Intercultural Theology • Application Guide

Please note: Most of the recommended questions will be answered by this guide. For further questions
please contact us: intercultural-theology@uni-goettingen.de.

Admission:

Application for the programme is possible if you have finished B.A. studies including 6 semesters of studying.
Your final result has to be minimum 180 CP. It is possible to apply even before finishing of B.A. studies, but
at the time of application you should have reached at least 150 CP. Please send a proof of your studies and,
if available, a preliminary transcript of records. The completed certificates have to be handed as soon as they
are available, at the latest November 15 after arrival in Göttingen.

Certificates:

Please note that we only accept certified copies of your certificates and transcripts of records. Make sure that
you have an original stamp on your documents. Certificates and transcripts in English and German need not
to be translated. We do accept documents only in German and English; any other language has to be
translated.
Once you are accepted, you will also need to show the original documents (Bachelor´s degree, transcript of
records) during the further enrolment procedure. Please bring them with you to Göttingen.

Language tests:

Proof of English is required, unless your mother tongue is English or you have studied or worked in an
English-speaking country for 1 year within 5 years prior to the start of this programme. Please note that the
proof of English should not be older than 2 years.

The following English tests are accepted, preferred are c) and f):

a) Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English, at least grade “B”;

b) Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English, at least grade “C”;
c) International English Language Testing System (IELTS), at least 6.0 points;
d) Paper-based TOEFL: at least 550 points;
e) Computer-based TOEFL: at least 213 points
f) New internet-based TOEFL: at least 80 points
g) UNIcert level III;
h) C1 level according to CEF (Common European Framework)

Visa:

Please keep in mind that the issuing of visa can take up to 10 weeks (ca. 8-10 weeks). Therefore, apply as
soon as you have received a Letter of Acceptance from us. In some cases, the German embassy might
conduct interviews. Please prepare carefully. You might find the information about the Master’s programme
provided on this website helpful.

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Curriculum vitae:
Your curriculum vitae in a tabular format should mention your family status (married, single, children),
confession and church membership. Please also list your educational and professional history in a more
extensive way than it is possible in the application form. Besides you may add your interests, skills
(computing skills, acquired skills), further languages, research projects and papers presented.

Letter of motivation:
The letter of motivation serves to indicate your personal and professional qualifications and perspectives in
view of the M.A. programme “Intercultural Theology”. The following hints and questions may lead you drafting
this letter:
• The M.A. programme “Intercultural Theology” provides a forum where people of different
denominational, cultural and national background can meet. Please indicate your experiences and
expectations in intercultural encounters.
• Which questions, issues, solutions of intercultural and inter-religious live and dialogue in church and
society derive from your experiences, practical work and theoretical aspects?
• What are your career objectives after completing the M.A. “Intercultural Theology”?

Scholarships

1. ELM Evangelical Lutheran Mission Society

2. KAAD: Katholischer Akademischer Ausländer-Dienst
3. DAAD: Deutscher Akademischer Auslands Dienst
4. EED: Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst
5. LWF: Lutheran World Federation
6. Diakonisches Werk EKD – programme for orthodox students

1. ELM Evangelical Lutheran Mission Society

There are some scholarships available by the ELM Evangelical Lutheran Mission Society in Hermannsburg.
These scholarships are open for international students from ELM partnership organizations or partner
institutions of Georg-August-University Göttingen mentioned at the website
http://www.uni-goettingen.de/de/111668.html

If you want to apply, please notice the general criteria and the procedure of application.

Summary of the Application Process

General Criteria:

• Only applications of students admitted to the M.A. Programme Intercultural Theology are considered.
Please remember that admission to the M.A. Programme Intercultural Theology does not imply that
an award will finally be made.
• Applications from partner churches of the ELM are preferred. Applications from partner institutions in
Africa and Asia cooperating in the M.A. Intercultural Theology can also be accepted.
• Scholarships will be offered to students coming from families whose household income does not
cover the costs for the M.A. programme “Intercultural Theology”. In this way we are trying to ensure
that the most talented students, regardless of their financial means, can participate in the
programme.
• The scholarship is granted for up to two years. After each semester the student has to submit a
report of the progress of his studies.

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 • Financial assistance consists of a monthly scholarship of 750 €. This amount is determined
according to economic criteria and is expected to cover the scholar’s costs of living and studying.
• Family scholarships are not available. No support can be provided for any children accompanying a
parent.
• Applications for scholarships for courses of study which have already begun are not accepted.
• We are committed to the principle of gender balance and encourage women to apply.
• Younger candidates (up to 35 years) are preferred.

