Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters: Finding the Official Catalogue and Applying

Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters (EMJM) are high-level integrated study programmes run by international consortia of higher education institutions. The EU funds a limited number of scholarships per programme per call — most programmes admit self-funded students as well. Because each consortium runs its own call, the programme website is the authority for that year's requirements, not a generic blog summary.

Start from the catalogue, not a ranking

The European Commission catalogue lists every EMJM that is currently funded and links directly to the consortium website. Search by field and language, then shortlist 4-6 programmes where your degree, grades, and language match. Programmes in engineering, data, environmental science, public health and humanities can have very different entry rules even when offered by the same universities.

What a genuine EMJM call contains

• exact degree awarded and which institutions deliver which tracks
• scholarship coverage (which fees, travel, installation, subsistence are included and for how many months)
• entry requirements: degree, GPA scale explanation, prerequisites, language, references, CV format
• application window, portal, and how many programmes you may apply to
• assessment weightings and whether interview is used

Save the PDF of the call with its date. Calls are annual and change — reusing last year's numbers is the most common rejection reason.

Building a strong application

1. Prepare a transcripts package that includes a grading-scale explanation if your scale is not ECTS. Consortia reject candidates who upload transcripts without scale.
2. Adapt your motivation statement to the consortium's tracks. A generic statement about "studying in Europe" underperforms a paragraph linking your project to a specific lab and mobility track.
3. Secure two academic referees early and tell them the submission method — some portals require referees to upload directly.
4. Create one CV in the consortium's required format (often Europass or similar) and keep employment dates identical to transcripts.
5. Submit on the programme portal before its deadline, not the EU catalogue date. Save the submission confirmation and check the spam folder for verification requests.

Scholarship vs self-funded admission

A consortium usually selects a small ranked list for EU scholarships and maintains a main list and reserve list for admission. You can be offered admission without scholarship, or be placed on a reserve that converts if someone declines. Each consortium publishes how reserves are handled — do not assume a reserve equals a later automatic scholarship.

Common mistakes

• Paying an agent for a "guaranteed Erasmus scholarship" — consortia warn explicitly against this.
• Treating every programme as having identical duration, fees, and residence rules.
• Uploading a 10-page CV when the call asks for two pages.
• Missing the consortium deadline because you tracked only the EU catalogue deadline.

Caveats that matter

Scholarship numbers, participating programmes, deadlines and eligibility are call-specific. Some programmes require a separate national-visa step after selection, and some require proof of funds even for scholarship holders pending disbursement. Verify fees, residence documents, and visa instructions for the current call with the consortium and the host countries.

Official source

European Commission — EMJM catalogue and scholarship concept. Confirm track details, fees, and deadlines on the linked consortium site for the intake you apply to.

Frequently asked question

Q: Does the EU catalogue guarantee a scholarship if I am admitted? No. Admission and scholarship ranking are separate; only the consortium's ranked scholarship list receives the EU funding for that call.