October 2021 Admission

Master’s Course / Doctoral Course(Special Selection for International Course Students)

Admission Guidelines

Graduate School of Science
Osaka City University
Any changes to admission guidelines due to COVID-19 will be announced on the following website:
https://www.sci.osaka-cu.ac.jp/i-course/

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Purpose
In an effort to further internationalize and strengthen its educational and research functions, the Osaka City
University, Graduate School of Science (GSS) has established new Master’s and Doctoral courses offered entirely
in English. GSS welcomes a wide range of international students to apply. The application guidelines are provided
below.
Admissions Policy〈Master’s Course〉
GSS welcomes individuals who have a basic academic ability in specialized areas of natural science, who want toreveal and understand the laws of nature, and who desire to pursue basic, applied, or interdisciplinary research.
〈Doctoral Course〉
GSS welcomes individuals who have a high level of academic ability in a broad area of natural science, have theinitiative to discover and tackle new problems, and are eager to actively work as global leaders in a variety offields.
Length of Course
The standard duration for the master’s course is two years, and three years for the doctoral course.
1 Admissions
Division

Master’s Course
Total
International

Doctoral Course
Total
International

Mathematics &
31
A few
10
A few
Physics
Molecular Materials
37
A few
7
A few
Science
Biology &
29
A few
9
A few
Geosciences
Notes: 1. Applicants with unsatisfactory entrance examination scores will not be granted admission.
2. The total number of admissions includes those for enrollment in April and in October.
2. Qualifications for Applying〈Master’s Course〉
Qualified applicants are non-Japanese nationals, are proficient enough in English to attend lectures and seminars
and to carry out research and meet one of the following conditions.
(1) The applicant has completed, or is expected to complete by September, 2021, 16 years of formal education ina country other than Japan.
(2) The applicant has graduated, or is expected to graduate by September, 2021, from a university or college inJapan; or the applicant has completed after a date specified by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports,
Science and Technology—Minister of Education for short—or is expected to complete by September, 2021, a
postsecondary course, separately specified by the Minister of Education at a specialized training college.
(3) The applicant has completed, or is expected to complete by September, 2021, a course separately specified by
the Minister of Education, offered in Japan by an educational institution that is designated as comparable to auniversity or college—requiring 16 years of formal education for completion—in the education system of acountry other than Japan.
(4) The applicant has completed, or is expected to complete by September, 2021, 16 years of formal education ofa country other than Japan, through distance courses offered in Japan by an educational institution in the
country.
(5) The applicant has completed, or is expected to complete a course of study that extends over at least three years
at a university, college, or other academic institution in a country other than Japan, receiving, as a result, a
degree equivalent to a bachelor’s degree by September, 2021. Here the academic institution must be one thathas been evaluated of its overall state, including its educational and research activities, and accredited by abody authorized by the country’s government or a relevant organization; or it must be separately designated as
equivalent to an accredited institution by Japan’s Minister of Education. The course of study includes thosecompleted either through distance courses offered in Japan by an educational institution in said country or at2

an educational institution that is part of the educational system of the country and that meets the condition (3)above.
〈Doctoral Course〉
Qualified applicants are non-Japanese nationals, are proficient enough in English to attend lectures and seminars
and to carry out research and meet one of the following conditions.
(1) The applicant has received, or is expected to receive by September, 2021, a degree equivalent to a master’s orprofessional degree in a country other than Japan.
(2) The applicant has received, or is expected to receive by September, 2021, a master’s or professional degree as
an international student from a graduate school in Japan.
(3) The applicant has completed, or is expected to complete by September, 2021, a course separately specified by
the Minister of Education and offered in Japan by an educational institution that is designated as comparable
to a graduate school in the education system of a country other than Japan, receiving, as a result, a degree
equivalent to a master’s or professional degree.
(4) The applicant has received, or is expected to receive by September, 2021, a degree equivalent to a master’s orprofessional degree, through distance courses offered in Japan by an educational institution in a country otherthan Japan.
(5) The applicant has completed, or is expected to complete a course offered by the United Nations University,
receiving a degree equivalent to a master’s or professional degree by September, 2021.
3. Application Process
The application process is explained below, with the details of each step provided on later pages.
Consult with host faculty member by e-mailRequest letter of acceptance from host

