Erasmus Mundus Joint Master in International Law of Security, Peace and Sustainable Development (ILSPSD)

Benefits & funding

• EMJM scholarship: €1,400 per month for the full 24 months, plus exemption from tuition fees; the allowance is a contribution to travel, visa, installation and subsistence costs.
• 70 EMJM scholarships exist across the programme’s four intakes, with about 25% of them awarded in each intake.
• Scholarship places are budgeted by origin: 30 for EU member states and associated countries (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, North Macedonia, Türkiye, Serbia), 20 for non-associated third countries, 2 for IPA III countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro) and 18 for NDICI targeted regions 1, 3 and 5–11.
• One or more competitive ILSPSD tuition-fee-only scholarships go to selected applicants from the EMJM waiting list; holders of a partial waiver pay 50% of the listed fees.
• Health and accident insurance is included for every student, scholarship holder and self-funded alike.
• Self-funded route: €24,000 in total, €12,000 per year, the same figure for every nationality, payable in one, two, four, six or twelve instalments per year.
• Fees cover tuition only. Accommodation and travel between the partner universities are the student’s own cost.
• Partner universities run their own scholarship schemes, administered independently of the ILSPSD office.

Eligibility

• Open to applicants of every nationality; the programme states that people of all nationalities can apply for an EMJM scholarship.
• An undergraduate degree of at least 180 ECTS within the European Higher Education Area, or the equivalent converted with the formula the programme publishes.
• Scholarship applicants must already hold the degree at the deadline. Self-funded applicants can be admitted conditionally if they graduate by 31 August of their intake year.
• Leuphana LL.M. track: at least 60 ECTS in law. Leuphana M.A. track: at least 60 ECTS in law, political science, international relations or related social sciences such as European studies, war and security studies, sociology, political economics and human geography.
• Third-semester tracks add their own bars: Glasgow asks for a 2.1 Honours degree in law or a related field, Université libre de Bruxelles for an LLB or master’s worth at least 240 ECTS, Tartu for at least 60 ECTS in law. NOVA Lisboa adds no extra requirement.
• English at CEFR C1 for anyone who is not a native speaker and did not study in English: IELTS Academic 7.0, TOEFL iBT 95 (Home Edition accepted) or Cambridge C1 Advanced / C2 Proficiency, taken within the last two years. Duolingo is not accepted.
• Glasgow track applicants need IELTS 7.0 with no subset below 6.5. Université libre de Bruxelles track applicants must also show French at B2.
• Applicants who already hold a master’s degree may apply if they explain their motivation.
• Students who have held an EMJM scholarship before are not eligible for this one.
• Scholarship holders must complete at least two mobility periods at two consortium partners in different countries, each worth at least 30 ECTS.
• No age limit and no work-experience requirement are stated.

Application process

1. 1
   Check the entry requirements for both the Leuphana entry track (LL.M. or M.A.) and the third-semester university you want.
2. 2
   Rank your first, second and third choice of specialisation track.
3. 3
   Wait for the online application form, which opens on 1 October each year; one form covers both admission and the scholarship.
4. 4
   Prepare the documents: school leaving certificate, diploma and transcript (or a current transcript if still studying), a personal statement of ideally under 1,000 words, two reference letters dated within the last two years with at least one from an academic referee, a CV (Europass format with photo preferred), proof of English proficiency, and proof of French for the Brussels track.
5. 5
   Submit official documents in English or a consortium language — Estonian, French, German, Portuguese or Spanish. A translation needs the translator’s written confirmation that it is accurate, dated, signed and with contact details. The statement, references and CV must be in English.
6. 6
   Submit through Leuphana University of Lüneburg’s online application portal by 4 January for the scholarship round or 31 March for self-funded entry.
7. 7
   The Applications & Scholarship Selection Committee scores the file, and shortlisted scholarship candidates are interviewed in February or March.
8. 8
   Preliminary results follow in March or April, selected candidates’ data goes to the European Union in April, and final acceptances and rejections are sent in April or May.
9. 9
   Self-funded admits secure the place with a non-refundable €500 deposit by 31 May, which is deducted from the first tuition payment.

Program timeline

1. Online application form opens for the 2027–2029 intake

   Oct 1, 2026

2. Deadline for EMJM scholarship applications

   Jan 4, 2027

3. Interviews with shortlisted scholarship candidates (to be confirmed)

   February–March 2027

4. Deadline for self-funded applications

   Mar 31, 2027

5. Preliminary notification of scholarship results

   March–April 2027

6. Final acceptances and rejections sent to all applicants

   April–May 2027

7. €500 deposit due from self-funded admits

   May 31, 2027

8. September 2027

   Welcome and orientation weeks at Leuphana, with teaching from October

9. Second semester at IBEI Barcelona

   February–June 2028

10. Third semester in Glasgow, Brussels, Lisbon or Tartu

    September–December 2028

11. Dissertation research period

    January–August 2029

12. November 2029

    Graduation, on the second Saturday of November