Doctoral Programs
Special Selection Prior to Arrival in Japan
Environment and Information Sciences (EIS)
Yokohama National University
October 2025 Admission
Application Guidelines
1. Introduction
Yokohama National University’s Graduate School of Environment and Information Sciences
offers applicants living outside Japan the opportunity to take the entrance examination for its
doctoral program without coming to Japan. We are currently seeking students for matriculationin October of 2025.
If you wish to apply for enrollment, please read these guidelines carefully, make sure thatyou accurately understand the necessary information, and then correctly carry out theapplication procedures.
This graduate school is composed of several research fields, and the number of applicantsthat can be accepted in each field is different. Therefore, applicants should find the field in which
they want to major, consult with the academic advisor in charge of that field, and then proceedwith the application. Moreover, classes in this graduate school are as a rule conducted inJapanese, but some of our faculty members are able to provide academic supervision in English,
so please check with the academic advisor in charge of your preferred field about the level ofJapanese proficiency required.

If you have any questions about this entrance examination. Please send questions by e-mail,in either Japanese or English.

Contact Information
Office of Academic Affairs
Graduate School of Environment and Information Sciences
Yokohama National University
79-7 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama 240-8501
E-mail: ses.daigakuin-env”@”ynu.ac.jp
Please convert "＠" to ＠.

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You may also contact the faculty member in charge of academic affairs in thedepartment/educational program to which you intend to apply. You may send your inquiries by
e-mail in either Japanese or English.

Department

Artificial
Environment

NaturalEnvironment

Information
Environment

Educational Program
Safety, Environment andSystem Engineering
ProgramEnvironmental Science
ProgramSocial Environment
Program
Ecology and Bioscience
ProgramEarth and Biological
Science Program
Environmental Studies
ProgramInformatics Program
Information Studies
ProgramMathematical Science
Program

Faculty Member
IZATO
Yuichiro
SHIRAISHI
Toshihiko
IIJIMA Motoyuki

E-mail address
izato-yuichiro-tk [at sign]ynu.ac.jp
shiraishi-toshihiko-fd [at sign]ynu.ac.jp

iijima-motoyuki-jc at sign]ynu.ac.jp

OKUYAMA Naokookuyama-naoko-rt [at sign]ynu.ac.jp

NAKADAI Ryosuke

nakadai-ryosuke-pt [at sign]ynu.ac.jp

SHIMODE Shinjishimode [at sign]ynu.ac.jp

OIKAWA Hiroki

oikawa-hiroki-nm[at sign]ynu.ac.jp

SHIRAKAWA
Shinichishirakawa-shinichi-bg[at sign]ynu.ac.jp

OZEKI Kenta

ozeki-kenta-xr [at sign]ynu.ac.jp*Please manually insert the at sign (@) as instructed into each email address.
National Security-Related Export Controls
Yokohama National University has instituted its own rules for national security-related
export controls based on the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act and rigorously
screens the admission of international students to control the transfer of goods obtainedin Japan to other countries, provision of technology, and exchange of personnel.
Any international students subject to export control regulations may have restrictions
placed on their chosen research activities, or may be ineligible to receive education at
the University. Prospective students should therefore consult their proposed academic
advisor before submitting their application, or take other precautionary measures when
applying to study at the University. International students need to submit a “Pledge to comply
Security Export Control” at the time of enrollment.
For further details of export controls, please refer to the following website.
https://www.ripo.ynu.ac.jp/researcher/start/security/-2-2. Overview of Doctoral Program(1) Purpose of the Doctoral Program
The global community of the 21st century faces an urgent need to create a safe, hospitablesociety through sustainable development. The environment required to develop such a society
must be explored by leveraging the extensive range of knowledge that has been acquired
through interactions across various fields of studies.
In order to address the social challenges posed by this undertaking, the Graduate School ofEnvironment and Information Sciences is conducting interdisciplinary education and researchacross the liberal arts and sciences. The studies are underpinned by two pillars: the environment
and information. As the former can be broken down into the three inextricably linked aspects
listed below, our graduate school offers programs in three corresponding specializations.
⚫
⚫
⚫

