Study at 3 Universities on Berliner Antike-Kolleg DAAD PhD Scholarships 2027: Harvard, Oxford, Princeton or University of Michigan

Imagine writing your doctorate on Egyptian inscriptions, Byzantine Greek, Roman law or ancient philosophy—and then spending part of that PhD at Harvard, Oxford, Princeton or the University of Michigan.

That possibility is built into the Berlin Graduate School of Ancient Studies (BerGSAS), where applications are now possible for 2027 doctoral admission in Berlin across several ancient-studies programmes.

There is, however, one financial condition applicants should understand before getting excited by the word “admission”: these current study places do not automatically include a BerGSAS scholarship. You must normally demonstrate how your three-year doctorate will be financed—or show that you have already applied to another organization for doctoral funding.

Quick Scholarship Info Box

Which PhD Programmes Are Open?

BerGSAS currently accepts applicants into four structured doctoral programmes:

• Ancient Languages and Texts
• Ancient Objects and Visual Studies
• Ancient Philosophy and History of Science
• Landscape Archaeology and Architecture

Applicants normally need a very good Master’s degree in ancient studies or a closely connected discipline.

Suitable backgrounds can include archaeology, Egyptology, Ancient Near Eastern Studies, Ancient History, Medieval History, Religious Studies, Philosophy, History of Knowledge, Theology, Art History, Classics, Byzantine Studies and Iranian Studies.

The proposed dissertation must also deal substantially with the ancient world.

The Funding Rule Applicants Must Not Miss

This is where the current 2027 opportunity differs from a fully funded scholarship announcement.

For ordinary BerGSAS admission, applicants must be able to show either:

• An existing doctoral scholarship;
• A part-time academic/research position capable of financing the doctorate; or
• evidence that they have already submitted an application to a third-party organisation for doctoral funding.

You therefore do not necessarily need to have won the scholarship before applying to BerGSAS. Proof that a genuine external funding application has already been submitted can satisfy the admission-stage requirement.

This creates a practical route for international applicants: prepare the BerGSAS PhD application while simultaneously targeting DAAD or another external doctoral scholarship.

What About the DAAD-GSSP Fully Funded Scholarships?

BerGSAS has previously hosted fully funded DAAD Graduate School Scholarship Programme (GSSP) positions.

The latest confirmed Ancient Languages and Texts call offered two scholarships for October 2026–September 2030, including a €1,300 monthly stipend under that specific call, travel support, insurance, research allowances, possible rent/family allowances and German-language-course support.

That particular competition, however, should not be labelled the 2027 scholarship call.

The useful point for 2027 applicants is that BerGSAS explicitly states that when it advertises its own scholarships, the normal requirement to bring or seek separate funding is waived.

So applicants should watch the BerGSAS calls page for any new funded competition while continuing with the regular 2027 admission route.

A PhD in Berlin With a Semester at Harvard or Oxford?

Potentially, yes.

Each BerGSAS doctoral programme follows a structured six-semester curriculum, and doctoral researchers may spend a semester at one of the graduate school’s partner universities:

Harvard University, University of Michigan, University of Oxford or Princeton University.

BerGSAS states that financial support may also be available for this research mobility.

That international network is one of the more distinctive features of the programme.

How to Apply for the BerGSAS Scholarship 2027 Intake?

The process becomes easier if you approach it in the right order:

• Select the BerGSAS doctoral programme closest to your academic background.
• Develop a dissertation project focused on the ancient world.
• Prepare your Master’s degree certificate and transcripts.
• Identify how the doctorate will be financed.
• If you do not already have funding, apply for an external PhD scholarship before submitting the BerGSAS application so you can provide evidence of that application.
• Prepare your research proposal, academic CV and other programme documents.
• Submit by September 30, 2026 for an April 2027 start.
• Submit by April 30, 2027 for an October 2027 start.

The deadlines recur according to the intended semester rather than belonging to one isolated annual scholarship competition.

Should International Applicants Apply?

For applicants with a strong Master’s background in ancient studies, this is a serious 2027 PhD route—but it should be described accurately.

BerGSAS admission is currently open; a fully funded 2027 DAAD-GSSP scholarship call is not the same thing.

That distinction actually makes the opportunity more useful: applicants do not necessarily need to wait for a BerGSAS-funded scholarship call. They can pursue 2027 doctoral admission while simultaneously applying for DAAD or another external source of funding.

If you are unsure whether your Master’s subject qualifies, which BerGSAS programme fits your proposed research, how to demonstrate funding, or which DAAD scholarship could finance your 2027 doctorate, leave your degree, nationality and research subject in the comments below.