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DAAD EPOS motivation letter: one letter for up to three courses
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The DAAD EPOS scholarship, for Development-Related Postgraduate Courses in Germany, asks for a single motivation letter that goes, unchanged, to every course you apply to. That one letter has to justify your choice of courses and the order you ranked them in. This guide explains what the letter must cover, how the criteria shape it, and which documents must agree with it.
How an EPOS application is organised
You apply directly to the university courses, not to DAAD. You may choose up to three courses from the current EPOS list and list them in order of priority in the DAAD application form. Do not change those priorities. Applications sent to DAAD are not forwarded to the courses, so send each course a complete application, with the signed EPOS checklist first and the other documents in the checklist's order. Incomplete applications are not considered.
| Document | What the call or FAQ asks |
|---|---|
| EPOS checklist | Completed, signed and placed first |
| DAAD application form | Typed or clearly legible, with your priorities stated |
| CV | Reverse chronological, no unexplained gaps, on the Europass template |
| Motivation letter | One identical letter for all chosen courses |
| Employer recommendation | Current employer, letterhead, signed, stamped, recent date |
| Employment certificates | Proof of at least two years of relevant work after the bachelor's |
| Language certificate | Generally IELTS 6 or TOEFL iBT 80 for English-taught courses; German B1 at application for German-taught courses |
| Degrees and transcripts | Degree certificates (certified translation if not in English or German), full transcripts, grading system explained |
The university you apply to may require additional documents, so check each course page. Only courses on the current EPOS list are funded, and prior admission to the master's is not required.
One letter, three courses, a fixed order
The EPOS FAQ asks for one uniform letter; a different letter per course is listed as an error. The letter should give detailed academic, professional and personal reasons for applying, and explain why you chose these courses and why in this priority order.
That makes the EPOS letter unusual: the same text explains your ranking to every course, so the order needs honest reasons. If the courses sit in unrelated fields, the letter will not read as one plan.
DAAD sets no length. Check each course page for a limit and respect any limit your courses set, since the same text goes to all.
What the selection looks at
The EPOS call names four criteria, and the letter is your main chance to connect them:
- Academic record: strong grades and a credible prospect of completing a demanding German postgraduate course.
- A relevant bachelor's degree, in a subject linked to the chosen course.
- Professional experience: at least two years of relevant work after the bachelor's, ideally development-related.
- Development motivation and social responsibility: development-related motivation, willingness to take on social responsibility, and the expectation that you will initiate and support processes of change in your personal and professional environment after the scholarship.
The fourth criterion needs concrete evidence: the problem you work on, what you have done about it, what the course adds, and what change you plan to support afterwards. The Application Kit for DAAD EPOS Scholarships includes Motivation Letter Worksheets with a section for course choice and priority order, a planner for the single letter, and a STAR Evidence Bank that tags your stories to the EPOS criteria so gaps show up before you write.
Work experience and your employer's letter
You need at least two years of relevant professional experience after your bachelor's degree, completed by the date you apply. Applying before you reach two years is a listed error. The typical scholarship holder works for a public authority or a state or private company in a developing country. Employment certificates must prove this, and ideally your current employer guarantees that you can return after the course.
The employer recommendation must be on letterhead, signed, stamped and recently dated. Your letter, CV and certificates should agree on roles and dates. The kit's Referee and Employer Letter Brief gives your employer the format and deadline, never their wording.
You also need a bachelor's of normally four years with above-average results, roughly the top third of the class (three-year degree holders ask the course directly), and a most recent degree normally no more than six years old. Nigeria, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Kenya and Ghana appear on the OECD DAC list; confirm yours on DAAD's eligible-country list.
Deadlines, interview, funding and AI rules
Each course sets its own deadline on its website, and late applications are not accepted. DAAD gives no general date; Development Management (RU Bochum) takes students every two years, next in 2028. If you are shortlisted, there will be a telephone interview with university staff, and only you may take part. Selection decisions are mostly completed by March of the entry year, and the course, not DAAD, informs applicants.
The scholarship includes a monthly payment, insurance contributions, a travel allowance, a rent subsidy and, where applicable, a family allowance, for 12 to 42 months. The EPOS call states EUR 934 per month for graduates (checked 20 October 2026); confirm it in the current call.
DAAD's general applicant information allows AI tools only if the application stays original, sources are labelled, the tool's use is declared in your documents, and you sign a declaration that you prepared the application independently and truthfully.
General information: this article is general information, not admissions advice. Rules, course lists and deadlines change between cycles, so always check the EPOS call and each course's own page before you apply.