Admission

We select for students with at least 180 ECTS of prior higher education. This should have been obtained by a three-year bachelor programme, or by a bachelor programme, followed by a master programme.

Students are only eligible to enter the selection process if they hold one of the following degrees:

Degree in Criminology
Preference will be given to students with a background in Criminology

Other degrees
Applicants with other degrees than Criminology, in one of the other Social Sciences or Humanities or Law are eligible on the condition that the holder a) can demonstrate knowledge of questions of deviance and social control, and b) can demonstrate sufficient knowledge of both qualitative and quantitative research methods.

Experience shows that we receive lot of applications for EMJM scholarships but not particularly for out programme  . Before sending your application we strongly urge you to check the above eligibility criteria.

Eligible students for a EMJM scholarship are those who have not obtained prior EMJM scholarship.

For holders of a bachelor’s diploma in Social Sciences or Humanities or Law, the candidates’ knowledge of research methods is assessed based on course descriptions of completed bachelor courses, according to the following criteria:

Qualitative and quantitative research methods

• Demonstrate sufficient knowledge of the strengths, limitations and ethical concerns of both qualitative and quantitative research methods.
• Demonstrate sufficient knowledge of formulating theoretically and empirically embedded research questions.
• Demonstrate sufficient knowledge of different research designs and research methods that are appropriate for answering different research questions.
• Demonstrate sufficient knowledge of and basic skills in analysing quantitative and qualitative data.
• Demonstrate basic experience in formulating a theoretically and empirically embedded scientific argument.

To assess this, we ask you to motivate how your courses of prior education cover the above. Make a distinction between qualitative and quantitative courses. Your application must be accompanied with a self-report on your research skills. The template for the self report can be found here.

Criminological knowledge

• Demonstrate knowledge of questions of deviance and social control

To assess this, we ask you to motivate how your criminological/ sociological courses of prior education cover the above.

All students must show evidence of proficiency in English. This should take the form of:

• a minimum IELTS (International English LanguageTesting System; www.ielts.org) a minimum score of 7.0 overall with a minimum of 6.5 in each component or
• a minimum TOEFL IBT (Test Of English as a Foreign Language; www.ets.org/toefl) scores of 90 for the internet-based test with a minimum of 22 in R; 21 in W; 17 in L; 20 in S;

IELTS and TOEFL test results must not be older than two years. Institutional TOEFL test scores are not accepted. Other tests are not accepted.

Exceptions to the English proficiency test are:

• Previous education (min. 2 years) completed in one of the following native speaking countries and nationality from one of these 6 countries: Australia, Canada (except Quebec), Ireland, New Zealand, UK, USA. Evidence Required: Secondary School Diploma, or proof of enrolment at a University in these countries;
• For the below, the diploma must have been completed within the last five years. For European diplomas, English must be part of the final exam, with an overall average of at least 70%:
  • International Baccalaureate Diploma: with English A (HL or SL 4 or higher), English B (HL 4 or higher)
  • European Baccalaureate: with English as L1 or L2 with a minimum of 7.0 (not with L3)
  • The Netherlands: VWO
  • Belgium: ASO (in the Flemish and German-speaking part of Belgium)
  • Germany: Zeugnis der Allgemeinen Hochschulreife (Abitur; English either completed as a final examination subject or taken up to and including the final year; grade required: 11 or higher)
  • Norway: Vitnemal
  • Sweden: Slutbetyg
  • Finland: Ylioppilastuskintotodistus / Studentexamensbevis
  • Iceland: Studentprof
  • Denmark: Studentereksamen
  • Switzerland: Maturität (in the German speaking part of Switzerland)
  • Austria: Maturazeugnis
  • France: Option Internationale du Baccalauréat (Anglo-American section)
  • Singapore: Completed prior education in Singapore (with O-level English First Language (Examining authority Cambridge, not Singapore) or A-level English Language/ Literature (Examining authority Cambridge, not Singapore), or at least 2 years of BA education in Singapore.
  • South Africa: National Senior Certificate (NSC) with English Home Language

