JAPANESE GOVERNMENT (Monbukagakusho: MEXT) SCHOLARSHIP(University Recommendation)
October 2025 enrolment
Master’s Program in Sport and Olympic Studies

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) of Japan offers scholarships
to international students who wish to study as degree students at the Graduate School of Comprehensive
Human Sciences (Master’s Program in Sport and Olympic Studies) at University of Tsukuba(UT).
Note:
The official scholarship application conditions are scheduled to be announced by MEXT in December
2024. Therefore, scholarship conditions and other information in this application guidelines are subject tochange. UT will notify the applicants if there are any changes to the information provided in the guidelines

1. Qualifications and Conditions(1) Academic Performance
Applicants must have demonstrated excellent academic achievement with a Grade Point Average of 2.30
(out of 3.00) or above at the previous school, and the evaluation on the same level is expected during
the scholarship payment period.
Note: See Appendix 1 to calculate your GPA yourself(2) Nationality
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 other country andrenounce their Japanese nationality by the date of their arrival in Japan.
(3) Age
Applicants, in principle, must have been born on or after April 2, 1990. Exceptions are limited to cases in which
MEXT deems that the applicant could not apply within the eligible age limit due to the situation or circumstancesof the applicant’s country (military service obligation, loss of educational opportunities due to disturbances of war,etc.) Personal circumstances (financial situation, family circumstances, state of health, circumstances related toapplicant’s university or place of employment, etc.) will not be considered for exceptions.
(4) Academic Background
Applicants must satisfy any one of the following conditions for admission to be accepted in the Master’s
Program in Sport and Olympic Studies from October 2025. (Applicants who will certainly satisfy any of
the following conditions by the time of enrollment are eligible.)1

[Master’s Programs]
Individuals who have completed 16 years of education in a foreign country and have earned a bachelor's
degree, or who are expected to graduate and receive their bachelor's degree by September 2025.
(5) Number of Students to be accepted
The number of candidates that UT can recommend to MEXT is 3.
(6) Language Proficiency
Applicants must satisfy either of the following conditions:[English]1) Those who have passed/achieved a score in a language proficiency test that corresponds to B2 orhigher level 4 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) at the timeof enrolment.
2) Those who have completed an undergraduate course in which English was the main language ofstudy.
3) Those who are regarded by UT to have an English language ability equivalent to or better than B2 of
the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)(7) Health
An applicant must be physically and mentally healthy enough to pursue study at university.
(8) Arrival in JapanThe date of enrollment will be in late September 2025. In principle, applicants must be able to arrive inJapan on the date set by UT, which is normally in late September. Excluding cases in which MEXT deems
as unavoidable circumstances, the applicant must withdraw from this scholarship program if the applicant
cannot arrive in Japan by the end of the specified period above which decided by MEXT or UT.
(9) Visa Requirement
An applicant shall, in principle, newly obtain a “Student” visa at the Japanese diplomatic mission locatedin the applicant’s country of nationality, and enter Japan with the residence status of “Student.”
Accordingly, even if the applicant already has other residence status (“Permanent resident,” “Long-term
resident,” etc.), the applicant must change it to the “Student” status and re-enter Japan. Moreover, theapplicant should be aware that after expiration of the status as a MEXT Scholarship student and even if
the student again applies for their original resident status of “Permanent resident” or “Long-term resident,”such resident statuses might not be necessarily granted. The applicant should also be aware that thescholarship will be cancelled if he/she arrived in Japan without a newly obtained “Student” visa.
(10) Non-eligibility
Any applicant who meets even one of the following conditions is not eligible. If identified after the start ofthe scholarship period, the applicant will be required to withdraw from the scholarship:21) The Applicant is an active member of the military or a civilian employed by the military during thearrival of Japan or the period of receiving scholarship
2) The Applicant is unable to travel to Japan within the dates set by the receiving university or MEXT
(Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology).
3) Those who are previous grantees of Japanese Government (MEXT) scholarship programs (including
those who withdraw from the scholarship program after the arrival in Japan). This does not apply to: those
who have educational or work experience exceeding more than three years from the following month ofthe period of the previous scholarship to the estimated first month of the payment of this scholarship; andthe past grantees of Japanese Studies Students program who have graduated or are going to graduate
from universities in their home countries, Japan-Korea Joint Government Scholarship Program for theStudents in Science and Engineering Departments and Young Leaders’ Program. The MEXT Honors
Scholarship is not one of the MEXT Scholarship Programs, so applicant who received the MEXT Honors
Scholarship can still apply.
4) The applicant is already enrolled in a Japanese university with a residence status of “Student,” or
who are enrolled, or plan to enroll, in a Japanese university as a privately-financed international student
between the time of application and the start of the MEXT scholarship period.
However, this stipulation does not apply to applicants who are living in Japan at the time of application.
5) The Applicant is already the recipient of a scholarship from an organization (including a governmentalorganization in his/her country of origin) other than the Japanese government (Ministry of Education,
Culture, Sports, Science and Technology - MEXT).
6) Applicants who are expected to graduate at the time of application and cannot satisfy thequalifications and the conditions related to academic background by the deadline given.
7) Holders of dual nationality at the time of application who cannot verify that they will give up Japanesenationality by the time of the arrival in Japan.
8) Those wishing to engage in research activities (fieldwork or an internship) or being absence fromschool for a long term in a country other than Japan after submission of Application.
9) Those who apply for duplication with the program of commencing another scholarship in 2024 under
MEXT scholarship.
10) The applicant who has no intention to obtain a degree.

