SOPHIA UNIVERSITY
THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF GLOBAL STUDIESMASTER’S PROGRAM IN INTERNATIONAL COOPERATIONSTUDIES上智大学 グローバル・スタディーズ研究科
国際協力学専攻

APPLICATION BOOKLET
Academic Year 2025
2025年度入試要項

M.A.

Sophia University
Admissions Office
7-1 Kioi-cho, Chiyoda-ku
Tokyo 102-8554, JAPAN
Tel: 81-3-3238-3517
Fax: 81-3-3238-3262
Email: admission-g-co@sophia.ac.jp

Contents
I. Application guidelines ................................................................................................................................................................................... 2
1. Number of students to be admitted .................................................................................................................................................. 2
2. Eligibility ........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 2
3. About the long-term registration system ........................................................................................................................................ 2
4. Application procedure ............................................................................................................................................................................. 3
5. Application schedule for April 2025 entry ....................................................................................................................................... 4
6. Application fee............................................................................................................................................................................................ 4
7. Application documents ........................................................................................................................................................................... 4
8. Examinee ticket........................................................................................................................................................................................... 6
II. Entrance examination ................................................................................................................................................................................... 7
1. Type of examination ................................................................................................................................................................................. 7
2. Online oral examination schedule and contents ........................................................................................................................... 7
III. Announcement of results........................................................................................................................................................................... 7
IV. Matriculation procedures .......................................................................................................................................................................... 7
1. Information concerning tuition and other fees for the 2025 academic year ..................................................................... 8
V. Other topics ..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 8
1. Scholarship information .......................................................................................................................................................................... 8
2. Housing ......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 8
VI. Application Materials Checklist ............................................................................................................................................................... 9

Published by Admissions Office
Sophia University
May 2024
Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein. However, subsequent to the date of publication,
unavoidable circumstances may result in changes in this document. The university reserves the right to make all such changes, including
those in the program of study, courses of instruction, fees, and officers of administration and instruction, without notice.

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I. Application guidelines
1. Number of students to be admitted
Master’s Program in International Cooperation Studies: 10 students
This is the total number of students to be admitted every year.
＊Students are accepted to the Program once a year, to begin their studies from the Spring semester ﴾April﴿. No September entries
are accepted.

2. Eligibility
Those who meet one of the following prerequisites can apply to the Master’s program in International Cooperation Studies:﴾1﴿ Applicants who have graduated, or are expected to graduate, from a university in Japan before entering the Master’s program.
﴾2﴿ Applicants who have completed, or are expected to complete, 16 years of formal education at a foreign educational institution
before entering the Master’s program.
﴾3﴿ Applicants who hold a bachelor’s degree or an equivalent awarded by a foreign educational institution which requires at least
three years of study for graduation.
﴾4﴿ Applicants who have successfully completed a postsecondary course designated by the Minister of Japan Ministry of Education,
Culture, Sports, Science and Technology ﴾MEXT﴿ at a specialized training college after the date designated by the Ministeror are expected to do so. The course must have at least a four-year study duration and meet requirements specified by the
Minister.
﴾5﴿ Applicants deemed eligible by the Minister of Education.
﴾6﴿ Applicants aged 22 or above ﴾at the time of entrance﴿ whose academic ability has been judged by Sophia University as equivalent
to that of a student who graduated from a university.
Important notes:＊Applicants without a bachelor’s degree, who fall under ﴾2﴿ or ﴾6﴿ above are required to go through an eligibility screening process.
Please contact the Admissions Office at least one month prior to the application submission deadline.
＊Certificates from Chinese institutions ﴾専科大学﴿ which have a 3-year study period are not recognized as full university degrees
and thus not accepted for application purposes.
* Applicants for the Japanese program are advised to submit either of the following by the application deadline.
-TOEFL® scores-IELTS ﴾academic module﴿ scores-TOEIC® scores-First Grade of the UN Test of English ﴾Kokuren EIKEN, Test in Practical English Proficiency﴿
＊Applicants for the English program are highly recommended to have either of the following at the time of application:-TOEFL® scores higher than 580 ﴾PBT﴿, 85 ﴾iBT﴿
-IELTS ﴾academic module﴿ scores higher than 6.5-TOEIC® scores higher than L&R840, S&W330-First Grade of the UN Test of English ﴾Kokuren EIKEN, Test in Practical English Proficiency﴿
These tests must be taken within two years of the application deadline. TOEFL® ITP ﴾Institutional Testing Program﴿ scores are
not acceptable. The English proficiency requirement is waived for applicants who have obtained a degree from an institution
where English is the official medium of instruction. In such cases, an official document from their institution attesting to this isrequired. The document must be signed by a person who holds a post such as department chair.

