1. What is MEXT Scholarship with Embassy Recommendation

Those who wish to apply for a MEXT Scholarship with Embassy Recommendation to study in Japan are required to apply to the Japanese Embassy or a consulate in the country of citizenship, and follow their selection procedures as the preliminary stage. Only those who pass the preliminary stage will be able to proceed to the University selection. The Graduate School of Frontier Science (GSFS) will announce about the University selection procedures on this GSFS website in June for enrollment of the following year. In GSFS, every department and the Graduate Program in Sustainability Science accept applications from those who are applying for a MEXT scholarship with Embassy Recommendation.

The application guidelines for those wishing to enroll in AY2025 (April or October 2025) have been updated. (As of May 22, 2024)

3. FAQs

Should I contact the professor I prefer to have as my supervisor directly?

Yes. Please obtain consent first from the professor(s) to become your supervisor. Upon obtaining consent, please file an application in accordance with the guidelines.

I have received consent from more than one professor. What should I do next?

Please decide on one professor as your supervisor, and file an application to GSFS. Also please inform all the professors you have contacted of your decision.

If I enroll in a department in GSFS as a research student, can I automatically matriculate to a degree course from the next semester?

No. In order to become a degree seeking student, you must pass the entrance examination of the department you wish to enroll. GSFS holds entrance examinations twice a year, in August (Schedule A) and February (Schedule B). If you enroll in the Spring Semester (April), for example, the first possible entrance examination is in August. If you pass the exam, you can matriculate to a master or doctoral course in the Autumn Semester (October). If you enroll in the Autumn Semester (October), the first possible entrance examination is in February. If you pass the exam, you can matriculate to a master or doctoral course in the Spring Semester (April).

What if I fail the entrance examination?

Those who enrolled in April can be a research student for up to two years. Those who enrolled in October can be a research student for up to one and half year. Within this period, research students must take an entrance examination and pass it in order to proceed to a master or doctoral course. Most departments hold entrance examination twice a year, in August and February. In the August, all departments conduct examination and students can take them in English. In the February, fewer departments conduct exams. You want to pay attention to your examination schedule when deciding your enrollment timing. For example, if you enroll in October as a research student, and the department you are going to apply holds examinations only in August, you must wait to proceed to a master / doctoral course for at least one year.

I have received an acceptance letter from GSFS, but after all I was not selected as a MEXT scholar. Am I still able to enroll in GSFS as a research student?

No. The letter GSFS issues in accordance with the above mentioned guideline is a conditional admission letter. If a MEXT scholarship is not awarded, the letter you have received will be invalid accordingly.

I want to study as a degree seeking student next April without having been a research student, but the department I want to apply to accepts students only as research students. Aren't there any other options available?

After you receive a conditional acceptance letter in September, you may want to think about taking an entrance examination of the department you wish to enroll prior to your expected enrollment.

Sample schedule
- In September, you receive a conditional acceptance letter from GSFS and complete your scholarship application procedures at the Japanese Embassy in your country.
- Take an entrance examination, Schedule B, in February.
- If you pass it, GSFS will accept you as a degree seeking student instead of research student in April of the following year.
Please keep in mind that most departments require applicants to come to Japan to sit for their entrance examinations. For more information please check the website of the department you wish to study.

Are there any additional procedures I have to do other than taking the examination to matriculate to a degree course?

Yes, you must apply for extension of your scholarship period after you enroll in the GSFS, because the original scholarship duration is two years. By the time of application you and your supervisor are expected to discuss your study plan to decide when you are going to take entrance examination and which department you are going to apply to.

GSFS requires submission of the recommendation letter in the GSFS format. But I have already obtained two recommendation letters from my academic supervisors in the MEXT scholarship application format, and I am sending the two copies to GSFS. I have no other professor who knows my academic performance other than them. What should I do?

You do not need to submit another recommendation letter if you are going to submit two letters of recommendation. If your application materials include only one recommendation letter, then please prepare another one in the GFFS format. GSFS requires at least two recommendation letters in all, and one of them must be prepared by a faculty staff who knows your academic performance well.