University of Erfurt DAAD Helmut-Schmidt-Programme 2025

The DAAD's Helmut-Schmidt-Programme, funded by the German Federal Foreign Office, offers a limited number of scholarships to highly qualified applicants to acquire a Master’s degree in Master programmes, such as the Master of Public Policy at the Brandt School.

We have also listed scholarship opportunties offered by other institutions, such as governments or foundations. This overview is by no means comprehensive, and MPP candidates are encouraged to research different scholarship and financing opportunities available to them.

Table of Content

• Summary
• Benefits
• Requirments
• Interview Process
• Application Documents
• Application Deadline
• How To Apply

Summary

• Application DeadlineJuly 31, 2025
• Study LevelMasters
• SponsorUniversity of Erfurt
• City to studyThuringia
• School to studyUniversity of Erfurt
• Eligible CountryAll Countries

Benefits

• Scholarships (of currently € 992 per month) for master’s courses at German higher education institutions
• Health insurance cover in Germany • appropriate travel allowances for travel between Germany and the respective developing and emerging countries
• A study and research grant
• Rent subsidies and family supplements, as applicable
• Preceding German language course in Germany, lasting up to 4 months; participation is mandatory

The following deviation regarding funding benefits applies for the “Social Protection” master’s course due to its blended learning concept: A sur place rate of € 500 per month is paid in the 4th semester (mandatory online semester in the student’s country of origin or another developing/emerging country).

Requirements

Main selection criteria for Helmut-Schmidt Scholarship applications to the Master of Public Policy (MPP) are:

• A conclusive account of your academic, professional and personal motivation for studying the MPP in Germany
• Your motivation clearly relates to the goals of the Helmut-Schmidt-Programme
• At least one year of professional experience relevant to the MPP
• Strong analytical skills and pronounced interest in solving political problems
• A first higher education degree completed with above-average grades (upper third of graduates), in the fields of Social and Political Sciences, Law, Economics, Public Policy and Administration

You are not eligible:

• If your most recent university degree has been obtained more than six years before your application for the scholarship (date of issue before January 1st, 2019)
• When you have resided in a country that is not included in the DAC list of developing and emerging countries (see list of eligible countries) for more than 15 months at the time of the application deadline

Candidates who already hold a Master’s degree must make a well-argued case as to why they should be funded for another postgraduate degree.

Interview Dates and Process

The most important selection criteria are:

• A conclusive account of your academic, professional and personal motivation for the study endeavour in Germany and for choosing and prioritising the master’s courses
  • this motivation should clearly relate to the goals of the HelmutSchmidt-Programme • practical experience relevant to the programme (professional experience or internships, political activities or service to your community, such as volunteering or work for charities or NGOs)
• A first higher education degree completed with above-average grades (upper third) Formal requirements:
• Candidates who already hold a master’s degree must make a wellargued case as to why they should be funded for another postgraduate degree. •
• The candidates’ last university degree should not date back more than six years (date of issue not before 1 January 2019).
• Candidates who have spent more than the past 15 months in a country not listed on the DAC list are not eligible.

All master’s courses have their own selection criteria (degree, grades, language skills, practical experience, etc.) that must be met in addition to the DAAD’s selection criteria.

Application Documents

The following documents are required for an application for the MPP at the Brandt School with a Helmut-Schmidt-Programme scholarship and have to be uploaded to your online application. Please also check the DAAD's call for application for more details on the documents. 

The following documents are required for an application for the MPP at the Brandt School with a Helmut-Schmidt-Programme scholarship and have to be uploaded to your online application. Please also check the DAAD's call for application for more details on the documents. 

• DAAD Checklist Form

• DAAD Application Form

• Letter of Motivation

• Curriculum Vitae

  • The CV must be in the europass CV format.

• Diplomas, Degree Certificates and Transcripts

• Proof of Professional Experience

• Letter of Reference

• Proof of English Proficiency

• Copy of Your Passport

Application Deadline

July 31, 2025

How To Apply

Are you qualified and interested in this opportunity? Kindly go to University of Erfurt on jobs.uni-erfurt.de to apply

Please note that all applications for a Helmut-Schmidt scholarship have to be submitted directly to the Brandt School via our online application portal within this application period. Paper-based applications will not be accepted. No additional application to the DAAD is required.

Please consider that students starting their studies in October 2026 will be enrolled in the recently updated MPP curriculum.

For more information, kindly visit University of Erfurt scholarship webpage.