Graduate Institute for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI[Genetics Program]
Doctoral Program 2025
Special Admissions for Applicants Residing Abroad(Privately Financed International Students)
1. General Prospectus
The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI was founded as a national university
in Japan on October 1, 1988. The basic concept of SOKENDAI is to develop a new postgraduate
education system in Japan. Its key features are as follows:
1)

SOKENDAI offers both three-year and five-year doctoral programs.

2)

SOKENDAI consists of 20 programs under one institute operated by 20 Inter-University
Research Institutes and Independent Administrative Institutions (“parent institutions”).

3)

Research and education are carried out in close cooperation with the parent institutions.

4)

Broad and international visions are fostered by enhanced interchange between various
institutions and universities in Japan and abroad.

The parent institutions provide Japanese and foreign scientists with opportunities to conductadvanced joint research in various scientific branches. They are equipped with extensive
research facilities and function as centers for advanced studies. Presently, they are cooperating
to establish a world-class program for postgraduate education at SOKENDAI.
[Admission Policy]<What SOKENDAI expects of our grad students>
The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI, seeks students who have a strong
interest in research, who constantly hone their abundant intellect and sensitivity with the aim ofconducting research that will open up a new era, while taking a “bird's-eye view” of the entire
field of study, and who have the will and enthusiasm to be active on the international stage.
<Basic policy for the selection of our grad students>
In selecting students for admission, SOKENDAI places importance on basic academic ability
and logical thinking ability to actively promote research in the cutting-edge 20 research institutes
affiliated to SOKENDAI. In order to properly judge such abilities, various selections will be madeaccording to the respective fields of specialization.

2. Genetics Program Outline
The Genetics Program offers education and research opportunities in a variety of cutting-edge
disciplines with the goal of investigating biological phenomena based on genetic information.
Study and research fields include molecular, cellular, developmental, behavioral, population, andevolutionary genetics, as well as genome biology and bioinformatics. Students can takeadvantage of a wide range of databases and genetic resources hosted by the National Instituteof Genetics (NIG). To nurture independent researchers, the Genetics Program adopts aneducational philosophy by which the academic guidance of each individual student is carried out
by the entire faculty. For example, graduate students meet with their thesis committee twice ayear to receive advice from faculty members outside their host labs. Other features of theProgram include the Scientific Presentation/Writing Program and ample financial assistanceopportunities.

3. Doctoral Degree Requirements
A Doctor of Philosophy degree shall be conferred on students who have satisfied therequirements of their respective doctoral programs as prescribed below.
Students must be enrolled in SOKENDAI for at least five years, earn the necessary credits,
receive the necessary research guidance, and pass the examination for a doctoral thesis.
Students who are recognized as having achieved significant progress may be able to graduate
in a shorter time frame.

4. Doctoral Programs and Number of Students Accepted
Doctoral ProgramsFive-year doctoral program

Number of Students Accepted
October 2025
A few students5. Qualifications for Application
1)

Applicants:

The applicant must have a minimum GPA 2.3 or higher. In case the applicant’s GPA cannot becalculated by the Japanese government formula, it is necessary to submit a letter ofrecommendation from the Dean or higher of the attended school, which includes a statementthat the applicant is ranked within the top 30% in the school, or university.
2)

Nationality:

The applicant must hold the nationality of a country with diplomatic relations with the Japanesegovernment. The applicant who holds Japanese citizenship at the time of application is noteligible.
To see the list of specified nationalities, please confirm the following webpage.
https://www.soken.ac.jp/en/admission/mextscholarship/university_recommendation/file/List_of_Specified_Nationalities.pdf<Important exception> We accept applications from Taiwanese students even though Taiwan is
not included in the above-mentioned list.
3)

Age:

The applicant must have been born on or after April 2, 1990.
4)

Academic Background:

The applicant must have completed a 16-year course of study in the educational institution of aforeign country or is expected to complete such a course by September 30, 2025.
For the details, please see “Applicants must fulfill one of the following conditions” below.
5)

Study Area:

The study area must be in the same field as the applicant has studied or in a related one. This
field of study must be available at SOKENDAI.
6)

Language Ability:

The applicant must fulfill at least one of the requirements listed below:a)Holds an English proficiency test score equivalent to B2 or above on the CEFR (CommonEuropean Framework of Reference for Languages).

