European Politics and Society – Václav Havel Joint Master Programme

European Politics and Society – Václav Havel Joint Master Programme is a two-year, 120 ECTS Erasmus Mundus joint master’s degree. It covers European politics, contemporary history and culture, economy, international relations and policymaking, with a stated focus on challenges such as migration, security and populism.

The consortium is coordinated by the Faculty of Social Sciences at Charles University in Prague, together with Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Leiden University and Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona. Everyone starts in Prague, moves to Leiden or Krakow for the second semester, then spends the second year at one of the four partners — it must be a different university from the second-semester one.

Students choose one of four strands: Transformation and Development in Contemporary Europe (Prague), Policymaking in the EU (Barcelona), Central and Eastern Europe and International Relations (Krakow), or Europe in the International Environment (Leiden). Teaching and assessment run entirely in English. An internship and a master’s thesis lead to the EPS joint diploma.

Benefits & funding

Erasmus Mundus scholarship covers tuition in full: worth €11,000 (€2,750 per semester) for students in the Programme Country bracket and €18,000 (€4,500 per semester) for the Partner Country bracket.
Living allowance of €1,400 per month, €33,600 across the 24 months.
Insurance scheme, the extracurricular programme, and assistance with visa procedures.
More than 50 scholarships will be awarded over the 2026–2031 funding period.
Self-paying route: €2,750 per semester for EU/EEA students, €4,500 per semester for non-EU/EEA students. There is no application fee.
EPS Excellence and Leadership Award: a second-year tuition reduction for self-paying students, based on first-year results and contribution to the community.
Erasmus+ exchange grants are available for one semester of third-semester mobility to partner universities; amounts vary by destination and funding is not guaranteed.
The Oxford Spring School is partly funded by the consortium; other extracurricular costs are paid by students.

Eligibility

Open to applicants of any nationality, and there is no age limit.
A Bachelor’s degree in a relevant subject area.
Non-native English speakers must show C1 English — CAE, IELTS 7.0 or TOEFL 95 — or a university-issued confirmation of the required level.
Scholarship applicants must not have previously received an Erasmus Mundus joint master, Erasmus Mundus Master Course or Joint Doctorate scholarship.
Scholarship bracket: Programme Country applies to nationals of an Erasmus+ Programme Country, and to anyone ordinarily resident there or whose main activity (studies, training or work) was there for more than 12 months in the last five years; everyone else falls in the Partner Country bracket.
The programme is conducted and assessed in English throughout, with one obligatory language course in the second semester.

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Bachelor

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Application process

1
Confirm you hold a relevant Bachelor’s degree and can evidence C1 English, then decide which strand and mobility route you want.
2
Assemble the documents: translated diploma, a second diploma (Bachelor’s or high school), passport copy, proof of residence issued within the last 12 months, translated transcripts, CV, motivation letter, two letters of recommendation, and the English certificate.
3
Write the motivation letter to the required format — Calibri 11, 1.5 line spacing, 2.5 cm margins, 1 to 1.5 pages.
4
Submit the online application through Charles University’s information system once the window opens on 1 November. There is no application fee.
5
Complete the supplementary questionnaire, stating your interest in EPS, your study strand, and your destination preferences for the second semester and the second year.
6
Apply by the late-February deadline to be considered automatically for the Erasmus Mundus scholarship; applications from 1 March to 30 April are for self-paying candidates only.
7
If you disagree with the Selection Committee’s decision, you may appeal in writing to the EPS Programme Board within two weeks, and the Board re-assesses the evaluation.

Program timeline

admission window opens for the following academic year.
1 November
Late February
deadline after which applications are no longer considered for the Erasmus Mundus scholarship (the 2026 round closed on 28 February 2026).
second window, for self-paying applicants only.
1 March to 30 April
extended final deadline for self-paying applicants to the 2026–2028 intake.
Aug 30, 2026
enrolment at Charles University.
Mid-September
First Monday of October
teaching starts in Prague; the semester runs to the second Friday of January, with exams from mid-January to mid-February.
Brussels field trip.
November
three-day Barcelona research seminar.
January of the second year
Oxford Spring School for selected students.
April of the second year
thesis defences, with diplomas awarded in the autumn.
July to September of the second year