3. About the long-term registration system
At the Master’s Program in International Cooperation Studies, and upon request before the application period starts, students areallowed to complete the 2-year program in 3 years instead. Under this system, the tuition fees are divided as below.
・Tuition fees, Education Enhancement fees： For the respective school year, the amount to be paid is 2/3 of the 2-year yearlyprogram fees.

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・Semester Enrollment fee： For respective school year, the amount to be paid is the same as the 2-year yearly program fees.
Additionally, the Premium for Personal Accident Insurance for Students Pursuing Education and Research ﴾3-year period﴿ is to be paid
upon entrance, while the Alumni Association fee ﴾40,000 yen﴿ is to be paid in the final year.
・Who can apply：Master’s Program in International Cooperation applicants who are employed.
・How to apply： Submit the application form （provided form） and documents that prove your eligibility to the Admissions Office.
※The application form （provided form） can be downloaded at the Sophia University Graduate School Admissions web page.
※The provided application form must be submitted to the Admissions Office two weeks prior to the application period.

4. Application procedure
Application is accepted through the following steps. Make sure to CHECK and COMPLETE each step.
A. Prepare the following.
-Application materials (see 7. Application documents)-Digital photo of your face (color)-PC and printerB. On the on-line application website, register the following to create your “My Page.”-Email address-Face photo-Basic information
For more information about the application website, refer to the guide on the website below:

https://www.guide.52school.com/guidance/net-sophia/
Note: Important information including the reference number will be sent to the email address registered until enrollment in Sophia. Make
sure to use an email address which will always be able to access even after leaving your current school.

C. In your “My Page,” enter all the required application information.

You can update information only during the on-line application period.

D. Pay the application fee (see 6. Application fee) and submit the application online.
This step does not finish the application. Go on to the next step to finalize the application.
E. Send the printed application forms and all the other documents listed on 7. Application documents to the Admissions
Office of Sophia University by post mail.
Note:-Applicants must use a trackable shipping service.
-Application forms cannot be revised once application fee is paid. To change information on the forms, please write correct information in red
directly on the print-out forms.
-Test scores must be sent directly to Sophia University (see 7. Application documents).
-Documents sent directly from schools are also accepted.
Medical attention
While medical certification is not required at this time, any applicant with physical conditions that might require special attention when undertaking
university work should notify the Sophia Admissions Office in writing before the application period.

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5. Application schedule for April 2025 entry*IMPORTANT: Because of the difficulty in earning a visa before the beginning of classes in April, only people who already have avalid Japanese residence visa may apply to the February exam.
September Examination

February Examination*only applicants who hold valid
status of residence in Japan

Online application period

June 28 - July 10, 2024

November 29 – December 11, 2024

July 11, 2024

December 12, 2024

10:00 a.m.﴾JST*﴿, September 5, 2024

10:00 a.m.﴾JST*﴿, February 4, 2025

To be informed to the applicants after

To be informed to the applicants after

confirming the application documents.

confirming the application documents.

Online oral examination date

September 11, 2024

February 16, 2025

Notification of results on the website

10:00 a.m.﴾JST*﴿, September 25, 2024

10:00 a.m.﴾JST*﴿, February 26, 2025

Matriculation deadline

October 16, 2024

March 5, 2025

Deadline for submitting the application
documents1
Examinee ticket download date
Essay submission deadline*All the dates and time are based on Japan Standard Time.
¹For applicants sending documents from abroad, the package must arrive by this deadline. For applicants sending documentsfrom within Japan, packages postmarked with the deadline date are accepted.
*Applicants who plan to use the MEXT scholarship must contact the following email address during the application period.
Email: admapp-g-co@sophia.ac.jp
In the e-mail, please let us know your name, the major or the program for which you are applying, and you will be using the
MEXT scholarship.

6. Application fee
35,000 yen
On-line payment handling fee of 990 yen will be charged in addition to the application fee.

