If you are interested in the Erasmus Mundus scholarship, this post is for you. Here, I will hold you by the hands and show you the correct steps to follow. In this post, I’m going to explain hot to apply and get Erasmus Mundus scholarship in a step-by-step and detailed manner. I understand it can be confusing when you are gathering information from different sources and not sure about the order of steps. I’ve put together all the necessary steps in this post to guide you from the very beginning to a complete application. This way, your application will be more effective, increasing your chances of getting the scholarship. If you are applying this year, I strongly suggest you keep reading this article. There is no age limit. You can apply as long as you meet all the necessary criteria.
How to Get Erasmus Mundus Scholarship
Before we get into this scholarship, I like you to understand the way many programmes rank applicants:
- Academic skills (this includes how good your English is, judged by the documents you have to submit);
- Your motivation letter;
- Your work experience and the letters recommending you.
All these parts together can score up to 100 points. They rank everyone by their final scores, from highest to lowest. They also make sure to consider ways to help students from less-advantaged groups have a fair chance to participate. That said, let’s go through how to apply and get Erasmus Mundus scholarship.
1. Evaluate Your CV and Transcripts
Let’s begin with the first step. So, even before visiting the website of the Erasmus Mundus programmes, you need to first evaluate the strengths of your CV and your academic transcript. This is the important thing to do before even looking at the programme’s website and picking a programme for yourself. You don’t want to choose the wrong programme because it can actually decrease your chances of being selected for this scholarship.
2. Choose a Programme for Yourself
The second step is to visit the Erasmus Mundus programme’s website and look through the course catalog. Here, you can pick the programme that suits you best and work on it. How many programmes can you choose? There’s no limit. I suggest picking as many programmes as you can for your Master’s with the Erasmus Mundus scholarship. This will boost your chances of getting selected.
So, you need to check out the Erasmus Mundus catalog on their website. In this catalog, you’ll find 195 programmes offered by Erasmus Mundus. But remember, some of these programmes might not come with funding. What do I mean by funding? For example, when you look at a programme, it will tell you about the funding’s start and end dates. This is something you should check before applying, especially if you’re looking for a scholarship. Otherwise, you might end up in a programme without a scholarship.
3. Check the Entry Requirements of the Programme
So, we are now going to talk about the 3rd step on how to get Erasmus Mundus scholarship. You are going to select a programme. For example, we are going to choose a Master’s Programme in Human Rights Policy and Practice. First, you have to be sure that you qualify for the programme. You just need to meet these requirements right here for this aforementioned programme we are using as an example:
- You should have a first degree that is equal to 180 credits or 180 ECTS. This degree must be from a university or college that is recognized internationally.
- You need at least 2 years of experience working in the human rights field. This can include jobs, internships, or volunteer work. You can find more details about this in the FAQ section.
- Your English language skills should be at least at the level of English B/English 6 from upper secondary education. Or, you should have a similar level in an internationally recognized English test, like TOEFL or IELTS. Each year, the University of Gothenburg might list other acceptable tests in their application call. For more information on this, check the FAQ and the application checklist.
4. Check the Selection Criteria of the Programme
For the selection process, the programme can require you to submit the following documents:
- An official transcript of your records in English.
- A motivation letter in English. It should be well-structured and clearly written. Make sure to use the form provided below.
- Your Curriculum Vitae (CV).
- Two letters of recommendation.
You can find more details about these in the application checklist. Note that this really depends on your specific programme but most programmes ask for these.
5. Check the English Language Requirements
You may have to meet two different sets of English criteria. The first is for admission to the programme which you will find on the university’s admission website. For visa requirements, you need to meet the criteria listed on the gov.uk website.
If your previous programme was in English, some universities may still require you to provide proof of English proficiency. You can always check the instructions on the university admissions website to be 100%.
So, the type of English test you need for a UK visa is usually IELTS or any valid English proficiency certificate. If part of the module includes a work placement, you will need a general student visa. A short-term study visa won’t work as it doesn’t allow any form of work.
I will highly recommend you to take IELTS even if the programme actually asks you for the language certificate from your institution, I will still recommend you to take IELTS because language proficiency also has some weightage. So I highly recommend you take IELTS and if you have GRE, that’s great because that will actually add more weightage as well than as compared to your colleagues. So this will increase your chances of selection as well. But if you do not have GRE, that’s totally fine, I won’t say take GRE just for Erasmus Mundus but if you have taken GRE already then I will recommend you to take it, um then I will recommend you to add it uh to your documents because that will actually increase your selection chances.
