Your first year was in Finland, your second is in Spain, and your thesis co-supervisor is in Austria. Whose rules apply? An Erasmus Mundus thesis is written inside a consortium of universities from different countries, each with its own thesis regulations, grading scale and expectations of supervisors. The EU sets the framework, the consortium agreement sets the joint rules, and usually one university’s regulations decide the details. This guide explains how those layers fit together, using EU programme rules and current programme handbooks, and gives a checklist for planning your thesis.
This article is part of our guide How to Write a Master’s Thesis by the Mastermind PhD team and relates to our Master’s Thesis support service. Sources last checked: November 2026.
What is an Erasmus Mundus thesis? It is the master’s thesis of an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master (EMJM), a programme of 60, 90 or 120 ECTS delivered by a consortium of at least three higher education institutions from three different countries. Students study in at least two countries and graduate with a joint degree or with multiple degrees, and the thesis is supervised and examined under rules agreed by the consortium.
What do the EU rules require?
The Erasmus+ Programme Guide sets the conditions for Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters:
| Rule | What the Programme Guide states |
|---|---|
| Programme length | 1 to 2 academic years, 60, 90 or 120 ECTS |
| Consortium | At least three higher education institutions from three different countries |
| Mobility | Compulsory physical mobility: at least two study periods in two countries |
| Degree | A joint degree (one diploma from at least two institutions) or multiple degrees, or a combination |
| Joint rules | Joint admission requirements, and joint examination and performance evaluation rules |
| Agreement | A partnership agreement covering academic, operational, administrative and financial aspects |
The Programme Guide does not set a thesis length, format or grading scale. Those come from the consortium and from the universities where you write and defend the thesis.
Whose regulations govern the thesis?
In practice, three layers apply, from the most general to the most specific:
- The consortium’s joint rules, in the partnership agreement and programme handbook.
- The regulations of the university that awards the thesis credits, often the second-year or host university.
- The supervisor’s or department’s own guidelines on format and citation style.
The MSc European Forestry handbook (version of 31 March 2026), an EMJM involving the University of Eastern Finland, AgroParisTech, BOKU University, the University of Lleida, the University of Freiburg, Wageningen University and Transilvania University of Braşov, states plainly that the thesis is graded according to the regulations of the hosting second-year university. On top of that, the partners jointly require an independent second evaluator where one exists and a plagiarism check with the partner university’s software.
📱 Talk to the Mastermind PhD team — You are told the specialist’s field and degree before work starts, and a meeting is scheduled to review your requirements.
How different can the local rules be?
Very different, even inside one consortium, which is why no two Erasmus Mundus thesis experiences are the same. The same handbook summarises the partners’ practices:
| University | Selected thesis rule |
|---|---|
| University of Freiburg | Thesis can start at 70 ECTS; evaluated by two teachers |
| AgroParisTech | Internship of at least 20 weeks; supervisor 20%, two reviewers 40%, oral defence 40% |
| BOKU University | Public defence (defensio); thesis 70%, defensio 30% |
| University of Lleida | Public defence before three members, not including the tutors; tutor pre-evaluation 20% |
| Wageningen University | Each assessment category must average at least 5.5 to pass |
| Transilvania University of Braşov | Internship of at least 10 weeks; defence before a jury of three |
So an Erasmus Mundus thesis written in Lleida faces a public tribunal, while in Freiburg a seminar presentation of the thesis is recommended but not compulsory. Read the host university’s rules as soon as you know where your second year will be.
How does joint supervision work?
Joint supervision is common and usually encouraged, but it needs structure. The European Forestry handbook recommends supervisors from two full partner universities, asks students to take the initiative in setting up joint supervision, and requires one official supervisor from a full partner university whenever an external supervisor is involved. It also recommends regular meetings, about twice a month, and a workload of one semester (30 to 36 ECTS).
To make two or three supervisors work for you rather than against you:
- Name a lead supervisor whose institution’s regulations apply, and make that person the final decision-maker on scope.
- Agree on one citation style and one template at the start, usually the host university’s.
- Send drafts to all supervisors at the same time and keep a log of which comments you accepted and why.
- Discuss authorship early if a paper is planned; the handbook notes that a joint article with the supervisors is often intended.
What if your supervisors disagree?
Disagreement between supervisors from different academic traditions is normal: one may expect a long literature review, another a short paper-style text. Resolve it early rather than writing two theses at once.
- Return to the regulations. Whatever the host university requires for an Erasmus Mundus thesis takes priority over personal preferences.
- Ask the lead supervisor to decide and confirm the decision by email to everyone.
