Frequently Asked Questions
see also the FAQ on the Erasmus Mundus European Commission website:
http://ec.europa.eu/education/programmes/mundus/faq/index_en.html

1 Application procedure
2 Academic prerequisites
3 Eligibility
4 English language requirements
5 Study contents, schedule and degree
6 Help for visas, travelling, accommodation, …
7 Selection on the Main or on the Reserve List
8 Post-application procedure

1 Application procedure

Is the online application the only way to apply or are there any other ways like getting a hard copy of the application form from you?

Do I have to provide any hard copies or original documents?

Can my referees upload their recommendation letters?

_{Yes : in the Referees step of the application, you should indicate the names and coordinates of up to two referees ; they automatically receive an e-mail and are invited to upload their letter of recommendation through a specific login and password. You can check the status of  each referee/recommendation letter ("present" or "not present") and if necessary, you can activate a second automatic e-mail for reminder to the referee's address.} 

Do the referees have to send their letters of recommendation through email or through surface mail?

_{No : as described above, you and the referees MUST use the online procedure. The letters of recommendation received by mail or email will not be considered. Recommendation letters are not mandatory but highly desirable.}

Can my referee use his own recommendation letter instead of filling in the recommendation form/template available online?

I cannot transfer the file of my transcript of marks into PDF format. How can I upload it?

_{You should upload your transcripts in PDF format. In case you really cannot, you can forward them to us in another format (image format such as TIFF or JPG) though this is not convenient to us.}

When will the selection decision be made?

_{The selection committee will meet just after the application deadline (see Calendar & Deadline page).}

Once I have completed filling in the application and uploading the required data, what else do I need to do?

_{You will need to wait until the selection committee meetings (see Calendar & Deadline page). In case you are admitted, an offer will be made that takes into account your ranking.}

Since I have no passport now, can I use the photocopy of my identity card?

_{Exceptionally and temporarily. Of course, in case of admission to the EM MSc OpSciTech programme, you will be asked to get a passport and send copies of all its written pages (generally 2 and 3).}

I have lost my birth certificate. Can I upload the scanned copy of my National Identity card? 

_{Some OpSciTech hosting institutions may need a copy of your birth certificate. In case you don’t have it now, you can upload a copy of your passport (better than your National Identity card, see above). Of course, in case of admission to the EM MSc OpSciTech programme, you will be asked to provide all required documents including, in certain cases, your birth certificate (essential if you have to file for a residence permit in France, for example).}

 
2 Academic prerequisites

What are the academic prerequisites?

<sub>As indicated on the “Application” page of the EM MSc OpSciTech website:
“Applicants should have a BSc or BEng comprising significant exposure to physics and optics fundamentals. Other criteria to be taken into account are awards, external references, details of  earlier projects, and proof of English proficiency.”
Our criteria, equally weighted, are:
- Academic excellence
- Potential/adequateness*
- Motivation
- Recommendation
- Language
* assessed on the basis of recommendation letters, institution of origin, etc.</sub>

Can a student who will graduate in a couple of months apply?

I have scored 60% in my undergraduate studies. Can I apply?

I studied physics at the undergraduate level and I am expecting to finish a MSc in physics by April next year. Can I apply?

I am currently pursuing another Master program. Can I apply or is there any restriction regarding previous education?

3 Eligibility

What do your administrative and tuition fees cover?

What is the total number of students from China you plan to enrol in the program this year?

_{The number of Chinese students (or of any other nationality) is not limited.}

Can I apply for 2 Erasmus Mundus Master programmes?

_{Yes. Third country students and scholars can apply for admission to more than one Erasmus Mundus Master Course. However, in the case they get accepted for more than one Master Courses, they must decide which Course they want to follow as they can receive only one Erasmus Mundus place.}

Can I apply for a scholarship to 3 Erasmus Mundus Master programmes AND as self-funded applicant to your E.M. OpSciTech programme?

