What subject matter do I need to be familiar with for the programme?

Please check "Application" => "Prerequisites the student should bring along for the Master Programme SuRE"

What kind of degree do I need?

You need at least a Bachelor's Degree with a grade in the Second Upper Division or comparable degree with 180 credit points and/or at least 3 years of studying.

I already have a master's degree. Can I still apply?

Yes, you can apply for SuRE with a master's degree.

Therefore, please upload both your bachelor's as well as master's degree certificates along with the transcripts to your application file.

I haven't finished my degree yet. Can I still apply?

You can for the regular deadline, but you need all transcript of records you can present to us so far and also a confirmation that your studies will be finished by the time our course starts. You also need to clarify when that will be. An expected grade or current CGPA is also important.

Please be aware that you need 2 years of professional experience for a DAAD scholarship, though, so please just apply for the regular deadline if you are still in college.

Do I need work experience to apply?

In order to be eligible for a DAAD scholarship, you need 2 years of work experience. For the regular deadline, it is not a must but certainly a plus. Of course, the energy and rural development sectors are most relevant. Internships or final projects from your previous studies also count.

What work experience is relevant?

Of course, work experience in the energy (and, here, especially RE) or rural development sector is most relevant. Anything related to it might also be of interest. We are aware that, in some countries, work experience in the renewable energy sector is very hard to come by.

Do I have to pay the processing fee of uni-assist?

Yes, uni-assist is not directly linked to the University Oldenburg. Therefore, it is not possible to make exceptions regarding the processing fee.

I cannot find the SuRE program in uni-assist. What can I do?

The program can be found on the website "my uni-assist". In order to find the SuRE program make sure that within search criteria "Winter Semester 2022/23" is not selected (instead you can select "Winter Semester 2023/24"). It can also help if you select as University "Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg".

I need a scholarship for the SuRE. Does the University of Oldenburg offer any?

The University of Oldenburg does not offer scholarships or financial assistance. However, we have a list of scholarships that our alumni were awared under Scholarships and Links.

I would like to apply for a DAAD scholarship. When and how should I apply?

Starting 2021, all applicants have to apply online via uni-assist. This means that, if you are applying for a DAAD scholarship, you also need to upload all documents DAAD asks for on uni-assist. If any form is missing, you will have to be disqualified.

How many DAAD spots are available?

Usually, we have 7 DAAD EPOS spots. The spots are not country-specific. We receive many applications for the DAAD scholarship. Hence, the application process is quite competitive and the chance of being admitted is higher for self-financing applicants. 

How can I apply?

Please apply online on the website of uni-assist – the application button will be available as from August 15.

The system is up within the application phase, i.e. August 15 - January 15 only.

I would like to apply both for the DAAD and regular round - how do I do that?

First, you apply as a DAAD applicant. This is also what you check in your online application. You do not have to hand in a financial statement at this stage.

If you were not chosen as a DAAD applicant, you will be notified. You will then have the chance to be considered for SuRE as self-financing applicant by sending a financial statement.

Afterwards, you will soon get feedback about the outcome of that second selection round. This is enough time to hand in a letter of acceptance to other scholarship donors or apply for an educational loan.

Since the DAAD round is the more competitive round, this is a valid option to get into SuRE.

Do I have to send you documents by post mail, too?

No - you only need to apply online and upload your documents to the online application system. We do not accept paper applications.

Do you I need to upload separate documents for SuRE and DAAD?

No, you don't.

If you want to apply for a DAAD scholarship (deadline Oct. 15), just upload the required documents (1-7) by SuRE and all documents needed by DAAD.

I cannot provide a letter of recommendation from my current employer because I might jeopardize my job…

You should definitely hand in the letter of recommendation for a realistic chance of being selected, but you can choose other people with sufficient insight into your professional skills. The committee needs a detailed impression of your qualifications in order for you to be selected for the programme.

If you want to show us that you work in a certain company without their knowing, just send us a copy of your work contract.

I need a letter of acceptance from you in order to apply for a scholarship (other than DAAD scholarship programme for developing countries).

We cannot issue letters of acceptance before the actual selection process. Scholarship donors usually do not need the letters of acceptance before we issue them, so you can apply for these and hand in the letter later. The earliest deadlines usually are in the middle of March and we can meet these.

I need proof of personal correspondence with you to apply for a DAAD scholarship.

Actually you do not, but if your local DAAD representative really refuses your application for that matter, just write to ppre@uol.de and take our answer - which will be brief - as proof of correspondence. This has always worked in the past.
At the same time, we can assure you that SuRE does NOT need this item in the list of documents and we do regard it as completely irrelevant for your application.

Do I need notarised translations?

We do need official translations from languages other than German or English, either by an official translator or German consulate/embassy as opposed to yourself.

I'm missing a document for the application/ my English test date is too late for the result/whole application to arrive in time.

If it's a single document, please upload it on uni-assist and send an e-mail to ppre@uol.de with the missing document and your application number, but always at your own risk. Please note that uni-assist checks all applications and only forwards them to us if they are complete.

What kind of document is a financial statement?

