- Postgraduate courses for professionals from developing countries at German institutions of Higher education
- Duration: 12-24 months, depending on the particular institution
- Internationally recognised Master's degree
- Includes German Universities and “Fachhochschulen” (Universities of Applied Science)
- Support of selected programmes with a variety of full or partial scholarships
- Funded by the BMZ (Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development) but admission is also open to self-financed participants or students financed through government or other sources
- Academic year 2016/2017
I. GENERAL QUESTIONS
1) At which universities can I apply? You will find a list of all participating universities under the following link: "Development-Related Postgraduate Courses" - http://www.daad.de/entwicklung/studierende_und_alumni/bildung_postgradual/ast/08492.en.html.
2) I am already studying at a German university/ I have already been accepted by a Master’s programme that is not included in the brochure. Can I still apply for a scholarship?No. Scholarships are only awarded for the entire study period and only for Master’s programmes listed in the brochure.
3) Where can I get detailed information about the postgraduate courses that are included in the DAAD scholarship programme? At the following link, you will find our brochure with all relevant information: "Development-Related Postgraduate Courses" - http://www.daad.de/entwicklung/studierende_und_alumni/bildung_postgradual/ast/08492.en.html.
IMPORTANT: Each university has included a link to its particular postgraduate course website underneath the description of its programme.
II. REQUIREMENTS
In my country, there are only 3-year Bachelor programmes. Can I still apply? In general, a 4-year Bachelor degree is a requirement for application. For this reason, please ask the university you wish to apply to what the conditions are for being admitted to a Master’s programme with a 3-year Bachelor degree.
Which academic requirements must I fulfill? The previous academic study has been completed with an above-average degree and the performance is in the upper third.
Professional Work Experience: The requirement of two years of professional work experience refers to the time of the start of the scholarship period. This means that it is not absolutely necessary to have already completed two years of professional experience at the time of applying. However, these two years MUST be completed before you come to Germany. Applicants can prove work experience in a non-university related sector (government agency, government institutions, business, NGOs etc.). Teaching and research at a university or another research institute are not considered professional experience (exception: PhD postgraduate courses).
Language Skills
English: Regulations may differ across courses. To apply for a DAAD scholarship, a minimum of IELTS (Band 6) Certificate or a TOEFL score (minimum 550 points “paper-based”, 213 points “computer-based”, 80 points “internet-based”) is generally required.
German: For courses held in German, DSH 2 or TestDaF 4, at the time of course begin at least Level A2.
1) Can I submit institutional test results from my university instead of a TOEFL/IELTS Certificate? No, only academic TOEFL/ IELTS Certificates are accepted.
2) Should TOEFL/IELTS send my original results directly to the university, or is a copy of my score sufficient? Please ask the postgraduate course you wish to apply for whether a copy is sufficient or not.
3) Do I have to wait to apply until my official TOEFL/IELTS results are available? Applicants with a complete application do definitely have an advantage. In order to apply for an Anglophone course, you have to prove your English language skills (TOEFL or IELTS). The test results can be submitted directly to the respective postgraduate course at a later point in the application process.
III. APPLICATION DEADLINES
1) What is the deadline for submitting my application?
Please contact the respective postgraduate course regarding the application deadline, because the application deadlines may vary from university to university. Please also check the specific deadlines listed in the brochure. Submission deadlines are available here: "Development-Related Postgraduate Courses" - http://www.daad.de/entwicklung/studierende_und_alumni/bildung_postgradual/ast/08492.en.html.
IMPORTANT: Applications from Cameroon, Myanmar, and Nigeria MUST be submitted at the German Embassy. Applicants from the People’s Republic of China are requested to include the APS Certificate as well as two address labels in their national language along with their other application documents.
2) The application deadline has lapsed. Can I still apply? No.
IV. APPLICATION
1) How do I apply? Required documents (in the stated order):
- DAAD Application Form (available at the following link: http://www.daad.de/imperia/md/content/en/deutschland/formulare/forschungsstipendium_en.pdf)
- Hand-signed Curriculum Vitae (Please use the europass sample at: http://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/)
- Hand-signed Letter of Motivation (relating to current professional occupation)
- Research Proposal (if this is required by the university)
- Academic Letter/s of Recommendation from your home university. The letter must have a signature and official stamp and must be of recent date
- Professional Letter/s of Recommendation from Employer. The letter/s must have a signature and official stamp and must be of recent date.
