FAQs

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is IFROS?

The Erasmus Mundus Joint Master in Intelligent Field Robotic Systems (IFRoS) is a 2-year joint master degree with 120 ECTS coordinated by the Universitat de Girona (UdG, Spain) together with the University of Zagreb (UNIZG, Croatia) and the Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE, Hungary) as partners.

IFRoS is aimed at a new generation of engineers who will develop new applications and tools to expand the capabilities of field robots in the near future. The technology behind these systems comes from different research areas such as artificial intelligence, computer vision, control, sensorization, machine learning, manipulation, all of them under fast-paced evolution in the current digital revolution. IFRoS addresses the lack of master programs dedicated to intelligent robots and, more specifically, to field robotic systems.

Students can choose between two different itineraries, according to their preference. The programme is structured in four semesters, of 30 ECTS each. The first two semesters take place in Girona and provide a solid foundation in field robotics, with focus on land and marine robots. During the 3rd semester, students may choose a programme oriented towards multiple robots and aerial vehicles in Zagreb, or a programme oriented towards autonomous systems and self-driving land vehicles in Budapest. During the last semester, students will prepare a master's thesis, which can be hosted by any of the consortium universities or associated partners.

 

 

About eligibility criteria

I am from a country XXX. Can I apply to the programme?
Yes, from wherever you are, you can apply to the programme. Notice, however, that we are not aware of visa rules, that depend on each country and they vary time to time.

Can I apply for the programme if I have not received my diploma yet/have not graduated yet?
Yes. You only need to provide an official certification regarding the completion of your undergraduate programme from your home university. If accepted in the programme, then you will need to submit your diploma as soon as you receive it.

I already have a master’s degree. Can I still apply for the IFROS programme?
Yes. However, if you are applying for an EMJMD scholarship, please keep in mind that if you have already obtained one in the past, you cannot apply for a second scholarship under the EMJMD programme.

My background or degree is different; Am I still eligible?
The IFROS is suitable for any technical engineer that has a solid background in math and computing. In your undergraduate degree, you should have had at least one (or more) courses on Linear Algebra, Advanced Calculus, and Statistics. Please note that the IFROS program is very programming intensive. You need to be fluent in Python, and capable of turning algorithms and into code with ease.
Generally speaking the IFROS program is targeted at people that have been building their career around Robotics. It is not for someone that wants to take a break from their field and check out Robotics out of curiosity.

Are self-funded applications welcomed in the programme?
Self-funded students are welcome in the programme. They will pay half of the fees in the first year and the other half during the second year. If you are applying to other funding sources and you need paperwork from our part, do not hesitate to contact us.

 

 

About the documentation to submit

Do we need to send / submit the original documents?
No, the application is completely on-line. As such, for the selection you need to submit scanned copies of your documentation. Once accepted in the programme you will need to bring with you all the original documentation. Notice that part the documentation should be authenticated and translated in your country before arriving in Girona (see next question).

What documents should I authenticate and what process should I follow?
The documents to be authenticated are the Bachelor Degree and the Transcripts (original and a copy). Once authenticated, the documents must be translated into Spanish by an official translator recognised in Spain. The translation must include the translation of content and also the translation of stamps of the different institutions.

The process of authenticating documents differs, depending on the country of origin of the student. Once the student is selected we send him/her all the information regarding authentication.

What tests do you accept for certifying the English requirement?
The minimum required level for English language is CEFR B2.

We accept English tests as IELTS certificate (applicants must achieve an overall score of 6.5), Cambridge (FCE – BEC Vantage – ICFE Vantage), TOEFL IBT (72 to 94 points), TOEIC, Aptis B2, PTE General Level 3, Oxford Test of English and Lingua skill. Send an email to our contact address if you have another test.

Applicants with scores lower than the minimum requirement will not be considered for selection. We need to be strict in this point since English is the only medium of instruction for the degree.

We do not accept TOEFL Home Edition or Duolingo English Test.

