DAAD Scholarship

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) can grant a limited number of scholarships (6-8) to cover living expenses (service fee is waived for recipients of such grants) for applicants from developing and newly industrialised countries. Applicants are selected by the DAAD in cooperation with HTW Berlin. For more information on the DAAD scholarship, please see the DAAD webpage.

Table of contents

Who can apply for the DAAD scholarship?

Applicants for the DAAD scholarship must

How to apply for the DAAD scholarship?

Should you wish to apply for a DAAD scholarship, please indicate this in your MIDE application form. You must also

  • complete the DAAD application form and the DAAD checklist and attach both documents to the MIDE application form. Don't forget to date and personally sign the checklist.
  • submit a statement of motivation (letterhead, addressed to: "The Selection committee", dated and personally signed) explaining why you are interested in attending a particular postgraduate course with reference to your current employment. Please further describe your development-related motivation and how you intend to make full use of your scholarship and education by taking on social responsibility later in your career.
    Important:     When applying for more than one postgraduate course (maximum 3 courses), you have to submit one motivation letter only, i.e. the same for each course, explaining why you are applying for these specific courses and why you chose that priority.
    You do not have to submit a separate statement of motivation for the MIDE programme. Your statement of motivation for the DAAD scholarship will also serve as the required letter of motivation for the MIDE programme.
  • submit proof of at least two years of professional work experience and state your current work situation at the time of application. It is required to submit the following proof: Certificate(s) of employment that include the exact position and period of employment. This/these letter(s) must come on official letterhead, be dated and signed as well as carry a stamp. Letters of appointment, work contracts, pay slips etc. are not accepted as proof of employment.
  • a letter of recommendation from the employer(s), ideally guaranteeing re-employment after completion of the postgraduate course in Germany. This/these letter(s) must come on official letterhead, have a current date and be signed as well as carry a stamp.

If applying to more than one course, please list courses in order of priority in the DAAD application forms and do not change these priorities in the respective applications to other programmes!

Academic reference letters are not required for the scholarship application.

Confirmation of Employment vs. Letter of Recommendation

A confirmation of employment is usually issued by HR and confirms the dates of employment with the organisation and the tasks. Possibly, but not in all cases, there will be an evaluation of the skills/accomplishments.

A letter of recommendation is a personal assessment from your supervisor that usually includes these three components:

  • A paragraph or sentence that explains how the referee knows this person for how long.
  • An evaluation of the person and their skills/accomplishments. If possible , specific examples should be offered that illustrate the person’s strengths and qualifications. These examples should be brief but detailed.
  • A summary that explains why and to what degree the person is recommended.​

What are the selection criteria for the DAAD scholarship?

The Typical Scholarship Holder

  • works either for a public authority or a state or private company in a developing country and, as such, is engaged in the planning and execution of directives and projects with emphasis on development policies having a bearing on technological, economic or social areas.
  • holds a Bachelor’s degree (normally four years) in a related subject.
  • has completed an academic degree with far above average results (upper third) and at least two years of related professional experience after the first degree (bachelor) at the time of application.
  • His/her academic degrees should normally not be more than six years old.

What does the DAAD scholarship cover?

  • The Service Fee for the programme, amounting to 2,500 €, will be waived.
  • Living expenses (17 months)
  • Study and research subsidy
  • A subsidy for travel expenses (incl. insurance for accident & personal liability) to Germany and back home after the completion of the programme
  • Health insurance
  • Preparatory German Language Course (February/ March). Scholarship holders will be expected to arrive in Germany in February to participate in an intensive German language training prior to the start of the programme.
  • More Details

Are there other sources of funding?

Competition for the DAAD scholarship is very intense, we receive about 250 applications for only 6-8 scholarships that can be granted.

Please note that HTW Berlin does not offer scholarships for students. More details about other funding options are available here.