Erasmus Mundus Scholarship for African Students

Below: exactly what it covers, who can apply from Africa, how the one-application-per-programme system works, and an honest look at your odds.

What is the Erasmus Mundus scholarship?

The Erasmus Mundus scholarship funds study on an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s (EMJM) — a single Master’s degree delivered jointly by a group of universities in different European countries. Instead of staying in one place, you spend time at two or more partner universities and graduate with a joint, double or multiple degree recognised across Europe.

A few things make it stand out among fully funded scholarships:

• It is the EU’s flagship Master’s scholarship, funded under the Erasmus+ programme.
• You study in two or more European countries on the same degree, which is rare and valued by employers.
• It is fully funded — tuition, a monthly living allowance, and travel and installation contributions. (The exact amounts are set centrally by the EU and change between intakes — confirm them in the current programme catalogue.)
• It is open to students worldwide, including all African countries — there are no country quotas to lock you out.
• You apply once per programme, directly to the programme consortium, through the official EU portal.

If you are weighing where in Europe to study overall, see our study in Europe guide for how countries compare on cost, language and visas — useful, because an Erasmus Mundus Master’s may move you between several of them.

Be realistic: this is highly competitive. Each Joint Master’s offers only a limited number of scholarships and draws applicants from around the world. A strong, specific application matters, and no one can guarantee you a place. Anyone who promises a “guaranteed” Erasmus Mundus award is a red flag.

What does the Erasmus Mundus scholarship cover?

It is a genuinely fully funded scholarship for the full length of the Master’s (typically one to two years). For scholarship holders, it generally covers:

The exact euro amounts are set centrally by the EU and can change between intakes, so we deliberately do not print a figure here that may be wrong. Always confirm the current allowance and travel amounts on the official programme page and the EU’s Erasmus+ catalogue before you apply.

Be realistic about the budget. The living allowance is a genuine, useful contribution — but living costs vary a lot between the European countries you will move through, and some are expensive. The scholarship is designed to make the Master’s affordable, not to leave you with large savings. Plan your personal budget on top of it, especially for the more expensive cities on your route.

What to check carefully: whether your specific programme charges any costs beyond what the scholarship covers, and exactly how the allowance is paid across the countries you study in. Programmes differ — read the financial details on the individual Joint Master’s page.

Who can apply from Africa?

This is the good news for African students: the Erasmus Mundus scholarship is open to applicants worldwide, including every African country. Unlike some scholarships (such as Stipendium Hungaricum), there are no bilateral-agreement country quotas that exclude particular nations. Students from Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, Egypt, Zimbabwe, Zambia and every other African country can apply.

Applicants from outside Europe are usually treated as non-European applicants, and most Joint Master’s reserve scholarships for exactly this group — which works in African applicants’ favour. (Applicant categories are defined in each call’s official rules — check them for the programme you want.)

To be a competitive applicant you generally need:

1. A completed (or soon-to-be-completed) bachelor’s degree in a relevant field — Erasmus Mundus is a Master’s scholarship, so a first degree is the entry point.
2. Strong academic results. Selection is competitive and consortia rank applicants, so good grades and a strong transcript matter.
3. English language proof — most Joint Master’s are taught in English and ask for IELTS or TOEFL, or a recognised alternative. Requirements vary by programme, so check each one.
4. A clear, specific motivation — a motivation letter, CV, and often academic references, tailored to that particular programme.
5. To meet each programme’s own entry rules. Every Joint Master’s sets its own admission requirements, so always read them on the individual programme page.

Note: APS does not apply here. APS is a German requirement for some nationalities only and is not part of the Erasmus Mundus application. Your qualifications are assessed by the programme consortium against its own admission rules.

Deadlines and timeline

Erasmus Mundus does not have one single deadline. Each Joint Master’s sets its own application deadline, and they differ from programme to programme.

