Erasmus Mundus Scholarships 2027: Open Programmes, Deadlines, Tips

Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters are master's degrees run jointly by several universities, with a scholarship funded through Erasmus+ / EACEA. AfriWay currently lists four with open scholarship rounds for the 2027 intake, all open to any nationality. Each pays tuition plus EUR 1,400 a month for up to 24 months. Their deadlines run from 1 December 2026 to 15 January 2027, so the order in which you prepare matters.

How an Erasmus Mundus scholarship works

The scholarship follows you for the length of the degree. For Erasmus Mundus Master's in Public Policy (Mundus MAPP) 2027-2029, the monthly EUR 1,400 adds up to a maximum of 33,600 euros over 24 months. Tuition is paid too. Mundus MAPP grants a full tuition-fee waiver, while the two programmes coordinated by IHE Delft pay what they call participation costs: tuition, library and laboratory costs, full insurance coverage and other mandatory costs.

Treat the allowance as your entire living budget, not pocket money. The Flood Risk Management consortium says it covers subsistence, accommodation, travel and installation, and EMABG lists food, accommodation, travel costs and visa.

Some costs sit outside the package. Mundus MAPP names three that students pay themselves: the study visit in the first year, the winter school in the second year, and travel and visa costs between your home country and the consortium countries, including the move to your second-year university. EMABG asks scholarship holders to pre-finance their travel to the first university, pays the allowance into a European bank account only after arrival, and leaves accommodation during the welcome course, summer school and graduation event to the student.

So arrive with savings. Under the EMABG rules, the flight and the visa are paid before the first allowance reaches you.

Awards are scarce. EMABG has around 15 scholarships per intake, and Mundus MAPP warns that only a small number of top candidates receive one.

Four open programmes, in deadline order

• 1 December 2026: Erasmus Mundus Master's in Public Policy (Mundus MAPP) 2027-2029
• 3 January 2027, 23:59 CET: Erasmus Mundus Joint Master in Flood Risk Management 2027
• 3 January 2027, 23:59 Dutch time: Erasmus Mundus Joint Master in Groundwater and Global Change 2027
• 15 January 2027: Erasmus Mundus Joint Master in Animal Biodiversity and Genomics 2027

Erasmus Mundus Master's in Public Policy (Mundus MAPP) 2027-2029 closes first. It is a degree in public policy and governance run by the Mundus MAPP Consortium, and 1 December 2026 is the only date that counts if you want financial aid.

Erasmus Mundus Joint Master in Flood Risk Management 2027 is coordinated by IHE Delft and includes study periods in Germany, the Netherlands and Spain. It covers environment, climate and engineering.

Erasmus Mundus Joint Master in Groundwater and Global Change 2027 shares that date, with the cut-off at 23:59 Dutch time. Its universities are in Portugal, the Netherlands and Germany, and the subject is groundwater and global change.

Erasmus Mundus Joint Master in Animal Biodiversity and Genomics 2027 closes last, on 15 January 2027. Applications go through the central office at BOKU, the round for this third intake opened on 15 September 2026, and the degree sits between the natural sciences and agriculture.

Who can apply from Africa

Nationality is not a barrier. EMABG, for example, welcomes applicants of any nationality, economic or social background who meet its admission requirements.

The split between partner and programme countries trips people up. The IHE Delft programmes sort applicants by nationality: their list of programme countries contains no African country, and every other country counts as a partner country. An African passport therefore puts you in the partner group, with the earlier deadline. GroundwatCh closes on 3 January 2027 for partner countries and on 7 February 2027 for programme countries, so ignore the February date unless you apply with a programme-country passport.

Hold a second nationality from a programme country? The IHE Delft programmes ask you to state which one you apply under and to upload both passports as one PDF.

Former Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters scholarship holders cannot receive a second award. Your degree must also fit. Mundus MAPP needs a bachelor's of at least three years, prefers the social sciences and does not accept bachelor's holders in the natural sciences or engineering. Flood Risk Management expects a subject such as civil or environmental engineering, geosciences or geography, and EMABG wants animal sciences, biology or a related field.

English language requirements

All four teach in English. They check it in different ways.

Mundus MAPP accepts several tests, including IELTS Academic with 7 or TOEFL iBT with 95, taken within two years of the application deadline. Late results are not accepted, so book your test early enough for the score to arrive before 1 December 2026. Citizens of a list of countries, many of them African, are exempt if their degree was taught entirely in English. Check that list before you pay for a test.

The IHE Delft programmes require adequate English for admission. Flood Risk Management leaves some room: if your results are not ready by 3 January 2027, you can upload them until 1 February 2027, then submit the application again and tell the programme by email.

EMABG has a rule written for African applicants. Your high-school certificate or BSc diploma counts as your language certificate. The English requirements for your country still decide which study tracks you may choose, and the programme page links to a list where you look up your country. Any partner university can still ask you to sit a test.

How to prepare a strong application

Work backwards from 1 December 2026. If Mundus MAPP is on your list, finish that file first, test score included, then turn to the January deadlines.

Both IHE Delft deadlines fall at 23:59 European time. Convert that to your own time zone and aim to submit before the end of December, because the last days of the year are a bad moment to chase a stamp or a signature.

Neither IHE Delft programme has a separate scholarship form. The online application asks how you will finance your studies, and you must select the Erasmus Mundus scholarship there. At Mundus MAPP, everyone who applies by 1 December 2026 is asked in the portal about scholarship interest.

EMABG publishes the most detailed checklist. Every file goes in as a PDF, and incomplete applications are not considered. Degree certificates and transcripts must be dated, signed and stamped, with any English translation merged into the same document. Add a certificate of residence in English issued less than a year before the deadline, a CV, a short letter naming your three preferred study tracks, two recommendation letters from different people and a video of one to two minutes on why you want to join.

Motivation carries real weight. Flood Risk Management asks five motivation questions and scores how specifically you refer to the programme, how clearly you describe your qualifications and goals, and whether your intended career fits the course. GroundwatCh gives the letter of motivation the same maximum score as your previous grade and university ranking together. Mundus MAPP wants an authentic, personal statement of purpose and says so in a note about AI-generated text.

Choose by degree, not by deadline. The IHE Delft committees score how relevant your previous studies are, and Mundus MAPP favours social science graduates.

Frequently asked questions

Does the scholarship pay for my flight from Africa?

Not as a separate ticket. Travel is part of what the monthly allowance is meant to cover, and EMABG asks you to pre-finance the trip to your first university.

Can I apply before my English test result arrives?

Not for Mundus MAPP. Flood Risk Management accepts results uploaded until 1 February 2027, and EMABG accepts the high-school certificate or BSc diploma of African applicants in place of a test.

When will I hear back?

Flood Risk Management informs scholarship applicants at the beginning of April 2027, and GroundwatCh in April 2027. Candidates on the reserve list can still receive a scholarship if a selected student withdraws.

What if I am admitted without a scholarship?

The IHE Delft programmes still give an academic place to applicants who meet the admission criteria, and you can join if you find other funding. Mundus MAPP also takes self-funded students, with later deadlines.