DAAD SCHOLARSHIPS FOR DEVELOPMENT-RELATED POSTGRADUATE COURSES

What is the Program for Development-Related Postgraduate Courses?

DAAD offers, yet again, a new scholarship opportunity for young professionals belonging from developing and emerging countries to pursue their Postgraduate degree from one of the most esteemed and prestigious universities of Germany. The Development Related Postgraduate Courses (EPOS) is offering Master’s and Doctorate (Ph.D.) degrees that are recognized internationally by the education commissions of the students’ home countries, for the academic year 2022-23. This program has a duration of 12-24 months for a Master’s degree depending upon the institution you have enrolled in for your degree. For the Ph.D. program, the duration time is approximately 42 months. 

The program is supported by various German Universities as well as Universities of Applied Sciences and offers selected programs with a wide range of scholarship opportunities for the students. A German Language course is also included in the list of programs offered. The EPOS is supported and funded by the BMZ (Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development), though the admissions are also open to participants looking to apply through self-finance and even those students who are financed through their government or other institutions.

Basic Requirements for Applying to EPOS

Requirements concerning the applicant

The typical requirements for an applicant are generally:

• The applicant should be working either for the state, a governmental body, or a private firm in a prospering country.
• The applicant should be involved in the planning and implementation of orders and projects prioritizing developmental policies applicable to the technological, economic, or social areas.
• The applicant should have a Bachelor’s degree in a related subject. 
• The applicant must have completed an academic degree with above-average results and at least two years of professional experience in the related field after receiving the first degree when applying. 
• The applicant’s academic degrees should not be more than six years old.

Language Requirements

The courses ARE available only in the German language, including a preparatory German language course for a 6-month duration. 

• A beginner’s level of German language course B1 is a requirement, for which a current certificate is needed. Besides this, the applicant will have to successfully pass the language examination DSH 2 or TestDaF 4 before starting the study course. 
• As not all courses are available in only the German language, application for the courses in English requires an IELTS (Band 6) certificate or TOEFL, having a minimum score of 550 in paper-based, 213 in computer-based, and 80 in an internet-based test.

Indication of past and present employment status 

The program requires all applicants to have at least two years of professional experience before applying for the program, for which they need to submit proof of their employment, as well as their current employment status. Following documents are to be submitted as proof: 

• Certificate(s) of employment that includes the organization, designation, and period of employment; 

• Letter of reference from the previous employer(s), guaranteeing employment after postgraduate degree from Germany.

1. Statement of Motivation: 

A Statement of Motivation is to be submitted by the applicants explaining why they are interested in attending a particular postgraduate course referring to their current employment. The applicants should also describe their motivation toward growth and how they intend to make full use of their scholarship and education. In the case of an applicant applying for more than one postgraduate course, when a maximum of three courses are allowed, he/she will have to submit one motivation letter explaining why they are applying for those specific courses and why they chose that priority.

2. Required Documents for a DAAD scholarship application (in the following order):  

Following documents are required for applying to the DAAD scholarship program:

• A DAAD application form signed by the applicant with the current date (www.daad.de/medien/deutschland/stipendien/formulare/forschungsstipendium_en.pdf).
• A CV signed by the applicant, using the sample Europass form with the correct date (http://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/)
• Letter of Motivation signed by the applicant concerning current occupation and selected program, (two pages maximum) with the current date. 
• Letter of recommendation from the current employer having letterhead, signature, and the official stamp with the current date. The letter should not be in a sealed envelope. 
• Certificate of Employment from all previous and current employer(s) proving a minimum of two years of professional experience. 
• Proof of Language Skills in English (EILTS or TOEFL) and German. 
• Copies of Academic Degrees (certified translation if necessary) 
• Copies of Academic Transcripts, including grading-scale (certified translation if necessary) 
• Applicants from the People’s Republic of China also need to submit an APS Certificate with their application documents. 

Note: Scholarships cannot be awarded without the official DAAD application form. Most courses have their own forms, which must be submitted in addition to the DAAD application form. 

The complete applications have to be submitted in English or German to be considered. Incomplete applications cannot be considered.

3. Application Process for DAAD scholarship Program:

The application process for the DAAD scholarship program consists of 4 very simple steps:

1. The applicant will have to send his/her complete application form directly to which postgraduate course he/she is applying to.
2. A meeting held by the selection committee suggests potential candidates for the DAAD scholarship. 
3. DAAD will contact the suggested candidates and will have them upload their complete application to the DAAD online portal. 
4. The selection will be finalized, and the suggested candidates will be informed about the selection accordingly. 

Note: Always make sure to keep a copy of each document of your application ready with you, as these documents have to be uploaded to the DAAD Portal in PDF, in case you are suggested for the scholarship.

You would also be interested in other Daad scholarships:

DAAD Scholarship Insight for 2022-23

Erasmus Mundus Scholarships offered by German Universities