Georg August University of Göttingen Scholarships for International Students 2026

The University of Göttingen does offer some online course options (for example, “Online Courses in the Life Sciences” that are held online and offered in English), but most scholarships you’ll see linked to Göttingen (Deutschlandstipendium, Niedersachsenstipendium, DAAD-related funding, etc.) typically assume you are enrolled in a full degree programme rather than taking a standalone online course.

Both. Göttingen has a mix of German-taught and English-taught programmes (especially at Master’s and PhD level), and some programmes are bilingual or allow an “entirely in English” path.

Examples from scholarship recipients: Kaifi Ansari answered “In English.” when asked about language of instruction; Azra Farheen wrote her Crop Protection Master’s “is conducted entirely in English”; Abdulrahman Hassan shared “My Master’s program is conducted in English”; and Maria Voronkova said her programme “is taught in English and German, with the possibility of studying entirely in English.”

Most Göttingen-linked scholarships don’t work like “age-cutoff” awards; they usually focus on enrolment status, academic merit, and/or criteria like engagement, background, or fit for a specific funding programme. In other words, eligibility is typically about your profile and programme, not your age.

Generally: across nearly all subjects Göttingen offers. The university’s scholarships and major external options (like DAAD) are not limited to one department, and Göttingen’s 13 faculties cover natural sciences, humanities, social sciences, and medicine (with engineering sciences commonly cited as the main exception).

Medicine: Göttingen does have a Faculty of Medicine, and international students can apply, but medicine/dentistry are typically “state examination” programmes in Germany with extra document requirements and (in practice) strong German-language expectations; scholarships for medicine exist but are often more limited and very competitive.

Engineering: Göttingen is strong in STEM, but it is not usually considered an “engineering sciences” university; you’ll more commonly see scholarships tied to fields adjacent to engineering (e.g., computer science, data science, physics, geosciences, life sciences).

Business/economics: recipients like Ayodele Idowu, Omobolanle Adegbola, and Nigar Mammadzada won funding for Development Economics; humanities/social sciences examples include Maria Voronkova (History of Global Markets) and Kaifi Ansari (Modern Indian Studies); STEM examples include Abdulrahman Hassan (Theoretical Physics) and Azra Farheen (Crop Protection).

Many Göttingen-linked scholarships are effectively open to all nationalities as long as you meet the programme and enrolment requirements (especially university-wide awards like Deutschlandstipendium/Niedersachsenstipendium for enrolled students). Other scholarships are nationality/region-targeted because the funding body is external (for example, some DAAD tracks are region-specific).

Recipient stories illustrate how broad it can be: India (Kaifi Ansari, Azra Farheen), Nigeria (Ayodele Idowu, Omobolanle Adegbola), Egypt (Abdulrahman Hassan), Russia (Maria Voronkova), Azerbaijan (Nigar Mammadzada), and Indonesia (Afiya).

It depends on your programme language and your background. For English-taught programmes, Göttingen commonly accepts certificates like IELTS/TOEFL (thresholds vary by programme and required CEFR level). For German-taught programmes (especially many Bachelor programmes), proof like DSH/TestDaF is commonly required at enrolment.

Recipients show different pathways: Maria Voronkova said she needed “proof of English proficiency (in my case, an IELTS certificate)”; Azra Farheen wrote “Yes, I took both the IELTS and the GRE”; while Kaifi Ansari shared, “I didn’t take any standardised language test… my previous master’s was in English, and I took a written document… which mentioned my English language skills.”

There isn’t one single “minimum grade” for the whole university. Admission is programme-specific (and some programmes are numerus clausus / highly competitive). Scholarships can be even more competitive and often look for strong performance plus other strengths (research, engagement, leadership, fit).

From scholarship stories, successful profiles included a wide range of strong results: Azra Farheen reported CGPA 9.67/10; Maria Voronkova reported GPA 4.9/5; Omobolanle Adegbola wrote she graduated top 1% with 4.50/5.0; and Abdulrahman Hassan noted an undergraduate final grade of 70% and strengthened his profile with the GRE Physics exam.

A “good background” usually combines (1) strong academics for your level, (2) a clear match with the programme, and (3) evidence you’ll contribute (research potential, community engagement, leadership, or relevant work experience, depending on the scholarship).

Examples: Omobolanle Adegbola tied her motivation letter to “teaching and research experience” and “community activities”; Azra Farheen emphasized achievements plus “volunteering and leadership roles”; and Kaifi Ansari described a scholarship that valued socio-political engagement and her background as a first-generation learner.

Document requirements vary by degree level and programme, but commonly include: degree certificates/transcripts (sometimes notarized + translated), proof of language proficiency for the programme, and programme-specific items (CV, motivation letter/statement, recommendation letters, writing sample, etc.). State-exam programmes like medicine/dentistry typically require additional mandatory documents.

Recipients’ document lists make this concrete: Maria Voronkova said she needed “notarized and translated education transcripts… an IELTS certificate, and a letter of motivation”; Omobolanle Adegbola listed “an international passport, a transcript of results, a motivation letter, and a letter of recommendation”; Ayodele Idowu highlighted polishing key application materials and noted his scholarship package included a German language course; and Abdulrahman Hassan added that “No recommendation letters were required” for his application (showing how requirements can differ by programme).

For Master’s applications, Göttingen states there are no application fees. For some Bachelor applications involving foreign qualifications, Göttingen can charge an “evaluation fee” (a per-semester-of-application assessment fee) before processing the application, so it’s important to check which rules apply to your level and citizenship/status.