2. Period of Scholarship
2 years (From October 2025 until the end of September 2027)

3. Scholarship Benefits(1) Allowance
Each grantee will be provided monthly with 144,000 yen
However, these amounts are subject to change depending on the annual budget of each year. The
scholarship will not be paid to a grantee who takes a leave of absence or is long absent from his/her
university.
3(2) Traveling Costs
1) Transportation to Japan
In principle, MEXT stipulates the travel schedule and route, and provides an economy-class air ticket for
the flight from 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. The grantee
shall bear at his/her own expense all costs related to domestic travel from the grantee’s residence to thenearest international airport, airport taxes, airport usage fees, special taxes necessary for travel, travel
expenses within Japan (including airline transit costs), travel insurance expenses, expenses related tobaggage, unaccompanied baggage etc. The grantee shall also bear at his/her own expense travel andlodging costs incurred in a third country if the grantee must travel to a third country before coming toJapan for visa purposes because there are no embassy of Japan in his/her country or there is no directflight form his/her home country. In principle, MEXT or the university will only provide an economy classticket to the international airport that the host university will use in the domestic route on ordinary routes
from the visiting country. However, MEXT will not provide the air ticket in cases when the grantee arrives
in Japan from a country other than the country of nationality due to the personal issues that had moved
to the country before the arrival in Japan.
("Residence place" of foreign students is in principle the 「current address」stated in the application form.
However, if the student moved to another place in the country of nationality before arrival, the new
address stated in the application form "address" column will be referred as "residence place ").
2) Transportation from Japan
Grantees shall graduate the accepting university and return to the home country by the end of the final
month of the period of scholarship designated by MEXT. Based on the Application by the grantee, MEXT,
in principle, shall provide an economy-class air ticket from Narita International Airport or the international
airport used for the normal route to and from the accepting university to the international airport (inprinciple, in the country of nationality) nearest to the returning recipient’s address in Japanese. The
grantee shall bear at his/her own expense all costs related to travel from the grantee’s residence to thenearest international airport, airport taxes, airport usage fees, special taxes necessary for travel, travel
expenses within the country of nationality (including airline transit costs), travel insurance expenses,
expenses related to baggage, unaccompanied baggage etc.
3) Tuition and Other Fees
Grantee gets full tuition fee and admission fee coverage from the university

44. Application schedule for 2025 (subject to change)
Application Period

December 2 – 12 December 12, 2024, 15:00(JST),

Submission of documents

December 13, 2024
Note: Original copies of the documents need to be received by the above
date.

