How an Italian Scholar Pursued Received a Partially Funded Scholarship for Her Erasmus Mundus Master’s in Global Studies (EMGS) at the University of Vienna, Jawaharlal Nehru University, and Roskilde University

Hello everybody, my name is Rebecca, I’m originally from Italy, and I graduated from the Erasmus Mundus Master’s in Global Studies (EMGS) in November 2024. Coming from a small town in the Italian countryside, my dream has always been to travel and discover what was beyond the place I grew up in. After high school, I moved to the Netherlands to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree in European Studies at the University of Amsterdam. While I fully enjoyed this course, I felt like most of the courses were very Western-centric, and I longed for a broader and more global perspective. For this reason, I decided to apply for EMGS, a program that strives to overcome the typical Eurocentric perspective of European universities, and which has a cohort of students coming from all over the world.

A second reason for choosing this Master’s was the opportunity to spend one semester in a partner university outside of Europe. I liked that the course has partnerships with universities in almost every region of the world, and offers this unique chance of living Global Studies in practice. Hence, I completed my first and second semesters of EMGS at the University of Vienna, Austria; my third semester at Jawaharlal Nehru University, India; and my fourth and final semester at Roskilde University, Denmark.

Scholarship Details

I unfortunately didn’t have a full scholarship for the whole program, as I discovered EMGS after the deadline for scholarship applications had already passed. Additionally, scholarships are rightly reserved, for the most part, for non-EU students. As an EU student, tuition fees were much lower than fees for non-EU students, making the program affordable even without a scholarship (tuition fees were even lower than those of many Italian and European public universities). Nonetheless, I had the chance of receiving a tuition fee waiver for my second year of a Master’s degree. This is an opportunity for students who obtain a high GPA in their first semester of studies, and it is extremely helpful, as it reduces second-year fees by around 60% (hence, I had to pay only 40% of the yearly tuition fees). Additionally, tuition fees for the semester in non-EU universities are fully covered by the EMGS consortium, relieving students of extra fees to pay and making it easier to choose a semester of study outside the EU.

Educational Background

I graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in European Studies at the University of Amsterdam in July 2022. Being it a transdisciplinary and internationally-oriented course, I was already used to subjects that did not fall into specific fields (eg, Economics, Political Science, etc.) but that were transcending a variety of different areas. I was also used to studying in English: my Bachelor’s Degree definitely helped a lot in this aspect, since many courses required me to write assignments and final essays, a type of examination frequently occurring in EMGS as well. Regarding GPA, I had an above average GPA of 8/10; I think grades matter up to a certain point when applying to EMGS. What the selection committee mostly values are your experiences (especially abroad) and your motivation to join the program. What I noticed in our cohort was that the majority of students already had many experiences abroad (not only of studying, but also volunteering or simply travelling) and much involvement with current social issues, eg, through activism or associationism. Indeed, I believe that having years of volunteering experience during my Bachelor’s years definitely highlighted my application even if I didn’t have any proper professional experience yet and I didn’t graduate cum laude.

How Did You Prepare to Apply to Institutions?

The application to EMGS (without a scholarship) wasn’t much different from applications to other Master’s degrees. My main struggle was getting a recommendation letter from my Bachelor’s thesis supervisor in time: I highly recommend getting in touch with professors much earlier than the deadline, as they are usually very busy and you want to avoid having to wait until the deadline to receive your letter. I also thoroughly studied EMGS’ website, using keywords in my motivation letter and showing how I already had some ideas on my curriculum and potential exchange abroad. My suggestion is to show that you have done your research and that what the program offers perfectly aligns with your future aspirations and your values. I also think that it’s better to start researching programs as early as possible (maybe around one year before the start of the Master’s degree), so that you can have an idea of what the offer is and have enough time to gather information and prepare all your documents. Finally, you need to prove that you know a third language apart from English and your mother tongue: be aware of this, and try to get a proof of your language knowledge on time (in my case I had followed a French course as part of my Bachelor’s degree so a letter from my university testifying my French level was enough).

