Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree Programme in Brain and Data Science
Frequently Asked Questions
How should I apply for an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master (EMJM) if I am from a Partner country, but am living in Europe?
Check if the 12-month residence rule applies to you:
Suppose you are a national from a Partner country and have carried out your main activity (studies, training or work) for more than 12 months over the last five years in one or several Program countries. In that case, you should apply as a Program country candidate. This 12-month rule does not apply to Partner country candidates with refugee status in a Program country. If you are a national from a Partner country and the 12-month residence rule does not apply to you, you should apply as a Partner country candidate.
What is the 12 months residence rule?
Students from partner countries who have carried out their main activity (studies, work, etc.) for more than a total of 12 months over the last five years in any of the program countries will be considered program country applicants according to the 12-months rule.
Must I study in two different countries during the NeuroData Program?
Yes. The programme covers the two years of your study, research, placement activities, thesis preparation and defence, in line with the requirement of the joint Master as defined by Erasmus Mundus. As part of these requirements, the joint Master comprises at least 2 study periods in 2 countries, which must differ from your country of residence. In the NeuroData programme, the first year is in Israel and the second year in Portugal, Netherlands, Italy or Finland.
I have two nationalities. Under which should I apply for an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master (EMJM)?
You have to choose under which nationality you want to apply.
What types of Batchelor's degree holders can apply to the program?
Students participating in the program must have obtained an undergraduate degree of at least 180 ECTS (equivalent to a three-year Batchelor degree) in brain sciences, life sciences, exact sciences (mathematics, physics, chemistry, engineering, computer sciences), psychology and cognitive sciences or equivalent.
What is the level of required English proficiency?
English proficiency is listed at https://www.neurodata-master.org/application-requirments
I don’t have the English language certificates required. Could I apply?
You can also apply with the certificate of your university in case all teaching was in English as mentioned in the application requirements. Please note that other statements or certificates proving your English proficiency will not be accepted. If you do supply an official international test, note that we must always be able to verify the test result from the test organisation’s database.
What is the time of validity of the English certificate that could be considered in the admission?
Most International English tests have a validity of two years. Exceptionally, English test validity within 2 years and 6 months will be considered (only for those certificates mentioned in the requirements).
Can I upload an academic or work letter of recommendation?
Yes, any of those letters are valid.
I will graduate soon, but for the moment, I don’t have a bachelor’s degree certificate yet. What do I upload for the University Diploma?
You can upload an official transcript of your grades. However, an official diploma must be submitted by the 15th of August to allow participation in the program.
Are there minimum grade requirements for admission for the scholarship?
As stated in the admission process, academic merit is an important part of the evaluation, but it is not the only one. Your overall curriculum, motivation and references are evaluated and will give us a global impression of your application.
I have both bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Can I upload both?
A bachelor’s degree is a must. The master’s is up to you. You can merge both degrees’ certificates in one pdf file if you want to. The same rule is applied to transcripts.
you still must fill out all sections using your bachelor’s degree information (name of the university, name of degree, /final result).
Can I send my application by email/post?
No. All applications must be submitted through our online Application Portal tools. Applications submitted via any other means will not be processed.
Can I apply to enrol in the program as a self-funded student even if I have not applied for an EMJM scholarship?
Yes, you can.
I already had an Erasmus Mundus/Erasmus+ scholarship in the past. Can I apply again for an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master (EMJM) scholarship?
If you received an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master (EMJM), Master Course (EMMC) or Joint Doctorate (EMJD) scholarship in the past, you could not apply for an EMJM scholarship.
If you previously received an Erasmus Mundus Action 2 Partnerships scholarship, you can apply for an EMJM scholarship.
If you previously received other types of grants, for example, the Erasmus+ Study grant or Traineeship grant, you can apply for an EMJM scholarship.
I can’t obtain my degree by the deadline for scholarships. Will the NeuroData Master also run the next year?
Yes, the NeuroData Master program will start every year.
What does the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master (EMJM) scholarship cover?
The EMJM scholarship covers the following:
the participation costs, including tuition fees and mandatory insurance coverage, a contribution to travel costs, and a monthly living allowance.
