Berlin Mathematical School (BMS) Phase I Scholarships 2027/2028

About this scholarship

A scholarship for bachelor's graduates who want a PhD in mathematics in Berlin, starting with the master's phase in October 2027. Up to 10 are given, and you must apply by 1 December 2026 to be considered.

Funding type

Covers: EUR 1,000 a month, tax free, for 1+18 months as the page puts it, which can be extended by 6 months. The BMS programme is tuition free. Does not cover: health insurance. Scholarship holders may also earn up to EUR 6,000 a year without paying tax. The BMS does not fund the PhD phase itself. You find a supervisor in the last semester of Phase I, who should provide PhD funding for at least three years.

Tuition fees

Covered

Living costs

Partially covered

Travel

Not specified

Insurance

Not covered

Eligibility requirements

Nationalities

All nationalities

Residence condition

No residence condition

No nationality limit is stated A bachelor's degree or equivalent, finished before the start in October 2027. You can apply before you graduate The BMS does not consider a German grade worse than 3.0, checks whether you are in the top 10% of your year, and only the best 40 Phase I applications go further To be considered for the scholarship you must apply by 1 December 2026 Master's graduates apply to Phase II instead, which has no BMS scholarship

Minimum grade

Not stated

Work experience asked for

Not stated

Return condition

Return condition not stated

How to apply

Straight to the provider

Language requirements and exemptions

Language test required TOEFL iBT IELTS PTE Academic Cambridge English Other test Waiver possible

If neither English nor German is your first language: TOEFL iBT 95, IELTS Academic 7.0, PTE Academic 76, Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency with a score of 180, or UNIcert III. Results older than two years are not accepted. Formal education in English in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK or the US replaces the test.

University admission details

Admission included in application?

Apply on the BMS application portal between 1 October and 1 December 2026, 23:59 Berlin time. Applicants who want a Phase I scholarship must apply by 1 December. When you submit, your two referees get an email automatically. Their letters are due one week after the deadline. Shortlisted applicants may be invited to an interview, by video call or in person at the BMS Days. Results for the December round come by mid-March 2027. The second round, from 1 March to 1 April 2027, is for admission without funding. The published application guidelines are the January 2026 version, while the 2027 dates are on the application page.

Required documents

Online application form, including a section where you say you need BMS funding Personal statement of one to two pages CV of up to two pages Official transcripts from every university you attended, translated if not in English or German Proof of English Two letters of recommendation from university teachers, sent by them through the BMS system Files in PDF, each no larger than 1.5 MB

Application steps

Check that BMS faculty work in the areas that interest you. Ask two university teachers whether they will write for you before you add them to the form. Create an account on the application portal, fill in the form and say that you need BMS funding. Upload your documents and submit before 1 December 2026, 23:59 Berlin time.

Requirement checklist

Scholarship contacts

BMS applications team: [email protected]Copy

Universities and contacts