Oral examination

January 29 – 30, 2025

(Zoom interview)

Note: Prospective applicants will be contacted via e-mail after the
preliminary screening based on the submitted documents.

Announcement of results

February 14, 2025 on University’s website

from UT
Scholarship recommendation

March – June, 2025

to MEXTFor applicants who succeeded in the admission process

Official Announcement ofJune – July, 2025

acceptance from MEXT

Will be announced individually via e-mailImmigration procedures

July – September, 2025

Arrival in japan

late September, 2025

*Application documents will be uploaded, soon.
5. Required documents (Forms available on our website)
All the documents must be in ENGLISH or JAPANESE, preferably in typed and printed format. (Ifdocuments are written in a language other than Japanese or English, please attach a Japanese or English
translation.)
Required documents

Via emailBy postFile Format

Original/
Certified copy

1

Application Sheet with a facial photo

XLSX

2

(Expected) Graduation Certificate

PDF

✓

3

Degree Certificate

PDF

✓

4

Academic Transcript

PDF

✓

5

5

TOEIC / TOEFL / IELTS Official score record *PDF

6Research Plan (for UT)

PDF

7Field of Research and Study Plan (for MEXT)

PDF

8Letter of Recommendation

PDF

9Motivation Letter

PDF

10

Thesis Abstract

PDF

11

Admission Examination Slip

PDF

✓

✓

* If applicable(1) Application Sheet
Use the prescribed form with a JPEG photograph of the applicant’s face attached.
*Color facial photo (upper body, without a hat or cap, facing front, no background, taken within last 6months and 4.5 cm long × 3.5 cm wide
Before you apply, you have to contact a prospective supervisor (a faculty member from whom you wish
to receive academic instruction) and obtain their consent to your application in advance.
Faculty member list. Pdf(2) (Expected) Graduation Certificate
Submit a graduation certificate (or an attested document certifying that you will graduate) issued by auniversity or another educational institution that meets the application requirements.
Note: Even if you have already earned a master’s or a doctoral degree, you need to submit a graduation
certificate issued by the university for which you have earned a bachelor’s degree.
(3) Degree Certificate
If you graduated from a university or another educational institution outside Japan, submit a degree
certificate for your bachelor’s degree. All documents must be in English or Japanese.
Note: Even if you have already earned a master’s or a doctoral degree, you need to submit a degree
certificate issued by the university for which you have earned a bachelor’s degree.
(4) Academic Transcript
Academic Transcript must be issued by the higher education institution which meets the application
criteria.
* You must have demonstrated excellent academic achievement with a Grade Point Average of 2.30 (outof 3.00) or above at their previous school.
* You must also submit (an) official document(s) that specifies and explains the grading system(s) if it is
not indicated in your transcript.