Request letters ofrecommendation to
be written and sent

Prepare other application
documents

Letters of recommendation
to be emailed by preparer
to International Course
Examination Office

Pay examination fee

All documents other than letters ofrecommendation to be emailed by applicant toInternational Course Examination Office

4. Advance consultation by email:The applicant is required to consult, in advance, with the faculty member they wish to be their advisor about what
to do in their research after entering the graduate program, and then to receive a letter of acceptance from thefaculty member. The applicant is advised to contact, by email, the faculty member they wish to be their advisor
with enough time in advance so as not to miss the application deadline of April 23, 2021. For the email addresses ofthe faculty members, please refer to the Graduate School of Science web site:
https://www.sci.osaka-cu.ac.jp/index_e.html.
5. Application Documents
All the documents listed below are to be emailed by the applicant themselves, except the letters of recommendation,
which are to be emailed by those who have written them, by the deadline, to the International Course Examination
Office: sci-i-course@ado.osaka-cu.ac.jp.
Note: The designated forms are available for download at the university website:
https://www.sci.osaka-cu.ac.jp/i-course/3

＜Mathematics & Physics＞

1

Letter of Acceptance2

Application for Admission

3

Examination Fee

4Statement of Purpose

5

Certificate of (Expected)
Graduation and Transcripts

Master’s Course
Doctoral Course
The applicant is required to consult, in advance by email, with the faculty
member they wish to be their advisor in the Graduate School of Science at
Osaka City University and to request the faculty member to prepare a letter of
acceptance stating that the applicant will be accepted into the faculty
member’s research group on the condition that the applicant passes theentrance examination. The applicant is to submit the letter of acceptance inelectronic form. A letter of acceptance template is available for download at
the following website:
https://www.sci.osaka-cu.ac.jp/i-course/admissions.html
Fill in the application form, which is available for download at the following
website:https://www.sci.osaka-cu.ac.jp/i-course/admissions.html
30,000 yen (JPY).
See the following website for payment instructions:

https://www.sci.osaka-cu.ac.jp/i-course/admissions.html
Importance will be placed on the statement of purpose when applications arereviewed. Using the form available for download at the website below, writea statement of purpose, up to two A4-size pages long, describing thefollowing two points:
https://www.sci.osaka-cu.ac.jp/i-course/admissions.html
1. Reasons for choosing the program and the research group
2. Past research experience and research proposal
Bachelor’s degree diploma with the
Master’s degree certificate with thedegree clearly stated—or a certificate degree clearly stated—or a certificate
of expected graduation for anof expected completion for an
applicant still in college—issued byapplicant still in graduate
the president of the university theschool—issued by the president ofapplicant graduated from, and thethe university where the applicant
transcript of the bachelor’s program
completed a master’s program, and(If you do not have a bachelor's
the transcript of the master’s program
degree, please contact us in advance.)
Send scanned certificates in electronic form; enrollment will require theoriginal documents. If the certificates are written in a language other thanJapanese or English, attach an English translation certified by the university
or other relevant bodies.
Applicants are required to submit TOEFL-PBT, TOEFL-iBT (TOEFL-ITP is not
accepted), TOEIC (TOEIC bridge is not accepted) or IELTS scores.

6

Certificate
Proficiency

ofEnglishPlease submit scanned score reports in electronic form; enrollment will
require the original score reports.
Note: Applicants who meet any of the following conditions need not submit
certificates:
・Native English speakers
・Applicants who graduated from a university in a native English-speaking

country・Applicants who graduated from a university with English as the official

7

GRE (Graduate Record
Examination) Scoreslanguage. Applicants must submit an official document, issued by theuniversity or other relevant bodies, certifying that English is the official
language.
Applicants in Mathematics are
required to submit a scanned GRE
Subject test (Mathematics) score
report and those in Physics, ascanned GRE Subject test (Physics)
score report in electronic form

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Please submit an electronic copy ofthe master’s thesis, which should be
written in English. If the master’s
thesis has not been completed,applicants in mathematics are
required to submit a summary,approximately two A4- or letter-size
pages long, of their research written
in English; applicants in physics are
required to submit a paper, twenty or
more A4- or letter-size pages long,summarizing their research in
English in the format specified
below*.

