Admission requirements

Photo credits: Abhushan Gautam.

In order to be admitted to the Erasmus Mundus Journalism Programme, applicants are required to fulfill the requirements listed in the boxes below.

As we receive between 400 and 500 applications each year, and as we can only admit 80-90 applicants, all applications are also evaluated in relation to specific selection criteria.

Requirements for admission to the Mundus Journalism programme:

A bachelor's degree within a relevant field of study

When commencing the Mundus Journalism programme by the 1st of September, students must have completed a bachelor's degree in a relevant subject. The BA degree must be a degree approved by both Aarhus University and by the university chosen for the second-year studies*. Applicants who have not yet graduated from their BA degree at the time of application, can, however, still apply. 

All applicants need to include a transcript of records of all the courses completed within the application package. Applicants who have received their BA certificate must include this as well. Applicants who are yet to graduate, must forward documentation of a bachelor's degree to Aarhus University no later than the 1st of August to complete the enrolment process prior to course start.

Subjects within bachelor's programmes in Arts/Humanities and Social Sciences are by default considered to be relevant. Applicants who have completed other programmes, but whose qualifications are deemed by the Consortium to be relevant and adequate, may also be offered admission.

To ensure that the best candidates are admitted, the Consortium has decided to give priority to academic merit; candidates will only be admitted if they have an above-average bachelor’s degree (a minimum of an above-average class mark/GPA is expected).

*Students holding a Bachelor degree from China, India and Vietnam need to present an APS Certificate for admission to LMU Munich. APS Certificates are issued by the Cultural Departments of the German Embassy in Beijing and Shanghai and the Academic Evaluation Centers in Hanoi and New Delhi.

Documentation of your English skills if you are not a native English speaker

The Erasmus Mundus Journalism programme is taught in English. Students must therefore be able to read academic textbooks and articles, take part in classroom discussions and lectures, and undertake written work and exams in English. Hence, we require a high command of English.

We require evidence of English language proficiency if you are not a native English speaker*. We only accept the tests listed below, as they reflect some of the essential features of academic language and thereby assesses whether you are ready to study in an English language environment. Due to visa regulations the test cannot be older than 2 years when the visa is issued.

Language tests

  • IELTS Academic test (on paper) with a band score of 7,0 and a minimum score of 6.0 in each category** We also accept the so-called 'Computer-delivered IELTS-test/IELTS on computer'. We do NOT accept the Global IELTS indicator
  • TOEFL test with a score of at least 100***. We also accept the TOEFL iBT Home Edition (internet based)
  • Cambridge ESOL exams: Certificate of Proficiency (CPE) or Certificate in Advanced English with at least 190 points on the Cambridge English-scale**** 

*  We consider applicants to be native English speakers if they come from any of these countries: Antigua and Barbuda; Australia; The Bahamas; Barbados; Belize; Canada; Dominica; Grenada; Guyana; Ireland; Jamaica; New Zealand; St Kitts and Nevis; St Lucia; St Vincent and the Grenadines; Trinidad and Tobago; the UK or the USA.

** Before taking the IELTS test you must select Aarhus University as receiver of your IELTS test results. The IELTS report should be scanned in a high-quality resolution and be included within the application package.

*** Before taking the TOEFL test you must select Aarhus University as receiver of your TOEFL test results. Aarhus University TOEFL-code is 8935. Failure to do so may result in a rejection of your TOEFL test results. If you have already taken the test, please contact the test centre in order for them to add Aarhus University’s TOEFL-code 8935 to your test. The TOEFL report should be scanned in a high-quality resolution and be included within the application package.

**** If you take a Cambridge ESOL exam, please share your results with Aarhus University through the Candidate Results Website (candidates.cambridgeenglish.org). You log on by using your ‘Candidate ID’ and ‘Secret Number’, which you get from the test center. Failure to share your test results through the Candidate Results Website may result in a rejection of your Cambridge ESOL test results. The Cambridge report should be scanned in a high-quality resolution and be included within the application package.

Applying for a language test exemption

If you are not a national of any of the countries mentioned above but you consider yourself a native speaker, you can apply for an exemption from the language test. However, please be aware that there is no guarantee that an exemption will be granted.  
Please note that applicants who have a bachelor's degree in English language and/or English literature from a non-English speaking country are not exempt from submitting an English language test.

To apply for an exemption you will need to include the following documents within your application package:

  1. A Language Test Exemption Letter: In this letter, you must state your reasons for applying for a waiver of the English language test. The request should explicitly describe the reasons why you should be regarded as native speaker.
  2. Documentation of your native English language level by either:
    • Formal Statement if you have studied in an English-taught BA programme: This statement must confirm that the curriculum of your Bachelor’s programme was completely English-taught and it must be signed by the educational administration department, dean or examinations’ board.
    • Other relevant documentation of your English skills

At least 3 months of journalistic experience

Due to the nature of Mundus Journalism programme, journalistic skills are required prior to course start, hence we ask for at least 3 months’ journalistic experience.

While there is no formal bar on applicants with related experience – such as, for example, writing news for government departments or press offices of non-governmental organizations – such applicants should bear in mind that the application process is extremely competitive. Applicants with more conventional journalistic experience may therefore be offered places ahead of those who lack it. However, we acknowledge that journalistic experience may take many forms. Hence "traditional" journalistic experience (composing stories for a published media outlet) is not the only accepted form of experience.
 
Since the consortium will evaluate your application as a whole, we cannot answer questions regarding the sufficiency of your specific experience beforehand. Our best recommendation is for you to give it a shot, send us an application, and make sure to elaborate on the relevance of your experience.

You are also welcome to give it a shot if your experience comes from an internship, however as noted above, applicants with more (conventional) journalistic experience may be offered places ahead of those who lack it. 

We need documentation (such as a contract, paychecks, or a reference from a professional journalist – preferably your former or current editor-in-chief) on how your experience equals (at least) three-months of full time journalism experience.