- Involve the programme coordinator if the disagreement affects the scope, the timeline or the assessment.
Keep a short record of each decision. If the examiners later ask why the Erasmus Mundus thesis takes a particular form, you can show that the choice was agreed.
How are grades converted between universities?
Each university usually keeps its own scale, and the consortium defines how marks appear on the diploma. The Joint Master Programme in Applied Geophysics (TU Delft, ETH Zurich and RWTH Aachen) is a clear example of a joint master’s, although not an Erasmus Mundus one. Its Joint Examination Board regulations (2026) state that:
- Each partner uses its local grading scale, and grades on the degree certificate are converted to an A to F scale.
- For the final average, marks from ETH and RWTH are converted to the TU Delft 1 to 10 scale using a published table, then weighted by ECTS.
- Thesis projects outside the partner universities need the explicit approval of the Joint Examination Board.
Ask your consortium for its conversion table before choosing where to write your Erasmus Mundus thesis, because the same performance can look different on different scales.
Why do national rules clash?
Each country has its own laws on thesis credits, defences and examiners. A 2019 presentation by the European Quality Assurance Register (EQAR) on the European Approach for Quality Assurance of Joint Programmes, adopted by EHEA ministers in Yerevan in May 2015, gives the number of ECTS for a master’s thesis as an example of national criteria that can be contradictory. The European Approach allows a single review of a joint programme without additional national criteria, but countries apply it unevenly, so your consortium may still have to follow the strictest local rule.
A planning checklist for an Erasmus Mundus thesis
- Identify the university whose regulations govern your thesis and download them.
- Confirm the credits, length, language and template.
- Choose a lead supervisor and, if wanted, a co-supervisor at another partner.
- Check whether a public defence is required and when defences are scheduled.
- Find the grade conversion rules and the pass threshold.
- Confirm data-sharing and ethics approval rules if the research crosses borders.
- Check the plagiarism software and AI-use policy of the host university.
- Put all deadlines from both universities in one calendar.
Where does editing support fit?
Consortium rules usually allow language proofreading but not changes to content, and some partners have stricter AI policies than others. The Mastermind PhD team offers academic proofreading, formatting and statistical analysis support for theses in English, with a Turnitin report with every file. The research, its argument and its defence remain yours.
📱 Ask on WhatsApp now — 5 years of experience across all disciplines and 14 academic services. Two-stage payment (80/20); revisions are free until supervisor approval, within 30% of the chapter.
Frequently asked questions
Which university’s rules apply to my Erasmus Mundus thesis?
Usually those of the university that hosts the thesis semester and awards its credits, within the consortium’s joint rules. Your programme handbook should say so explicitly; if it does not, ask the coordinator in writing.
Can I have supervisors from two different universities?
Yes, and many consortia encourage it. Usually one supervisor must be from a full partner university, and one acts as lead for the regulations that apply.
Will I get one diploma or two?
It depends on the programme. EMJMs award either a joint degree or multiple degrees, and some combine both.
Do I have to defend my thesis in public?
It depends on the host university. In the European Forestry consortium, for example, BOKU and Lleida require a public defence, while Freiburg does not make a seminar presentation compulsory.
How long is an Erasmus Mundus thesis?
There is no EU-wide length. The host university and consortium set it, typically for a thesis worth one semester of work.
Sources
- European Commission. Erasmus+ Programme Guide: Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters. https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/programme-guide/part-b/key-action-1/erasmus-mundus-joint-masters (accessed November 2026)
- MSc European Forestry Consortium. (2026). Master thesis policy and guidelines handbook (version 31/03/2026). University of Eastern Finland. https://sites.uef.fi/europeanforestry/wp-content/uploads/sites/62/2026/05/Master-thesis-policy-and-guidelines-handbook_2026.pdf (accessed November 2026)
- IDEA League. (2026). Regulations of the Joint Examination Board for the Joint Master Programme in Applied Geophysics. https://idealeague.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/regulations_JEB_2026.pdf (accessed November 2026)
- Tück, C. (2019). The European Approach for Quality Assurance of Joint Programmes (presentation, Thematic Peer Group on QA, Limassol). European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education. https://ehea.info/Upload/EuropeanApproach_EQAR.pdf (accessed November 2026)
- European Commission. European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS). https://education.ec.europa.eu/education-levels/higher-education/inclusive-and-connected-higher-education/european-credit-transfer-and-accumulation-system (accessed November 2026)
Sources last checked: November 2026. This article is general educational guidance and does not replace your university regulations or your supervisor’s instructions. How we prepare our content.