For which type of Visa do I have to apply before starting the DCLead programme?
You have to apply for the type Visa D at the Austrian Embassy/Consulate in your country of origin/residence before travelling to Salzburg, Austria. The VISA D is valid for stays of at least 91 days up to a maximum of 6 months. Stays within the Schengen zone are possible for a maximum of 90 days during this period. Your visa should be valid until February (incl.).
Please get in contact with the Austrian embassy in your home country soon enough. The procedures can take up to two months.
When will I receive the admission letter valid for obtaining my VISA?
You will receive the admission letter after you have fulfilled all registration requirements (sending all required application documents, fulfilling eventual order of improvements).
The Admission Office at the University of Salzburg is responsible for the registration of students, therefore the letter will not be issued or sent by the DCLead administration, but by the Admission Office itself – by email and regular mail. Unfortunately it is not possible to request a specific shipping method.
Please note: All questions regarding your status of admission should be addressed to the DCLead administrator, not to the Admission office.
What is the usual ratio between Erasmus mundus scholarship recipients and self-funding students?
circa 50-50 for each intake.
Is there any sort of device or procedure established to account for professional insertion of non-EU nationals? Are alumni of the program basically responsible on their own to secure a visa to stay in the EU if they want to work in Europe?
The E+ Scholarship is designed to provide non-Europeans to with an experience in the EU so that they might become ambassadors of the EU educational systems. This is the main reasons for the EU to finance these kind of study programmes. Hence, we also help student improve their employability with activities that include our industry partners. However, we do not necessarily aim at forming professionals specifically for the EU job market. That said, many of our non-EU students that have a job in the EU.
Do students work part-time during their participation in the programme? If so, how many hours can they work?
Scholarship students have an obligation to prioritize their study, as they are already recipients of funding for their participation in the programme. The programme can terminate the scholarship if this condition is not met. Otherwise, the visa generally allows students to work for up to 20 hours a week. It is difficult to work in Salzburg in the first 4 months because the timeframe is limited and German might by required, but in the second semester and later our students generally have jobs or internships.
What is included in the Participation Costs?
Tuition fees, summer school and comprehensive insurence, that convers health and travelling. Tuition fees also include the ones due to partners that provide research stays in the US, Australia, Asia, Africa and Latin America.
Is there an age limit for participating in the programme?
There is no age limit for applying. For scholarships, however, the potential impact on the candidate’s career prospects is considered.
Is it possible to pursue internships during the program besides the one that is offered in the 4th semester?
Yes. Our students regularly do so. Many during the summer between the first and second year. We also support students in their application process.
Is it possible to attend the programme remotely / as distance education?
The programme is only offered as a full-time education requiring physical presence. In case of lockdowns, meetings and classes are temporarily moved to online environments.
I have some questions. Where can I ask them?
If you can, please ask them in the DCLead Applicants group on Facebook, so they can be useful to others as well!
I cannot enter the dates in the application form online
The form suggests a format in a way that is consistent with the language of the operating system. Also, if the browser allows it, it is possible to open a small calendar and select the date from the calendar. If not, the date can be entered manually in the following format: DD.MM.YYYY – where D is Day, M is Month, and Y is Year.
Can I apply for a scholarship without the completion of a Bachelor’s degree ?
For our master programme, it is not possible to apply for an E+ Scholarship without a valid diploma. If you have a letter that says that you have graduated but have not received a proper documentation, this will be considered. However, if you have still any pending obligation before your diploma (e.g. finishing your thesis), you are not eligible for the scholarship. You can apply next year!
I am going to obtain my bachelor degree after the deadline for the application, but before the beginning of the academic year: can I still apply for the programme?
You are not allowed to apply for an E+ Scholarship. At least one BA degree must be included in the application. However, you might be allowed to apply as self-funding student if the call is extended.
I will get my BA degree (official diploma) after the application deadline, but I have already finished my credits and I can hand in a certification. Could I still apply?
We can accept a certification that is not a diploma if it clearly states that there are no further pending tasks, i.e. that all the credits have been earned and that it is only a matter of waiting for the piece of paper.
What should be mentioned in the statement from my place of work? Is there any special form?
