Status: Open. Applications for Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters courses starting in autumn 2027 are being accepted now. In most cases, you should submit your application between October and January for courses starting the following academic year, and each master’s programme publishes its own deadline within that window. This article explains the programme as the European Commission describes it on the official Erasmus+ website, including the full scholarships available for the best-ranked students.
An Erasmus Mundus Joint Master is a prestigious international master’s degree, jointly designed and delivered by a group of higher education institutions. It is not a degree at one university with a semester abroad: it involves at least three institutions from at least three different countries, with associated partners from the academic and non-academic world, and it typically includes periods of study, research, a traineeship, and thesis preparation and defence. Almost 50,000 students have taken part since 2004, according to the European Commission. For a student who wants to study in several European countries in one degree, and to graduate with a degree that is recognised across them, there is nothing else quite like it.
Summary
| Programme | Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters (EMJM) |
|---|---|
| Host region | Europe (and beyond) — study at several universities in different countries |
| Funded by | Erasmus+ programme of the European Union |
| Study level | Master’s degree, 1 to 2 academic years (60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits) |
| Funding | Full scholarships for the best-ranked students worldwide |
| Applications | Usually October to January for courses starting the following academic year |
| Status | Open for 2027 entry |
What the scholarship covers
Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters may offer full scholarships to the best-ranked students worldwide. According to the European Commission, the scholarships cover your participation costs and contribute to travel, a visa and a living allowance. That is the published description, and it is deliberately framed this way because the exact costs vary by programme and by the countries where you study. The participation costs are the fees charged by the consortium; the travel and living contributions help with the cost of moving between countries and living in them.
It is important to be clear about two things. First, the full scholarship is for the best-ranked students — not every student who is admitted to an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master receives one. Admission and the scholarship are connected but not the same: you can be admitted without a scholarship, and you would then need to fund the programme another way. Second, the amount is not a single figure published on the Erasmus+ page this article was checked against, so this article does not give a monthly amount. The programme you apply to will publish its own scholarship details, and those are the figures to use.
How the degree works
An Erasmus Mundus Joint Master is delivered by a consortium of at least three higher education institutions from at least three different countries. You study at more than one of them, and the programme typically includes study, research, a traineeship, and thesis preparation and defence. The degree you receive is either a joint degree — one single degree certificate issued on behalf of at least two higher education institutions — or multiple degrees, meaning at least two degree certificates issued by two higher education institutions in the consortium. You define the detail when you sign a study agreement with the programme at the start of your studies.
That structure is the main reason to apply, and it is also the main thing to think about before you apply. You will move countries during the degree, you will work in more than one academic culture, and you will be expected to adapt quickly. If that excites you, the programme is a good fit. If you would rather stay in one city for two years, a single-university master’s degree may suit you better, and you can still apply for other scholarships to fund it.
Who can apply
Students from all over the world are welcome to apply, according to the European Commission. You must have a bachelor’s degree (first degree), or be in your last year of bachelor studies, and you must graduate before the master’s programme starts. You may also apply if you can demonstrate a bachelor’s equivalent level of learning, officially recognised according to national legislation and practice in the degree-awarding country.
Beyond those general conditions, each master’s programme sets its own details: the list of participating universities, the entry requirements, and the steps of the application process, with and without a scholarship. That means there is no single Erasmus Mundus application form. You search the course catalogue, choose the programme or programmes that fit your background, and apply directly to the institution running your chosen programme. Each programme’s own website is the authority for its requirements, and you should read it before you apply.
When and how to apply
A new batch of selected Erasmus Mundus Masters is added to the list each year, and you can search the official course catalogue for details of the latest programmes on offer. In most cases, you should submit your application between October and January for courses starting the following academic year. For courses starting in autumn 2027, that means the window is open now, in October to January, and each programme’s own deadline falls inside it. Do not assume every programme closes in January: some close in December, some in January, and a few have different dates, so check the deadline of each programme you apply to.
Apply directly to the institution running your chosen programme, following its instructions. The Erasmus Mundus Association also offers resources for applicants, including course contacts, events with national volunteer representatives and stories from successful applicants, and those are worth reading before you submit. Your application will usually be judged on your academic record, your motivation and your fit with the programme, so prepare the documents the programme asks for — typically your transcripts, your degree or proof that you will graduate before the programme starts, language evidence and a motivation letter — and give yourself time to write a motivation letter that is specific to that programme, not a generic one used for every application.
Choosing a programme
The course catalogue is the place to start. It lists the Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters on offer, and each entry leads to the programme’s own website. When you compare programmes, look at the consortium — which universities, in which countries — the mobility pattern, meaning where you will study and in which order, the subject focus and the entry requirements. A programme in environmental science and a programme in data engineering are both Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters, but they lead in very different directions, and your application is stronger when the programme clearly follows from what you have already studied.
Because each programme is run by its own consortium, the experience will differ from one to another. Some programmes are more structured, some give you a choice of tracks. Read the study agreement and the mobility plan of any programme you are considering, and if something is unclear, contact the programme directly — the course catalogue and the programme’s own website are the places where its contact details are published.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Erasmus Mundus scholarship fully funded?
Full scholarships are available for the best-ranked students worldwide. They cover participation costs and contribute to travel, a visa and a living allowance, according to the European Commission. Not every admitted student receives a scholarship.
How long is an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master?
One to two academic years, worth 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits, depending on the programme.
Do I apply to Erasmus+ or to the university?
You apply directly to the institution running your chosen programme, following that programme’s own application process.
Can I apply in my final year of bachelor’s study?
Yes, if you graduate before the master’s programme starts.
When should I apply for 2027 entry?
In most cases, between October and January. Check the deadline of each programme you apply to, because each one sets its own date inside that window.
Official source
All programme, scholarship and deadline details in this article were checked against the official Erasmus+ website on 13 November 2026.
Official page: Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters (students) — Erasmus+
Last checked: 13 November 2026. Programme details and deadlines can change; the official Erasmus+ pages and each programme’s own website are the authority.