Please read all the following sections carefully before applying to EMQAL!
1. Admission Information
2. Student Categories and Fees
3. Selection Criteria
4. Application
1. Admission Information
1.1. General Eligibility Criteria:
The Master's degree is designed to provide additional education or training in the student's specialized branch of knowledge. The minimum requirements for admission to the Masters are:
1) Strong Academic Background in appropriate disciplines
A "strong academic background" in appropriate disciplines means candidates must hold a high education diploma issued by a competent High Education authority attesting the completion of a degree equivalent to a 1st cycle (180 ECTS), in a field where analytical laboratories play an important role. This may be a degree in Chemistry, Biology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biochemistry, Environmental Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Food Engineering, Clinical Analysis, Medicine, etc.
2) Demonstrated command of the English language
A "demonstrated command of English" means the candidate must prove he/she can understand, speak and write English proficiently enough to take the majority of modules, which are taught in English.
Possible examples include:
- Test of English as a Foreign Language, TOEFL scores paper 575 / computer 232
- Internet based TOEFL (TOEFL iBT™ ) total score 94
- International English Language Testing System, IELTS scores 6.5
- General Certificate of Education, GCSE, AS Level, A Level
- Cambridge Proficiency Certificate, CPE, Level 4-5
- Oxford Higher Certificate, International Certificate Conference (ICC Stage 3 Technical)
In case the candidate cannot present an official test of English language in time for the deadline for applications, he/she may take the self-test included in the online application. A minimum classification of B2 is required in all fields.
In case of selection, candidates who only took the self-test will be interviewed. The interview will have the objective of confirming the self-test of English proficiency presented in the application. In case the interview shows the proficiency is below what was stated in the application, the application will be cancelled.
3) Adequate financial resources
When you apply there is no guarantee that you will be considered for an ERASMUS or ERASMUS MUNDUS studentship so you should be fully aware of the financial costs of the programme. All candidates must take the financial aspects in consideration when applying. The studentships are extremely competitive and only the very best students in a field of many excellent applicants will be awarded the studentships.
You should indicate clearly if you are relying on ERASMUS, ERASMUS MUNDUS or other studentships to finance your study.
Before final acceptance, candidates who were not awarded a studentship will be required to submit a Guarantee of full financial support for the duration of the studies. The University needs to now that you have sufficient funds to cover the entire period of study. This document must be signed by whomever is meeting your university expenses. It may also have to be certified by a bank or lawyer. Keep a copy of this form since you may also need it to apply for your student visa. Please note, however, that the university will issue the relevant certificate of eligibility for a student visa only if you are able to document fully your source(s) of income.
1.2. Eligibility Criteria for Erasmus Mundus candidates
If you are applying for an Erasmus Mundus or and Erasmus grant, additional eligibility criteria apply:
Category A Erasmus Mundus studentships are available to Category A candidates.
Category B Erasmus Mundus studentships are available to Category B candidates.
(See below for a definition of Category A and Category B applicants)
Individuals who have already benefited from an Erasmus Mundus Master studentship are not eligible for a second studentship in order to follow EMQAL.
One individual may apply only to a maximum of three Erasmus Mundus Master courses at the same time. Candidates who do not comply with this rule may have their applications cancelled by the EACEA.
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2. Student Categories and Fees
Student Categories:
Applicants are divided into two categories: Category A and Category B.
– Category A applicants come from a Third Country* and were not residents nor have carried out their main activity (studies, work, etc.) for more than a total of 12 months over the last five years in an European Country.
– Category B applicants do not fulfill the Category A criteria defined above.
*In accordance with Article 2 of the Erasmus Mundus 2009-2013 Programme Decision (No 1298/2008/EC), “Third Country means a country that is not a European Country". More concretely, the Erasmus Mundus programme distinguishes three different groups of countries:
a) The Members states of the European Union;
b) Other countries or potential candidates possibly on the same footing as Member States (this category includes Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein, Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo under UNSC Resolution 1244/99, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Turkey and Switzerland);
c) Third countries.
The countries under the second category will be considered as "European countries" only if an agreement (or a Memorandum of Understanding or an EEA Joint Committee Decision) establishing the participation of the country concerned in the EM programme is in force by the date of the selection decision. If this is not the case, the country concerned is considered as a third country. For the 2010 applications, the EEA-EFTA states (Iceland, Norway, Liechenstein) are considered European countries. All the other countries under b) above are considered Third Countries.
Tuition Fees:
Erasmus Mundus grant holders:
EM Category A students: 12000€ for the 18 month course.
EM Category B students: 6000€ for the 18 month course.
