Study in Japan

Types of higher education institutions
University –
institution that offers academic courses on all the three levels
Junior College - institutions offering practicaly oriented two-three year courses
Special Training Colleges - institutions offering vocational-technical one-three year courses
Colleges of Technology - institutions offering five year courses with the aim of fostering technicians

Structure of university studies
Academic year in Japan starts in April and ends in March of the following year. It is divided into two semesters. The language of instructions is Japanese. Some universities offer special courses or short-term study programs in English.

University
1st level
– undergraduate study
4 years full-time study leading to Bachelor's degree; 6 years full-time study for medicine, dentistry, and veterinary science

2nd level - graduate study
2 years full-time study leading to Master's degree

3rd level – doctoral study
3 more years full-time study and research after master's courses leading to Doctor's degree.

Some schools offer doctor's courses covering the full five years or only the final three years.

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The length of study for the doctor's course in medicine, dentistry, or veterinary science (entered upon completion of the six year undergraduate course) is four years.

Research students (Kenkyu-sei) - permitted on the basis of the school regulations for each university. Unlike regular students in graduate schools, research students are allowed to engage in research in special fields for one semester ore one year without the aim of aquiring credits. Entrance requirements for a research student vary from university to university.

Application procedures
- deadline for submitting applications differs by university and department
- students must pass university's entrance examination
- a few graduate schools accept students on the basis of the documents they submit, but usually a student must sit for an entrance examination in Japan
- graduate school entrance examinations usually consist of document screening, a short thesis, oral questioning, and tests in Japanese, English, and special subjects
- many universities base their selection decisions on the Japanese Language Proficiency Test and the General Examination for Foreign Students. JLPT is organized by Association of International Education, Japan (AIEJ) and by the Japan Foundation in 31 countries. GEFS is organized by AIEJ in Japan only
- a guarantor or contact person are often required when submitting an application for admission to a university. The reasons are such as to provide an economic guarantee for the student's academic expenses or to remove any obstacles concerning any legal procedures on a status of residence after gaining admission. A guarantor is also required to when seeking accommodation and part-time work
- some graduate schools require students to contact a supervising instructor and obtain informal consent for admission prior to application. In this case, student should look for an appropriate instructor in the graduate school's prospectus, academic journal, or other publications and write a letter to him/her
- transfers from one university to another are not very common in Japan

Financing of university studies
- tuition at state Japanese universities is approx. JPY 750,000 for an academic year; it is much higher at private and regional schools
- the living expenses in Japan are about JPY 150,000 for a month (including tuition)
- universities offer limited accommodation, only very few international students are able to benefit from it; about 40% international students live in private accommodation. You can seek accommodation through the Center for Domestic and Foreign Students
- international students in Japan can do part-time work up to 20 hours per week if they receive permission from the regional immigration bureau. Center for Domestic and Foreign students provide information on part-time work
- possibilities of receiving a scholarship:
* Japanese government (Monbusho) scholarships - for details, contact the Japanese embassy in your home-country
* Honors scholarships for privately financed students - AIEJ offers honors scholarships for students who display excellence in their academic work and who are recognized to be in need of economic assistance during their stay in Japan
* Local government scholarships - local governments in Japan offer scholarships to students living or attending a school in their district. The scholarships cover one or some of the following contents: tuiton and living expenses, accommodation expenses, national health insurance, transportation, and book coupons
* Japanese private foundation scholarships - these are offered by private enterprises or foundations and also vary in content. Contact AIEJ for details
* Educational institution scholarships - these are very few in number
* Short Term Student Exchange Promotion Program - under this program AIEJ provides roundtrip travel expenses, scholarships, and other assistance to international students who come to Japan to study on the basis of a student exchange agreement between universities or similiar accord. Applications should be made through a university in student's home-country

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Health insurance

International students staying in Japan for a year or longer should enroll in the national health insurance program. Enrollment procedures are carried out at the local ward or municipal office, and payments are made monthly. Students pay a reduced premium. Subscribers to the program have to pay only 20 - 30% of medical expenses for any treatment covered by the insurance. AIEJ international student medical fee reimbursement program offers an additional refund of part of medical expenses incurred (80% ).

Visa

Excluding countries with which Japan has signed bilateral agreements on mutual exemption from visas, every foreigner must get a visa issued by a Japanese embassy before entering Japan. Students are given the status of residence of "college student", under which the term of stay is usually one year or six months. A visa may be obtained either by acquiring a Certificate of Eligibility for a Status of Residence or by prior consultation. Admission to the university is also requested.

Important addresses
Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture (Monbusho)
3-2-2 Kasumigaseki
Chiyoda-ku
Tokyo 100-0013
Tel. +81 (3) 35 81 42 11

Immigration Information Center
c/o Tokyo Immigration Bureau
1-3-1 Otemachi
Chiyoda-ku
Tokyo 100-0004
Tel. +81 (3) 32 13 85 23

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Center for Domestic and Foreign Students
1-17-1 Kami-ochiai      1-21 Yotsuya
Shinjuku-ku                       Shinjuku-ku
Tokyo 161-0034                 Tokyo 160-0004
Tel. +81 (3) 39 51 91 03     Tel. +81 (3) 33 59 59 97

Association of International Education, Japan
Information Center
4-5-29 Komaba
Meguro-ku
Tokyo 153-8503
Tel. +81 (3) 54 54 52 16
Fax +81 (3) 54 54 52 36
E-mail: msuzuki@aiej.or.jp
http://www.aiej.or.jp

Useful publications
title: Student Guide to Japan 1998
published: AIEJ 1998
title: Japanese Colleges and Universities 1997-99
published: AIEJ 1997
title: Index of Majors 1997-98
published: AIEJ 1997
title: Scholarships for International Students in Japan
published: AIEJ 1998

Internet addresses
http://www.aiej.or.jp information on universities' and scholarships programs
http://www.mofa.go.jp information on Japan embassies and consulates

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