Do I have to apply online for a postgraduate taught degree? Yes. To apply for a postgraduate taught degree you must apply online. We are unable to accept your application by any other means.

Do I need to complete and submit the application in a single session? No. You have 42 days to submit your application once you begin the process. You may save and return to your application as many times as you wish to update information, complete sections or upload additional documents such as your final transcript or your language test certificate.

What documents do I need to provide in my application? As well as completing your online application fully, it is essential that you submit the following documents:

• A copy (or copies) of your official degree certificate(s) (if you have already completed your degree)
• A copy (or copies) of your official academic transcript(s), showing full details of subjects studied and grades/marks obtained
• Official English translations of the certificate(s) and transcript(s)
• Two supporting reference letters on headed paper*
• Evidence of your English Language ability (if your first language is not English). Please see below for accepted English-language proficiency tests.
• Evidence of knowledge of a second language at Level B2 (not being English or Italian) (Required for Trento Pathway B only)
• CV
• A copy of the photo page of your passport
• Personal statement

*References must be:

• • • Must be dated within 24 months from the date of submission of the application
    • Must be on institutional headed paper or with an official stamp.
    • Must be signed with an electronic or wet-ink signature. A typed name is not sufficient
    • A reference can be submitted directly to erasmusreferences@glasgow.ac.uk from the referee’s institutional address. References will not be accepted from a personal email address. Please upload a document with your application confirming the email address the reference will be sent from.
    • Uploaded references must include an official email address (References will not be accepted from a personal email address).
    • At least one of the two references should be an academic reference. One may be a professional reference where it is not possible to obtain two academic references. It must be from a relevant employer with which you held employment at some point within the 12 months prior to the date of submission of the application. The reference must be dated within the past 24 month from the date of submission of the application  

Please note, in order to be considered for entry in September 2027, you MUST have submitted ALL of the above documents by the submission deadline of 21st August 2027 at 23:59 UK time. If your application status is ‘holding for documents’ then you will NOT be considered for entry unless you submit the required documents by the set deadline. To be considered for Erasmus Mundus Scholarship, the necessary documents, including proof of English-language proficiency, must be provided by the specified scholarship deadline.

Do my supporting documents need to be submitted online? Yes, please upload the supporting documents with your application.

Can I email my supporting documents? No. We cannot accept email submissions of your supporting documents.

Further Information Please see the Frequently Asked Questions for more information on applying to a postgraduate taught program.

Guidance notes for using the online application

These notes are intended to help you complete the online application form accurately, they are also available within the help section of the online application form. If you experience any difficulties accessing the online application then you should visit the Application Troubleshooting/FAQs page. When searching for the programme in the online system please use the following search options:

• Academic Careers – Postgraduate Taught
• Admit Term – Academic year 2027/8
• Mode of Study – Full time
• Programme Description – Security

You are also reminded to ensure the following:

• Name and Date of birth: must appear exactly as they do on your passport. Please take time to check the spelling and lay-out.
• Contact Details: Correspondence address. All contact relevant to your application will be sent to this address including the offer letter(s). If your address changes, please contact us as soon as possible.
• Choice of course: Please select carefully the course you want to study. As your application will be sent to the admissions committee for each course you select it is important to consider at this stage why you are interested in the course and that it is reflected in your application. See above for details on selecting the course.
• Education and Qualifications: Please complete this section as fully as possible indicating any relevant Higher Education qualifications starting with the most recent. Complete the name of the Institution(s) as it appears on the degree certificate or transcript.
• English Language Proficiency: Please state the date of any English language test taken (or to be taken) and the award date (or expected award date if known).
• Employment and Experience: Please complete this section as fully as possible with all employments relevant to your course. Additional details may be attached in your personal statement/proposal where appropriate.
• References: References should be completed on letter headed paper and uploaded on to your application, or instances where referees are submitting reference to erasmusreferences@glasgow.ac.uk then you must include a document with the referee name and email address with your application so that this can be cross referenced.

A strict 2:1 UK Honours degree or international equivalent with backgrounds in humanities and social sciences, for example Politics, International Relations, History, Peace Studies, Area and Cultural Studies, Law, Sociology, Anthropology, Criminology, Human Geography, Computing Science, Literature, Philosophy, Organizational Studies, Social and Public Policy, Global Studies, Psychology, Media Studies and Journalism, Modern Languages, Economics, Environmental  Studies, Management or Business.   

Applicants with backgrounds in Computer Science, Engineering or Philosophy will not be eligible for Pathway B (University of Trento). 

Applicants who have indicated a preference for Pathway B (Trento) will also be required to demonstrate proficiency in another language other than English or Italian. 

You can check your country-specific requirements on our country information pages. International students with academic qualifications below those required should contact our partner institution, Glasgow International College, who offer a range of pre-Masters courses.

Academic Background:

The programme is opened to students from various academic backgrounds and we encourage those who have been in employment for some time to consider applying.

Can work experience be considered in lieu of qualifications?

Yes – the same academic background list as above applies, but if there is a lower GPA but with work experience, applicants can be considered (if they have a degree in the above listed content) 

English Language Requirements:

You can find out more info on English language requirements here

Pathway B (Trento) Language Requirements:

Students wishing to follow Study Track B (via the University of Trento) must demonstrate proficiency at CEFR Level B2 or above in a language other than Italian or English. They can meet this requirement by providing one of the following:

• A language certificate issued by a recognised testing institution and included in the University of Trento Language Centre (CLA) list of recognised international language certificates, obtained within the past five years. This option is available only for languages covered by the CLA list.
• Official documentation confirming that the student passed a university language examination in a language other than Italian or English, assessed at CEFR Level B2 or above, within the past five years.
• Official documentation confirming the successful completion of an entire programme of study taught entirely in a language other than Italian or English, at secondary or university level (Bachelor’s or Master’s degree).

