Now, Applications for MSc Program 2023 Intake Round One for Joint-Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program (JJWBGSP) is opened.
IPADS MSc_JJWBGSP Official Rules of Admission for October 2023 intake
IPADS has been chosen as one of the 29 participating MSc programs (2023-2025) for the Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program (JJWBGSP).
Applicants for IPADS MSc seeking for funding opportunities by Joint-Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program (JJWBGSP) should fulfill the application criteria stipulated by JJWBGSP (for details check: https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/scholarships#3), including minimum three-years employment record in the development fields, as well as holding an outstanding academic records.
Selection processes for IPADS admission and JJWBGSP are conducted separately, the former by IPADS and the latter by the World Bank. Those seeking the scholarship are required to pass the screening for admission for IPADS first and obtain a Certificate of Admission (unconditional admission offer) from IPADS which is mandatory for applying for JJWBGSP.
Please note that being admitted in IPADS DOES NOT guarantee any spot in the JJWBGSP.
Those who are admitted in IPADS but fail for JJWBGSP selection can still enroll in IPADS as self-financed students.
IPADS Application timetable for October 2023 intake (all times JST)
Selection is carried out in two separate rounds as per the timetable below.
| Round One | Round Two | |
|---|---|---|
| JJWBGSP |
JJWBGSP |
|
| Online application (pre-screening) closes | 24 October 2022 | 15 February 2023 |
| Shortlist announced | by 21 November 2022 | by 10 March 2023 |
| Document (PDF) submission for shortlisted applicants) closes | 14 December 2022 | 31 March 2023 |
| Video/Telephone Interview | Mid January 2023 | Late April 2023 |
| Final results announced | by 7 February 2023 | by 16 May 2023 |
Those who apply for JJWBGSP with a certificate of admission in IPADS MSc must apply to the World Bank in Application Window #1 (application period: From Mid January, 2023 to February, 2023 at noon Washington time).
Please check the detail at the World Bank website >>
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Applicants who is unsuccessful in Round One screening can apply again in Round Two screening if they wish to do so.
Following the pre-screening based on the information submitted online, those who meet the eligibility criteria and are considered suitable for consideration for admission (shortlisted applicants) will be invited to submit the additional documents listed on the bottom of this page.
Shortlisted applicants will be announced at https://ipads.a.u-tokyo.ac.jp.
We will not notify the result of the pre-screening to each applicant separately or respond to inquiries about the result of the pre-screening.
Shortlisted applicants will be given about three weeks to submit the additional documents. An interview may be conducted to the limited number of applicants via Zoom as part of the selection process. Applicants will be notified if this is the case. The final selection result will be informed by email.
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IPADS accepts all the application documents in digital format for screening process. However, on being admitted, prospective students will be asked to submit original copy of official transcript and diploma at enrollment registration. If any of the details given in these original documents diverge from the information provided during application process for admission to IPADS, admission will be canceled at any time even after the enrollment.
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Questions we ask during the online application process
Be sure that you have all necessary information before starting the application as our online application form does not have a function to “save and resume”
＊ Documents need to be uploaded at online application
Personal Data:
・Name
・Birth date
・Nationality
・Address
・Phone number
・Email addresses
For degrees attained (or expected to be attained on or before 30 September 2023):
・Name of institution
・Country of institution
・Degree attained
・Year and month commenced and graduated
・Language(s) used in the program
・Grade point average (GPA) of the coursework component, for coursework and coursework/research degrees
・Summary of the thesis (500 words or less), for research and coursework/research degrees
・Name of the principal supervisor, for research and coursework/research degrees
・Scholarships, awards, medals and prizes awarded during the program
・Scanned official transcript (PDF format) ＊
・Scanned certificate of graduation or diploma/expected graduation (PDF format) ＊
For recent working experience (s) :
Mandatory for those intending to apply for the JJWBGSP Scholarship
・Name of institution/company
・Country of institution/company
・Position
・Year and month commenced and resigned
・Language(s) used
・Description of the job duties in detail
・Scanned certificate of employment or employment contract (PDF format) ＊
For English Proficiency and others :
・Scanned TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo (alternative English test for those who meet our criteria only) scores (PDF format) ＊
for a test sat on or after 1 January 2021. While IPADS does not publish the official cut-off scores for English proficiency tests, we especially welcome applicants who meet the following criteria: TOEFL iBT – 98 and above, IELTS – 7.0 and above.
Exemptions from submitting the English test scores or Alternative English test are granted to applicants who meet our criteria only. For detail >>>
IPADS Office reserves the right to request a proof of English proficiency from all applicants, regardless of their nationalities and educational background. For TOEFL, applicants must arrange for the ETS to forward the report to University of Tokyo, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences – IPADS (Code: C351).
・Scholarship or funding source for your study in Tokyo
・Names and affiliations of two referees. One should be written by university academic who is familiar with the applicant’s academic achievement such as supervisor for the Bachelor’s/Master’s thesis and the other should be written by applicant’s supervisor at current or previous workplace
・Disciplines of interest
・Essay in word or PDF format ＊
“What do you want to study and achieve through the IPADS? How would you like to contribute to the society after graduation?” (800-1000 words)
IMPORTANT: Your essay should be written based on your academic background and your past or current professional experience and achievement in the field of development.
When the above items are ready to submit, click this link (for Round One).
Documents to be submitted by shortlisted applicants
Detailed instructions on the additional documents to be submitted will be given to those who pass the initial screening and become shortlisted.
The brief information on the documents are:
・Application form with face photo and signature in excel
・Research work conducted by the applicant, such as a Bachelor’s thesis, Honor’s thesis or equivalent (graduates of Bachelor’s programs with no research component will be given an essay assignment at the time of shortlisting)
・Proof of citizenship (Passport copy)
・Two letters of recommendation from two referees nominated at online application
・Proof of Examination Fee payment (the details regarding Examination Fee will be sent out at the time of shortlisting)
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Who is Eligible to Apply for JJWBGSP?
According to the World Bank website as of June 23, 2022, followings are the eligibility criteria;
- Be a national of a World Bank member developing country on this list;
- Not hold dual citizenship of any developed country;
- Be in good health;
- Hold a Bachelor’s (or equivalent) degree earned at least 3 years prior to the Application Deadline date;
- Have 3 years or more of recent development-related work experience after earning a Bachelor’s (or equivalent) degree;
- Be employed in development-related work in a paid full- time position at the time of submitting the scholarship application. Have at least 3 years of paid development-related employment since earning a Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent university degree) and acquired within the past 6 years from the date of the Application Deadline. Please see FAQs on how to count qualified part time employment toward this 3-year requirement. Please see Annex 2 of the Application Guidelines for a suggested list of development-related topics. The only exception to this criterion is for developing country nationals from a country that is on the list of Fragile and Conflict States featured in Annex 3 of the Application Guidelines. In these exceptional cases, we do take into consideration the limited employment opportunities in those countries listed in Annex 3.
- On or before the Scholarship Application Deadline date, be admitted unconditionally (except for funding) for the upcoming academic year to at least one of the JJ/WBGSP participating master’s programs located outside of the applicant’s country of citizenship and country of residence listed at the time the call for scholarship applications opens. The letter of admission must be uploaded before submitting your application. For details, see “How to Apply”.
- Not be an Executive Director, his/her alternate, and/or staff of any type of appointment of the World Bank Group or a close relative of the aforementioned by blood or adoption with the term “close relative” defined as: Mother, Father, Sister, Half-sister, Brother, Half-brother, Son, Daughter, Aunt, Uncle, Niece, or Nephew.