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By Olami, AbroadPilot · Reviewed September 2026
The DAAD EPOS – MIDE Scholarship funds the Master’s in International and Development Economics (MIDE) at HTW Berlin, a 17-month, English-taught programme. It sits within DAAD’s wider EPOS (Development-Related Postgraduate Courses) scheme, which fully funds professionals from developing and newly industrialised countries to gain a master’s (and occasionally a doctorate) in Germany.
What the EPOS MIDE Scholarship covers
- Full exemption from study/tuition fees
- A monthly stipend — around €992 for graduates (€1,300–€1,400 for doctoral candidates)
- Health, accident and personal liability insurance
- A travel allowance / airfare (unless covered by another source)
- Possible additional family/rent allowances under certain conditions
Who is eligible?
- Nationality: citizen of an eligible developing or newly industrialised country (DAAD publishes the full list — it includes Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, India and many others).
- Degree: a relevant bachelor’s (normally a four-year course); for MIDE, with economics content (e.g. at least ~15 ECTS in economics or three economics modules).
- Experience: at least two years of related professional experience after your first degree at the time of application.
- Recency: for MIDE, you should usually have graduated within the last six years.
- Academics: an above-average first degree (top third).
- English: proof such as IELTS 6.0+ (waived if your degree was taught in English).
Documents you’ll need
- EPOS/DAAD application form and signed checklist
- A signed statement of motivation (one letter serves up to three EPOS courses) explaining your development-related goals
- Transcripts and degree certificate(s), with CGPA and grading-system explanation (translated if not in English/German)
- Employment certificate(s) proving at least two years’ experience, with exact dates, on letterhead with signature and stamp
- CV and English-language certificate
- Two recommendation letters (sent directly by referees, where required)
How to apply: step by step
- Pick your EPOS course(s). For MIDE, applications for the April 2027 intake run roughly 1 July – 30 September 2026. You may apply to up to three EPOS courses, ranked by priority.
- Apply directly to the university (HTW Berlin for MIDE) — not to DAAD. Both the MIDE and DAAD scholarship sections are completed in HTW’s online form.
- Complete the DAAD scholarship section within the application and attach the required documents.
- Selection: the university and DAAD jointly shortlist; suggested candidates are then asked to upload documents to the DAAD portal.
- Outcome: finalists are informed; the wider EPOS process concludes by around March before the start.
How competitive is it?
Very competitive. HTW Berlin itself notes it receives around 800 applications for only a few MIDE scholarships each cycle. The strongest applications pair an above-average degree with clearly relevant, documented work experience and a motivation letter that ties your career to concrete development impact back home.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need work experience for the DAAD EPOS scholarship?
Yes. EPOS targets professionals — you normally need at least two years of relevant work experience after your first degree, documented with employment certificates stating exact dates.
Do I apply to DAAD or to the university?
To the university. Applications sent directly to DAAD are not accepted; the DAAD scholarship section is completed inside the host university’s application (HTW Berlin for MIDE).
Can I apply to more than one EPOS course?
Yes, up to three, listed in priority order on the DAAD form, using one shared motivation letter.
Apply / verify on the official site: DAAD EPOS (daad.de) and the MIDE programme page. Each course has its own deadline — always confirm on the official EPOS course list.
Free tools for this
- Scholarship Odds Estimator — real award-to-applicant ratios where funders publish them
- Scholarship Eligibility Checker — which of our tracked scholarships you can actually apply for
- Scholarship Deadlines Calendar — never shows a deadline that already passed
- How to Verify a Scholarship Is Real — the red flags that separate real funders from scams
Explore more on our Scholarships hub, including the broader DAAD Scholarship guide and Friedrich Ebert Stiftung.
Olami is the founder and lead writer at AbroadPilot. He started the site after going through the visa process himself — a German student visa in 2019 and a Canadian work permit in 2023 — and learning first-hand how confusing official immigration language can be, how often rules change, and how easy it is to lose money to bad advice. He spent three years as an international education and travel consultant, helping people source and verify the information that landed their visas and planned their trips. Every guide on AbroadPilot is built from official sources — embassy pages, government immigration portals, and .gov fee schedules — and reviewed as requirements change. AbroadPilot does not sell visas or applications; it is a free resource to help readers apply with confidence.
