Masters Scholarships in Germany With No IELTS Requirement — How to Apply Without an English Score
Germany has become one of the most popular destinations for African postgraduate students, and for good reason. Public universities charge very little to no tuition. The country has a strong job market after graduation. And the scholarships, especially DAAD, are some of the most comprehensive in the world.
But a lot of people disqualify themselves before they even start because they assume they need an IELTS score to apply.
You often don’t.
Here’s what actually matters when applying for a Master’s scholarship in Germany as a Nigerian or African student.
The IELTS Situation in Germany
German universities, unlike UK ones, don’t have a culture of insisting on IELTS specifically. Many of them accept any of the following instead:
- A transcript or degree certificate showing your previous studies were conducted in English
- A letter from your university confirming the medium of instruction
- An internal English assessment or interview
- TOEFL (some accept this but not IELTS, or vice versa — worth checking both)
- Proof that English is your country’s official language of education
Nigeria sits in a good position here. English is the medium of instruction across federal universities, and most scholarship committees accept that as sufficient.
DAAD: The Big One
DAAD is the main scholarship body funding international students in Germany, and it manages multiple programmes. The most relevant ones for Nigerians are:
DAAD Development-Related Postgraduate Courses (EPOS)
This programme funds Master’s degrees in Germany on subjects related to development, engineering, agriculture, public health, economics, IT, environmental science, and others. It covers full tuition, a monthly stipend of €934 for graduates (higher for PhD), health insurance, and a travel allowance.
For Nigerian applicants, an IELTS waiver is typically granted if your university transcript is in English. Some programmes are also taught in German with a language prep course included, meaning no English test applies at all.
DAAD Leadership for Africa Programme
This targets professionals with work experience. It’s competitive, but the application process is more holistic; they want to see what you’ve done more than your test scores.
DAAD In-Country/In-Region Scholarships
These are funded for study within Africa but managed by DAAD, and English test waivers are more common here since programmes run at African universities.
Other Programmes Taught in English (No German Required)
Germany has hundreds of English-taught Master’s programmes, many of which don’t require an IELTS score if your academic background is in English. A few examples:
- Technical University of Munich (TUM) — accepts medium of instruction letter
- University of Cologne — accepts alternative proof of English proficiency
- Freie Universität Berlin — has its own language assessment for some programmes
- Heidelberg University — flexible on English proof requirements by faculty
Always check the specific programme page. Requirements vary by faculty even within the same university.
AFRIKA KOMMT! Fellowship (Germany)
This is a different kind of opportunity, it’s a professional development fellowship, not a traditional scholarship, but it places young African professionals inside top German companies like Robert Bosch GmbH with a stipend, training, and mentorship. No IELTS requirement is listed.
Read: AFRIKA KOMMT! Fellowship 2026–2028 – Fully Funded Leadership Programme in Germany
What Your Application Package Should Include
When applying to a German scholarship without IELTS, you need to fill that gap with something concrete. Here’s what a strong package looks like:
- Academic transcripts from your bachelor’s degree (certified and translated if needed)
- Medium of instruction letter from your university registrar
- Statement of purpose — be very specific about why Germany and why this programme
- Two academic or professional references
- CV in Europass format or clean academic format
- Research proposal (for research-based programmes)
- Work experience letters if applying for professional tracks
Realistic Timeline
DAAD EPOS applications for 2027 intake typically open between September and December 2026. If you’re reading this in June 2026, now is the right time to prepare, get your documents, write your SOP, and request your reference letters early. References from professors take weeks sometimes.
Also check: Top 20 Fully Funded Scholarships to Study in the USA, UK, Canada, and Other Top Countries in 2026
And if you want a checklist of what scholarship committees actually look for beyond test scores: Scholarships You Can Win With a 2:2 Degree or Below — What Is Possible and How to Apply (2026)
