SARENA is a 120-ECTS master of science in nuclear engineering run by four European universities: IMT Atlantique in Nantes, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Lappeenranta University of Technology in Finland and the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia. The European Union funds it as an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master; the first grant ran 2018-2024 and was renewed for 2024-2030. Teaching is entirely in English.
Applicants choose one of two tracks. Track A, Radioactive Waste Management and Decommissioning, covers waste diversity, non-proliferation, long-term safety assessment, environmental impact and the dismantling of nuclear installations, and ends in a double degree from IMT Atlantique and Madrid. Track B, Nuclear Reactor Operation and Safety, covers neutronics, thermal-hydraulics, reactor materials and radioprotection, including practical work on the TRIGA research reactor in Ljubljana, and ends in a double degree from Lappeenranta and Ljubljana.
Every student starts semester 1 in Nantes, moves to a second country for semester 2, returns to a track campus for semester 3, and spends semester 4 on an industrial or research internship wherever the placement is. Track A carries the I2EN accreditation from the International Institute of Nuclear Energy.
Benefits & funding
- The consortium expects to award approximately 21 Erasmus Mundus scholarships per intake.
- A scholarship waives 100% of tuition and pays a monthly allowance of up to €1,400 for the full 24 months.
- Candidates who miss a scholarship can still receive a tuition fee waiver; the largest is a rare 80% excellence waiver.
- Self-funded tuition for the two years is €9,000 for students from programme countries and €18,000 for students from partner countries.
- Programme countries are the EU member states plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Turkey and the United Kingdom; every other country is a partner country.
- Tuition covers programme costs, compulsory health insurance for all 24 months, and the industrial visits.
- The consortium puts monthly living costs at about €825: €460 accommodation, €180 food, €40 local transport, €145 other.
- Graduates receive two national master degrees, awarded by the two universities on their track.
Eligibility
- An academic degree of at least 180 ECTS — a bachelor degree or equivalent — in a field relevant to the programme, such as engineering, physics, chemistry or environmental sciences.
- English proficiency shown by TOEFL 573 paper-based, 231 computer-based or 89 internet-based, IELTS 6.5, or TOEIC 750.
- Nationals of the listed English-speaking countries, and applicants taught and assessed in English in those countries, are exempt from the language test.
- Open to all nationalities, with no residency requirement.
- Scholarship candidates must not already have held an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master scholarship.
- French and Spanish applicants may fall outside scholarship eligibility on the Track A route, because the mobility rules require study outside the applicant’s own country.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
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Education required
Bachelor
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Application process
- 1Create an account on the SARENA application platform at sarena.imt-atlantique.fr; applications sent by email are not accepted.
- 2Choose your track, Track A or Track B, inside the application form.
- 3Upload a full CV in English, with the Europass template recommended.
- 4Upload transcripts for the last 4 years of higher education and your degree certificates, each with an official English translation.
- 5Upload 2 letters of recommendation in English, at least one from an academic referee.
- 6Upload a one-page statement in English setting out your career plan and your reason for applying.
- 7Upload your English test certificate and the photo page of your passport or identity card; only PDF and JPEG files are accepted.
- 8Submit before the deadline — a certificate that arrives afterwards is not accepted.
- 9Expect a possible short-form interview after the application phase closes.
Program timeline
Applications opened for the 2026-2028 intake
Oct 31, 2025
Application deadline for the 2026-2028 intake
Mar 1, 2026
Selection results announced
Early April
Optional French summer school before the programme starts
July-August
Semester 1 begins in Nantes
September