Admission and application

Admission and application

©SLE

We accept 20 participants into the SLE postgraduate programme each year. The selection procedure consists of a written application and a selection day on site. Our application portal is open from 1 May to 30 June. A pre-selection takes place in August, followed by the main selection in September. The programme begins in January of the following year. Follow SLE on LinkedIn to secure your place for the virtual information sessions on the SLE Study Programme.

Important Dates

  • Application Period: 01 May to 30 June each year
  • Pre-Selection: July/August
  • Main Selection: August/September
Admission Requirements

The following requirements qualify you for participation in the SLE Study Programme:

  • A completed university or university of applied sciences degree (Master’s, Diplom, state examination, doctorate) with at least good grades that qualifies for a doctorate at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. The Master’s degree must be available by the start of the SLE programme (beginning of January) and is a prerequisite for enrolment at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin.
  • Internships, work and study placements in one or more countries
  • Above-average interest in development policy and high motivation for additional training
  • Fluency in English. Further good knowledge is an advantage, especially of the following languages: Arabic, Chinese, German, French, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish
  • Health suitability for stays in countries of the Global South with potentially limited healthcare and higher health risks
  • Personal suitability for the SLE postgraduate programme

Please note: The scholarship requires citizenship of an EU member state, transition or developing country (OECD DAC-List of ODA-Recipients).

Selection Committee

The 20 graduates for our SLE programme are selected according to their knowledge, experience, motivation and personal suitability for the postgraduate programme. The final admission decision is made by a committee consisting of representatives of the SLE, professional organisations (BMZ, GIZ, NGOs and the consulting industry), the faculty (Albrecht Daniel Thaer Institute) and a participant from the previous cohort.

Selection Process and Criteria

In the pre-selection process between mid-July and August of each year, applicants are first formally assessed using the application form.

The overall impression of the application is decisive for admission to the main selection. The assessment criteria include engagement with development policy topics and content, personal motivation, argumentation, final grades, language skills and previous professional experience (e.g. in the form of internships, work experience, degrees). Finally, the pre-selection committee decides on the admission of around 50 applicants to the main selection at the SLE in mid-September.

During the main selection in mid-September, the applicants present themselves either in person at the SLE or digitally. Through essays, short presentations, interviews and language tests, the selection committee gains an impression of the applicants’ analytical capacities, personality, motivation, ability to work in a team, expertise in development policy, aptitude for the professional field, writing skills and language skills. Finally, the best 20 applicants are selected to begin their studies in January of the following year.

“Through the methodological and technical input from experts from various institutions and organizations, I was not only able to gain deep insights into relevant topics, but also become part of a large alumni network. I quickly realized the added value this network offers for starting a career.”

Sari-Luisa Jung
SLE Alumni of the 59th cohort
Access the application portal