_{YES. As of the academic year 2008/2009, the number of applications for an EU SCHOLARSHIP must be limited to maximum three different Erasmus Mundus Master Courses. Since our Erasmus Mundus Master Course does not offer E.M. scholarships, you can apply to 3 EMMC/EMJD courses offering a scholarship AND also to our OpSciTech Erasmus Mundus programme (without scholarship).}  

4 English language requirements

My instruction starting from my elementary grades and during my undergraduate study was undertaken in English. Do I need to provide an English test?

_{If your first degree (Bachelor or equivalent) was taught in English in: Australia, Canada, Ireland, Guyana, New Zealand, South Africa, United Kingdom, United States of America or West Indies, an English test score is not required but you should upload a letter certifiying that you have taken the degree through the medium of English. Failure to do this will result in your application file not being processed.
In all other cases you should upload proof of  proficiency in English.}

What kind of proof should we provide for English proficiency?

_{Transcripts for one of the following tests:}

_- IELTS

_{- Computer-based TOEFL}

_{- Internet-based TOEFL (iBT)}

_{- Paper-based TOEFL (PBT)}

_{- Cambridge CPE}

_{Chinese students wishing to study at TU Delft MUST  provide an IELTS (academic) or TOEFL iBT (Internet-based) score to obtain the necessary Nuffic Neso (Netherlands Education Support Office) certificate.}

Is there a required score for the TOEFL?

_{There is no standard common to all sites for EM MSc OpSciTech programme. You can consider that a score of 550 at the TOEFL PBT, 80 at the TOEFL iBT or 6 at the IELTS is a reasonable minimum.} 

I will not be able to receive the results of my TOEFL test before the application deadline. What can I do?

_{You can at least provide the proof that you have taken the test (upload the .PDF document that certifies it).}

Do you require an official TOEFL grade report sent by ETS, or do you accept the copy of the grade report?

_{Yes, you should arrange for official reports to be sent to us (the Institution code for sending TOEFL scores to Institut d'Optique Graduate School is 2711. There is no need to choose a department code).} 

 
5 Study contents, schedule and degree

Could you tell me some more details about the study schedule ? When would the semester exactly start and when should I arrive in the Country hosting me ?

_{See the “Course Programme” page, Detailed Course contents section and specific 1st or 2nd year programme on our website.}

On the “Paris” site, will the whole first year be spent at Institut d'Optique Graduate School or at University Paris-Sud?

_{The programme is common for all students from these institutions (it is a co-accredited programme) and the degree has the same title: “Master in Optics, Matter and Plasma” (see the “Course Programme” page, degree section). All courses are taught in Palaiseau during year 1 and Palaiseau and Orsay (2 miles away) during year 2. In practice, you will be registered either at Institut d'Optique Graduate School or at Université de Paris-Sud.}

I am wondering where I will spend the second year in the program, as "Paris" was my choice for the second year in my application, and it now becomes the site for my first year.

_{You have been proposed the first site available ("Paris") among your site preferences for the first year. We took good note that your preferred choice for the first year was different (Jena). The final choice of your 2nd year will be made during the 1st year according to your preferences and results. If you are invited to spend your first year of MSc course at a first given institution, it is not possible to change the location to another one.}

Has the site for the second year study been determined now?

_{NO. Your preferences have been taken into account but the choice will be made during the 1st year according to your preferences and results.}

The invitation e-mail required me to make my decision ASAP. That said, what is the deadline for making my decision on accepting the offer or not?

_{In practice, we would like to have your final answer as quickly as possible in order to organize your support in obtaining visas, accommodation,...}

Exactly what degree would I be given after 2 years ? I know it will be a dual degree. But would it be a Masters of Sc. or Masters of Eng.? Are these degrees Masters of Physics and Masters of Optics?

