Japanese Government (Monbukagakusho) Scholarships for International Students wishing to do Undergraduate study in Japan
Course(s) Offered: Several fields
Course Level: Undergraduate (bachelors)
Provider: Japanese Government
Country to Study in: Japan
Scholarship Description
The Government of Japan through MEXT （Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology） offers scholarships to international students who wish to study at Japanese universities as undergraduate students under the Japanese Government （MEXT） Scholarship Program.
Eligibility (Qualifications)- Nationality: Applicant must have the nationality of a country which has diplomatic relations with the Japanese government. This applies at such times to stateless persons, too. Applicant who has Japanese nationality at the time of application will not be eligible. Applicant screening will be made at the Japanese Embassy/Consulate General （hereinafter, referred to as “Japanese legation”） in the country of Applicant’s nationality （except where two or more countries are attended by the same Japanese legation).
- Age: Applicant must have been born between April 2, 1992 and April 1, 1997.
- Academic Background: Applicant must either have completed a 12-year regular course of school education or have graduated from a school equivalent to an upper secondary school in Japan. （Included is any Applicant who will satisfy the above qualifications by March, 2014.） Note: Also included is any Applicant who otherwise satisfies entrance eligibility for a Japanese university.
- Japanese Language: The Applicant must be willing to learn the Japanese language and receive university education in it.
- Health: The Applicant must be physically and mentally healthy enough to pursue study at a university in Japan.
- Arrival in Japan: In principle, the selected Applicant must be able to leave for and arrive in Japan between the 1st and 7th of April 2014. Travel expenses will not be provided if the Applicant chooses to travel to Japan before this set period. If the Applicant is unable to travel to Japan within the dates set, the scholarship will be cancelled.In case where the student starts from the fall semester through direct placement (i.e English courses), the selected applicant must be able to leave for and arrive in Japan by the date specified by the university.
- Visa Requirement: Selected Applicants must obtain a College Student （ryuugaku 留学） visa prior to his arrival in Japan. Applicants who are already in Japan before the start of the scholarship period under a visa other than College Student are required to change it to College Student by the end of the month preceding the start of the scholarship. Applicants who change their resident status to any status other than “College Student” after their arrival in Japan will immediately lose their status as a Japanese government scholarship student.
Any applicant who meets any or all of the following below conditions is not eligible. If identified after the start of or during the scholarship period, the applicant will be required to withdraw from the scholarship:
If Applicant is a service member or a civilian employee registered on the active military list at the time the scholarship period is due to begin.
If Applicant is a grantee of a scholarship from an organization（including a governmental organization of his/her own country） other than the Japanese government （MONBUKAGAKUSHO:MEXT）;
If the applicant is a previous recipient of a Japanese government scholarship. Unless more than three years have passed since the first day of the month following the final payment of the previous scholarship, as of April 1, 2014 (In case where the student starts from the fall semester, the month of entrance.); or
If Applicant is, in principle, currently enrolled in a Japanese university with the resident status of “College Student,” or will be enrolled in a Japanese university as an other source or self- financed international student between the time of application for this scholarship in his/her country and the time the scholarship period is due to begin. This does not apply to current self- financed international students at Japanese universities who will complete their course of study and return to their country before the end of the current year.
Eligible groupsCitizens / nationals of countries which have diplomatic relations with the Japanese government.
Participating InstitutionsAll accredited universities in Japan
Field(s) of StudyThose who wish to study in Japan as an undergraduate student must choose a field of major from the fields listed below. Applicants may enter a first, second, and third choice.
（1） Social Sciences and Humanities
Social Sciences and Humanities - A: Laws, Politics, Pedagogy, Sociology, Literature, History, Japanese language, and others.
Social Sciences and Humanities - B: Economics, and Business Administration.
Note #1: Applicants who wish to major in the fields categorized as “others” may have difficulties in finding universities that can accept them.
Note #2: Major field content related to “Economics” and “Business Administration” of Humanities B is not included in “others.”
