## APPLICATION GUIDELINES FOR MASTER’S TRACK AY2027-28

## Source details

**Canonical URL:** [APPLICATION GUIDELINES FOR MASTER’S TRACK AY2027-28](https://www.imf.org/-/media/files/oap/jispa/ay-2027-application-guidelines-for-masters-track.pdf)

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- [Markdown version](/-/media/files/oap/jispa/ay-2027-application-guidelines-for-masters-track.pdf.md)
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### Program overview
- The Japan-IMF Scholarship Program for Asia (JISPA) offers scholarships to young government officials from emerging and developing economies in the Asia-Pacific region to pursue graduate studies in economics and public policy in Japan.
- Master’s Track partner universities: National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS); Hitotsubashi University (HIT); International University of Japan (IUJ); The University of Tokyo (UTokyo).

### Application deadlines and key schedule (JISPA)
- APPLICATION DEADLINE: OCTOBER 20, 2026, 23:59, JST (Japan Standard Time).
- Online Application Window: September 15 – October 20, 2026.
- Reference Letter Submission Deadline: November 1, 2026, 23:59, JST.
- Important schedule items and dates:
  - Application deadline: October 20, 2026 (November 1, 2026: Submission Due Date for Reference Letters)
  - Math test given to all eligible applicants: December 3,2026
  - Interviews with selected applicants: Late January to mid-February, 2027
  - Notifications to selected and reserved candidates: March 11, 2027
  - Deadline to accept the scholarship: March 18, 2027
  - Reserve or stand-by applicants are called, if necessary: March 19, 2027
  - Visa application process: March–June 2027
  - JISPA Program Commences: July 2027
  - Arrival in Japan for Orientation Program: July 7-8, 2027
  - Orientation Program (OP): July 9 to September 22, 2027
  - Moving to the University from the OP:
    - GRIPS: September 23, 2027
    - Hitotsubashi: early-September, 2027
    - IUJ: September 23, 2027
    - UTokyo: September 23, 2027
  - Master’s Programs begin:
    - GRIPS: October 1, 2027
    - Hitotsubashi: mid-September, 2027
    - IUJ: October 1, 2027
    - UTokyo: late-September, 2027

### Eligibility requirements (JISPA)
- Nationality: Must be a national of one of the following countries:
  - Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Lao P.D.R., Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, Pacific Island Countries, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.
- Employment and nomination:
  - Officials currently employed and nominated by relevant government agencies, including central bank, ministry of economy, ministry of finance, ministry of planning/development, ministry of trade/commerce, tax administration, national statistics bureau, financial regulatory agencies, or similar government bodies.
  - Other government areas that significantly influence macroeconomic policy formulation or implementation may also be considered.
  - A nomination from the applicant’s government agency is required via a signed nomination and certification form confirming agency support and assurance of reinstatement upon completion.
  - NOTE: Officials who are (will be) on leave or out of duty for more than one consecutive month, within the 12-month period leading up to July 1, 2027, are not eligible to apply.
- Education:
  - Hold a Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 16 years of formal education.
  - In some cases, 15 years of formal education may be accepted if there is an official explanation.
  - Names of schools and dates of attendance for the most recent three schools must be listed.
- English proficiency:
  - Demonstrate English language proficiency equivalent to official iBT score of 79-80 or higher, or an overall IELTS score of at least 6.0.
- Commitment to national development:
  - Applicants must demonstrate a clear commitment to contributing to the development of their home country and are required to return to their agency upon completion of their studies.

- Priority applicants:
  - Under 36 years old.
  - Have not obtained a Master’s Degree from outside their own country.
  - Have a minimum of 2 years work experience in the public sector at the time of application.

