Scholarships

There are a selection of Erasmus+ Scholarships available that cover a tuition waver and include a stipend of 1400 EUR / month. Everyone who applies for the program by January 20th is automatically considered for a scholarship. Candidates who apply by April 15th are considered for a self-funded position

Admission 2026/2027

Applications will open on October 20th 2025 for the September 2026 start.

• The call for scholarship positions closes on January 20th 2026
• The call for self-funded positions closes on April 15th 2026.

Application Requirements

An internationally recognised bachelor’s degree in design with a minimum of 180 ECTS credits.

Tuition

7.500 EUR per year / 15.000 EUR for the entire programme

DocNomads^PLUS is a two-year, full-time, 120-credit Joint Master’s programme providing advanced training for an international cohort of aspiring independent documentary film directors, entirely taught in English. Building on the success of the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master DocNomads (2012-2025), DocNomads^PLUS selects around 24 students each year. These students form a diverse group representing various social, economic and cultural backgrounds, from across the globe.

DocNomads^PLUS is jointly delivered by a consortium of three leading universities: Universidade Lusófona (Lisbon, Portugal), the National Film School (KIMO) at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre (Vilnius, Lithuania) and LUCA - School of Arts ( Brussels, Belgium). Students proceed through the programme completing three semesters sequentially in Lisbon, Vilnius and Brussels, and return to one of these locations for their fourth and final semester, which is dedicated to the Graduation Film Project.

Our students develop outstanding creative, technical, and critical skills in documentary filmmaking. Education in film theory, history, aesthetics, artistic research and cultural studies goes hand in hand with intensive practical training delivered by seasoned professionals including film directors, sound engineers, directors of photography, editors, and many others.

One of the key strengths of DocNomads^PLUS is its focus on hands-on filmmaking. Students create at least 4 films individually, and more as part of group exercises, all tutored by experienced and passionate mentors. As a result, they graduate with extensive practical experience and an impressive portfolio demonstrating their emerging filmmaking skills.

DocNomads^PLUS provides students with both practical filmmaking expertise and critical theoretical knowledge, indispensable to navigate and thrive in the versatile professional context, ensuring being qualified and groomed for a wide range of career paths in the documentary and film industries.

The three full consortium partners are all Master level degree-awarding institutions and will award a multiple degree attesting the successful completion of the EMJM programme to the students fulfilling the degree requirements.

SEMESTER 1

The first semester in Lisbon lays the foundation for filmmaking skills, documentary aesthetics and practice.

• Semester Film Project I – 9 ECTS
• Doc Skills and Teamwork I – 9 ECTS
• Professional Field I – 3 ECTS
• Cinema and Culture I – 3 ECTS
• Documentary Aesthetics and Research I – 6 ECTS

SEMESTER 2

The second semester in Vilnius emphasizes visual storytelling, creative research and professional environment exploration.

• Semester Film Project II – 9 ECTS
• Doc Skills and Teamwork II – 9 ECTS
• Professional Field II – 3 ECTS
• Cinema and Culture II – 3 ECTS
• Documentary Aesthetics and Research II – 6 ECTS

SEMESTER 3

During the third semester in Brussels, students are encouraged to explore possibilities of film creation by focusing on sound design and contemporary documentary practice.

• Semester Film Project III – 9 ECTS
• Doc Skills and Teamwork III – 6 ECTS
• Professional Field III – 6 ECTS
• Cinema and Culture III – 3 ECTS
• Documentary Aesthetics and Research III – 6 ECTS

SEMESTER 4

In the fourth semester students develop a comprehensive Graduation Project, combining film production and academic writing / artistic research.

• Graduation Essay - 10 ECTS
• Graduation Film - 20 ECTS
  • Research and Project Development
  • Pitch and Production File
  • Graduation Film

The consortium also involves associated partners, educational and non-educational entities that are highly relevant in the field. These associated partners contribute to the programme by getting involved as guest speakers, create networking and employment opportunities by liaising with the professional field, providing feedback on the curriculum and prospecting the organization of external joint activities.

Our associated partners are:

Ao Norte Cultural Association, AporDoc - Documentary Portuguese Association, Ateliers Varan, Baltic Pitching Forum, Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia, Cinema du Réel, Cinemateca Portuguesa / Portuguese Cinemateque, Cinematek, Royal Belgian Film archive, Courtisane Festival, DAE - Documentary Association of Europe, ECAM - Madrid Film School, ELO (Aalto’s Department of Film), Euro Arctic Media Group, Fonk / DocVille, Gent International Film Festival, IDF - Institute of Documentary Film, IndieLisboa - International Film Festival, Kortfilm Festival Leuven, La Notte, Lithuanian Shorts agency, LX Filmes, Meno Avilys, Millenium Festival, No cut Collective, Scottish Documentary Institute, TerraTreme Filmes, Turnip Picture, VDFF - Vilnius Documentary Film Festival, Vilnius Film Office, Walking the Dog, XD Colorgrading.