（2） Natural Sciences
Natural Sciences - A: Science （Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry）, Electric and Electronic Studies （Electronics, Electrical Engineering, Information Engineering）, Mechanical Studies （Mechanical Engineering, Naval Architecture）, Civil Engineering and Architecture （Civil Engineering, Architecture, Environmental Engineering）, Chemical Studies （Applied Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Industrial Chemistry, Textile Engineering）, and other fields （Metallurgical Engineering, Mining Engineering, Maritime Engineering, Biotechnology）.
Natural Sciences - B: Agricultural studies （Agriculture, Agricultural Chemistry, Agricultural Engineering, Animal Science, Veterinary Medicine, Forestry, Food Science, Fisheries）, Hygienic studies （Pharmacy, Hygienics, Nursing）, and Science （Biology）.
Natural Sciences - C: Medicine, and Dentistry.
An international student who intends to major in Natural Sciences and would like to choose more than one major is required to choose and select first-, second-, and third-choice subjects from the subjects in brackets from within the same course （i.e. Natural Sciences A, B or C）. However, a student who selects Course C as his/her first choice may choose his/her second-choice subjects from Course B or C and third-choice subject from Course B because Course C offers only two subjects.
Number of awardsNot specified. However, to date, some 83,000 students from approximately 160 countries and regions around the world have studied in Japan under the program.
Sponsorship durationScholarship awards will be tenable for five (5) years from April 2014 to March 2019, including one-year preparatory education in the Japanese language and other subjects due to be provided upon arrival in Japan.
For scholarship grantees majoring in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine or a six-year course in pharmacy, the term of scholarship will be seven years until March 2021.
Scholarship BenefitsThe value of the scholarship includes:
Allowance: The amount of the scholarship disbursement per month has yet to be determined.
Transportation to Japan
Transportation from Japan: The recipient who returns to his/her home country within the fixed period after the expiration of his/her scholarship will be supplied, upon application, with an economy-class airplane ticket for travel from the New Tokyo International Airport or any other international airport that the appointed university usually uses to the international airport nearest to his/her home address
Tuition and Other Fees: Fees for the entrance examination, matriculation, and tuition at universities will be borne by the Japanese Government.
Method of ApplicationIn cooperation with the governments of the applicants’ countries the Japanese legation (Japanese embassy or Consulate general, depending on the country) will perform primary screening of applicants by means of submitted application documents, interviews and academic examinations.
Applicants must submit the following documents to the Japanese legation by the required date. The submitted documents will not be returned:
Application （by the prescribed forms）
Application （Attachment） （prescribed form for applicants for direct placement
Photographs （4.5 x 3.5 cm, Upper body, Full-faced, Uncapped） taken within the past 6 months（name and nationality should be written on the reverse; photo to be pasted onto the application documents. Digital photographs also acceptable）
Academic transcript for the past 3 years
Recommendation from the principal or the adviser of the last school attended
Graduation certificate of the last school attended （or certificate of expected graduation for an applicant due to graduate）
Certificate of passage of university entrance qualification examination （if applicable）
Certificate of enrollment （for an applicant currently enrolled in a university）
Medical certificate （on the prescribed form）
For items （6） and （7） above, a photocopy of the graduation certificate and/or the qualification certificate will do, provided that the copy is attested by the relevant school or examining organization.
An application will not be examined unless all the documents mentioned above are fully and correctly completed. For applicants with （7） Certificate of passage of university entrance qualification examination, this document may be submitted in place of documents （4）, （5） and （6）.
DEADLINES:The scholarship application deadline varies according to the country. Please contact with Japanese embassy or consulate general in your country.
Scholarship application deadline varies per country; but application period is generally around March-May of each year
PLEASE NOTE:The Application documents above must be written in Japanese or English. A document written in any other language must be attached with an English or Japanese translation.
It is very important to visit the official website (via link below) for complete details of this scholarship including to download all the necessary forms and other application procedures.
ContactQuestion? Inquire at the Japanese legation in your country, and follow their instructions, if any are given. Please find the contact details of Japanese embassies/consulates in your country.
Application Deadline: Varies per country (usually March-June 2013)
Open to International students: Yes
Click to Visit Official Website