_{As indicated on the “Course Programme” page , degree section:
Each graduate is awarded the Master’s degrees of the 2 institutions involved in his/her individual study path (TU Delft: Master of Science in Applied Physics; FSU Jena: Master of Science in Photonics, University of Eastern Finland: Master of Sciences in Physics, Imperial College London: M.Sc. in Applied Photonics; Université Paris-Sud and Institut d'Optique, "Paris" : Master in Optics, Matter & Plasma (also co-accredited with Ecole Polytechnique); Warsaw University of Technology: Master in Automatics & Robotics specialized in  Photonics Engineering).}

Can you provide me with the statistics of the last few years, like which are the companies that have recruited the students, the average pay packages, the highest and lowest pay packages, etc..?

I want to join the OpSciTech programme. Could you please give me the contacts of relevant professors?

_{You will find on the "Course programme" page, section "detailed course contents", the list of all courses and professors in charge on each site during Year 1. You will find on the "Partner universities" page the names of the site coordinators in Delft, Jena, Joensuu, London, Paris and Warsaw (see caption of the picture taken during former OpSciTech board meetings).} 

 
6 Help for visas, travelling, accommodation, …

(see also Calendar & deadlines page)

I am accepting your proposition. Please let me know what are the official and other formalities that I need to carry out right now.

_{There are of course formalities (visa procedure, housing, opening of a bank account,…) that the coordinator of the institution hosting you will detail you.}

Can I bring along my Spouse and my 14 months old daughter, because it is really tough to figure out the cost from my country? And if I can afford within that limit, is there any help that I can expect from you regarding visa context ?

_{We proposed you to go to a given partner University for your 1st year. In order to know if, in your financial conditions, visas can be obtained from the immigration services of the host Country, we suggest you to get in touch with the site coordinator of the Institution hosting you.}

In a metropolis like Paris, I am also wondering whether my finances will be enough for my living expenses.

As you may know, the Institut d’Optique Graduate school is located on the Campus Polytechnique 20 km South of Paris (with an express train that brings you downtown in 30 mn).
For OpSciTech students, we generally provide accommodation on the Campus itself at walking distance or on the nearby Campus of Paris Sud University.

To know more about Campus Polytechnique, please see http://www.polytechnique.edu/home/campus-life/); Meals are served in the restaurant of Ecole Polytechnique for an approximate price of  6€/meal.

Most services (http://www.polytechnique.edu/home/campus-life/services-and-living-environment/) are available on site. All other academic services such as Library, Network access are included in the tuition fees.

7 Selection on the Main or on the Reserve List

How many students are ranked on the main list?

_{Between 20 and 30 students.}

May I know my rank on the Reserve List ?

_{We cannot communicate the precise number of persons on the Reserve list, nor your rank.}

Can you please forward me the names of those who are selected?

We cannot give this information. However, please note that statistics for nationalities of scholarship recipients are published on the site of the European Commission

(http://ec.europa.eu/education/programmes/mundus/projects_en.html) and are updated each year.

Can you please tell me how long it will take before I could be shifted from the Reserve list to the Main list ?

_{It depends on the decision (accepting our offer or dropping out for other MSc programmes) of the students themselves. As soon as you will be in a position to shift, we will let you know it.}

Could you please let me know why I failed to be in the Main list ?

_{We cannot give you the quantitative results (marking and ranking) resulting from the selection commission.}

If I accept your proposition now, does it mean I must follow the EM MSc OpSciTech programme? 

Is it required to send my formal acceptance mail by regular post.

_{No. Your email is sufficient for the moment but you will be asked by the hosting institution for the 1st year to send paper versions of some documents uploaded during the application (e.g. transcripts,…)}

Is there any date by which I am expected to communicate my decision?

_{For the moment, we offer you a place for the 1st year at a given partner University and we are eager to know if you accept or not this proposition. In case you do not, the place will be offered to another applicant and we would like to know the reason for your withdrawal.}

Would I receive any official admission letter if I accept this offer?

_{YES. We will send you an e-mail/a letter of invitation/acceptation as soon as possible.}

updated Aug. 2012