Application for Admission

You may submit your application documents at any time, particularly if you already have a scholarship or if you want to apply for a scholarship not provided by DAAD. No matter which option you choose, we need your complete application documents to be able to decide upon accepting you for the program and providing you with academic supervision.

Please register online here at http://www.zef.de/index.php?id=290 before sending a printed version of your application to:

ZEF, BiGS
Walter-Flex-Str. 3
53113 Bonn
Germany

The application deadline for the DAAD scholarships is August 31 each year, for the course work starting in October, the following year.

The two-month German language course starts on August 1. The main coursework starts on October 1, every year.

All required application documents have to be submitted in English, certified and not stapled.

Age limit: 32 years (for resident and sandwich scholarships, all nationalities).

Depending on your choice of funding, different application documents and procedures are required (see the list of choices for funding):

  1. Letter of application (1 page), including a copy of the passport
  2. Curriculum vitae
  3. ZEF application form with a recent passport photo (click here for download)
  4. Two letters of recommendation from professors or supervisors (click here to download reference forms)
  5. Copies of all relevant academic certificates obtained. Copies of certificates have to be officially authenticated. All certificates must be accompanied by an explanation of the grading system. Documents issued in languages other than German, English, French or Spanish must be accompanied by German or English translation.
    Those in the final semester of their Masters study are also eligible to apply. In this case you may submit your degree certificate later. However, we will still need transcripts of your study or at least a written proof of your grades during the course of the Masters study. Otherwise, we recommend you to submit the application one year later.
  6. Proposed research plan. It should be formulated in reference to the core doctoral research themes of ZEF and its constituent departments. Only in exceptional cases, ZEF may consider proposed PhD projects which lie outside ZEF's core research activities. The proposal should consist of about 8-10 pages. We do not pre-review research proposals and specify research topics. We only consider and review complete applications. The purpose of the research proposal is to demonstrate the applicants’ general ability to conceptualize a research project. It is adjusted, revised or the topic changed during the first year of the doctoral studies.
    The research proposal should contain justification for the study, objectives of the study and analytical framework, main hypotheses, methodology (including data sources), expected research output and policy relevance, bibliography, field research budget, and time schedule.

    Advice: Try to write a research plan in your discipline, because you need specific skills which you should already have acquired in your previous studies. For instance, we require strong quantitative skills in order to pursue a doctoral study in the area of agriculture economics. resource economics or development economics at ZEF. You have to prove this by very good grades in your transcripts. It is also difficult for a natural scientist to pursue a doctoral study in the area of Social Science unless he has alread taken courses in this area.
  7. An abstract of your masters or diploma thesis.
  8. Certified proficiency in English  TOEFL (550 points paper based; 213 computer based-; 79-80 iBT) or IELTS (band 6). This is not necessary forapplicants who have English as their mother tongue or as the language of instruction at the university where they studied (certified by the university). In exceptional cases, we also accept other certificates of proficiency in English.
  9. A successful GRE (www.gre.org) or GMAT (www.gmat.com) test, (especially for quantitative and analytical abilities) will enhance the chances of selection.
  10. If employed, a statement from your current employer. (It will be helpful in your application for a scholarship, if they are interested in having you pursue this doctoral study and are willing to grant you leave of absence for this purpose).
  11. If you already have a scholarship, a copy of the letter of award is required. In case you do not have any DAAD or outside scholarship, a proof of sufficient financial resources to fund your study for three years is required.
  12. Applicants with a citizenship from a developing country can apply for a DAAD scholarship directly at ZEF. They have to submit a DAAD application form which can be downloaded here or from DAAD home page , or from the German embassies or DAAD offices worldwide.
    Please note, while filling the form, tick "Scholarship for a postgraduate course with relevance to developing countries";
    Please make sure that you send only ONE copy of your application directly to ZEF! It is not necessary to send additional copies to DAAD ! For the application to our doctoral program, no prior contact with faculty, staff members or institutes is necessary. Once you are admitted to the Program, ZEF will assist you in fin ding the right supervisor/s.

Please send the required documents unbounded and in order listed above as a hard copy to ZEF. So please do not staple the application! Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Please note: The application and accompanying documents will remain with ZEF. Personal data will be stored in ZEF´s database only to the extent necessary for the administration of applications and scholarships, and in compliance with the "Federal Data Protection Law". Applications of unsuccessful candidates will be destroyed after one year.

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