The DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) offers fully funded scholarships for international students to pursue Master’s and PhD programs in Germany. The 100% DAAD Scholarships offer well-qualified graduates from developing and newly industrialised countries a chance to pursue development-focused postgraduate or Master’s degrees—and in some cases PhDs—at recognized German universities. These programs aim to train professionals who can contribute to sustainable development in their home countries.
The 100% DAAD Scholarships cover tuition fees, living expenses, travel allowances, and health insurance. Applicants must have at least two years of professional experience and come from any academic discipline. The application deadlines vary depending on each University.
Universities/Institutions
DAAD scholarships are available at numerous prestigious German universities, including:
- Funded by: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development
- Host country: Germany
- Host Universities: Numerous prestigious German universities
- Degree level: Internationally recognised Masterʼs and PhD degrees
- Duration: 12 to 42 months (dependent on study programme)
- : 12-24 months for a masterʼs degree (depending on the institution) and 40 to
- 42 months for a PhD degree
- Deadline: Please check the relevant deadlines for the individual universities in this brochure.
Study Areas & Universities with deadline
Postgraduate courses are currently offered in the following areas:
- Economics, business administration, political
economics - Development cooperation
- Engineering and related sciences
- Regional and urban planning
- Agricultural and forestry sciences
- Natural and environmental sciences
- Medicine and public health
- Social sciences, education, and law
- Media studies
| Study Area | Program Name | University | Language | Degree | Duration | DAAD Deadline | University Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economics | MIDE | HTW Berlin | English | MA | 17 months | 31.08.2025 | See website |
| Economics | Development Economics | U Göttingen | English | MSc | 24 months | 01.10.–15.11.2025 | See website |
| Economics | SEPT | U Leipzig | English | MBA | 22 months | 01.10.2025 | 15.03.2026 |
| Dev. Cooperation | Development Management | RU Bochum | English | MA | 18 months | 30.09.2025 | See website |
| Dev. Cooperation | Environmental Risks | U Bonn/UNU | English | MSc | 24 months | 15.12.2025 | See website |
| Dev. Cooperation | BIGS-DR (PhD) | U Bonn | English | PhD | 42 months | 31.08.2025 | See website |
| Dev. Cooperation | Sustainable Dev. Mgmt. | HS Rhein-Waal | English | MA | 18 months | 01.06.2025 | See website |
| Dev. Cooperation | NEXtra (PhD) | TU Dresden/UNU | English | PhD | 42 months | 15.03.2025 | See website |
| Engineering | Hydro Science & Engineering | TU Dresden | English | MSc | 24 months | 15.10.2025 | See website |
| Engineering | Textile Technology | TU Dresden | German | MSc | 24 months | 15.09.2025 | See website |
| Engineering | SEDev | U Flensburg | English | MEng | 24 months | See website | See website |
| Engineering | WATENV | U Hannover | English | MSc | 24 months | 30.09.2025 | 15.01.2026 |
| Engineering | SuRE | U Oldenburg | English | MSc | 24 months | 15.10.2025 | 15.01.2026 |
| Engineering | Geoinformatics | HfT Stuttgart | English | MSc | 18 months | 15.10.2025 | See website |
| Engineering | WASTE | U Stuttgart | English | MSc | 24 months | 01.08.–30.09.2025 | 15.11.–15.02.2026 |
| Engineering | NHRE | BU Weimar | English | MSc | 24 months | 15.10.2025 | See website |
| Urban Planning | Urban Management | TU Berlin | English | MSc | 18 months | 31.08.2025 | 30.04.2026 |
| Urban Planning | SPRING | TU Dortmund | English | MSc | 24 months | 01.10.2025 | 01.05.2026 |
| Urban Planning | IUSD | U Stuttgart/Ain Shams | English | MSc | 24 months | See website | See website |
| Agriculture | Tropical Forestry | TU Dresden | English | MSc | 24 months | 30.10.2025 | 30.05.2026 (Non-EU) / 15.07.2026 (EU) |
