DAAD Scholarships in Germany for Development-Related Postgraduate Courses

Overview

The DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) offers scholarships to foreign graduates from developing and newly industrialized countries. These scholarships are for postgraduate or Master’s degrees at recognized German universities, and in exceptional cases, for doctoral degrees. Recipients can obtain qualifications such as a Master’s or PhD in Germany.

Key Details

  • Host Institutions: German universities offering development-related postgraduate courses.
  • Fields of Study: Includes courses in Economic Sciences, Business Administration, Political Economics, Development Cooperation, Engineering, Mathematics, Regional and Urban Planning, Agricultural and Forest Sciences, Natural and Environmental Sciences, Medicine, Public Health, Social Sciences, Education, Law, and Media Studies. List of courses with deadlines for 2025/26.
  • Scholarship Benefits: Monthly stipend of 934 euros for graduates or 1,300 euros for doctoral candidates, health and accident insurance, personal liability insurance, and a travel allowance unless covered by another source.
  • Duration: 12 to 24 months for Master’s programs, 42 months for PhD programs.

Eligibility Criteria

  • Applicants should be employed by a public authority, state, or private company in a developing country, involved in projects with a focus on development policies.
  • Must hold a Bachelor’s degree (four years) in a relevant field.
  • Should have above-average academic performance and at least two years of professional experience post-Bachelor’s degree.
  • Degrees should not be older than six years.
  • For courses in German, applicants need to pass DSH 2 or TestDaF 4 and provide proof of at least B1 level German language proficiency.
  • For courses in English, proof of sufficient English language skills is required.

Application Instructions

Applications must be submitted directly to the respective course. Check the specific course websites for detailed application procedures, deadlines (typically around August-October 2024), and required documents. For more information, consult the FAQs and the 2025/2026 brochure.

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