6. Apply for Erasmus Mundus Scholarship
Use the application checklist to ensure you have all the necessary documents for applying to the programme. You can find the checklist under ‘Checklist for application’. If you’re also applying for the Erasmus Mundus scholarship, you’ll find the information and form on the ‘Cost and scholarship’ page.
When you apply for the master’s programme, you’ll create an account at the university admissions and upload your documents there. Applying to an Erasmus Mundus programme means your personal data is also processed by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA).
The application for the programme and the scholarship are somewhat combined. To apply for the scholarship, you must submit the scholarship application form along with your programme application on the university admissions website. If you don’t submit the scholarship form, your application will be considered as if you’re funding yourself.
Note that a new batch of selected Erasmus Mundus Masters is added to the list every year. Usually, you should submit your application between October and January for courses that will start the following academic year.
Don’t worry; each master’s website has all the details about the course of study, the list of the participating universities, the entry requirements, and the application process for the Erasmus Mundus scholarship.
7. Take Note of the Important Dates
We are now on the 7th step. This tip will really help you to get Erasmus Mundus scholarship. A lot of students miss out simply because they failed to take note of the dates.
I recently mentioned that you should target your application between October and January. However, the deadline for some programmes is actually in December. So, get your dates right. Also, admission results are usually published around March of the next year. There’s also a Late Admission round from mid-December to January 31 of the new year—take note.
8. Get a Recommendation Letter from Your Professor
Our number 8 step will be about getting a recommendation letter that will help you apply and get Erasmus Mundus scholarship. You need to start gathering recommendation letters from your professors. This should be your initial focus because obtaining these letters can be time-consuming. While you have control over other documents, you can’t be sure if your professor will respond promptly. Therefore, the first thing to do is to request recommendation letters from your professors. You can reach out to as many professors as possible.
9. Get Your Proof of Residence
The next step involves your proof of residence, which is a common requirement for most programmes. This process can be time-consuming and is extremely important. If you don’t have reliable proof of residence, your application will be rejected. No matter how well you have done in other areas, without a valid proof of residence, your application won’t be considered. You can prove your residence in any of these methods:
- A residence certificate from your local municipality, in English or Spanish.
- A certificate from your work, school, or training place, issued by the employer or institution. If it’s not in English, you’ll need a certified English translation along with the original.
- A document from a notary confirming your place of residence, in English.
If you are not currently in your home country, you should give proof of residence from the country you are in now.
10. Work on Your Motivation Letter
The next step is to start working on your motivation letter. This takes time and needs to be proofread. It’s a bit more time-consuming compared to other tasks.
11. Gather the Required Documents
Now, you have all your documents. It’s time to gather them. Meanwhile, most programmes accept any type of CV format. If you have applied before, you typically need to resubmit all your documents. Some programmes may no longer require your Transcript of Records (ToR), diplomas, and any English test results that are still valid. The university admissions website will let you know how these documents will be sent.
Your work experience certificates, recommendation letters, motivation letters, and any other documents to show you are eligible must be in English. If they are in another language, you must provide an official translation along with the original document.
For some academic documents, you can submit them in languages other than English. So, just check the programme policy and you’re good to go
You usually are not allowed to email your documents directly to the school. The obvious reason is that they may not even read such an email. The right thing to do is upload all your documents directly on the admissions platform. However, if there are specific requirements for your country, you might need to do something different. Remember, all documents must be officially issued.
Conclusion
I understand that the procedure can be confusing, which is why I made this into steps to help you understand how the Erasmus Mundus scholarship application works. We have just covered all the steps you should follow to get Erasmus Mundus scholarship. Usually, the specific programme you choose will specifically give you what procedure to follow. Before you go, I like to share a few tips to help you improve your application and boost your chances of getting selected. First, don’t just focus on your motivation letter. Pay attention to every part of your application – the motivation letter, CV, and recommendation letters. Next, only choose programmes that are relevant to your field. If the programmes you are applying to don’t match your bachelor’s degree, your chances of getting selected can decrease significantly.
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