TROPIMUNDO is the first International Master in Tropical Biodiversity and Ecosystems (2 years, 120 ECTS) that allows students to delve into the interlinked ecosystems under threat by spending a full second semester of course work and field schools in the Amazonian tropical rainforest, the Caribbean and Indian Ocean tropical islands, the Central-African rainforest, the East-African Great Lakes, terrestrial and coastal ecosystems, the Malagasy forest ecosystems, and the Asian terrestrial, aquatic and mangrove forests, and a fourth semester dedicated to thesis work related to tropical biodiversity and ecosystems. The other two semesters are covering basic and specialized courses in Belgium, Italy, France and French Guiana.
The European Commission provides a certain number of full scholarships for students from EU and non-EU students. Selected scholarship holders will have their tuition fees and mobility covered in addition to receiving full insurance and monthly allocations.
About the Program
TROPIMUNDO is an EC-funded and excellence-labelled Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree in Tropical Biodiversity and Ecosystems. We aim to bring together expert Higher Education Institutes (HEI), with long-standing worldwide expertise in tropical rainforests and woodlands and in tropical coastal ecosystems. TROPIMUNDO students can concentrate on botany, zoology and integrative ecosystem approaches in institutions with and beyond Europe in 2 Master years, of which an entire semester is spent in the tropics. Specialisation is possible on the evolution of tropical flora and vegetation, on faunistic assemblages, on informatics tools to treat and manage biodiversity data and databases (biogeographical, genetical, geographical information systems) including the management and conservation of historic collections such as herbarium sheets, on the study of diversity, dynamics and evolution of tropical and subtropical ecosystems (with a focus on four related systems, namely tropical rainforests and woodlands, mangrove forests, seagrass beds and coral reefs, including the interactions between flora, fauna, man and the environment within and between each of these adjacent ecosystems), on conservation and restoration ecology of natural habitats and their biodiversity including competences in sustainable management and governance of biodiversity, and finally, on tropical ethnobotany, exploitation and valorisation of natural resources and conservation of traditional ecological knowledge.
Core values
A unique course program that maximises radiation of the long-standing experience and the scientific excellence of the Higher Education Institutes constitutin gthe TROPIMUNDO Consortium and that leads to a joint degree;
A mobility within Europe pluss a unique full semester mobility in situ including both classroom and field courses in the Caribbean, Amazonian, African, or Asian wet tropics at participating universities;
A clear study Trajectory in which fundamental understanding of one or multiple most-threatened ecosystems, or their components (incl. biota and abiotic factors and humans), is followed by research tools to study, understand, and manage them with the aim of biological conservation;
A full semester MSc Thesis research in collaboration with one or more TROPIMUNDO Full or Associate Partners (see below)
Intensive contact with different cultures and languages, which stimulates content and language integrated learning.
Joint Master Degree
Upon graduation students will be awarded a Joint Master degree by the European institutes visited by the student. In addition, each student will receive a Europass Certificate signed by all participating higher education institutes involved.
Find out the legal provisions of the degree-awarding institutions (this also includes a summary description and detailed course descriptions of graduated student cohorts).
Basic student requirements
An internationally accepted Bachelor in Science degree (i.e. equivalent to 180 ECTS) with a major in Biology, Natural Sciences, Environmental Sciences, or equivalent from an accredited university. Prospective applicants should check the FAQ to see which BSc are likely to be considered equivalent and which are not;
Students must be able to demonstrate proficiency in English or in English + French. However, in the 1st and 3rd semester extra-curricular language courses are offered to improve language skills needed on the student's study Trajectory. More information on language requirements can be found in the online Application, Information and Management Tool (AIM-tool);
A personal evaluation of the applications will be done by the Selection Committee composed of all Local Coordinators.
Trajectory in 4 semesters
The consortium is composed of 8 institutes in Program Countries (European) and 5 higher education institutes in Partner Countries (non-European). In a first semester, students start at a European institute of their choice to acquire similar competences. In a second semester field experience and courses will take place in a university in a tropical region. The third semester will cover a specialisation in a European university different from the first semester. The fourth semester is dedicated to the MSc Thesis and students return to where they started out. Every Trajectory of 4 semesters constitutes a unique combination of courses and expertises.
In-depth information available:
Tuition fees
Tuition fees are 9,000 EUR per year for students from Partner countries (largely outside Europe) and 4,500 EUR per year for students from Program Countries (largely European). Self-funded students will receive a restitution of 500 EUR for each 4500 EUR paid. Tuition fees are to be paid to the coordinating institute an include consortium enrolment fees and the insurance cost. The tuition fees do not include costs related to visa and preparatory documents, accommodation, additional insurance costs, living expenses and travel and transportation costs. However, EC-funded students have additional cost coverage. Find more information here.
Scholarships
TROPIMUNDO Candidates can also apply for an EC scholarshipopen to applicants from all nationalities. Applications are scrutinised based on excellence criteria (see below).
Applying for TROPIMUNDO
The following information sections are extracted from the online Information and Application Module.
Application deadline: January 15th, 2023