An EMJM involves at least three full partner HEIs from three different countries, of which at least two must be EU Member States or third countries associated to the Programme. The consortium will receive a grant agreement for a duration of 74 months to finance at least four editions of the Master programme, each lasting 1 to 2 academic years (60, 90, or 120 ECTS credits). Organisations in a consortium fall into one of three main categories:

Applicant/Coordinator – the higher education institution responsible for applying for and managing the project, as well as signing the grant agreement, managing the financial and legal aspects, and coordinating the master degree programme with the other organisations.

Partners – degree-awarding higher education institutions recognised by the relevant authorities, as well as any other organisation actively contributing to the preparation, implementation and evaluation of the EMJMD.

Associated partner – optional partners contributing to specific tasks or in specific roles supporting an EMJMD.

EMJM consortium agreements will have to be signed by all partner consortium members prior to the start of the applications by students and will have to cover all academic, operational, administrative, and financial aspects related to the implementation of the EMJM.

Participating organisations from EU Member States or third countries associated to the Programme need to have a valid Erasmus Charter for Higher Education.

Beyond the Standards for Quality Assurance of Joint Programmes, EMJMs put the emphasis on the following joint/common implementation procedures:

• Joint student admission requirements and application, selection, fee policy, monitoring, examination/performance evaluation rules/procedures;
• Joint programme design and integrated teaching/training activities including a jointly agreed language policy and a joint process for recognition of study periods within the consortium;
• Common services offered to students (e.g. language courses, visa support);
• Joint promotion and awareness-raising activities in order to ensure worldwide visibility of the programme as well as of the Erasmus Mundus scholarship scheme.
• The promotional strategy should include an integrated and comprehensive specific website (in English, as well as in the main teaching language(s) if different) providing all the necessary information about the programme for students and other relevant stakeholders such as future employers;
• Joint administrative and financial management by the consortium;
• Joint degrees are encouraged, if national legislation allows.
  

What are the funding rules?
The EMJM grant is calculated on the basis of the following three components:

• a contribution to the institutional costs for the implementation of the programme;
• a maximum number of student scholarships to be awarded throughout the duration of the agreement.
• a top-up intended to cover individual needs of students with disabilities

Contribution to the institutional costs of the EMJM
This takes the form of a unit cost per enrolled student and is intended to cover part of the costs linked to the implementation of the EMJM programme. The unit costs includes staff costs (teaching, travel), invited guest lecturers, promotion, dissemination, organisational costs (including full insurance coverage for the enrolled students, financial support to enrolled students with individual needs in case they are not covered by the top-up mechanism (see below), assistance with accommodation, and other student services), administrative costs, and all other costs necessary to implement a successful Master programme.
Selected projects cannot charge student application fees. Moreover, projects cannot charge tuition fees or other mandatory costs related to student participation in the course to Erasmus Mundus scholarship holders.

The maximum contribution to the institutional costs is: 750 Euros/month x DR x NRES
Where:
• DR = max. duration in months of the Master programme (i.e. 12, 18, 24 months)
• NRES = number of enrolled students (scholarship and non-scholarship holders) foreseen for the entire duration of the grant agreement.
Note that for the calculation of the grant, NRES will be capped at 100 (excluding top up scholarships for targeted regions of the world, if applicable).

Student scholarships
The scholarship will be a contribution to the costs incurred by the beneficiary students and shall cover travel, visa, installation and subsistence costs. It is calculated on the basis of a monthly unit cost for the entire period needed by the enrolled scholarship holder to complete the study programme (pro-rata of the actual number of days). This period covers study, research, placement activities, thesis preparation and defense, in line with the requirement of the joint Master. During this period, the scholarship can only be awarded in full, and to full-time students.

Calculation of the maximum scholarship per student:1 400 Euros/month x DS
Where DS = duration of the Master programme.

Calculation of the maximum EMJM scholarship amount for the duration of the grant agreement:1400 Euros/month x DR x NRS

Where DR = max. duration in months of the Master programme (i.e. 12, 18, 24 months) and NRS = number of scholarships foreseen for the entire duration of the grant agreement (maximum 60, excluding top up scholarships for targeted regions of the world, if applicable). 

Contribution (top up) to individual needs of students with disabilities

Contribution for individual needs are eligible if they fulfil the general eligibility conditions set in the grant agreement. They will be used for enrolled students (with or without scholarship) with disabilities (e.g. long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments), such as those related to the acquisition of special items or services (e.g. assistance by third persons, adaptation of work environment, additional travel/transportation costs). For more details on the top up support and additional funds check here.

The applicants may apply for additional funds for students from third countries not associated to the Programme from the following regions: Regions 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 (check each region here) financed by the EU’s external action instruments.
EMJMs proposed for funding may receive up to 27 additional scholarships (including the corresponding institutional costs) funded by the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation – Global Europe Instrument (NDICI), and up to 3 additional scholarships (including the corresponding institutional costs) funded by the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA III) for the entire duration of the Master course.  

These additional scholarships are offered to respond to the external action priorities of the EU with regard to higher education and take into consideration the different levels of economic and social development in the relevant third countries not associated to the Programme. Further information on the amounts available under each budgetary envelope will be published on the Funding and Tender Opportunities Portal (FTOP). The funds will have to be used in a geographically balanced way and institutions are encouraged to recruit students in the poorest and least developed third countries not associated to the Programme.

At system level

• Foster academic cooperation within the EHEA and beyond by supporting joint teaching and qualifications, quality improvements, promotion of academic excellence;
• Enhance the international dimension of higher education through cooperation between institutions in Europe and abroad, and through mobility for the best students worldwide;
• Increase the synergies between higher education, innovation and research;
• Remove barriers to learning, improving access to high quality and innovation-driven education and making it easier for learners to move between countries;
• Respond to societal and labour market needs;
• Contribute to the development of innovative education policies.
  

At institutional level

• Provide European and non-European HEIs with more opportunities for structured and sustainable academic cooperation worldwide;
• Improve the quality of programmes at Master level and supervision arrangements;
• Increase the internationalisation and competitiveness of participating organisations;
• Support the creation of new networks and enhance the quality of existing ones;
• Increase the attractiveness of the participating organisation(s) towards talented students;
• Contribute to the internationalisation policies of HEIs by developing international awareness through their curricula and the design of comprehensive internationalisation strategies (institutional cooperation and cross-border mobility of people).

At individual level

• Improve the employability of participating students,
• Improve key competences and skills of students;
• Forge new mind-sets and approaches to academic studies through international, interdisciplinary, intersectoral and intercultural experience;
• Enhance networking and communication capacities of the students;
• Increase the individual contribution to the knowledge-based economy and society.

Higher Education Institutions and organisations active in the field of higher education have to apply centrally to the Education and Culture Executive Agency in accordance with the application conditions and timetable defined in the Programme Guide and the relevant Call for Proposals.

There must be one coordinating/applicant institution that submits the application on behalf of the consortium/partnership/network of participating organisations. Applicants must be located in an eligible applicant country as defined in the Programme Guide.

Organisations seeking further information on the process can contact National Erasmus+ Office in Armenia or the Education and Culture Executive Agency in Brussels.