Admissions

Check out the application procedure step by step:

Specific conditions:

• All documents must be correctly uploaded before the deadline of the application period.
• Documents will be reviewed once uploaded. If there is any uncomplete or mistaken file, the student will be informed and, within a maximum of 10 days after the deadline of the corresponding period, it should be addressed.
• Applicant’s allocation preferences for Phase 1 will be considered, but final allocations will depend on available places in all the universities. For the 2024 edition, note that:

1. Phase 1 will be only offered in UB, TCD and UU.
2. If the final number of admitted students is higher than the capacity of these 3 institutions, ELTE or/and UM will also offer Phase 1, depending on demand.
3. The resolution of acceptance in the master's will include your firm allocation for Phase 1 in UB, TCD or UU.
4. If new locations are finally opened, you will only be relocated in case you rank ELTE or UM in as your 1st option in this application.
5. Phase 2 will be offered at ELTE (Food and Life and Health), UM (Water) and UB (Food). Considering the compulsory mobility in Phase 2, please take in account the speciality and location you are interested in when you choose the university for Phase 1. 

Contact charm-euoffice@ub.edu for inquiries or issues in the application process.

Note: The information given in the admission form about specialty/track for the flexible phase of the Master’s is a guideline (not binding). You will be able to confirm or change your final specialty/track when you officially register in the Master's (binding).

Required supporting documents for admission:

Applications with incomplete documentation after the deadline will not take into consideration. It is the applicant’s responsibility to make sure that the application form is complete and that all required documents are attached in the appropriate format. Any application sent after the deadline will not be processed. 

You must upload in pdf format the following documents in your application file. For admission purposes, all documents must be submitted in English with the exception of the bachelor’s degree or equivalent and the academic transcript. Both documents can be submitted in any of the official languages of the CHARM-EU Alliance institutions that provide the Master (Catalan, Spanish, English, Dutch, Hungarian or French). 

1. Valid ID card: For EU students, national ID or passport can be used. For non-EU students, only passport is accepted. 

2. Bachelor’s degree diploma or recognised equivalent: If the diploma is not available yet, up-to-date transcript will suffice. Non-EU students should submit an additional statement from the university recognising that the qualification is sufficient to apply to a Master’s level program. 

3. For Applicants with a French Licence: certificate with additional 30 ECTS.

4. Academic transcript: Acceptable transcript formats must include the mean grade updated until the last evaluation period (GPA). If the GPA is not included in the transcript, students should submit an additional statement from the university including the grade point average.

*In case of students with multiple degrees (Bachelor’s or Master’s), only the one uploaded will be assessed.

5. English language test scores with a LEVEL C1: Download the accepted English certificates here. English C1 is the required level and must be achieved in all skills (reading, writing, listening, and speaking). Applicants with B2 level will be considered in conjunction with other admission criteria but must attain C1 level before programme registration. 

Exemptions: Applicants with the Nationality of an English-speaking country and coming from Education Systems of English-speaking countries or with a previous university degree delivered in English (Bachelor level minimum) are exempt and must provide a document that proves their cause for exemption (passport, certified from the university where they studied in English, etc).

6. Curriculum Vitae. Include clear sections on Intercultural experience (languages, relevant international and additional cultural experiences) and Civic engagement (relevant experiences and practical examples of the candidate’s past and current engagement). 

7. Product: Choose a specific and local challenge related to sustainability (i.e. the challenge should not be general but specific to your surroundings, city or personal experience).

Using this challenge, create a coherent and comprehensive product in English summarising the challenge, interrelated issues and potential solutions. Ensure to explain:

• why you have selected this challenge;
• your personal experience with this challenge;
• analyse it in a critical way
• through the lens of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Format: selected by the candidate, some options but not limited to essay, poster, video, booklet, pamphlet, podcast, mindmap.

Guideline: length 500–750 words, or 6–8 minutes to listen/watch/read.

Disclaimer: the use of artificial intelligence is discouraged for content generation. Any suspicious products may result in the rejection of the application.

8. Video/audio presentation: Download the video/audio instructions. In English. PDF format with the link to the video/audio recording.

9. Inclusion: If you tick the box to be considered for Inclusivity Points, and once you have correctly uploaded your application documents by the deadline, you will be contacted by a member of the DEI Team to provide a relevant rationale and, where appropriate, supporting documentation. If you wish to provide documentary evidence (e.g. medical report confirming disability / document in relation to socio-economic status), please arrange such documentation in anticipation of contact by the DEI Office. These documents will be handled with the utmost sensitivity and solely by the DEI Team for the purposes of the application process only. 

Download your checklist here.

An evaluation rubric will be used to ensure maximum objectivity. The admissions rubric is based on the competencies identified for selection in the CHARM-EU Rules and Regulations: Admissions. Please consult the detailed admission rubrics to align with the requirements and get the highest scores.

1. Academic excellence (10 points)

10 points will be distributed according to previous degree’s finale grade mark, converted in a A-D scale, following the grading equivalence table. If the country of the candidate is not listed in this table, the CHARM-EU Programme Board will decide the conversion to be applied.

2. General academic competencies (40 points)

These competencies will be assessed through the documents and files submitted by the student. For more detailed information, please check out the required supporting documents for admission here.

• Critical thinking (10 points): Quality, originality, coherence, relevance of arguments in the product in relation to the chosen challenge, given different perspectives. Originality and feasibility of ideas and plans expressed in the product.
• Analytical skills (10 points): The candidate’s analytical skills show the thought processes they went through to arrive at a given conclusion and discuss the implications of this, in a structured and clear way, using suitable expressions. Arguments are presented with clarity and clear reasoning.
• Knowledge SDGs (10 points): Relation of the selected challenge to sustainability, awareness of the Sustainable Development Goals and identified linkage to these.
• Personal reflection (10 points): Explaining the personal (individual/communal) relation to the selected challenge, including lived experience.

3. Personal competencies (40 points)

This will be assessed through the documents presented by the student.

• Intercultural competence (10 points): languages, relevant international and additional cultural experiences.
• Oral communication (10 points): the applicant makes a convincing video/audio presentation of their commitment and expectations. The applicant makes good use of the allocated time and questions.
• Civic engagement (10 points): relevant experiences and practical examples of the candidate’s past and current engagement.
• Commitment to programme entry (10 points): clear expectations from the programme, its structure, components and design; willingness to contribute.

4. Inclusion (10 points)

In order to ensure access and inclusion, applicants from under-represented communities (in terms of age, gender, family status, disability, sexual orientation, race and ethnic origin, religion, migration status, membership of the Roma and Traveller  communities, and socio-economic background in all aspects of higher education, among others), that wish to be considered for these 10 additional points can indicate this on their application. Once those applicants have correctly uploaded the application documents by the deadline, they will then be contacted by a member of the DEI Team and invited to provide a relevant rationale by way of a short explanation with regards barriers in their educational journey and/or underrepresentation in Higher Education. Where appropriate, applicants can provide supporting documentation (e.g. medical report confirming disability / document in relation to socio-economic status). Ticking the box to be considered for inclusivity points is optional for the applicant.

For more detailed information, please download the "CHARM-EU Rules and regulations: Admissions".