Frequently Asked Questions. Student´s Section.
Thank you for your interest in GEMMA! We encourage you to read carefully the information about our programme, about the Erasmus Mundus scholarships, and about the eligibility of the candidates, available here.
2. When will the next call for applications be open?
3. What is the Erasmus Mundus scholarship and what does it cover?
7. Do I have to provide proof of knowledge of all Consortium languages (English, Spanish, Italian)?
8. What are the requirements with regards to language certificates?
9. How do I submit my application?
11. I have not graduated yet – can I still apply?
12. What is the average grade certificate?
13. Is there any specific template for recommendation letters?
14. Is it necessary to translate the documents?
15. Should I legalize my BA diploma?
16. Should I send my documents through ordinary post?
17. Are all mobility combinations available?
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1. What is GEMMA?
Erasmus Mundus Master´s Degree in Women´s and Gender Studies - GEMMA - is a postgraduate program that consists of two years of study (120 ECTS) and is taken in 2 out of 7 prestigious European universities that participate in the Consortium. One will be your Home University, from where you start and complete the first year of study, and the second will be the Mobility University, where you complete your compulsory mobility period in the third semester (second year of study). The minimum number of credits to be acquired during the mobility is 30 ECTS, and you also have the possibility to spend your thesis writing period in the Mobility University.
2. When will the next call for applications be open?
You can apply to our programme in two modalities: for participation with an Erasmus Mundus scholarship or for participation as a self-financing student (in this second case you may want to search for a different scholarship). The call for applications for participation in the 6th edition of our programme (2012-2014) with the Erasmus Mundus scholarship will be open approximately from November 2011 till the end of December 2011, while the application period for participation as a self-financing student will be open in March and April 2012. Please visit GEMMA´s website regularly, as we will be updating information on the exact dates for application.
3. What is the Erasmus Mundus scholarship and what does it cover?
Erasmus Mundus scholarships are offered as part of the worldwide cooperation and mobility programme in the field of higher education Erasmus Mundus, funded and managed by the European Commission. Scholarships offered in GEMMA belong to Action 1strand of Erasmus Mundus and are destined to cover some of the expenses students incur throughout their study period. Each scholarship is strictly linked to a placement in the programme and can only be offered for the entire duration of GEMMA, which is 2 years. Scholarships are assigned by the European Commission to candidates selected by the GEMMA Selection Committee on the basis of CVs, study and academic merits, motivation, recommendations, language skills, etc. One person can only get one Erasmus Mundus scholarship in their lifetime. Those students, who have already benefitted from the Erasmus LLP mobility grant before, ale still eligible to apply for an Erasmus Mundus scholarship, provided it is not within the same study programme. The scholarship covers tuition fees (in both universities), health insurance and part of the living expenses during the two years of study in GEMMA (including the preparation and presentation/defence of the final thesis in the last six months).
4. What is the difference between Category A and Category B scholarships? Which one am I eligible for?
The difference between the two categories of the scholarships lies in the eligibility criteria and in the amount of money received, as specified below:
Category A Category A scholarships can be awarded to students who come from non-European countries, provided they are not currently residents nor have carried out their main activity (studies, work, etc.) for more than a total of 12 months over the last five years in one of the European countries. You can find the current definition of a European country on page 14 of the Erasmus Mundus 2009-2013 Programme Guide here.
The total amount of the scholarship is 48.000 EUR, divided into the following three units:
1. Contribution to travel / installation costs - 4.000 EUR per academic year, transferred to the student´s bank account at the beginning of each year; 2. Contribution to participation costs, such as tuition fees, health insurance and other – 8.000 EUR per academic year, automatically retained by the coordinating institution; 3. Living allowance - 1.000 EUR a month during the 24 months of duration of the programme, transferred to the student´s bank account.
Category B Category B scholarships can be awarded to students who come from European countries and to other students who do not fulfill the criteria for Category A defined above. What this means is that a student who comes from a non-European country, but has resided in a European country for a total of 12 months over the last five years, is eligible for the Category B scholarship.
The total amount of the scholarship is 20.000 EUR, divided into the following three units:
1. Contribution to participation costs, such as tuition fees, health insurance and other – 4.000 EUR per academic year, automatically retained by the coordinating institution; 2. Living allowance - 500 EUR a month during the 24 months of duration of the programme, transferred to the student´s bank account.
IMPORTANT NOTE: In order to fulfill the criteria of eligibility for the scholarship, students must complete their entire GEMMA study programme in a country different than the one from which they have obtained their last university degree. For example, if your last university degree was awarded by a Spanish university, the mobility route you indicate in the selection process must not include the University of Granada or the University of Oviedo.
If you fulfill the eligibility criteria for both A and B scholarship categories (eg. if you have double nationality), you will have to choose only one of the categories in your application.
5. If I do not fulfill the eligibility criteria for the EM scholarship (or the scholarship is not awarded to me), how much do the tuition fees cost?
If you decide to participate in GEMMA without the Erasmus Mundus scholarship, the tuition fees are currently 2,000 € for European students and 5,500 € for Third Country students, per academic year. The fees can be paid in two instalments, but always before the 31st of December of each academic year.
6. Is it necessary to have a previous academic degree related to the Women´s and Gender Studies in order to be admitted to GEMMA?
GEMMA is an interdisciplinary programme, and therefore previous education in Women´s and Gender Studies is not a necessary condition for participation. The Selection Committee is formed by GEMMA representatives from all participating universities, specialists in various fields of study. The Committee evaluates applications from any discipline and the assessment carried out includes different merits, such as academic records, motivation, plan of study, past and future professional career plans, and so on. This said, however, previous experience in the field of Women´s and Gender Studies will be considered by the Committee to be an additional merit, which increases the final evaluation score of the candidate.
