Information about Higher Education in Japan

1. Types of Schools

a) Universities (Undergraduate)

◆About 700 universities in Japan, including national, public and private ones

◆Length of study is 4 years (medicine, dentistry and veterinary science department requires 6 years of study)

b) Graduate Schools

◆Length of study depends on whether you are matriculated in a master’s program or doctor’s program:
①Master’s program lasts for 2 years
②Doctor’s program lasts for 5 years.

◆Generally, the doctor’s program is divided into the first period (2 years; applicable to the above-mentioned master’s program) and the latter period (3 years). However, the length of study for the doctor’s program in medicine, dentistry and veterinary science is 4 years. Some universities offer doctor’s programs covering the full 5 years while others offer only the final 3 years.

c) Junior Colleges

◆The length of study is 2 years or 3 years

◆The majority of department is those related to home economics, humanities, education and sociology

d) Specialized Training College

◆They offer post secondary courses

◆They provide vocational education as well as education in the skills, technology and knowledge needed in life

◆The length of study is 2 years (sometimes 1 year)

e) Colleges of Technology

◆They provide junior high school graduate with 5 years (5 and a half years for merchant shipping courses) of education.

◆They offer courses related to engineering, merchant shipping and so on

2. General Qualifications for Admission for Foreigners

a) Universities (Undergraduate Level) and Junior Colleges

◆A student who has completed his / her secondary education and school education for 12 years or more outside of Japan

◆Those who have qualifications such as an International Baccalaureate or Abitur and are aged at least 18 years

b) Graduate Schools

◆A student who has completed prescribed courses at an institute of higher education outside of Japan and 16 years of school education (18 years for those enrolling in doctor’s programs in medicine dentistry or veterinary science)

c) Specialized Training College

◆A student who has completed 12 years of schooling outside of Japan

◆They must meet one of the following 3 criteria and have the Japanese language ability
①Has studied 6 month or more at a Japanese language institute accredited by the Association for the Promotion of Japanese Language Education and notified by the Minister of Justice
②Is certified at Level 1 or 2 of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test given by the Association of International Education Japan and the Japan Foundation
③Has received at least 1 year of education at a Japanese elementary, junior or senior high school

d) Colleges of Technology

◆A student who has completed his / her secondary education outside of Japan

3. Japanese Academic Year

◆Normally begins in April and ends the following March

◆Classes are usually divided into 2 semesters: first semester (April-September) and second semester (October-March)

◆3 vacations during one academic year: summer break (late July-late August), winter break (late December-early January) and spring break (late February-early April)