During your application, the following questions must be answered:

• What is your personal ambition and how does IMARC fit in this/these ambition(s)?
  (maximum 250 words)
• Give a motivation for your preferred track in the second semester (Rotterdam, Ghent, Málaga, London) and connect this with your research ambitions. (maximum 150 words)
• Give a motivation for your second preference for your track.  (maximum 100 words)
• What is your personal criminological interests and future direction? (maximum 100 words)

Your motivation statement should indicate why you choose IMARC, the specialization track and how this relates to your background and/or what your objectives are for the future. We urge you not to use AI, this will influence your ranking. Moreover, it will be detected during the interviews we plan randomly with our applicants.

During your application, the following questions must be answered:

• Give an example of an assignment in which you applied knowledge and skills in quantitative and qualitative empirical research. (Research question, type of data used, how you collected the data, which techniques you used for analysing the data). (maximum 200 words)
• Explain your knowledge on criminological aspects and connect this with your affinity with the IMARC themes: border crossing, security and social control. Demonstrate your knowledge of questions of deviance and social control. (maximum 200 words)

Your application must be accompanied by these English written or translated documents:

• Academic transcript of grades including an explanation of the grading system and copies of university degrees (both original and certified translation if the language isn’t English).
• A recent and updated CV with education background, work experiences, research background and details on internships.
• Two letters of reference from persons in a position to judge the applicant’s professional and/or academic abilities: for the degree programmes, at least one of these references should be provided by the most recent academic institute attended by the applicant. If needed, these letters can also be send separately to [email protected], with the name of the applicant in the reference.
• A recent (max 2 years) statement of proficiency in English. You can indicate your exemption during the application.

Tuition fee:

• EEA/EU students: € 6.000,= per year.
• Non-EEA/EU students: € 12,000,= per year.

Citizenship

EU students are from EU Member States and third countries associated to the Programme. See FAQ for a list of countries.

All other applicants are considered as “non-European” students for application purposes.

Double citizenship
Applicants with a dual citizenship can apply with either citizenship but must choose one application category. It is not possible to apply as both “European” and “non-European” student at the same time and the category may also not be changed after the application has been submitted.

The deadline for scholarship applications is 15 March.

Find out what best fits your situation,

More practical information at the student service centre https://www.eur.nl/en/education/practical-matters/contact or immigration: [email protected]

Scholarships will be awarded based on merit, established by the ranking of all applicants who submitted their application complete and within the period of 1 February 2025 until 31 March 2025.

There are two categories of scholarships. No distinction is made between applicants from EU and non-EU countries when awarding scholarships in category 1.

For category 2, scholarships are reserved for the best students from specific target regions of the Erasmus+ programme (IPA III and NDICI).

The scholarships are awarded as follows:

1. Approximately 10 scholarships per year for the best applicants in the overall ranking
2. Additional 5 scholarships per year for applicants from designated target regions of the Erasmus+ programme.

Within the funding period of 6 years, there is a maximum of 10% of students of the same nationality who may receive a scholarship in category 1 (approximately 1-2 students of the same nationality). For category 2, there are percentage targets for the number of scholarships awarded for different regions. Here we particularly, but not exclusively, invite applications from excellent students from the Sub-Saharan Africa region and the Western Balkans (Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo).

We also may offer financial support for students with special needs (e.g. pre-existing medical, physical, psychological impairments) from funds of the European Commission. Students interested in this opportunity must come up with a detailed overview of the needed support and envisioned costs.

If you are interested in applying for the scholarship and have not received an EMJM scholarship from any other EMJM-programmes before, please indicate your interest in your application and motivation letter.

You can send you application between 1 February 2026 and 15 March 2026 with all required documents via the webform. All applications before 1 February or after 15 March will be evaluated as self-paying applications.