- Certificate(s) of Employment from the Employer in the home country including and if possible, a guarantee of re-employment upon returning home
- Proof of Language Skills:
a) English – IELTS or TOEFL (Note: the institutional TOEFL is not accepted)
b) German – required for courses taught in German; if available, for courses taught in English - Certified copies of acquired University degrees (An Explanation of the university’s grading system has to be attached to all certificates. Copies of certificates must be officaly certified and if possible, DIN A4 or DIN A5.)
- Certified copies of Transcripts of Grades
- Certified copy of Secondary School Leaving Certificate/ High School Diploma
*What are official certified copies? It is sufficient if the congruence of the copy and the original document are verified with an official stamp and a signature by one of the following institutions: German Embassy, German consulate, German schools or universities, which have hand over the original certificate. The regularity of translation has to be confirmed. The original certificates are needed for enrollment in Germany.
In addition, you can find all relevant information regarding your application under the following link:"Development-Related Postgraduate Courses"
2) Where can I download the application form? At the following link: http://www.daad.de/imperia/md/content/en/deutschland/formulare/forschungsstipendium_en.pdf
3) To whom do I send my application? Scholarship applicants from developing countries (on the DAC list of OECDs) can send their applications (under consideration of the various submission deadlines) only directly to the postgraduate course. Please compare the application deadlines (LINK HERE - http://www.daad.de/entwicklung/studierende_und_alumni/bildung_postgradual/ast/08165.en.html).
4) Are there special instructions for specific countries? Applications from Cameroon, Myanmar, and Nigeria MUST be submitted at the German embassy. Applicants from the People’s Republic of China are requested to include the APS Certificate as well as two address labels in their national language along with their other application documents.
5) Do I have to be accepted by my preferred postgraduate programme before I apply for a scholarship? No. The postgraduate course decides on scholarships during the selection process. However, acceptance by the university is a prerequisite for being granted a scholarship.
6) How many copies of my application are required? Only one copy of the complete application is required for each postgraduate course.
7) Where should I send additional documents? It is definitely to your advantage to send a complete application without any missing documents. Please discuss the subsequent sending of individual documents with the course coordinator and then always send these missing documents directly to the respective university, NOT to the DAAD.
8) Where can I inquire about the status of my application? Unfortunately, in the programme "Development-Related Postgraduate Courses” DAAD cannot provide any information about the status of individual applications. The coordinator of the course to which you have applied will provide you with information about the outcome of your application. The final selection of scholarship holders is expected to be completed in February.
9) Can I send my application via e-mail? Please contact the Postgraduate Course to ask, whether a paper-based application or an online application is required.
10) Do I need to submit a Certificate of Health along with my application? No. However, if you are selected for a scholarship, you will be asked to submit a Certificate of Health.
V. SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMMES
1) Does the DAAD offer scholarships for my field of study? Under the following link, you will find a brochure with all postgraduate courses participating in our specific scholarship programme: " Development-Related Postgraduate Courses ". For information about additional scholarships, please refer to our DAAD scholarship database - http://www.daad.de/deutschland/foerderung/stipendiendatenbank/00462.en.html.
2) Which costs are covered by the scholarship? The DAAD pays a monthly scholarship installment, currently set at EUR 750.00. In addition, the scholarship includes costs for health, accident and liability insurance in Germany and an adequate travelling allowance, in so far as the home country or another donor is not already covering these expenses. Furthermore, the DAAD pays an annual research grant. However, the universities might charge additional fess not covered by the scholarship (e.g., enrolment fee, semester ticket, etc.).
3) Can I apply for scholarships to more than one participating postgraduate course at the same time? Yes. You can apply for up to three postgraduate courses to be listed in order of preference on your application form. However, most postgraduate courses only accept applicants who have listed their programme as first priority. If you are interested in more than one course, please list up to three courses in order of preference (1, 2, and 3) on the DAAD application form.
Please keep in mind that in this case you will need to submit two (or three) complete applications to the respective postgraduate courses.
VI. MISCELLANEOUS
1) Are there age limits? No. But the last academic degree should normally not be more than six years old.
2) Is there a test that must be passed during the application process? If your application is chosen for the final selection process, a representative of the university will carry out a telephone interview with you.
3) Will I be required to pay certain fees at the university despite my scholarship? You are not required to pay any tuition fees; however, a semester fee of approximately EUR 200 is required.
4) Which scholarships am I eligible to apply for? Please look for suitable scholarships in our Scholarship Database - http://www.daad.de/deutschland/foerderung/stipendiendatenbank/00462.de.html
5) How do I prepare myself for a Master’s/ PhD course in Germany? Under the following link you will find all relevant information regarding Study and Research in Germany - http://www.daad.de/deutschland/index.de.html.
https://www.daad.de/entwicklung/studierende_und_alumni/bildung_postgradual/ast/08492.en.html