EMship is a two-year, full-time master of 120 ECTS in the advanced design of sustainable ships and offshore structures, taught entirely in English. Seven European universities run it together, with Ghent University as the coordinating institute, and the European Union funds it as an Erasmus+ joint master, so part of each intake studies with tuition waived and a monthly allowance.
The first year is taught at Ghent University in Belgium and, in parallel, at Universitatea Dunărea de Jos din Galați in Romania. For the second year each student picks one of five tracks: shipbuilding at Universität Rostock in Germany, hydrodynamics for ocean engineering at École Centrale de Nantes in France, ship logistics and maritime transport at Instituto Superior Técnico in Lisbon, offshore and ship structures at Université de Liège in Belgium, or offshore and renewables at Universidad Politécnica de Madrid in Spain.
The master thesis belongs to the second year and is supervised by the chosen partner, and it can be carried out with an associated industrial partner, which may add a third move. Candidates come from mechanical engineering, electromechanical engineering, naval architecture, marine technology and related fields.
Benefits & funding
- Erasmus+ scholarship: tuition fully waived plus EUR 1,400 per month for a total duration of 24 months.
- A total of 95 Erasmus+ scholarships across four cohorts, averaging 19 per cohort; 60 of them are open to all nationalities and 35 are reserved for specific targeted regions of the world.
- Self-funded tuition for partner-country students: €9,000 per year, €18,000 for the two years.
- Self-funded tuition for programme-country students: €4,500 per year, €9,000 for the two years.
- Up to 20 self-funded students a year receive a 50% tuition reduction: €4,500 per year for partner-country students, €2,250 per year for programme-country students.
- Second-year specialisation at a partner university, plus a thesis that can be done with industry or at a third partner institution.
Eligibility
- A bachelor degree or recognised equivalent from an accredited institution, at least three years of full-time study or 180 ECTS, in mechanical engineering, electromechanical engineering, naval architecture, marine technology or a related discipline.
- Degrees aimed at engine-room leadership, such as Chief Engineer or Marine Engineer qualifications, are not accepted.
- Proof of English: a degree taught in a majority English-speaking country, a degree from an approved university elsewhere, or a standardised test such as TOEFL; no exemption is granted before applying.
- No minimum grade average is set, and neither work experience nor publications are required.
- Open to all nationalities, with no residency requirement.
- Anyone who has already held an Erasmus+ EMJM scholarship cannot apply for another one.
- No more than 10% of scholarship holders may come from one country, a maximum of 9 students of the same country for the whole programme.
- Self-funded applicants must show funds of at least €12,794 for the first year.
- Physical presence during EMship Week is compulsory.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.
Education required
Bachelor
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Application process
- 1Check that your degree and English proof meet the entry rules before starting the form.
- 2Wait for the application form to go online on 1 October, then register and submit it through the Ghent University OASIS system.
- 3Prepare the documents: passport photo, passport or official ID, Europass CV, personal statement, legalised bachelor degree and transcript each with a certified English translation, and an English language certificate.
- 4Ask your two referees to send their reference letters directly to references@emship.eu.
- 5Submit by 31 January to be considered for a scholarship, by 1 April as a self-funded applicant who needs a visa, or by 1 June as a self-funded applicant who does not.
- 6Sit the online interview, normally within one month of submitting, including a short scientific presentation.
- 7Scholarship results are communicated by the end of March and self-funded results by the end of June; self-funded students pay tuition by the end of August.
Program timeline
Application form goes online for the next intake
October 1
Deadline for scholarship applicants
January 31
Within one month of submission
Online interview for shortlisted candidates
Scholarship results announced
End of March
Deadline for self-funded applicants who need a visa
April 1
Deadline for self-funded applicants who do not need a visa
June 1
Results for self-funded applicants
End of June
Tuition payment due for self-funded students
End of August