Scholarships 2027 Open at International Master in Security, Intelligence and Strategic Studies
Could your interest in geopolitics, cyber threats or conflict become the foundation of a security-analysis career? The International Master in Security, Intelligence and Strategic Studies (IMSISS) is accepting applications for its 2027–2029 intake, including Erasmus Mundus scholarship applications. This two-year, full-time degree takes students across European universities, combining security theory with intelligence analysis and strategic thinking.
Coordinated by the University of Glasgow, IMSISS covers issues ranging from terrorism and organized crime to artificial intelligence, environmental insecurity and peacebuilding. It welcomes a wider range of academic backgrounds than its title might suggest.
Your first decision is which study pathway fits your qualifications and interests. Your second is timing: a conditional admission offer does not let you postpone the English evidence required for scholarship consideration. Here is how to choose your route and prepare a focused application.
01 — Who should consider a master’s in security and intelligence?
IMSISS suits applicants who want to analyse security problems and help organisations make better-informed decisions. Its five themes cover emerging technology and digital resilience; war, conflict and peace; radicalisation, terrorism and organised crime; intelligence, strategic planning and public diplomacy; and human and environmental security.
If you are comparing security studies with International Relations, use your intended problem as the starting point. Someone interested in how governments assess threats, how disinformation affects security or how peacebuilding works may find this specialised curriculum particularly relevant.
Possible career directions include risk analysis, public administration, international organisations, NGOs, security consultancy and doctoral research. My recommendation is to connect your career aim to a specific analytical skill you want to develop, such as evaluating evidence or producing policy advice. The degree does not guarantee recruitment into an intelligence agency; individual employers set their own requirements.
02 — Which IMSISS pathway fits your degree?
The standard entry requirement is a UK 2:1 honours degree or international equivalent in an eligible subject. The programme lists backgrounds including politics, International Relations, history, law, criminology, sociology, psychology, journalism, economics, environmental studies, business and computing science. Glasgow also states that a relevant 2:2 degree may be considered with directly relevant work experience.
Your academic background matters particularly for Trento. Compare the three advertised routes before choosing a preference; allocation is not guaranteed.
| Pathway | Teaching universities | What affects your choice? |
|---|---|---|
| A | Glasgow → Dublin City → Charles University, Prague | Dublin’s conflict and security options combine with Prague’s broad specialisms, including security and technology. |
| B | Glasgow → Trento → Charles University, Prague | Additional B2 language evidence required. Computer Science, Engineering and Philosophy backgrounds are excluded from this route. |
| C | Glasgow → Dublin City → Belgrade | Advertised from 2027–2029, with a Balkan conflict and peacebuilding focus; the FAQ retains a final-accreditation caveat. |
The IMSISS programme structure explains each location’s teaching and the final independent-study period. Optional courses can change, and the degree requires physical mobility.
Trento requires B2 proficiency in a language other than English or Italian. Accepted evidence includes specified language certificates, a qualifying university language examination, or official proof of an entire secondary or university programme taught in another language. Italian is not required beforehand.
For English, Glasgow’s current programme requirements accept IELTS Academic 6.5 overall with no component below 6.0 and alternatives including PTE Academic, Cambridge and Duolingo. Defined degree-based alternatives also exist; an English-medium letter from any university is not a blanket exemption.
03 — What does the IMSISS Erasmus Mundus scholarship pay?
The scholarship covers tuition, the place deposit, insurance and a subsistence award equivalent to €1,400 monthly over two years. Applicants worldwide may compete, while previous EMJM scholarship recipients are ineligible under the published rules.
The official funding guidance offers two payment arrangements:
- Monthly option: €1,400 each month for 24 months.
- Advance-payment option: three €1,000 payments towards travel and installation, plus €1,275 monthly for 24 months.
Both arrangements total €33,600 in subsistence support. The advances come from the same award; they are not an additional €3,000 travel grant. I would choose between them based on when relocation costs fall due, rather than comparing the monthly figures alone.
For self-funded students, published 2027–2029 tuition fees are £9,750 annually for the listed Home/UK/EU category and £20,260 annually for international students. Glasgow also places EEA and Erasmus-associated programme countries in the lower fee group. Accommodation, living expenses and travel require a separate budget.
Successful Erasmus Mundus scholars do not pay the £2,000 place deposit. Scholarship applicants are advised to wait for the award outcome before paying; those proceeding as self-funded students must meet their offer’s deposit deadline.
04 — How do you apply for IMSISS and its scholarship?
Apply through the University of Glasgow and upload the additional IMSISS form for your funding route. The personal statement carries 40% of scholarship scoring, academic merit 30%, and relevant research, experience and other activities 30%.
- Select your route and form. Download the scholarship or self-funder form from the official IMSISS application page. Complete it and indicate your preferred pathway.
- Gather your evidence. Prepare university transcripts, available degree certificates, required translations, CV, passport scan, English evidence and two references. Add Trento language proof if applicable.
- Write within 600 words. Explain your motivation, academic preparation, career direction and tentative dissertation topic. My recommendation is to build around one security question and show how your previous work prepares you to investigate it.
- Submit the Glasgow application. Follow the portal link on the official page and choose postgraduate taught, academic year 2027/8, full-time, searching “Security”. Upload the completed IMSISS form under “Scholarship Form”.
- Finish the scholarship evidence on time. Do not treat a later offer-condition date as permission to delay required English proof. Monitor your application account and complete any remaining degree conditions and enrolment steps after selection.
05 — Questions that can change your IMSISS plans
Can fresh graduates apply without years of security experience?
Yes, the standard academic route does not prescribe a minimum number of working years. Relevant research, internships and other activities can support your application, although scholarship selection remains competitive.
Can final-year students apply?
Yes, assessment can begin using your latest transcript, with admission conditional on completing the degree at the required standard. This exception does not remove the scholarship deadline for English-language evidence.
Is IMSISS a technical cybersecurity or programming master’s?
Its focus is security, intelligence and strategy, with technology-related options and research-methods training. If your main aim is intensive programming or engineering practice, compare individual modules rather than assuming the security title guarantees that training.
Are internships automatically provided?
Students can apply for work-based placements, but a place is not automatically guaranteed. The programme structure also provides a dissertation dissemination project option; independently arranged internships require approval.
The IMSISS applicant FAQ gives further guidance on conditional admission, mobility and accommodation.
06 — IMSISS scholarship and admissions deadlines for 2027
The last date to apply for the IMSISS Erasmus Mundus Scholarship for 2027–2029 is 7 January 2027 at 13:00 UK time (GMT, UTC+0). Required scholarship documents, including English-language evidence, must meet this deadline. Scholarship outcomes are scheduled for April 2027.
The last date for EU/international self-funded applications is 8 July 2027 at 23:59 UK time (BST, UTC+1). The advertised Home/RUK self-funded deadline is 24 August 2027 at 23:59 UK time (BST, UTC+1).
There is a published scheduling conflict for late Home/RUK applications: the application instructions also specify 21 August 2027 at 23:59 UK time as the supporting-document deadline. Home/RUK applicants should obtain clarification from IMSISS before relying on the later application date.
Teaching begins in September 2027, with induction beforehand. The dates above come from the official application guidance linked in the application section.