6

(5) TOEIC / TOEFL / IELTS Official score record *English: Score report of the above language proficiency test that corresponds to B2 or higher level of
CEFR. The above certificates must be taken in or after January 2023, and we do not accept any scores
taken in or before December 2022.
If you are unable to submit the original on the application, you must submit the original by the exam day.
* Applicants who have graduated or will graduate from a university or graduate school where English or
Japanese is the main language should submit an official document issued by the university.
(6) Research Plan (for UT)
Summarize plans in English in approximately 800 words in the prescribed form.
(7) Field of Research and Study Plan (for MEXT)
Fill out the required fields and submit the completed form as digital data.
(8) Letter of Recommendation
Should be written by the Dean or President of the current or former school of your university and must be
addressed to the attention of the President of the University of Tsukuba
Addressee: To the attention of the President of University of Tsukuba.
Referee: The date and referee's name along with the academic appointment are required. Referee islimited to a Dean or President of your school.
*If GPA cannot be calculated from your academic transcript (Document A-4), the letter of recommendationmust clearly state that the applicant’s grade ranking at the university/faculty or graduate school is within
the top 30%.
*A recommendation letter that doesn’t meet the above requirements will not be accepted.
(9) Motivation Letter
Fill out the required fields and submit the completed form as digital data.
(10) Thesis Abstract
If you have written a thesis, submit a summary of its content.
If there are books, academic papers, reports or presentation materials of academic conferences thatshow your achievements and research abilities, attach a list of publications. Printed documents not
required(11) Examination Admission Slip
Use the prescribed form with a JPEG photo. The size of the photo must be 4.5 x 3.5 cm; taken within thelast 6 months; upper body; hat off; front side. Attach it as electronic data.

7

<How to Submit>
Via email
Send to:Office for Master’s Program in Sport and Olympic Studies, University of Tsukuba
email: tias-admin@un.tsukuba.ac.jp
All the documents except for specified official documents must be submitted via email in A4 size paper(the same size as the application form) either in Japanese or English, preferably in typed and printed
format.
Mailing Address
Send to:Office for Master’s Program in Sport and Olympic Studies, University of Tsukuba
1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8574 JAPANWhen sending originals or certified copies of the documents, please send them by registered mail orcourier service which can be tracked down afterwards.
6. Handling of Personal Information
Applicants’ personal information obtained from the application documents and the results of the entrance
examination will be used for the affairs concerning admission and screening. UT may also process theinformation so that it is not personally identifiable and use it for research and study aimed at improvementof the admission procedure and the university education.
7. Security Export Control
The University of Tsukuba has established the University of Tsukuba Rules on Security Export Control inaccordance with the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act, and conducts strict examinations for
acceptance of international students. Applicants who fall under any of the conditions set out in the said
regulations may be unable to enter their desired program
8. Contact
Office for Master’s Program in Sport and Olympic Studies, University of Tsukuba
email: tias-admin@un.tsukuba.ac.jp

8Appendix1: How to Calculate Your GPA for the MEXT Scholarship
To be eligible for the MEXT scholarship for graduate students, you need to have a Grade Point Average(GPA) of 2.30 (out of 3.0) or above at the previous school, and the evaluation on the same level is
expected during the scholarship payment period. Using the MEXT-specified grade conversion chart andGPA calculation formula below, please check your eligibility.
<Grade Conversion Chart>
Grading System

GradesType 1: (4-point scale)Excellent

Good

Fair

Poor

Type 2: (4-point scale)

A

B

C

F

Type 3: (4-point scale)

100-80

79-70

69-60

below 59

Type 4: (5-point scale)

S

A

B

C

F

Type 5: (5-point scale)

A

B

C

D

F

Type 6: (5-point scale)

100-90

89-80

79-70

69-60

below 59

3

3

2

1

0

Grade Point
GPA Calculation Formula([No. of GP3 Credits] × 3) + ([No. of GP2 Credits] × 2) + ([No. of GP1 Credits] × 1) + ([No. of GP0 Credits] × 0)

Total No. of credits for all registered courses
References: No. = Number GP = Grade Point
Note: If the courses do not go by the credit system, replace the "number of credits" with "number ofcourses" registered.
Example: If your institution uses a typical North American grading system (A, B, C, D, and F) or a systemcomparable to it, you may use the 5-level scale.
Course Title

Grade

No. of

Grade

Total

credits

Point

Point

(above)Japanese 1

A

3

x

3

=

9

Japanese 2

B

3

x

3

=

9

Intro to Japanese History

B

3

x

3

=

9

Intro to Business

D

3

x

1

=

3

Total

12

(9×3) + (0×2) + (3×1) + (0×0)
12

=

30
30
12

9

=

2.5