• When applications open: most programmes open for the next academic year roughly in the autumn, for a start the following September/October.
• Typical deadline window: many programmes close between late autumn and early in the new year (often around December to February), but this varies widely.
• Results: selection decisions are usually communicated in spring, ahead of the autumn start.

Because deadlines are set per programme and shift each year, never rely on a date you read second-hand. Find the exact deadline on the official page of each Joint Master’s you want, and note them all — they will not be the same. If you are reading this between intakes, use the gap to finish your degree, sit your English test, and prepare strong documents. Our advisors track the current deadlines for the programmes you shortlist as part of the scholarship application service.

How to apply for the Erasmus Mundus scholarship

The application model is simpler than many scholarships in one respect — you apply once, directly to the programme — but you must apply to the right programme(s) and meet each one’s rules.

1. Find Joint Master’s that match you. Use the official Erasmus Mundus catalogue (on the EU’s Erasmus+ portal) to search Joint Master’s by subject. Shortlist a few that fit your background and goals.
2. Read each programme’s eligibility and deadline. Every Joint Master’s sets its own entry requirements, documents and deadline. Confirm you qualify and note the exact closing date for each.
3. Prepare your documents. Typically: your bachelor’s degree and transcripts, certified English translations where needed, English-language proof, a CV, a programme-specific motivation letter, references, and a passport copy (each programme lists exactly what it needs).
4. Apply directly to the programme(s), via the official channel. You apply to the consortium running the Joint Master’s (through the route given on its official page on the EU portal) — not to a central scholarship office. Applying to a scholarship usually happens within the same programme application; you indicate that you want to be considered for the scholarship.
5. Wait for selection. The consortium reviews applications, ranks candidates and selects scholarship holders. Decisions are usually shared in spring for an autumn start.

You can usually apply to more than one Joint Master’s to improve your chances — but check each programme’s rules, because some limit how many Erasmus Mundus applications or offers you may hold at once. Read the conditions before you submit several applications.

Programmes and subjects

Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s exist across a wide range of subjects — engineering and technology, computer science and data, natural and environmental sciences, health and life sciences, social sciences, business and economics, law, and the humanities, among many others. New programmes are added and others retire each year, so the list changes between intakes.

Each programme is run by a consortium of universities in different European countries, and your study route moves you between them. That international structure is one of the scholarship’s biggest draws — you graduate with experience of more than one European country and a degree recognised across the EU.

Because programmes and their host universities change, always browse the current official catalogue rather than an old list. For the wider picture of studying across Europe — costs, languages and visas in the countries an Erasmus Mundus route may take you through — see our study in Europe guide.

Tips for a strong application

It is highly competitive — here is how to give yourself the best honest chance:

• Choose programmes that genuinely fit. Consortia can tell a generic application from a focused one. Apply where your background clearly matches the subject.
• Write a programme-specific motivation letter. Say why this Joint Master’s, these universities and this route — not a generic “I want to study in Europe.”
• Apply to more than one programme (within each programme’s rules) to spread your chances — but keep each application tailored, not copy-pasted.
• Get certified translations and your English test done early. Missing or uncertified documents are a common, avoidable reason for rejection.
• Mind every separate deadline. Each programme closes on its own date; a missed deadline cannot be appealed.
• Don’t pay anyone for “guaranteed” selection. No one can guarantee an Erasmus Mundus award. A promise of one is a warning sign, not a service.

How we help

World Study helps African students apply for the Erasmus Mundus scholarship — shortlisting Joint Master’s that genuinely match your degree and goals, preparing clean documents and certified translations, sharpening your motivation letter for each programme, and tracking every separate deadline. We are honest about your odds: it is highly competitive, and we will tell you straight whether you are a realistic candidate and where your application is strongest.

If Erasmus Mundus is a long shot for your profile, we will point you to other fully funded scholarships you have a better chance of winning.

Talk to an advisor on WhatsApp or take the free 2-minute eligibility check → to see whether the Erasmus Mundus scholarship — or another scholarship in our scholarships hub — fits you.