Procedure for Application

Application forms must be obtained from and returned to the ELM scholarship desk. The application form
must be accompanied by the following documents:

• Questionnaire
• Permission to use copies of the documents you submitted to Göttingen University
• Income Declaration/Declaration of Financial Need (“Binding Declaration“). In this declaration it also
has to be stated whether other sources of support or other scholarships are available.

If you want to apply for an ELM scholarship, please contact us. The final decision about the applications lies
with the ELM Scholarship Committee, which meets after the application period is closed.

The application deadline corresponds with the application deadline for Intercultural Theology.

2. KAAD: Katholischer Akademischer Ausländer-Dienst

www.kaad.de
Phone: +49-(0)228/917580

Application deadline for the summer term: 15.1.

Application deadline for the winter term: 15.7.

The KAAD (Catholic Academic Exchange Service) offers two different scholarship programmes:
Scholarship Programme 1: For the scholarship programme 1 of KAAD you can apply if you come from a
developing or emerging country in Africa, Asia, the Middle East or Latin America, have a university degree
and professional experience from your home country, are a Catholic Christian (or general belong to a
Christian denomination). Candidates from other religions can apply if they are proposed by Catholic partners
and can prove their commitment to inter-religious dialogue.

Required is an above-average performance in studies and research, the orientation of your studies or
research towards permanent reintegration in your home region (otherwise the scholarship is turned into a
loan), religious and social commitment (activities) and willingness to inter-religious dialogue and German
language skills before starting the studies (KAAD can provide a language course of max. 6 months in
Germany).

KAAD is working with focus- and partner countries in your region. There are so-called Partner Committees
in these countries and applications are channelled via them. Applications from other countries can be
considered only in exceptional cases.

3. DAAD: Deutscher Akademischer Auslands Dienst

In the DAAD Scholarship database you will find an overview of the various types of funding offered by the
DAAD or of the programmes offered by other funding organisations for a study stay in Germany. You only
have to select your subject, country of origin and status to get a huge number of funding organisations
electing your scholarship programme. Please contact:

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http://www.daad.de/deutschland/foerderung/stipendiendatenbank/00462.en.html
http://www.daad.de/deutschland/download/03118.en.html

4. EED: Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst

The scholarship programme of the EED supports National Christian Councils, churches and development-
oriented NGOs in developing countries in the up-grading and advanced training of their personnel.

In fulfilment of its mandate the EED scholarship programme

• grants scholarships for development-oriented studies in Germany, other European countries and
developing countries to graduates with professional experience from developing countries;
• provides guidance to scholars and helps them with their integration;
• offers counselling and co-curricular activities, especially seminars on development issues and
ethics of science;
• prepares the scholars for reintegration at home.

Deadlines
The final decision about the applications lies with the Ecumenical Scholarship Committee which meets twice
a year in May and November.
Please note that we need to receive the application well in advance before the meeting.
The deadline for the meeting in May is January 1; the deadline for November is July 1.
For further information, please contact:

http://www.eed.de/fix/files/doc/070727_Programme_information_en.2.pdf

5. LWF: Lutheran World Federation

The International Scholarship Program is the main instrument for human resources development offered by
the Department for Mission and Development (DMD).

The program provides support to member churches for short- and long-term, academic and non-
academic/practice-oriented programs in theological and other areas of study, responding to the needs of the
member churches. Most candidates for theological studies will serve in pastoral ministries. Candidates for
study programs at the doctoral level are foreseen as future teachers in various theological training
institutions.

As a general rule, the program supports studies in the candidate’s home country or continent whenever this
is possible, and only for specific programs will overseas studies be supported. In the distribution of funds for
scholarships, the program seeks to reach a gender balance. For this reason, a minimum of 40% of the funds
is earmarked each year for women candidates. If this level cannot be met in a given year, the balance of
funds is reserved for allocation in following years.

Application forms are only available through the LWF member church in the home country of a candidate.
Since the scholarships offered to the churches aim at strengthening the member churches in their various
ministries, the application form asks the churches to explain their needs for the study programs in relation to
the work of the church.

Applications must be screened and endorsed by a member church or an LWF national committee, and must
be listed in a clear order of priority. All applications must be sent to the HRD desk in Geneva, to arrive by an
October 15 deadline. Applications submitted by individuals will not be accepted.

http://www.lutheranworld.org/What_We_Do/DMD/DMD-Documents/DMD-Capacity_Building_HRD_
international_scholarships.pdf

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6. Diakonisches Werk EKD
The Diakonisches Werk EKD offers a specifical scholarship programme for orthodox students or graduates
of theology. For further information, please contact us or call:
+49 (0) 711-2159-506 or
+49 (0) 711-2159-148

e-mail to: s.karlev@brot-fuer-die-welt.org or

k.oshea@brot-fuer-die-welt.de or
kirchlichestipendien@brot-fuer-die-welt.org

The annual deadline for application is February 1.