Artificial environment:
Natural environment:
Information environment:

Environment created by humans and physical objects
Environment provided by nature
Environment created by information

Given our comprehensive approach to the information sciences, we view information as
another pillar that cuts across all of the various fields of studies that our graduate school offers,
going beyond narrow definitions of the information sciences and information engineering.
Our graduate school cultivates talented individuals in a variety of fields who transcend thebarriers between the liberal arts and sciences with the aim of helping to usher in a safe,
hospitable, and sustainable society by creating new social value based on information frominteractions among the three different environments. During their studies, our students not only
acquire specialist knowledge and skills, but also develop fluency in communication acrossdifferent disciplines.
The studies carried out in our doctoral programs bring together the disciplines of the liberalarts and sciences to explore a sustainable society, natural environment, and advanced
information sciences. They are designed to foster highly specialized professionals who caninnovatively and practically apply their knowledge and skills based on the findings reported fromstudies for the realization of a risk-aware society. In more advanced studies combined with thecross-sectional studies conducted in our doctoral programs, our students conduct their own
research to identify and resolve challenges that broadly entail discussions on the environment,
information, humanities, and society. Through this process of creating new social value without
being constrained by the arts-science divide, our students acquire leadership in their respective
fields of study in order to help usher in a safe, hospitable, and sustainable society.

(2) Admissions Policy of the Graduate School of Environment and Information Sciences
and Its Departments
Please visit the following website.
https://www.eis.ynu.ac.jp/english/category04/policy/-3-3. Academic Advisors, and Educational Programs
Please visit the following websites.
https://www.eis.ynu.ac.jp/english/category03/research/

4. Admission quota
Department of Artificial Environment: A few openings
Department of Natural Environment: A few openings
Department of Information Environment: A few openings

5. Application Requirements
Applicants must be individuals who reside outside of Japan at the time of application, andwho have earned an academic degree equivalent to a master’s degree or a professional degree
outside of Japan or who expect to do so by September 30, 2025.
*An applicant who expects to earn an academic degree equivalent to a master’s degree ora professional degree outside of Japan by September 30, 2025 and passes the entrance
examination but then is unable to obtain the degree by September 30, 2025 will be denied
admission.

6. Application Procedures(1) After selecting the faculty member that you would like to have as your academic advisor
after you enroll in this graduate school, contact that teacher directly by e-mail or some othermeans and obtain permission to apply. To see which faculty members are available to serveas academic advisors and their research fields, visit the website, which you can access via
the link in Section 3 above. To find your preferred advisor’s contact information, pleasesearch the list of faculty members on the following website.
https://www.eis.ynu.ac.jp/english/category03/all/*If your preferred advisor’s contact information is unavailable, please request it from theappropriate faculty member in charge of academic affairs in the department/educational
program to which you intend to apply mentioned on the list in Section 1.
When consulting with your prospective academic advisor, please submit, as directed, yourresume, a list of your past achievements, your intended research plan, your foreign
language test results (TOEIC, TOEFL, IELTS, Japanese Language Proficiency Test, etc.),
and any other necessary information.
(2) Together with the entrance examination fee, please mail the documents mentioned below,
by international express mail or some other service that allows mail to be tracked, so thatthey arrive from October 31 (Thursday), 2024 to November 29 (Friday). Moreover, if theundermentioned certificate and transcript of grades are in a language other than English
or Japanese, please attach an English or Japanese translation to them.

