The Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters (EMJM) PlantHealth offers scholarships covering 100% of tuition fees, full insurance and mandatory academic costs, plus a stipend of €1,400 per month for up to 24 months. The first call closes on 31 December 2026, and it is the only call with scholarships. At Youth Works Hub, we went through the programme's application, calendar, fee and funding pages and brought every rule together below.
PlantHealth at a Glance
🌱 Programme: European Master Degree in Plant Health in Sustainable Cropping Systems, an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master
📚 Workload: 120 ECTS over two inseparable years (M1 and M2)
👥 Places: up to 30 well-motivated students from all over the world
📍 Locations: Spain, Italy, France and Germany
💶 Scholarship stipend: €1,400 per month for up to 24 months
🗓️ First call: 01 October to 31 December 2026
🗣️ English level: B2 (CEFR)
What the EMJM Scholarship Covers
🧾 Participation costs: 100% of tuition fees, full insurance and mandatory academic costs.
✈️ Monthly stipend: €1,400 for up to 24 months, to support travel, visa, installation and living costs.
The scholarship is open to EU and non-EU students, and additional scholarships are often reserved for students from specific priority regions. If you are new to this type of programme, our guide on what Erasmus Mundus is explains how the joint masters work.
Restrictions on the Scholarship
🔂 One-time limit: you cannot apply if you have previously received an EMJM scholarship.
🚧 No double funding: you cannot receive other EU grants while holding an EMJM scholarship.
📣 First call only: only students applying during the first call can be awarded an Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters scholarship or a PlantHealth Consortium scholarship.
Calendar for the First Call
🟢 Applications open: 01 October 2026
🔴 Applications close: 31 December 2026. The online application must be in before 01 January, 00:00 (CET).
📋 List of accepted candidates published: end of February 2027.
🏆 List of candidates awarded an EU-funded EMJM scholarship, and list of candidates eligible to register as self-funded students, published: end of February 2027.
The Second Round for Self-Funded Candidates
A second round runs from 20 May to 15 June 2027. It is only for self-funded candidates or candidates with external funds, and no Erasmus Mundus scholarships are offered in it.
There is only one selection procedure for the first and second years of the programme. If selected, students are admitted to both M1 and M2, which are inseparable.
Admission Requirements
🌾 Degree: an awarded Bachelor of Science degree (180 ECTS) in Agronomy / Agricultural Sciences or related fields. 180 ECTS is usually equal to a three-year full-time undergraduate degree.
🪴 Subject background: at least 4 ECTS in Plant Health or Crop Protection, or equivalent.
🔠 English: proof of English proficiency at B2 level (CEFR), unless English is your native language. A letter from your university confirming that your bachelor's degree was fully taught in English is also accepted, although including a language certificate is an asset to the application.
📨 Complete application: including two reference letters on the official PlantHealth reference template, available in the online application portal.
Applying in the Final Year of Your Bachelor's
The awarded BSc degree must be in hand at the time of enrolment, but the consortium accepts applications from students in the last year of their first higher education degree. If you are in your final year, follow the instructions in the "Guidelines for applicants" and the FAQs when submitting your application.
Pre-Acceptance and Enrolment Paperwork
Pre-acceptance is conditional on meeting the requirements of the different partner universities for enrolment at Master's level. To confirm your registration you may need to provide legalised copies of your degree and transcript of records, legal translations by a sworn translator and similar documents.
This documentation is not required at application stage, so you do not need to pay for these steps until you are pre-accepted. The programme states that it will inform candidates well in advance about the requirements and the documents to provide.
Mandatory Documents to Upload
📄 Curriculum Vitae: no specific format is required, but the Europass format is recommended. Our Europass CV guide walks through how to create one.
🎓 Certificate of degree: copy of the degrees obtained, with official seal. If you also hold an MSc and/or PhD, submit a copy of all degrees obtained.
📑 Transcript of records: copy of the complete transcripts of the previous degrees obtained, such as the BSc transcript and the MSc transcript if applicable.
🏅 Language certificate: if your first language is not English, upload an English language certificate.
✉️ Two recommendation letters: on the official PlantHealth Recommendation Letter Template, available for download in the online application portal. Completed letters must include the referee's contact details, signature and the official stamp of their institution or company.
🖊️ Declaration on honour: the template is in the "Documents Upload" section of your online application.
Optional Supporting Documents
You can also add other documents relevant to the evaluation of your application, such as publications or proof of refugee status.
Accepted English Language Certificates
The minimum is B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. The most commonly accepted certificates are:
🇬🇧 IELTS (International English Language Testing System)
🖥️ TOEFL iBT (Internet-Based Test)
🏛️ Cambridge English Qualifications (CAE / CPE / FCE)
🎭 ISE (Trinity College London Integrated Skills in English)
🎧 ESOL (Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking)
🔵 OTE (Oxford Test of English)
🟣 PTE (Pearson Test of English)
If your BSc studies were conducted fully in English, a letter from your university stating that English was the medium of instruction is accepted instead, although a language certificate will help strengthen the application.
