Collaborative studies between educational institutions exist at national and international levels in various forms. The Erasmus (1987) programme which is now part of the Lifelong Learning programme is a classical example. A three -way, two years masters programme in food management and safety was established in September 2001 by three European Universities; Institut National Polytechniquie de Lorraine (France), Universidad Politecnica de Valencia (Spain) and the London South Bank University (UK). The students spend a semester in each institution and a fourth semester on industrial placement and dissertation any where. The primary objectives of the programme are to produce graduates with excellence in food management and safety and strong communication skills in English, French and Spanish by exploiting the unique academic expertise of the three institutions. Consequently, successful students have a broader career opportunity through increased mobility and are highly employable. The graduates are inspired, enriched and able to participate in the process of globalisation through education. The collaboration is line with the Bologna Declaration (1999), convergence in the education structure is apparent.
However, such collaborative studies are not without some constraints. The entry requirement, for proficiency in at least two of the languages impacts negatively on recruitment. Recruitment from the United Kingdom is extremely difficult, the students are mainly French. Thus the international ethos of such a programme is somewhat lacking. The disparity in fees between the institutions and the huge difference in the cost of living in the different cities provide further hindrance.
This paper therefore, considers the successes and constraints of the three-way collaborative studies between three European Universities, through the students and staff viewpoints. Suggestions for constraint reduction and success enhancement will be made.

Keywords: three-way master programme, collaborative studies, international master.