Master's Degree

The DAAD offers diverse scholarship schemes for applicants from sub-Saharan Africa. These includes Master scholarships for selected study programmes in Germany and in other partner institutions in sub-Saharan Africa (In-country/In-region programmes).

Many of them focus on subject areas specifically relevant for issues of sustainable development. Others specialize in subject areas such as art, design, architecture as well German studies. The most sought-after programmes are described in more detail below. You can obtain a complete list of Master scholarships by the DAAD and other German funding organizations on our funding guide.

The 12 to 24 months master degree courses aim to provide professionals and managerial staff with additional qualifications. They offer career-based and practice-oriented further training in courses that are selected by their relevance to developing countries. More in-depth information and a current list of the offered courses can be found here.

Application deadlines: Please confirm with the University websites or the DAAD Information Centre. Applications (DAAD scholarship and admission) must be handed in directly to the host Universities and not – as in the years before – through the German Embassy/the DAAD Information Centre.

Applicants must have obtained a Bachelor’s Degree graded at least Second Class (Upper Division) and must have gained at least two years of relevant professional experience after graduation.

The applicant’s most recent academic degree must have been obtained within the last six years.

The application procedure can be found here.

The application form can be found here.

This programme is designed to academically qualify future leaders in politics, law, economics and administration according to the principles of Good Governance and to prepare them in a practice-oriented course for their professional life. The programme offers qualified graduates with a first university degree (Bachelor or equivalent) the chance to obtain a Master’s degree in disciplines that are of special relevance for the social, political and economic development of their home country. Programme overview and the list of courses currently offered can be found HERE.

Details:

Applicants must be very well qualified graduates with a first university degree (Bachelor or equivalent) who in the future want to actively contribute to the social and economic development of their home countries.

Scholarships for two-year Master courses at a German institution of higher education (selected Master courses with one of the following focuses: Public Policy, Good Governance, International Relations, Public Management, Administration, Civil Society; courses are taught in German and/or English).

The application for the scholarship is done during the application for the interested programme on the school website.

The application form can be found here.

The application checklist and selection criteria can be found here.

The application procedure can be found here.

The Leadership for Africa Scholarship programme is for:

Highly qualified refugees who hold refugee status and fulfil the necessary qualifications for Master studies in Germany and the requirements in the call for applications.
Highly qualified graduates from Benin, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Mauritania who fulfil the necessary qualifications for Master studies in Germany and the requirements in the call for applications.

Applicants must fulfil the following conditions:

Citizenship of either Benin, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Mauritania
Holding refugee status in their host countries (Benin, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Mauritania), being granted before 2nd of April, 2023
Completed Bachelor’s degree not more than 6 years ago

After being granted a place in the scholarship programme, they apply directly to their desired study programmes at German Institutes of Higher Education.

The scholarship includes:

Language course (2-6 months) in Germany before the start of the university studies
Tuition-free M.A. or M.Sc. degree programme at a public or state-recognized university in Germany starting in the winter term 2024 (September/October 2024)

Details of the scholarship application procedure can be found here.

Application Deadline: 7th June 2024 (for scholarship in 2025).

These other scholarships are available for foreign applicants who have gained a first university degree (Bachelors degree) in the fields listed below at the latest by the time they commence their scholarship-supported study programme. Applicants may apply for scholarships to complete a Master’s degree/postgraduate degree leading to a final qualification, or a complementary course (in the study fields below) that does not lead to a final qualification at a state or state-recognised German university of your choice (not an undergraduate course). Click on the links below for details.

Study Scholarships for Foreign Graduates in the Field of Music

Study Scholarships for Foreign Graduates in the Field of the Performing Arts

Study Scholarships for Foreign Graduates in the Fields of Fine Art, Design, Visual Communication and Film

Study Scholarships for Foreign Graduates in the Field of Architecture

For information on In-country/In-region scholarships, please refer to this LINK.

… my DAAD journey has been incredible for the past two years, especially being part of the SPRING Master Program, which is jointly offered by an International University Network in five countries; Germany, Ghana, Tanzania, Philippines and Chile.

Augustine Yaw Asuah (Former Masters scholarship holder)