FAQ

Application

Language Requirements

Erasmus Mundos Scholarships

Academic Requirements

Participation Costs

Other Questions

Further Questions

APPLICATION

When the ThirdCall will be open?

The ThirdCall is closed.

How do I apply?

Please follow the instructions delineated in the applications tab.

Can I send my application by e-mail or regular mail?
No. Applications have to be submitted online (directly on the website) – available soon.
Do I need to have a valid passport to apply?
If you are not from the EU/Schengen area you must hold a valid passport at the date of application. The passport must be from the country you select as your nationality.
Do I need to translate degree certificates, transcripts and other academic records?
If the original degree certificates, transcripts or other academic records are written in English, Portuguese, Italian, Spanish or French, you don’t need to translate them. If the original degree certificates, transcripts or other academic records are not written in English, Portuguese, Italian, Spanish or French, it is mandatory to send also a translation made by an officially recognized translator in English.
Do I need to write the CV and letter of recommendation in English?
Yes, the CV and Letter of Motivation shall be written in English.
Why the e-mail addresses of the recommenders (that issued the recommendation letters) are requested?

You will have to write the email addresses of the recommenders. If necessary, our platform will send an email directly to your recommenders asking to fill an additional form in an online platform.
Don’t forget to ask for the hard-copies that you will need to send in case you are selected to enrol. Please note that your application will only be completed when the recommenders fill the specific form.

What will I need to send by mail after being pre-selected to the Master?

Hard-copies of the following documents have to be submitted by eligible applicants only – it will be asked after the selection process, namely:

  1. Scanned copy of national identity card (EU) / passport (non-EU)
  2. Letter of motivation
  3. English language proficiency certificates
  4. Academic degree certificates in the original language
  5. Translation of academic degree certificates
  6. Copies of transcripts or other academic records
  7. Translation of the transcripts or other academic records
  8. Curriculum vitae
  9. Two letters of recommendation, issued by faculty members, job supervisors, etc., who are most familiar with the applicant’s professional and/or academic abilities and character.

Your application is not valid if a document is missing.

What documents can be used as proof of residency?

The following kinds of documents as proof of residence are acceptable:

  • Official document from local authorities;
  • Recent utility bill (gas, water, electric, landline phone, cable TV);
  • For EU citizens only: bank statement or mobile phone bill;
  • National ID (if your address is visible);
  • Passport (if your address is visible);
  • Driver’s license (if your address is visible);
  • Any other official document with your full name and current address

The documents must have been issued in English, Portuguese, Spanish, French, or Italian, within 12 months before the submission deadline of applying for an Erasmus Mundus scholarship.
If the proof of residence you provide is not in English (or any language stated before), we advise you to add an explanation in English stating: (i) what is this document (residence certificate or electricity bill or…), (ii) the name of the institution which has issued the document, (iii) the date of issuance of the document, (iv) the name and address of the person to whom the documents belongs/has been sent (and the relation with you if the document is not yours).

How can my documents be certified?
Please send ALL documents as certified true copies. Certification of copies can be done by embassies, the police, a notary public or (state or municipal) administration agency. Please note: after you have been pre-selected to the master you will need to send all the certified documents by ordinary mail to the University of Minho.

LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS

Why do I need to be fluent in English?
The NoRisk programme is taught in English. Therefore, it is crucial to be able to understand classes, read documents, express yourself clearly and write essays in English. This is why we require for non-native speakers to provide proof of their language ability (see the admission requirements page for details on minimum requirements in English).
What are the language requirements?

NoRisk is taught in English and all applicants have to prove language proficiency. An applicant from an institution where the language of instruction is not English is required to provide official test results:

TOEFL:

  • Paper Based Test: 525 or higher
  • Internet Based Test: 72 or higher
  • Cambridge ESOL IELTS: 6.5 points or higher
  • Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR): B2 or higher
  • Cambridge English Scale: 180 or higher
  • Cambridge English (First): Grade B or higher
  • Cambridge English (Advanced): Level B2 or higher
  • Cambridge English (Business Vantage): Grade B or higher
  • Cambridge English (Business Higher): Level B2 or higher
  • Duolingo English Test: 105 or higher
  • Medium of instruction of previous degree
    other recognized language proficiency certificate

The language proficiency certificate must be less than 3 years old.

If you don’t have an official English proficiency certificate but consider that your English knowledge is enough to enrol in an English taught Master programme, you may still apply anyway. A relevant declaration/proof should be attached anyway in the application form in the field “other recognized language proficiency certificate”. Please consider that if you opt to not submit an official English proficiency certificate this may determine a lower score during the evaluation process. In case an applicant not having submitted a recognized English certificate reaches an eligibility position for scholarship or enrolment, an interview will be scheduled for verification and validation of the claimed English skills, as to assess the validity of the score attributed.

How recent should my English language test be?
If you are currently a student, your English-language test should be relatively recent (3 years at the most). However, if you are not a student anymore and can prove you have been working in English recently (with a certificate from your working place), we will accept an older English-language test.
Can I submit my English certificate after the application?
We do not accept any certificate sent after the application deadline. If you fail to submit the English certificate this may determine a lower score during the evaluation process.

ERASMUS MUNDUS SCHOLARSHIPS

How can I be sure that I am eligible for an Erasmus Mundus Scholarship?

By default, all applicants are eligible for the NoRisk Master’s course are also eligible for a scholarship. These are attributed on the basis of merit and excellence only. The number of Erasmus Mundus Scholarship is limited per year and country.