| Agriculture | IPPAE (PhD) | Giessen/Hohenheim | English | PhD | 36–42 months | See website | See website |
| Agriculture | AgEcon | U Hohenheim | English | MSc | 24 months | 15.12.2025 | 15.03.2026 (Non-EU) / 15.09.2026 (EU) |
| Environment | ISATEC | U Bremen | English | MSc | 24 months | 15.10.2025 | 30.04.2026 |
| Environment | TropHEE | TU Darmstadt | English | MSc | 24 months | 15.12.2025 | 31.08.2026 |
| Environment | MEG | U Freiburg | English | MSc | 24 months | 15.10.2025 | See website |
| Environment | LENC | U Greifswald | English | MSc | 24 months | 01.12.2025 | 01.03.2026 |
| Environment | NRM/IWRM/REM | TH Köln | English | MSc | 24 months | 30.09.2025 | 31.03.2026 (Foreigners) |
| Environment | IWRM (Jordan) | TH Köln/GJU | English | MSc | 24 months | 15.11.2025 | 31.03.2026 (Foreigners) |
| Environment | ENREM | TH Köln/USLP | English/Spanish | MSc | 24 months | 31.01.2026 | 31.01.2026 |
| Public Health | Int’l Health (Berlin) | Charité/FU/HU Berlin | English | MSc | 12 months | 31.10.2025 | 31.03.2026 |
| Public Health | Global Urban Health | U Freiburg | English | MSc | 12 months | 15.04.–15.10.2025 | 15.06.2026 |
| Public Health | Int’l Health (Heidelberg) | U Heidelberg | English | MSc | 12 months | 15.05.–15.10.2025 | 30.04.2026 |
| Public Health | Global Health | U Bonn | English | MSc | 12 months | 01.09.–15.11.2025 | See website |
| Public Health | Medical Research (PhD) | LMU Munich | English | PhD | 36 months | 01.12.25–01.01.2026 | See website |
| Education | Vocational Education | TU Dresden | German | MA | 24 months | 15.09.2025 | See website |
| Education | INEMA | PH Ludwigsburg/Helwan | English | MA | 24 months | See website | See website |
| Law | IP & Competition Law | MIPLC | English | LLM | 12 months | 15.10.2025 | 30.04.2026 |
| Media | Int’l Media Studies | HS Bonn-Rhein-Sieg/DW/U Bonn | English | MA | 24 months | 15.03.2026 | 15.03.2026 |
100% DAAD Scholarships Benefits
- Monthly payments:
- €992 for Master’s students
- €1,300 for doctoral candidates
- Health, accident, and personal liability insurance
- Travel allowance (unless funded by another source)
- Possible additional benefits:
- Monthly rent subsidy
- Allowance for accompanying family members
Benefits Not Included
While the scholarship covers most expenses, it does not include:
- Semester contribution: Students may need to pay a nominal semester fee, which varies by university.
Eligibility Criteria for 100% DAAD Scholarships
To be eligible for the DAAD scholarship, applicants must:
- Must be employed in a public authority, state, or private company in a developing country.
- Must be involved in planning and implementing development-related projects.
- Hold a Bachelor’s degree (or Master’s for PhD applicants) in a relevant field.
- Completed degree with above-average academic performance (top third).
- Have at least 2 years of professional experience after Bachelor’s.
- Academic degree should be no older than 6 years.
- Must be a national of a country on the OECD-DAC list (excluding certain countries like Turkey and Western Balkan nations).
- Proof of Employment
- Certificate of employment detailing job title and duration.
- Employer reference letter, ideally with a re-employment guarantee post-study.
- Course-wise entry requirements
Motivation Letter
- Must explain:
- Interest in the specific postgraduate course(s).
- Relevance to current job and development goals.
- How the education will contribute to social responsibility and development in the home country.
- If applying to multiple courses (maximum 3), submit one combined letter:
- Clearly state order of preference and justification.
Language Requirements
- For German-taught programs:
- B1-level German certificate required at the time of application.
- DAAD provides a 6-month German language course in Germany.
- Passing DSH 2, TestDaF 4, or Telc C1 is mandatory before course enrollment.
