The Flemish Ministry of Education awards scholarships to outstanding students for Master's programmes in Flanders and Brussels. The Master Mind programme promotes Flemish higher education as a top study destination for international talent. The scholarship includes a grant of € 10,000 + a tuition fee waiver per academic year. It is estimated that a total of 30 international students spread across the various universities in Flanders can benefit from the Master Mind Scholarships. Students cannot apply directly. Applications need to be submitted by the University of Antwerp. Some scholarships are reserved for students from Japan, Mexico, Palestine and the USA. These countries are priority countries for the Flemish government.
The official call for 2025-2026 will be published early January, 2025.
The UAntwerp application deadline is 1 February, 2025.
You may already prepare your application, based on the information below, and submit it along with your programme application through Mobility Online.
UAntwerp Master programmes that qualify for Master Mind scholarships
You can apply for a Master Mind scholarship to study for one of the following Master programmes:
- Applied Economic Sciences: Economic Policy
- Biology (Biodiversity: Conservation and Restoration and Global Change Biology)
- Biomedical Sciences (Infectious and Tropical Diseases and Neurosciences)
- Bioscience Engineering: Sustainable Urban Bioscience Engineering
- Business Economics
- Business Engineering: Financial Engineering
- Chemistry
- Computer Science (Computer Networks, Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, and Software Engineering)
- Digital Business Engineering
- Digital Text Analysis
- Electronics and ICT Engineering Technology
- Laws (LL.M)
- Linguistics and Literary Studies
- Physics
- Political Science
- Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy
General eligibility criteria
The applicant applies to study a Master's degree programme at the University of Antwerp.
The applicant should have a high standard of academic performance and/or potential. This means:
- The student has a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.5 out of 4.0. You can use the GPA calculator here.
- The student has a good knowledge of the English language, proven by one of the following situations:
- an overall band score of minimum 7.0 on the IELTS test;
- a minimum total score of 94 on a TOEFL test;
- a C1 level of the Common European Framework of Reference;
- a similar result in another official language test recognised by the University of Antwerp;
- or an exemption provided by the Master programme's Selection Committee during the screening process.
Additionally, the University of Antwerp will consider the following aspects when evaluating candidates:
- Academic performance
- Motivation for the programme and the university
- Attitude and maturity
- Relevant work experience
- The student has to be accepted by the University of Antwerp to receive the scholarship. Even if the university's final decision is taken after awarding the scholarship to the student, this precondition applies.
- All nationalities can apply, except for Russian citizens this year (see reasons here). The previous degree should have been obtained from a higher education institution outside Flanders.
- Students already enrolled in a Flemish higher education institution cannot apply. The only exception is for international students who, at the moment of their application in the spring of 2025, are already enrolled in a preparatory programme to start a Master's programme in September 2025.
- Students who enrol for the following programmes for the academic year 2025-2026 are not eligible for a Master Mind scholarship:
- preparatory programmes
- bridging programmes
- distance learning programmes
- Student mobility during the Master's programme is allowed. However, at least half of the credits of the Master's programme must be obtained at the University of Antwerp.
Modalities
- The duration of mobility is one academic year for a Master's programme of 60 ECTS credits and two academic years for a Master's programme of 120 ECTS credits.
- The incoming student is awarded a maximum scholarship of €10,000 per academic year.
- The applicant needs to pay a reduced tuition fee to the University of Antwerp. The amount for the academic year 2025-2026 is €136,50. This amount may increase slightly each year.
- There are scholarships reserved for students from certain countries: Japan (3), Mexico (3), Palestine (2) and USA (5). These countries are priority countries for the Flemish government.
- Students cannot combine this scholarship with another scholarship from the Flemish Government or an Erasmus Mundus scholarship.
- Upon completion of the mobility, all students are expected to submit an essay for which a format is provided and to fill in a short questionnaire about their mobility.
- A maximum of 20 applications are shortlisted by the University of Antwerp. The final selections for all universities are made by an external selection board.
Scholarship
The incoming student is awarded a scholarship of € 10,000 per academic year according to the modalities specified here.
How to apply
The University of Antwerp screens all applicants and submits a shortlist of 20 candidates for the scholarship. The Flemish Government makes the final selection on the basis of this shortlist.
To apply for the Master Mind scholarship, you need to do the following:
- Complete your application and upload all documents for the relevant Master programme at the University of Antwerp. Click here to read more about the Admission and enrolment procedure. Please do not forget to upload your English test scores!
- During your application indicate that you would also like to apply for the Master Mind Scholarship. In your motivation text, clearly specify why you are applying for the Master Mind scholarship and why you should be selected. Please address every selection criterium. In addition, specify your GPA score. Here is a guide to calculating your score. Applications without a motivation text will not be considered.
- Special cases: Candidates who do not need to submit a Master application in Mobility Online (previous degree from Wallonia, Netherlands or Luxembourg) or those currently enrolled in a preparatory or bridge programme at the University of Antwerp can submit their application directly to the Master programme. See programme links above for the contact details. The application should include a motivation letter addressing all the selection criteria and clearly specifying the language test and GPA scores.
The application deadline for all Master Mind candidates is 1 February 2025.
Potential candidates will be screened by the Selection Committee and will be contacted by mid-April 2025 to finally complete their Master Mind application file.
If you are shortlisted, you will need to ensure that all hard copy documentation is received by our Registrar's Office before 1 June 2025.
The results of the final selection by the Flemish Government will be known in June 2025.
The selected students are expected to start in September 2025.
More information can be found on the website of the Master Mind Scholarship programme.
Selection process
Potential candidates will be screened by the Selection Committee and will be contacted by 17 April 2025 to further complete their Master Mind application file. If you have not received an email informing you about your place on the shortlist, this means that your application was not successful this time.
If you have been informed that you are shortlisted, you will need to add extra information to your application before 24 April 2025.
In addition, you will need to ensure that all hard copy documentation is received by our Registrar's Office before 1 June 2025.