Frequently Asked Questions

Questions

1. When is the next deadline for applications?
2. When will the selection results be available? How will I know them?
3. How can I submit my application?
4. What should I do to apply for a scholarship?
5. May I submit my application via e-mail?
6. How do I know whether my application has successfully uploaded?
7. My application file exceeds the maximum allowed size, what can I do?
8. May I apply before obtaining my Bachelor's degree?
9. I cannot obtain the results of the test of English language before the application deadline, what can I do?
10. Do I need to take a test of English language even though in all my previous studies the language of instruction was English?
11. Does my Bachelor's degree make me eligible for this Master course?
12. I graduated in a topic different from those listed in the Application section. Could my application be considered?
13. The course modules I attended are already listed in my transcript of academic records. Should I copy this list in Section D of the Application form, as well?
14. What exactly should I write in Section D of the Application form?
15. How many scholarships are available and what do they cover?

Answers

1. The programme has ended on January 31st, 2020. No further applications are accepted.  Past application dates were published in the section Application during the summer, with the application period normally ranging from August 1^st to November 30^th for the course starting in October of the subsequent year.
2. The programme is no longer active. Usually selection results became available by mid-April. All applicants were notified via e-mail. In the case of problems with application documents applicants were contacted via e-mail.
3. The programme has ended, no new applications are accepted. The information on past application processes is available in the sections Application, Who, and How on this website. The application form provided here had to be used with the following instructions: 'you must fill in all parts of the form directly on the Word document (application forms filled in by hand are not accepted), print the page where the signature is required and sign it by hand. Save the filled-in form as a pdf-document, attach to it a scan-copy of the page with your signature and all other required documents as listed in the form itself and on this website. You should obtain a single pdf-file of maximum size 5 MB,  including the form and all documents. Upload the file through the upload box provided here. Do not include reference letters. Ask your referees to fill in and sign the provided referee form and to upload it through the upload box before the application deadline.'
4. The following information is no longer valid, since the programme has ended. - The application form includes a section concerning the application for a scholarship. You just need to fill in the relevant part. Please note that the number of selected students usually greatly exceeds the number of available scholarships, therefore we strongly advise applicants to actively search for alternative sources of funding (e.g. scholarships offered by the government of your home country or by other national/international organizations).
5. No, only applications directly uploaded to the website were accepted. An e-mail address used to be available only to notify the Administration Assistant about possible problems with submission.
   
6. The following information is no longer valid, since the programme has ended. - If the upload was successful, you will be redirected to a webpage displaying a message with the name of the file you uploaded. Also, you should receive a confirmation e-mail within a few hours. If you are re-directed to a blank page, it most probably means that the upload failed. Please check that the size of your file does not exceed 5 MB and try again. If you see the upload confirmation webpage, but you do not receive any confirmation e-mail within 24 hours, please contact the AstroMundus administrative assistant.
7. The following information is no longer valid, since the programme has ended. -  First try to reduce the size of your file, but be careful that scanned-copies of the documents you submit remain well readable. If you are really unable to reduce the size, you can split your documents into 2 pdf-files and submit both. For clarity, in this case name the files accordingly (example: Smith_John_my_application_part1.pdf, Smith_John_my_application_part2.pdf).
8. The following information is no longer valid, since the programme has ended. - Yes, in this case submit a letter or document from your University that states the expected date (month and year) of your graduation. If you are an EU citizen, you can apply if you expect to obtain your Bachelor's degree at latest by August of the starting year of the Master Course. If you are a non-EU citizen, be aware that to obtain a visa you need the official letter of admission to the university and this can only be issued after you have provided a legalized copy of your degree. The amount of time required for the legalization and for obtaining the visa varies from country to country and can be rather long. Hence in this case obtaining the degree later than June could mean failing to obtain the visa in time for joining the course.
9. The following information is no longer valid, since the programme has ended. - If at your location there is no English test available before the application deadline, or you can take the test but the results will become available after the application deadline, please mention it in Section B of the Application form and write the date when your test is scheduled or, if you already took the test, the date by which the result is expected. If you can access a protected webpage with your results, you can add a print-out of it to your application, as a temporary proof.
10. The following information is no longer valid, since the programme has ended. - Yes. Only applicants whose mother tongue is English are not required to take a language test.
11. The following information is no longer valid, since the programme has ended. - The minimum requirement is that you have a Bachelor's degree in Physics, Astronomy, Mathematics, or closely related fields issued by a recognized University and it must be equivalent to the Bachelor's degree (3 years duration, 180 ECTS points) of the AstroMundus entrance university (University of Innsbruck). The equivalence will be checked individually by the Admission Department of the University, after the application has been submitted. Depending on the country and University where the degree was issued, the duration of the Bachelor's study required for the equivalence could be of 4 years, rather than 3.
12. The following information is no longer valid, since the programme has ended. - If you hold a degree in a field that is closely related to the listed ones, you can apply and your application will be evaluated by the Selection Committee. In particular, it is necessary that your previous studies included at least a sufficient amount of advanced learning in Physics and Mathematics.
13. The following information is no longer valid, since the programme has ended. - Even if the course modules are listed in your academic transcripts, you should compile the list in the Application form, too. Most importantly, for each course module you attended (or you are going to attend, if you haven't finished your studies yet), you should write a short list of its contents (course syllabus) and not just the title of the course module. This information is required because the syllabus of courses with similar title can vary greatly depending on University and Country. If you have a very long list of course modules,  you should report in the application form at least those on relevant topics (physics, mathematics, astronomy, sciences in general, computing, etc.). Also, make sure that you provide information on the grading system of your University.
14. Please see the answer to the previous question.
15. The following information is no longer valid, since the programme has ended. - The number of scholarships varies each year, depending on budget. The amount provided per scholarship depends on the nationality/country of residence of the applicant. Also, some partial scholarships may be available. All information concerning participation fees and scholarships is provided in the section Finance. A list of the scholarships assigned in previous editions is provided here.