What the funding covers
- Tuition and participation costs in full, including health and accident insurance. Self-funded non-EU students pay €12,000 a year.
- A contribution to field work.
- €1,400 a month for living costs for 24 months.
What you will still pay
| Cost | Who pays |
|---|---|
| Tuition (€12,000 a year for non-EU students) | Covered for scholarship holders |
| Living costs | €1,400 a month |
| Application fee | None |
Who can apply
- Applicants of any nationality who have not held an Erasmus Mundus scholarship before.
- A bachelor's of at least 180 ECTS in engineering, geosciences, environmental sciences, geography, physics, mathematics or a related field, including at least 58 ECTS across mathematics, physics, chemistry, hydraulics or fluid mechanics, programming or numerical methods, solid mechanics, and hydraulic structures, sanitary engineering or geotechnics. There is no conditional admission.
- English: IELTS Academic 6.5 with no band below 6.0, or TOEFL, Cambridge, PTE or LanguageCert equivalents. Ghana and Nigeria get a conditional exemption: at least three years of in-person higher education taught fully in English, stated on your transcript, diploma supplement or an official letter.
Which nationalities can apply
Every nationality can apply.
Documents you will need
- Bachelor's certificate or expected graduation statement
- Full transcript with grading scale
- CV in English, two pages maximum
- Proof of English
- Passport valid 18 months after the start
- Proof of residence for the last five years (scholarship applicants)
How to apply
- Apply on the WAVES portal, open since 13 October 2026, by 15 January 2027 at 23:59 CET.
- Choose a track: Spatial Water Sciences (Padova, then Twente), Water Vulnerability Engineering (Ljubljana, then Padova) or Spatial Water Governance and Policy (Ljubljana, then Twente).
- Upload your bachelor's certificate (or expected graduation statement), full transcript with grading scale, a two-page CV in English, proof of English, your passport and, for a scholarship, proof of residence for the last five years.
- Recorded interviews run in February and March 2027, and offers must be confirmed by 17 April 2027.
Before you apply: things to know
- Check your transcript against the 58 ECTS of foundation subjects before applying: they are strict.
- A transcript that only says 'medium of instruction: English' is not enough by itself; it must show the teaching was fully in English.
- Your passport must be valid for at least 18 months after the programme starts on 1 October 2027.
- There is never a fee to apply.
Common questions
When is the WAVES deadline?
15 January 2027 at 23:59 CET, for both scholarship and self-funded applicants.
Do Ghanaian applicants need IELTS for WAVES?
Not if they studied at least three years in person, fully in English, and their transcript, diploma supplement or an official letter says so.
How many WAVES scholarships are there?
Eighteen for the 2027 intake.
A working timeline
Counting back from the next deadline (Jan 15, 2027). Steps marked NOW are already due if you start today.
Oct 23, 2026 · NOWResearch the route in depth: confirm eligibility, costs and every required document
Nov 6, 2026 · NOWAsk your referees (for a PhD, email potential supervisors with a short, specific pitch)
Nov 20, 2026Write the first full draft of your motivation letter or statement of purpose
Dec 4, 2026Order transcripts and certified translations · book any language test
Dec 18, 2026Second draft: get feedback from someone who reads critically
Jan 1, 2027Finalise every document and complete the online form
Jan 8, 2027Submit, but never on the last day
Jan 15, 2027Deadline