The European Masters in Clinical Linguistics (EMCL) was set up in 1997 and implemented in 2000. The aim was to enable excellent European students to study in at least two participating institutions in two different European countries supported by the Socrates mobility programmes. From the very beginning of the programme, applications were not restricted to European candidates but non-Europeans were also attracted by the uniqueness of the programme. The main objectives are:

the four participant institutions of the consortium have been chosen in such a way that they are the most established in their countries in the field of psycho- and neurolinguistics. Moreover, their specialists in the field have a high reputation across national boundaries. They are editors and editorial boards members of international scientific journals (Cortex, Aphasiology, Brain and Language, Journal of Neurolinguistics, etc.). In addition, they have regular international contacts with each other and with other governing boards members of professional conferences, such as the Academy of Aphasia, The European Workshop of Cognitive Neuropsychology and the conference series Science of Aphasia. The Science of Aphasia series was initiated by members of the participating institutions as a Euresco Conference series and is now continuing with other financial means. It has become a European platform on aphasia par excellence. Associated to these series is an ESF network initiated by the participants on “Multilingual Multidisciplinary Studies on Brain and Language (MMSBL, ESF-network #15)”. The specialists in the four institutions also belong to other international research networks, such as the Canadian initiative on the Mental Lexicon. Moreover, they have a very good reputation not only as scholars but also as teachers including international summer institutes (Linguistic institute, Vivian Smith Institute), and they all have a wide-ranging experience in constructing new programmes of study at a national and European level. They are now ready to venture onto the international educational platform with Erasmus Mundus.
In line with this programme of excellence, prospective students are selected mainly on the basis of an excellent record of study, expectations of successful completion and continuation into further research-oriented careers. The EMCL has a Board of Studies, consisting of well-known scholars from seven European universities who meet at least once a year. Students are selected on the basis of (1) excellence of previous study; (2) motivation; (3) two letters of recommendation; (4) knowledge of English (which is the language used in the course). Only if the applying students score ‘excellent’ on 1-3 and s/he masters the English language adequately can s/he be admitted to the EMCL.

2. multidisciplinarity:

the programme is multidisciplinary in nature: theoretical linguistics, experimental methods, psycholinguistics, speech technology and neurolinguistics are at the core of the programme. Although the courses offered are similar in the four institutions, the focus may be differentiated during the specialized courses offered in the second and third term depending on the particular expertise of the teachers in the different institutions.

3. basic neurosciences:

The EMCL provides knowledge of neurosciences, with an emphasis on language processing and language disorders in children and adults including neuroimaging (ERP, PET, fMRI). At each institution, there is a tight link to interdisciplinary graduate schools and research programmes in basic and computational neurosciences supporting the students in their research projects. Work in these centres may be seen as a basis for further postgraduate research in neuroscience.

4. preparing for a PhD:

the quality of the course is high, preparing the students for a PhD in any of the subjects taught as special courses in the EMCL (language disorders, neuroimaging and language, language acquisition, speech and speech technology) as well as in more general subjects (such as neurosciences, linguistics). The majority of the students who graduated now have a PhD position.