MAiSI is a full-time, two-year Erasmus Mundus Joint Master of Arts in Sports Ethics and Integrity, funded by the European Union.
Five universities run it together: KU Leuven in Belgium, Charles University in Prague, Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, and the University of the Peloponnese in Greece. Students move between them over four semesters and attend a summer school at Olympia.
Teaching covers sport ethics, anti-doping policy, Olympic studies, sports law and governance, and research methods, ending in a master’s thesis. Graduates work in integrity and compliance roles at bodies such as the International Olympic Committee, the International Paralympic Committee and national anti-doping agencies, or move on to doctoral research.
Benefits & funding
- A joint Master of Arts degree carrying the signatures of all five partner universities, worth 120 ECTS (30 per semester).
- Erasmus Mundus scholarship: EUR 1,400 per month for the duration of the programme, plus exemption from tuition at the partner universities.
- Full tuition waivers run as a separate application track, opening 8 October and closing 1 March.
- Self-funded places cost EUR 6,000 in total for applicants with EEA nationality and EUR 12,000 for applicants with non-EEA nationality, covering the whole two years.
- IOC Olympic Solidarity scholarships are open to Olympians endorsed by their National Olympic Committee.
- Partner-university awards include KU Leuven Erasmus+ mobility grants, the Deutschlandstipendium in Mainz (about EUR 300 per month for one year) and John S. Latsis Foundation scholarships at the University of the Peloponnese.
- Accommodation, travel and living costs sit outside tuition and are paid from the stipend or from own funds.
Eligibility
- An academic bachelor’s degree in any discipline, completed by the application date; backgrounds cited as relevant include business, management, disability studies, ethics, governance, history, law, philosophy, social sciences, and sports and exercise sciences.
- Proof of at least 12 months of substantial engagement with sport, through employment in a sports organisation, coaching, an internship, or an elite athlete career; holding a master’s degree does not replace this requirement.
- English proficiency: IELTS Academic 6.5 overall with 5.5 per component, TOEFL iBT 80 with 19 per component, or Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency at 176 or above. The test is waived for applicants whose previous diploma was taught in English in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK or the USA.
- Two letters of recommendation, at least one of them academic.
- Open to all nationalities. Nationality decides the tuition rate (EEA or non-EEA) and which deadline applies, not the right to apply.
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Application process
- 1Applications open on 8 October for the following intake.
- 2MAiSI applicants are exempt from the application fee; under “Proof of payment”, upload the document confirming the exemption.
- 3Submit the official application through the KU Leuven Admissions Office with degree documents, the English test result and two recommendation letters.
- 4Apply by the deadline for your route: 1 February for an Erasmus Mundus scholarship, 1 March for a full tuition waiver, 1 April for non-EEA self-funded applicants, 1 July for EEA self-funded applicants.
- 5Shortlisted candidates are interviewed online from March.
- 6Erasmus Mundus scholarships and full tuition waivers are awarded on 1 May; admissions for the IOC scholarship and self-funded routes are awarded by 1 August.
Program timeline
Applications open
8 October
Erasmus Mundus scholarship deadline
1 February
Full tuition waiver deadline
1 March
Online interviews begin
March
Deadline for non-EEA self-funded applicants
1 April
Erasmus Mundus scholarships and full tuition waivers awarded
1 May
Deadline for EEA self-funded applicants
1 July
IOC scholarship and self-funded admissions awarded at the latest
1 August
Semester 1 starts at KU Leuven
September