DDAAD (German Academic Exchange Service)
Partially funded
DAAD Study Scholarships - Master Studies for All Academic Disciplines
DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service), Germany
Scholarship overview
The DAAD Study Scholarships fund international graduates to complete a postgraduate or Master's programme at a state or state-recognised university in Germany. The scholarships are paid with funds from the German Federal Foreign Office.
The scholarship covers either a whole postgraduate or Master's degree programme in Germany, or one year of study in Germany as part of a second or Master's degree completed at the home university, provided the credits are recognised at home and the standard study period there is not exceeded.
Applicants from artistic disciplines and architecture apply under separate DAAD programmes. A Master's programme that has already begun in Germany cannot be funded; only programmes starting in the winter semester of the following year are eligible.
Award Information
- First degree (Bachelor's or Diplom) completed at the latest by the time funding begins.
- As a rule, the most recent university degree dates back no more than 6 years at the application deadline.
- Not resident in Germany for longer than 15 months at the application deadline.
- Applicants choose their own country and status in the DAAD portal; the programme is open to international graduates.
- Proof of the language of instruction of the chosen programme (German, English, or both). German certificates include TestDaF, DSH, DSD, Goethe-Zertifikat, Osterreichisches Sprachdiplom, telc Deutsch and onSET Deutsch. English certificates include IELTS, TOEFL iBT, TOEFL Essentials, TOEIC, PTE Academic, Cambridge English, onSET English and Duolingo English Test.
- The applicant must apply for admission to the German university in time; the admission letter may follow before funding begins.
- Study or work placements abroad inside the degree are funded only if essential to the scholarship aim, not in the home country, and no longer than a quarter of the funding period (up to 50% for joint or double degrees where the study regulations specify it).
- Funding must begin in 2027; the scholarship usually starts on 1 October 2027, or earlier with a preparatory German course.
- Funding for the standard period of the programme, 10 to 24 months; progress is reviewed after the first year.
- Monthly payment of 992 EUR (2026 call).
- Payments towards health, accident and personal liability insurance.
- Travel allowance, on application only.
- Annual study allowance of 460 EUR.
- On application after funding starts: monthly rent subsidy, allowance for accompanying family members, subsidy for disability- or illness-related extra costs, and a Green Mobility Top Up or reimbursement of carbon offset payments for air travel.
- Language support: online language course fees, a preparatory German course of 2, 4 or 6 months where DAAD decides it is needed (compulsory if the programme is taught in German), an allowance for a chosen German course during the scholarship, and reimbursement of a TestDaF or DSH test fee.
- DAAD does not cover tuition fees.
2026 call (funding from October 2027): applications open 1 June 2026 and close on 2 November 2026 (the DAAD portal closes at 24.00 CET/CEST on the last day). Selection is in February-March 2027 and funding starts from October 2027. Deadlines are updated each year in the second quarter and usually fall in the same period as the previous year.
- Register in the DAAD portal while the application period is running.
- Generate the recommendation form (writable PDF) in the portal and send it to a university teacher to complete.
- Prepare documents as PDF files, with German or English translations where the original is in another language.
- Complete the online application and upload all documents under the listed portal sections.
- Submit before the deadline; incomplete applications are not considered.
Official links
Documents you will need
- Full tabular CV (max. 3 pages).
- Letter of motivation, 1 to 3 pages.
- Admission letter from the German host university (may follow before funding begins).
- Form 'Information about your preferred master programmes' for a second degree or Master's in Germany.
- Proof that credits earned in Germany will be recognised, for a study year within a home degree.
- Transcript of records with individual grades.
- Degree certificate with final grades (a provisional document is accepted if the programme is not yet complete).
- Language certificate for the language of instruction, no older than 3 years.
- One letter of recommendation from a university teacher on the DAAD form.
- Optional: employment certificates, proof of extracurricular engagement.
How selection works
An independent selection committee of specialist scientists reviews applications.
- Academic qualification: achievements, school leaving certificate, course of studies, language skills, relevant internships and work experience.
- Quality of the study project: preparation, choice of programme and host university, fit with the academic career path.
- Potential of the applicant: motivation, prospects, extracurricular and social commitment.
- Equal-opportunity circumstances stated in the application form are taken into account.
