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Funding

Fully Funded · Self Funded

JANUS — Joint Master in Applied Security and Defense: Networks for Unified Strategies

Master's ScholarshipFrance · Lyon

Université Jean Moulin Lyon 3 (coordinator) with Saint-Joseph University of Beirut, University of Granada, University of Bucharest & University of Essex

Application Deadline

Closed · March 6, 2026

Reopens ~Mar 2027

Official Page

JANUS is an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master in applied security and defence, coordinated by Université Jean Moulin Lyon 3 in France and funded by the EU’s Erasmus+ programme. Four more universities share the teaching: Saint-Joseph University of Beirut, the University of Granada, the University of Bucharest and the University of Essex.

The degree runs 120 ECTS over four semesters and is taught in English and French. Semester 1 in Lyon covers the fundamentals of security and defence, semester 2 in Beirut looks at the Middle East, semester 3 is a specialisation taken in Granada, Bucharest or Colchester, and semester 4 is an internship or a research paper.

Each cohort is capped at 30 students, 20 of them on an EMJM scholarship. Around 40 associated partners, among them INTERPOL, MBDA, NCC Group, Essex Police and the French Ministère des Armées, host internships, teach sessions and propose thesis topics.

Benefits & funding

  • EMJM scholarship: €1,400 a month for 24 months, €33,600 over the degree, covering tuition fees, mandatory academic charges and living costs.
  • 20 of the 30 places in each cohort carry the scholarship; the other 10 are admitted self-funded.
  • A share of the scholarships is tied to geographic priorities for the Southern Neighbourhood, Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.
  • Two individual-needs scholarships of up to €60,000 each are reserved for students with disabilities.
  • Self-funded students pay €9,000 per academic year, €18,000 in total.
  • Students resident in some countries can apply for an EU-backed Erasmus+ master loan; conditions depend on the country of residence and the bank.
  • Graduates receive a jointly awarded master’s degree; the five national master programmes behind it are accredited by agencies registered in EQAR.

Eligibility

  • Open to applicants of any nationality, and the scholarships are open to students from all countries.
  • A bachelor’s degree with at least three years of higher education, at least 180 ECTS for European graduates; final-year students may receive conditional admission if they complete the degree before administrative enrollment.
  • The degree must be in law, political science, international relations, economics, history, security and defence or a related field.
  • Non-native English speakers need TOEFL 90, IELTS 6.5 or Cambridge C1; native English speakers may instead submit a sworn statement confirming their status. TOEFL 100 is required to take the Essex semester.
  • French at B2, certified by TEF, TCF or DELF.
  • Spanish at B2 only for applicants choosing the Granada specialisation.
  • Every required language certificate must be under two years old.
  • A passport valid for at least one year, plus official translations of all documents.
  • No age, work experience or residency requirement. Students who previously received an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master (EMJM) scholarship cannot receive another EMJM scholarship.

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  • Education required

    Bachelor · Bachelor Enrolled

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Application process

  1. 1
    Check the eligibility rules and decide which university you want for the third semester, since that choice sets the language certificates you need.
  2. 2
    Apply online through the JANUS platform on eCandidat; the consortium accepts no other route.
  3. 3
    Upload ID or passport, the bachelor diploma and transcripts with official English translations, language certificates and a CV in English.
  4. 4
    Write the three-page essay: three questions, two answered in English and one in French, with a limit of up to 400 words per question.
  5. 5
    Ask two referees to email their letters as PDFs directly to janus@univ-lyon3.fr.
  6. 6
    Phase 1 checks the administrative criteria, phase 2 scores the file out of 100 with 70 as the pass mark, phase 3 interviews 200 to 300 candidates, phase 4 decides admissions and scholarships.

Program timeline

  1. Applications open for the 2026–2028 cohort

    Jan 9, 2026

  2. Application deadline

    Mar 6, 2026

  3. Eligibility results

    Mar 9, 2026

  4. Academic evaluation

    Mar 10, 2026 to Mar 19, 2026

  5. Interview shortlist announced

    Mar 24, 2026

  6. Interviews

    Mar 30, 2026 to Apr 11, 2026

  7. Final selection committee decides

    Apr 14, 2026

  8. Next campaign

    no date published; the consortium announces it on LinkedIn

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