MEXT Scholarship with University Recommendation | Prospective Students | Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo

What is MEXT Scholarship with University Recommendation?

In the scheme of the MEXT Scholarship with University Recommendation, each Japanese university will conduct the preliminary selection and recommend their candidates to MEXT. Therefore your first contact is the university you wish to study. MEXT expects their scholars to start their study in October only. Following students are expected to apply. Those who live in Japan with a proper visa at the time of application are NOT eligible to apply.

Those who have studied at GSFS as an exchange program student
Those who have participated in any internship program at UTokyo such as UTSIP Kashiwa before and would like to enroll in GSFS as a regular student

How to apply

Please note that the MEXT has newly set bounds to nationality of applicants for the October 2023 admission. Accordingly applicants are suggested to send an inquiry with your nationality to the International Liaison Office to check if you are eligible to apply.

If/when you have found yourself eligible, please proceed to contacting professor(s) at GSFS and obtain an unofficial consensus to accept you first.
If/when you obtain the consensus, please email all the application materials first if any to the International Liaison Office.

Then please post a complete set of application materials to the International Liaison Office.

International Liaison Office at GSFS: iloedu.k.u-tokyo.ac.jp

Application materials

a) Application form and Study plan (double-sided print)
(download the designated form here - Application form and Study plan）

Your picture must be attached in the application form.

Please note that the application forms, which are designated by MEXT, are subject to change in late December. Any changes will be announced on this website. Those who filed an application before the designated forms were changed will be contacted individually regarding the change.

b) Original copy of a recommendation letter
Must be prepared by dean (Head of School or Faculty) of your university you currently enrolled. And must be addressed to the president of The University of Tokyo.

c) Copy of your passport
The page with your picture

d) Original copy of academic transcript of your undergraduate course
Include a transcript of your master course if you are applying to a doctoral course at GSFS. In case your transcript does not show GPA or the grading system, then a letter from professors of your university describing your relative evaluation in your class must be attached.

e) Original copy of Certificate of Graduation or Expected Graduation

f) Abstract of your thesis of your previous course

g) Certificate of your language proficiency of Japanese or English
TOEFL, IELTS, Japanese Language Proficiency Test are accepted.

Submission deadline

A complete set of application materials, including your photo data must arrive at the International Liaison Office no later than 17:00 in Tokyo time on January 18th (Wed), 2023 via e-mail first. No late application will be considered. Please send the original documents via courier so that we receive them by February 3rd (Fri).

Where to send

International Liaison Office
Graduate School of Frontier Sciences
the University of Tokyo

Room 120, Building of Environmental Studies
5-1-5 Kashiwa no ha, Kashiwa
Chiba 277-0882
Japan
Phone +81 4 7136 4558

If you are accepted

The result will be notified to you in June 2023 from GSFS. If you are accepted you will enroll in October 2023 as a research student. In order to proceed to a master or doctoral course while receiving a MEXT scholarship, you must go through two steps. One is to take an entrance examination of the department/graduate school you want to study and pass it. The second is that MEXT admits your application of scholarship extension.

1) GSFS entrance examination

Please check this website. https://www.k.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/exam/info/index.html
Note that NOT all departments holds their entrance examination at each exam schedule.

MEXT scholars are exempted from paying a screening fee.

2) Extention of MEXT scholarships

Those who enrolled as a research student would be able to apply for scholarship extension after their enrollment, which is to be November or so.
And MEXT notifies you of the extension result around March of the following year.

For example, if you enroll in October, and pass the Schedule B exam and your application for MEXT scholarship extension is accepted, you can proceed to a degree course in April of the following year.
If you enroll in October, and pass the Schedule A exam and your application for MEXT scholarship extension is accepted, you can proceed to a degree course in September of the following year.