TERRA Erasmus Mundus 2027 — Earthen Architecture Master's
Fully funded Master scholarship in Portugal for International students 2027
A new Erasmus Mundus master's in earthen architecture across four countries, with EU scholarships in the first call only. Apply by 15 January 2027.
Eligibility
- Degree in civil engineering, architecture or an equivalent qualification
- Bachelor's of at least 240 ECTS, or bachelor's and master's totalling 300 ECTS
- 300 ECTS mandatory for tracks including the Florence partner
- TOEFL iBT 72 or IELTS 6.5 for applicants from non-English-speaking countries
- Two recommendation letters, a Europass CV and a motivation letter of 1,500 to 3,500 characters
- Residence proof issued within 12 months required in the first call
TERRA is the European Master in Earthen Architecture and Construction, a two-year Erasmus Mundus Joint Master that treats earth, the oldest building material on the planet, as a modern engineering problem. Four universities in Portugal, Spain, France and Italy deliver it, and the 2027-2028 edition is only the programme's second. For the first call, which closes on 15 January 2027, students of all nationalities can apply for both Erasmus Mundus and consortium scholarships.
What it covers
The Erasmus Mundus scholarships are available only in the first call, and the programme says so in bold. That single sentence reorganises the whole application calendar: if you apply in the second call in April or the third in June, you are applying for a place and possibly a consortium scholarship, not for the EU-funded award. Candidates seeking EU funding therefore have one realistic window.
Tuition for the two years is EUR 9,000, covering registration, administrative support, access to university facilities, case studies, the dissertation defence and health insurance. Living costs are not included, and the programme publishes realistic monthly estimates so that you can budget honestly: about EUR 650 in Guimarães, 700 in Valencia, 1,000 in Lyon and 950 in Florence, with accommodation typically adding 300 to 600 a month. This is a programme that would rather you did the arithmetic before you accept than discover it in the second semester.
Three compulsory mobility periods are built in — coursework mobility, an integration week funded by the consortium, and dissertation mobility — so the four countries are not a menu. The consortium also commits to a minimum of 35 per cent female participation across its five editions, reserves 5 per cent of all grants for students with special educational needs, and uses gender balance as the deciding criterion between equally ranked candidates.
Who can apply
The academic requirement is a degree in civil engineering, architecture or an equivalent qualification, with a specific credit floor: a bachelor's of at least 240 ECTS, typically four years, or bachelor's and master's degrees totalling 300 ECTS, typically five years. The 300 ECTS route is mandatory for every student whose mobility track includes the Florence partner, so the credit total can decide not just your eligibility but your possible itinerary.
English proficiency must be demonstrated by applicants from non-English-speaking countries, with TOEFL paper 525, TOEFL iBT 72, IELTS Academic 6.5 or another recognised certificate accepted. That is a moderate threshold compared with research-intensive programmes, and it reflects a course that is practical as much as theoretical.
Run this self-check. Does my degree total 240 ECTS or more, and can I document the credit conversion? If my track would include Florence, do I reach 300? Is my first degree in civil engineering, architecture or a field I can argue is equivalent, with transcripts showing structures, materials or construction coursework? Do I have English evidence at the published level? Can I provide two recommendation letters, a Europass CV and a motivation letter of 1,500 to 3,500 characters? Can I obtain a proof of residence issued within twelve months of the deadline, which the first call requires? And is a deposit of EUR 250, refunded on registration, something I can pay if selected? The residence proof catches applicants from the first call every year because it is the one document nobody expects.
Applicants who will not have finished their degree by the deadline can still apply: the programme accepts candidates expecting to graduate by 31 July 2027, with admission conditional on submitting the official certificate by that date.
The deadline
The first call closes on 15 January 2027. The top 60 candidates are notified by 15 February, interviews run 22 to 26 February, and admission decisions come by 5 March 2027. The second call closes on 15 April with interviews in early May, and the third, if opened, closes on 15 June with decisions by 25 June 2027.
How to apply
Applications go through the consortium's own form, available on the applications page, and the documentation is extensive: a motivation letter, a Europass CV, degree certificates and diplomas, transcripts including grades and course syllabi, English certificates, work-experience certificates where relevant, two recommendation letters submitted through the portal, the residence proof for the first call, and documentation of special educational needs if applicable.
https://msc-terra.org/applications/
The course syllabi requirement is the one that takes longest for applicants outside Europe, because many universities do not publish module descriptions in a form that can be attached. Start collecting them months before the deadline rather than weeks, and ask your department for the official descriptions rather than writing summaries yourself.
Tips to win
The selection is a two-stage process: academic evaluation of your curriculum, then an interview with the highest-ranked candidates. The academic evaluation covers previous studies and their content, the quality of the awarding institution, professional experience, recommendation letters, the motivation letter and any publications or awards. Interviews are by videoconference, and the consortium invites a maximum of five to seven applicants per country, so being the strongest applicant from your country matters alongside being strong in absolute terms.
Write about a building you know. Earthen construction is a field where a single project can carry an application — a house that cracked, a school that failed, a tradition of building that is being lost because nobody can price it. The motivation letter has room for that story and the technical reflection on it, which is more persuasive than a general statement about sustainability.
Common mistakes
Applying in the second call while expecting Erasmus Mundus funding. Missing the residence proof, which is required only in the first call and therefore easy to overlook. Not checking whether the Florence track's 300 ECTS rule applies to your preferred itinerary. Assuming the EUR 250 deposit is a fee rather than a refundable reservation. And failing to attach course syllabi, which the consortium needs to assess content rather than titles.
An OEAC advisor can check your credit total against the 240 and 300 ECTS thresholds and review the motivation letter before the January deadline. Ask the advisory team for a review, particularly if your degree title does not obviously read as civil engineering or architecture.
Other scholarships worth comparing on OEAC Network:
https://www.oeacnetwork.com/index.php?page=post&id=18 https://www.oeacnetwork.com/index.php?page=post&id=82 https://www.oeacnetwork.com/index.php?page=post&id=74
An OEAC advisor can check your credit total against the 240 and 300 ECTS thresholds and review the motivation letter. Ask the advisory team for a review.
Last updated: 26 October 2026. Source: https://msc-terra.org/applications/
Photo: Asublif — CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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.