If you are interested in applying for the scholarship and have not received an EMJM scholarship from any other EMJM-programmes before, and your admission is between 1 February and 15 March, you  automatically apply for the Erasmus Mundus scholarship. You do not have to upload a separate scholarship application.

EMJM applications between 1 February 2026 and 15 March 2026. 

After 15 March, the application is open to self funding students. Non-EEA students can apply until 30 April and EEA students can apply until 30 June. 

The IMARC consortium will provide all IMARC students with health and travel insurance coverage over the whole period of the IMARC academic programme.

Students benefit from a health and accident insurance scheme and cover its costs. The scheme takes effect from when the students start their journey to participate in the master course (maximum two months before the start of the master course) and until at least two months after the end of the studies (end of the course, unless the student leaves earlier).The cover include:

• sickness, pregnancy/childbirth and accident, in particular:
  – direct payment of hospital stays
  – reimbursement of outpatient care and other medical expenses
  – 100% cover for doctor’s fees, medicines, examinations and analyses prescribed by a physician, urgent dental care following an accident, all hospital expenses and surgical fees (including advances on hospital expenses), repatriation in the event of serious illness or accident
  – costs for urgent dental care without accident up to 250 EUR per year
  – non-permanent and non-chronic mental disorders
  – pregnancies of less than 6 months (at the moment of departure from the home country to participate in the action) may not be excluded from cover death (whether attributable to the activities under the action or not and covering all cases, including suicide), in particular:
  – transport of the mortal remains to the place chosen by the deceased’s family
  – funeral and laying-out costs
  – costs of the coffin
• permanent invalidity (whether attributable to the activities under the action or not), in particular partial or full permanent disability resulting from an accident
• third party liability occasioned by physical or material damage to third parties (as provided for under the applicable national law)
• theft and loss of personal belongings, in particular:
  – identification documents (identity card, passport, etc.)
  – travel tickets
  – luggage

For the entire enrolment period (including mobility periods and  worldwide travel required for the participation in the master course)

When going to the  UK (Middlesex track) students need to pay an immigration health surcharge (IHS) as part of their online immigration application. Whether you need to pay depends on the immigration status you’re applying for.

• Short stay visa: maximum 6 months
• Long term visa: 1,5 years

More information on visa and immigration: Visas and immigration – GOV.UK

You need to pay a healthcare surcharge if you’re applying for a visa or immigration application:

• for more than 6 months, if you’re applying outside the UK
• for any length of time, if you’re applying inside the UK

More information on the health insurance: Pay for UK healthcare as part of your immigration application: Who needs to pay – GOV.UK

• Information for prospective non-EU students and the immigration procedure and Immigration costs.
• Information about changing or extending your residence permit.
• Information about the conditions, rules and regulations to retain your residence permit.
• Information about what to do when you arrive in the Netherlands.
• Information about what to do when you graduate or want to leave the Netherlands.

Apply for IMARC | Erasmus School of Law | Erasmus University Rotterdam

In case the decision of the selection committee was negative, you can appeal to this decision with writing a statement within 7 days after the informed decision. As mentioned on our website: Students are only eligible to enter the selection process if they hold one of the following degrees:

• Degree in Criminology: Preference will be given to students with a background in Criminology
• Other degrees: Applicants with other degrees than Criminology, in one of the other Social Sciences or Humanities or Law  are eligible on the condition that the holder a) can demonstrate knowledge of questions of deviance and social control, and b) can demonstrate sufficient knowledge of both qualitative and quantitative research methods.

In your appeal you must motivate that your Bachelor of Science degree is one of the above/ Additionally, make sure you motivate and explain in more detail your knowledge in criminology and research techniques and how you think this fulfills the minimal requirements of our programme. Especially your lack of research techniques makes you not eligible for IMARC. Check the website for our minimal requirements before you appeal.

You can send your motivation and additional documents to [email protected].