Qualifications and Conditions

Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo accepts applications from international students for study in Japan who satisfy the following qualifications and conditions. Its aim is to foster human resources who will become bridges of friendship between the recipient’s country and Japan through study in Japan and who will contribute to the development of both countries and the wider world.

(1) Number of Places

The number of applicants to be nominated by the Graduate School of Science to the University of Tokyo, as well as the number to be subsequently nominated by the University of Tokyo to MEXT, shall be finalized after the application period has closed. In the last round (application for 2025 entrance) each Graduate School was allowed to nominate at most one applicant, and the University of Tokyo was allowed to nominate at most three applicants to MEXT.

(2) Eligibility

International students with outstanding academic records (*1) who wish to enter Japan in October, 2026 as a new student (*2) to study in the Master’s or Doctoral Program at the Graduate School of Science. Additionally, applicants who have completed their admission application for entering the Master’s/Doctoral Program following the “Instructions for International Students applying to the Graduate School of Science (Special Selection for International Applicants)”

(*1)  Applicants who have already graduated from their latest degree program should have a final grade point of 2.30 or higher, while current students should have a grade point of 2.30 or higher for their current courses, and both should be expected to maintain the same academic standards during the course of the scholarship program.
* Grade points shall be calculated according to a formula specified by MEXT.
Furthermore, students must meet one of the criteria given under “(7) Language Proficiency” given below.
(*2)  Please refer to (11) Non-eligibility 5. to confirm your eligibility.

(3) Nationality

Applicants must have the nationality of a country with diplomatic relations with the Japanese government. Applicants who have Japanese nationality at the time of application are ineligible. However, Japanese nationals that reside outside of Japan at the time of application, holding dual nationality with another country, and plan to renounce their Japanese nationality before arrival (equivalent to the time when they enroll as a student at a Japanese university), may apply.

(4) Age

In principle, applicants must be born on or after April 2, 1991.

(5) Academic background

Applicants must have the necessary qualifications to be admitted to the Graduate School of Science, the University of Tokyo as a Master’s or a Doctoral Program student.

(6) Field of Study

Applicants should apply for the field of study that they studied at their previous university or a related field. Applicants should select a field that they are able to research at their chosen host university in Japan.

(7) Language Proficiency

Applicants must meet one of the language requirements in either English or in Japanese as described below:

• English
  1. Holds an English proficiency test score equivalent to B2 or above on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) scale (e.g. TOEFL iBT 72 or above, IELTS 5.5 or above).
     * To see what counts as “B2 or above on the CEFR scale”, please refer to the CEFR Equivalency Chart.
  2. Has completed an educational program whose primary language of instruction is English that satisfies the entrance requirements to the Master’s Program or Doctoral Program at the Graduate School of Science, the University of Tokyo.
• Japanese
  1. Has passed the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) with a score of N2 or higher.
  2. Has completed an educational program whose primary language of instruction is Japanese that satisfies the entrance requirements to the Master’s Program or Doctoral Program at the Graduate School of Science, the University of Tokyo.

(8) Health

Applicants must be physically and mentally healthy enough to pursue their studies in Japan.

(9) Arrival in Japan

Applicants must, in principle, be able to arrive in Japan by a date specified by the accepting university which in principle shall be within two weeks before or after the first day of the semester (October 1) in the year specified by the accepting university.

If applicants cannot arrive in Japan by the date specified, they must withdraw their application unless under unavoidable circumstances as deemed by MEXT. Furthermore, if applicants travel outside of the period specified above due to personal reasons, the cost of travel will not be paid.

(10) Visa Requirements

An applicant shall, in principle, newly obtain a “Student” visa at the overseas establishment of Japan located in the applicant’s country of nationality and enter Japan with the residence status of “Student”. If the applicant lives in Japan exceptionally under a residence status other than “Student” before acceptance, the applicant must change his/her status to “Student” by the end of the previous month before the installment of scholarship payment. Please be aware that even if the applicant applies for the permanent-resident or long-term resident status of residence after the expiration of the status as a Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship student, the possibility exists that the application may not be approved. Moreover, as the Japanese government requires pre-arrival tuberculosis screening for some countries, applicants obtaining a visa shall follow guidance at the overseas establishment of Japan located in the applicant’s country of nationality.

(11) Non-eligibility

Applicants in the following categories are ineligible for the Japanese Government (MEXT) scholarship. They must decline the scholarship offer if they are found to fall under any one of the following criteria upon their selection.

1. An active member of the military or a civilian employed by the military upon arrival in Japan and during the scholarship period.
2. An applicant who is unable to travel to Japan within the period designated by MEXT or the University of Tokyo.
3. Those who are previous recipients of Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship programs (including those who withdrew from the scholarship program after the acquisition of student status). However, this does not apply to those who wish to apply for Research Students program and meet any one of the following conditions. In addition, since the Monbukagakusho Honors Scholarship for Privately-Financed International Students does not come under the Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship programs, the previous recipients can apply.
   • those who have at least three years of educational or work experience following the end of the payment of the previous scholarship and the start of this scholarship;
   • the past recipients of Japanese Studies Students program who have graduated or are going to graduate from universities in their home countries, Japan-Korea Joint Government Scholarship Program for the Students in Science and Engineering Departments and Young Leaders’ Program;
   • those who have obtained or are expected to obtain a degree as undergraduate students of the Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship programs (university recommendation/special selection).