Read the website carefully to prepare and complete your application:

• Application procedure

• Selection procedure

• Participation costs

• Scholarships

The following documents must be uploaded on the online application tool:

• Copy of valid passport: Your passport must show your photo, date of expiry and personal details. A national ID card is accepted for European applicants only.

• Proof of current residence: Applicants must provide a proof of residence, in English or translated into English (unofficial translation accepted). The document must be dated within 3 months before the application deadline and can be any of the following:

• a residence certificate issued in accordance with your municipality’s registration rules;

• an electricity, gas, water or energy supplier bill;

• a landline, mobile phone or internet (box) bill;

• a rent payment notice or rent receipt, issued by a landlord or an agency;

• a valid home insurance certificate;

• a certificate from your place of work, study or training, issued by the employer or institution, dated and signed.

The document must show your full name, your current residential address (including street name, house number, postal code, city and country of residence) and the date.

If you are staying with someone (e.g. family or friends), you must provide a signed and dated accommodation certificate from your host, together with a copy of your host’s ID. The certificate must state the full names of the host and of the applicant, the address, and the date from which the applicant has been living there.

Because mobility is a requirement of the Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters, all enrolled students (EMJM scholarship-holders or not) are required to undertake a mobility consisting of a minimum of 2 study periods (1 study period = 30 ECTS) in 2 countries, which must be different from the country of residence of the student at enrolment stage.

• Curriculum Vitae: Your CV should preferably follow the European format. You can create one on the Europass Website.

The CV must be submitted in English and in PDF format. It should include your education, work experience, internships or projects, languages and relevant skills, with dates for each period.

• Letter of Motivation: The motivation letter should be addressed to the Bioceb Consortium and must not exceed 2 pages. Letters longer than 2 pages will not be reviewed. It must be submitted in English and in PDF format, using a standard font (Arial, Calibri or Times New Roman), size 11 pt, with 1.15 line spacing and 2 cm margins. You should explain:

• why you are applying to Bioceb;

• how it relates to your previous studies and/or projects;

• how it fits in with your future career plans;

• why you chose each of your two tracks (first and second choice) and how they best match your academic background and professional goals.

This is an essential part of the application file, as it allows the evaluators to get to know you better, to assess whether you have understood the Bioceb programme, and whether you know how to integrate it into your future projects.

• Copy of Bachelor of Science (BSc) or equivalent: You must provide a scan of your official degree certificate or a temporary certificate. If you have not yet completed your BSc, you must provide a document from your university stating that you are currently in the final year of your BSc, together with your expected graduation date.

• Translation of Diploma(s): If your diploma(s) are not issued in English, you must provide an official English translation, issued by a sworn or certified translator, or by your university. If your BSc is already in English, upload it again. You will not be able to validate your application without it.

• Transcripts of academic records: You must provide the official transcripts for each year of your BSc degree or equivalent. They must be signed and stamped by your university and include an explanation of the grading system. If the transcripts are not issued in English, you must also provide an official English translation.

• Recommendation letters: You must provide two reference letters from two different referees (e.g. university teacher, employer, internship supervisor). The letters should be signed and stamped and, if possible, written using the Bioceb template.

Once you have entered your referees’ email addresses in the application platform, they will automatically receive the reference letter template. Your referees must complete the letter and upload it themselves to the application platform.

Please inform your referees in advance that you are requesting a letter from them, and ask them to check their spam folders.

• Proof of English proficiency: You must provide proof of an English level of B2 (advanced level) according to the CEFR.

Only these official English tests will be accepted:

–  IELTS Academic: overall minimum score of 6.5, with a minimum of 6 in Writing.

– TOEFL:

• TOEFL iBT (Internet-base Test): overall minimum score of 92, with a minimum of 22 in Writing. The TOEFL iBT® Home Edition test is accepted.

• TOEFL PDT (Paper-delivered Test): minimum scores of 22 in Reading, 22 in Listening and 24 in Writing.

• Only the TOEFL iBT and PDT are accepted. Other versions, such as TOEFL Essentials or TOEFL ITP, are not accepted.

• As of 21 January 2026, the TOEFL scoring system has changed. The new scale ranges from 1 to 6 instead of 0 to 120. A two-year transition period is in place until the end of 2027, and Bioceb has adapted its criteria accordingly:

  • For the TOEFL iBT, a minimum score of 4.5 in Writing is required. During the transition period, Bioceb will also verify that you have an overall score of 92 under the old scoring system (the equivalence currently shown on your results).

  • For the TOEFL PDT, Bioceb requires a minimum score of 4.5 in Reading and 5 in both Writing and Listening.

– Cambridge C1 Advanced/ C2 Proficiency:

• C1 Advanced (previously called Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English, CAE): A, B or C.

• C2 Proficiency (previously called Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English, CPE): A, B, C or Level C1.

– Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE A): overall minimum score of 62, with a minimum of 54 in Writing.

– An English language test is not required ONLY IF: you have earned a degree in an English-medium programme (a certificate from the university is required to prove this) at a Higher Education Institution of applied sciences in an EU/EEA country, or an English-speaking country with English as its official language.

