Applications for the SPRING Master Program with DAAD-EPOS Scholarship are now open to international students in Germany. SPRING stands for Spatial Planning for Regions in Growing Economies (Regional Development Planning and Management). The Master of Science program in SPRING, offered by the Technical University of Dortmund, is a fully-funded program that spans 24 months. It is designed to address current topics related to spatial planning in emerging and developing countries. During lectures, participants in the SPRING program discuss a range of challenges, including the rapid growth of urban areas, the conflicts between environmental protection and economic development, and strategies to mitigate the impacts of climate change. They also develop concepts to enhance transportation systems. The first year of the program is held at TU Dort­mund University, while the second year takes place at one of the five partnering universities in Ghana, Tanzania, the Philippines, Brazil, or Chile (currently unavailable). The program is taught in English, and upon completion, participants are awarded an M.Sc. Degree in “Re­gional Development Plan­ning and Management”. TU Dort­mund University and the respective partnering universities of the second year jointly issue the certificate and transcript.

The SPRING program curriculum combines teaching in development theories and strategies, implementation and monitoring tools, and planning concepts and methods with practice-oriented field studies. SPRING graduates will gain skills to collect, analyse, process, understand and gather social and economic data. The program aims to expand regional development plans and programs in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

SPRING is a problem-oriented management tool with the following objective:

• Identifying development problems, resources, trends, constraints, and potentials;
• Formulating development objectives, strategies, and policies;
• Designing plans and programs;
• Assessing environmental impacts of plans and programs;
• Organizing decision-making processes and target group participation;
• Applying tools for the implementation and management of the program;
• Evaluating and monitoring plans and programs.

About the Technical University of Dortmund

The Technical University of Dortmund, or the University of Dortmund, is located in Dortmund, Germany, with 32,476 students in around 80 bachelor’s and master’s degree programs. That is why it is one of the 20 largest universities in Germany.

According to the 2015 Funding Atlas report by the German Research Foundation (DFG), the University of Dortmund ranked among the top ten of the most research-intensive universities in Germany in five subject areas: production engineering, economics, educational science, materials engineering, and computer science.

Important Details and Dates

• Application period  DAAD-EPOS Scholarship Candidates (the year before the start of the program): 01 May – 01 October 2026
• Deadline for All Other Candidates: October of the year before to 01 May of the year of study start
• Start of Program: September Next year (for DAAD applicants).
• Host University: Technical University of Dortmund
• Funded By: German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the German State of North Rhine-Westphalia
• Location: Germany
• Funding Type: Fully Funded
• Degree Level: Master’s
• Gender: Male/Female
• Eligible Countries: All
• Location Study:
  • 1-6 Module at TU Dortmund University
  • 7-10 Module at the following universities:
    • Ardhi University in Dar es Salam, Tanzania
    • Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi, Ghana
    • University of The Philippines in Manila, The Philippines
    • Universidad Austral de Chile in Valdivia, Chile and
    • Universidade Federal do ABC in São Paulo, Brazil

Program structure:

1st year in Germany with Module Content as below:
Module 1: Planning Approaches and Key Skills for Planners (8 CP)
Module 2: Master Project (12 CP)
Module 3: Land, housing and infrastructure in a global perspective (20 CP)
Module 4: Planning Tools (6 CP)
Module 5: Planning Theory and Governance (7 CP)
Module 6: Socio-economic dimensions of urban and regional planning (7 CP)

2nd year in one of the partner universities in 

• Ghana
• The Philippines
• Tanzania
• Brazil
• Chile

Benefits of DAAD-EPOS Scholarship for SPRING

DAAD funds the SPRING Master Program fully and provides the students with scholarships to pursue their studies at the Technical University of Dortmund in Germany:

• Monthly stipends of 992 euros for students
• Health, accident, and personal liability insurance costs
• Travel allowance
• Additional benefits under certain circumstances:

1. Rent subsidy per month
2. Monthly allowance for accompanying family members

Eligibility Criteria for the SPRING Master’s Program

All international students willing to apply for the Technical University of Dortmund’s SPRING- Regional Development Planning and Management program should meet the following requirements:

• Applicants should have a bachelor’s degree or equivalent in a field relevant to regional or urban planning and have above-average grades.
• Provide English language proficiency Certificate: TOEFL (95 iBT) or IELTS (Band 6.5)
• Have a solid commitment to working widely in regional or urban development planning.
• DAAD applicants should provide two years of work experience related to the study program.
• Candidates for the DAAD scholarship should not have graduated from the University more than six years ago.
• German applicants may provide professional practice in developing countries (desirable).
• Indian, Chinese, and Vietnamese applicants should provide school and original certificates from the APS (Akademische Prüfstelle) of the German Embassy in New Delhi, Beijing, and Hanoi.

Note: The University’s institutional code for sending TOEFL certificates is 8523.

Check Similar Opportunities:

DAAD Scholarships for Energy and Environmental Management Master Program in Germany

Master of Hydro Science and Engineering Program with DAAD Scholarships at TU Dresden, Germany

Required Documents for SPRING Master Program

According to the University of Dortmund regulations, applicants should provide the following documents:

• SPRING Application Form
• Europass CV (Follow the Green Format provided on the SPRING webpage).
• Copy of University Certificates and Transcripts
• Explanation of grades (if the transcript is not available)
• Two Recommendation Letters, one academic and one professional
• TOEFL or IELTS certificate for applicants from non-native English-speaking countries
• A-Level School Leaving Certificate

Also, provide these supporting documents for the DAAD Scholarship:

• Motivation Letter
• Employment Certificate
• Signed DAAD Checklist and Application Form.

Important Notes:

• Applicants are responsible for the excellent readability of all submitted documents.
• Documents other than English or German should have notarized translations in either language.
• Please check the DAAD and University checklists for complete application documents before sending them to the program.
• Please send all required documents as soft copies in PDF format with a maximum size of 18 MB.
• Name the documents as follows:

1_SPRING Application Form
2_Europass CV
3a_Bachelor Certificate
3b_Transcript of Records
3c_Explanation of grades (if it is not part of the transcript)
4_Letter of Recommendation Employer
5_Letter of Recommendation Uni­ver­sity
6_English Test Report
7_High School Certificate

If applying for a DAAD scholarship as well please add the following documents:

8_DAAD Application Form
9_DAAD Letter of Motivation
10_Certificate of Employment
11_Completed and signed checklist

How to Apply for the Spring Master’s Program?

The application procedure for the Spring Master’s Program can be completed via email. Please prepare and submit all required documents to the following submission email.

Submission Email: application.spring@tu-dortmund.de

You may use the subject “Application for intake 20xx” (e.g. intake 2026). Please note that the gross size of your application should not exceed 18 MB.

Please visit the Technical University of Dortmund’s official website or review the FAQs for further details about the Spring Master’s Program.

Also, Check These Opportunities:

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