Scholarship Database

Here you can find information on various kinds of DAAD funding for students, graduates and postdocs as well as on funding offered by other selected organisations.

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University Summer Courses offered in Germany for Foreign Students and Graduates • DAAD

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.
Participation takes place exclusively in presence.

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.

Please note:
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)

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.
For this country, in addition to undergraduate and graduate students, doctoral students may also apply.

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.

German language skills must be proven at the time of application.

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.
Non-Germanists in Bachelor's or Master's degree courses require a language level of A2.
Doctoral students from a language level of A1.
Germanists in Bachelor's or Master's degree courses require a language level of B1.

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.

Information and advisory centres

Regional Office Tokyo
Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst
Akasaka 7-5-56, Minato-ku
107-0052 Tokyo
Japan
Tel.: +81 (3)/3582-5962
Fax.: +81 (3) /3582-5554
E-Mail.: daad-tokyo@daadjp.com
WWW.: https://www.daad.jp

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/.

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.