StudyDesk Scholarships
About the scholarship
The European Master in Animal Biodiversity and Genomics — known by its acronym EMABG — is an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master funded by the European Union. It is a two-year master's course, taught entirely in English, built around the science and practice of animal breeding, biodiversity and genomics. The field has been transformed in the last decade by high-throughput genomic markers and large-scale phenotypic recording, and this programme trains graduates to work directly with that kind of data.
EMABG is run by a consortium of six leading European universities, and every student studies at two of them in two different countries. There are five areas of specialisation to choose from: conservation genomics for rare and endangered breeds and species; designing breeding programmes for small populations; bioinformatics applied to biodiversity and genomics; One Health — health and welfare in humans and animals; and understanding biodiversity through integrative biology. The study tracks are offered as pairs beginning at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, for example NMBU–SLU, NMBU–WUR, NMBU–APT, NMBU–UGOE and NMBU–BOKU.
Applying for the programme automatically puts you in consideration for the Erasmus Mundus scholarship — there is no separate scholarship form. The application round for the 2027 intake runs from 15 September 2026 to 15 January 2027.
Eligibility criteria
- Academic degree: a Bachelor of Science degree of at least 180 ECTS in animal science. Graduates of other relevant bachelor's programmes can also be considered, provided they can demonstrate knowledge and skills in the basics of agricultural sciences and animal production — mathematics, biostatistics or bioinformatics; zoology, anatomy or physiology of farm animals; biodiversity and breeding; and genetics and genomics. Applicants who already hold a master's degree in a similar field cannot be accepted at the University of Göttingen.
- Nationality: open to applicants from all countries. The consortium distinguishes Programme Country and Partner Country applicants for scholarship-pool purposes, but candidates worldwide are welcome to apply.
- English proficiency: one of the following, taken no more than two years before the application deadline — TOEFL iBT with a score of at least 92 (minimum 23 in speaking; paper-based and ITP versions are not accepted); Academic IELTS with a score of at least 7 (minimum 6.5 in speaking; the online test and One Skill Retake are not accepted); Cambridge C1 Advanced (180–210, Grade C) or C2 Proficiency (180–230, Grade C).
- English exemption: applicants who completed their bachelor's or master's degree entirely in English, on campus, in Australia, Ireland, Canada (except Quebec universities), New Zealand, the United Kingdom or the United States do not need to submit a language certificate.
- Final-year students: may apply. Non-EU students must graduate by 15 March and EU students by 1 July of the intake year, and must upload a university letter, signed and stamped, confirming they will finish in time.
Scholarship benefits
- Monthly allowance of €1,400 paid throughout the study period to support living costs.
- Participation costs fully covered for scholarship holders — no tuition or registration fees at any partner university.
- Health and accident insurance included for the duration of the programme.
- Mobility across Europe: study and research at two consortium universities in two different countries, earning a joint or double master's degree.
- One application, two outcomes: the same application is assessed both for admission to the master's programme and for the Erasmus Mundus scholarship.
Documents required
The official programme guidance lists the following. Only complete applications submitted through the application database are assessed, and all documents must be uploaded in the required format before the deadline.
- Completed online application form in the EMABG application database
- Academic degree certificate and transcript of records (plus an official English translation if the originals are in another language)
- Two letters of recommendation, addressed to the coordinators of the European Master in Animal Biodiversity and Genomics
- Curriculum vitae, following the Europass format as closely as possible
- Copy of a valid passport
- Certificate of residence in English, issued within 12 months before the application deadline
- Official English language certificate, unless you qualify for the exemption
- Passport-style photograph
- Letter stating your preferred study tracks (for example NMBU–SLU, NMBU–WUR, NMBU–APT) and explaining your reasons — this is not a generic motivation letter
- Short motivation video (1–2 minutes, MP4, maximum 50 MB), titled only with your application number, explaining why you want to join the programme
How to apply
- Open the official EMABG website (emabg.eu) and read the programme and admission-requirements pages so you understand the study tracks and language rules.
- Choose your three preferred study tracks and write the required study-track letter explaining your choices.
- Record your motivation video and gather all documents — transcripts, passport, residence certificate, CV, recommendation letters and language certificate.
- Register in the EMABG central application database once the application period opens (15 September 2026) and upload every document. This single application covers both programme admission and the Erasmus Mundus scholarship.
- Submit the complete application by 15 January 2027. Do not send applications or documents directly to the partner universities or by email — only submissions through the database are considered, and hard copies should only be sent if the consortium asks for them.
FAQs
15 January 2027 for candidates who want to be considered for the Erasmus Mundus scholarship. Self-paying applicants have later cut-offs: 15 February for non-EU students and 15 April for EU students. The application period opens on 15 September 2026.
Scholarship holders receive a monthly allowance of €1,400, full coverage of participation (tuition) costs at every partner university, and health and accident insurance for the duration of the programme. The award is meant to cover food, accommodation, travel and visa costs across the two years of study.
The consortium has six partners: the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Wageningen University & Research (Netherlands), the University of Göttingen (Germany), AgroParisTech (France), the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna (BOKU, Austria), and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU). You study at two of them in two different countries, following a study track such as NMBU–SLU or NMBU–WUR.
Yes. You can apply with a stamped and signed letter from your university confirming you will graduate in time — by 15 March for non-EU students and by 1 July for EU students. Upload the letter before the application deadline; no exceptions are made.
No. One application in the EMABG central application database is enough — it is assessed for both admission to the master’s programme and the Erasmus Mundus scholarship. The consortium explicitly asks applicants not to submit additional applications to individual consortium members.
Accepted tests are TOEFL iBT (at least 92 overall, minimum 23 in speaking), Academic IELTS (at least 7 overall, minimum 6.5 in speaking), or Cambridge C1 Advanced / C2 Proficiency. Certificates must be no older than two years at the application deadline. Graduates of on-campus English-medium programmes in Australia, Ireland, Canada (except Quebec), New Zealand, the UK or the USA are exempt.
Verified 17 Oct 2026 via emabg.eu (official programme page: full name "European Master in Animal Biodiversity and Genomics", Erasmus Mundus Joint Master, 2-year English course, 3rd-intake window 15 Sep 2026–15 Jan 2027; FAQ: €1,400/month scholarship with participation costs covered, single database application covers programme + scholarship, final-year rules; admission page: BSc 180 ECTS in animal science, TOEFL 92 / IELTS 7 / Cambridge scores, exemption countries), ScholarshipsTab (full six-university consortium list, €1,400 × 24 months, 15 Jan 2027 scholarship deadline), BrightScholarship (15 Jan 2027 deadline, eligibility and documents corroboration)
