DAAD EPOS Scholarship

Overview

The DAAD EPOS Scholarship (Entwicklungsbezogene Postgraduiertenstudiengänge — Development-Related Postgraduate Courses) is a fully funded scholarship offered by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), funded by the German Federal Foreign Office, for working professionals from developing and emerging countries to pursue postgraduate or doctoral study at selected German universities. Nepal is an eligible country.

Unlike most scholarships that target fresh graduates, EPOS is specifically designed for mid-career professionals who are already engaged in development work in their home countries and want to gain internationally competitive qualifications to enhance their professional impact. The scholarship has been running since 1987 and has awarded over 7,000 scholarships globally, with more than 90% of recipients successfully completing their degrees.

• Open to working professionals from Nepal with at least 2 years of relevant experience after their bachelor's degree
• Covers a wide range of disciplines: economics, engineering, public health, environmental sciences, agriculture, social sciences, public policy, and more
• Fully funded: stipend (€992/month for Master's), insurance, travel, and optional rent and family allowances
• Duration: 12 to 42 months depending on the chosen programme
• Apply to up to 3 courses from the official EPOS course list — application goes directly to each course, not to DAAD
• Degree awarded by the German university — internationally recognised

⚠️ Professional experience is mandatory, not optional. The EPOS scholarship is not suitable for students who have just completed their bachelor's degree and have no work experience. The typical successful applicant is a Nepali government officer, NGO professional, engineer, public health worker, or development sector specialist with at least 2 years in a relevant role. Candidates without documented professional experience will not be considered.

⚠️ Degree should not be more than 6 years old. DAAD requires that your bachelor's or equivalent degree was completed within the last six years at the time of application. Candidates with older degrees should check the specific requirements of their chosen EPOS course.

⚠️ 15-month Germany residency rule. Applicants who have been living in Germany for more than 15 months at the application deadline are not eligible for EPOS, regardless of their nationality.

Especially Relevant EPOS Courses for Nepali Professionals

Given Nepal's development landscape, the following subject areas on the EPOS course list are particularly well-matched to Nepali professionals' backgrounds and national needs:

• Water Resources Engineering and Management — highly relevant given Nepal's hydropower, WASH, and glacier-melt challenges
• Agricultural Sciences and Rural Development — Nepal's agriculture sector employs the majority of the workforce
• Environmental Sciences and Climate Change — Nepal's mountain ecosystem and climate vulnerability
• Public Health and Epidemiology — health system strengthening is a national priority
• Urban Planning and Infrastructure — rapid urbanisation in the Kathmandu Valley and secondary cities
• Economics and Development Policy — governance reform, fiscal management, trade

Download the full EPOS 2026/27 course list with deadlines to find the programme that best matches your professional background.

Eligibility

Who is Eligible

• Citizenship/residence in an eligible developing country: Nepal is listed on the DAAD DAC country list and is fully eligible. You must be currently living in and applying from Nepal (or another eligible developing/emerging country) — not from Germany or another high-income country.
• Bachelor's degree in a relevant subject: Must hold a 4-year bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in a subject related to the EPOS course you are applying for. The degree should normally not be more than 6 years old at the time of application.
• Above-average academic results: Must have completed your first degree with results in the upper third of your graduating class. DAAD uses this as a selection filter — lower-ranked graduates are generally not competitive.
• At least 2 years of relevant professional experience after your bachelor's degree, at the time of application. The experience must be documented by an official employer letter on letterhead with signature and stamp.
• Development-related motivation: Must demonstrate genuine motivation to contribute to the social, political, or economic development of Nepal or your home region after completing your studies. This is assessed through your motivation letter and employer reference.
• Language proficiency: For English-taught courses: valid IELTS or TOEFL (institutional TOEFL not accepted). For German-taught courses: minimum B1 German at application, with the scholarship including a preparatory 6-month German language course before studies begin.

Who is Not Eligible

• Applicants without a minimum of 2 years of documented professional work experience after their bachelor's degree.
• Recent graduates with no work experience — this programme is explicitly for working professionals, not freshers.
• Applicants whose bachelor's degree is more than 6 years old (check with your chosen course for exceptions).
• Applicants currently residing in Germany for more than 15 months at the time of the application deadline — the 15-month rule is a hard cutoff.
• Applicants from countries not on the DAAD DAC eligible country list — Nepal is on the list, so Nepali citizens are eligible.
• Applicants applying to courses not listed on the official EPOS programme list — the scholarship only covers designated EPOS courses at selected German universities, not any German university programme of your choice.
• Applicants with academic results below the upper third of their graduating class — below-average results significantly reduce competitiveness.

How to Apply

1. Download the EPOS 2026/27 course brochure and deadline list. The official EPOS programme brochure lists all eligible courses, their focus areas, language of instruction, application deadlines, and host university contact details. Download it from DAAD's EPOS brochure page. Also download the deadline list. Each course has its own deadline — they are not all the same.
2. Choose up to 3 courses that match your professional background. You may apply to a maximum of 3 EPOS courses. If applying to more than one, you must rank them in priority order (Priority 1, 2, 3) and submit the same motivation letter to all courses — adjusted to mention the specific reasons for each choice and your prioritisation.
3. Prepare your application documents. All documents must be in English or German. Required:
   • Completed and signed DAAD EPOS checklist
   • Completed DAAD EPOS application form (download from DAAD website)
   • CV in reverse chronological order using the Europass template — no unexplained gaps
   • Letter of Motivation (maximum 2 pages) — covering academic, professional, and personal reasons for applying, and your development-related goals for Nepal after graduating
   • Official employer letter of recommendation on letterhead, signed and stamped, current date
   • Certificate(s) of employment confirming at least 2 years of relevant experience, with re-employment guarantee if possible
   • Certified copies of all degree certificates (with certified English/German translation if original is in Nepali)
   • Full transcript of records with grading system explanation
   • Proof of English language skills: IELTS or TOEFL (not institutional TOEFL)
   • German language certificate (B1 minimum) if applying to German-taught courses
4. Submit your application directly to each chosen EPOS course — not to DAAD. This is the most commonly misunderstood step. Applications sent to DAAD directly are not forwarded and will not be considered. Each application goes to the university running the course. Check each course's own application portal or email address in the brochure.
5. The host course's selection committee reviews applications and nominates candidates to DAAD. After reviewing all applicants, the course's committee identifies shortlisted candidates for a DAAD scholarship and forwards their names to DAAD. Not all admitted students receive a DAAD scholarship — the scholarship selection is a second stage after course admission.
6. DAAD contacts shortlisted candidates to upload documents to the DAAD Portal. If nominated by your chosen course, DAAD will contact you directly with instructions to upload your complete application documents (as PDFs) to the DAAD online portal. Keep digital copies of all your documents ready for this step.
7. Final selection and notification. DAAD finalises scholarship awards and notifies candidates. Unsuccessful applicants are also informed. If awarded, you will receive guidance from DAAD on next steps including visa application, language course arrangements, and travel.