Application

Applying for the MA Development and Governance

There are two ways to apply for the programme:

1. Scholarships are granted to a limited number of highly qualified applicants by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).

2. Self-financed students are invited to to submit their application via the online application portal during the application period.

For more details on each application procedure please follow the respective links in the navigation sidebar (<-- on the left side)

General admission requirements

Irrespective of the mode of application, the following admission requirements have to be met.

  • Higher education entrance qualification
  • Bachelor's degree requiring four years of full time study in political science, social science, law, economics, geography or related discipline
  • Strong academic record
  • Minimum of one year full-time professional work experience at time of application (in a field relevant to our Master's)
  • Very good English language proficiency: Applicants must provide a recent language certificate (TOEFL, IELTS) giving evidence of their level of proficiency in English
    • TOEFL: Paper based test: minimum score of 550; Computer based test: minimum score of 213; Internet based test: minimum score of 80 (university code Duisburg-Essen: 1703)
    • IELTS: minimum score of 6.0
    • Applicants can be exempted from the language requirement only if they hold a bachelor’s or higher degree from an English-language college or university. In this case they are required to provide proof that English was the language of instruction and of all examinations of their degree course, issued by their previous university

Please note that the University of Duisburg-Essen is a public university and does not charge an application fee nor tuition. However, after admission students need to register with the university. The (re-)registration fee is currently (effective summer semester 2024) 302,40 € per semester and allows you to use the university facilities and also includes the right to use public transport facilities within North Rhine-Westphalia (Semester Ticket) and local public transport in the whole of Germany (Deutschlandticket).

Frequently Asked Questions

1. When can I apply for the MA Development and Governance?
There is one main application period for the DAAD Helmut-Schmidt-Programme (PPGG) scholarships, which normally starts in June and ends in July each year. For these scholarships, the programme start is in June of the respective next year with a German language course (e.g. if you apply in June 2024, your language programme will start in June 2025). The academic programme then starts in October. More information on the application process can be found here.

Additionally, you can apply as "self-financed candidate". This call for applications usually opens in March. In this case, the programme will start in October of the same year (e.g. if you apply in March 2025, the programme is going to start in October 2025). More infos on the application process can be found here.

2. Which kind of Bachelor degree do I need to have to be eligible to apply for this programme?
To be eligible for the programme, you must have completed a full-time four-year Bachelor's degree in political or social science. Furthermore, we may consider applicants from the fields of economics, law, or geography if your transcript shows that you have attended social science-related modules, or if you have an outstanding professional record in a governance or development-related discipline.

3. Which are the main selection criteria?
In principal, eligibility depends on the quality of your social scientific degree resulting from a four year fulltime programme, a strong academic record, sufficient English skills and relevant professional experience in fields like e.g. development assistance, public administration, human rights or civil society work. We require at least one year of professional full-time work experience in a field relevant to our Master's.

4. Do I need to have German language skills?
No, this is not a formal requirement. The language of instruction and all examination is English. Knowledge of German is, of course, an advantage if you live in Germany (English is not an official language). Students who study with a PPGG scholarship take part in a compulsory three month German course in advance of the studying programme.

5. When does the programme start?
The German language courses for DAAD Helmut-Schmidt-Programme scholarship holders start in June each year and the first study period starts in October each year and lasts until September of the subsequent year. 

6. If I want to apply as "self-financed candidate", what are the costs I have to calculate with?
As a benchmark we calculate an amount of 950 € which you should have available each month in order to cover the costs for studying and living in Germany.

Please note that the University of Duisburg-Essen is a public university and does not charge an application fee nor tuition. However, after admission students need to register with the university. The (re-)registration fee is currently (effective summer semester 2024) 302,40 € per semester and allows you to use the university facilities and also includes the right to use public transport facilities within North Rhine-Westphalia (Semester Ticket) and local public transport in the whole of Germany (Deutschlandticket).

7. ASP certification for applicants from China, India and Vietnam.
As of January 2023 all applicants from China, India and Vietnam have to provide an ASP (Akademische Prüfstelle) certification when applying for a university in Germany. For further information on the requirements and procedures, please refer to the uni assist website or the websites of the German embassies "Kulturreferate".