• Copy of your High School Diploma and/or transcripts of records or equivalent: You must provide the diploma or transcripts required to access university studies in your home country. If the document is not in English, French, German or Dutch, you must provide an official English translation.

• If needed, official documents for the past five years if they are not covered by your last diploma: If there is a gap between the date you graduated with your Bachelor of Science (or equivalent) and the date of your application, you must provide official documents covering this period. Please submit them as a single PDF, organised year by year. Accepted documents include, for example:

• an official certificate of enrolment in higher education or university studies;

• an original employment certificate specifying the start and end dates of your occupation;

• a declaration of military service.

Documents not issued in English or French must be accompanied by a translation into English or French (unofficial translation accepted).

• If needed: supporting documents for special needs: Please provide the relevant supporting documents (e.g. a declaration of honor from a doctor, a recent medical examination, etc.).

A contribution for individual needs can be allocated to students admitted to the Bioceb programme (with or without a scholarship) if they:

• have a disability (e.g. long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairment), certified by a competent national authority;

• have needs of such a nature that their participation in the EMJM Bioceb would not be possible without special items or services;

• need to cover the cost of acquiring these special items or services (e.g. assistance by third persons, adaptation of the work environment, additional travel or transportation costs);

• are not already covered for these items or services by another source (such as social security or health insurance).

All supporting documents will be treated confidentially and processed in accordance with applicable data protection legislation. Access will be restricted to authorised personnel responsible for assessing eligibility for individual needs support. Health-related information will be used solely for this purpose and will not affect academic selection or admission to the Bioceb programme. Documents will be retained only for as long as necessary, in accordance with applicable data retention requirements.

• If needed: supporting documents for socio-economic, social or political vulnerability.

Incomplete applications will not be taken into consideration.

Read the list of documents carefully and make sure you attach everything to your application, including translations.

NO DOCUMENT may be sent by post or email at that stage.

Your applications must be validated (as indicated by the last thumbnail in the online application tool) to be considered. You can start an application folder and come back later to fill it and add documents.

Eligibility criteria:

The application process is extremely selective: only the best candidates will be admitted to the programme. A cohort is composed of a maximum of 25 students.

Minimum admission requirements: Only students meeting the following formal admission requirements will be considered for the selection procedure:

• Bachelor of Science (BSc) or equivalent degree of at least 180 ECTS in engineering or science, including courses in at least one discipline related to biology: biotechnology, biochemistry, microbiology, biophysics, bioprocess engineering, molecular biology.

• Experience in biomass and a double competence in chemistry and biology will be highly appreciated.

• Demonstrated English language proficiency - B2 advanced.

Eligibility check: An eligibility procedure is carried out by the Bioceb Secretariat according to the eligibility criteria: respect of the application deadline, complete file and respect of the EMJM and Bioceb minimum criteria described on Bioceb website. An e-mail is sent to the ineligible candidates, with a possibility of appeal.

Evaluation of application files: The evaluators conduct an in-depth assessment according to jointly agreed criteria and grading scales:

• First step:

1) Excellence : Including relevance of the academic background, content of studies, grades, GPA and University ranking (weight 35%). For equity reasons, only bachelor’s degree results will be taken into account for this criterion, even if candidates also hold a master’s degree.

2) Experiences and activities: including but not limited to: CV, internship, professional experience, conferences, international mobility (weight 10%).

3) Motivation: based on the motivation letter: long-term career plans, alignment between the content offered by Bioceb and personal expectations, personal skills (weight 20%).

4) Recommendation, based on the 2 reference letters (weight 10%).

• Second step: Online Interviews of the shortlisted candidates are organised. Being interviewed does not mean that a candidate will be selected.

5) Interview: Motivation, language and communication skills, interpersonal skills (weight 25%).

This will be a short interview (around 20-30 minutes), by video conference about the motivation and the choice of the study track.

Notification of application results: All applicants will be notified of the selection process results in April. Please check your spam folder.

Appeal Procedure: Bioceb has an appeal procedure in place for candidates who disagree with their selection results (ineligibility and admission). There are two possibilities for non-selection:

• the application was fairly assessed, but the application was not ranked high enough to be granted a scholarship or a position as a self-funded student;

• the application was not fairly assessed.

The appeal procedure cannot be implemented in the first case: an appeal is not a second chance.

However, the appeal procedure is possible for the second case: it means that an error or an unfair bias has occurred. To submit an appeal, the candidate must complete the official Bioceb Appeal Form, explaining the grounds for the appeal, and send the completed form by email to the Bioceb Secretariat (bioceb@agroparistech.fr).

The appeal form must be submitted within 10 calendar days (including weekends) of the notification of the selection results. Appeals submitted after this deadline or without the required appeal form may not be considered.

The Bioceb Consortium will review the appeal and provide a response explaining the decision reached and, where applicable, any change to the initial selection decision.

Privacy statement
The European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), in the context of managing the Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters, collects and processes the personal data of some of the candidates. In particular, certain data of the scholarship holders and non-scholarship holders is shared with the Agency and treated according to this privacy statement.