Maastricht University (UM) proudly announces the UM Social Justice Scholarship, supporting the university’s commitment to diversity, inclusivity, and the promotion of human rights and the rule of law. This prestigious scholarship offers one full award of €34,000 for a highly talented student from outside the EU/EEA who is admitted to the Master’s in Globalisation and Law.
To be eligible for the scholarship, applicants must be nationals of a country outside the EU/EEA, Switzerland, or Surinam and meet the Dutch visa requirements. They must have applied for the master’s in Globalisation and Law at Maastricht University for the 2026–2027 academic year, be under 35 years old, and demonstrate a proven commitment to human rights or the rule of law.
Universiteit Maastricht Information
Founded in 1976, Universiteit Maastricht (Maastricht University) is a non-profit public higher education institution located in the urban setting of the large town of Maastricht (population range of 50,000-249,999 inhabitants), Limburg. Officially accredited and/or recognized by the Ministerie van Onderwijs, Cultuur en Wetenschap, Nederland (Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, Netherlands), Universiteit Maastricht (UM) is a large (uniRank enrollment range: 15,000-19,999 students) coeducational higher education institution. Universiteit Maastricht (UM) offers courses and programs leading to officially recognized higher education degrees such as bachelor degrees, master degrees, doctorate degrees in several areas of study. See the uniRank degree levels and areas of study matrix below for further details. This 43 years old higher-education institution has a selective admission policy based on entrance examinations and students' past academic record and grades. International students are welcome to apply for enrollment.
Offered Benefits
The UM Social Justice Scholarship provides:
Living expenses: €15,925 (13 months @ €1,225/month)
Health and liability insurance: €700
Visa application costs: At cost
Tuition fees: Fully covered
Pre-Academic Training and ISAP costs: At cost for first block only
Accommodation: Mandatory room provided by UM (included in scholarship package).
Application Process
Step 1: Apply for the master programme Globalisation and Law
For further details on how to apply for the master programme at UM, please see your programme’s webpage. Once you have submitted your application via Studielink, you will receive a student ID number for UM. You will need a student number in order to complete and submit the Scholarship Application Form (see Step 2 below).
- Please note: only the master programmes Globalisation and Law is eligible for the UM Social Justice Scholarship.
- Please note: you first have to apply for the master programme at UM to receive your student ID, as soon as you have your student ID you can apply for the scholarship. Please be aware that the admission deadline when applying for this Scholarship is 8 December 2025.
- Please note; by the Scholarship deadline of 01 February 2026 you must have met all admission requirements, (except legal residence, tuition payment & hard copy of a diploma)
- Please note: if your study programme requires the payment of a handling fee as part of your programme’s admissions procedure, the UM International Services Desk does not cover handling fees. You are responsible for paying any handling fee your programme may require by 8 December 2025.
- Please note: you must provide an official document from your home university showing your most recent GPA and a document explaining your grade system. We only accept applications a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 75% or higher of the scale maximum in the bachelor’s degree .
Step 2: Please fill in the application form, you need to log in with your UM account
Please fill out the application form here. We can only accept applications via the application form.
Upload the following documents in .doc, .docx or PDF format, and submit your application. Please note that you will only be able to submit your application once, so please ensure that all of your documents and referee contact details are up-to-date.
- Curriculum vitae
Your CV should be up-to-date, contain relevant information about your education and (job) experience, and should not be longer than two A4 pages. If you have received any awards or prizes, please do not forget to mention these on your CV. - Letter of motivation
Please use the template for the motivation letter. This template will focus on your motivation for the scholarship. Please emphasize in this letter on what you already did to improve Human Rights. - Proof of academic excellence
Please upload:
1. Your university transcript or an official document from your home university showing your most recent GPA of 7.5 or higher. We only accept applications a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 75% or higher of the scale maximum in the bachelor’s degree .
2. A document explaining your grade system. - Personal statement of financial needs.
Please explain why you would benefit from being awarded a scholarship and describe your personal circumstances such as financial difficulty, sole parent/caretaking responsibilities, medical condition, disability, refugee status etc. - A reference letter. We have prepared scholarship reference letter guidelines; please forward them to your referee, as they will help your referee to write a good reference letter on your behalf. Please note that referees must be (former) professors, lecturers, or employers, and not family members. Recommendation letters should be dated and written no earlier than February 2025. Letters that do not adhere to the guidelines are not taken into account, which means your application is incomplete. You must upload the reference letter yourself, this cannot be done by your referee.
- The contact details of one referee
Please note that we may check the authenticity of your reference by contacting your referee. Therefore, ensure that you take the following steps when choosing a referee and submitting their details:- Relationship to applicant; indicate your referee’s connection to you. Is this your professor, thesis supervisor, employer? Please remember that family members may not function as referees.
- Work telephone number of your referee; be sure to include the applicable country calling code.
- Work or institutional email address of your referee. Letters referencing only a personal email address will be rejected.
Founded in 1976, Universiteit Maastricht (Maastricht University) is a non-profit public higher education institution located in the urban setting of the large town of Maastricht (population range of 50,000-249,999 inhabitants), Limburg. Officially accredited and/or recognized by the Ministerie van Onderwijs, Cultuur en Wetenschap, Nederland (Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, Netherlands), Universiteit Maastricht (UM) is a large (uniRank enrollment range: 15,000-19,999 students) coeducational higher education institution. Universiteit Maastricht (UM) offers courses and programs leading to officially recognized higher education degrees such as bachelor degrees, master degrees, doctorate degrees in several areas of study. See the uniRank degree levels and areas of study matrix below for further details. This 43 years old higher-education institution has a selective admission policy based on entrance examinations and students' past academic record and grades. International students are welcome to apply for enrollment.