Choosing Your Mobility Scheme
Applicants also have to state their preferred mobility scheme, meaning the universities they want to attend, in line with the options of the degree. While trying to respect your preferences, the PlantHealth Board will assign you an academic pathway subject to several factors, such as even distribution amongst partner universities and academic profile, so it may not be your preferred option.
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How to Apply: The Online Application Form
Self-funded candidates and scholarship applicants use the same online system, which guides you automatically through the process. Before starting, read the "Guidelines for applicants" document, which contains detailed information about the procedure.
👤 Create a new user by choosing a username and password and indicating your email address.
🔡 Fill in the application form in English, along with all attached documents, unless otherwise indicated for specific documents in the "documents upload" section, so that all host institutions can analyse your proposal.
🧐 Before you start, make sure you have all the certificates and language skills required to attend the programme.
🗃️ Attach everything on the document list, including translations. Incomplete applications will not be taken into consideration.
📭 No document may be sent by post or email at this stage.
🔄 If you submit more than one application, the system automatically considers the most recent one.
🔔 You will receive an automatic email after submission, confirming that your application was successfully sent.
The application process is very selective, and only the best candidates are admitted. Our guide on writing a scholarship motivation letter can help you prepare your wider scholarship materials.
Participation Fees for Self-Funded Students
The programme lists these participation costs for Intake 11 (2026-28), with payment due before the start of each academic year:
🇪🇺 EU/EEA/Swiss citizens: €4,500 per academic year
🌐 Non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizens: €5,500 per academic year
To graduate, students must pass all courses within the 120-ECTS programme. Fees for repeating a course or re-sitting an exam are set by the specific host institution and are not included in the first payment.
What Participation Fees Include
🩺 Health and accident insurance during the whole academic period
🪪 Registration as a regular student of the partner universities
🎒 Tuition fees
💬 Language courses at each university
💻 An e-Learning module
🔬 Access to library and laboratories
🛂 Student management, services and activities, and support in visa application procedures
🧭 Initial Orientation Week for all PlantHealth students
🎤 Registration and participation in the Final PlantHealth Conference
📜 All other academic and administrative fees, such as degree issuing from the two partner universities attended, access fee and recognition fees
🚌 Participation in the M1 field trip
What Participation Fees Do Not Include
🍽️ Living expenses
🚆 Travel costs
🛃 Visa costs
🏠 Accommodation costs
Other Funding Inside the Programme
Besides the EMJM scholarship, the programme lists the following funding opportunities:
♿ Special Needs Support: financial assistance for essential costs such as personal aid, adaptations or transport, required for a student with special needs to participate. You must request it and provide the necessary documentation before the programme begins.
🏵️ PlantHealth Consortium scholarships: outstanding EU and non-EU candidates may receive a fee waiver based on the quality of their application and the availability of funds. Submit a complete application during the first call to apply. These scholarships do not cover travel, accommodation or living expenses, and they can be combined with other financial support or scholarships.
🔁 Erasmus+ mobility grant for Year 2: self-funded students of any nationality can apply for this non-means-tested grant in their second year, worth approximately €350 per month plus approximately €300 as a travel grant, varying by destination. It is meant to assist with additional costs and is not sufficient to cover essential living expenses such as rent or food.
🏘️ UNIPD Regional Scholarships (Veneto): students with a UNIPD M2 can apply for regional funding. Benefits vary according to family income and may include tuition fee exemptions, living allowances and reduced-price accommodation or meals.
🗺️ UNIPD Joint Programme Scholarships: second-year students can apply for funding to cover the costs of their fourth semester spent outside Italy. Availability and amounts depend on annual funding.
🏭 Paid internships during the Master Thesis: students conducting their thesis within a company may receive a monthly stipend from their employer, a common practice in countries such as France and Germany.
🏦 Erasmus+ Master Degree Loans: EU-guaranteed loans with favourable repayment terms, requiring no collateral from students or parents, with better interest rates than standard market rates and a grace period of up to two years after graduation to find work before repayments begin.
External Funding: Where the Programme Suggests Looking
Applicants are encouraged to search for external funding as early as possible, including scholarships from public and private entities and private funding from companies and international organizations of the plant health sector.
