MESPOM Erasmus Mundus 2027: Environmental Master's in Europe
Partially funded Master scholarship in Austria for International students 2027
Apply now for a two-year environmental master's taught across Vienna, Lesvos, Lund or Manchester, with fee waivers and living stipends.
Eligibility
- Bachelor's degree of 180 ECTS in a related field
- Strong academic record; successful applicants typically hold a GPA of 3.5 or above
- Other degrees accepted with evidence of environmental commitment
- English proficiency at postgraduate level
- Open to applicants of all countries
- Financial aid considered only in the 7 January 2027 round
MESPOM is one of the oldest environmental master's degrees in Europe, and one of the most widely recommended. It is also the programme where the gap between what aggregator sites claim and what the consortium actually publishes is widest. MESPOM is an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master, but the 2027–2029 call does not promise full Erasmus Mundus scholarships: it offers partial tuition fee waivers and living stipends for outstanding students.
That distinction should shape how you apply. If you need a fully funded place, MESPOM is a partial-funding route and you should plan the rest of the budget. If you can accept a waiver plus a stipend, or you have another funder, it remains one of the best environmental policy degrees in Europe and the financial-aid deadline is 7 January 2027.
What the award actually covers
The published financial aid is a partial tuition fee waiver plus a living stipend, awarded to outstanding applicants. The consortium does not publish a single fixed figure for either element, and you should treat any site that quotes one without a source with suspicion.
What MESPOM does publish is the structure, and the structure is the real value. It is 120 ECTS over 24 months. The first autumn and winter are at Central European University in Vienna. The spring is at the University of the Aegean on Lesvos, Greece. The second autumn is at Lund University in Sweden or the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom. The thesis term can be spent at any consortium partner.
That means three countries and at least three academic cultures in two years, with an internship in the summer supervised by MESPOM faculty and hosted by one of eleven associated partners. For an environmental professional who wants a European network rather than a single-campus degree, that is the proposition.
Who can apply, and the eligibility self-check
MESPOM invites applicants from all countries. The published bar is a good first degree — a bachelor's or equivalent of 180 ECTS — in environmental sciences, policy or management, or in a related field such as natural or social sciences, engineering or management. Candidates from other disciplines are considered if they can show commitment to environmental challenges, usually through voluntary or professional work.
Ask yourself:
Do you hold a 180-ECTS bachelor's degree, and is your record strong? The programme says successful applicants typically have a GPA of 3.5 or above.
If your degree is in another field, can you evidence sustained environmental work — a job, a campaign, a research project?
Can you demonstrate English proficiency at postgraduate level, with a test score where required?
Are you willing to study in three countries in two years, including a term on a Greek island?
Are you applying by 7 January 2027 if you need financial aid? The later deadlines are for self-financing applicants only.
The fifth question is the one that decides your calendar. Financial aid is only considered in the January round.
Deadline and what happens after you submit
There are three deadlines and they apply to different people. 7 January 2027, 23:59 CET, is for anyone applying for financial aid and for applicants from visa-sensitive countries. 15 April 2027 is for self-financing applicants from outside the EU/EEA who need a study visa. 15 July 2027 is for self-financing applicants from the EU/EEA and visa-free countries.
Formal review results are published from 4 February, appeals on formal review run to 28 February, and final decisions and offers appear from 4 April. Interviews are not obligatory; the programme says they are conducted at reviewers' discretion, and being invited is not a signal either way.
How to apply, step by step
Applications are processed by Central European University in Vienna on behalf of the consortium, through CEU's online application system. Start there rather than at a national university portal.
Check the MESPOM-specific eligibility requirements before the CEU checklist, because the programme adds conditions the university does not.
Prepare your degree documents, transcripts and English test, then the motivation letter.
Submit before 7 January if you want financial aid. A complete application also needs the applicable standard test scores.
Documents checklist
Bachelor's degree certificate and transcripts, with the grading scale explained.
English proficiency evidence: TOEFL, IELTS or equivalent, sent through the testing body where required.
A CV covering academic work and any environmental employment or volunteering.
A motivation letter that names the specialisation you want and why.
Two academic references.
A passport copy, and for visa-sensitive nationalities an early start on the Austrian visa file.
Any evidence of environmental commitment if your first degree is in another field.
Common mistakes that cost applicants the award
Assuming MESPOM comes with a full Erasmus Mundus scholarship because it is an Erasmus Mundus programme. The 2027–2029 call offers partial waivers and stipends, and budgeting on the assumption of full funding is the mistake that ends in a withdrawn place.
Applying in April while needing financial aid. Aid is only considered in the January round.
Ignoring the visa-sensitive country list. If your nationality appears on CEU's list, your deadline is January whatever your funding plan.
Writing a general environmental statement. MESPOM is interdisciplinary by design, and the letter has to show you know which discipline you are bringing.
Skipping the English test because your degree was in English. The programme asks all applicants to demonstrate proficiency.
Tips that actually move the needle
Show one concrete environmental problem you have worked on and what you did about it. Policy master's panels reward specificity over enthusiasm.
Match the specialisation to the campus: environment and industry at Lund, pollution control at Manchester, ecosystems and tourism at the Aegean. Say which and why.
If your GPA is below 3.5, use the letter to explain the context and point to your strongest academic work.
Apply in December. The January deadline collides with the end of the European holiday period, and reference letters get slower every week.
Where this fits if you are applying from Afghanistan
Environmental policy is one of the few fields where a degree from a four-country consortium translates directly into work with donors, UN agencies and ministries, and MESPOM's alumni network is unusually strong in exactly those organisations. The funding is partial rather than full, which means the realistic route for an Afghan applicant is MESPOM plus a separate funder — but the January deadline gives you time to line both up in the same winter.
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If you want help working out whether a partial waiver plus stipend is enough for your budget, or a review of your motivation letter before 7 January, an OEAC advisor can go through it with you.
Last updated: 12 November 2026
Source: https://mespom.eu/call-applications-2027-2029
Always confirm the deadline and eligibility on the official page before you apply. Scholarship dates change between rounds, and this listing is a summary — the provider's own page is the authoritative source. OEAC Network lists scholarships for free and is not an agent for any university or funding body.