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a. Application for Admission: prescribed form. (Form 1)
b. Intended Research Plan: prescribed form. (Form 2)
c. Photograph: One taken in the 3 months prior to application, height 4 cm x width 3 cm. Pleaseaffix it to the Application for Admission.
d. Certificate of completion, or certificate of expected completion, from last graduate school
attendede. Transcript of grades
f. Record of Research Achievements: A prescribed form on which to include an abstract of yourmaster’s thesis and a list of your published papers and other achievements. (Attach offprints
and a summary of your achievements.) (Form 3)
g. Documents that objectively indicate your linguistic abilities (Only if requested)
A TOEIC , TOEFL or IELTS score certificate or score sheet (This must be submitted byapplicants whose native language is not English and who have been asked to submit itby their academic advisor, and must have been issued within the 24 months prior toapplication.)
Japanese Language Proficiency Test score certificate (This must be submitted byapplicants whose native language is not Japanese and who have been asked to submit
it by their academic advisor.)h. Letter of recommendation: This must be from someone who is at least the equivalent of theapplicant’s academic advisor or graduate school dean at the university, etc., which theapplicant attends or attended.
i. A copy of a personal ID containing a photograph of the applicant
For example, a passport (the page with your name, nationality and photograph), a driver’s
license, etc.
j. Entrance examination fee: 30,000 yen
You can pay by credit card or bank transfer using “Flywire”, an international money transfer
service for educational institutions, at the following URL:
https://www.flywire.com/pay/ynuni/
When using this service, please check the Flywire website and contact the support desk if
you have any questions.
Flywire homepage: https://www.flywire.com
Flywire Support Desk: https://www.flywire.com/support
Notes:- You will be responsible for any additional payment fees that are required at the time of
payment.
- In the Student ID/Examinee’s number field, enter “0”.
- Please attach a printout of the email notification of payment completion to the designatedform and enclose it with the application documents.
-5-Address: Office of Academic Affairs
Graduate School of Environment and Information Sciences
Yokohama National University
79-7 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama, 240-8501
JAPAN

7. Method of Applicant Selection
The submitted documents will be reviewed, and a scholastic ability test (written test or oral
test (including interview over the Internet)) will be carried out. Applicants will be directly notified
at a later date of the test time, the method for carrying out the test, and other information.

8. Announcement of Acceptance
On March 14 (Friday), 2025, the results from the selection process will be announced on
the Graduate School of Environment and Information Sciences website, and notifications will
also be mailed to the applicants.

9. Necessary Tuition and Fees at the Time of Enrollment(1) Enrollment fee: 282,000 yen (currently)(2) Tuition (for half year): 267,900 yen (Annual amount: 535,800 yen) (currently)[Note 1] If the tuition is revised while you are in the doctoral program, the new tuition will
apply to you.
[Note 2] Information about the payment method will be sent together with documents on
the enrollment procedures if your application is accepted.

10. Procedures for Coming to Japan Following Notification of Acceptance
The following procedures are necessary before coming to Japan.
(1) Obtaining a Passport
A passport is something issued by the government of one’s country. Without a passport
a person cannot leave or enter a country. If you are obtaining a passport for the firsttime, you may need a certificate of enrollment or test-taking, and it may take some time
to receive the passport. Please check the situation before applying for a passport. In
case you need a certificate, please ask for one when applying for admission.
(2) Obtaining a Visa
The residence status of foreign students at this university is “foreign student.” When you
first enter the country for the purpose of study at this university, it is absolutely necessarythat you do so with a “foreign student” visa. You can obtain a “foreign student” visa bysubmitting, to your local Japanese consulate or legation, a Certificate of Eligibility for
Residence in Japan, issued by Japan’s Immigration Bureau. This certificate can be-6-

applied for only by 1) a parent or sibling living in Japan, 2) a scholarship provider, or 3)
an academic advisor.
Changing from another visa status (except for “family stay”) to “foreign student” requires
an extremely complicated procedure, and the change may not be allowed, so pleaseobtain a “foreign student” visa before entering the country. Students who have a different
type of visa will not be regarded as foreign students and will thus be unable to apply forforeign student scholarships or obtain services intended for foreign students.
(3) Securing a Residence
Through an agent or another foreign student from your country who is living in Japan,
please arrange for a residence where you can live once you come to Japan.
If you pass the pre-arrival admission and enter Yokohama National University, you can
preferentially move into Ooka International Residence or International Student House.
However, students who will receive a grant (excluding purpose of research) of exceeding
100,000 yen per month from YNU, dispatching institution or other organizations are noteligible for International Student House.
If you wish to move into Ooka International Residence, please contact the Office ofAcademic Affairs of the Graduate School of Environment and Information Sciences byAugust 20 to move in October.
If you wish to move into the International House / Minesawa International Student
Dormitory, please proceed to regular application (early July to mid-July). We will secure
your room with priority.
In this connection, please visit the following websites.
https://www.ynu.ac.jp/campus/institution/foreign_student.html