Previous knowledge of Italian is not required. The University of Trento will provide Italian classes for those who choose to study there.

The following documents are required:

• The scholarship or self-funded application form, with all fields completed and with your preferred study track clearly marked
• CV (any format is acceptable, Europass is preferred)
• Two supporting references on headed paper
  • Must be dated within 24 months from the date of submission of the application
  • Must be on institutional headed paper or with an official stamp.
  • Must be signed with an electronic or wet-ink signature. A typed name is not sufficient
  • A reference can be submitted directly to erasmusreferences@glasgow.ac.uk from the referee’s institutional address. References will not be accepted from a personal email address. Please upload a document with your application confirming the email address the reference will be sent from.
  • Uploaded references must include an official email address (References will not be accepted from a personal email address).
  • At least one of the two references should be an academic reference. One may be a professional reference where it is not possible to obtain two academic references. It must be from a relevant employer with which you held employment at some point within the 12 months prior to the date of submission of the application. The reference must be dated within the past 24 month from the date of submission of the application  
• Transcripts of all university-level academic studies to date (undergraduate and any postgraduate studies) in both original language and, if applicable, in an official English translation. Studies earlier than university are not required
• Degree Certificates of all university-level academic studies to date (undergraduate and any postgraduate studies) in both original language and, if applicable, in an official English translation
• Proof of English-language proficiency (see IMSISS English Language Requirements online information)
• Colour scan of current passport photo page (candidates with multiple nationalities must decide at the application stage under which one nationality to apply)

Applicants who want to be considered for Pathway B (University of Trento) must also submit the following:

• Evidence of knowledge of a second language at Level B2 (not being English or Italian)

Please note, in order to be considered for the programme, you MUST have submitted ALL of the above documents by the submission deadline. The only exception to this is English language proficiency certificates, and final degree certificates and transcripts where an applicant is still currently studying. To be considered for scholarship, the necessary documents, including proof of English-language proficiency, must be provided by the specified scholarship deadline.

Note: Conditional offers An applicant who is completing the final year of his/her first degree or who has yet to provide the required evidence of proficiency in English will be considered for entry to the IMSISS programme but will not receive an unconditional offer of a place on the programme until we have received his/her final degree and/or English language test results. In such cases, you may be made a conditional offer on finishing your degree at the required grade and/or obtaining the required English language test results. This documentation must be submitted to the IMSISS via the University of Glasgow before you can enrol on the IMSISS programme.

Scholarship applications close on 7th January 2027, 1300 (UK time).

Self funded applications deadlines:
EU/International: 8th July 2027, 2359 (UK time).

Home/RUK: 24th August 2027, 2359 (UK time).

Applicants will have to pay a deposit to secure their place, the deadline for which will be detailed in their offer letter. Scholarship applicants don’t need to pay their deposit until scholarship announcements have been made.

Classes for the 2027-2029 cohort of students start in September 2027 and you will be expected to attend induction sessions from the week before.

Please be as precise as you can when writing your Supporting Personal Statement. Do not repeat yourself and do not exceed the word limit (600 words). You should make sure that you address the following issues in your personal statement:

• You should outline your motivation for choosing the IMSISS programme (i.e. how it complements and develops your previous studies; how it relates to your career path; how it relates to your personal and academic interests).
• Explain why you think you are a good candidate for the programme given your previous studies and the courses offered on the programme in both years. Briefly indicate what you see as being the topic of your year 2 dissertation (this can change later).
• You should highlight your participation in conferences, internships, non-governmental organisations, summer schools, and other socially sensitive or political activity; as well as any prizes/awards received even if these activities are not specially connected to the area of Security, Intelligence and Strategic Studies.

Appeal procedure – Programme Application

Candidates who do not secure a place on the programme who wish to appeal the decision and if you meet the grounds for a reconsideration of your application, you must submit your appeal within 10 working days of the original decision date. Appeals must be submitted by the applicant (and not a representative) via our Enquiry Form using the category “Decision Feedback”. Appeals submitted after this time, or via other channels, will not be considered.

Appeal procedure – Scholarship Application

All candidates will receive an email with the scholarship committee’s decision in April. If you do not get a scholarship and want to appeal, you must do within 2 weeks (14 days) from the date the committee told you about the decision.

You may only appeal if the procedure of the IMSISS scholarship selection committee was defective or unfair.

You must email your appeal to imsiss@glasgow.ac.uk. The subject heading must be ‘IMSISS scholarship appeal’. Your email must clearly explain why you are appealing the decision.

Please note that the data you provide in your application will be shared with the IMSISS Consortium Partners as part of the Erasmus Mundus Scholarship review process. Please see our Privacy Notice for details.

Personal data may be sent to the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) and may be used for the purposes of evaluating the programme, efficiently managing the project, and producing statistics. Data could be made available to the EACEA, the European Commission, the European External Action Service staff, as well as to other stakeholders of the Erasmus+ programme, such as Erasmus+ National Agencies, National Erasmus+ Offices and the Erasmus Mundus Student and Alumni Association.

The EACEA Privacy Statement document can be found here.

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