Master's Scholarship•Germany

DAAD Study Scholarships for STEM Disciplines

Funding

Fully Funded

Program dates

Oct 1, 2027

The DAAD “Study Scholarships for STEM Disciplines”, funded by the German Federal Foreign Office, supports high-achieving graduates from selected developing and emerging countries to complete a full master’s degree in a STEM field — mathematics, computer science, the natural sciences, or engineering — at a state or state-recognised university in Germany. It provides a monthly living stipend, insurance contributions, and a yearly study allowance for the standard length of the chosen programme. Scholarship holders relocate to Germany to study full-time on campus; funding under the current call must begin in 2027 and usually starts on 1 October 2027 (or earlier if a German language course precedes the programme). Interdisciplinary programmes qualify only if they have a designated STEM focus.

Benefits & funding

  • Monthly scholarship payment of €992.
  • Contributions towards health, accident, and personal liability insurance.
  • Annual study allowance of €460.
  • A travel allowance, available on application.
  • Possible additional support (case-by-case): a monthly rent subsidy, a family allowance for accompanying dependants, a subsidy for applicants with disabilities or chronic illness, and a carbon-offset / “Green Mobility” reimbursement.
  • Funding for the standard period of study of the chosen programme — between 10 and 24 months.
  • Conditional funding for a preceding German language course.
  • Note: the DAAD does not cover university tuition fees (public German universities charge little or none); the programme funds only tuition-free master’s programmes.

Eligibility

  • Open to nationals of 24 developing and emerging countries: Belize, Cambodia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Ghana, Guatemala, Honduras, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Laos, Malaysia, Mexico, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Venezuela, and Vietnam.
  • Applicants must have completed a first degree recognised in Germany (e.g. a Bachelor’s) by the application deadline, and must not yet hold a master’s degree.
  • The most recent university degree should date back no more than 6 years at the application deadline.
  • Applicants must not have been resident in Germany for longer than 15 months at the application deadline.
  • Eligible fields are mathematics, computer science, the natural sciences, and engineering; interdisciplinary programmes need a designated STEM focus.
  • Language proficiency of at least B1 in the language(s) of instruction, evidenced by a certificate no older than 3 years (e.g. TestDaF, DSH, IELTS, TOEFL iBT, depending on the programme).
  • Master’s programmes with integrated stays outside Germany, and degrees already begun in Germany, are excluded.

Application process

  1. 1
    Register on the DAAD portal and request the DAAD recommendation form from a university teacher.
  2. 2
    Prepare the required documents: CV (max. 3 pages), motivation letter (1–3 pages), a letter of admission or a form listing up to 5 preferred German master’s programmes, transcripts and degree certificate(s), language-proficiency certificate, the recommendation letter, and passport/ID.
  3. 3
    Submit the application as PDF uploads through the DAAD portal within the application window — open from 1 June until the country-specific deadline (commonly late October for the following year’s funding round).

Program timeline

  1. Application window opens (online portal).

    Jun 1, 2026

  2. Application deadline for most countries (country-specific; updated annually).

    Oct 30, 2026

  3. Selection decisions announced.

    2027 (spring)

  4. Scholarship and study programme begin (or earlier with a preceding German course).

    Oct 1, 2027