11. Points to Heed
(1) After the application procedure, submitted documents may not be modified or returned toapplicants.
(2) Any incomplete or inadequate application documents are rejected.
(3) Any false information in application documents, or foul play identified during theexamination or any cheating during the examination may lead to disqualification or
expulsion. Additionally, depending on the condition of the foul play, a damage report may
be filed to the police.
(4) Entrance examination fees can be refunded only if applications were not filed (or accepted)
or if there are any duplicate payments. Contact EIS to find out how refunds are made.
(5) After the enrollment procedures, the enrollment fee will not be refunded for any reason.
(6) To obtain “foreign student” residence status, you must be able to demonstrate that you
possess the economic resources to support your daily life as a foreign student in Japan.

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Personal information will be handled under the Act on the Protection of Personal Informationand the Policies on the Protection of Personal Information held by YNU.
(1) In addition to the use related to the selection of students for admission to YNU, personal
information provided in the applicant’s entrance examination results and application materials
may also be used for the following purposes.
① To contact successful applicants (to send materials related to welfare benefits such as
scholarships and insurance, and to send materials related to events after admission, andCooperative Association materials), and for enrollment procedures.
② To organize classes after admission, and to provide the welfare-related materials suchas admission fee exemptions (excluding international students) and tuition fee waivers upon
application by the applicant.
③ To handle academic affairs after enrollment (student registration management,
guidance on studies, etc.).
④ To engage in relations, various surveys, and research at YNU (including investigations
and analyses for improving admission methods and university education).
⑤ There may be cases where the personal information of admitted students is provided tothe university-related organizations, such as YNU alumni association (Koyukai) and classreunions, to the extent necessary for membership procedures.
When presenting the results of surveys and research, the information will be processed insuch a way that individuals cannot be identified.
Personal information will not be used or provided for any other purposes.
(2) When using the information in the various works described in (1) above, some of the works
may be performed by a contractor entrusted by YNU (hereinafter referred to as a “contractor”).
All or part of the personal information obtained will be provided to the contractor to the extent
necessary to perform the work entrusted to the contractor.

13. Use of ChatGPT and Other Generative AI Tools
Regarding an application form and other necessary documents, please prepare theminaccordance with our Admission Policy and submit them at your own responsibility,ensuringthat no wrongdoing is being committed and that no discrepancies in academicskills are
suspected after admission.

14. Global Doctoral Program for Academic Career Support (GDACS)-8-The Global Doctoral Program for Academic Career Support (GDACS) is a doctoral programfor faculty members of universities in emerging nations. The long-term objective of this programis to contribute to the improvement of the quality of education and research at partner and otherinstitutions and to the promotion of joint research with YNU by providing opportunities for theirfaculty members and researchers to study abroad and earn a doctoral degree.
Applicants do not need to pay an application fee. Successful applicants are exempt fromadmission and tuition fees.
Applicants should submit the following documents after confirming their eligibility.
1. Letter of recommendation from the applicant‘s current institution (Form 1)
2. Letter of recommendation from the academic advisor at YNU(Form 2)
For more details, please refer to the YNU website below. Application forms can also be
downloaded from the website.
https://global.ynu.ac.jp/en/admissions/gdacs/

15. Financial Support Programs for Privately Financed International Students（Section in Charge ：Global Promotion Division）
The financial support programs aim to promote the acceptance of academically
excellent privately financed international students and provide financial support after
their admission to YNU. Screening is based on the results of entrance examinations.
High-ranked applicants will be entitled to a 100%, 50%, or 30% exemption from tuition
fees according to their performance in exams. (Also, those entering doctoral programs
will be entitled to a 100% or 50% exemption from tuition fees.)
Application procedure
Those who wish to apply for the tuition waiver program should check the following website
and submit an application after enrollment.
URL : https://global.ynu.ac.jp/en/support/tuition_scholarship/-9-