Application period: 15 May until 31 August 2022 with DAAD scholarship application

Promoting sustainable development in an inadequate world

Over the course of 18 months, the Master’s degree in International and Development Economics (MIDE) at HTW Berlin prepares students for the responsible and demanding work involved in the context of development. Students gain an in-depth working understanding of the economic and political global context in which developing countries are integrated. The profound theoretical and methodological training provided equips MIDE graduates with a thorough understanding of the socio-economic methods and theories necessary to address urgent problems in development countries. The wide range of optional courses allows students to shape their professional profile according to their preferences.

Admission Requirements

Applicants with a degree from non-European universities

A first university degree with 180 ECTS (or equivalent) with at least 3 classes in Economics. The admissions committee will make the final assessment regarding equivalence for degrees and classes from abroad.

If the degree is equivalent to a three-year German Bachelor’s degree with 180 ECTS, applicants are required to either provide at least 6 months of professional employment or training since graduation or obtain 30 ECTS while studying MIDE. This would prolong the degree by approx. one semester.

Applicants with an undergraduate degree equivalent to 210 ECTS (3.5 or more years of undergraduate studies in Germany) can get an unconditional admission.

To determine whether a degree qualifies, please contact mide@htw-berlin.de. Scans of all academic transcripts (official list of courses attended and grades obtained), either in English or German, must be attached to the inquiry.

Documents from Pakistan must carry the HEC attestation stamp.

We regret that three-year Bachelor’s degrees obtained in Nepal and Bhutan are not regarded as equivalent to a three-year German Bachelor’s degree by our institution. Undergraduate degrees from Mongolia, Myanmar and Somalia are also not considered equivalent to a German university degree.

Applicants with a European undergraduate degree

A total of 210 ECTS or the equivalent is required. Applicants with only 180 ECTS are also eligible. However, they are required to either provide at least 6 months of professional employment or training since graduation or obtain the remaining 30 ECTS while studying MIDE. This would prolong the degree by approx. one semester.

A minimum of 15 ECTS are required in Economics.

Proof of English language proficiency

Applicants who have obtained their university degree with English being the language of instruction must submit official proof, i.e. confirmation from the university. Exception: Applicants who have obtained their university degree in a country where English is the official language do not have to submit additional proof.

All other applicants must submit proof of their profiency in English as listed below. Test results must not be older than two years:

• TOEFL (Institutional TOEFL is not accepted): paper-based: 580 points; computer-based: 237 points; internet-based: 96 points
• IELTS grade 7.0
• CPE (Certificate of Proficiency in English), all levels
• CAE (Certificate in Advanced English), all levels
• BEC Higher (Business English Certificate)
• TOEIC 800 points or higher.
• All tests confirming that the level of proficiency in English complies with the level C 1 or C 2 of the Common European Framework of Reference.
• As an exception during the COVID-19 pandemic, MIDE will also accept TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition and IELTS Indicator.
• The Institutional/General TOEFL, FCE, BEC Preliminary and BEC Vantage will NOT be accepted.

Application Documents

Attached to the MIDE application form, you must submit an electronic version of

• a letter of motivation (max. two pages long), dated and personally signed by you
• transcript of records (including CGPA) and degree certificate (s) (official translations into English or German must be provided)
• an explanation of the grading system at your previous university (which is usually already part your transcript and/or the Diploma Supplement). Should this not be the case, please provide a short explanation prepared by you that contains information on the highest possible grade as well as the minimum passing grade.
• copy of Secondary School Certificate that includes the date of graduation from Secondary School
• Curriculum vitae (résumé) in the EuroPass format, dated and personally signed by you
• Copy of your passport
• Proof of your English language proficiency
• For applicants who do not apply for the DAAD scholarship, if available and applicable: confirmation of at least 6 months of full-time professional employment since graduation if undergraduate degree is equivalent to 180 ECTS. This confirmation must come on official letterhead, be dated, stamped and signed. Contracts and Offers of employment cannot be accepted.
• APS certificate for applicants from China and Vietnam

DAAD Scholarship

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) can grant a limited number of scholarships (6-8) to cover living expenses (service fee is waived for recipients of such grants) for applicants from developing and newly industrialised countries. Applicants are selected by the DAAD in cooperation with HTW Berlin.

Who can apply for the DAAD scholarship?

Applicants for the DAAD scholarship must

• come from a developing or newly industrialised country (link to list of eligible countries)
• have 2 or more years of professional experience since graduation (at the time of application)
• must not have graduated longer than 6 years ago
• fulfill the MIDE admission requirements.

How to apply for the DAAD scholarship?

Should you wish to apply for a DAAD scholarship, please indicate this in your MIDE application form. You must also

• complete the DAAD application form and attach it to the MIDE application form. Don’t forget to date and personally sign the DAAD application form.
• submit a statement of motivation (dated and personally signed) explaining why you are interested in attending a particular postgraduate course with reference to your current employment. Please further describe your development-related motivation and how you intend to make full use of your scholarship and education by taking on social responsibility later in your career.
  Important: When applying for more than one postgraduate course (maximum 3 courses), you have to submit one motivation letter only, i.e. the same for each course, explaining why you are applying for these specific courses and why you chose that priority.
  You do not have to submit a separate statement of motivation for the MIDE programme. Your statement of motivation for the DAAD scholarship will also serve as the required letter of motivation for the MIDE programme.
• submit proof of at least two years of professional work experience and state your current work situation at the time of application. It is required to submit the following proof: Certificate(s) of employment that include the exact position and period of employment. This/these letter(s) must come on official letterhead, be dated and signed as well as carry a stamp. Letters of appointment, work contracts, pay slips etc. are not accepted as proof of employment.
• a letter of reference from the employer(s), ideally guaranteeing re-employment after completion of the postgraduate course in Germany. This/these letter(s) must come on official letterhead, have a current date and be signed as well as carry a stamp.
• A two-page summary of your undergraduate thesis (only in case you have been required to write a thesis during undergraduate studies. If this was not the case, simply tick the appropriate box on the MIDE application form).

If applying to more than one course, please list courses in order of priority in the DAAD application forms and do not change these priorities in the respective application!

Academic reference letters are not required for the scholarship application anymore. Please ignore this section in the MIDE application form.

Source / Additional Information: Official Website.