Ruhr University DAAD-EPOS Scholarships for Development Management

Ruhr-Universität Bochum’s MA in Development Management (MADM) is part of the DAAD funded Development-Related Postgraduate Courses (EPOS). The programme is designed for professionals with a first university degree in a relevant discipline and practical experience relevant to development management who need advanced academic training for roles in planning, implementation, management, and evaluation of development programmes and projects.

The MADM is aimed at international participants from all over the world. The programme entry requirements include a BA (or equivalent) in selected fields, certified experience related to managing development programmes and projects, and minimum certified proficiency in written and spoken English. DAAD-EPOS scholarship candidates need to prove at least two years of career experience in a relevant field, and preference is given to candidates whose employers offer a reintegration guarantee.

Each intake provides a limited number of DAAD-EPOS scholarships for excellent MADM participants from countries of the Global South. For scholarship applications, candidates apply to the university via the online MADM Application Platform and select the DAAD-EPOS scholarship option within the application process. Incomplete applications are not considered, and applicants are responsible for checking completeness.

• Must be from countries of the Global South (for DAAD-EPOS scholarships).
• Must apply for the MA in Development Management (MADM) at Ruhr-Universität Bochum.
• Must have a BA or equivalent degree in political science, social science, law, economics, or geography, or another subject related to planning and evaluation of development programmes and projects.
• Degree must have at least “second class, upper division” or its equivalent.
• Must have certified experience related to the management of development programmes and projects, either practical work experience of more than four weeks or academic experience in research and teaching at an institution of higher education.
• DAAD-EPOS candidates must prove at least two years of career experience in a relevant field.
• Preference is given to candidates whose employers offer a reintegration guarantee.
• Must meet minimum certified proficiency in written and spoken English: TOEFL (79–80 iBT) or IELTS (Band 6.0) or Duolingo (minimum 110 points).
• Must provide required employment or practical experience evidence, including evidence for at least the last two years of professional career.
• DAAD-EPOS candidates must submit employment certificates showing at least two years of relevant work experience after the Bachelor’s degree, and the current employer certificate should, if possible, include a guarantee of re-employment after returning to the home country.
• Applications must be complete; incomplete applications will not be considered.

1. For the DAAD-EPOS scholarship intake, submit the application directly to Ruhr-Universität Bochum via the online MADM Application Platform.
2. Submit the correct application by the applicable deadline for DAAD-EPOS candidates (30 September 2027).
3. Include a personally signed letter of application describing motivation; DAAD-EPOS candidates applying for more than one DAAD-EPOS postgraduate course (maximum 3) must submit the same motivation letter to all programmes, explaining choice and prioritisation.
4. Ensure all required documents are included and labeled by category for good readability.
5. Check that the application is complete, because incomplete applications will not be considered.

• Personally signed letter of application describing motivation of the application.
• Curriculum Vitae in reverse chronological order without any unexplained gaps (Europass CV format).
• Higher education degree certificate(s) and full transcript(s) of records, including an explanation of the grading system of all previous studies.
• Certified translations if original documents are not available in English or German.
• School leaving certificate showing all single marks and entitling the candidate to study at a recognized institution of higher education in the home country.
• Language certificate(s) as proof of English proficiency (IELTS or TOEFL, institutional TOEFL not accepted) and, if applicable, German at the time of the application.
• Evidence of current and former employment or other relevant practical experience, including evidence for at least the last two years of professional career.
• DAAD-EPOS candidates: certificate(s) of employment from employer(s) showing at least two years of relevant work experience after the Bachelor’s degree; the current employer certificate should, if possible, include a guarantee of re-employment after returning to the home country.
• Two recommendation letters of current date, one academic and one professional, including official letterhead, signature of the referee, and official stamp.
• DAAD-EPOS candidates: one recommendation letter from the current employer.
• Copy of passport or identity card.
• Passport size photo.
• DAAD-EPOS candidates: completed and signed DAAD checklist.
• DAAD-EPOS candidates: completed DAAD application form.