There is no special form. The statement should provide your full-name and address, a title of the position held and the beginning of the contract.
Do I need to scan all of the pages of my international passport?
This applies only to candidates selected for scholarship and shortlisted after phase 1. Please scan all pages of your passport.
Which of my application documents have to be translated?
Any document containing foreign language (except English or German) submitted to the University of Salzburg shall be accompanied by a full English, certified translation.
Which of my application documents have to get certified/legalized?
Foreign documents (e.g. original university diplomas and official transcripts of study results from your university, Certificate of special qualification for University studies) must be certified by the Foreign Office (State Department) and, in a second step, by the Austrian Embassy/Consulate in your country of origin. For some countries, the certification can also be simplified within a “Haager Apostille”. For some countries, the legalization is suspended.
Candidates from Partner Countries only applying for an E+ Scholarship have to fill in the „Declaration of Past and Present Residence and Stay in Programme Countries“. Since I fall on that category, do I have to fill that up even I have never resided or stayed in a Programme Country?
Yes, please. Fill it out and leave the dates empty.
Is my application ineligible if I write less than 4000 characters in the motivation letter?
We place great value on reading why perspective candidates have the necessary skills to join the master programme and why they think such a programme can improve their career perspectives. Also, the length of the letter was chosen in order to receive a sample of writing in English. Therefore, letters that are less than 4000 characters are still considered, yet the chances of the candidate to get selected are greatly reduced.
Are there any standard page margins for motivation and recommendation letters?
No, there are no pre-defined standards.
What should I write in the motivation letter? Is there a required format?
In the letter, the candidate should explained how past experiences have prepared him/her for participation in the master in digital communication leadership, how this programme is likely to improve his or her own career perspectives, and why the candidate is interested in the topic of digital communication leadership. The motivation letter should be:
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Typed using a word processing software before saved as a PDF file
4,000-6,000 characters long, including spaces
Types using a Times New Roman or Book Antiqua font size 12
Page size A4
Typed using a 1.5 space in-between lines
The title of the letter should be in BOLD and it should read Motivation Letter by (your name)
Pages should be numbered
Note that handwritten letters are NOT accepted. A letter shorter than the minimum requirement is accepted, yet it is likely to be a disadvantage for the candidate.
There are no other requirements for the letter and no suggestions are given to those that email the administrator or coordinator. The letter is an important element of the application that the selection committee use to judge the creativity, wisdom and writing skills of the candidate.
Are three reference letters generally preferred over two, even though the third is optional?
A good letter is better than two average ones. Hence two can be enough or even better than three.
Can my references be signed digitally?
Yes. When contacted, referees should confirm their letters from a work email address, or LinkedIn profile.
I have one recommendation letter from a professor/lecturer but s/he was a visiting faculty / is retired, and doesn't have an official university email address. Will it be okay if I add his/her official work email / personal address?
If students are selected, we contact referees by email. For this, we never use private email addresses. We can use LinkedIn instead of private email addresses, or we use work email addresses, even if the person has moved on to a new institution/position.
I have lived/studied/worked in a country where English is an official language but it’s not one of the countries stated on the webiste (UK, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, Ireland). Will this count as English proficiency?
No. We can only accept degrees entirely held in English from the countries mentioned above.
Can I submit the English Test results (e.g. TOEFL, IELTS) after the deadline of application?
Yes, the English test is required only for Phase 2 “Registration”, but recommended for Phase 1 “Application”. Applicants that are not in possession of a proof of English proficiency can simply indicate their level of expertise in the curriculum using the guidelines provided in the Europass template. Only shortlisted applicants (in Phase 2) must demonstrate their English proficiency, prior to the registration (hence, within 8 weeks from the notification of the selection’s result). However, it is necessary to argue in the motivation letter that you have the required level of English proficiency. Candidates without a proof of English proficiency are not penalised.
What GPA do you expect for being eligible for the scholarship?
GPA is only required from candidates applying for the ICT4D track. The minimum score is 70% of the maximum scale. If you are not familiar with GPA, you can consult the minimum requirements as they have been adapted to different university systems. More info here.
Do I need a GRE test/score?
No, this test is not required. If you have passed the test, the results should be included in the application.