The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) offers a limited number of scholarships to highly qualified applicants from Africa, Latin America, South Asia, Southeast Asia as well as from countries in the Middle East, within the Helmut-Schmidt-Programme. Further information on the programme and a detailed list of countries can be found on the DAAD webpage.

Please note that all applications for a DAAD scholarship need to be submitted directly to the university. There is no additional application to DAAD required.

The application form for a DAAD Helmut-Schmidt-Programme scholarship can be downloaded here. Please fill this form and send it to a maximum of 2 Helmut-Schmidt-Programme Master courses of your choice. The admission criteria for each university may differ. Make sure that you meet the criteria of every university you apply to.

If you are applying for the Master of Development and Governance at the University Duisburg-Essen within the DAAD Helmut-Schmidt-Programme, the application form and all required documents have to be sent in ONE pdf file to: ppgg-application@uni-due.de (Scholarship applications sent to another e-mail address will not be considered).

Due to the new announcement by DAAD, some formalities are slightly modified:

• Completed DAAD checklist form (please tick off the list), signed by hand (do not insert a scanned signature) with place and date indication
• Completed DAAD scholarship application form 
• A single letter of motivation (even when applying for two master’s courses) including the date of issue and a precise account of your academic, professional, and personal reasons for wishing to participate in the Helmut-Schmidt-Programme, as well as a detailed explanation of your choice of master’s course(s), indicating why your first choice of master’s course is your first choice, why your second choice is your second choice, and how they will advance you academically and professionally, max. two pages long. You must provide the same letter of motivation to both courses you are applying for.  
• A curriculum vitae in reverse chronological order without any unexplained gaps (please use the europass template) with exact information about your studies and practical experience, including the date of issue.
  Please note that we require at least one year of full-time work experience in a relevant field for our master’s. This year may also consist of several independent experiences (for example, two six-month internships), as long as those have been done in full time and are being certified by the respective employer.
• Copies of your higher education degree certificates. Please provide a certified translation if the original is not in German or English, and make sure these are clearly legible.
• Applicants from China, India, and Vietnam are required to provide an APS certificate. For further information, please check the uni assist website.
• Copy of your full set of transcript of records including an explanation of the grading system. Please provide a certified translation if the original is not in German or English and make sure these are clearly legible.
• Confirmation of relevant professional experience or internships and/or proof of relevant political activities or service to your community, such as volunteering or work for charities or NGOs, on headed paper, including an original (not scanned) or code certified digital signature, the date of issue and a stamp. If necessary, please provide a certified translation. 
• Recent language certificates for English proficiency: Applicants whose native language is not English must provide a recent language certificate giving evidence of their level of proficiency in English. Please note that ONLY THE FOLLOWING certificates are acknowledged by us:
  • TOEFL
    • Paper based test (pBT): minimum score of 550
    • Computer based test (cBT): minimum score of 215
    • Internet based test (iBT): minimum score of 80
  • IELTS: minimum score of 6.5
  • Alternatively, we also accept an official Medium of Instruction (MOI) by your university in case your bachelor's program was taught entirely in English.
• Current written reference from your current or recent employer or from a university lecturer if you are a student at present, on headed paper, including an original (not scanned) or code certified digital signature, the date of issue and a stamp. If necessary, please provide a certified translation.