Master’s Thesis

Letters of Recommendation* Format:A. Title
B. Author
C. Abstract
D. Main body of the paper
1) Introduction2) Description of the study you havedone3) Discussion and summary
E. Appendix
F. References
Submit at least two letters of recommendation.
Letters of recommendation must be written by either the president of theuniversity the applicant graduated from, the dean, the chairman of thedepartment, or the applicant’s academic advisor and must be emailed by theindividual writing the recommendation to the International Course
Examination Office (sci-i-course@ado.osaka-cu.ac.jp).
The form for letters of recommendation is available for download at thefollowing website:
https://www.sci.osaka-cu.ac.jp/i-course/admissions.html
It is the responsibility of the applicant to make sure everyone writes and sends
their letter of recommendation to the International Course Examination Officeby the deadline.

＜Molecular Materials Science＞

1

Letter of Acceptance2

Application for Admission

Master’s Course
Doctoral Course
The applicant is required to consult, in advance by email, with the faculty
member they wish to be their advisor in the Graduate School of Science at
Osaka City University and to request the faculty member to prepare a letter of
acceptance stating that the applicant will be accepted into the faculty
member’s research group on the condition that the applicant passes theentrance examination. The applicant is to submit the letter of acceptance inelectronic form. A template is available for download at the following
website:https://www.sci.osaka-cu.ac.jp/i-course/admissions.html
Fill in the application form, which is available for download at the following
website:https://www.sci.osaka-cu.ac.jp/i-course/admissions.html

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30,000 yen (JPY).
See the following website for payment instructions:

3

Examination Fee

4Statement of Purpose

5

Certificate of (Expected)
Graduation and Transcripts

https://www.sci.osaka-cu.ac.jp/i-course/admissions.html
Importance will be placed on the statement of purpose when applications arereviewed. Using the form available for download at the website below, writea statement of purpose, up to two A4-size pages long, describing thefollowing two points:
https://www.sci.osaka-cu.ac.jp/i-course/admissions.html
1. Reasons for choosing the program and the research group
2. Past research experience and research proposal
Bachelor’s degree diploma with the
Master’s degree certificate with thedegree clearly stated—or a certificate degree clearly stated—or a certificate
of expected graduation for anof expected completion for an
applicant still in college—issued byapplicant still in graduate
the president of the university theschool—issued by the president ofapplicant graduated from, and thethe university where the applicant
transcript of the bachelor’s program
completed a master’s program, andthe transcript of the master’s program(If you do not have a bachelor's
degree, please contact us in advance.)
Please send scanned certificates in electronic form; enrollment will require
the original documents. If the certificates are written in a language other thanJapanese or English, attach an English translation certified by the university
or other relevant bodies.
Applicants are required to submit TOEFL-PBT, TOEFL-iBT (TOEFL-ITP is not
accepted), TOEIC (TOEIC bridge is not accepted) or IELTS scores.

6

Certificate
Proficiency

7

Master’s Thesis

8ofEnglishLetters of Recommendation

Please submit scanned score reports in electronic form; enrollment will
require the original score reports.
Note: Applicants who meet any of the following conditions need not submit
certificates:
・Native English speakers

・Applicants who graduated from a university in a native English-speaking
country・Applicants who graduated from a university with English as the official
language. Applicants must submit an official document, issued by theuniversity or other relevant bodies, certifying that English is the official
language.
Write a summary, up to two A4-size
pages long, of the master’s thesis in
English and submit it in electronic
form.
Submit at least two letters ofSubmit at least one letter ofrecommendation.
recommendation.
Letters of recommendation must be written by either the president of theuniversity the applicant graduated from, the dean, the chairman of thedepartment, or the applicant’s academic advisor and must be emailed by theindividual writing the recommendation to the International Course
Examination Office (sci-i-course@ado.osaka-cu.ac.jp).
The form for letters of recommendation is available for download at thefollowing website:
https://www.sci.osaka-cu.ac.jp/i-course/admissions.html
It is the responsibility of the applicant to make sure everyone writes and sends
their letter of recommendation to the International Course Examination Officeby the deadline.

