By the Portlio studio · Published · 8 min read
Master's degrees have the widest choice of fully funded scholarships, mostly from governments and the EU. Each program looks for a different profile, so matching yourself to the right one matters more than applying everywhere.
The major programs
- Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters: two-year degrees taught across European universities. Scholars receive tuition, travel and installation costs, and a monthly allowance of EUR 1,400, for up to 24 months.
- Chevening (UK): one-year master's with tuition, a living allowance and flights. Usually needs about two years of work experience.
- Commonwealth Master's Scholarships (UK): for citizens of eligible Commonwealth countries, focused on development impact.
- DAAD (Germany): including development-related postgraduate courses for professionals from developing countries.
- Fulbright (USA): graduate study, applied for in your home country.
- Australia Awards, MEXT (Japan), Global Korea Scholarship and Stipendium Hungaricum: tuition plus a stipend for eligible countries.
What panels look for
- A clear link between your past work or studies and the degree.
- A specific plan for afterwards, often in your home country.
- Evidence you've already acted (projects, jobs, volunteering), not just intentions.
- Strong, specific references.
Explaining your research or thesis plans
Research master's and many scholarship interviews ask what you want to research. Prepare one or two sentences that name the topic, the method and why it matters: "I want to model glacier melt in the Himalaya using satellite data, so water planners in Bangladesh can see flood risk earlier." You don't need a finished proposal, but you do need a direction.
If you're a master's or PhD candidate, Stamplio's practice setup asks about your research so the mock officer can question you on it. Try a practice interview
Official sources
- Erasmus Mundus catalogue
- Chevening Scholarships
- Commonwealth Scholarship Commission
- DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service)
Figures, deadlines and eligibility rules were checked in October 2026 and change every year. Confirm everything on the official pages linked here before you apply. Portlio and Stamplio are not affiliated with any scholarship, university, government or embassy.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does the Erasmus Mundus scholarship pay?
- Tuition, travel and installation costs, plus a monthly allowance of EUR 1,400 for up to 24 months. Check the current call, because amounts can change.
- Do I need work experience for a master's scholarship?
- Some programs require it (Chevening asks for about two years). Erasmus Mundus and many university awards don't, but relevant experience strengthens any application.
About this guide. Written by the Portlio studio as general guidance. It isn't any college's requirements and it can't predict an admissions decision, so check each program's current instructions. Last updated .
Not sure if your work is ready?
Send us what you have. We'll review how it's presented and show you what's possible.
A presentation review, not an admissions assessment.