To see the CEFR Equivalency Chart, please confirm the following webpage.
https://www.soken.ac.jp/en/admission/application_info/genetics/file/CEFR_1.pdfb)

Has completed an educational program whose primary language of instruction is Englishthat satisfies the entrance requirements for the Five-year doctoral program at SOKENDAI.

7)

Health:The applicant has no physical or mental conditions hindering the applicant’s study in Japan.
8)

Arrival in Japan:

The applicant must be able to arrive in Japan in time for the semester that begins in October,
2025.
9)

Security Export Control:

Depending on the specifics of the education and research instructions they wish to receive uponentering the program, applicants may be subject to regulations on the export/transfer ofcontrolled technologies based on the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Law. Please consult
the Student Affairs Section of SOKENDAI for further details.
10) Others:
The applicant under the conditions stated below will NOT be considered a candidate.

a)

Military personnel and military civilian employees registered on the active list;b)

Has received the MEXT scholarship within the past three years (However, this restriction
does not apply to those who have been enrolled as scholarship students in a Japanese
language and culture program or as a scholarship student in the Japan-Korea Joint
Undergraduate Course for Science and Engineering).

Applicants must fulfill one of the following conditions:1)

Have completed or are expected to complete a 16-year course of school education in aforeign country by the month preceding enrollment;

2)

Have graduated or are expected to graduate from a Japanese university as specified in
Article 83 of the School Education Law by the month preceding enrollment;

3)

Have been conferred or are expected to be conferred a degree equivalent to a bachelor’s
degree by the month preceding enrollment by completing an educational course of three ormore years in a foreign university or in a foreign educational institute;4)

Have completed a 15-year course of school education in a foreign country by the end of themonth preceding enrollment; (Note)

5)

Have been recognized as having academic ability equivalent to a university graduate or
higher by the individual screening of Admission Qualifications of SOKENDAI, and haveattained the age of 22 years by the end of the month preceding enrollment. (Note)

Notes:
Applicants who intend to apply under Provisions 4) or 5) are required to undergo qualification
screening before the application can be submitted. If applicable, please contact the StudentAffairs Section via email in advance.
*Besides the above qualifications 1) to 5), eligible applicants include those who otherwise satisfy
or will satisfy the qualification requirements for general admission to SOKENDAI. If you haveany questions regarding the qualifications for admission, please contact the Student Affairs
Section in advance.

6. Application Procedures[Application Deadline]

Noon on October 28, 2024 (Japan Standard Time)*The application must arrive no later than the application deadline above without failure.
[Contact the prospective supervisor]
Before applying, the applicant must contact the prospective supervisor and confirm whether

he/she can accept the applicant if the applicant passes the examination.
*Please note that faculty members who will retire within the standard period of study (5 years
from the time of admission) cannot be appointed as supervisors.
Faculty list: https://www.nig.ac.jp/nig/phd-program/faculty[Application Method]
The applicant must submit a complete set of application documents as an email attachment tothe Academic Services Division of the Genetics Program <info-soken@nig.ac.jp> by thedeadline.
Notes: If the applicant is accepted for enrollment, the applicant must submit the original officialtranscript and certification of graduation.

7. Application Documentsa)Application Formb)

Field of study and Research Planc)

Photograph or digital image sized 4.5 cm x 3.5 cm taken within the past six months(Full-faced photograph. When photographed, the applicant must not wear a hat or cap
hiding a part of his/her face or head. The applicant must write his/her name andnationality on the back of the photograph.)d)

Proof of nationality (preferably a copy of the applicant’s passport)e)Certified academic records (originals or certified copies)

The applicant must submit certified academic records (issued by the university) for eachacademic year of all universities attended.
Applicants must submit Official Transcripts for all academic years from undergraduate
school. Applicants with master’s or doctoral degrees must submit Official Transcripts
from graduate schools.

f)

Diploma or degree certificate (originals or certified copies)

The applicants must submit a diploma or degree certificate from all the universities attended(or a document certifying that the applicants will graduate from the university by September2025).
Applicants must submit the Certificate of Graduation from their undergraduate school.
Applicants who graduated from graduate schools must submit the Certificates ofGraduation from graduate schools.