Erasmus Mundus non-grant holders:
Category A students: 10000€ for the 18 month course.
Category B students: 4500€ for the 18 month course.
Tuition fees covers, for all EMQAL students:
- registration;
- access to all campus facilities of the universities in the consortium, including wireless internet access in the campus, computing facilities, library, laboratories;
- access to student canteens;
In addition, for Category A students, tuition fees coves:
- help and support traveling to Europe and applying for a passport visa;
- reservation of accomodation in student residences.
Erasmus Mundus grant holders are covered by an extended insurance policy.
Erasmus Mundus grants:
The European Commission provides a limited number of grants (ERASMUS MUNDUS studentships) for selected Category A and Category B students.
A Category A EM studentship for EMQAL totals 38000€ and covers:
· payment of the tuition fees for the whole EMQAL course (12000€)
· travel expenses (2000 €)
· A monthly allowance of 1333.33 € /month, for 18 months.
A Category B EM studentship for EMQAL totals 15000 € and covers:
· payment of the tuition fees for the whole EMQAL course (6000€)
· A monthly allowance of 500€/month, for 18 months.
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3. Selection Criteria
All eligible candidates to EMQAL are evaluated and ranked according to the following criteria:
A - Quality of previous qualifications - evaluates the academic curriculum of the candidate: previous degrees, post-graduate courses, specialization courses, scientific publications.
B- Proficiency in languages of the consortium, particularly English.
C- Motivation and Potential - measures the benefit to the candidate from the Master.
D- Suitability - match between the candidate’s profile and the Master. Appropriate professional experience is evaluated.
E - Recommendations - based on the confidential evaluation of the candidate by two referees.
Each criterion A-E is scored 0-5. Only very high quality candidates, with all criteria above 3.5, are accepted to the course.
The scores for all criteria are summed, and candidates are ranked by order of merit according to their global score (17.5-25.0).
Each year, a limited number (n) of Erasmus Mundus grants is available. The n top ranked candidates are selected r the main list of candidates.Geographical balance and gender balance restrictions apply. Not more than 25% of the selected candidates may come from the same country, not more than 20% may come from the same university, and not less than 40% must be female candidates. To comply with these restrictions some candidates may be removed from the main list and replaced by the next ranked candidates in the reserve list.
This evaluation is made by a Selection Committee composed of representatives from each of the partner universities in EMQAL. The results are published in this website as a pre-selection of candidates to EMQAL. this pre-selection is sent to the EACEA, who will give the final approval of the candidates selected for Erasmus Mundus studentships.
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4. Application
The application is made online, and is the same for European and Non-European candidates.
Please register at
http://cursos.ualg.pt/emqal/EMQAL/preliminaryapplication.php
You will then be sent an email with instructions on how to complete the online application form.
Please download and read the instructions to candidates before filling your application form.
We suggest you also read the Frequently Asked Questions file.
DON’T FORGET:
After completing your online application you are required to send us the following documents:
- A completed and signed copy of your printed application;
- A copy of your motivation and your personal statements;
- A completed and signed copy of the Declaration for Applicants (see below)
- An identification document (passport or identification card);
- Diplomas or certificates of your academic degrees, including a list of all disciplines in your degree (also provide a translation to English if the language is other than English or a language of the consortium: Spanish, Portuguese, Norwegian or Polish);
- Any diplomas or certificates that may help you in the selection procedures (for example English proficiency tests)
Your application will only be complete when we receive these documents.
You are required to send a pdf file containing copies of these documents by email to
EMMQAL@gmail.com
and a hard copy of all documents by post mail (stamp date before the deadline for applications) to
Postgraduate Admissions Officer
Secretaria dos Mestrados
FCT-Gambelas Campus
University of Algarve
8005-139 Faro
Portugal
Declaration for Applicants:
The EMQAL consortium includes the University of Algarve (Portugal), University of Barcelona (Spain), University of Cadiz (Spain), University of Bergen (Norway) and Gdansk University of Technology (Poland).
During the first year all classes will take place in the Host University (University of Algarve, for 2011-2012). In the third semester students must take a research project in one of the other partner universities. The choice of research project is free, but in case more than one student applies to the same project a selection is made on a competitive basis. The consortium will not guarantee you will be selected the research project in the university/country you choose, unless you provide now, during the application procedure, a strong reason to choose it. If you have such a reason, please describe it in the Declaration for Applicants. The Consortium will evaluate your request, and you will be given a confirmation of whether or not it has been accepted, before you enroll in the course.
Note:
Personal data from applicants is collected and used in accordance with the Directive 95/46 EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 October 1995 (Official Journal L 281 , 23/11/1995 P. 0031 – 0050)
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