What are the “Programme countries”? What are the “Partner countries”?
The full lists of countries that are part of the Erasmus+ “Programme country” and Erasmus+ “Partner countries” are shown in the scholarships tab.
What should I do if I am eligible for both categories of scholarships?
You can only be eligible for both categories if you have two or more nationalities. In that case, you will need to decide to which category you will apply for by selecting the nationality with which you want to apply.
Can I apply for a second Erasmus Mundus scholarship?
Yes, you can receive an Erasmus Mundus scholarship, if you last enrollment in an EMJM was before the academic year 2019/2020.
Do I lose the scholarship opportunity if I decide to enrol as self-funded?
In case you decide to enrol as self-funded your application is not removed from the reserve list for the scholarships. Should there be a change in the status of your scholarship application, you will be informed.
What the Erasmus Mundus scholarships includes?
Erasmus Mundus scholarships includes two components: (i) contribution to the participation costs (9000 EUR) and, (ii) contribution to travel, visa, installation and subsistence costs (1 400 EUR per month for the entire duration of the Master programme).

ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS

Who is eligible to apply?
All the applicants need to have a degree in Civil Engineering, Mechanical and/or Industrial Engineering, Materials Engineering, Aeronautical Engineering, Polymers Engineering or related fields or equivalent qualifications, with a minimum of a Master degree with 240 (typically equivalent to a Bachelor with a total of 4 years of studies) or 300 ECTS-credit points (typically equivalent to a Master with a total of 5 years of studies). The latter (300 ECTS-credit points) becomes mandatory if your mobility includes UNINA.
I have not finished my first degree course yet. Can I apply for NoRisk?
Yes, students who have not completed their Civil Engineering, Mechanical and/or Industrial Engineering, Materials Engineering, Aeronautical Engineering, Polymers Engineering or related fields or equivalent degree but predict to graduate before July 31, can apply to the Master course and receive a grant. If selected, their admission will be conditional on the receipt of the degree diploma by the MSc Secretariat before July 31.

PARTICIPATION COSTS

What are the participation costs?
The tuition fee for enrolling the NoRisk programme is 9,000 Euro. This covers the administrative costs of the programme (registration, enrolment, subscription, administrative support, access to faculty and university services, the organisation of the case studies, the thesis defence, and other expenditures directly linked to the organisation of the course) and the health insurance.
What do the participation costs cover?
The participation costs cover all obligatory programme activities and health insurance; they do also include the respective hosting university’s obligatory registration and student service fees. They do NOT include room and board as well as other living expenses and travel.
Does NoRisk offer scholarships?

For the cohorts 2022/2023 to 2027/2028, NoRisk offers three types of scholarships: (i) Erasmus Mundus scholarships, (ii) Consortium scholarships and, (iii) Associated Partners scholarships – please find details in scholarships tab.

How is covered by health insurance?
Health insurance is covered for ALL students, scholarship holders as well as self-funded students.

OTHER QUESTIONS

What is the Erasmus+ Programme?

Erasmus+ Programme is a co-operation and mobility programme in the field of higher education that started in 2004.

The general objective of the Erasmus+ Programme is to support, through lifelong learning, the educational, professional and personal development of people in education, training, youth and sport, in Europe and beyond, thereby contributing to sustainable growth, quality jobs and social cohesion, to driving innovation, and to strengthening European identity and active citizenship.

The Erasmus+ Programme has the following specific objectives:

  • Promote learning mobility of individuals and groups, as well as cooperation, quality, inclusion and equity, excellence, creativity and innovation at the level of organisations and policies in the field of education and training;
  • Promote non-formal and informal learning mobility and active participation among young people, as well as cooperation, quality, inclusion, creativity and innovation at the level of organisations and policies in the field of youth;
  • Promote learning mobility of sport staff, as well as cooperation, quality, inclusion, creativity and innovation at the level of sport organisations and sport policies.
What is the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree (EMJMD) programme?

It is a HIGHLY RATED INTERNATIONAL STUDY PROGRAMME that is delivered by an international consortium of higher education institutions (HEIs) from different countries worldwide and, where relevant, other educational and/or non-educational partners with specific expertise and interest in the concerned study areas/professional domains. The study period will be spent in at least two of the programme countries.

EMJMs are programmes of excellence and contribute to the integration and internationalisation of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). The specificity of EMJMs lies in the high degree of jointness/integration among the participating institutions and the excellence of their academic content.

The EMJM aims to enhance the attractiveness and excellence of European higher education in the world and attract talent to Europe, through a combination of:

  • Institutional academic cooperation to showcase European excellence in higher education;
  • Individual mobility for all students taking part in the EMJM, with EU-funded scholarships for the best students applying.
Can I work during while attending the NoRIsk?
This is an intensive Master course with a fixed schedule for the morning lectures (3 hours) and the afternoon study work (5 hours). Therefore, it will be very difficult to combine regular work with participation in the master’s degree.
Will students be admitted annually?

NoRisk admits students annually. The coursework starts in every early October.

 

Will applications be excluded because of the nationality?
NoRisk accepts applications from around the globe, there are no exclusions with regard to nationality or citizenship.
How long does the NoRisk study programme take?

NoRisk is a two semester MSc programme, starting in early October of a given year, and finishing by the end of July of the following year. Students study will take classes in the first semester in one of four partners of the consortium and will perform the Master’s dissertation in another partner. NoRisk does not offer a PhD programme.

Can I change my mobility plan?
Changes of mobility path from the one defined by the Consortium and informed to the candidate will not be accepted, unless of exceptional reasons. Any student requesting a change in the path must provide a substantiated request before the starting of the program. After the starting of the program, no changes will be allowed.
How was my application evaluated?

The ranking of the eligible applicants is based in the following criteria:

  • Previous higher education studies;
  • Content of the previous studies/quality of the institution;
  • Relevant work experience;
  • Recommendation letters;
  • Motivation letter;
  • Additional information (publications, awards, etc.).

FURTHER QUESTIONS

Find more here