Graduate School

FAQ – Graduate School Admissions

Okayama University has 7 graduate schools. Please refer to this page for more information. 

Okayama University provides the following three types of examinations for admission to its graduate courses.

  1. Entrance examination for both Japanese and International students
    This is the same entrance examination that Japanese students take.
  2. Entrance examination for international students/Special entrance examination for international students
    Okayama University holds entrance examinations with special screening for international students.
  3. Overseas Selection for international students
    This is special screening for international students residing outside Japan, with document screening and screening by interview conducted locally (or by Internet interviews), so there is no need to come to Japan to take the examination. 

The general procedure is as follows.

  1. Go to Directory of Researchers at Okayama University to find an advising professor in the field of your interest. 
  2. Contact the advising professor directly by e-mail or other means. When doing that, attach your curriculum vitae and research plan.
  3. Wait for unofficial consent for acceptance from the professor from whom you seek supervision.
  4. Obtain application documents through the graduate school office or your accepting professor.
  5. Prepare and submit the necessary documents.

The matriculation dates for graduate level courses leading to degrees are in April, but some courses start in October. The application periods and test dates differ depending on the type of entrance examination. Also, as a general rule, our entrance examinations are held at Okayama University, so examinees need to come to Japan for the examinations, but where special overseas entrance examinations are held, there is no need to come to Japan to take the examination. For details, please see the page Application Period, Requirements for Admission, etc. for Graduate Schools.  

Please search for academic staff on the website of each graduate school, or refer to theDirectory of Researchers at Okayama University.

Find an advising professor in the field of your interest on the website of each graduate school, or refer to theDirectory of Researchers at Okayama University. If no contact information is available, contact him or her via the graduate course’s office for inquiries on entrance examinations. 

Please see the page Application Period, Requirements for Admission, etc. for Graduate Schools.  

Please see the page Application Period, Requirements for Admission, etc. for Graduate Schools.  

Scholarships that can be applied for prior to matriculation are limited.

There are scholarships that can be applied for after admission, but almost all of them are offered nationwide (foundations select recipients from among students recommended from universities throughout Japan and make the decision on whether or not to provide the scholarship), so there is extremely heavy competition for them.

A Japanese government (MEXT) funded international student is one who has been provided a scholarship from the Japanese government (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT)). Okayama University accepts two kinds of MEXT-funded students, “graduate students” and “Teacher training students”. 

  1. Graduate students (including research students）
    This applies to anyone under 35 years of age who has graduated from university (including those expecting to graduate), or has completed a 16-year course of school education. There are two types of calls for applicants to international graduate students, by Japanese embassies or consulates overseas, who put out a call for applicants through “embassy nominations,” and by universities in Japan, who put out “university nominations.” Regarding embassy nominations, please contact the Japanese Embassy (or Consulate) in your country, and regarding university nominations, please inquire with your prospective supervisor (accepting professor) at Okayama University.
  2. Teacher training students
    This applies to anyone under 35 years of age who has graduated from university or a teacher training institute, and is currently working at a primary or secondary educational institution or a teacher training institute in his or her home country and has at least five years’ experience working there as a teacher. Japanese embassies (or consulates) put out calls for international teacher training students (embassy nominations). For more information, please inquire at the Japanese Embassy (or Consulate) in your home country. 

Whether one can be admitted to graduate school directly depends on whether one is eligible to take the graduate school’s entrance examination and has sufficient language proficiency and knowledge necessary for research after being admitted, so consult with your prospective supervisor (accepting professor) before applying. 

Please refer to the page Contact Information on Admissions and Professors.