Finding Scholarships
Welcome to our scholarship database!
Here you will find information about our DAAD scholarship programmes for international students and
researchers as well as offers from other selected funding organisations.
University Summer Courses offered in Germany for Foreign Students and Graduates • DAAD
Overview
Eine Druckversion dieser Ausschreibung (PDF) steht Ihnen in den weiteren Registerkarten (z.B. „Bewerbungsvoraussetzungen“) zur Verfügung.
A print version of this announcement (PDF) is available in the further tabs (e.g. “Application requirements”).
Objective
This programme aims to deepen knowledge of the German language (general language, technical language) and regional studies.
Who can apply?
- Students in undergraduate (e.g. bachelor's) and master's degree programs in all disciplines are eligible to apply.
- Undergraduate students must have completed at least two academic years by the time the scholarship period begins.
What can be funded?
- The programme funds attendance of language, regional studies and technical language courses offered by state or state-recognised German universities and by affiliated language schools.
- Course providers and courses offered can be found on the DAAD website at: www.daad.de/hsk-kursliste.
- The courses are taught exclusively in German.
Duration of the funding
- The courses have a duration of at least 18 teaching days (max. 5 days/week, excluding arrival and departure days) with at least 25 teaching hours per week each.
- The grants are not extendable.
- The courses usually take place between the months of June and September.
Value
- One-time scholarship payment of 1,192 euros; scholarship holders from the "Least Developed Countries" receive a scholarship in the amount of1,367 euros.
- Payment of a country-specific travel allowance for selected countries, see: travel allowance.
- Health, accident and personal liability insurance benefits.
The above-mentioned scholarship benefits (including the travel allowance) are not transferred abroad.
The course fees and accommodation costs are usually directly deducted from the scholarship benefits by the language course provider, so that the scholarship holder may "only" receive the difference to the full amount from the course provider.
Selection
- A selection committee will review all applications
- Key selection criteria are:
- Previous academic achievements
- Convincing letter of motivation for choice of study programme and future academic project
Further information
Answers to frequently asked questions regarding the University Summer Courses programme can be found here: FAQs (in German)
Application requirements
What requirements must be met?
- The grant holder must be at least 18 years old when starting the language course.
- Applicants must be enrolled at a university in one of the programme-related countries (except Germany) both at the time of application and during the entire scholarship period.
- Funding under the programme can only be claimed once.
- Unless stated otherwise, foreign nationals may be eligible if they have been full-time students/scholars in a degree program at an accredited Canadian or US university for more than one year at the time of application.
- Students are eligible to apply in North America if they have finished their first year at the time of the application.
- In addition to the bachelor's and master's programs, doctoral candidates can apply for this country.
- Applicants commit themselves to deal sensitively with the issue of sustainability.
Language skills
- Applicants must be able to follow lectures in German and participate in group work.
- The following language certificates are usually accepted: onSET-Deutsch, TestDaF, Goethe Institut Zertifikat, DSD, DSH, telc Deutsch, ÖSD-Zertifikat, baccalaureate (for specialised language courses only).
- The language certificate cannot be older than 1 year at the time of application (this also applies to DSH). Language certificates from B2 or TDN4 in all examination parts may be older than one year.
- Additionally, the DAAD Certification of German Language can be accepted.: https://www.daad.org/files/2022/09/Sprachnachweis_Formular.pdf
- In principle, applicants must provide proof of a minimum language level of A1.
Application Procedure
Application deadline
December 1st of each year, 23:59 CET (Central European Time); Exception: In 2024, the portal will remain open up to and including 02 December 2024, 23:59 (Central European Time).
Applications are open from September 15 each year.
Application documents
Certificates, transcripts, attestations and translations can be submitted in uncertified form. The DAAD Head Office in Bonn reserves the right to request additional certified copies of the documents submitted.
Documents to be uploaded to the DAAD Portal:
- Online application form
- Complete curriculum vitae in tabular form (in German)
- Letter of motivation (in German)
- Transcripts of all university examinations taken in the last two years, with individual grades (with German or English translation)
- For undergraduate students: school leaving certificate with grades (with German or English translation)
- For graduate students in postgraduate studies: if applicable, last university degree certificate with final grade/s (with German or English translation)
- Language certificates (with German or English translation, if applicable)
- Other documents that you consider important for your application, if necessary with German or English translation (e.g. proof of internships, certificates of employment).
- Applicants from this country with A1 and A2 grades can upload their letter of motivation and CV in German or English. Letter of motivation and CVs of candidates from B1 onwards must be in German.
Please submit your application online through the DAAD Portal only.
Please note
- In the application form, you are asked to indicate three course preferences. You must fill in all fields and indicate different course locations. Your course preferences will be taken into account by the DAAD in the final placement, if possible. Important: The capacity for each course is limited. Therefore, the DAAD reserves the right to assign you to a different course than one of the preferred ones.
- Once your application has been received, it is no longer possible to change your course preferences or change courses.
- Only complete applications submitted by the deadline can be considered.
- The application documents remain with the DAAD. Your personal data is saved by the DAAD in accordance with the Federal Data Protection Act and with the EU Data Protection Regulation insofar as this data is needed to process the application.
Contact and Consulting
Information and advisory centres
North America Regional Office
DAAD New York Office
871 United Nations Plaza
New York, NY 10017
Telefon: (212) 758-3223
Fax: (212) 755-5780
Email: daad.newyork@daad.de
Canada
DAAD Information Centre Toronto
c/o Munk School of Global Affairs
North Side, Room 207
University of Toronto
1 Devonshire Place
Toronto, ON M5S 3K7
Telefon: + 1 416 946 8116
Email: ip.toronto@daad-net.de
United States (West Coast)
DAAD Information Center San Francisco
Hanni Geist
c/o German Hub
101 Montgomery St. #1900
San Francisco, CA 94104
Telefon: (415) 986-2021
Email: ip.sanfrancisco@daad.de
More detailed information
- Course providers and courses on offer can be found on the DAAD website at: www.daad.de/hsk-kursliste.
- For more general information on language certificates, please visit the DAAD website at: https://www.daad.de/de/studieren-und-forschen-in-deutschland/studium-planen/die-deutsche-sprache/.
Further information
Please check the DAAD New York Website for more information:
Außenstelle New York
Submitting an application
General information on the application via DAAD portal
Applications for this scholarship programme are possible in the period 15th September until the stated application deadline.
Click on 'Application portal' at the bottom of the page to go to the DAAD portal. There you will be provided with an online application form to enter your application data.
This is what you have to do:
1. Register in the DAAD portal (Read notes about registering in the portal >>)
2. Applying online in the DAAD portal (Read notes on applying in the portal >>)
- Download and complete the online application form
- Prepare application documents
- If necessary, translate documents (unless they are already in German or English).
- Scan paper documents (except references) and save in PDF format. Please note that you can only upload PDF files to the portal.
- Upload the completed application form and the other application documents to the portal in PDF format. Translations, if applicable, should be uploaded together with the document issued in the original language.
- Submit the uploaded application documents online.
Please note:
If you have any technical questions or problems your local information and advice centres could not help you with, please do not hesitate to contact portal@daad.de via e-mail.
Please consider possible processing times of your request when you are planning your application.