6＜Biology and Geosciences＞

1

Letter of Acceptance2

Application for Admission

3

Examination Fee

4Statement of Purpose

5

Certificate of (Expected)
Graduation and Transcripts

Master’s Course
Doctoral Course
The applicant is required to consult, in advance by email, with the faculty
member they wish to be their advisor in the Graduate School of Science at
Osaka City University and to request the faculty member to prepare a letter of
acceptance stating that the applicant will be accepted into the faculty
member’s research group on the condition that the applicant passes theentrance examination. The applicant is to submit the letter of acceptance inelectronic form. A template is available for download at the following
website:https://www.sci.osaka-cu.ac.jp/i-course/admissions.html
Fill in the application form, which is available for download at the following
website:https://www.sci.osaka-cu.ac.jp/i-course/admissions.html
30,000 yen (JPY).
See the following website for payment instructions:

https://www.sci.osaka-cu.ac.jp/i-course/admissions.html
Importance will be placed on the statement of purpose when applications arereviewed. Using the form available for download at the website below, writea statement of purpose, up to two A4-size pages long, describing thefollowing two points:
https://www.sci.osaka-cu.ac.jp/i-course/admissions.html
1. Reasons for choosing the program and the research group
2. Past research experience and research proposal
Bachelor’s degree diploma with the
Master’s degree certificate with thedegree clearly stated—or a certificate degree clearly stated—or a certificate
of expected graduation for anof expected completion for an
applicant still in college—issued byapplicant still in graduate
the president of the university theschool—issued by the president ofapplicant graduated from, and thethe university where the applicant
transcript of the bachelor’s program
completed a master’s program, andthe transcript of the master’s program(If you do not have a bachelor's
degree, please contact us in advance.)
Please send scanned certificates in electronic form; enrollment will require
the original documents. If the certificates are written in a language other thanJapanese or English, attach an English translation certified by the university
or other relevant bodies.
Applicants are required to submit TOEFL-PBT, TOEFL-iBT (TOEFL-ITP is not
accepted), TOEIC (TOEIC bridge is not accepted) or IELTS scores.

6

Certificate
Proficiency

ofEnglishPlease submit scanned score reports in electronic form; enrollment will
require the original score reports.
Note: Applicants who meet any of the following conditions need not submit
certificates:
・Native English speakers
・Applicants who graduated from a university in a native English-speaking

country・Applicants who graduated from a university with English as the official

7

GRE (Graduate Record
Examination) Scoreslanguage. Applicants must submit an official document, issued by theuniversity or other relevant bodies, certifying that English is the official
language.
Applicants in Geosciences are
required to submit a scanned GRE
General test score report in electronic
form

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8

Master’s Thesis
Submit at least two letters ofrecommendation.

9

Letters of Recommendation

Write a summary, up to two A4-size
pages long, of the master’s thesis in
English and submit it in electronic
form.
Submit at least one letter ofrecommendation.

Letters of recommendation must be written by either the president of theuniversity the applicant graduated from, the dean, the chairman of thedepartment, or the applicant’s academic advisor and must be emailed by theindividual writing the recommendation to the International Course
Examination Office (sci-i-course@ado.osaka-cu.ac.jp).
The form for letters of recommendation is available for download at thefollowing website:
https://www.sci.osaka-cu.ac.jp/i-course/admissions.html
It is the responsibility of the applicant to make sure everyone writes and sends
their letter of recommendation to the International Course Examination Officeby the deadline.