### Required application materials (online submission only)
- Application Information: Complete all required fields as per the Sample Application Form.
- Nomination and Certification Form from the Employing Agency: Signed by authorized official and bear the agency’s official seal.
- Research Proposal for Thesis or Policy Paper:
  - Typewritten, no more than 500 words.
  - Grounded in important policy issues and challenges facing the applicant’s country; cannot be substituted by listing courses.
  - File: A4 or Letter size, Word file with macros disabled, file size must not exceed 1MB.
- Statement of Purpose:
  - 400-600 words; text only, no equations or formulas.
  - Explain purpose, career goals, university choices, area of study, and contribution to home agency and country.
  - File: A4 or Letter size, Word file only, file size must not exceed 1MB.
- Official Transcripts and Certified Copies of Diplomas/Degree Certificates:
  - Official copies with university administration seal; attestation by non-notarized persons/orgs not accepted.
- Grading System and GPA Explanation:
  - Include transcript page or separate document explaining grading system and GPA; if not provided, upload completed GPA calculator.
- TOEFL/IELTS certificate (if available):
  - Test reports must be from an examination taken after December 1, 2024.
  - English Test Requirement Exemption Policy:
    - Exempt if from countries where official language is English: India, the Philippines, and selected PIC countries.
    - Exempt for education: English medium programs (undergraduate and/or graduate-level) in selected English-speaking countries (Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK, and the US).
  - JISPA institution codes for registration:
    - TOEFL: “C626 – Japan-IMF Scholarship Program for Asia”
    - IELTS: “JISPA: Japan-IMF Scholarship Program for Asia”
  - If a score is unavailable, applicant will be requested to take the in-house English examination or provide TOEFL-iBT/IELTS scores prior to final scholarship decision.
- Passport Copy: Photocopy of the photograph page of valid national passport or official national ID with photo if passport unavailable.
- Photo:
  - Recent, formal, full face (passport-style).
  - Accepted file format: JPG.
  - Maximum file size: 500 KB.

### Reference letters (submission and format)
- Two Letters of Reference required; referees should be workplace supervisors, academic advisors, or other professional references familiar with the applicant.
- Reference letters must be submitted directly by referees to the JISPA Secretariat at jispa@imf.org with the applicant’s Reference Number.
- Submission Deadline: November 1, 2026, 23:59 JST.
- Referees must use official institutional email addresses; non-official domains are not accepted.
- Reference letters must be signed (handwritten or certified digital signature) and include referee’s name and title.
- After submitting the online application, applicants receive a PDF copy containing a unique Reference Number to provide to referees.
- Reference letter file naming convention: ReferenceNumber_ApplicantFullName_RL_RefereeName.
- Required referee information in signature block if not included: Full Name; Salutation; Country; Agency.

### Online application flow and procedural instructions
- Applications accepted exclusively through the JISPA Online Application System; link available via JISPA website.
- Key steps:
  1. Confirm eligibility and prepare materials; ensure Word files for research proposal and statement of purpose do not contain macros.
  2. Contact two referees in advance; confirm official institutional email addresses.
  3. Complete and submit the online application; no changes post-submission unless resubmitting with a new email address and informing OAP at jispa@imf.org with the new reference number and primary email address.
  4. Save the PDF application form containing the Reference Number; uploaded materials are not included in the PDF.
  5. Provide Reference Number to referees and ensure they submit letters from their official institutional email addresses to jispa@imf.org.
  6. Confirm both reference letters are submitted by the deadline; incomplete applications will not be processed.

### Important notices, conditions, and confidentiality
- All submitted materials must be in English or accompanied by an official English translation.
- Submitted materials will be considered under the control of the IMF and provided to the Partner Universities and the Government of Japan as deemed appropriate; materials will not be returned.
- Incomplete applications, including missing two reference letters, will not be processed.
- If selected, applicants must submit original copies of diploma and transcripts via post to OAP; failure to do so will result in revocation of the university’s admission and cancellation of the scholarship offer.
- Deadlines reiterated:
  - Online Application Deadline: October 20, 23:59, JST.
  - Reference Letter Submission Deadline: November 1, 23:59, JST (via email).
- Confidentiality: Contents of reference letters will remain confidential and will not be disclosed to applicants.
- Auto-completion message: Failure to receive it indicates invalid or incorrect email addresses; restart application or reference letter form with correct address.

### Typing tips and data-entry conventions for the online form
- Capitalize first letter and make other letters lower case in fields (example: Last Name: Nguyen).
- Capitalize the first letter in each part of any multiword name (example: Department: Department of Macroeconomic Policy).
- If a field is not relevant, leave it BLANK (do NOT type N/A) — but complete all required fields.
- If you have a single name, type it in "Last Name" and input N/A in "First name".
- For applicants from Vietnam, leave “Middle Name” blank and enter given name in “Given Name”.
- For branch-office applicants, type branch office name in "Department" and branch office department in "Division".
- Follow stipulated data formats such as time (MMYYYY) and phone numbers with a country code (Do not start with +).

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_Source: https://www.imf.org/-/media/files/oap/jispa/ay-2027-application-guidelines-for-masters-track.pdf_