From study to scholarship
Students at Bavarian tertiary education institutions can use a range of methods to gain admission to the Max Weber Program and can apply from their third semester. As well as academic excellence, key considerations in the application procedure include social and communication skills, the applicant’s commitment and their willingness to take on responsibility. Scholarship holders benefit from financial support – including for stays abroad – as well as a wide-ranging program to support their personal development.
The application procedure at a glance
Students attaining high grades at a Bavarian tertiary education institution are eligible for admission to the Max Weber Program from their third semester onward. Candidates can either apply to the program directly or be nominated for the program by a lecturer, the Head of an Elite Graduate Program or their institution’s examination board. As a result, the Max Weber Program is also open to students who did not take their school leaving examinations in Bavaria.
We expect candidates to impress in the following five areas:
- intellectual abilities;
- dedication and willingness to achieve;
- communication and articulation skills;
- social skills, and
- extra-curricular interests and societal engagement.
Selection seminars offer candidates the opportunity to demonstrate that they meet the requirements for admission to the Max Weber Program; they comprise two one-on-one interviews and several group sessions. One of the interviews is with a specialist in the candidate’s chosen subject; the other is a general discussion. Activities in the group sessions include giving brief presentations.
In principle, we invite all candidates who meet the formal requirements to one of our two-day selection seminars. If we receive a high number of applications, however, we may conduct a pre-selection on the basis of applicants’ submitted written documentation. The selection seminars take place on various weekends from March to May at locations across Bavaria. If your application is successful, your time on the Max Weber Program will begin on 1 April of the respective year.
At present, around 200 scholarships are awarded to students at Bavarian tertiary education institutions every year.
General requirements
| Course of study |
|
| Duration of study | Applicants must have at least two full semesters of the standard period of study remaining. |
| Age | Applicants must be under 23 years old on admission to the program (though exceptions are possible). |
Route 1: Direct application
Are you currently studying at a Bavarian tertiary education institution, achieving high grades and have completed at least two full semesters? If so, you’re eligible to apply for a scholarship through the Max Weber Program.
In a direct application, you seize the initiative. Please submit the following application documents digitally and by 1 November at the latest to the Max Weber Program. Please contact us via mwp-bewerbung@studienstiftung.de so that we can provide you with an upload link.
Application documents:
- Form:
Direct application form (Download) - Curriculum Vitae:
Well-formulated CV, max. 3 pages - Academic achievements:
"Transcript of records" from the examination board - Certificates:
Copies of university entrance qualifications (e.g. Abitur certificate) and copies of other relevant certificates (if available) - Confirmation of matriculation
- References:
Two signed references attesting to your academic excellence in your subject, provided by different professors or academic members of staff holding doctorates
After submitting a direct application, the Max Weber Program will send you all necessary documentation, which you should complete and return by 15 January at the latest. This documentation includes the application form (original and a copy) as well as a cover sheet. Please remember to sign the application form.
Address:
Max Weber‐Programm Bayern
Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes
Ahrstraße 41
53175 Bonn
In the next stage, we invite applicants to a two-day selection seminar. The selection seminars take place on various weekend from March to May at various locations across Bavaria. If your application is successful, your time on the Max Weber Program will begin on 1 April of the respective year.
If we receive a high number of applications, however, we may conduct a pre-selection on the basis of the written documentation submitted by the applicants.
For the next selection process, the two-day selection seminars will be held in spring 2024. The exact dates are yet to be published.
Route 2: Nomination
As well as applying to the Max Weber Program directly, if you have achieved outstanding grades during your studies, you can also be nominated for the program by a professor, the Head of an Elite Graduate Program or your institution’s examination board.
Professors and academic members of staff holding doctorates are entitled to nominate their most talented students for the Max Weber Program from their third semester of study onwards. They can do so by sending an informal nomination letter to the Max Weber Program by 1 November at the latest.
Address:
Max Weber‐Programm Bayern
Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes
Ahrstraße 41
53175 Bonn
The nomination letter:
There is no prescribed format for the student nomination letter to the Max Weber Program. The letter, however, must contain:
- Candidate’s name, date of birth, subject, number of semesters completed, place of study, address and email address
- Events or courses through which you know the candidate
- Reasoning behind your nomination of the candidate
- Academic achievements (as percentages if possible) achieved by the candidate in comparison to their peers
- Candidate’s extra-curricular commitments (if known)
Candidates are then informed of their application’s progress directly by the Max Weber Program.
The Heads of Elite Graduate Programs realized under the aegis of the Elite Network of Bavaria can put their students forward for the Max Weber Program in their first semester. The general requirements continue to apply, with the exception of the age limit. Academic-level German language skills are a mandatory requirement.
Nominations can be submitted to the Max Weber Program until 1 November.
Address:
Max Weber‐Programm Bayern
Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes
Ahrstraße 41
53175 Bonn
Candidates are then informed of their application’s progress directly by the Max Weber Program.
The examination boards (Prüfungsämter) at Bavarian tertiary education institutions can nominate their top 3% of students according to intermediate diploma results, intermediate exam results or BA/BSc rankings for admission to the Max Weber Program. Examination boards receive a form from the Max Weber Program for this purpose. This form must be returned to the Max Weber Program by 1 November at the latest.
Address:
Max Weber‐Programm Bayern
Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes
Ahrstraße 41
53175 Bonn
Candidates are then informed of their application’s progress directly by the Max Weber Program.
I’ve been nominated – what’s next?
If you are nominated for admission to the Max Weber Program by a professor, the Head of an Elite Graduate Program or an examination board, you will then receive an application form from the Max Weber Program.
You must return this to the Max Weber Program by 15 January at the latest along with the following additional documentation. For this you will receive an upload link from us. Please remember to sign the application form.
If you are nominated by a professor, the head of an Elite Graduate Program or the examination board, the following application documents must be submitted to the Max Weber Program:
Application documents:
- Form:
The documents will be sent to you in advance of the application. - Curriculum Vitae:
Well-formulated CV, max. 3 pages - Academic achievements:
Overview of graded academic achievements (official printout from the Examination Office or the Student Service Portal), e.g. Transcript of records - Certificates:
University entrance qualifications (e.g. Abitur certificate) and copies of other relevant certificates (if available) - Confirmation of Matriculation
In addition, to complete your application documents, we require a signed reference attesting to your academic excellence in your subject, provided by a professor or academic member of staff holding a doctorate. In order to maintain the confidentiality of the reference, it is intended that the referee will send us the reference directly by e-mail.
In the next stage, we invite applicants seeking admission to the Max Weber Program to a two-day selection seminar. The selection seminars take place on various weekends from March to May at locations across Bavaria. If your application is successful, your time on the Max Weber Program will begin on 1 April of the respective year.
If we receive a high number of applications, however, we may conduct a pre-selection on the basis of the written documentation submitted by the applicants.
For the next selection process, the two-day selection seminars will be held in spring 2024. The exact dates are yet to be published.