In my application for EMGS, I didn’t have to include any English language certifications as my Bachelor’s course was fully in English. Nonetheless, I undertook an IELTS test in 2018 to apply for my Bachelor’s degree in the Netherlands. I believe now that there are many more free online simulations available compared to some years ago. Following an official preparation course might be very expensive; in my case, I had followed a much cheaper course offered by my high school, which prepared me quite extensively for the exam – my preparation lasted around 6 months, if I remember correctly. If you can’t find any affordable courses in your area, you can still buy some exercise books and try to prepare on your own. I believe the main key is to understand the structure of IELTS (which is very different and unique compared to other certifications) and exercise as much as possible. Usually, a B2 level is enough to pass university requirements, if you practice a lot, watch movies and TV shows in English, and read books, I’m sure you will be fine! Just start preparing early and keep practicing.

How Did You Prepare to Apply for the Program?

I prepared for my EMGS application simply by trying to get all the required documents on time and gathering as much information as possible regarding the program and its partner universities. For the fee waiver, I simply tried my best to complete all my assignments on time and be prepared for the final exam to ensure a high GPA at the end of my first semester. I always attended all classes, including the non-mandatory ones, and I tried to be consistent with the readings to avoid being overwhelmed at the end of the semester.

How Is (was) Your Experience at the Institution?

My overall experience with the EMGS program was truly incredible, a fantastic learning experience. My first year at the University of Vienna was extremely enriching as I was surrounded by people from all over the world, and I had lots of freedom in choosing which courses to take and what to specialize in. UniWien has many Area Studies institutes, and it was thanks to the expertise and passion of the professors I met there that I developed an interest in the region of South Asia and decided to spend a semester in New Delhi, India. I also liked how the semesters were organized, as we had many assignments within the term that helped us keep track of all the readings and materials covered, and we had much time at the end of the courses to prepare for the final examinations.

My experience at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) was also extremely positive: I fell in love with the open-minded and progressive atmosphere of the campus, and I enjoyed being fully immersed in the vibrant life of Delhi. It was an incredible opportunity to delve deeper into the Indian culture and study globalization and development from a South Asian perspective. While at JNU, I also had the possibility of conducting fieldwork for my final Master’s thesis, an experience that shaped me in multiple ways and gave me the motivation to apply for a PhD program and continue my research. My final semester at Roskilde University was a bit calmer, as I didn’t have any courses to follow anymore.

This allowed me to focus full-time on my Master’s thesis and participate in many meetings with my fellow classmates and my supervisor. Overall, my experience in EMGS was super positive; nonetheless, it really all depends on which universities you will choose to attend and how flexible and open-minded you are, as each individual experience within this program is very different and unique.

How Do You Rate the Institution Academically and Why?

 Academically speaking, all the universities I attended as part of my EMGS path were extremely valid and high-ranking in national and international rankings. The same actually applies to all the universities that are part of the EMGS consortium. The University of Vienna is a historical institution, very academically vibrant and internationally oriented. Nonetheless, if you don’t speak German, you will only have limited access to all the opportunities it offers and to the active student organizations’ life on campus. Jawaharlal Nehru University is the best university for Social Sciences in India. While integrating in the academic life was a bit hard at first, as the structure of courses and university bureaucracy are extremely different from European universities, after the initial period of settling in, I became fully part of the campus life and gained so much knowledge from interacting with my fellow classmates and attending all the programs and conferences happening everyday on campus. Roskilde University is also a progressive and modern institution, founded at the end of the 1960s following student protests. Not having attended any courses there, I cannot say much about it, but from what I observed, it’s very much groupwork-oriented and has a more policy focus, properly rooted in the Social Sciences.

How Does the Institution Support International Students? 