6. How to Apply
Anyone who wishes to apply to the International Course should first pay the examination fee and then submit, by
email to the address below, all the application materials except the letters of recommendation, which should besubmitted by the individuals writing them. It is the applicant’s responsibility to make sure they send the letters ofrecommendation by email.
Application Period
Send tosci-i-course@ado.osaka-cu.ac.jp
In the subject line, write "Application documents forApril 12, 2021 – April 23, 2021
OCU_*****" , where ***** is the full name of theapplicant in the English alphabet.
Note: An application number will be sent by email to applicants whose application has been received. Application
numbers are scheduled to be sent around April 27, 2021. If you do not receive one after a week has passed, contact
the International Course Examination Office by email (sci-i-course@ado.osaka-cu.ac.jp).
7. Selection Process
Master’s Course
Successful applicants will be selected by acomprehensive judgment of application documents andoral examination.

Doctoral Course
Successful applicants will be selected by acomprehensive judgment of application documents andoral examination.

Document screening:
The Graduate Selection Committee will review thesubmitted applications. The selected applicants will be
notified of the date, place, and procedure for their oral
examination by email in May.

Document screening:
The Graduate Selection Committee will review thesubmitted applications. The selected applicants will be
notified of the date, place, and procedure for their oral
examination by email in May.

Oral examination:
An oral examination about the applicant’s
specialization and research proposal will be given at
Osaka City University.
The examination day is scheduled for June 19, 2021
and the details will be provided by email.

Oral examination:
An oral examination about the applicant’s researchexperience, research proposal, and relevant
specialization will be given at Osaka City University.
The examination day is scheduled for June 19, 2021
and the details will be provided by email.

88. Admission Results(1) Announcement of Successful Applicants
The application numbers of the applicants who have been granted admission will be posted on the website of
Osaka City University between 10:00 am on June 29, 2021 to 5:00 pm on July 5, 2021.
(2) Notification of Successful Applicants“Notification of Successful Applicants” and “Enrollment Steps” will be sent to successful applicants by email.
(3) Enrollment/Registration Day
Date: July, 2021
Note: Details will be provided separately to applicants who have been granted admission
9. Tuition and Fees
Admission Fee: Students admitted into the International Course will be exempt from the admission fee.
Note: Students admitted through the general entrance examination will pay an admission fee of¥382,000 (JPY).
Tuition: ¥535,800 (JPY) for a full year; ¥267,900 (JPY) for a half year (as of April, 2020)
Note: In case the tuition fees are revised while students are still enrolled, the revised tuition rates will
apply to them.
10. Notes(1) An application may not be canceled under any circumstances after it has been received.
(2) Inquiries about examination results will not be answered.
(3) The application fee already paid will not be refunded except for the following reasons.
・The applicant paid an application fee, but did not file an application
・ The application was not accepted because it was incomplete etc.
・ The application fee was paid in duplicate* Please contact the International Course Office within one month from the last day of the application
period for the method of refund.
(4) If false statements are detected in an application form or if it is found that an applicant cheated during theentrance examination, the admission may be revoked even after the student has been formally enrolled.
(5) If an applicant does not meet the qualifications, no admission will be granted even if the applicant passes theentrance examination.
(6) The University may use the personal information collected through the application and admissions processes
within a scope deemed necessary for the entrance examination, admissions guide, enrollment steps, selection
method study, statistical data generation, and operations concerning student affairs at the university. If thecollected personal information is used outside the aforementioned scope of operations, it will always be donewith the applicant’s approval. Such personal information collected for the purpose of admissions operations
will never be provided to a third party.
(7) OCU is in charge of Osaka City University Regulations for Security Export Control according to the Foreign
Exchange and Foreign Trade Act and strictly screens all items and technology to be exported from theuniversity. If your issue is in conflict with any regulation put forth by OCU, you may not be allowed toreceive your desired education or conduct research. Please direct all inquiries to the following address:
gaitame@ado.osaka-cu.ac.jp

Contact Information
Website: https://www.sci.osaka-cu.ac.jp/i-course/
E-mail: sci-i-course@ado.osaka-cu.ac.jp (International Course Office)9