EMMIR Erasmus Mundus 2027-2029 — Fully Funded Migration Master's in Germany

Migration is studied in economics departments, law faculties and sociology institutes, usually separately. EMMIR treats it as one subject and moves the cohort across Europe, Africa and Asia to study it. The programme has just been refunded by the European Union for another five years, and Edition 14, starting in September 2027, is open for applications.

The deadline is 20 December 2026 at 23:59 Central European Time for anyone applying for a scholarship or a non-fee-paying place. Fee-paying applicants have until 15 July 2027, which is a different queue with different money.

WHAT THE SCHOLARSHIP COVERS

Erasmus Mundus scholarship holders receive EUR 1,400 a month for 24 months, and their health insurance, university registration and student service fees are covered. The participation cost, which is EUR 4,500 per semester for fee-paying students, does not fall on scholarship holders. What the stipend does not do is pay separately for travel: the programme states that mobility costs, including visas, vaccinations and residence permits, come out of the monthly allowance, with no extra travel or installation payment.

The non-fee-paying self-funded route is worth knowing about because it is the same selection pool and the same deadline. Those students pay no participation cost and have insurance and registration covered, but fund their own living and travel costs, and must prove the funds for a visa. It is a genuine middle option between a full scholarship and paying EUR 4,500 a semester.

WHO CAN APPLY

A first degree in a relevant field is required, with documented knowledge of migration studies, intercultural relations and empirical methods, and a final grade of at least C+ or the equivalent. English proficiency is required unless a listed waiver applies. The degree should generally be no more than five years old, and applicants who already hold a master's degree have to justify a second one in the statement of purpose.

Two rules eliminate people quietly. You must have completed your first degree by the 20 December 2026 deadline, with no exceptions, so a graduation ceremony in January does not help. And you cannot apply for an Erasmus Mundus scholarship if you have already held an Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters award.

Ask yourself: is my bachelor's degree actually conferred, not pending? Does my transcript show migration, social science methods or intercultural coursework? Is my final grade at C+ or above on the scale the committee will use? Do I have English evidence, or a documented waiver? Can I explain why a second master's is necessary if I already hold one?

Migration, humanitarian and development funding to read next: https://www.oeacnetwork.com/index.php?page=post&id=51

https://www.oeacnetwork.com/index.php?page=post&id=66

https://www.oeacnetwork.com/index.php?page=post&id=30

THE DEADLINE AND WHAT HAPPENS AFTER IT

20 December 2026 at 23:59 CET is the scholarship and non-fee-paying cut-off. Applications for fee-paying places stay open until 15 July 2027 subject to availability. The programme starts with orientation on 1 September 2027, so visa paperwork for a two-year multi-country mobility begins immediately after admission, and the earlier your file is in, the more room you have for that.

HOW TO APPLY, STEP BY STEP

Read the entry requirements and the application procedures page before registering, because the platform asks you to choose a funding route and that choice determines your queue. Prepare a CV, a statement of purpose, academic documents and certificates, and English evidence where required, with certified translations for anything not in English. Register on the application platform, complete every mandatory field, and upload the documents. Submit before 20 December 2026 and keep the confirmation email.

Materials checklist: bachelor's diploma and transcripts, grading scale explanation, English certificate or waiver evidence, CV, statement of purpose addressing your migration research interest, identity document, and certified translations. References are requested through the platform rather than uploaded as files, so check the format before you start.

TIPS THAT ACTUALLY MOVE THE NEEDLE

Use the statement of purpose to name a migration question, not a migration sentiment. The programme is interdisciplinary and the committee reads for evidence that you can handle empirical methods, so describe a dataset, a fieldwork experience or a policy puzzle you have already worked on.

Second, address the mobility honestly. Studying in Oldenburg, then Stavanger, then a partner institution in Europe, Africa or Asia is the core of the degree, and an applicant who explains how that sequence serves the research question reads as a better fit than one who lists countries. Third, if you are close to the 20 December date, submit the non-fee-paying route rather than missing the round entirely; you can still be considered for a scholarship in the same evaluation.

MISTAKES THAT GET APPLICATIONS DROPPED

Applying with a degree that is not yet conferred. The programme states there are no exceptions.

Choosing the fee-paying route by accident and losing scholarship consideration.

Leaving certified translations until December. They take weeks in most countries.

Writing a statement of purpose about wanting to help migrants without any methodological content.

Applying for a scholarship having already held an Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters award.

If your degree is older than five years or in a neighbouring discipline, the statement of purpose has to carry that explanation, and a second reader helps. Bring your draft to an OEAC advisor before December rather than after.

Official application procedures page: https://www.emmir.org/application-procedures

Source - EMMIR costs and funding, Erasmus+ scholarship terms: https://www.emmir.org/cost-and-funding

Last updated: 20 October 2026