At the University of Vienna and Roskilde University, I received lots of support as an international student, given that they have EMGS staff working in the administration, and professors are aware of the program and are frequently involved in its organization. We had orientation sessions before the start of classes, received many documents and instructions on how to register for classes and how to settle into life in Austria/Denmark (eg, registering at the municipality, getting public transportation cards, etc.), and the staff was always very kind and available via email. I know some of my non-EU classmates struggled with their visa and residence permits: while the EMGS staff tries to help, they still cannot do much about these lengthy procedures (so I advise you to contact EMGS alumni from your home country to see whether they faced any challenges). At JNU, I unfortunately didn’t receive much support as an international student. The administration staff had just recently changed, and they were not really aware of the existence of EMGS and the kind of procedure I had to undergo to register for classes, get a room on campus, and complete all the bureaucratic requirements. The EMGS staff in Europe was also not very helpful, as they didn’t really have any proper contact with the new JNU administration. Hence, I mostly relied on help from my classmates and other Indian students who guided me through the extremely lengthy registration process and were of incredible help and support at the beginning of my stay in New Delhi.

Are Your Classes Conducted in English or the Country's Native Language?

All the classes I attended at each university were in English. The University of Vienna offers a good number of its courses in German only. Roskilde University also has courses in Danish. At JNU, every class was in English.

Would Potential Students Have Any Problems Academically, Not Knowing the Native Language of the Country 

In Vienna, I believe students would not have any major struggles if they don’t know German (as in my case). The university offers many courses in English across most of the departments, so the course options are very broad. Nonetheless, student life and student associations are mostly in German only, making a full integration into the vibrant university community a bit complicated. It’s also important to note that most of the bureaucracy is in German, so it’s good to ask for support from the EMGS staff on-site or any German-speaking friends you have. The university offers some German courses at all levels, but they are quite expensive. At Roskilde University, I believe students won’t face any issues as most Danish people speak English very well. At Jawaharlal Nehru University, there were no academic struggles as all the classes are offered in English (also because many Indian people do not speak Hindi either). Nonetheless, daily life and bureaucracy can be very complicated, as most staff at the university don’t speak English at all. Also, in this case, it’s good to ask for support from some Hindi-speaking friends. There are Hindi classes offered for free on campus, but they mostly focus on learning the script rather than everyday conversation.

What Do You Think Made Your Application Stand Out?

As I didn’t have any professional experience yet in the Global Studies field, I believe that what made my application stand out was a mixture of my experience abroad, my years of volunteering, and my passion. Apart from my Bachelor’s Degree in The Netherlands, I also had some extra experiences abroad, including an Erasmus+ exchange in the Czech Republic, and a volunteering project as an English Teacher in Lithuania. At the time of my application, I was also an active member of AIESEC in Amsterdam, a youth organization aimed at promoting the UN’s SDGs, and of the study association of my program. I think these experiences were very valuable as they showed my passion for multi-cultural settings, my desire to explore new places, and my involvement with social issues. In my motivation letter I also explained more in detail how this passion for travelling and discovering new cultures was present in me since I was a child, and how growing up in a small and close-minded part of Italy enabled me to always dream bigger and keep striving for a better future, both individually and collectively.

 What Would You Have Done Differently if You Were Going Through the Process Again?

I would have started preparing my application much earlier, and not last minute, and maybe I would have even tried to apply for the full scholarship. I would also have tried to choose my two European universities a bit more consciously, and read more about the academic curriculum offered by all the partner universities and how the semester is structured in each university.

 What Advice Would You Give Those Looking to Apply for a Similar Scholarship?

My main advice is not to get immediately discouraged by the competitiveness of the program, and try to start preparing your application as soon as possible. Read the information on the EMGS website carefully, explore the various options of the partner universities, and show that you have all this knowledge in your motivation letter. Do not simply copy-paste your application or use AI, as this program is really unique, and the selection committee really values seeing your real self in your letter. Also, try to speak with alumni who have studied in the universities you are interested in, so you can know a bit more about what to expect in advance. If you’re applying for a full scholarship, search for alumni from your home country who won one, and ask for their suggestions. Finally, if you have some time left before your application, try to expand your CV by doing a volunteering project or joining local associations so that you can show your active involvement in social issues.