Max Weber Programme

The Max Weber Programme supports the best Bavarian secondary school graduates and students who are enrolled in a programme at a higher education institution in Bavaria. Secondary school graduates who have passed their secondary school diploma with a grade of 1.30 or better can be put forward for consideration by their head teacher. If they pass a selection procedure, they will be accepted into the programme on a probationary basis. Students who are enrolled in a programme at a higher education institution in Bavaria and have demonstrated outstanding academic achievements can be put forward for consideration by their lecturers or other members (must hold a doctorate) of their higher education institution’s academic staff. Students who are in their third subject semester or beyond can submit an application for themselves.

This means that the programme is also open to students who are already further along in their degree programmes and/or did not obtain their higher education entrance qualification in Bavaria. 200 students are accepted into the programme each year. Usually all applicants who meet the formal requirements will be invited to attend a two-day selection seminar. If the number of applicants is higher than the number of places on the seminar, applicants will be pre-selected on the basis of an assessment of their application documents. Selection seminars will be held in Bavaria on weekends in April. Support for successful applicants will start 1 October.

All applicants have the same chance of acceptance whether they are enrolled in an elite graduate programme of the Elite Network of Bavaria or not.
The programme supports both students studying for their first degree and students studying for a consecutive Master's degree.

Save in exceptional circumstances, students must be 23 or under at the date of acceptance into the programme.

The main aim of the programme is to help students develop both on a professional and on a personal level.

It offers:

• Mentoring,
• An opportunity to collaborate with other areas of excellence,
• An opportunity to engage in research at early stages of a student’s education,
• An opportunity to forge international links,
• Interdisciplinary and career-oriented events.

Students will not be paid a monthly maintenance grant. Instead, they will receive an allowance of €1,290.00 per semester. In addition, students may receive financial assistance to help pay for study abroad periods, language courses, or short research trips.

In accordance with the provisions of Bayerisches Eliteförderungsgesetz (Bavarian Act on Support for Elite Students, BayEFG), students can, on principle, receive assistance under BayEFG and assistance from a Begabtenförderungswerk scholarship organisation at the same time. This means that you can receive support under the Max Weber Programmme  and assistance from another organisation at the same time. However, you CANNOT receive financial assistance from two programmes or organisations at the same time. For more provisions governing the enforcement of BayEFG, click here (page available in German only).

Important information for students who were accepted into the Max Weber Programme:

You CANNOT hold a Deutschlandstipendium scholarship and receive support under the Max Weber Programme at the same time. Once you have been admitted into the programme, you must present a letter confirming that you no longer receive funding under the Deutschlandstipendium scholarship. If you fail to do so, you will not receive support under the Max Weber Programme.

Students who receive assistance under BayEFG will receive guidance from the  Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes foundation.

(Mentors at the University of Würzburg)

Application deadline:
1 November (for acceptance into the programme in the summer semester of the following year)

More information is available on the pages of the Elite Network of Bavaria.