European Master in Linguistic Data Science — Master's Scholarship

The European Master in Linguistic Data Science (EMLDS) is a two-year Erasmus Mundus joint master taught entirely in English. It is coordinated by Universidade NOVA de Lisboa and run together with Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan and the University of Zaragoza.

Students move between the three universities over four semesters and 120 ECTS, and graduate with a joint degree awarded by the consortium.

The subject sits where linguistics meets computer science and data science: language models, corpus and lexicographic data, speech and text processing, machine learning. Each cohort takes 25 students, and the 15 highest-ranked applicants receive an EMJM scholarship.

Benefits & funding

EMJM scholarship of €1,400 per month for 24 months, meant to cover travel, visa, installation and living costs.
Scholarship holders pay no tuition: the €4,500 per semester participation cost is covered for them.
Insurance under EACEA rules from arrival in Portugal or Italy, plus diploma fees.
15 scholarships per cohort, awarded strictly by ranking.
Self-funded students pay €18,000 for the four semesters, in instalments; travel, accommodation, living costs, travel documents, textbooks and excursions stay with the student.

Eligibility

Open to applicants of any nationality, with no age limit.
A bachelor’s degree of at least 180 ECTS from a recognised institution, held by the application deadline; no particular subject is required.
English at CEFR B2.2 or equivalent — TOEFL 94, IELTS 6.5, or a Duolingo English Test score of 125 taken within two years of the deadline.
Native English speakers and graduates of fully English-taught degrees skip the test; the latter supply a Medium of Instruction certificate from their university.
No more than 10% of a cohort’s scholarships may go to applicants of the same nationality.
A former EMJM scholarship holder may still apply, but only as a self-funded student.

Can you apply?

Here's who can apply

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Education required
Bachelor

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Application process

1
Prepare the bachelor’s diploma and transcript in English, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, French or German, each with its grading scale and a conversion to a 0–100 scale.
2
Write a motivation letter of at most 500 words in English covering career goals, research interests and the study pathway you want.
3
Gather an English CV, two scanned recommendation letters, the English proficiency certificate and a valid passport or identity card.
4
Submit through the online application portal before the call closes; there is no application fee.
5
Attend an interview if the Joint Admissions Committee asks for one.
6
Sign the Student Agreement once admitted; scholarship payments follow within 15 days of signature.

Program timeline

Applications closed for the 2026–2028 cohort.
Jan 30, 2026
The 2026–2028 cohort starts, with induction days on 7–9 September.
Sep 7, 2026
That cohort moves to Zaragoza for the second semester.
Feb 8, 2027
call opening, closing, interviews and results are still to be announced.
2027–2029 cohort