7. Do I have to provide proof of knowledge of all Consortium languages (English, Spanish, Italian)?
The required languages will vary depending on the mobility route that you wish to complete. In the selection process you are encouraged to indicate your preference for 2 out of 8 GEMMA universities where you want to study: one will be your Home University (where you will spend the 1st year of your study) and the other will be your Mobility University (where you will spend the 2nd year). GEMMA partner universities differ in the language of instruction and that is why you need to take the language criterion under consideration when applying. The languages of instruction used in the universities that form the GEMMA Consortium are: Granada and Oviedo – Spanish (and some courses in English); Bologna – Italian and English; CEU, Hull, Utrecht, Rutgers and Lodz - English.
8. What are the requirements with regards to language certificates?
It is mandatory to provide language certificates (or other official documents proving your language ability) for both the Home and the Mobility University language of instruction. If both universities teach in English, only the English certificate (or any official document proving your proficiency in English) is necessary. Language certificates must be submitted together with all other documents at the time of submitting the application. If you wish to submit certificates with international recognition, such as IELTS, TOEFL, etc., it is your responsibility to make sure that you can have the results ready before the deadline for applications. The selection Committee has established recommended scores for language certificates: IELTS: 6.5; TOEFL (Internet Based): 93; Cambridge Certificates: CAE: B grade, CPE: C grade. Applications with lower scores will also be considered, provided that the candidate can demonstrate their mastery of the language in question. For more details, you can check the “admissions” section of each University of the Consortium. If you do not have any recognized language certificate of the language required, you can provide a transcript of records from a period of study completed in this language, or some other document, as long as it is issued by an academic institution. A certification from your university stating that English is their language of instruction will also be recognized as a proof of your English proficiency.
9. How do I submit my application?
Applications for participation in the 6th edition of GEMMA (2012-2014), in both calls for applications (with scholarships and without scholarships), should be submitted online through GEMMA´s website. You will need to submit a single application, which will be managed by the GEMMA Consortium. Please note that it is not necessary that you request a placement at the universities of your choice separately. The application form, which will become available when the application period is open, should be filled out and submitted online. All other required documents (originals or official and certified copies) should be scanned and attached to it according to the instructions. The required documents in the indicated order are:
- 1. Current resume or CV
- 2. Bachelor´s Degree (Diploma)
- 3. Official academic records (transcript)
- 4. Average grade certificate*
- 5. Language certificate for chosen Home University
- 6. Language certificate for chosen Mobility University
- 7. Copy of passport
- 8. Motivation letter
- 9. Recommendation letters (min. 2).
- 10. Other documents (courses, seminars etc., not compulsory but recommended).
10. The language certificate will only be sent to me after the deadline for application – can I send it separately at a later stage?
No. Please note that the application, at least in its first phase, will be submitted exclusively online. All required documents (originals or official and certified copies) should be scanned and attached to the online application form, and therefore you need to have your language certificate ready before the deadline. If the results are not delivered to you by that date, you should attach to your application a pdf printout of your score from the internet database (for example the TOEFL database).
11. I have not graduated yet – can I still apply?
Yes, you may submit your application to GEMMA without the BA diploma, provided that your degree will be issued before the beginning of our academic year. In this case you should attach a declaration of the estimated graduation date, signed by yourself. You must also submit the average grade certificate from your current study programme. Please note that it is necessary for you to have your BA diploma in order to officially enroll in GEMMA, in October 2012.
12. What is the average grade certificate?
The average grade certificate is a document which reflects your average grade throughout the course of your Bachelor studies. This document is necessary for the Selection Committee to be able to compare your records with those of other applicants. Some universities include the grade average on the official transcripts of records. If this is not the case for your transcript, you should request from your university a separate document which specifies the average grade. In exceptional cases, you may calculate it and indicate it in a declaration signed by yourself.
13. Is there any specific template for recommendation letters?
The GEMMA Selection Committee requires you to submit two reference letters from two professionals who have taught you or worked with you. No specific reference form is required. The letters in pdf format should be attached to your online application, together with the rest of your documents.
14. Is it necessary to translate the documents?
If the supporting (official) documents, certificates or letters have been issued in a language other than one of the Consortium languages (Spanish, English and Italian), you should enclose the corresponding legalized or sworn translation.
15. Should I legalize my BA diploma?
The rules for recognition of BA diplomas can vary between the universities that form the GEMMA Consortium, therefore we recommend that you visit the “admissions” sections of the universities that you wish to include in your mobility route. In order to enrol at the University of Granada, for example, students need to provide The Hague Apostille or an official legalization for all diplomas that were issued in countries from outside of the European Higher Education Area. If the diploma was issued in a country belonging to the EHEA, only an official translation will be necessary (unless the diploma was issued in English, French, Portuguese, Italian or Spanish).
16. Should I send my documents through ordinary post?
It is not necessary to send hard copies of your documents by post in the first stage of the selection process – the application should be submitted online exclusively. Only in the case that you are selected in this first stage, you will be requested to provide hard copies of your documents (originals or certified official copies), which ought to be the same as the ones you uploaded online. Successful candidates will be informed on how to proceed. We recommend that you check out the expiry date of your passport or identity card.
17. Are all mobility combinations available?
You can choose a combination of either two of the seven European universities, except Granada-Oviedo or Oviedo- Granada. Please note that the Selection Committee will make every effort to respect the candidates´ preferences as much as possible. However, due to the high number of applications to our programme, there exists a possibility that you will be offered a different mobility route than the one you originally requested.
Haven´t found the answer you are looking for?
If you haven´t found the answer you are looking for or you still have doubts, please contact us at gemma@ugr.es.
We wish you all the best in the selection process.