WHAT?
Is Erasmus Mundus Scholarship...
Erasmus Mundus is a social support and mobility programme for higher education that aims to improve the quality of European education and promote understanding between the people and culture of Europe through interaction with third countries -- states which are not part of the European Union.
The higher education programme is implemented through various Erasmus Mundus Consortiums (ECM) and awards Erasmus Mundus Scholarships to both non-EU and EU country students, enabling thousands to attend one of the Erasmus Mundus Joint Programmes at the masters or doctorate level. The consortium style of programme means that students complete a degree by studying in two different universities across Europe. The Erasmus programme offers full-time scholarships and fellowships that cover the living costs, tuition fees, travelling, and insurance costs of the students. Compensation varies depending upon duration and level of studies plus the nationality of the students. Scholarship amount for non-EU students is higher as compared to EU students.
Disciplines covered under Erasmus Mundus are Veterinary and Agriculture, Construction and Manufacturing, Engineering, Welfare and Health, Computing and Mathematics, Science, Business, Law, and Social Sciences.
WHERE?
Does The Scholarship Take You….
The Erasmus Mundus Scholarship is divided into two categories, the joint programmes and the partnerships, each of which takes students to different parts of the world.
- Erasmus Mundus Joint Programmes:
It includes integrated master’s courses [Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degrees - EMJMDs] or doctoral programme in two or more universities. For example, the Big Data Management and Analytics masters curriculum is jointly delivered by Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) in Belgium, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) in Spain, Technische Universität Berlin (TUB) in Germany, Technische Universiteit Eindhoven (TU/e) in the Netherlands and Université François Rabelais Tours (UFRT) in France, though the medium of instruction remains English.
Students at the master’s level can apply to a maximum of three different programmes. Both students and potential scholars should contact the relevant institution for more information on courses and application procedures. For example the Big Data Management and Analysis
- Erasmus Mundus Partnerships:
The partnerships’ aim is to promote institutional cooperation and mobility activities between Europe and higher education institutions in third countries. Under the programme, students can study at partner universities from non-EU countries in a range of disciplines at a range of academic levels.
WHO?
Is Eligible For Scholarship...
Only candidates who have applied to and have been accepted by an Erasmus Mundus Master’s Consortium (EMMC) in accordance with its specific students' application and selection criteria, are eligible for a scholarship.
Individuals interested in an Erasmus Mundus scholarship have to apply directly to a degree programme offered by university consortiums in one of two streams, Action 1 consortium or Action 2 partnership. The Action 1 option lets applicants apply to programmes in European countries, while the Action 2 involves studies in European institutions and higher education institutions in third countries. This scholarship has a very profile centric approach. It is not what you do during the application alone that matters, but your preparation for it in the past years is taken into account as well. There is no well-defined selection criteria and each programme has its own admission requirements. Students must check the admission requirements of the desired programme separately. Students should contact the Consortium offering the masters /doctoral programmes for more information.
WHEN?
Should You Be Applying...
The application round for courses starting in the academic year 2019 will start in the last quarter of 2018. Students are advised to check the website of the desired Erasmus Mundus Joint Programmes to check all necessary information such as the content of the course, structure, the scholarship amount, and selection procedures. Please keep in mind that deadlines vary depending on the programme, but usually fall between December and January each year.
Why?
Choose Erasmus Mundus Scholarship...
Erasmus Mundus is the best master's scholarship for various reasons. For a start, it is one of the few scholarships that are open to any citizenship in the world and cover the tuition fee, living costs, and health insurance.
Furthermore, the universities help the selected students in housing and visa-related matters. The important word to focus here is "universities", because you will be enrolled in anywhere from 2 to 4 universities during your 2 year master's programme. Besides offering the chance to study in several countries during a single degree, students can also get a chance to study in different regions of the world under the partnership programme. You can also benefit from free of charge language courses in all countries you visit.
HOW?
To Go About It...
Choosing a Programme
Be careful when choosing a programme. Firstly, shortlist the courses that interest you or are a good fit for you. Always keep your mind open and try to think out of the box. Your previous education or experience may differ than your selected programme. To collect information about a certain programme, it is recommended to visit its website and read everything carefully. Make sure if the programme meets your expectations or not.
Application
After shortlisting a few courses, devise a full workup plan on each of them. Look for the main courses, research areas, and which qualities are they looking for in prospective students. Also, carefully note down the buzzwords to later use them in your curriculum vitae and motivation letter.
Recommendation Letter
Think of the professionally recognised people who can recommend you to the university. People who know you in different capacities would be able to paint a more interesting personal and professional portrait. You can ask your advisor, professor, university mentor, supervisor etc, please remember that these people could be busy and it might take longer to get letters. So, adjust your schedule according to it.
Curriculum Vitae
If you are applying in more than one programme, you CVs should be specifically tailored for each of them. Always include some relevant courses from previous education and mention your extracurricular activities too as being active outside the classroom might make you stand out.
Motivation/Cover Letter
The motivation/cover letter is one of the most important pieces of documents you will be forwarding with your application, and one that could make or break your chances to win a scholarship. Please keep in mind the following DOs and DON’T’s for a professional looking motivation or cover letter.
DOs:
- Identify yourself. Think about why you are pursuing Erasmus Mundus
- State what qualities you can bring to the programme
- Explain why the programme you have chosen is the right one for you
- Highlight your strong points, your previous experience in education, interpersonal skills
- Make your Cover Letter positive and future oriented
- Demonstrate the fit between your background and the programme
- Tell in which way you distinguish yourself from others
- Make your motivation letter end on a strong and positive note
DON'Ts:
- Don’t let your motivation letter simply echo your CV
- Don’t be vague
- Don't be lengthy. Generally one page is sufficient
- Don’t use complex language constructions or flowery phrases
Interview
If you have been shortlisted for the interview, follow the START principle which includes Situation -Task –Action –Result. Check your previous degree courses, your research project, and research profiles. Think how it relates to your experience and background. Also, identify the attractive features of the programme you are applying. Contemplate your strengths and weaknesses and what can you bring to the programme. Provide them with the information they have not read in your application. In the end, write all of this down and come up with answers of all points.
Interview (Skype)
If you are preparing for a Skype interview, you must follow a few other things as well. Make sure that your Skype picture and username are both interview appropriate, if not please create a professional Skype account. Write down the main talking points in front of you to remind yourself everything you want to mention. Choose a quiet place and remove all the distractions behind you and keep it neutral. Avoid interruption by letting your family members know that you will be having an interview and ask them to not enter the room at any cost. Remove all other tabs on your computer and check the Skype audio properly and use earphones if possible.
There you have it. A complete lowdown on the Erasmus Munudus scholarship programme. Do you think we missed a point that should have been included? Please let us know of it with your comments or offer a general advice by writing to mail@academiamag.com.
