StudyDesk Scholarships
About the scholarships
The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) runs Study Scholarships – Postgraduate Studies specifically for creative disciplines: fine art, design, visual communication and film, music, and architecture. They let graduates continue their artistic training in Germany — either through a Master’s or postgraduate degree course (10 to 24 months) or a one-year complementary course that does not lead to a final qualification.
An important status note: the fall 2026 application calls have closed — Architecture on 23 September 2026, Music on 24 September 2026, and Fine Art/Design/Visual Communication/Film on 15 October 2026 (all per the official DAAD scholarship database, confirmed by the German Federal Foreign Office’s fall-scholarship listing). If you found pages advertising “2026” deadlines, they are showing the 2025 cycle dates and are out of date. DAAD updates these deadlines annually in the same period, so the next call is expected in Sep–Oct 2027, with applications possible from 1 September each year.
A second honesty note: third-party sites call this “fully funded”. DAAD itself states the scholarship does not cover tuition fees — it is a generous living-cost package (stipend, insurance, travel, allowances, language course), not a full-fee award.
Eligibility
- Hold a first university degree in the relevant field — fine art, design, visual communication, film, music or architecture (by the start of the funded programme at the latest).
- The degree should not be older than 6 years at the time of the application deadline.
- Must not have resided in Germany for more than 15 months prior to the application deadline.
- Funding cannot be granted for a degree programme that has already started in Germany.
- The programme is restricted to specified countries — check the DAAD programme page for whether applicants from your country are accepted.
- By the start of the scholarship, you should have sufficient knowledge of the language of instruction of the chosen programme.
Benefits
- Monthly stipend of €992 covering basic living costs.
- Travel allowance for the journey to and from Germany.
- One-off study allowance for books, materials and study-related costs.
- Health, accident and personal liability insurance contributions.
- Monthly rent subsidy and allowances for accompanying spouses/children under certain conditions.
- Funded German language course (2, 4 or 6 months) before the programme where needed, plus payment of TestDaF/DSH exam fees.
- Tuition fees are not covered by the scholarship.
Documents required
- CV in tabular form.
- Letter of motivation (up to 3 pages).
- Letter of admission to the chosen German study programme — this can be submitted later, before the scholarship-supported programme begins, if it is not available at application time.
- Portfolio / work samples in your discipline — the central selection material for these creative-field programmes.
- Language certificate proving sufficient knowledge of the programme’s language of instruction.
How to apply
- Pick your programmeConfirm your field matches one of the three calls (Architecture; Music; Fine Art, Design, Visual Communication and Film) and that your country is eligible on the official DAAD page.
- Prepare the portfolio firstFor these creative programmes the artistic work samples carry the most weight — start well before the autumn call.
- Apply via the DAAD portalSubmit the application through the DAAD scholarship database / funding-guide.de portal once the call opens (applications possible from 1 September each year).
- Secure admissionArrange admission to the German university; the admission letter may be submitted after the scholarship application if unavailable in time.
- Await selectionSelections are made in spring (e.g. Architecture in January, Music in February, Fine Art in April), with funding beginning in autumn 2027 for the last cycle.
FAQs
No. The fall 2026 calls closed on 23 Sept 2026 (Architecture), 24 Sept 2026 (Music) and 15 Oct 2026 (Fine Art, Design, Visual Communication & Film). The next calls are expected in the same period of 2027.
Not fully. DAAD states the scholarship does not cover tuition fees. What it does cover is generous: €992/month, travel, a study allowance, insurance, possible rent and family subsidies, and a German language course.
Graduates in the creative fields named above whose first degree is no more than 6 years old at the deadline, who have not lived in Germany for more than 15 months, and who come from a country accepted for the programme.
No. The admission letter can be submitted later — before the scholarship-supported programme begins — if it is not available at the time of application.
No. Funding for a Master’s or postgraduate programme that has already started in Germany cannot be granted.
DAAD updates these deadlines at least once a year, in most cases in the same period as the previous year; applications are possible from 1 September each year, so expect the next call around Sep–Oct 2027.
Verified 22 Oct 2026 via the official DAAD scholarship database on daad.de (fall 2026 deadlines: Architecture 23.09.2026, Music 24.09.2026, Fine Art/Design/VC/Film 15.10.2026; selection dates; 6-year degree and 15-month residence rules; applications possible from 1 September each year) + the German Federal Foreign Office’s “Fall Scholarships Now Open” listing confirming the same dates + two agreeing trackers (scholarships.af, House of Europe) on the €992 stipend, allowances, insurance, tuition exclusion, duration (10–24 months) and documents (CV, motivation letter, admission letter). The queue title’s “2026”/“Fully Funded” framing was downgraded: the fall 2026 calls are closed and DAAD confirms tuition is not covered.