- For English-taught programs:
- Proof of English language proficiency as required by the course (e.g., IELTS or TOEFL).
Eligible Countries and Regions
- Africa: All regions including North and Sub-Saharan Africa
- Asia: South, Central, Southeast, and East Asia
- Middle East: Including Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Palestinian territories
- Europe: Selected Eastern European and Balkan countries
- Latin America: North, Central, and South America
- Oceania: Selected Pacific Island nations
- Specifically , visit
Selection Criteria for 100% DAAD Scholarships
- Strong academic record (top third of class)
- Bachelor’s degree (usually 4 years) in a relevant field
- At least two years of professional experience
- Clear development-related motivation
- Commitment to social responsibility and driving change in home country
Required Documents (in order):
- Completed and signed DAAD checklist
- Filled DAAD “Application for EPOS scholarships” form (available on the DAAD website)
- Europass CV in reverse chronological order (no gaps; include study and work experience)
- Motivation letter outlining academic, professional, and personal reasons for application
- Letter of recommendation from current employer (must have letterhead, date, signature, and stamp)
- Employment certificates showing at least 2 years of relevant experience post-Bachelor’s
- Current employer letter should ideally confirm re-employment after returning home
- Language proficiency proof:
- English: as per course requirement
- German: only for German-taught programs
- Degree certificates (with certified translation if not in English or German)
- Transcript of records with grading system explanation
- APS certificate (only for applicants from China)
- Additional documents may be required by specific courses (check course websites)
- Country-wise requirements
Important Notes:
- Applications must be in English or German
- Incomplete applications will not be considered
- Applications sent directly to DAAD are disqualified
- Documents submitted to DAAD will not be returned
- Must keep PDF copies of all documents for portal upload if shortlisted
- Applicants must state if they can self-finance or require the scholarship
- Only applicants living in Germany for less than 15 months are eligible
100% DAAD Scholarships Application Process
- Apply directly to the chosen postgraduate course(s)
- The course reviews applications and recommends candidates to DAAD
- Selected applicants are asked to upload documents to the DAAD portal
- Final selection is made and candidates are notified
- Check individual university deadlines (usually between August–November).
- University admission is required to receive the scholarship, but pre-admission is not necessary.
- Selection process runs from late October to March.
Application Notes
- May apply for up to 3 postgraduate programs.
- Keep the same order of preference on all applications.
- One DAAD application form is mandatory (additional university forms may also be required).
- Applications not following these rules may be rejected or scholarships withdrawn.
Tips for a Successful Application
- Start early: Begin the application process well in advance to gather all necessary documents.
- Tailor your motivation letter: Customize your letter to reflect your academic and professional goals.
- Secure strong recommendations: Obtain letters from individuals who can vouch for your qualifications and potential.
- Ensure language proficiency: Meet the language requirements of your chosen program.
- Follow instructions meticulously: Adhere to all application guidelines and deadlines.
Monthly Living Expenses for International Students
On average, a student in Germany requires approximately €934 per month to cover living expenses, including:
- Rent and utilities: €410
- Food: €198
- Health insurance: €100
- Transportation: €89
- Miscellaneous expenses: €137
Why Choose This Opportunity?
The DAAD scholarship offers a unique chance to pursue higher education in Germany, renowned for its academic excellence and research opportunities. It provides comprehensive financial support, allowing students to focus entirely on their studies. Moreover, studying in Germany opens doors to a global network and enhances career prospects.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: Can I apply if I haven’t completed my Bachelor’s degree yet?
Yes, you can apply in your final year of study, provided you complete your degree before the scholarship begins.
Q2: Is there an age limit for applicants?
There is no specific age limit; however, your last academic degree should have been completed within the past six years.
Q3: Do I need to know German to apply?
Not necessarily. Many programs are offered in English. However, for German-taught programs, proficiency in German is required.
Q4: Can I apply for more than one program?
Yes, you can apply for up to three programs.
Q5: How long does the application process take?
The selection process can take several months, so it’s advisable to apply well before the deadline.
Official Link for More Details and Application
For detailed information and to apply, visit the official DAAD scholarship database:
