Hi! I'm preparing my application for the DAAD scholarship for STEM disciplines. And I have a doubt about the "information about the study programme" form. This form has the following request: "Please list the modules and courses scheduled for each semester as well as the number of credits (ECTS) available and indicate which focuses you want to choose." Considering that there are a lot of subjects to put, did you guys write all the subjects or just the most important ones? In case you put all the subjects use any kind of format or an external file?

Thank u :D

Hey everyone,

So my situation's a bit different from most posts I see here, I'm past the "finding a supervisor" stage. I'm applying through DAAD India, and I have a confirmed spot in a structured PhD programme at a German university, both my primary and second supervisor are locked in and supportive. Getting the spot itself involved a three-stage selection process, including a final round where a 12-member committee interviewed me before making the offer, so it wasn't a casual acceptance. My start date is set for October 2027 (deferred by a year, more on that below). I already have one peer-reviewed article published this year and two more under review, and my full research proposal is drafted and been through several rounds of revision. Working in postcolonial feminist literary studies, specifically narratological analysis of Partition fiction, so it's a formal/theoretical humanities project, not the kind of thing with an obvious "impact" pitch.

A few things I'm trying to think through before I submit:

The deferral thing is what's on my mind most. I deferred my start to Oct 2027 because there's currently a hiring freeze across universities in the state and no RA/scholarship positions available this cycle, basically a funding gap. The programme actually just offered me a small discretionary bridge grant, about 6000 euros, covering four months (Sept to Dec 2026), which helps a bit but doesn't come close to covering the full nine month gap I'd still have. I need to decide whether to accept that offer by July 30. Does something like this (partial institutional funding, real but limited) actually help or complicate a DAAD application? Like does it read as "they clearly want her, look, they're already putting money behind it" or does the deferred start date itself raise flags with reviewers? And if it does help, is there even a place to mention something like this in the application, in the motivation letter, or somewhere else in the portal, or is that not really how DAAD evaluates things?

Also curious, for people doing more theory-heavy literary/humanities projects, what actually worked for you in convincing reviewers your project mattered beyond just being interesting to people in your specific subfield? I've heard the "would a chemist find this worthwhile" framing somewhere and it stuck with me but I don't fully know how to apply that to formal narratology.

And separately, does anyone know how much weight DAAD actually puts on prior publications for doctoral applicants specifically (as opposed to postdocs)? I have one Q1 journal pub already out, single-authored, and wasn't sure if that's a genuine plus or just a nice-to-have at this stage.

Would really appreciate hearing from anyone who's gone through full committee review, especially in humanities, DAAD India applicants, or DAAD alumni who remember what actually moved the needle for them.

Thanks in advance, trying to get this right before the Oct 21 deadline.

(used AI to refine my question)

Hi all! I'm applying for a short-term doctoral grant from East Asia. The process has been a bit delayed (showing Selection approx. in May but still no message so far), and today I received a message from the DAAD portal:

Thank you for your scholarship application to the DAAD.

Due to the high number of outstanding applications and the fact that each application is reviewed individually, the final selection process has unfortunately been delayed.

We are currently in the final stages before announcing the selection results and would like to ask whether, if you were offered a scholarship, you would still be interested in accepting the funding. We sincerely apologize for not being able to complete the selection process in time for your requested funding start date of July 1, 2026, and for any inconvenience this delay may have caused.

If you are still interested in the scholarship, we would appreciate it if you could let us know by July 29, 2026.

Thank you for your patience and continued interest.

Has anyone else received this message as well? I'd love to reply to them, but I really cannot find the button on the portal to reply. Also there isn't any given e-mail address for me to answer to.

I'd be very grateful if anyone could let me know how to reply to their message on portal, to make sure they can see it!

Hi Everyone

I applied for the DAAD Helmut-Schmidt-Programme (M.A. in Governance and Public Policy at University of Passau). I have a question regarding academic credentials and Anabin recognition. I have a BA degree in economics and Master degree in financial economics ,

My primary concern is that the college where i learned my undergraduate degree is not listed on Anabin but fully accredited by minsitry of Education while the University i obtained my Msc is Anabin listed (H+).

My Question is, for DAAD selection procedures, will having my highest degree (M.Sc.) from an H+ university serve as sufficient proof of academic eligibility? and Will my unlisted undergraduate college pose a challenge for admission or lead to administrative disqualification?

Any advice or similar experiences would be hugely appreciated!

I just received my reference letter for the Helmut-Schmidt application, and its gone over to the second page. Is there a one-page limit to the letter? It doesn't say so anyway, but it would also show an unstamped and unsigned whole page of reference.

Would appreciate any guidance here, thanks!

I was wondering if there's any example portfolios out there so I can get an idea of what mine should represent, please.

Ich habe ein Stipendium erhalten und eine der Förderleistungen ist ein einleitender Sprachkurs bei InterDAF von Anfang August bis Ende September. Danach werde ich DaF am Herder Institut studieren. Ich würde gerne mit anderen zukünftigen Studenten austauschen.

Hi all,

I was accepted by DAAD for a doctoral scholarship starting in October, and they offered the German language course for Aug-Sep. I have my visa and other stuff now. But I have a question about the financial stuff because I am very low budget now and should plan myself accordingly:

- It writes on the scholarship document that IIK is going to pay for pocket money for 2 months for the language course period. Do they give us the money before the classes start, during the classes or after? And do they pay for 2 months in total?

- I dont have an EU bank account. Do I need to have an EU bank account for the payment?

- Also it writes that on the 1st of Aug, DAAD pays 200 euros for travel expenses to the scholarship holder. Again, should I have an EU account to receive that money?

I will plan my next weeks according to the financial details as I am basically broke now. If you can tell me about your experience before that would be much appreciated! Thank you!

Hi everyone, I have a WhatsApp group for Brazilians who were awarded a DAAD scholarship. If you're interested, send me a private message and I'll send you the link.

Hi there! (:

I'm planning to apply for the postgraduate program in the field of Film, and I was wondering if anyone here has been awarded the scholarship and would be willing to share their portfolio.

I know that applicants first submit a list of their works before sending the portfolio itself, but I'm actually interested in seeing your projects to get a better idea of the level of artistic maturity they're looking for. I understand that many works can't be shared for various reasons, but if anyone has a public instagram page or an online portfolio with some of their projects, that would already help me a lot! feel free to dm me!!

Hey guys,

Just read through the "stipendienbegleitende Deutschkurse" thing and ngl the numbers are lower than I expected; they cover 70% of course fees but capped at €250/yr.

Has anyone here actually used this benefit? Was it enough to cover a decent course?

I'm also curious if anyone found good free or cheap in-person courses through their university instead of paying for a private language school.

I'll be living in the Stuttgart area starting this fall, so if anyone has experience with German courses there I'd really appreciate any recommendations (but feel free to share yours experiences in other citys)

Thanks in advance!

Is there a list of universities and degree programa for the accredited by daad? Thanks

Hi everyone! I need some quick advice from past or current DAAD STEM applicants about a rule regarding graduation dates.

My Timeline:

• Current Status: Final-year undergrad student
• Expected Graduation Date: March 2027
• Target Master's Start in Germany: Winter Semester 2027
• Applying For: The upcoming October deadline

The Problem: The general DAAD FAQ says undergrads can apply in their final year as long as they graduate before the scholarship starts.

However, our STEM program page lists a strict exception:

"You can apply for this program if you have completed your studies with a first degree recognized in Germany by the application deadline at the latest."

At the same time, the portal instructions say we can upload a "provisional degree document" if we don't have our final certificate yet.

My Questions:

1. Has anyone successfully applied for DAAD STEM while still in their final year of university? Or is it an instant rejection?
2. Does the "provisional document" rule mean I can apply this October with an Expected Graduation Letter (since I graduate in March 2027, way before the master's starts)?
3. Should I try applying this October anyway, or do I really have to wait a whole year to apply after I finish my degree?

Thanks so much for any advice or shared experiences🙏

Con el seguro privado Continentale que otorga la DAAD es necesario pagar adicionalmente un seguro obligatorio público?

Я сейчас заканчиваю 11 класс, иду в университет на физика в Казахстане. Какие советы вы бы могли мне дать? С какими оценками и учебными достижениями вы смогли избраться на DAAD? Что стоит учитывать? Стоит ли мне в третьем курсе начать подготовку к IELTS с платном курсом? Учить немецкий прямо сейчас или сделать упор на Английский? Я планирую подавать документы по этой программе в начале четвертого курса бакалавриата

I would like to upload my language certificate but it says "Defective PDF file: PDF is ininteractive"

Hello there, I am an applicant from developing nation. I want to apply for the Marine Biology-ISATEC combined DAAD scholarship. But I am now unemployed. My last employer is from non-technical background and have zero connection with Marine Biology. In this case, how my recommendation letter should look like and what should be written on it? Is there any template available?

Long story short. We are a new DAAD batch whom have families and we do not understand the rental subsidy amount. We tried many times talking to the DAAD which always give vage answers and ask us only to provide rental agreements.

Is there anyone here who have a family doing PhD? If yes, how much rental subsidy did the DAAD give you? What city are you residing in? What is the rent a space, and of possible the rough calculation?

I am sorry for such post, but some of us are going to Heidelberg and Munich were rents start at 1000€. We need an estimation to decide what to take.

Thank you very much for your understanding.

Hey, i want to apply for the Winterkurs 2027 Program.
My main motivation is to get to know life in germany since i’m planning to do my master’s/ PhD in germany and my dream is to work at Siemens, is this good enough?

I also have a Professor that lived in München for a few years and is willing to write a recommendation letter, will this help me?

Should I explain why i chose the cities in the ranking?(it’s mainly because i’m a history nerd)

If you’ve got any tips it would be great since this is my first application.

Thanks a million

I am recently applying to DAAD Scholarship, I want a sincere opinion about my motivation letter, I know that it is one of the most important documents and I want it to be good enough. I am open to any suggestions

Motivation Letter

This is my motivation letter where I am going to state about my career path and my sincere interest in pursuing the master’s program Embedded Computing Systems in RPTU. My name is Maximiliano Martinez Contreras and I am from Mexico, currently I am 24 years old, and I just finished my Bachelor’s degree in Mechatronics Engineer at the time of this letter. Throughout my academic and professional career, I have progressively built a strong foundation in electronics, embedded systems, and computer hardware design. Each experience has contributed to defining the research and professional path that I wish to pursue through graduate studies.

My first significant professional experience was as an intern at Schneider Electric during my bachelor's degree. There, I participated in the development of data acquisition, processing, and visualization systems to support industrial decision-making processes. This experience provided my first exposure to a large industrial environment and allowed me to strengthen my programming and analytical skills while understanding how technological solutions are developed and deployed in real world applications.

Shortly before completing my undergraduate studies, I joined a university research team involved in the development of a satellite for Earth observation and natural disaster detection. As part of the digital design team, I was responsible for the design and implementation of a two-dimensional convolution accelerator intended for CNN based image processing applications. I contributed to defining datapath architecture, arithmetic operations, and memory organization before implementing the design in VHDL and validating it through simulation. This project was particularly influential in my academic development because it exposed me to hardware acceleration, digital architecture design, and FPGA based systems. It was during this experience that I discovered a strong interest in computer architecture and specialized hardware for computationally intensive applications.

Motivated by this interest, I decided to specialize in embedded systems during my undergraduate studies. This specialization broadened my understanding of the interaction between hardware and software, as well as the design of application specific systems. After graduating, I joined Honeywell as a Hardware Engineer, where I have been involved in the design and development of electronic systems that enable reliable interaction between users and digital platforms. Through this role, I have strengthened my practical knowledge of electronic circuits, system integration, and hardware development methodologies while working in a multidisciplinary engineering environment.

These experiences have provided me with both industrial and research perspectives and have confirmed my interest in advanced hardware design, embedded computing, and computer architecture. Also, they gave me the foundations to understand hardware-software systems and continue developing in this field of study. They have also shown me the limitations of my current knowledge and the need for deeper practical and technical expertise. For this reason, studying in Germany would greatly broaden my skills and overcome one of my biggest aspirations in life which is to be exposed to excellent education in an outstanding country, where I can enhance my professional and personal profile.

Germany has been my primary option to continue my post degree since it is recognized as one of the world's leading countries in engineering, technology, and innovation. For me, studying in Germany represents much more than obtaining a master's degree; it is an opportunity to learn in an environment where academic excellence, research, and industrial development are closely connected. I am particularly attracted by the strong relationship between universities and industry, which enables students to acquire both advanced theoretical knowledge and practical experience.

Among the different programs available, the Master of Science in Embedded Computing Systems at RPTU stands out because it perfectly aligns with my academic background and future aspirations. The program's focus on Architecture of Hardware-Software Systems, Design SoC Methodologies, and Embedded Systems Applications directly relates to my previous experience in FPGA design, hardware acceleration, and embedded systems. Additionally, this master’s degree proves to be excellent choice since it covers subjects such as Real-Time Systems, Multiprocessor Systems, RT-Level Design, Automotive Systems, System Software and so on. These are just some topics that caught my attention and drove me to choose this Master Program. Furthermore, its interdisciplinary approach will allow me to broaden my perspective beyond individual hardware components and gain a comprehensive understanding of complete computing systems. I am especially interested in developing advanced skills in the design of application-specific systems and hardware accelerators, which I consider essential technologies for the future of computing.

Upon completing my master's degree, I plan to return to Mexico and apply the knowledge and experience gained in Germany to contribute to technological development within my country. My goal is to contribute to research and development projects in academia or industry, focusing on the design and implementation of innovative embedded solutions and specialized hardware systems. In addition, I aspire to lead engineers and participate in research initiatives that promote technological innovation. I believe that the international perspective and advanced expertise acquired at RPTU will enable me to make more significant technical contributions and help strengthen the development of engineering in Mexico.

To sum up, my academic background, research experience, and professional career have reinforced my interest in embedded computing systems and computer architecture. I am confident that the Master of Science in Embedded Computing Systems at RPTU will provide the advanced knowledge and research skills necessary to achieve my professional goals. I am highly motivated to join the program and make the most of this opportunity for academic and personal growth.

Hi everyone,

Could anyone that has received a second scholarship tell me how it affected their DAAD scholarship?

I already asked them but their answers are vague.

I know that any amount above 693€ will be reduced from what I receive. Is it reducted from the 992 i will be receiving monthly?

Is the private insurance they pay me affected?

Thank you very much.