🔍 EU funding search: European Funding Guide, Euraxess
🕸️ Global search engines: ScholarshipPortals, Scholarshipset, Grants.at, GlobalScholarships, Scholarship-Positions, Scholarship Roar, IEFA (International Financial Aid), Becas Sin Fronteras
🤝 Students from developing countries: Scholarships for Development, World Bank (JJ/WBGSP)
🌽 Students focusing on agriculture science: IRRI (International Rice Research Institute), FundsforNGOs Agriculture, Agrarian opportunities, ITTO Fellowship
National Funding for European Applicants
The programme lists these sources for European applicants and those wishing to study in the EU:
🏧 EU: Skills & Education Guarantee (EIF)
🇧🇪 Belgium: ARES
🇩🇰 Denmark, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Netherlands: public student support systems, namely Denmark's SU, Germany's BAföG, Sweden's CSN, Norway's Lånekassen, Finland's Kela and the Netherlands' DUO
🇪🇪 Estonia: TalTech & Estonian Student Fund
🇫🇷 France: France Excellence Europa, Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF), Fondation AgroParisTech, Saclay Plant Sciences (SPS), France Diplomacy (Ministry of Foreign Affairs), Campus Bourses
🇩🇪 Germany: DAAD scholarships
🇮🇹 Italy: MAECI
🇸🇮 Slovenia: SKLAD
🇪🇸 Spain: Fundación Carolina
National Funding for Applicants From the Americas
🇦🇷 Argentina: BEC.AR
🇧🇴 Bolivia: Ministerio de Educación
🇨🇱 Chile: ANID
🇨🇴 Colombia: COLFUTURO, ICETEX
🇪🇨 Ecuador: SENESCYT
🇸🇻 El Salvador: ESCO
🇬🇹 Guatemala: GuateFuturo
🇭🇳 Honduras: HonduFuturo
🇲🇽 Mexico: CONAHCYT, FUNED, FIDERH
🇵🇦 Panama: SENACYT, IFARHU
🇵🇪 Peru: PRONABEC
🇩🇴 Dominican Republic: MESCYT
🌎 Americas: Organization of American States (OAS)
🌅 Ibero-America: Universia (Santander)
🇺🇸 USA: Fulbright Program, FEA (Fund for Education Abroad), AIFS Abroad
🇨🇦 Canada: Canadian Centennial Scholarship Fund
National Funding for Asian and African Applicants
🇨🇳 China: China Scholarship Council (CSC)
🇮🇳 India: Charpak scholarship, Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation
🇮🇩 Indonesia: LPDP
🌏 Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Egypt, Syria: Aga Khan Foundation (AKF)
🇵🇭 Philippines: DOST-SEI
🇹🇼 Taiwan: Taiwan Ministry of Education (MOE)
🥖 French-speaking African countries: Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF)
🌄 Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda: Aga Khan Foundation (AKF)
🇿🇦 South Africa: FirstRand Laurie Dippenaar Scholarship
🦁 All Africa: Mastercard Foundation Scholars
Data Protection Note
The European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), in the context of managing the Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters, collects and processes the personal data of some candidates. In particular, certain data of scholarship holders and non-scholarship holders is shared with the Agency and treated according to its privacy statement.
You can find more funded study routes in the scholarships section of Youth Works Hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is the Erasmus Mundus PlantHealth scholarship?
The EMJM scholarship covers 100% of tuition fees, full insurance and mandatory academic costs. It also pays a stipend of €1,400 per month for up to 24 months, to support travel, visa, installation and living costs.
Can I get a scholarship if I apply in the second round?
No. The second round, from 20 May to 15 June 2027, is only for self-funded candidates or candidates with external funds. Only first-call applicants can be awarded an Erasmus Mundus scholarship or a PlantHealth Consortium scholarship.
Can I apply before I finish my bachelor's degree?
Yes, if you are in the last year of your first higher education degree. The awarded BSc must be in hand at the time of enrolment, and final-year students should follow the instructions in the "Guidelines for applicants" and the FAQs.
Which subjects do I need for admission?
You need a BSc of 180 ECTS in Agronomy / Agricultural Sciences or related fields. It must include at least 4 ECTS in Plant Health or Crop Protection, or equivalent.
Do I need an English certificate if I studied in English?
Not necessarily. A letter from your university stating that your BSc was conducted fully in English is accepted, although a language certificate will strengthen your application. The required level is B2 (CEFR) unless English is your native language.
Can I choose the universities I attend?
You state your preferred mobility scheme in the application, but the PlantHealth Board assigns the final academic pathway. It considers factors such as even distribution amongst partner universities and your academic profile, so it may differ from your preference.
Can I apply if I already held an Erasmus Mundus scholarship?
No. You cannot apply if you have previously received an EMJM scholarship. You also cannot receive other EU grants while holding one.
What does the programme cost without a scholarship?
Participation costs listed for Intake 11 (2026-28) are €4,500 per academic year for EU/EEA/Swiss citizens and €5,500 per academic year for other citizens. Living, travel, visa and accommodation costs are not included.
Deadline
⏳ 31 December 2026
Links
🔗 Online application form: https://www.planthealth.upv.es/user/create_applicant
📅 Calendar and deadlines: https://www.planthealth.upv.es/web/apply/calendar-deadlines/
🧷 Application procedure: https://www.planthealth.upv.es/web/apply/application-procedure/
🪙 Financial support: https://www.planthealth.upv.es/web/apply/financial-support/
🏷️ Participation fees: https://www.planthealth.upv.es/web/apply/participation-fees/