Will I receive an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master (EMJM) scholarship if I am on the reserve list?
The number of EMJM scholarships is limited, and the selection is very competitive. Good candidates, who are, however not selected for an EMJM scholarship, are placed on a reserve list in a ranked order. Depending on your rank on the reserve list, you might be offered an EMJM scholarship if one or several students on the main list reject the scholarship offer.
What type of document should I provide as proof of residence in the application?
You can provide these two types of documents:
1) The residence certificate that can be issued by a municipality according to normal registration rules;
2) In countries where a residence certificate is not possible to obtain, a certificate from the candidate’s place of work or study or training issued by the employer or institution is also sufficient.
We also wish to remind the applicants that the residence certification can be issued within 12 months before the submission deadline of the course. This means that you can obtain a document from a previous employer or place of study.
Must the document be certified or legalized? What is the difference?
Certification of original documents means original scanned copies with signatures and stamps of the university authorities issuing the documents. This is asked to be uploaded as a requirement.
Legalized documents are necessary only if translations or copies can’t be signed by the university. In that case, these documents must be legalized by an official public authority in your country or by a Public Notary.
In both cases, you must bring the original documents to be presented in the first week of the first semester.
Can I study part-time in an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master (EMJM)?
No. EMJMs are full-time higher education courses, and as such, they require the full-time participation of students.
What is the visa requirement of the program?
Participation in the program depends on the ability to obtain visas to the program countries (first year – Israel, second year Italy, Portugal, Finland, or the Netherlands) if required. Therefore, participants coming from countries that do not have diplomatic relations with the program countries will not be able to participate in the program. It is especially important since some countries do not have diplomatic relationships with Israel.
How can I obtain my visa to study in an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master (EMJM)?
The Coordinator of the course you will study will provide you with guidance and support when applying for a visa. However, you are entirely responsible for completing your visa request and obtaining it before your studies start. Detailed information will be provided together with the Admission Letter.
The NeurData Universities will assist students by rapidly providing the required University documents for visa application. As the procedure can be time-consuming and differs from country to country, it is best to start applying as soon as possible.
How long does the visa procedure take?
The duration of the visa procedure is variable, according to your home country. You should consider 3-4 months, and therefore, it is fundamental that you start the process as soon as you receive the letter of acceptance. Please note that you cannot join the program without a visa.
Will the universities help me with accommodation, and how much will it cost?
There will be support from each University to find on-campus or private accommodation.
How much do I pay for the housing?
The price will vary according to the type of accommodation you will be living in. The cost of the rent varies according to the city and whether you decide to share the flat with other students. You may want to consult a dedicated website (e.g.numbeo.com) to estimate the living costs city by city.
Will I have the opportunity to learn the local language (Hebrew, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Finnish)?
The NeuroData program Universities run courses for foreign students in their national language and will make an effort that NeuroData students will be able to take these courses if they wish.
Are there international student networks in the NeuroData program Universities?
Yes, there are. You may wish to contact them to get support and information.
Can I interrupt or postpone my Erasmus Mundus Joint Master (EMJM) studies?
If you need to temporarily interrupt your studies, you should immediately contact the Coordinator of your EMJM. Any interruption has to be approved by the Coordinator. They will be able to give you more information regarding the procedure.
If you have to temporarily leave the EMJM course for justified reasons, your scholarship may be put on hold for a certain period of time until you are again physically present and can actively continue pursuing the course activities.
Where can I find alternative sources of funding for my studies?
If you wish to study abroad or to do a traineeship abroad, the best is to contact the International Relations Office of your university and enquire about student mobility.
Can I work during my studies in an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree (EMJM)?
Erasmus+ scholarships are designed as full-time scholarships. As such, they should provide enough resources for students to be able to concentrate on their studies without the necessity of paid employment. The courses require intensive academic activity.
When attending an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree (EMJM), can I choose the countries where I want to study?
The countries where you can study are defined by the EMJM. The NeuroData program selection committee defines the mobility track while attempting to take the preferences in your application into consideration.
Do I need insurance when I attend an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master? Should I pay for it?
Mandatory insurance coverage is provided by the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master (EMJM) at least to the students who receive an EMJM scholarship.