Please follow the guide on STEP 3 on “My Page” to complete the payment1.
Payment should be made by credit card, at a convenience store ﴾inside Japan﴿2, via Pay-easy, or via on-line banking during theapplication period. Payment must be completed by 11:59 p.m. ﴾JST﴿ of each application deadline. After the deadline, the application
will not be accepted. The application fee is non-refundable once it is paid.
1In case the window shuts down during STEP 3, go to STEP 4 to continue the payment process.
2The name of the payer does not need to match the applicant’s name. Please note that the payment at a convenience store could take a while tocomplete

7. Application documents
All application documents must be original, unless indicated differently (see note 2).
The following documents (with the exception of the TOEFL®/IELTS official scores and official documents from schools/recommenders
sent directly to the Admissions Office) should be enclosed in an envelope and sent to the following address by express trackable mailor international shipping service. They must reach Sophia Admissions Office by the deadline of submission. Late applications are notaccepted. Official test scores (TOEFL®, IELTS) must be delivered directly to Sophia University from the testing service by the application
deadline.
For shipping inside Japan, please print out the mailing label available on STEP 4 on “My Page”. For shipping outside Japan, please
make sure to write the Admissions Office address on the envelope:

SOPHIA UNIVERSITY ADMISSIONS OFFICE
7-1 KIOI-CHO, CHIYODA-KU, TOKYO 102-8554 JAPANINTERNATIONAL COOPERATION STUDIES (M.A.)
APPLICATION

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102-8554 東京都千代田区紀尾井町7-1
or

上智大学入学センター
国際協力学専攻 出願書類在中Important notes:
1. Documents printed in languages other than English or Japanese should be translated into English and certified by a school official or an
official agency, such as an embassy or consulate.
2. If an original document cannot be reissued, a copy certified by the school official (Principal or Registrar) or Sophia University Admissions
Office is acceptable.
3. The application documents once submitted will not be returned.
4. Applicants who use different names in their application documents must submit a copy of their Family Register (Koseki Tohon) or otherapplicable documents.

Application forms should be filled out through the on-line application
website https://www.guide.52school.com/guidance/net-sophia/

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Application Forms ﴾2 pages﴿

and printed out after the application fee payment.
Application forms cannot be revised once application fee is paid. To change information on
the forms, please write correct information in red directly on the print-out forms.

Applicants should submit ONE of the following:
﴾1﴿ University/college issued certificate of a degree or official letter ﴾only originals
accepted; both undergraduate and graduate degrees, if applicable﴿﴾2﴿ Transcript indicating degree received and date of conferral

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Proof of Graduation

Note: Applicants who have not completed their final semester at the time of
application must submit as part of their application an official document from theirschool indicating their expected date of graduation. Such applicants should thensubmit either ﴾1﴿ or ﴾2﴿ to the Sophia Admissions Office by March 31. An applicant
who does not submit this document in time could be denied enrollment.
Official transcripts showing all undergraduate and graduate ﴾if applicable﴿ courses

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Official University/College Transcript﴾s﴿taken and grades received, including the list of courses you are currently attending,must be submitted. The transcript﴾s﴿ should be certified by a school official.
Photocopies are not accepted.
Please submit a research plan in English or Japanese, following the guidelines below:
・Write about what you have learned until now at university or in society
﴾Japanese: 2000 characters/English: 1000 words﴿

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Research Plan

・Explain what kind of research question you want to tackle in graduate school
﴾include 5 references﴿ ﴾Japanese: 5000 characters/English: 2500 words﴿
・Describe your future career goals ﴾Japanese: 1000 characters/English: 1000
words﴿
After the application, the Admissions Office will provide 3 questions to theapplicants, on the topics of 「Peace Cooperation・Peacebuilding」, 「Sustainable
Development」、「Social/Educational Development」. Each applicant should choose

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Essay writing

one question and answer it in an essay ﴾Japanese: 2,000～4,000 characters／English:
1,000～2,000 words）.
※After confirming the application documents, the Admissions Office will send theinformation on how to answer the selected question by email.
※Applicants will have two weeks to write the essay.
We only accept exams taken within the past 2 years from the application period,

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Certificate of English language

and the exam results must arrive before the application period deadline. For

proficiency ﴾TOEFL®, TOEIC®, IELTS,

information on how to submit the exam results, please refer to the notes below.

United Nations Associations Test ofEnglish﴿<How to submit the official test score>*Not required for native speakers of・ Send either a TOEFL® official score ﴾including Special Home Edition﴿, IELTSEnglish﴾Academic﴿ official score, TOEIC® official score ﴾excluding IP scores﴿, or a United
Nations Associations Test of English score.

