Admissions and Requirements
Application Requirements
REPLAY applications for the 2025-2027 intake are open until January 17, 2025.
Students from all over the world are welcome to apply to this program, including those with diplomas in various fields of study, provided they have relevant professional experience in game design and production.
The following requirements must be met by all applicants:
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Application Form: Must be completed online and submitted by the specified deadlines. Applications sent by regular mail will not be accepted.
- Identification Document: A copy of your passport (for non-European citizens) or European identification card (for EU citizens). This must be an official document that includes a photograph and personal details, such as first name, surname, and date and place of birth, all in English (as in passports). We recommend that the expiration date covers the entire duration of the master's program. (PDF)
- Photograph: A recent headshot photograph. (IMG)
- Diploma: A final university diploma from a Bachelor's (BA) or Master's (MA) degree is required, along with official transcripts. The diploma must meet at least the National Framework Qualifications level 8 or the European Qualifications Framework level 6. If the diploma is not in English, an official certified translation, including the university’s stamp, is required. (PDF)
- CV (Curriculum Vitae): Provide your professional qualifications, work experience, completed projects, job positions, tasks performed, and professional skills in game design or production. (PDF)
- Motivation Letter: Provide a detailed explanation of your motivation for applying to REPLAY, focusing on why you believe you are a good fit for the program. Your letter should address the following points: (1) the topics you want to explore; (2) your preferred type of game projects; (3) what you hope to achieve with this master’s program; and (4) the experiences you aim to create. (3000 characters limit, excluding spaces). (PDF)
- Recommendation Letter: Two or three Letters of Recommendation. These do not have to follow a template. The only requirement is that the contact details of the person providing the reference must be clearly typed, must be signed and, if possible, should contain a business email address and a telephone number. (PDF)
- Post-Mortem: Provide a critical analysis of a game or other project you worked on. This doesn’t have to be limited to game development—it can include any project, such as an event, art project, or technical project. What we are looking for: your motivation, critical reflection on the work, key takeaways, and, if it was a team project, your role and what you learned from teamwork. Include a post-mortem of up to two game projects showcased in your portfolio, detailing your role, what went well, what went wrong, and the insights you gained from the experience. (Max 2000 characters per project, excluding spaces). (PDF)
- Showreel: A video of up to 1 minute in length, featuring selected projects that reflect your affinity for games or are related to game design and production. Non-game projects, such as art pieces, can also be included if they demonstrate relevant skills. Subtitles must be added to describe your specific role or task for group projects. (Link)
- Portfolio: A PDF portfolio that may include links to additional materials like your personal website, itch.io, Steam, among others. These links will be reviewed if necessary. (PDF)
- Proof of Proficiency in the English Language: Further requirements are listed at the end of the page. (PDF)
- Residence Certificate: A residence certificate issued in accordance with the candidate's municipality normal registration rules or, a certificate from the candidate's place of work, study or training issued by the employer or institution in question. (PDF)
Selection Criteria
All eligible applicants will be assessed by members of the consortium taking into account the following elements:
- The applicant’s academic quality, judged primarily from the results of prior university studies.
- The applicant’s motivation and justification of the application in relation to prior studies, work experience (if applicable) and future career plans towards the aims of REPLAY, judged from the CV in combination with the letter of motivation, analysis and portfolio/show reel.
- The applicant’s English language skills, judged from the certificate provided and from the interview.
- Applicants with the highest scores resulting from the application package will be called for an online Interview in a date to be settled by the selection committee.
Applicants that do not qualify for the interview will be informed by email.
Appeal
There’s no possibility for any appeal to the final list of selected applicants, except if based on a specific procedural error by REPLAY consortium in the application process.
APPEAL PROCEDURE
Please read the Selection Criteria as well as the Application Procedure carefully before submitting an appeal.
- Candidates who fail to provide the required documents within the established timeframes should not submit an appeal.
- Candidates who followed the Application Procedure and respected the Deadlines but were denied selection due to unmet Selection Criteria and have reasons to believe that a mistake has been made during the selection procedure have the right to appeal the Selection Board's decision.
The appeal procedure is concerned with how your proposal was handled in the evaluation and eligibility-checking process. It is not an automatic reevaluation. Please note that new information or clarifications that should have been in the proposal will not be taken into consideration. If after reading the above mentioned conditions you still have reasons to believe that a mistake has been made, please send an email to
Name:
Email:
Please explain in detail your reason to believe that a mistake has been made:
Make sure to provide a correct e-mail address so that you can receive notifications on the status of your appeal.
You will be contacted as soon as a decision has been made.
Privacy Statement
The European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), in the context of managing the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degrees, collects and processes the personal data of some of the candidates. In particular, certain data of the scholarship holders (students and scholars), non-scholarship holders and reserve list candidates is shared with the Agency through the EACEA Mobility Tool and treated according to the following PRIVACY STATEMENT.
