Admission Q&A

• Do I have to answer all the questions on the written exam (Master’s Program of Regular Admission) in Japanese?

  The questions in the " Specialized and fundamental biosciences " section of the Master’s Program of Regular Admission entrance exam are in Japanese, but you can write your answers in either Japanese or English. This applies to Japanese applicants as well.

• Should I contact faculty member in my desired laboratory before taking the entrance exam?

  If you are applying to the doctoral program, you should contact the faculty member who you would like to supervise as much as possible and discuss the research content. (However, this does not mean that you cannot apply to the program without contacting them, but in order to obtain a doctorate within three years, it is important to understand the research content and fine-tune your own capabilities before applying.)

  If you are applying to the Master's Program (Special Selection for Applicants with Overseas Education), you must contact your desired supervisor (faculty member) by following the instructions in the admissions guide for Entrance Examination of Department of Integrated Biosciences (Information on Applying to the Master’s Program) and submit a "CERTIFICATE OF CONTACT" by filling out by the supervisor.
   If you are applying to the Master's program (Regular Admission), we also recommend speaking directly with faculty member(s) in your desired laboratory, as you will be able to have detailed questions and answers about the research content. If possible, it is a good idea to visit the laboratory to see the research in action and hear from current students. There are two ways to do this. One is to participate in the open lab held during the department's entrance exam briefing session. The other is to contact a faculty member in your desired research field directly by email or other means and make an appointment to visit the laboratory. Either method is fine.

  Please note that after the application deadline, you will not be able to contact faculty in your desired laboratory; only inquiries regarding administrative matters related to the entrance exam will be accepted through the department's admissions committee.

• It says that the oral exam is to be taken on a PC, but is it possible to take it on a tablet?

  For online exams, please use a PC, not a tablet or smartphone. Of course, smartwatches are also prohibited. For face-to-face exams, the use of tablets, PCs, and smartphones is prohibited.

• If my university transcript is issued in paper form, can I submit a PDF scan of the paper transcript for my application?

  It is fine to submit a PDF scan of the paper transcript. However, please be careful about the resolution so that the text is readable.

• Please tell me about the "CERTIFICATE OF CONTACT".

  The “CERTIFICATE OF CONTACT” is a document to be submitted when applying for the Special Selection for Applicants with Overseas Education for Master's Program. It serves as proof that you have been in contact with your desired supervisor. Please request  your desired supervisor to sign or seal the document, and receive it as an electronic file (PDF). Submit this file along with your other required documents during the application period.

• Regarding master's thesis presentation slides

  Applicants to doctoral programs are required to present the contents of their master's thesis. The presentation time is limited, so a self-introduction slide is not required. This is an entrance examination, and the presentation time must not be exceeded.

• I would like to enroll as a research student. Is this possible?

  For details, please see "For those wishing to become graduate research students" on the graduate school website. Please note that the application period is different from the entrance examination period.

• What is the type of visa necessary?

  As obtaining a visa is not part of the entrance exam, we are not in charge of visa matters.

  please contact the appropriate office regarding this issue (https://www.k.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/contact/).

• Please tell me about scholarships.

  We cannot answer questions about scholarships as this is not part of the entrance exam.

  Please check the financial support section of the graduate school website (https://www.k.u-tokyo.ac.jp/gsfs/financial_support/).

• Please tell me about the status of residence.

  For information about residence status, please check the admissions information for the graduate school (https://www.k.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/exam/info/). If you have any questions, please contact us using the inquiry form on the same page.

• Are there any English versions of past exam questions?

  As written in the applicant guide “Information on Applying to the Master’s/Doctoral Program”, the exam for the Special Selection for Applicants with Overseas Education is an oral examination. There are no past exam questions for the oral exam. There are no past English questions for exams that are given in Japanese.