Bamberg Graduate School of Social Sciences Scholarship Program 2019, Germany

The selection process for the DAAD Scholarships comprises two stages. In the first stage, applicants send their application to the Bamberg Graduate School of Social Sciences via our online application form, as described on the following webpages. Our Graduate School selects candidates based on the following criteria:

• A complete, formally correct application has been submitted by the advertised deadline and in the required fashion.
• The statutory criteria for admission to doctoral studies at Bavarian universities are met.
• The research topic for the doctoral thesis, as proposed in the application, matches the academic profile of BAGSS (the Four Pillars).
• At least one faculty member of BAGSS, who is qualified to examine doctoral theses, agrees to supervise the suggested thesis topic.
• The complete application has been judged as excellent by a panel of academic assessors from the Graduate School in competition with other applications.

The Graduate School nominates at least two candidates for both scholarships. These candidates are then asked to submit their application materials to the DAAD. Eventually, the DAAD decides upon the successful candidates.

In order to be considered for a DAAD Scholarship, your application must include the following documents: 

1. A cover letter that demonstrates your acquaintance with our programme and your qualifications in your subject area.
2. Your complete CV - including full contact information.
3. An abstract of your research proposal (see below #4) of at most 1 page. 
4. Your research proposal of the planned dissertation project (only one research proposal) on at most 5 pages (font Arial, size 11, 1.5 line spacing). The proposal should include a work schedule. In the work schedule, please indicate planned periods and destinations of research or field trips.
5. Scans of the following transcripts and certificates. a) School leaving certificates giving the right of entry to higher education in your home country, with individual grades. b) All university transcripts, for the bachelor's, master's or any other degrees, stating all individual grades. c) All university diploma or degree certificates indicating the final grade, including an explanation of the grading system (i.e. maximum attainable grade, minimum grade to pass, etc.). If your transcripts or certificates have been issued in other languages than English or German, then certified translations need to be provided.
6. Proof of English language proficiency. Please attach a copy of one of the following official test results: IELTS (minimum band score of 7), TOEFL (minimum score of 95 ibt), CAE (pass), Unicert III (pass).  An academic degree completed entirely in English, i.e. with a final thesis written in English is NOT accepted as a sufficient proof of your English language skills. You have to provide one of the above mentioned certificates. Exceptions are made for nationals of the following countries: Australia, Canada, Ireland, United Kingdom, United States of America and New Zealand. 
7. Please include also a short self-written statement about your knowledge of German. While the programme is conducted entirely in English, willingness to learn German or improve existing German language skills is expected.
8. A concise statement on your knowledge of social science research methods. This short, self-written description (not more than half a page, font Arial, size 11, 1.5 line spacing) should contain information on your methodological training or practical experience in applying methods.
9. Two letters of recommendation. These letters should be sent to us via post in a sealed envelope.
   (Please do not include the letters of recommendation in your application file. The letters have to be sealed by your recommenders before they are handed to you.)
   
   Your recommenders should send the letter to this address:
   
   University of Bamberg
   Bamberg Graduate School of Social Sciences
   Feldkirchenstr. 21
   96052 Bamberg
   Germany

10. Privacy Policy Agreement. This document must be signed.

All application materials must be submitted in English (except for certificates and transcripts, which may also be provided in German). Please do not attach any documents other than those requested.