DAAD Postgraduate Scholarships in Fine Art, Design, Visual Communication, and Film in Germany 2026/27

DAAD- the German Academic Exchange Serivce offers a scholarship program for international applicants to continue their study in Germany with a postgraduate or continuing course of study in Fine Art, Design, Visual Communication, and Film. The scholarships also promote networking and the exchange of experience amongst colleagues.

Applicants worldwide can apply for this scholarship if they have recently gained a first university degree in Fine Art, Design, Visual Communication, and Film.

Scholarship Highlights

Application Start: mid-year (June/July)

Application Deadline: 15 October 2026
Selection date: April 2027

Start of the Funding: October 2027

Funding Organization: DAAD- the German Academic Exchange Service

Funding Type: Fully-funded

Study Level: Master’s degree

Eligible Nations: All

Course Start: 1 October of the following year after the application

Duration: 10 and 24 months for Degree Programs and one academic year for complementary studies not leading to a final qualification

What Can Be Funded?

In this study scholarship program, applicants can complete the following study programs:

• Master’s or postgraduate degree leading to a final qualification
• Complementary courses that do not lead to a final qualification (not an undergraduate course)
• DAAD does not fund a Master’s degree program in Germany that has already started at the time of the application deadline.
• If an applicant has enrolled in a Master’s or postgraduate degree program that includes a study period abroad, funding for such courses is only possible under the following conditions:

1. The study visit is important for the achievement of the scholarship objective.
2. Course completion is not possible in the home country
3. It is no longer than a quarter of the scholarship duration. Please note that longer periods are not eligible for funding, even partially.

• This scholarship program funds only projects in artistic and creative areas
• DAAD scholarships are not for participation in degree programs that do not meet this requirement.

Documents Requirement

The DAAD site accepts non-certified scans of certificates, evidence of credits, certifications, and translations. The DAAD has the authority to demand certified copies of the paperwork. Please upload these documents to the application portal:

• Application form online
• Comprehensive CV in tabular format (max. three pages)
• Statement on the academic and personal reasons for the planned study course in Germany (letter of motivation of about 1 – 3 pages).

For the Master’s degree program/postgraduate study program leading to a final qualification, applicants should submit the following:

• Information Form about your preferred master programs; applicants should also complete and upload this form if they have already gotten admission to the desired degree program.
• Acceptance letter from the host university in Germany, if available.

Complementary courses not leading to a final qualification:

• Supervision confirmation from a university teacher of the host university in Germany

Required Documents for All:

• Transcript of Records with individual grades and explanation of the grading system
• University degree certificate, including final grades
• German or English translations of all non-English or German documents
• A list of the project designs or plans with detailed information such as size, date of creation, place, etcetera (see: daad.de/extrainfo)
• A declaration that shows you have created the designs/plans
• Proof of German language skills for programs in German
• Proof of English language proficiency not more than two years old according to the requirements of chosen study programs in English (e.g., TOEFL, IELTS)
• Other supporting documents which might be of relevance to your application

How to Submit Work Samples?

If your scholarship application review shows that it meets the requirements of the scholarship announcement and the application package is complete, you will receive an uploading link to upload your work samples to the DAAD media database.

Important Notes:

All required application documents must be in German or English. Documents in other languages must include a translation.

All applicants should confirm that they meet the following conditions

Applicants can hold the nationality of any country to apply for this scholarship

They must have recently gained a first university degree in Fine Art, Design, Visual Communication, and Film.

Candidates should typically have graduated no more than six years before the application deadline.

A prerequisite for the funding in this scheme is a full-time and attendance study.

Extra-occupational or part-time study programs and study programs with a major share of e-learning are not eligible.

If you had been a resident of Germany for more than 15 months at the time of the application deadline, your application may not be successful.

Candidates should provide English or German language proficiency proof, e.g., DSH or TestDaF, for courses in the German language (At least B2, usually C1 or TOEFL or IELTS certificates. Please ask your desired university for the required minimum score.

The selection committee will take into consideration the following selection criteria

The artistic qualification and maturity of the applicant that the committee measure by study achievements and work samples

The quality of the project is measured through the study plan and the letter of motivation

The selection committee will consider aspects of equal opportunities

Applicants of DAAD Postgraduate Studies Scholarships will benefit from the following items:

A monthly allowance of 992 euros

Travel allowance

One-off study payment

Health, accident, and personal liability insurance payments

Under certain conditions, scholarship holders may receive the following additional benefits:

Monthly rent subsidy

Monthly stipend for accompanying members of the family

Subsidy for extra costs which result from the disability or chronic illness which is not available from other funding providers

Green Mobility Top Up or partial compensation of carbon offset payments for air travel (Support for climate-friendly travel)

Applicants who are required to improve their language skills for their stay in Germany will receive the following DAAD offers:

Online language course fees after receipt of the Scholarship Award Letter

If the German language 2-, 4- or 6-month course is necessary before the study visit in Germany, the DAAD office decides whether to fund the student and for how long depending on German language skills and project.

Payment for a personally selected German language course throughout the scholarship period

TestDaF or DSH test fee payment which the applicant can take either in their home country after they have received their Scholarship Award Letter or in Germany during their scholarship period

All applicants should note that the DAAD scholarship does not cover tuition fees.

Similar Opportunities

DAAD Postgraduate Scholarships in the Field of Architecture in Germany

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Torrens University Australia International Scholarships

The scholarship application submission for DAAD Postgraduate Scholarships in Fine Art, Design, Visual Communication, and Film is possible in two steps:

Submission of the application documents (Only online via the DAAD portal)

Submission of work samples (only via the DAAD media database)

Application Guides

Please follow these guides to submit your application

Download and complete the online application form

Prepare application documents

If required, translate documents unless they are already in German or English.

Scan paper documents and save them in PDF format only to the portal.

Upload the filled application form and all required documents, but work samples, to the portal in PDF format.

Submit the uploaded application documents online.

Notes

Please note that applicants can only access the application portal while the current application period runs. After the expiry of the application deadline, the portal for this program is not available until the next application period.

Applications are only valid if the applicant submits all the required documents to the DAAD application portal and the work sample on the DAAD media database.

The DAAD application portal closes on the deadline at 24.00 hrs. (CET or CEST).

Please do not submit your application on the final date in case technical problems occur.

Late or incomplete applications are not acceptable, and you are responsible for ensuring the completion of your application.

The application documents remain with the DAAD, which saves your data per the law.

Registration Guidelines for the application portal

Guidelines applying online in the DAAD portal

Please visit DAAD’s website for further details about the DAAD Postgraduate Studies Scholarships in Fine Art, Design, Visual Communication, and Film.

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