Eligibility Requirements (2023)
1. Applicants must:
- Be women, including LGBT+, who are Japanese nationals or special permanent residents of Japan, living in Japan from the time of application until the end of April 2023. Individuals currently studying or working abroad are ineligible.
- Have graduated with a degree from a Japanese university (4-year course) by July 31, 2023.
- Submit an overall TOEFL score of at least 570 (IBT 88) if applying for a graduate degree in the natural sciences, math, medicine or engineering, and 600 (IBT 98) if applying for a degree in any other field. The TOEFL must have been taken after October 1, 2020. Applicants may submit an IELTS score instead of a TOEFL score. The IELTS overall score must be at least 6.5 if applying for a graduate degree in the natural sciences, math, medicine or engineering, and 7.0 if applying for a degree in any other field. The IELTS must have been taken after October 1, 2020. TOEFL or IELTS scores submitted separate from or after the application will not be accepted.
- Be accepted by March 31, 2023 into a graduate degree program that is taught in English at an accredited university or research institution abroad. The applicant must be present and enrolled at the accredited university or research institution abroad for the 2023-2024 academic year. Online study from Japan will not be accepted.
2. The following are ineligible:
- Applicants who have studied abroad at university-level for more than two (2) academic years.
- Applicants who have a degree from an overseas university or institution.
- Holders of scholarships greater than ¥2 million per year from any other scholarship programs for the duration of the CWAJ Scholarship. Financial aid and awards from the university where the applicant will study may not be subject to the same limitation.
- Former recipients of CWAJ awards and members of CWAJ.
Application Details
All applications must be written in English.
For reference only: link to 2023 application.
Interviews and Selection
Finalists will be interviewed online or in person in Tokyo. Candidates should plan to be available during the month when interviews are being held (typically February) and will be notified at least two weeks in advance if they have been selected for an interview. Applicants will be notified of the results by email.
CWAJ reserves the right to make its own selections and does not discuss any of its decisions.
Please note that CWAJ communicates by email only. Telephone inquiries will NOT be accepted.
Applicants are required to be residing in Japan at the time of their application. We regret, therefore, that we are unable to accept applications from outside of Japan. For more information about the scholarship program, please use the Contact Us form. Choose “Scholarship” and put “Study Abroad” in the title of your inquiry. You may send your inquiry in English or Japanese.
