EPOS: Required Application Documents


Which documents do I have to submit?



  • 1. Online application form: After having filled out the form, send it by clicking on the send button at the end of the form. Please note that by sending this document you certify that the statements you have made in this application are complete and true.


  • 2. University degree certificate: Proof of degree completion and credits earned during your studies (typically degree certificate + transcript of records)



  • 3. Transcript of records: If your university degree certificate does not list all courses, you can upload a transcript of records additionally. This shows all your passed courses (incl. credits), and maybe your average grade. If your transcript of records is not available in German or English, an official German or English translation is required. The university degree certificate and the transcript of records must include either

    • an electronic verification key/code or

    • a notarized copy of this documents with an official stamp and signature of the registrar's office (a copy without notarization is insufficient.)


    Note: To verify your eligibility for the master's programme, we must be able to confirm that you have completed a sufficient number of courses in the areas of economics (for example micro- and macroeconomics, development or agricultural economics, etc.) and quantitative methods like for example mathematics, econometrics and statistics. If your bachelor's thesis is relevant, you should also include this for consideration.

    Courses completed abroad:
    If your transcript is not in German or English, it must be translated to either German or English by an official translator that also notarizes the translation.
    If your graduate certificate and diploma do not include course titles and ECTS credits of your completed courses, please include an official transcript or proof of credits from your registrar's office (if your university uses the credit system). Please don't forget to also include information from your first semesters of study, which may not be included on your official certificate.

    Please note that a notarized copy of these documents must be provided at the beginning of your studies (once you start your studies in Göttingen), otherwise matriculation will be withdrawn.


  • 4. Resume/CV: Should be written in English and outline your academic, professional, and other relevant experience to date (such as volunteering activities).


  • 5. Letter of motivation: A written statement, which outlines your motivation and interest in the development field and this master's programme in particular.



  • 6. Verification of English language proficiency
    Accepted language verification

    • native speaker

    • an education comparable to the German entry qualification to an institute of higher education acquired at an English speaking school

    • successful completion of a degree programme taught entirely in English

    • study or work stay abroad of at least two years in length in an English-speaking country within the last five years prior to submitting your application

    • verification of a least one (business) language course at level C1 in the programme on which the application is based upon

    • at least 180 points on the Cambridge English Scale

    • at least a 7 in the test "International English Language Testing System" (IELTS Academic)

    • at least 95 points in "Test of English as a Foreign Language, internet-based test" (TOEFL iBT)

    • at least 76 points on the Global Scale of English (Pearson Academic)

    • at least level III of the UNIcert certificate

    • NULTE certificates at C1 level: Acert (Poland), CertACLES (Spain), CLES (France), UNIcert®LUCE (Czech Republic and Slovakia), UNILANG (United Kingdom).


  • The successful completion of the language proficiency tests may not be older than three years at the moment of application.

  • Please note: Unfortunately, we are unable to accept any other certification that is not listed above. The English language certificates must to be handed in by the DAAD-EPOS application deadline. There is no exception to this rule. During the application period until November 15, 2021 you can also hand in „TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition“ and „IELTS Indicator“ language certificates. The above-mentioned minimum requirements of the "TOEFL iBT" and "IELTS" certificates must be met.

  • The codes of the department for the "Test of English as a Foreign Language" are: 84 for "Economics" and 82 for "Business and Commerce". The code for the Georg-August-Universität Göttingen is 4468. It is not necessary to use them. You can upload a copy of the test during the application process.



  • 7. APS certification for applicants from China, India, Mongolia and Vietnam.



  • 8. Official course descriptions: Documents that outline the content and expectations of courses you completed (e.g. excerpts from a course handbook) or a syllabus, which can validate the relevance of your previous studies (see admissions requirements and selection process) plus, if applicable, your bachelor's thesis, if it is relevant to fulfill the admission criteria. If the course description is not in English, please attach a translation (does not have to be notarized) alongside the original course description.
    Only if your university does not provide any course descriptions, you can write them yourself. For each course relevant to meet the admission criteria, we need a short description of the content (what did you learn) and form of exam taken.



  • 9. All application documents required by the DAAD as outlined here.

    Importantly: Please note that

    • a) the DAAD requires additional documents to the ones listed above, all of which need to be submitted for the application to be complete;

    • and b) the DAAD has additional requirement for some application documents listed above, for instance for the CV and letter of motivation. These requirements must be met in order for the documents to be considered valid and the application to be complete.









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