You apply to the programme, usually in a window that falls between October and January for a course starting the following autumn — for many families that means preparing now for 2027/28 entry. Where a scholarship exists, official student-facing wording is that it covers participation costs (tuition and other mandatory programme fees) and contributes to travel, visa and a living allowance. A contribution is not a promise that every euro of housing, food, visas and proof of funds is paid for you.
What Erasmus Mundus actually is
The European Commission, through EACEA (the European Education and Culture Executive Agency), supports EMJM programmes. Admissions and scholarship ranking sit with the consortium, on that programme’s website — not on a single EU application form.
Hard wall: short Erasmus+ credit mobility (a semester or year abroad while enrolled in your home degree) is not the same thing as an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master. Different application route, different funding logic, different degree structure.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Who runs selection? | The consortium delivering that EMJM |
| Where do you apply? | Directly on the programme’s own site (with and without scholarship, as that site explains) |
| Typical window | Most programmes: between October and January for a start the following academic year |
| How many programmes? | 218 listed as “Projects” on the EACEA Erasmus Mundus Catalogue on 26 October 2026 (the list is updated; do not treat an older “220” figure as fixed) |
| Programme length | 1–2 academic years: 60, 90 or 120 ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System credits) |
| Degree type | Joint degree and/or multiple degrees from consortium partners |
The name and the money are two different things
The EACEA catalogue states plainly that while many programmes offer Erasmus Mundus scholarships, some do not — because they are reaching the end of their funding period, or have temporary use of the name after funding ended. The catalogue proves the degree structure exists; this year’s scholarship count lives on the programme’s own pages.
What the scholarship covers vs what the family still pays (Table A)
Student-facing Erasmus+ text: scholarships cover participation costs and contribute to travel, visa and a living allowance. The Programme Guide describes the student scholarship as a contribution to travel, visa, installation and subsistence, calculated as a monthly unit cost (€1,400 × programme duration in months under current Guide rules — confirm on the live Guide and on your consortium’s scholarship page). Projects cannot charge tuition or other mandatory participation costs to EMJM scholarship holders. Consortia often include insurance inside participation costs for scholarship holders; check that programme.
| Cost / item | Usually covered by an EMJM scholarship? | Often remains a family / student cost | Verify on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition / participation costs (mandatory fees charged by the consortium) | Yes for scholarship holders — consortia must not charge these to EMJM scholars | Full participation costs if you are self-funded (amounts differ by programme and country category) | Programme “fees / participation / scholarship” page; Erasmus+ Programme Guide (EMJM funding rules) |
| Monthly living / subsistence contribution | Yes as part of the scholarship unit cost (Guide: €1,400/month × duration — paid according to consortium rules) | Rent and living costs above what the stipend stretches to in expensive cities; personal spending | Programme Guide; consortium scholarship FAQ |
| Travel / installation | Intended to be covered within the same scholarship contribution (not always a separate top-up cheque) | Extra trips, family travel, deposits larger than any advance the consortium offers | Programme Guide wording; consortium payment schedule |
| Visa / residence fees paid to authorities | Scholarship is meant to help cover visa-related costs as part of the contribution — not a separate unlimited visa grant | Application fees to consulates/municipalities; repeat trips; translation/legalisation | EACEA/networks Q&A practice notes; consulate; programme |
| Insurance | Often included in participation costs for scholars (programme-dependent) | Top-ups your home country or destination may still expect | Programme participation-cost list |
| Proof of funds / visa file timing | Not a substitute for consular proof-of-funds rules | If the scholarship decision arrives after you must file the visa, budget as if self-funded until the award is documented | Consulate checklist; programme offer timeline |
Self-funded places are real on many EMJMs: same joint structure, participation costs billed to the student. Fee-paying families should read the scholarship page and the self-funded fee page for the same intake before treating the brand as “free study.”
