Grade Level	Masters/ PhD
Country	Germany
Eligible Nationalities	All countries
Required Language	English
Sponsors	DAAD
Award	€934+ for graduates, €1,200+ for PhD
Application Deadline	Depending on chosen study program

 

Are you a student seeking an exciting opportunity or scholarship to support your degree program? DAAD Scholarship, Germany inviting online application for DAAD Masters / PhD Scholarships.

Don’t let this fantastic chance pass you by by missing the application deadline! In this article, we’ll go over this scholarship program’s features, benefits, and step-by-step application process. 

About DAAD Scholarship

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) provides scholarships to international students and researchers who wish to study, conduct research, or complete a language course in Germany.

The DAAD Scholarship 2025-2026 is a fully funded international student scholarship. This scholarship is available to pursue a master’s or doctoral degree at one of Germany’s top universities. DAAD scholarships pay 861 euros per month for graduates and 1,200 euros per month for doctoral candidates.

The scholarships are open to students from all academic disciplines and are intended to help students at all levels of study, from undergraduate to PhD. The DAAD provides a variety of scholarships, including full scholarships that cover tuition, living expenses, and travel expenses, as well as partial scholarships that cover some of these costs. 

Program of Study

• Economic Sciences
• Law
• Agricultural and Forest
• Sciences
• Art
• Design
• Engineering and Natural Sciences
• Humanities and Social Sciences
• Language and Cultural Studies
• Mathematics
• Natural Sciences
• Medicine
• Health Sciences

Please see the complete list of available Postgraduate Courses.

About DAAD

The German Academic Exchange Service, or DAAD, is a funding agency that promotes international academic cooperation and student, scholar, and researcher exchange. The DAAD was established in 1925, and its headquarters are in Bonn, Germany.

Its mission is to promote international academic relations and cooperation, to promote German language and culture, and to provide financial assistance to talented students and scholars from all over the world.

The DAAD provides a variety of funding programs and scholarships in Germany, including study visits, research stays, language courses, and postgraduate programs. The DAAD also has a global network of offices that provide information and assistance to international students and scholars interested in studying and researching in Germany.

DAAD Scholarship Coverage

The following benefits are provided by the DAAD Scholarship 2024 for Masters and PhD Germany recipients:

• Monthly payments range from 934 euros for graduates to 1,200 euros for doctoral candidates, depending on academic level.
• Unless the expenses are covered by the home country or another source of funding, travel allowance.
• Insurance payments for health, accident, and personal liability.
• A one-time study allowance.
• Rent subsidy on a monthly basis*.
• Contribution to tuition fees levied by the university (up to € 500.- per semester)*.

*Under certain circumstances, scholarship holders may receive these benefits.

 

DAAD Scholarship Eligibility Criteria

• Candidates fulfil the necessary academic requirements and can be expected to successfully complete a study programme in Germany (above-average result for first academic exam – top performance third, language skills).
• Candidates have a Bachelor degree (usually a four-year course) in an appropriate subject.
• Candidates have at least two years’ professional experience.
• Candidates can prove 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.
• The language of instruction for international programs is English.
• Typically, you must submit an English language certificate, such as the TOEFL or IELTS.
• The language of instruction for other programs is German. A German language certificate, such as DSH or TestDaF, is usually required.

 

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Required Documents

• Scholarship Application Form
• Academic Transcript
• Motivation Letter
• CV
• Two Recommendation Letter
• English Language Proficiency Test or German – Required for courses taught in German
• Work experience (if any)
• Applicants from the People’s Republic of China are asked to submit an APS Certificate with their application documents.
• Other documents (honors, awards, publications…) if any

How to Apply DAAD Scholarship?

Please follow the following application instructions to apply for DAAD Scholarships:

• Chose suitable courses of your interest. (You can apply for maximum three courses)
• Apply to universities offering that courses. You send your complete application(s) (with above documents) directly to the universities.
• A selection committee suggests potential candidates for a DAAD scholarship.
• The suggested candidates will be contacted by DAAD to upload their complete application to the DAAD Portal. (The link to the DAAD Portal will be provided by DAAD through email).
• The selection process will be finalized, and the suggested candidates will be informed accordingly.

FAQ About DAAD Scholarship

Is there an age limit for DAAD scholarships?

No, there is usually no fixed age limit. There are individual exceptions in programmes in which this is explicitly requested by an international partner.

I have not completed my university degree at the time of application. Am I still eligible to apply for a scholarship?

Yes, in programmes which require a first university degree, you can apply in your last year of study. You must then meet all the academic requirements set out in the Call for Applications by the time your funding period begins. Also, you can hand in your degree later; it must be submitted before the start of the funding period.

I’m already in Germany. Am I still eligible to apply?

Yes, if you have been in Germany for a maximum of 15 months by the closing date for applications and the Call for Scholarship Applications makes no other specifications.

Can I apply for a scholarship whatever subject I am studying?

Principally yes: DAAD offers many scholarship programmes that are open to almost all subjects, although restrictions apply to some subjects (e.g. medicine). There are also subject-specific programmes that are aimed at very specific subject areas, such as architecture, music or computer science. In the Scholarship database, you can select the scholarships programmes that are offered for your subject group.

Do I need contacts in Germany when I apply?

If you wish to carry out individual research or complete a doctorate in Germany, you need confirmation from a university teacher that you are being supervised in Germany (see question 2). If you are taking part in a structured doctoral programme, proof of existing contacts to a doctoral programme coordinator must be submitted in the form of respective correspondence. If you wish to take a Master’s degree in Germany, all you need to provide is information about your chosen study programmes (see “Application procedure” in the Call for Applications).

How do I apply?

Application procedures may vary depending on scholarship programme. To find out where and how to apply, please read the “Application procedure” section of the Call for Applications in the Scholarship database (www.funding-guide.de). Seek advice if you have any questions. Contact persons (often in your area) are listed under “Contact and advice”. A list of locations and contact data from the DAAD network is available here.

Who makes a decision about my application?

Scholarship applications are reviewed by an independent and voluntary selection committee. This may be made up of local and/or German university teachers, researchers and DAAD lectors. Depending on scholarship programme and the local situation, the best applicants may also be required to introduce themselves personally. This can take place either on site, face-to-face, or virtually. Depending on programme, the selection decision is made either by the local selection committee directly or – in the case of a two-stage selection procedure – by another independent committee of academics in Germany. DAAD staff are not entitled to vote in the scholarship selection procedure.

How much scholarship money is paid a month?

The scholarship payment depends on the academic qualifications of the scholarship holders and on the scholarship programme. Scholars taking a Master’s programme typically receive € 934, doctoral candidates and postdocs € 1,200. Rates for university teachers are usually € 2,000 for assistant teachers, assistant professors and lecturers, € 2,150 for professors.

Official Notification

Disclaimer: This is one-page summary of the scholarship not a official scholarship page. Although we make every effort to maintain the information current and accurate, changes may occur at any time without prior warning. We strongly encourage you to check the official scholarship page for the most up-to-date, accurate, and comprehensive information. You solely bear the risk for any reliance you place on information obtained from NotesBard.com.