Proof of proficiency in the english language
Providing one of the following English certificates with the minimum scores listed below:
- IELTS 6.0 (Exam taken with a maximum of 2 years prior the enrollment with no component less than 6.0; Academic IELTS);
- TOEFL Internet Based Test: 80 overall with a minimum of 17 in listening, 18 in reading, 20 in speaking and 17 in writing;
- Pearson’s Test of Academic English: 56 overall with a minimum of 51 in each component;
- Cambridge C2 Proficiency (formerly Cambridge English Proficiency (CPE): 169 overall with a minimum of 162 in each component;
- Cambridge B2 First (formerly Cambridge English First (FCE): 169 overall with a minimum of 162 in each component;
- Cambridge C1 Advanced (formerly Cambridge English Advanced (CAE): 169 overall with a minimum of 162 in each component;
- Trinity Integrated Skills Test (ISE): ISEII, ISEIII, ISEIV with a pass in each component;
- LanguageCert English language qualification: B2 Communicator Test with overall 39 or above, and 25 or above in all skills.
Providing an English-language higher educational diploma at an institute of higher education in one of the Inner Circle countries:
- United Kingdom
- United States of America
- New Zealand
- Australia
- Canada (except Quebec)
- Ireland
- Caribbean Islands
- South Africa
Providing an English-language diploma at an institute of higher education (including statement that the BA study of at least 180 ECTS was conducted in English) and presenting a convincing application for a waiver of the requirement.
If an applicant’s undergraduate degree was fully taught and examined in English and they have graduated within two years of this course start date, they would be exempt from taking an English language test.
We would require a letter confirming their degree was fully taught and examined in English if the degree was not studied in a majority English speaking country.
If accepted into the program students will have to take the IELTS if they didn't take it before, being the exception the degree fully taught in English and being graduated within two years of the course start date.
Tuition Fees
REPLAY will select a maximum of 24 students per intake.
An Erasmus Mundus Scholarship will be granted to only a percentage of those places. The participation costs/tuition fees for the whole study period of four semesters is:
- Tuition Fee for non-Scholarships students: 15.000 Euro
What is included in the participation fees?
The participation costs/tuition fees include participation in all classes offered within REPLAY’s curriculum; emergency and accident insurance according to the minimum requirements of the Erasmus+ Programme; support in administrative and organisational issues by the consortium partners; costs for enrollment at the consortium partner’s institutions; all examinations and issuing of the final diploma. There will be a budgeted sum for costs related with the thesis film production.
For holders of an Erasmus+ scholarship (all categories) tuition fee is covered by the scholarship.
What is not included in the participation fees?
The participation costs/tuition fees do not cover travel costs from country of origin, travel costs required for the mobility (to Lisbon for the 1st semester, to Genk for the 2nd semester, to Helsinki for the 3rd semester and to one of the consortium schools for the 4th semester and for the graduation ceremony) travel documents (passport, visas), accommodation and living expenses, or other costs (e.g. Study books, stationery, photocopies, etc.). It is estimated that students will need between 600-1000€ per month living expenses for the 24-month duration of their studies.
ERASMUS+ MASTER LOANS
Erasmus+ Master Loans allow students to apply for support for their Master’s studies abroad. Loans will be offered by participating banks and student loan agencies on favorable conditions to mobile students, including better than market interest rates and up to two years to allow graduates to get into a job before beginning repayment.
The loan scheme will be established in cooperation with the European Investment Bank Group and will be gradually rolled out across the Erasmus+ programme countries over the first few years of the programme.
Please get more information at ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/opportunities/...
Scholarships
FOR STUDENTS
ERASMUS MUNDUS SCHOLARSHIPS
- Candidates are eligible for an Erasmus Mundus scholarship, awarded on the basis of excellence.
- Candidates eligible for scholarships are students who have obtained a primary higher-education degree or can demonstrate a recognised equivalent according to national legislation and practices of the degree awarding country.
- Students who have already obtained an EMJM scholarship or an Erasmus Mundus Master Course / Joint Doctorate scholarship are not eligible to apply for an additional scholarship under the EMJM action.
- Erasmus+ scholarship holders cannot benefit from another EU funded scholarship scheme to follow the same EMJM course. This holds for the entire period of the course.
- Erasmus Mundus Scholarship will cover the total tuition fee and will guarantee a monthly allowance of 1.400€ for the duration of the academic activities and/or maximum of 24 months, to cover installation, travel and subsistence costs.
FOR VISITING SCHOLARS
REPLAY welcomes applications from teachers who have significant publications or teaching experience in games or outstanding professional or creative experience in the field.
- Applications will not be accepted unless they are indicative of teaching that fits closely with the curriculum.
- Applications should be sent to the consortium leader and must include a full CV and portfolio/show reel if applicable.