GLOCAL Erasmus Mundus Program | Master in Global Markets, Local Creativities

GLOCAL is a two-year master’s degree funded by Erasmus Mundus. Its full name is Global Markets, Local Creativities. You study in three countries. You learn how the world economy works and how cities, companies and local people fit into it.

Students from any country can apply. Erasmus Mundus scholarships are available. This guide explains the programme in simple words: universities, study tracks, entry rules, documents, scholarship money and the steps to apply.

Quick facts for the next intake

Item	Details
Next start	September 2027
Scholarship deadline (all tracks)	14 January 2027, 1:00 pm UK time
Scholarship results	Early April 2027
Self-funded deadline (Tracks A, B, C, E, F, G)	8 July 2027 (EU/international), 24 August 2027 (UK students)
Self-funded deadline (Track D)	14 January 2027
Self-funded deadline (Track I)	14 June 2027
Tracks open	A, B, C, D, E, F, G and I (Track H is closed)

What is the GLOCAL Erasmus Mundus master’s?

GLOCAL is an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s Degree. It lasts 2 years and gives 120 ECTS credits. It is full-time and taught in English.

The programme looks at how places like cities and regions stay strong in a global economy. It also looks at how business people, companies and governments work in these places. History and culture are part of every course.

You take about 8 to 10 core courses and about 8 optional courses. Teaching is a mix of lectures and seminars. There are also internships, consultancy projects and a summer school.

Also Read: MULTICOM Erasmus Mundus | Master in Data Science of Human Multimodal Communication

The 7 universities

The University of Glasgow leads the programme. The other partners are:

• Universitat de Barcelona (Spain)
• Erasmus University Rotterdam (Netherlands)
• Georg-August-Universität Göttingen (Germany)
• Uppsala University (Sweden)
• Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá (Colombia)
• Kyoto University (Japan)

You study at three of these seven.

How the two years work

You move three times. This is the pattern:

1. First move: Glasgow for most tracks. Track I starts in Göttingen.
2. Second move: Barcelona or Uppsala.
3. Third move: Rotterdam, Göttingen, Bogotá, Kyoto or Glasgow, depending on your track.

Your final project is a dissertation. Your main supervisor comes from your third university. The programme gives you a supervisor. You cannot choose one yourself. Students on Tracks C and G spend their whole second year in Bogotá.

You do not need a final dissertation topic when you apply. You should name an idea in your personal statement. It can change later.

The study tracks

You can apply to only one track. Pick it carefully.

Track	Name	Order of study	Dissertation supervision
A	Global History and Creative Industries	Glasgow, Barcelona, Rotterdam	Rotterdam
B	Global Markets and Development	Glasgow, Barcelona, Göttingen	Göttingen
C	Sustainable Business Development	Glasgow, Barcelona, Los Andes	Los Andes
D	Industrial Dynamics and Global Business	Glasgow, Barcelona, Kyoto	Kyoto
E	Institutional Change and Creative Industries	Glasgow, Uppsala, Rotterdam	Rotterdam
F	Global Political Economy	Glasgow, Uppsala, Göttingen	Göttingen
G	Sustainability: Institutions and Management	Glasgow, Uppsala, Los Andes	Los Andes
I	Entrepreneurship in Global Markets	Göttingen, Barcelona, Glasgow	Glasgow

The degrees you get depend on your track. You receive degrees from the universities where you study. For example, Track A gives a joint master’s from Glasgow and Barcelona, plus a Master of Arts in History from Rotterdam.

The GLOCAL team does not give personal advice on which track suits you. You must decide yourself.

Who can apply

You need a “strict 2:1” UK honours degree or an equivalent from your country. Your degree should be in a subject like these:

• Economics, business or international business
• History or economic history
• Political science, international relations or global studies
• Sociology, anthropology or philosophy
• Sustainability, trade or urban studies

The official page has the full subject list. You must show that your studies fit the programme and the track you choose.

Extra rule for Tracks B, F and I: at least one quarter of your studies (60 ECTS) must be in economics, business, modern history, economic and social history, sociology or politics.

Grade rule: Glasgow sets a minimum grade for each country. Check your country on the University of Glasgow’s “international country” page.

You can apply in your final year. You get a conditional offer first. You get the final offer after you send your degree result.

There is no age limit. Work experience is not listed as a requirement. If you have some, mention it in your statement.

