The Japanese Government (MEXT) is now accepting scholarship applications from international students who wish to study in graduate courses (postgraduate) at Japanese universities.
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) offers scholarships to international students who wish to study in graduate courses at Japanese universities either as a (non-degree) student or a regular student seeking a degree under the Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship Program for 2019.
Read Also: Japanese Government (MEXT) Undergraduate Scholarship 2019 | Fully Funded to Study in Japan.
Japanese Government (MEXT) Postgraduate Scholarship Eligibility.
- Applicants must have the nationality of a country that has diplomatic relations with Japan. An applicant who has Japanese nationality at the time of application is not eligible. However, persons with dual nationality who hold Japanese nationality and whose place of residence at the time of application is outside of Japan are eligible to apply as long as they choose the nationality of the foreign country and give up their Japanese nationality by the date of their arrival in Japan. Applicant screening will be conducted at the Japanese diplomatic mission in the country of applicant’s nationality.
- Applicants must be willing to learn Japanese. Applicants must be interested in Japan and be willing to deepen their understanding of Japan after arriving in Japan. In addition, in principle, applicants must be willing to carry out their academic studies in Japan in Japanese.
- Applicants must be free from any mental or physical disabilities that would impede the pursuit of study at Japanese universities.
- Military personnel or military civilian employees at the time of arriving in Japan are not eligible.
- Availability on arriving in Japan by April/ October 2019
- Applicants generally must have been born on or after April 2, 1984
- Undergraduate Degree holders from universities and/or colleges with a total mark of GPA3.2/ Second Class Upper Division or higher.
- Applicants for this program must submit a complete research proposal at the time of applying
Japanese Government Postgraduate Scholarship Types.
As can be seen in the chart below, there are two types of Japanese government-sponsored scholarships (for postgraduate) available under the Japanese Government (Monbukagakusho) Scholarship program: those for research students, teacher training students.
Those wishing to apply for a scholarship should meet one of the criteria listed below:
- Recommended by a Japanese embassy or consulate general (Embassy Recommendation).
- Recommended by the Japanese university which will accept you (University Recommendation).
- Selected by the Japanese university in which you are currently enrolled if you are a privately-financed student already studying in Japan (Domestic Selection).
| Research student | Teacher training student | |
|---|---|---|
| Level of studies | Graduate school level | |
| Eligibility requirement | University or college graduate | University, college graduate or equivalent |
| Age limit (at time of granting) | Under 35 | |
| Duration | Maximum 2 years including Japanese-language training | Maximum 1 year 6 months including Japanese-language training |
| Preliminary Japanese-language training | 6 months (54 universities such as Hokkaido University) Those with sufficient Japanese proficiency are not required to go through preliminary Japanese- language training. | |
| Fields of study | Major in field of specialty at a graduate school | Special training at a teacher training department |
| Designated countries | Worldwide (168 countries and regions) | Developing countries, etc. (64 countries and regions) |
| Planned number of new scholarship recipients | 4,042 people | 89 people |
| Scholarship stipend | ¥143,000～148,000 per month | |
| Tuition | Tuition for national universities and Institute of National College of Technology waived; tuition for public and private universities paid for by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology | |
| Travel allowance | Roundtrip fare (air ticket) provided | |
| Embassy recommendation | Yes | Yes |
| University recommendation (overseas application) | Yes | No |
| University recommendation (local acceptance) | Yes | No |
Japanese Government (MEXT) Postgraduate Scholarship Benefits.
- Allowance: 117,000 yen per month. The scholarship is cancelled in principle if the recipient is absent from the university or preparatory Japanese-teaching institution for an extended period. In case that the recipient research in a designated region, 2,000 or 3,000 yen per month will be added. The monetary amount each year may be subject to change due to budgetary reasons.
- The scholarship will be also cancelled in principle in the following situations. If the recipient has been receiving the scholarship despite his/her falling under any of the following situations, the recipient will be ordered to return the amount of scholarship that he/she received during the period wherein he/she was involved with any of the following situations
- The recipient is determined to have made a false statement on his/her application
- The recipient violates any article of his/her pledge to MEXT;
- The recipient violates any Japanese laws and is sentenced to imprisonment with or without work for life or for a period of exceeding 1 year;
- The recipient is subject to disciplinary action by the university, including expulsion (The scholarship payment may be stopped during the period up until punishment is decided by the university, etc.)
- It has been determined that it will be impossible for the recipient to complete the course within the standard course period because of poor academic grades or suspension or leave of absence;
- The recipient’s residence status has changed to one other than “College Student”;
- The recipient has received a scholarship from another institution (excluding those specified for research expenditures)
- The recipient has proceeded to a higher level of education without receiving approval for an extension of the period of the scholarship
- Tuition and Other Fees: Fees for the entrance examination, matriculation, and tuition at universities will be paid by MEXT.
- Traveling Costs: Transportation to Japan: In principle, MEXT stipulates the travel schedule and route, and provides an economy-class airline ticket for the flight from the international airport closest to the recipient’s residence (in principle, the country of nationality) to Narita International Airport or to any other international airport on the normal route to the accepting university.
How to Apply for Japanese Government Postgraduate Scholarship.
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Embassy Recommendation:
In this type of scholarship, scholarship recipients are recruited and initially screened by a Japanese embassy (or consulate general, depending on the country). As the application process differs according to the country in which the Japanese embassy is located, please inquire at the Japanese embassy or consulate general in your country for details. List of Websites of Japanese Embassies, Consulates and Permanent Missions
Research student: Recruitment for those arriving in Japan in next April is made between April and May. The initial screening (documentary examination, written test and interview) is made at the embassy between June and July. The embassy then recommends the selected candidates to the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by late August.
University Recommendation:
- Research students and Japanese studies students who will be studying in Japan as an exchange student based on inter-university student exchange agreements can be screened through the national, public or private Japanese university involved as a candidate for a Japanese Government Scholarship. The university directly recommends the selected candidates to the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT).
- Research students recommended by a university for study in Japan as government-sponsored scholarship recipients basically arrive in Japan in October.
Japanese studies students basically arrive in Japan in October according to the university program. Universities recommend candidates to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) by mid-April.
Domestic Selection:
- Privately financed, full-time postgraduate foreign students, prospective postgraduate students, and full-time, prospective fourth-year undergraduate university students (prospective sixth-year students in the case of medical schools, etc.) are granted domestic selection scholarships that begin in April. Recruitment is conducted through national, public and private universities with the exception of junior colleges.
- Universities carefully screen academically and individually excellent students and recommend them by mid-December as government-sponsored scholarship candidates to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT).
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