Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degrees (EMJMD): How the Multi-University Degree Is Structured

A single master's, delivered by several universities

An Erasmus Mundus Joint Master is one integrated master's programme designed and run by an international partnership — a consortium — of higher education institutions in different countries. Instead of enrolling at a single university, you are admitted to one jointly governed programme whose curriculum is shared across the partners.

It is best understood as a degree format, not a scholarship. Erasmus Mundus programmes can be funded by competitive EU scholarships, but the structure described here — the consortium, the mobility, the joint curriculum — is what makes a master 'Erasmus Mundus', independent of whether any individual student is scholarship-funded.

• One programme, one admission, one integrated curriculum.
• Delivered jointly by partner universities in multiple countries.
• The funding (scholarship) is a separate matter from the degree structure.

The consortium: at least three universities, multiple countries

A Joint Master is built by a partnership of at least three higher education institutions from at least three different countries, of which at least two are EU Member States or countries associated to the programme. Additional educational and non-educational partners (research centres, companies) may join to add specialist expertise.

The partners jointly design admissions, the syllabus, assessment, and quality assurance, so the programme runs as one coherent course rather than separate courses stitched together. Each programme's own website lists its exact partner universities and where each part of the course takes place.

Built-in mobility between countries

Mobility is mandatory, not optional. The integrated curriculum requires you to study in at least two countries that are different from your country of residence at enrolment — typically a semester or year at one partner, then a move to another, sometimes with a thesis or internship phase at a third location.

This is the feature that most distinguishes an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master from a normal single-university master's: you physically relocate between partner countries on a defined schedule that every student on the cohort follows. The exact route and timing are fixed by each programme and published on its website.

• You study in at least two countries during the programme.
• The mobility track is a fixed schedule the whole cohort follows.
• Some programmes add a third location for thesis or internship work.

Credits and duration

Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters are full master's programmes measured in ECTS credits, generally totalling 60, 90, or 120 ECTS depending on the programme — roughly one to two academic years of full-time study.

Because the curriculum is integrated, credits earned at one partner flow into the single programme automatically; you are not transferring between separate degrees but progressing through one. The precise credit total and length are stated on each programme's official page — check there rather than assuming a standard duration.

What diploma you receive: joint or multiple

On graduation you receive one of two credential formats. A joint degree is a single certificate issued on behalf of at least two of the partner universities. Multiple degrees means you receive at least two separate national certificates, one from each of two or more partners in the consortium.

Which format a programme awards depends on what the partners' national laws allow — some countries do not yet permit a single jointly issued diploma, so those consortia award multiple degrees instead. The credential type is stated on each programme's website; confirm it there, as it affects how the qualification is later recognised.

• Joint degree = one shared certificate from the partners.
• Multiple degrees = separate national certificates from each partner.
• Which one you get is set by the programme and national law — check its page.