What You Need to Know About the PROMOS Program

• Applications are open to regularly enrolled students in Bachelor's, Master's, Diplom, Magister and Staatsexamens degree programs at RUB, who are German citizens, as well as persons who are treated as equivalent to Germans according to § 8 paragraph 1 number 2 ff, paragraph 2, 2a and 3 BAföG.
• Non-German RUB students can apply if they are enrolled with the aim of obtaining a degree at RUB.
• International degree-seeking RUB students can be funded in all subprogrammes, as long as they do not intend to stay in their home country. The country in which the (PhD) student has been living in for at least five years is considered the home country. Exceptions apply to international students who are completing a stay abroad in their home country to do research for their final thesis.
• PhD students are not eligible for PROMOS funding. Exception: medical students who are already pursuing a PhD as part of their regular studies. Also, in the subprogramme "field trips" PhD students can be funded.
• Students who already receive funding from German public funds for their stay abroad cannot be funded through PROMOS. (If in doubt, please contact us!)

• PROMOS funding

A student stay abroad can be funded with a PROMOS partial scholarship for mobility and/or a PROMOS partial scholarship for the stay, depending on the destination country and the duration of the stay. The mobility grant is a one-time lump sum for travel expenses. Please note that the monthly PROMOS grants are only partial scholarships. In contrast to full scholarships, which completely finance a stay abroad, partial scholarships only cover the additional costs related to the stay abroad.

• PROMOS funding rates 2025

The funding rates apply to individual stays of RUB students (i.e. study abroad, internship, stay to prepare the final thesis).

• PROMOS funding for field trips

For field trips organised by RUB lecturers a daily rate of 45 euros per person applies. Further information for lecturers is available here.

• PROMOS total funding period

Basically, a student can receive PROMOS funding for a total of six months within an academic educational period ending with the achievement of a degree (e.g. Bachelor's, Master's, Diplom, Magister and Staatsexamens , but not a PhD). A combination of the funding measures study abroad, internship abroad and/or thesis abroad is possible.

For the participation in PROMOS field trips there is no limitation by a total funding period.

If, due to a disability and/or a chronic illness, additional expenses abroad are to be expected and other responsible authorities (e.g. social insurance agencies) have rejected additional financial support, an application for PROMOS special needs can be submitted to the DAAD. If you have any questions, please contact the RUB PROMOS team.

There are three application deadlines per PROMOS funding year (January 1 - December 31):

• 1 November

For internships, research stays (final thesis only!), study trips (organized by RUB teaching staff) and for a study abroad (exclusively at a partner university of Ruhr University Bochum within an exchange program of the International Office or a department/institute) in the next year

• 1 March

For internships, research stays (final thesis only!), study trips (organized by RUB teaching staff) and for a study abroad (exclusively at a partner university of Ruhr University Bochum within an exchange program of the International Office or a department/institute) in the current year

• 1 June

For internships, research stays (final thesis only!), study trips (organized by RUB teaching staff) and for a study abroad (exclusively at a partner university of Ruhr University Bochum within an exchange program of the International Office or a department/institute) in the current year

Usually, it takes about six weeks after the application deadline to receive a response.

Please note that within a year it is only possible to apply once for PROMOS funding for the same stay. Nevertheless it is possible to apply for funding for different stays. Please consider the minimum and maximum funding periods. Within each study period (Bachelor or Master) students may receive PROMOS funding for a total of six months. Please weigh which application deadline would be the most suitable for you.

All applicants are evaluated by an internal selection committee consisting of members of various faculties. Approximately four weeks after the submission deadline, candidates will be determined in a selection meeting organised and coordinated by the International Office. The selection is based on the following criteria:

• Academic records
• Purpose of the stay
• Motivation
• Language skills
• Letter of recommendation
• Academic progress and potential
• Extracurricular activities and interests
• Formal requirements on the application documents