StudyDesk Scholarships
About the scholarship
The MA in Development Management (MADM) has run at Ruhr University Bochum since 2000, as part of DAAD’s Development-Related Postgraduate Courses (EPOS) initiative. EPOS exists to give professionals from developing and newly industrialised countries advanced academic training they can bring back to their home countries. The programme runs three semesters: coursework in the first, project and evaluation methods in the second alongside an optional internship, and a field research period followed by thesis writing in the third. It is taught entirely in English, carries 90 ECTS credits, and is based on campus in Bochum — it is not a distance-learning programme.
The application route confuses many applicants, so be clear about it: you do not apply to DAAD first. You apply directly to the MADM programme at Ruhr University Bochum, and candidates the university recommends for an EPOS scholarship are then contacted by DAAD to complete the scholarship stage through the DAAD Portal. There are two deadlines for the 2028–2030 intake, and they are different: 30 September 2027 if you want the DAAD-EPOS scholarship, and 31 December 2027 if you are applying without it. DAAD-EPOS holders also attend a preparatory German language class starting in July before the programme begins.
Benefits
- Monthly stipend: current guides cite €992 a month for DAAD-EPOS students; older pages cite €934. The article reports both and leads with the current figure — confirm the rate in the call documents for the 2028 intake when they publish.
- Insurance: health, accident and personal liability insurance costs covered under the EPOS conditions.
- Travel allowance: a travel allowance for the journey to and from Germany, plus a rent subsidy each month and, where applicable, a monthly allowance for accompanying family members.
- No tuition fees: Ruhr University Bochum does not charge tuition for this programme. Students pay a modest semester registration fee, currently around €362, which also covers a regional public transport pass.
- Preparatory German course: DAAD-EPOS holders attend a German language class starting in July before the programme begins.
Who can apply
- Degree: a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in social science, political science, law, economics, geography, or a subject related to the planning and evaluation of development programmes and projects, at least at “second class, upper division” or equivalent.
- Experience: work experience related to the management of development programmes and projects — at least one month of practical experience for the programme itself, and at least two years of relevant professional experience after the Bachelor’s degree for DAAD-EPOS applicants. Preference goes to applicants whose employers offer a reintegration guarantee.
- Background: the EPOS route is designed for professionals from developing and newly industrialised countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe. Applicants from any country may apply to the MADM programme itself.
- English: certified English proficiency for applicants who do not qualify for an exemption — IELTS Band 6.0 and TOEFL iBT 79–80 are listed among the accepted minimum levels.
Documents required
- Degree certificates and transcripts for your Bachelor’s degree (and any further degrees).
- CV and motivation letter, setting out your development experience and your reasons for the programme.
- English language certificate (IELTS 6.0 / TOEFL iBT 79–80 or an accepted equivalent), unless you qualify for an exemption.
- Employment evidence — certificates covering your relevant professional experience — and, for DAAD-EPOS applicants, the DAAD documents and recommendation letters required at the DAAD stage.
- Documents not in English or German may require certified translations, and incomplete applications are not considered — check every document against the programme’s list before submitting.
How to apply
- Wait for the call to open on 18 January 2027 — the 2028–2030 intake is not open yet, and applications submitted before the call opens are not the route in.
- Prepare your degree documents, CV, motivation letter, language certificate, employment evidence and recommendation letters. If your employer can offer a reintegration guarantee, get it in writing — it strengthens an EPOS application.
- Submit your application through the university’s online MADM application platform — directly to the programme, not to DAAD at the first stage.
- Meet the right deadline: 30 September 2027 if you are applying for a DAAD-EPOS scholarship, or 31 December 2027 if you are applying without one.
- If the university recommends you for EPOS, DAAD will contact you to complete the scholarship application through the DAAD Portal. Do not send a separate EPOS application to DAAD before that stage.
FAQs
30 September 2027 for candidates applying for a DAAD-EPOS scholarship, for the 2028–2030 intake. Applicants who do not seek the EPOS scholarship have until 31 December 2027. The call opens on 18 January 2027.
Current guides cite €992 a month; older pages cite €934. This article reports both and leads with the current figure. The scholarship also covers insurance, a travel allowance, a rent subsidy and family allowances where applicable.
To the university first. Apply to the MADM programme at Ruhr University Bochum through its online platform; candidates recommended for EPOS are then contacted by DAAD to complete the DAAD Portal stage.
No tuition fee. Students pay a modest semester registration fee, currently around €362, which also covers a regional public transport pass.
Professionals from developing and newly industrialised countries with a relevant Bachelor’s degree and at least two years of relevant professional experience after it. Fresh graduates can apply to the programme itself with at least one month of relevant practical experience, but not for the EPOS scholarship.
Yes, the programme is taught entirely in English. Certified English proficiency is required unless you qualify for an exemption; IELTS 6.0 and TOEFL iBT 79–80 are among the accepted minimum levels.
Verified 29 Oct 2026 against DAAD's own programme page (daad.de, Master of Arts in Development Management: application deadlines for the 2028-30 intake are 30 September 2027 for DAAD-EPOS candidates and 31 December 2027 for all other candidates) and the IEE's own MADM page (development-research.org: call opens 18 January 2027; same two deadlines; applications directly to the university via the online MADM Application Platform; 2-month internship after the first semester; field research after the second semester; thesis in the third) plus Global Scholarship Hub (DAAD-EPOS deadline 30 September 2027; other applicants 31 December 2027; IELTS 6.0 / TOEFL iBT 79-80; 3 semesters, 90 ECTS; apply to the course first, DAAD contacts recommended candidates) and O4af (stipend €992/month; insurance; travel allowance; rent subsidy; family allowances; Bachelor's in a related field at second class upper or equivalent; 2+ years' relevant experience for EPOS; employer reintegration guarantee preferred). CONFLICTS: (1) Stipend is €992 in current guides but €934 on older pages — the article states both and leads with the current figure. (2) One aggregator gives the programme as open to "all countries" for EPOS, while the EPOS design targets developing/newly industrialised countries — the article keeps the two routes distinct. (3) A third-party listing gives a 15 October 2027 deadline; the DAAD and IEE pages both give 30 September 2027 for EPOS, and the article follows them.
