Application

General Application Information

  • The SDAC program can only be started in the winter semester, and the application for the winter semester 2025/26 starts in February 2025. The deadline for the application is July 15th, 2025.
  • All the required documents must be submitted on the online portal Campo. (Please do not mail any required application materials to FAU. The documents should be uploaded exclusively online via Campo). Please name your PDF files appropriately (for example: document title_surname_name.pdf).
  • Prior to emailing inquiries about your application, please check our FAQ page. Please note that due to our intensive application screening, it will take four to six weeks for us to finish processing your application.

General Required Application Documents

  • National applicants
  • International applicants
  • In addition, SDAC Program requires:
    • Graduates with either a Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree, or Magister in a subject that focuses on philology, social sciences, historical sciences, pedagogy, philosophy, religious studies, ethnology, economic sciences, law, psychology, or medical science are eligible for the Master’s degree program.
    • Applicants with one of these degrees are admitted only after a successful selection interview if they have an overall grade of at least 2.00 in the German grading system. If they have an overall grade of 2.01-2.5, they have to prove further qualifications that are relevant to the Master’s degree program, such as
      • Proof of passed modules on scientific or research-related work (min. 6 ECTS points)
      • Proof of having passed modules with explicitly cross-cultural topics (at least 6 ECTS credits)
      • Proof of professional internships in a non-western or non-occidental organization (at least 3 months full-time)
    • Letter of Motivation (max. 2 pages).
    • English language proficiency: At least a B2 Level on the scale of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) must be proven if the school graduation or bachelor’s degree has not been acquired in English. (The comparability of internationally recognized language tests to be accepted as proof of English language proficiency to study at FAU can be checked here.)
    • German language proficiency: Applicants whose native language is not German need to prove their German language skills with a minimum of A1 of the CEFR (can be submitted within the first year of the program).
    • Applicants are also responsible to ensure that their basic financial requirements to come to Germany are secured.
      • For accepted candidates, we are happy to support you in applying for scholarships. Please note that these should be submitted as early as possible (very often 6-12 months before the start of the program).

Application and Selection Process

  • There will be three phases.
  • Please note that we cannot answer questions about your application status.  Four to six weeks after the application has been submitted, applicants will either receive an invitation to the interview or a rejection.
1 The SDAC admission committee will begin scanning all the applications.
2 Applicants who successfully pass the screening process will be invited for interviews. *Interviews are carried out to openly talk about the applicants’ motivations as well as expectations of the program in students in addition to getting to know each other through conversation and personal interaction.
3 Interview participants will receive results within two to three weeks, either accepted, rejected, or placed on a waiting list. *Those who are on a waiting list will receive a final decision at the end of July at the latest.
  • Important documents for selection
    • Transcript of Records that proves an overall grade of 2,5 or better. (Please be informed that we cannot make an exception on grades.)
    • Motivation Letter  (Please describe your motivation concisely, in a maximum of two pages, for applying to SDAC such as why you want to pursue your Master’s degree in this particular program, what you expect from this program, how can you contribute to the in-class discussion and co-learning, and the overall academic richness of SDAC, and so forth.)
    • Other documents and formalities which listed on Campo. (Please read the description thoroughly and prepare all the necessary documents. Please be noted that required documents may vary for each candidate.)
  • Please note that even if the final deadline is in July, we highly encourage students to apply as soon as possible to guarantee the early processing of the application, since our interviews usually start in March. Applicants from outside Germany should also pay attention to visa processing deadlines and apply early on. We ask applicants to ensure that visa requirements are clarified with their home countries as early as possible. Please note that depending on the country, visa processing may take several months.
  • General information for international applicants regarding entry, visa, financing, and insurance: https://www.fau.eu/education/international/from-abroad/important-information/entry-and-visas

 

FAQs

If you have any questions, please check out our FAQ’s, or contact our program coordinator Jessica Wengel (jessica.wengel@fau.de).