DAAD EPOS Scholarships

Overview

DAAD's EPOS programme funds selected Master's (and occasionally PhD) postgraduate courses in Germany for professionals from developing and newly industrialized countries, across fields like engineering, environment, health and development economics. There is no single deadline — it varies by programme.

Eligibility

Benefits

Available Fields

• Engineering
• Medicine & Health Sciences

Required Documents

Application Process

The DAAD Development-Related Postgraduate Courses (EPOS) Scholarships 2027/2028 support professionals from developing and newly industrialised countries who want to pursue selected development-related postgraduate programmes in Germany. Applicants generally need a relevant Bachelor’s degree, strong academic performance, and at least two years of relevant professional experience after the Bachelor’s degree. Funding usually lasts 12–42 months, depending on the programme.

Opportunity

DAAD EPOS Scholarships 2027/2028

Full Name

Development-Related Postgraduate Courses (EPOS)

Type

Fully Funded Government Scholarship / Development Scholarship

Funded By

German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), with EPOS funding subject to support from Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

Country

Germany

Study Level

Primarily:

• Master’s / Postgraduate
• PhD in exceptional cases

The current 2027/28 EPOS list is overwhelmingly composed of selected Master’s and postgraduate programmes.

Who Can Apply

Applicants generally must:

• Come from an eligible developing or newly industrialised country
• Hold a relevant Bachelor’s degree, normally a four-year degree
• Have an above-average academic record, typically within the upper third
• Have at least 2 years of relevant professional experience after completing the Bachelor’s degree
• Demonstrate development-related motivation
• Show potential to take social responsibility and contribute to development in their home country or region.

Degree Age

Academic degrees should normally not be more than six years old at the time of application.

Germany Residence Restriction

Applicants who have been resident in Germany for more than 15 months by the application deadline are generally not eligible.

Fields of Study

The 2027/28 EPOS programme includes selected courses in areas such as:

• Development Economics
• Business and SME Development
• Development Cooperation
• Environmental Risk and Human Security
• Engineering
• Sustainable Energy
• Renewable Energy
• Photogrammetry and Geoinformatics
• Natural Hazards
• Urban Management
• Sustainable Urban Development
• Agriculture and Agricultural Economics
• Forestry
• Environmental Sciences
• Marine Biology
• Hydrogeology
• Water Resources Management
• Global Health
• International Health
• Education Management.

Scholarship Benefits

DAAD currently lists:

• €992 per month for graduate-level scholarship holders
• €1,400 per month for doctoral candidates
• Health, accident and personal liability insurance
• Travel allowance, unless funded by another source

Under certain circumstances, recipients may also receive:

• Monthly rent subsidy
• Allowance for accompanying family members.

Scholarship Duration

12–42 months, depending on the selected postgraduate programme.

Language Requirements

For English-taught programmes, applicants must provide the English-language qualification required by the individual course, generally through tests such as IELTS or TOEFL. Institutional TOEFL is not accepted under the general EPOS application requirements.

For German-taught programmes, applicants generally need at least B1 German at application and must later meet the required DSH/TestDaF standard.

Application Requirements

Typical documents include:

• Completed EPOS application form
• Completed and signed checklist
• CV, generally using the Europass format
• Motivation letter
• Recommendation letter from the current employer
• Employment certificate(s) proving at least two years of relevant work experience after the Bachelor’s degree
• English or German language certificate
• University degree certificate(s)
• Academic transcripts
• Additional programme-specific documents where required.

Number of Program Choices

Applicants can apply to a maximum of 3 EPOS postgraduate programmes.

If applying to multiple programmes, they must rank them by priority and explain the choices and prioritisation in a single, consistent motivation letter.

How to Apply

Applications are submitted directly to the selected EPOS postgraduate programme/university, not initially to DAAD.

The process is generally:

1. Applicant applies directly to the selected course.
2. The course selection committee nominates potential DAAD scholarship candidates.
3. Nominated applicants are contacted to upload their application to the DAAD Portal.
4. DAAD completes the final scholarship selection.

Application Deadline

Varies by university and programme.

There is no single EPOS deadline. DAAD’s current 2027/28 deadline list instructs applicants to check the website of each individual course for its specific scholarship deadline.

Because each EPOS course has its own deadline, applicants should check their chosen programme immediately rather than relying on one general DAAD closing date.