DAAD Music Scholarships | Fully Funded Postgraduate Study in Germany for International Musicians

• a Master’s degree/postgraduate degree leading to a final qualification, or
• a complementary course that does not lead to a final qualification (not an undergraduate course)

at a state German college of music of your choice.

The funding of postgraduate studies is possible in the so-called 2nd cycle (usually a four-semester Master’s degree) or a 3rd cycle which usually takes place in two semesters (concert examination, masterclass or PhD in an artistic subject).
Funding for a Master’s degree programme/a postgraduate degree programme that has already started in Germany cannot be granted.

If your Master’s or postgraduate degree programme includes a study period abroad, funding for this period abroad is usually only possible under the following conditions:

• The study visit is essential for achievement of the scholarship objective,
• the visit does not take place in the home country, and
• it is no longer than a quarter of the scholarship period (for joint and double-degree programmes up to 50%, if this is specified in the study regulations). Longer periods cannot be funded, even partially.

Please note: This programme only funds projects in the artistic field. Other DAAD scholarship programmes are available for applicants from the field of musicology or music education or musicians with a scientific project.

• Funding is provided for Master’s studies, preparation for the concert exam and participation in master classes.
• Start: usually from 1st October of the following year, or earlier if a German language course is taken prior to the study programme
• The scholarships are awarded for the duration of the level of training for the chosen study programme (between 10 and 24 months). Please state the entire period for which you wish to apply for funding in your application. For example, if you are planning a 2-year degree programme, you must indicate two years as the desired scholarship duration in your application. After the first year of study, your academic achievements will be assessed in a further funding procedure. If this shows that you will successfully complete your programme within a reasonable period of time, the scholarship will continue as planned.
• An extension of the scholarship beyond the maximum duration of 24 months is only possible if changing to a new stage in studies is intended (usually from a Master’s degree to an advanced programme of study such as a concert exam or master class). For particularly qualified candidates, it is possible to apply for an extension for a concert exam for up to 24 months.

Complementary studies not leading to a final qualification:

• One academic year is being funded. In individual cases, the scholarship can be extended on request
• Start: usually on 1st October of the following year, or earlier if a German language course is taken prior to the study programme

• A monthly payment of 992 euros
• Travel allowance
• One-off study allowance
• Payments towards health, accident and personal liability insurance cover

Under certain circumstances, you can apply for the following additional benefits after the start of funding:

• Monthly rent subsidy (please read the important scholarship information / section F, point 9)
• Monthly allowance for accompanying members of family. Please also read our important information for scholarship applicants / section F, point 3
• In case of a disability or chronic illness: on application, a subsidy may be provided for justified additional costs incurred abroad that are necessary to realise the project in Germany and that are not covered by a third party; whether and to what extent a subsidy will be paid will be reviewed and determined on an individual basis (see important information for scholarship applicants, section F, point 8).
• Green Mobility Top Up (Support for climate-friendly travel) or reimbursement of carbon offset payments for air travel

To allow you to improve your language skills in preparation for your stay in Germany, the DAAD offers the following benefits:

• Payment of course fees for an online language course after receipt of the Scholarship Award Letter
• if necessary: German language course (2, 4 or 6 months) before the start of the study visit in Germany; the DAAD decides whether to fund participation and for how long depending on German language skills and project. Participation in a German language course is compulsory if the language of instruction or working language at the German host institution is German.
• Allowance for a personally chosen German language course during the scholarship period
• Reimbursement of the fee for a TestDaF or DSH test, which you can take either in your home country after you have received your Letter of Award or in Germany during your funding period.

Please note that the DAAD does not cover tuition fees.

Selection criteria

• the artistic qualification and artistic maturity, measured by study achievements and work samples
• the quality of the project as measured by the study plan and the letter of motivation; the quality of the project includes the following aspects: the justification of the application, the plausibility and feasibility of the project, the state of preparation of the stay abroad, the embedding of the stay in the artistic career as well as the connection with professional perspectives

In addition, the selection committee will give due consideration to aspects of equal opportunities, on which you can provide information in the application form.
For further information on the selection procedure, please refer to the Important Scholarship Information / Section E.