English language rules

If your first language is not English, you need to prove your English. These are the main points:

• IELTS Academic: 6.5 overall, with no part below 6.0. IELTS General Training is not accepted.
• Other tests: Glasgow also accepts TOEFL, PTE Academic (test centre only), Duolingo and others. Scores are on the Glasgow programme page.
• Test age: the test must be taken within 2 years and 5 months of the start date. You must reach the scores in a single sitting.
• Without a test: you can skip the test if your degree is from a majority-English-speaking country. You must have studied your final undergraduate year there, or 9 months at master’s level. The degree must be finished within 6 years of the start date.

A degree taught in English in your own country is not listed as a way to skip the test. Ask Glasgow admissions before you decide.

Scholarship applicants must upload their English proof before the scholarship deadline.

Documents you need

• The scholarship form or the self-funding form
• A CV (Europass format is preferred, but any format is accepted)
• Two reference letters
• Transcripts of all university study, in the original language and an official English translation
• Degree certificates, with the same translation rule
• Proof of English
• A colour scan of your passport photo page
• A personal statement (maximum 1200 words, written in the application form)

Everything is uploaded online. The programme does not accept applications or documents by email.

Reference letters: common mistakes

Reference letters are where many people lose points. Follow these rules:

• The letter must be on official headed paper or carry an official stamp.
• It must be signed by hand or electronically. A typed name is not enough.
• It must be dated within 24 months of your application.
• At least one referee should be an academic. A work referee is allowed only if you cannot get two academic ones, and you must have worked there in the last 12 months.
• Personal email addresses (like Gmail) are not accepted. The referee must use an institutional email.

The Erasmus Mundus scholarship

The scholarship covers:

• Your tuition fees. Scholarship holders do not pay tuition.
• Health and travel insurance
• A monthly allowance for the whole programme
• An optional payment for travel and settling-in costs

You choose between two payment plans:

• Plan one: three payments of €1,000 (August before you start, May of Year 1 and September of Year 2). Then €1,275 each month.
• Plan two: €1,400 each month, with no extra payments.

You still pay for your own flights between the universities.

Fairness rule: no more than 6 scholarships can go to one nationality across four editions. There are also up to 20 extra scholarships for certain world regions. Those extra ones do not count toward the 6-person limit.

Who cannot apply: you must not have received an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s scholarship before.

How scholarship applications are scored

The programme publishes its scoring. Each part has a share of the marks:

• Personal statement: 40%
• Academic results: 30%
• Reference letters: 10%
• Other things, like research and work: 20%

Two academics score every application first. The top applications are reviewed by all seven universities. A reserve list is kept in case a winner drops out. The team does not give feedback or ranking positions.

Self-funded option

You can join without a scholarship. The fees for 2027–28 are listed on the Glasgow programme page. They differ for each country group. You also pay a £2,000 deposit to hold your place.

How to apply

1. Read the entry rules and pick your one study track.
2. Download the scholarship form or the self-funding form from the official How to Apply page.
3. Ask your referees early, because letters take time.
4. Collect your documents and English test result.
5. Apply on the University of Glasgow online portal. All applications go through Glasgow.
6. For scholarship applicants, write “Erasmus Mundus Scholarship” under funding. Attach the scholarship form.
7. Make sure you hold an offer before the deadline. If your status is still “holding for documents” on deadline day, you will not be considered for the scholarship.

You apply to the programme and the scholarship in one application. There is no separate form for the scholarship.

Apply Now for GLOCAL Erasmus Mundus Program

What to write in your personal statement

The statement has the biggest share of the marks. The official advice asks you to cover these points:

• Why you want GLOCAL, and how it connects to your studies and career
• Why your studies make you a good fit for the courses
• If you worked after graduating, how that work connects and why you want to study again
• A short idea for your dissertation topic
• Conferences, internships, NGO work, summer schools and prizes, even if they are not about economics

Be exact and do not repeat yourself. Stay under 1200 words.

Visa notes

Visa rules can change, so check the official visa page before you plan.

• Students on Tracks A to G who need a visa for the UK use a Standard Visitor Visa for the Glasgow semester. It does not give access to the UK Graduate visa.
• Track I students can apply for a UK Student Visa for their Glasgow year.
• For Spain and Sweden, you can apply for the study visa up to six months before arrival.

Internships and jobs after GLOCAL

You can do internships and consultancy projects. In Barcelona, small groups of three or four students work with local organisations in January or June. Rotterdam offers research internships in places like museums and research centres. The programme advises against internships in the first semester.

Uppsala University reports on an early alumni survey. It says 76% of respondents had a job and 12% were doing an internship. Graduates also go on to PhD study. The official site says all seven universities offer PhD programmes.

Frequently asked questions