Erasmus Mundus Master Programme in Soil Science (emiSS Master)

“Essentially, all life depends upon the soil. There can be no life without soil and no soil without life; they have evolved together.”

– Dr. Charles E Kellogg

As Dr. Kellogg quoted the cyclic relationship between soil and life, the soil is an integral part of the natural ecosystem. 

Its use and conservation are very significant to maintain the natural cycle and to provide food for 7.8 billion people and other living creatures. Therefore, it is essential to understand the soil, various soil properties, and its sustainable management.

Well, if you are interested in soil science and want to pursue a Master’s degree, Erasmus Mundus Master Programme in Soil Science (emiSS) can be an appropriate platform. 

The aim of emiSS is to raise and meet the need for qualified and skilled soil scientists at the master level through a training program bringing together soil science (soil physics, chemistry, biology and hydrology, soil genesis and classification, soil pollution and reclamation), management (soil erosion and conservation, land use, planning and management, soil health and quality), fertility (fertilizers and fertilization, soilless culture, composting and vermicompost), soil ecosystem (soil biodiversity, soil-plant-water relationships, soil C sequestration, and storage, etc), intercultural competence and language skills.

This opportunity is typically offered to recent graduates typically having Bachelor’s degrees in soil science and plant nutrition, agriculture, biology, environmental science, earth science, or related relevant fields (General Information, emiSS).

This program is structured in such a way that students get training in the following topics: soil-plant-water relationships, land use, planning and management, soil microbiology and composting techniques, soil chemistry, soil pollution, and reclamation; soil genesis and classification, soil mineralogy; soil physics and hydrology; soil erosion and conservation; soil salinity and soilless culture, fertilization. 

Along with the theoretical study, students get the opportunity to have on-site exposure to soil management in different locations. You can find a detailed program structure here.

Scholarship Information in Soil Science: 

emiSS under Erasmus Mundus scholarship covers program participation cost, monthly allowance, and travel cost up to a total of 49,000 euro for a 2-year program. Find the details given below:

• Full tuition fees
• 1,000 euro per month allowance as support for housing and general subsistence
• Travel allowance up to 3,000 euro year 
• A one-time installation contribution of 1,000 euro for Partner Country Students

Host Country: Bulgaria, Jordan, Poland, Russia, Turkey

Host Institution(s): emiSS is organized by a consortium of five universities. The semester’s details are given in the following table.

Note: A seven days field camp is conducted for students between the two semesters which involves compost and vermicompost preparing processes, soil, and water relationship measurements in field cases, crop and horticultural fertilization programs, and observing plant growth in fields and greenhouse conditions.

Application Timeline:

The application window is open from 15 November- 15 February for upcoming intake for that particular academic year. After this deadline, candidates applying are not eligible for the Erasmus Mundus scholarship.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Citizens from the Eligible countries | Erasmus+ (Europa.eu)
• Candidates should have a Bachelor of Science degree in soil science/soil science & plant nutrition, agriculture, biology, environmental science, earth science, and related relevant fields 
• Language requirements (Any of the following certificate and validity of 5 years)
  • TOEFL IBT 78
  • Academic IELTS 6.0 overall score 
  • CEFR B2 issued by a European University Language Centre

Important Actions to Start:

The candidate is supposed to prepare the given list of documents before s/he prepares the online application form.

1. Academic Transcripts
2. Curriculum Vitae (CV)
3. Proof of place of residence: a residence certificate issued in accordance with the candidate’s municipality normal registration rules (usually issued by the town council, or one of its offices, to attest the citizen’s residence. It may receive the name of “city registration”, “census certificate” or others), and a certificate from the candidate’s place of work, study or training issued by the employer or institution in question (Should be issued within 12 months before the application submission deadline)
4. Letter of Recommendations (You are supposed to get two letters of recommendation from your professors, internship supervisors, thesis supervisors, employers)
5. English Language Proficiency Certificate
6. Motivation Letter (Candidate need to answer the questions while filling up the online application)
7. Declaration of honor
8. Compulsory to upload his/her photo, formal identity document, complete CV, certificate of degree, transcript of records, English language certificate, proof of residence, two recommendation letters, and declaration of honor (All documents in pdf format)

Once you prepare the given list of documents, please do fill up the online application form at the given link: Erasmus Mundus Master in Soil Science (emiSS). Candidates can refer to the following Application Guide as a guide to fill up the online application.

After the evaluation of applications by the Selection Committee, the initial results of the evaluation are notified to the shortlisted candidates for a short online interview.

The final results of the selected candidates for the scholarship are declared by the end of the first week of April.

Please keep on checking your registered email address. Each year around 14 (approx.) candidates are selected for the Erasmus Mundus scholarship and from each country, the maximum number of candidates offered for the scholarship is three.

You can read details about the selection criteria by clicking here 

For the details about the program, tuition and scholarship, and application, you can always refer to the official emiSS website: The Erasmus Mundus Master in Soil Science (emiSS)

For admission-related questions, candidate can approach emiss@omu.edu.tr 

Future After Graduation: Having strong theoretical knowledge, ability to use their skill sets in sustainable soil management at an international level, successful graduates will have multiple opportunities.

emiSS graduates will be able to apply to high-level Ph.D. programs in soil science. They can get absorbed in private laboratories and companies. Government authorities need experts for soil health and conservation which is a good opportunity for these graduates to get involved in soil-related policy and regulations. 

I dedicate this blog to Bsc Agriculture students and recent graduates from Nepal and always happy to help if anyone is planning to apply for emiSS.

Gagan Gautam

Gagan Gautam is a UNICEF Fellow at the Centre for Technology Alternatives for Rural Areas, IIT Bombay. He is passionate about working with the community for developmental activities in Nepal and South Asia.