Program in Economic and Public Policy (PEPP) | General as well as scholarship admission available | University of Tsukuba

The latest leaflet about PEPP, which provides an overview of the features of the Program - curriculum, available scholarships, admission process etc. - can be found here: latest leaflet; and more detailed information can be accessed via this website. Faculty members are introduced, as well as current and past scholars , together with a selection of the outstanding contributions made to a wide variety of different fields in blossoming careers throughout the world by our alumni.
In addition, clicking “LIKE” on our Facebook page will allow you to access timely information about special seminars, admission, and much, much more.

Applicants to PEPP who choose to apply via our Scholarship Track application route will be considered also as candidates for scholarships provided by either the ADB-Japan Scholarship Program (ADB-JSP), or the Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program (JJ/WBGSP), provided that they meet the specific eligibilty requirements of each program as described on their websites:

JJ/WBGSP
ADB-JSP

Yes, but PEPP does not approve of students bringing family members to Japan for the first four months of the program, so new students can adapt to a new environment and academic workload (coursework, research etc.). Please note that the PEPP Office does not offer any assistance with regards to Visa applications or accommodation for family members.

You should complete the entire application process through our Online Application System (OAS) by the date specified on our admissions page.

Scholarship Track applications must all be done via our OAS.

You will be required to complete three main tasks:

• 1) Fill in the “Application Form” - composed of personal information, professional background, educational background, personal statement and research plan.
• 2) Prepare and upload required documents.
• 3) Arrange letters of recommendation (please note the number of required letters is different depending on whether you are appying via our Scholarship Track or General Track application route).

You may find more detailed information about the application process via the pages below:

Scholarship Track Admission Page

General Track Admission Page

Applicants will be required to send original documents or certified copies of the originals by regular mail. For details, including information on when they should be sent, refer to the application instructions available for download from the above pages. (Note: Each track has its own application instructions. If you are a Scholarhip Track applicant, please follow the instructions available on the Scholarship Track Application page; and if you are a General Track applicant, please follow the instructions available on the General Track Application page.)

(1) Transcript(s)
(2) Diploma(s)
(3) Certificate(s) of Higher Education, if any
(4) Curriculum Vitae
(5) Medical Certificate*
(6) Photograph (40 mm×30 mm)
(7) Optional: Certificate of Research Activities, if any*
(8) Optional: Publications, if any (note: a graduation thesis is not acceptable)
(9) Three to four letters of Recommendation*
(10) JJ/WBGSP applicants only: Statement of Eligibility*
(11) ADB-JSP applicants only: ADB-JSP Information Sheet*
(12) ADB-JSP applicants only: Your Income Certificate
(13) ADB-JSP applicants only: Your Family’s Income Certificate
(14) Evidence of English skills: A TOEFL score of 600, or TOEFL iBT score of 100 or higher is preferred for admission (see Notes 1-3 below ↓).

* = Official format document (available for download in the 'Required Documents' section of the OAS)

Note 1: If taking these exams proves unfeasible, equivalent proof of skills may be acceptable in the form of one of the following: 1) an alternative standardized test score (IELTs,TOEIC etc.); 2) a certificate issued by a relevant institution, current or former professor of the candidate; 3) a letter issued by a director in the current workplace of the candidate.

We do not require any particular degree to apply to the Program. You are, however, expected to show your strengths in your chosen major through the application materials you submit, since this is an important part of the selection process.

In accordance with the university admissions guidelines, applicants are expected to hold a four-year Bachelor’s Degree and have completed 16 years of school education (up to undergraduate level). Those applicants having completed their university education in countries where formal schooling lasts less than 16 years, who are at least 22 years old, and who have spent at least one year in a research or similar institution, can become qualified to apply by filling out and submitting the provided form (Certificate of Research Activities).

Yes. Regardless of the language which applicants have been educated in, we require documents certifying English proficiency. It is one of our prerequisites. If you do not have a test score of a standardized test such as TOEFL, IELTS or TOEIC, equivalent proof of skills, such as a certificate by a relevant institution, or an official letter provided by a current or former professor of the candidate may be acceptable (see Note 2 of 'What kind of documents should I prepare for upload to the OAS?' above ↑ for more detailed information).

If taking standardized exams proves unfeasible, equivalent proof of skills may be acceptable, such as a certificate by a relevant institution, a certificate provided by a current or former professor, or a letter issued by a director in the current workplace of the candidate. In this case, the Program will judge on the suitability of these materials and may request further documentation. To sum up: yes, you can still apply, but you will need to provide evidence of your English abilities in the form of the aforementioned certificate.

Yes. We do not require GRE scores, though GRE test results may be included in your application as supporting evidence.

After registering your details on our OAS, you need to complete the registration process as per the instructions sent to the email account you used to register. Check the inbox of your registered e-mail as well as spam and trash boxes.

The email will contain a link to start the application process. However, if you do not receive our email within 10 minutes of registering, please first check your spam-mail folder. If you still can not find our email after searching in your spam mail folder, please try to use other email address to register. Hotmail and livemail server may regard our email as spam-mail, as a result of which it may not be delivered.

Every time you move to another page on our OAS, or logout, you should click the “SAVE” button to save information already inputted, otherwise it will disappear.

Possible reasons follow:

• The file format: Our OAS accepts only jpg, docx/doc, pdf and zip. If your document consists of multiple files, they must be first packaged into a single zip file (extension: .zip), then uploaded like other files.
• Network speed: Although we have checked that uploads were successful in a poor network environment such as a dial-up connection in a rural area, you should try to reduce the size of files and be patient.

Please also check for error messages displayed*. Using a different PC can sometimes help to resolve this problem, because of unknown issues specific to the PC you have been using.

* If you try the above and still can not resolve the problem, please send us an email including: 1) the name, and 2) size of the file that failed to upload, together with 3) a screen shot of the error message displayed.