The Erasmus Plus Scholarship for the ACES Programme

• The Erasmus Plus Scholarship is given for the Erasmus Plus Joint Master Degree in AquaCulture, Environment and Society (ACES) which is 2 year programme having 120-ECTS.
• There is no separate application process for Erasmus Plus scholarships and the candidate desirous of scholarship needs to apply for the ACES programme before the deadline.
• The Joint Master's degree Programme will admit new students every year till 2017

About the Programme

• The student will study in 3 different European Universites in UK, France and Greece.
• This ACES Programme is a fully funded scholarship and will cover tuition fees, living and travel expenses.
• The Objective of the course is to provide highly skilled graduates with in-depth knowledge and practical expertise of how to enable a major food producing industry - 'aquaculture' develop sustainably.

 Semester wise Study Plan

 
Final conference and goodbye event: SAMS UHI, Oban, UK 

Classes are taught in English and the taught component of the course is composed of 9 modules of up to 250 hours each.

• Type of Scholarship- Fully Funded Scholarship
• Countries of Study: UK, France and Greece.
• Duration of Course: 2 years
• Commencement of Course: August 2016
• Number of Scholarships: 3- EU and 10 Non-EU Candidates

Important Dates for Erasmus Plus ACES Programme & Scholarship

Erasmus Plus Scholarship 2016 Reward

• Tuition Fee- The scholarship will cover the entire tuition fee for 2 years
  • Without Scholarship the Tuition fee for International students is € 9000 per annum.
• Travel Allowance: € 2-3,000 per annum
• Monthly Allowance: € 1,000 per month

Award of Degree: Successful graduates will receive a Joint Master degree from the University of the Highlands and Islands and the University of Crete and a Single Degree from the University of Nantes in line with national legislation.

The ACES Joint Master Degree uses the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS).

Erasmus Plus Scholarship 2016 Application Process

• There is no separate Application form for the Erasmus Plus Scholarship rather the student has to fill the application form for the Joint Master's Degree Programme and will automatically be considered for the Scholarship.
• The candidate has to download TWO application forms, complete both of these in full in English and then email them to Helen Bury at ACES@sams.ac.uk.
• ACES Application form
• Download Application form UHI International Student Application form

Other Documents to be submitted with the Application Form

• Statement of Motivation: It is including a 350-word statement of motivation.
• Essay on Professional Exp. & Understanding of Aquaculture Industry: 350-word essay reflecting on your professional experience and understanding of the issue facing the aquaculture industry. 
• Curriculum vitae (CV) in freestyle format
• A professional reference
• Copy of your passport
• Copy of your degree certificate (plus certified translation into English if applicable)
• Copy of your transcript of marks (plus certified translation into English if applicable)
• Copy of your IELTS English language test result with validity until the end of Sept 2016 (You must have official proof of your English proficiency by the time you apply for the ACES course)

Erasmus Plus Scholarship 2016 Selection Process

Stage 1: Shortlisting of Candidates for Programme

Out of all the Applications received, 50-60 applications will be shortlisted and will qualify for Stage 2- Skype Interview. The shortlisted students will be intimated about the schedule of the Interview in first week of March 2016.

Selection Criteria

 
Stage 2: Skype Interview 

• Skype interview on either 9 or 10 March 2016. Further details of dates and times of interviews will be sent to all applicants who are invited to interview. 
• The interview will be of 20-30 minutes duration and is designed to explore candidates’ motivation for higher degree study, their critical thinking skills and understanding of aquaculture-related issues.  Candidates will also be able to ask questions about the ACES course.

Stage 3: Final Selection for the Programme

• The final ranking of applicants will be made by combining the scores from the paper applications (50%) with interview performance (50%).  
• Final Result of the Candidates will Include
  • Individual scores
  • Status of whether they have been selected for the programme
  • Status of whether they are being recommended to the European Commission for an Erasmus Plus scholarship on or around 14 March 2016.

Final Status for award of Erasmus Plus scholarship will be available during early April 2016, once the EU has approved all scholarship applications.

Email: ACES@sams.ac.uk
Telephone +44 (0) 1631 559 000