With its development-oriented postgraduate study programs, the DAAD Scholarship program of the German government promotes the training of specialists from development and newly-industrialized countries. Well-trained local experts, who are networked with international partners, play an important part in the sustainable development of their countries. They are the best guarantee for a better future with less poverty, more education, and health for all.
The scholarships offer foreign graduates from development and newly-industrialized countries from all disciplines and with at least two years’ professional experience the chance to take a postgraduate or Master’s degree at a state or state-recognized German university, and in exceptional cases to take a doctoral degree and to obtain a university qualification (Master’s/PhD) in Germany.
Course level: Master’s and Doctoral
Fields of study: The list of eligible programs of study is available here.
Scholarship period: 12 to 36 months (dependent on study program)
Institution and country: State and state-recognized universities in Germany. The list can be found here.
Sponsor: German government
Scholarship inclusions:
- Depending on the academic level, monthly payments of 850 euros for graduates or 1,200 euros for doctoral candidates
- Payments towards health, accident and personal liability insurance cover
- Travel allowance, unless these expenses are covered by the home country or another source of funding
Under certain circumstances, scholarship holders may receive the following additional benefits:
- Monthly rent subsidy
- Monthly allowance for accompanying family members
Note that DAAD Scholarships do not cover tuition fees. However, most universities in Germany do not require tuition fees.
Eligibility criteria for the DAAD Scholarship:
- Candidates must fulfill the necessary academic requirements and can be expected to successfully complete a study program in Germany (above-average result for the first academic exam – top performance third, language skills)
- Candidates must have a Bachelor degree (usually a four-year course) in an appropriate subject
- Candidates must have at least two years’ professional experience
- Candidates must prove that their motivation is development-related and be expected to take on social responsibility and initiate and support processes of change in their personal and professional environment after their training/scholarship
Application deadline: Application deadlines vary by program. See the full list here.
How to apply to the DAAD Scholarship:
Applications have only to be sent to the respective course directly. Please refer to their respective websites for the application procedure (e.g. online application), for the application deadline and the documents to be submitted. Applications sent to the DAAD will not be forwarded to the respective course/university. You can apply for up to three courses. If applying to more than one course, please list courses in order of priority in the DAAD application forms.
Required documents (in the following order):
- Signed DAAD application form with current date
- Personally signed CV (please use the sample Europass form at http://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/) with current date
- Personally signed Letter of Motivation (with reference to current occupation and choice of postgraduate program (s), two pages maximum) with the current date.
IMPORTANT: When applying for more than one postgraduate course (maximum 3 courses), you have to submit one motivation letter explaining why you are applying for these specific courses and why you chose that priority. - Letter of recommendation from your current employer; the letter must have letterhead, a signature, and official stamp and must be of current date (not in a sealed envelope)
- Certificate(s) of Employment from the employer(s) that prove a minimum of two years of relevant working experience (after the bachelor’s degree) at the time of application and if possible, a guarantee of re-employment from your current employer upon returning home.
- Proof of Language Skills:
- English – IELTS or TOEFL (Note: The institutional TOEFL is not accepted)
- German – required for courses taught in German
- Copies of Academic Degrees (certified translation if necessary)
- Copies of Academic Transcripts, incl. grading-scale (certified translation if necessary)
- Applicants from the People’s Republic of China are asked to submit an APS Certificate with their application documents.
Note: Some courses may require additional documents. For detailed information, please see the relevant course description in the Brochure and on the respective websites.
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