Who Can Apply for ADB-JSP 2027 — and Who Can’t
The ADB-JSP has six hard requirements and several preference factors. This page covers all of them, including the edge cases that trip people up every year.
ScholarshipUnion Editorial
8 min read
Updated Oct 6, 2026
Hard requirements
These are not preference factors or soft criteria — they are binary. Miss any one and the application is ineligible, regardless of how strong everything else is.
1. Citizen of an ADB developing member country
You must hold citizenship of one of the 40 countries on ADB's eligible list (ADB's wording: a national of an ADB borrowing member country that is also eligible for Japanese ODA scholarships). Dual citizenship is allowed as long as neither passport is from a developed country. If you hold citizenship of, say, the Philippines and the United States, you are ineligible. If you hold two eligible citizenships, such as Fijian and Samoan, you may apply as a citizen of either. The full country list is in the next section.
2. Currently residing and working in your home country
This is the most commonly missed requirement. At the time you submit your application, you must be living in and working in your home country. Being temporarily abroad for a short assignment might be borderline, but working abroad on a long-term contract is a disqualifier.
- Based in Manila, working for a Philippine government agency — eligible
- Filipino working in Dubai on a 2-year employment contract — ineligible
- Vietnamese student completing a degree abroad — ineligible
3. Bachelor's degree with a superior academic record
ADB does not publish a minimum GPA, but “superior academic record” is the stated standard. In practice, most successful applicants sit at a GPA equivalent of 3.5/4.0 or higher. What this looks like on your transcript depends on your country's grading system — your institution's admissions office converts it when they evaluate your application. First class or distinction is generally what this translates to in Commonwealth grading systems. In many Asian systems, it's the top 10–15% of your cohort.
4. At least 2 years of full-time work experience after your bachelor's
This is the requirement with the most edge cases. Full details are in the work experience section below, but the core rule is: two or more years of full-time, paid employment that started after you completed your undergraduate degree.
- Full-time government employment post-bachelor's — counts
- Full-time NGO or private sector work post-bachelor's — counts
- Multiple employers combined totaling 2+ years — counts
- Internships — do not count
- Part-time employment — does not count
- Volunteer positions — do not count
- Work during undergraduate studies — does not count
5. Age limit: not more than 35 at the time of application
The limit applies to your age when you submit, not when the program starts. ADB's wording is “not more than 35 years old at the time of application, unless waived in exceptional cases with the expressed endorsement of the Government of Japan.” Some institutions phrase it more strictly — the University of Tokyo's School of International Health, for example, asked applicants to be below 35 on its 30 June 2026 deadline — so check your institution's wording. Waivers are rare; they have been described as reaching up to 45 for senior officials or experienced managers, but they require express endorsement from Japan and are uncommon.
6. Admitted to a designated master's program
This is both a requirement and the first step. Before ADB can consider you, you must receive an offer of admission to an approved field of study at one of the 27 designated partner institutions. The scholarship selection happens after admission — not before, and not in parallel. You apply to the university first and indicate interest in ADB-JSP. If the institution nominates you, ADB reviews your file.
ADB also requires you to be in good health and to have English good enough, spoken and written, to pursue graduate study.
Eligible countries
ADB's current list has 40 developing member countries. If yours isn't listed, you cannot apply regardless of other qualifications.
China, South Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and all developed economies are not on this list. Citizens of those countries may not apply regardless of residence or employment in an eligible country. Individual institutions may accept a narrower list in a given year (the University of Tokyo's 2027 call, for example, did not list Afghanistan or Myanmar), so confirm with your institution.
Work experience — the rules in detail
This is the requirement that generates the most questions. Here are the answers to every variation that comes up regularly.
My current job started 18 months ago. Can I combine it with a previous job?
Yes. You can combine employment periods from different employers, as long as each was full-time and paid, and each started after your bachelor's degree. Submit employment certificates from every employer whose time you're counting. Gaps between jobs are generally acceptable — what matters is the total cumulative time, not continuity.
Does my work need to be in a development-related sector?
The program doesn't explicitly require it — the rule is simply full-time professional work. However, some institutions add their own requirement that your work experience relate to the field of your proposed study (the University of Tokyo's School of International Health asks for two years in health or medical science), and for ADB's selection, work that connects to development themes ranks higher. If your work has been in a non-development field, your statement of purpose needs to explain the connection convincingly.
I worked part-time for 3 years. Does that add up to 1.5 years full-time?
No. Part-time employment does not count, and there's no prorated conversion. The requirement is specifically for full-time positions. If your employment certificates list you as part-time, that time doesn't count toward the two years.
I was a research assistant during my master's degree. Does that count?
No. Research assistantships during graduate study do not count toward the work experience requirement. The requirement is for work after your bachelor's degree — and specifically employment, not academic appointments. Some applicants from academia assume their RA years qualify; they don't under this program's rules.
I'm a self-employed consultant. Does that count?
Possibly, but it's the hardest type to document. Self-employment and independent consulting can qualify if they were full-time and paid, but institutions vary in how strictly they verify this. You'll need to provide documentation — contracts, payment records or a certification from clients. A notarized self-declaration alone is generally not sufficient. Check with the specific institution's admissions office before relying on consulting experience as your primary qualification.
Preference factors
These are not disqualifiers — but they directly affect your ranking among eligible candidates. The official criteria use the word “preference,” which means being on the right side of these factors genuinely improves your chances.
ADB's selection criteria explicitly give preference to women candidates. This reflects the program's commitment to gender equity in development leadership across the Asia-Pacific. By the end of 2025, 1,874 women had received the scholarship, 40.7% of all scholars since 1988.
ADB prefers applicants “with lesser financial capacity,” and partner universities put the line at individual income under USD 25,000 a year. Your income tax return or salary certificate is part of the required documentation — it's evaluated, not just filed.
Family income under USD 50,000 a year is a separate preference line. You must document your parents' income (or your spouse's if married). Missing this document is one of the most common application errors.
ADB gives priority to the order in which the institution ranks its candidates. If the institution ranks you first among its ADB-JSP nominees, that's a meaningful signal to ADB. A stronger fit between your background and the specific program helps.
Things that can disqualify you
Beyond the hard requirements above, some situations are described as disqualifiers “in principle” — meaning they will generally prevent selection unless there are exceptional circumstances — and others are absolute.
| Situation | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Previously studied abroad | The program will “in principle” not support applicants who have previously studied abroad. This is ambiguous — some institutions interpret it strictly, others with more flexibility. Always clarify directly with the institution before spending significant time on your application. |
| Already hold a master's degree | The program does not support second master's degrees “in principle.” If you already have an MA, MSc or equivalent, your application will face significant scrutiny, and some institutions (Ritsumeikan, for one) exclude applicants who already hold a master's or doctorate. A compelling case for why a second graduate degree is necessary can sometimes overcome this, but it's genuinely difficult. |
| Already enrolled in a graduate program | You cannot be currently enrolled in another graduate degree program. This is an absolute disqualifier, not a preference one. |
| Previous ADB-JSP scholar | Anyone who has already been awarded an ADB-JSP scholarship is not eligible for a second one. |
| Applying at an institution in your own country | ADB's criteria say candidates applying at a designated institution in their own country “may not be selected” — relevant if you are, for example, Pakistani and targeting LUMS. |
| ADB staff, consultants or their close relatives | ADB executive directors and alternates, management, staff and consultants cannot apply, and neither can their close relatives (spouse, parents, step-parents, siblings and step-siblings, children, aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews). |
| Staff at a JSP-designated institution | If you work at one of the 27 partner institutions, you are ineligible — even if you would otherwise qualify in every other respect. |
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