s name pasted in, it is not answering the question the committee is asking.
Warnings
- No central application exists. Any website offering to submit an “Erasmus Mundus application” for you is not legitimate.
- Course lists change every call. A course funded in a previous round may not be funded now, and only the official catalogue is current.
- Check the application limit across EMJM courses in a single cycle before you submit anything.
- Admission and scholarship are separate decisions. Being admitted self-funded is a common outcome; know in advance whether you could accept it.
- Plan the second visa early. Mid-programme mobility is where administrative problems concentrate.
What to confirm officially
Start from the European Commission’s EMJM page (opens in a new tab), then each consortium’s own site for: the current deadline and time zone; entry requirements; how many scholarships this intake carries; the mobility route; and the application limit across courses.
Related: student visa basics and credential evaluation and document legalisation.