This is a statement from you or your sponsor (family, employer, organisation) which clarifies your funding - you simply explain to us which scholarships you are going to apply for, which other sponsor you have or that you will apply for an educational loan. You can also send us a bank statement saying that you have enough savings (or your sponsor, respectively). If a member of your family serves as sponsor, an affidavit of support by him or her is appreciated. It is necessary to show that your funding is taken care of in order for you to receive a visa once you are admitted to our programme. The financial statement is compulsory for all non-DAAD applicants; its absence will lead to disqualification.

Please note:

• At the beginning of your M.Sc. study programme, you need to provide proof of being able to cover living expenses for one year in order to apply for a one-year residence permit (proof can be a blocked account, sponsorship, etc.).
• The current visa regulations including the required sum that needs to be proven can be found here.
• Overall, you need to be able to cover at least two years of living costs as the programme takes at least two years plus tuition fees of 1500 € and semester contributions of approx. 400 € must be paid each semester. Therefore, the tuition fee and the semester contribution for the entire programme are approx. 7600 €.
• Usually students are able to get paid students jobs to cover part of their expenses in the course of their MSc-studies at University of Oldenburg. This applies especially to higher semester whereas it is difficult specially during 1^st term. 

How do I hand in letters of recommendation? What format do they need to be in?

As we need everyone's documents to be uploaded in the process of using our online application system, we need scans of your letters. This means that you are allowed to open those letters yourself, even if you may have to break a seal.

We do not have a template for the format, but the letter needs to be on official company letterhead, signed and stamped.

Your referee can also send the letter by email from his or her company email account. Public providers like gmail are not acceptable. The email address for this is ppre@uol.de.

You may address the recommendation letters to: Mr. Edu Knagge

Do I need to write a research proposal in addition to the motivation letter?

No, we do not require a research proposal. However, you can add a research proposal as part of your letter of motivation. Please keep in mind though, that the whole document must not be longer than 2 pages.

Do I have to submit two letters of motivation if I want to apply for the DAAD EPOS scholarship?

No, as an applicant for the DAAD EPOS scholarship, the required letter of motivation by DAAD and by University of Oldenburg are the same. Hence, you only need to submit one letter of motivation.

In addition, if you are applying for the DAAD EPOS scholarship, and you want to apply for more than one postgraduate course (the maximum allowed is 3 courses), you have to explain in your letter of motivation why you are applying for these specific courses and give your priority. 

I got my degree in an English-speaking country. Do I still need proof of English language proficiency?

No, you don't.

My studies were conducted in English language.

If the medium of instruction at your college was 100% English, you can simply hand in a confirmation of this as a substitute for the English language proficiency test.

Which certificates of English proficiency do you accept?

We accept TOEFL iBT, IELTS, Cambridge, PTE Academic, TOEIC, telc and UNIcert on level B2.

My test is expired, is it still accepted?

Unfortunately, no. We can only accept official academic language tests, which are not expired. Please also keep in mind that you can prove your English proficiency with your university degree, if the medium of instruction was English.

I do not speak German/ I only speak little German.

This is not relevant for the application process. Classes are in English, but there are preparatory German language courses for you to manage your everyday life.

When will I know if I was chosen for the programme?

If you applied for a DAAD scholarship (deadline 15 October) you will know by the end of January, and if you applied to the January 15 deadline you will know by April at the latest.

If you were told that you are on a waiting list, you could be admitted anytime between early July and September, depending on the time when the regular candidates inform us that they will not take part in the programme.

I would like to know why I was not chosen.

Unfortunately, there is no way for us to give individual feedback since we receive hundreds of applications each year. You can only check for yourself if you uploaded all required documents, graduated at least with a grade in the Second Upper division (in fact, most of our students have first class degrees) or if you have work experience in the energy and rural development sector, also to make up for average grades or for a subject that is not closely connected to our programme. Finally, your motivation letter is very important, too.

What are the chances of getting a job with a specialization in renewable energy?

At the moment, they are excellent. There are a large number of jobs on all continents and our alumni are well sought-after.

What are the chances of working during my studies with SuRE?

The probability of getting paid during your Master's thesis is high, and there is even a small chance of getting paid during your internship. If you manage to get a work contract originating from this internship, there is a small chance of having a job during your second semester, although you really should keep the workload in mind - working during the semester is not recommended for that reason. In any case, the prospect of earning money during these projects cannot serve as a basis for your financial statement.

Generally, if you absolutely want to work during the semester, you might face problems with the language barrier. What you can do for a chance on the job market is study German *very* hard once you're accepted (which is also highly recommended if you are planning on finding a job in Germany after SuRE), but please, do not rely on earning money in Oldenburg.

Is the programme designed for working in the private sector or is a career in academia also possible?

It is definitely possible to go for an academic career path after completing SuRE. Several of our alumni have completed a PhD after our program. Our alumni are working in diverse settings from academic institutes to private companies.

What are the research opportunities available at Oldenburg for the SuRE's master students.

Oldenburg offers several different research institutes for our students. For example, many students write their master thesis at OFFIS, ForWind, or Fraunhofer IWES, to name just a few research institutes in Oldenburg.