Erasmus Mundus-European Master in Animal Breeding and Genetics for International Students

August 16, 2010

Scholarship opportunities:

Erasmus Mundus

The EM-ABG course is supported by the Erasmus Mundus Programme of the European Union. The Erasmus Mundus programme provides scholarships for third-country and EU students, as well as third country scholars (academic staff). The Erasmus Mundus programme is a higher education programme which promotes the European Union as a ‘centre of excellence’ around the world. The programme supports European top-quality Masters Courses and enhances the global image of European higher education. The programme provides easier access to postgraduate education for university students from all over the world.

Available scholarships in 2011

Erasmus Mundus category A scholarships can be awarded to masters students, selected by the consortium, who come from a country other than an eligible applicant country and who are not residents nor have carried our their main activity (work, study, etc.) for more than a total of 12 months over the last 5 years in one of these countries i.e. third country masters students.

For the program starting in August 2011, several scholarships (Erasmus Mundus category A) for non-EU students are available (2010: 12 scholarships). The Erasmus Mundus scholarships category A cover living costs, insurance, travel costs and subscription fees. The amount is € 24,000 per year, € 48,000 for the whole master course.

The programme is also open to students with a personal scholarship, and to self-paying students.

Deadlines:

December 15, 2010: application deadline for non-EU students who want to apply for an Erasmus Mundus scholarship category A.

April 15: application deadline for self-paying non-EU students, or students who benefit from other grants than Erasmus Mundus scholarship.

Application to the EM-ABG programme is possible through the online application tool. A print-out of the filled application form has to be added to the application package that is to be sent in hard copy before the mentioned deadline.

The following documents need to be included in the application package:

Completed application form;
Copy of BSc-degree or equivalent (or certified English translation);
Transcript of academic records (or certified English translation) including list of subjects and marks obtained;
Results of English language test (if applicable);
Curriculum vitae;
Letter of motivation;
Copy of your passport showing date, place of issue, date of expiration and personal details;
2 photographs;
2 letters of recommendation by the 2 referees mentioned;
Not obligatory: abstract of thesis (summary of thesis you wrote for your BSc/MSc degree;

Please note that incomplete applications cannot be taken into consideration.

Third country and EU students, as well as scholars, can apply for admission to more than one Erasmus Mundus Masters Course. However, in the case that they get accepted for more than one Masters Courses, they must decide which Course they want to follow as they can receive only one Erasmus Mundus scholarship. As of the academic year 2008/2009, the number of applications must be limited to three Erasmus Mundus Masters Courses maximum.

Admission:

The consortium has established a central application procedure at the EM-ABG co-ordinator (Wageningen), using a joint application form. The co-ordinating university selects the students that meet the following formal admission conditions:

BSc degree or equivalent degree in Animal Science or related fields with a number of prerequisites (e.g. knowledge of Statistics and Genetics).
Grade point average needs to be at minimum 70% of the maximum score.
Result of TOEFL exam paper based has to be at least 580, computer based at least 237 or internet based at least 92-93. An alternative is a minimum score of 6.5 from an IELTS test. The Consortium Committee can admit excellent third-country students with a somewhat lower TOEFL score (550 cq 213 or 79-80 and IELTS 6.0).
Application deadline for third country students that want to start in the upcoming academic year, applying for an Erasmus Mundus scholarship (Category A), is January 15th. EU students applying for an Erasmus Mundus scholarship (Category B), self-paying students or students with other scholarships can apply for participation in the upcoming academic year in the EM-ABG until April 15th.

Selection:After verifying the admission criteria, students will be selected based on the following qualitative selection criteria (in order of importance):

List of subjects taken during the BSc level with grades obtained;
Signed explanation of your own composition stating why you would like to attend the European Master programme and how this programme will help you in your work and career;
European format Curriculum Vitae;
Two letters of reference;

Further steps to be taken towards the enrolment of students into the EM-ABG.

At the end of January, a list with names of students selected by the Consortium Committee for an Erasmus Mundus scholarship category A is sent to the Executive Agency of the European Union (EU). Approval of this list by the Agency makes the admission to the EM-ABG course and the allocation of an Erasmus Mundus scholarship definitive!

At the end of May, the list with names of selected students for an Erasmus Mundus scholarship category B, as well as non-EU scholars (academic staff) selected for a scholarship for scholars, is sent to the Executive Agency of the European Union. Approval of this list by the Agency makes the admission to the EM-ABG course and the allocation of an Erasmus Mundus scholarship definitive!

Students that applied to the EM-ABG without applying for an Erasmus Mundus scholarship will get information about their admission and the further steps to be taken towards their enrolment in May.

The next EM-ABG course will start in August, 2011, in Wageningen, with the three week introduction course “Welcome to EM-ABG”. After this introduction period, students will go to one of the six universities to follow the first year of the master course.

Application Deadline : 15 December 2010

Further scholarship details:

Scholarship Tags: Animal, Breeding, European, Genetics, Master