English was my medium of instruction during my Bachelor Degree.
The English requirement is already fulfilled if your bachelor was taught in English. In that case, you only need to send us an official letter of your university stating this.

Should I add the reference letter into the application?
No, you don’t need to submit any reference letter in your application, you just need to give us the name of two referees (and their emails). We will contact them directly since they will not only submit the reference letter but also will fill in a questionnaire about your abilities.

Can I change the referees when I edit my application?
The application form automatically sends an email to the referees as prompt as you submit it, so, the first referees got that email.
If you change the referee email the form is unable to send the emails to the new mail. Therefore, if you want to change them, please, send us the emails as well as the contact names and we will send the forms directly to them.

Furthermore, please note that we only accept referees with official institutional mail addresses, such as the university or research institute they work for. Referees with email addresses from personal accounts (that are not affiliated with the referee's workplace, such as gmail, hotmail, etc), will not be considered.

Will you notify us about the reception of the reference evaluation?
No, we do not notify the student when the recommendation letter has been submitted, since we provide an option for the referee not to send the recommendation letter. However, if close to the deadline of the applications we have not received it yet, we will send a reminder to the referee asking for it.

What sort of information should my motivation letter include?
Your motivation letter should be focused on the IFROS topics. It should highlight your past achievements which are related to the area of Field Robotics, and how these shaped your preferences towards this master program. You may include an explanation on why you want to study the master and why we should select you. You can add extra-curricular activities related with the master not mentioned on your CV. You may also include your future career goals and dreams, your intended future contribution to the industry and, specifically, how you think IFRoS would help you to reach these goals.

How long should my motivation letter be?
The letter should have a maximum of 1 page.

Can I edit the application?
Yes. If you need, you can modify your application up until the deadline. We will only take into account the last version.

 

Which criteria are used for the student selection process?

Applicants should hold a university degree, corresponding to at least three years of full-time university studies, and totaling 180 ECTS. The applicants need to have this degree completed and awarded by the time of registering for the IFROS programme. The selection will be performed using the following criteria, with the numerical weight and evidence of each item indicated:

 

· Academic scores (weight of 4): Cumulative Grade Point Average (on a scale between 0 and 4)

· Recommendation referees (weight of 1): Letter should provide clear evidence that the referee knows the applicant very well and can testify to their merit in the areas of the IFROS. Only referee letters from their official and institutional e-mail accounts will be accepted. (letters from personal email accounts, such as gmail / hotmail / etc will be discarded)

· Academic and professional experience and adequacy to the programme (weight of 1): Evidenced by the CV and academic area of degree(s) obtained. The CV should allow for easy verification of the applicant's accomplishments, such as links to relevant publications, past projects, and awards.

· Motivation (weight of 1): A one-page motivation letter should highlight your past achievement related to the topics of IFROS, and present a strong case on how the IFROS fits your planned career. The letter will be evaluated based on your past experience in robotics and your programming experience and skills (which are expected to be quite high).

· Knowledge test (weight of 1) : An online test will be made available, covering basic topics of engineering and programming. The test is optional, but strongly recommended.

 

 

About the scholarships

How can I apply for the Erasmus Mundus scholarship?
The application to the scholarship, if available (see next question), is done within the Online Application to the Master. Be careful with the deadlines specified in the page. After the deadline for scholarships, you can still apply to the programme but only as self-funded student, without the option for applying to the Erasmus Mundus scholarship.

How many EMJMD grants there are?
There will be around 20 EMJMD scholarships available. Notice that the ratio of acceptance for the scholarship is very low. Due to the large number of applications, the staff cannot provide individualised feedback on your application.

How is the student selection performed? Why was my application not selected?
The final mark is obtained as a weighted sum of: (i) your CPGA and CV, (ii) your motivation letter reviewed by two members of the consortium independently, and (iii) your evaluation from the two referees you select (they fill in a questionnaire and send us a reference letter which is again evaluated from two members of the consortium). With all this information, we obtain a final mark of each student and do the ranking, taking the nationality rules (only two from the same country) into account.