Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program

The Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program (JJ/WBGSP) is open to women and men from developing countries with relevant professional experience and a history of supporting their countries’ development efforts who are applying to a master degree program in a development-related topic.

JJWBGSP offers scholarships for over 200 Preferred Programs (.xlsx 49 KB) spanning a wide array of development topics and for 14 Partner Programs (.xlsx 15 KB) at universities in U.S., Africa and Japan in key areas of development, including economic policy management, tax policy, and infrastructure management. JJWBGSP scholarships for developing country nationals are not available for any other master degree program.

A JJWBGSP scholarship provides tuition, a monthly living stipend, round-trip airfare, health insurance, and travel allowance.

View a detailed list of benefits. After earning their degree, developing country scholars commit to return to home to use their new skills to contribute to their countries’ social and economic development.

What can an applicant do before the call?

Read information posted on this website and review eligibility criteria carefully.
Apply to one or more of the JJWBGSP preferred (.xlsx 49 KB) and partnership (.xlsx 15 KB) master degree programs.
Begin gathering required documentation for the scholarship application, including: your current curriculum vitae (c.v.), proof of employment for each record of employment since earning a Bachelor’s degree, and certified copy of the certificate of your most advanced university degree earned.
Identify two professional recommenders.
Please note that application guidelines that provide detailed application instructions will be posted on this website during the open call.
Who is Eligible to Apply?

Details on Eligibility Criteria for each call for applications are provided in that call’s Application Guidelines, and these detailed eligibility criteria are strictly adhered to. No exceptions are made.

Broadly speaking, Developing Country nationals must:

Be a national of a World Bank member developing country;
Not hold dual citizenship of a developed country;
Be in good health;
Hold a Bachelor (or equivalent) degree earned at least 3 years prior to the Application Deadline date;
Have 3 years or more of recent development-related experience after earning a Bachelor (or equivalent) degree;
Be accepted unconditionally to enroll in the upcoming academic year in at least one of the JJWBGSP Preferred or Partner masters degree Programs;
Not be an Executive Director, his/her alternate, and/or staff of all types of appointments 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;

*Please note: All eligibility criteria are strictly adhered to. No exceptions are made. Eligibility criteria WILL NOT change during an open call for applications. However, this information is subject to change between the close of one application process and the opening of the next.

For more information visit here.