Applicants who have not yet graduated from a university must submit an attested
document certifying that the applicants will graduate before entering the doctoralprogram.
g)Proof of the applicant’s academic level, such as the academic ranking in his/her
previous university (e.g., GPA, ABC grading, and ranking of academic achievement)h)A recommendation letter from the applicant’s home institution, addressed to thePresident of SOKENDAI (original)

A recommendation letter must be issued by the Dean or equivalent (or higher) of theapplicant’s current university or the most recent university the applicant attended if
he/she is not enrolled in any university. SOKENDAI cannot accept a recommendation
letter from the department head or the applicant’s academic supervisor.

Please attach a document indicating the position of the person who wrote therecommendation letter.

i)

Abstracts of thesis
If the applicant has no theses or publications, please submit a summary of his/hercurrent research project.

j)Certificate of English proficiency
The applicant must submit a certificate of English in either one, as shown below.
i.

Official score report, such as TOEFL iBT and IELTS, proving that applicants have
English proficiency equivalent to the Common European Framework ofReference for Languages (CEFR) B2 level or above. Please note that theapplicant must have undergone one of these tests after January 20, 2023.

ii.

A document certifying that the applicant has completed his/her bachelor’s course
in English as the main language[How to submit score record]i.

TOEFL iBT

Please submit the original official score report by one of the following methods.
Applicants submit the original official score report by mail with application
documents.

Applicants submit a copy of the official score report with application documents
and make arrangements for the ETS to send the original official score reportdirectly to SOKENDAI.

The Institution Code and Institution Name are as follows.
Institution Code: 7564
Institution Name: SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies)
The score must be submitted to us by the application deadline. Please note that it willtake six weeks or more to receive the score since applicants ask ETS to send it.

ii.

IELTS

Please submit a copy of the official score report with application documents.
If applicants cannot submit any of the above scores by the application deadline, pleasecontact the Student Affairs Section of SOKENDAI.
k)

Proof of the applicant’s specific knowledge and capability in his/her field, such as acommendation for research achievement (optional)

Notes:
The documents mentioned above must be prepared in Japanese or English. If thedocuments are prepared in languages other than Japanese or English, an official English
translation must be included.

The documents above must be prepared using word-processing software. Print all required
documents on A4 size paper. (if possible)

Admission may be withdrawn at any time even after enrollment if the application documents
are found to be invalid or contain false information.

8. Selection Schedule and Method
October and November, 2024: Screening with application documents and online examination
Late January, 2025: Screening with online written examination and interview*Applicants will be separately informed of selection details after their documents have been
accepted.

9. Announcement of Result
The result will be announced to all applicants in April 2025 via email.

10. Admission Procedures(1) The period of admission procedures is scheduled as follows:
Late September 2025 for the enrollment of October 2025
Successful applicants must complete the admission procedures during the prescribed period.
Further details will be provided separately to successful applicants.
(2) Fees required for admission are as follows:
Entrance Fee: JPY 282,000
Tuition Fee for six months: JPY 267,900*If entrance or tuition fees are revised at the time of or during enrollment, the revised fees

shall be applied from the date of revision.

11. Student Visa
Each candidate who is selected as a privately financed student must apply for a visa in personat the nearest Japanese consulate to enter Japan after receiving the Certificate of Eligibility
which is mailed from SOKENDAI.

12. Contact Details for Inquiries
Initial applications must be submitted to / Inquiries regarding selection processes must bedirected to:
Academic Services Division, National Institute of Genetics (Genetics Program, SOKENDAI)
Email: info-soken@nig.ac.jp
Please see the Program’s website for detailed information:
https://www.nig.ac.jp/nig/phd-program/admissions-top/admissions
Other inquiries must be directed to:Student Affairs Section, Division of Academic and Student Affairs
The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI
Email: gakusei@ml.soken.ac.jp