University of Duisburg-Essen Scholarships for International Students 2026

Most scholarships connected to UDE are designed for students who are formally enrolled at UDE (and often studying on-campus in Germany).

UDE is primarily German-taught, but it also has English-taught (and sometimes bilingual) options depending on the programme. A very concrete example is Ayse Yaren Bato, who studied engineering in a bilingual track and said “the education is conducted partly in German and partly in English.”

Many scholarships commonly used at UDE do not have a fixed age limit. The Deutschlandstipendium (which UDE runs as the “UDE Scholarship”) is generally not age-capped, and major DAAD routes also typically do not have a strict age cap.

That said, some programmes use “recency” rules instead of age rules. For example, Helmut-Schmidt (Public Policy and Good Governance) is often described as having no age limit, but your last degree should usually be recent (commonly within the last six years at the time of application).

Many UDE-linked scholarships are not restricted to one subject and can apply across disciplines (STEM and humanities alike). UDE’s Deutschlandstipendium/UDE Scholarship is an example of broad funding where selection considers strong performance plus engagement and personal context, rather than being tied to a single department.

Engineering / STEM: Ayse Yaren Bato pursued Computer Engineering and highlighted how she strengthened her profile with “online courses and earning certificates… such as leadership, management, and programming.”

Business: Business students often compete for the same university-wide merit scholarships (like Deutschlandstipendium-style awards) plus external foundations; the key is matching your academic record + leadership + engagement to what donors value.

Humanities / Social Sciences: Khadijah Saeed (Peace & Conflict Studies background) won a public-policy scholarship and emphasized fit: “What made my application stand out was how harmonious and consistent it was.”

Medicine: Medicine is available at UDE and is highly competitive (often admission-restricted) and typically German-taught. International students can apply, but should expect strict language and selection requirements. Notably, UDE’s scholarship rules explicitly mention medicine (e.g., medicine is treated as an exception in at least one eligibility rule for the UDE Scholarship), so medical students should still check UDE’s scholarship calls rather than assuming they’re excluded.

Many UDE-related scholarships are open regardless of nationality as long as you are eligible and enrolled (or about to enroll) at UDE. In real recipient stories, UDE scholarship winners have come from multiple countries. For instance, Ayse Yaren Bato is from Turkey, and Khadijah Saeed and Hareem Aqdas are from Pakistan.

Some external scholarships connected to studying at UDE do restrict by nationality/region. For example, the DAAD Helmut-Schmidt Programme is aimed at “future leaders” from developing countries, so eligibility depends on your country list/category.

Often, yes, because it depends on your programme’s language. For German-taught programmes, applicants commonly need a German certificate (frequently around DSH-2 / TestDaF-equivalent standards). For English-taught or bilingual programmes, you may need English proof as well (or instead).

In recipient stories, English testing was a clear step for scholarship-and-admissions readiness: Khadijah Saeed said “I took the IELTS Academic test and scored 8.0 overall,” and Hareem Aqdas similarly noted: “I took IELTS and scored an overall 8 bands.”

There isn’t one single university-wide minimum grade that applies to every programme. Instead, it depends on whether your programme is admission-restricted (NC) and on the programme’s specific requirements (especially at master’s level, where subject-specific aptitude is evaluated).

Still, strong grades clearly help both admission and scholarships. In the scholarship stories for UDE, the academic records were strong: Ayse Yaren Bato reported a high-school GPA of 95.3/100, and Khadijah Saeed shared a CGPA of 3.76.

A strong academic record plus a “story” that matches the scholarship’s purpose is a common pattern. Khadijah Saeed described her edge as consistency: “What made my application stand out was how harmonious and consistent it was.”

UDE-leaning merit scholarships also value engagement and initiative. Ayse Yaren Bato shared that she built her profile by taking “online courses and earning certificates,” and Hareem Aqdas highlighted substantial professional experience spanning “scientific editing, journalism, and project management.”

Document requirements depend on your level (bachelor vs master), your nationality pathway (e.g., uni-assist vs university portal), and whether you’re applying for a German-language course first. Commonly requested items include: passport/ID scan, university entrance qualification, degree certificates (if applicable), full transcripts, and language certificates (German and/or English, depending on programme).

For scholarships, documentation can be even more detailed. Khadijah Saeed emphasized preparation and listed items like “transcripts, degree certificates, and official attestations” and added: “Germany is big on paperwork, and even a tiny mistake like a missing date or signature can affect your application.”

Yes, the application route can create costs: many bachelor applications (including Medicine) go through uni-assist, and uni-assist charges handling fees (commonly €75 for the first application and €30 for each additional application in the same semester). Check the latest guidelines for the updated information.