Application cycle toward 2027/28 intake (Table B)
There is no single EU-wide deadline. Official student guidance: in most cases apply between October and January for courses starting the following academic year. For autumn 2027 starts, that window is largely late 2026 – early 2027, but each consortium publishes its own open/close dates and result calendar.
| Step | Typical window | What the applicant does | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catalogue / shortlist | Ongoing; list updated annually | Search the EACEA Erasmus Mundus Catalogue; open each programme site (not only the project-results overview link) | EACEA catalogue (218 projects on 26 Oct 2026) |
| Programme application window | Usually Oct–Jan before autumn start; dates vary | Apply on that consortium’s portal; follow its document list and scholarship tick-box rules | Erasmus+ EMJM (students) page; each EMJM site |
| Example — GLOBE EMJM (3rd edition 2027–2029) | Stage 1: 28 September 2026 – 4 January 2027; Stage 2 docs for shortlisted applicants Jan–Feb 2027 | Illustrates a two-stage process inside the usual season — not a universal EU calendar | https://globe-master.eu/apply/ (fetched 26 Oct 2026) |
| Example — TELME EMJM (Cohort 2, entry September 2027) | 3 October 2026 (12:00 FR) – 10 January 2027 (12:00 FR) | Second verified example of a different close date in the same season | https://master-telme.fr/ (fetched 26 Oct 2026) |
| Scholarship vs self-funded track | Usually decided inside the same application | You do not send a separate form to the Commission; the consortium ranks scholars among admitted applicants. Confirm whether prior EMJM scholars are excluded (Programme Guide: prior EMJM scholarship holders are not eligible for another EMJM scholarship) | Programme Guide; programme scholarship page |
| Results / reserves | Varies (often late winter–spring) | Accept/decline on the consortium’s timetable; watch reserve-list rules | Each programme’s admissions calendar |
Starting the catalogue search after competitive programmes have closed is a common way to miss the 2027/28 intake entirely.
Who is eligible
Baseline on the official student page: a bachelor’s degree, or final-year bachelor status with graduation before the master’s starts; bachelor-equivalent learning may be accepted where nationally recognised. Subject fit, languages, experience and motivation weight are set per consortium. Nationality is generally open worldwide for EMJM scholarships, with consortium geographical-balance rules for awards (Guide: as a rule no more than 10% of scholarships over the project to one nationality, with stated exceptions for certain top-ups).
Common mistakes
- Treating the “Erasmus Mundus” brand as automatic full funding. The name describes a joint master’s structure. Scholarships are limited, competitive, and sometimes absent for that intake.
- Assuming one EU-wide deadline. Windows cluster in October–January, but GLOBE and TELME alone close on different January days — always read the programme site.
- Applying to one programme and assuming that covers unrelated consortia. Each EMJM is its own competition and portal.
- Ignoring eligibility rules (including a prior EMJM scholarship) until after months of prep. The Programme Guide bars a second EMJM scholarship if you already held one.
- Sending a generic motivation letter that ignores the mobility path and partner universities. Consortia score fit to their route, not to “Europe” in the abstract.
- Confusing Erasmus+ credit mobility with an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master. Different product, different funding, different application.
- Opening the catalogue after the programmes you wanted have closed. For 2027/28, the serious work is during the late-2026 / early-2027 windows.
Discuss a joint master’s application
EDMONT works on master’s applications in continental Europe, including joint programmes: which consortia a candidate is genuinely competitive for, whether funding is attached to the current intake, and how funding deadlines sit next to visas and proof of funds — without promising an award.
A preliminary review can map your file to consortia that still have funded places for the intake you are targeting — and to the self-funded path if they do not.
Frequently asked questions
Do you apply for the Erasmus Mundus scholarship separately?
No. You apply to the joint master’s programme; the consortium considers you for the scholarship as part of that process. The application goes to the programme’s website, not to the European Commission.
When do applications open for 2027/28?
In most cases between October and January for a start the following academic year. There is no single EU date — see Table B and each programme site (examples: GLOBE; TELME).
Is an Erasmus Mundus scholarship enough to live on?
It covers participation costs for scholars and contributes to travel, visa, installation and living costs under Guide rules. Housing in expensive cities, extra travel and consular proof-of-funds timing still need a family budget.
Can you apply to more than one Erasmus Mundus programme?
Often yes operationally, but consortia set their own rules, and scholarship geography rules apply at project level. Confirm limits on each site before you invest in six parallel files.
Does the degree require study in more than one country?
Yes. Joint delivery means mobility across consortium institutions — visa and residence planning differs from a single-country master’s.
Rules and catalogue counts change — recheck before you apply. The EDMONT editorial standards set out how we check facts, date material and correct errors.