Two PhD Scholarships are available to qualified individuals to study at the Graduate School of Empirical and Applied Linguistics in the University of Münster. These scholarships have been funded by DAAD are specifically for candidates in developing countries.

These candidates must also be interested in pursuing research on the topic of pluricentric languages at the University of Münster.

If you fit into this category, check below for more details about this scholarship:

Scholarship Details

• Starting Date: October 1, 2025
• Institution: Graduate School of Empirical and Applied Linguistics, University of Münster
• Scholarship Duration: Up to 4 years, with extensions possible based on satisfactory progress

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Your proposed PhD project must align with the broad theme of “Pluricentric Languages” (details below).
• You must hold a B.A. and an M.A. in linguistics, applied linguistics, or TEFL with outstanding academic performance (within the top 20% of your class).
• Your Master’s degree must have been obtained after October 2019.
• You must be a national of a developing country (as per DAAD’s country list).
• You must be a national of a developing country (as per DAAD’s country list).
• You should be prepared to relocate to University of Münster, Germany, for the duration of the scholarship.
• You must not have resided in Germany for more than 15 months prior to your application.
• You must not have previously completed a PhD.

Scholarship Benefits

The scholarship package includes:

• A travel allowance
• A monthly stipend of 1300 Euros, with additional family allowance if applicable
• Health insurance coverage
• A German language course

Research Focus: Pluricentric Languages

Your PhD research should contribute to the study of pluricentric languages—languages that have evolved different regional norms or varieties across the globe due to factors such as colonization, migration, and land acquisition. Examples of such languages include Arabic, German, English, French, Portuguese, Dutch, Spanish, and Russian. These languages often feature distinct local varieties, which, while sharing core linguistic traits, exhibit systematic differences in vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. This variation has significant implications for language teaching, language prestige debates, and language change.

Potential research topics might include:

• Attitudes toward global varieties of English, German, French, Spanish, etc.
• Teaching Global Englishes
• The use of Russian in post-Soviet states
• Norms in non-European varieties of French, Spanish, and Portuguese

Application Documents

The deadline for applications is October 15, 2024. Interested candidates should submit the following documents via email to linguistics.phd@uni-muenster.de in PDF format:

• A research proposal (5-7 pages plus references) detailing your topic, research questions, theoretical framework, and proposed methodology
• A research timeline, including potential fieldwork or research stays outside of Germany
• A curriculum vitae
• Copies of your B.A. and M.A. degree certificates and transcripts, along with an explanation of the grading system used by your university
• A PDF copy of your M.A. thesis
• A recommendation letter from a professor at your home university
• A recent English language proficiency test score (e.g., TOEFL, IELTS, Cambridge Certificate)
• Names of two proposed supervisors from the list of supervisors at the University of Münster
• For further inquiries, please contact the University of Münster coordinator here

Additional Information

Applicants who receive a positive response from the Graduate School will be required to submit their application documents to the DAAD for final approval.

For more information, please visit, the official website of the University of Münster