Who we are
The German Association of Postgraduate Programmes with special Relevance to Developing Countries (AGEP) is an umbrella organization comprising various postgraduate study programmes oriented to developing and threshold countries as well as countries with economies in transition.
These programmes are offered by the AGEP members at German universities in widespread fields of natural, engineering, technical, medical and social sciences, economics and other relevant disciplines.
The AGEP programmes charge no, or very low fees compared to universities in other countries. This makes studying in Germany an attractive option.
These programmes decided to cooperate with each other, to offer students from all over the world a greater amount of courses and additional qualifications and to enhance their studying experience in Germany.
What we offer
AGEP standards guarantee that its members maintain a high scientific level and apply modern methods of teaching and research. The lecturers are highly qualified scientists with additional comprehensive experience in research, project work and cooperation with institutions in developing countries. Each AGEP member has developed their own topic specific profile and didactic concept.
Some of our international programmes have a proven track record covering more than 30 years, whilst others have evolved more recently. All of them have been continuously updated and accredited according to current developments and specific requirements in developing countries.
Participants from more than 70 countries vouch for the quality of these study programmes. The excellent international reputation gives rise to extensive support from international and national institutions. Hundreds of participants are holders of scholarships from their home countries or from German and international donors.
The courses are mostly held in English. Furthermore, a variety of educational, social and cultural issues is addressed through practical trainings, seminars and excursions in order to facilitate the participation in these study programmes and in the daily life in Germany.
Depending on the programme, the duration of Master courses varies between 1 and 2 years. On completion, successful participants will receive an internationally recognized Master’s degree (M.Sc. or M.A. or LL.M.). Three of the programmes lead to a doctoral degree and have a duration of 3 years.
How to apply
Please send applications, together with your curriculum vitae, copies of your academic records, language certificate and a statement on financing directly to the secretariats of the study programmes in which you are interested. Please note that some courses have prepared special application forms which may be obtained from the secretariat of the respective programme or downloaded from their homepage.
You can find detailed information on the requirements and the process of application for each of the courses on their respective homepage. The link to each of the courses homepages is listed under
If you are applying for a scholarship, you should address yourself to the relevant scholarship awarding institution and follow their respective application procedure. We have listed all relevant information for you under
Our History
The foundation of the AGEP dates back to the year 1989, when our network started with just 6 study programmes. Their common denominator was a funding through the DAAD and they looked for a mechanism to jointly represent and articulate their interests. Sharing information and experiences to advance the portfolio of offered courses, getting in contact with relevant institutions, coordinating joint activities and looking for ways to collectively present the group were common goals even back then. In now almost 30 years of its existence, the AGEP has grown substantially (over 40 members!) in quality and quantity – and we are looking forward to keep advancing the studying experience in Germany!