Germany offers a unique opportunity to international students. Every year, universities in Germany offer scholarships to international undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in various degree programs. They are awarded through merit-based competitions, which focus on academic excellence and/or financial need. Students at any level of study, from undergraduates to PhDs, can apply for a scholarship offered by their university or program of interest. This article will cover the scholarships offered by Germany for international students including Bangladesh.

A Guideline for Prospective Bangladeshi Students for Studying in Germany

Germany is one of the preferred destinations for undergraduate and postgraduate students in higher education. Germany is one of the favorite places for students for various reasons, including education and research, tuition fees, scholarship facilities. Students from all over the world including Bangladeshi students choose Germany for higher education. 

How to Get Scholarship in Germany for Study Bachelor Degrees?

After the HSC examination in Bangladesh, one can see the rush of students to prepare for higher education in developed countries. It is seen that many good students backed up with all the preparations due to economic inconsistency. In all these cases, the countries of Europe are different. With the exception of some countries, the amount of tuition fee is less or not at all in almost all countries, and Germany is one of them. 

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First of all, you will need to select the course you want to pursue. Next, you have to make a list of what is required in the subject selected in Germany (language skills, university admission qualification, extracurricular activities, etc.). Further, IELTS (5.5-6.5) / TOEFL will be required in English Medium, but you will require a German Language (B2/C1) certificate to study in the German language.

You can apply to a German university in two ways, through "UniAssist" and at the university's online portal. You will get the admission decision in 1-1.5 months after application or a maximum of 2 months.

After receiving the offer letter, the first thing to do is to take the visa appointment slot to the German Embassy in Bangladesh. Then open a block account, send block money, travel health insurance, prepare for a visa interview. According to the embassy requirement, the final decision is reached within 4-6 weeks after the interview.

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Scholarships in Germany for Masters Degree Seeking Students

It takes four semesters (two years) to complete a master's degree in a German university, with three semesters offering theoretical and practical lessons in a variety of subjects. The thesis lasts for one semester. In this case, by selecting a professor of a particular subject of choice, special knowledge is gained in any one subject by doing a six-month thesis under the professor. You have to choose that subject for a future job or doctorate degree.

Anyone can apply for a master after completing four years of Bachelor from any reputed university in Bangladesh. The first thing to do before applying is to verify yourself. In this case, judge from a neutral position how much you are qualified to study in an international standard university and how much you can adapt there in terms of language and culture. It is very important to judge the matter first.

If the result of Bachelor is a class system, in this case, there must be first-class, or at least 65% marks are necessary. For the grading system results, a minimum CGPA-3.0 (4.0) makes it easier to get a chance. If the medium of instruction for a Bachelor is English, then there are many benefits, including acquiring proficiency in the English language. Even then, it is possible to overcome this problem if you practice well and your IELTS score is good. Usually, at least a 6.0 IELTS score is necessary for the masters' programs.

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PhD and Post-Doctoral Scholarship Opportunities in Germany

You can contact the university or professor for a PhD. Make a list of faculty institutes related to your subject from the university websites. Email the institute professor directly. Want to know if there are PhD opportunities. However, if you don't have a German or European master's degree, they usually don't want to take a PhD candidate directly. Nevertheless, if the professor agrees, then you will understand that he has enough funds for you. Scholarships are essential for a PhD.

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Renowned International Scholarship Programs of Germany

It is true that tuition fees are not required for studying in Germany. There are no tuition fees in public universities in 16 German states. However, the condition is applicable in this case. There is an opportunity to study free of cost if you apply for a specific degree program at a public university. In that case the local Germans and international students will have to follow the same conditions. However, Study in the 'Study Abroad' program and in private institutes is not free. DAAD Scholarships are important for students from Bangladesh and India. 

It is basically a German student exchange program. Currently the organization offers financial assistance to 45,000 international students. In addition, several foundations provide scholarships to 100,000 foreign students and 23,000 researchers each year.

Scholarships are also available from various foundations, including the 'Stependiaten Dare Studentstiftung Deutsche Folk' and the 'Deutschland Stependium.' Students receive scholarships from DAAD Conrad Adenauer Foundation, Heinrich Bell Foundation, Friedrich Ebert Foundation, Boringer Engelheim Foundation, etc.

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The scholarship amount by the DAAD is 850€ monthly for postgraduate students while it is 1,200€/month for the PhD candidates. Heinrich Böll Foundation Scholarships provide 850€ per month for the master's students and 1,200€ per month for the PhD students. Deutschland Stipendium National Scholarship Programme offers 300€ per month. Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Scholarships provide 850€ monthly for master's students and 1,100€/month for three years for doctoral candidates. The Friedrich Ebert Stiftung offers 830€/month for undergraduate and master’s programs. The deadlines and criteria for the scholarship application are available on respective websites. 

Necessary links for Scholarships in Germany

https://www2.daad.de/deutschland/stipendium/datenbank/en/21148-scholarship-database/

https://www.boell.de/en/scholarships

https://www.deutschlandstipendium.de/deutschlandstipendium/de/services/english/the-deutschlandstipendium-best-of-both-worlds-for-students

https://www.kas.de/en/home

https://www.erasmusprogramme.com/post/scholarships

Where to Learn the German Language in Bangladesh

 There are different organizations in Bangladesh to learn the German language. For example, Goethe-Institut Dhaka, Die Sprache Chittagong, Institute of Modern Languages- Dhaka University are good institutes to learn the German language. Apart from these, you can also learn German online via Duolingo (http://duolingo.com/).

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