5・For TOEFL®, attach the Test Taker ﴾Examinee﴿ Score Report ﴾photocopy accepted﴿
to the application, and arrange to have ETS send the Official Score Report to Sophia
University ﴾University Code 0819﴿. The Official Score report must be delivered to
Sophia University by the application documents submission deadline.
We do not accept MyBest™ scores and TOEFL® ITP ﴾Institutional Testing Program﴿
scores.
・For IELTS, attach the Test Report Form ﴾photocopy accepted﴿ to the application,
and arrange to have the testing institution send the official Test Report Form to
Sophia University.
There is no code number for our university. Please be sure to specify our university,
mailing address and other necessary information so that the official Test Report Formwill reach our university.
・For TOEIC®, attach the original or a certified copy of the Official Score Certificate
to the application. Or send your Digital Score to Sophia University ﴾University Code
00031501﴿ on the TOEIC﴾IIBC﴿ website/submission of scores to Universities andcompanies.
・For the UN Test of English, attach the original or a certified copy of the Exam
Result Notification to the application.
Note: Applicants who completed an undergraduate/graduate program taught inEnglish are exempt from providing English exam results. Applicants who would liketo be exempted should provide a document from their educational institutional
attesting that their classes were taught in English ﴾a signature from the dean orother responsible official in necessary﴿.
・Two ﴾2﴿ letters of reference from the applicant’s instructor at university/college ora supervisor at work are required. The language can be either Japanese or English.
・Please use the form provided on the Sophia University website. Recommendation
letters from members of staff teaching courses in the Graduate School of Languages
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Recommendation Letterand Linguistics at Sophia University will not be accepted.

*use the provided form

・ Each letter should be signed and submitted in a sealed envelope, and have“Contains recommendation letter” written on the outside of the envelope.
・Online submission is also possible. In that case, the recommender should use
the provided form and send it directly by email to the Admissions Office ﴾email:admission-g-co@sophia.ac.jp﴿
・All applicants with work experience must submit this document.

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Detailed curriculum vitae

・Write the main activities and responsibilities you have had in all of your present
and previous workplaces.
*Only for international students who apply to February Examination.

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Photocopy of Residence Card in Japan

This is to check the applicant’s status of residence. Please submit a photocopy ofyour residence card ﴾face up﴿.

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Application Materials Checklist

Check the items you enclose in your application. The form provided on the last*use the provided form

page of this booklet.

*The forms of recommendation letter and application materials checklist are available on the following page:https://adm.sophia.ac.jp/eng/admissions/graduate_p/english_g2/international_cooperation/

8. Examinee ticket
The examinee ticket ﴾JUKENHYOU﴿ will be available on your “My Page” on the designated day (see 4．Application schedule for April
2025 entry). The examinee ticket WILL NOT be mailed to you.

6II. Entrance examination
1. Type of examination
Acceptance is decided by a combination of document analysis, essay analysis, and online oral examination.

2. Online oral examination schedule and contents
Please check “5. Application schedule for April 2025 entry” ﴾pg. 4﴿ for the examination dates.
Online oral examination

・The online oral examination will be held individually and in English. It will last around 30 minutes
and include questions about the research plan and the essay.
・ The online oral examination schedule will be arranged individually after the application
documents have been confirmed.

III. Announcement of results
Applicants can confirm their acceptance/rejection from “Admissions Decision” on “My Page” through the following website

https://www.guide.52school.com/guidance/net-sophia/
from 10:00 a.m. (JST) on the designated day (see 5. Application schedule for April 2025 entry).
Note: ・Servers may be slow if too many people access at the same time.
・The email address and the password will be required to log into “My Page.”・No physical materials will be sent to applicants from the Sophia Admissions Office. A letter of acceptance can be printed out from “My Page”.
・Sophia University will not disclose the results of an application by letter, telephone, fax or e-mail. We also do not accept inquiries on theexamination results.

IV. Matriculation procedures
To secure admission, a newly admitted student must pay the fees prior to University entrance and submit the necessary documents to
the Sophia Admissions Office by the matriculation deadline (see 5. Application schedule for April 2025 entry).
Failure to meet the matriculation deadline will result in cancellation of your acceptance. No exceptions to this rule will be made.
<Instructions for matriculation>
1. Click “Entrance Procedures” on “My Page” to download the booklet of “Entrance Procedures.”
Please read through all the information and follow the instructions in this booklet to secure admission.
2. Choose the program to start entering the required information and upload a face photo online.
3. Print out the designated documents (Student Record / Pledge).
4. Complete the payment of the fees and send by post the required documents by the matriculation deadline.

71. Information concerning tuition and other fees for the 2025 academic year
Information concerning tuition and other fees for the 2025 academic year have not yet been decided. The information will be informed
to accepted students. For your reference, fees for the 2025 academic year were as follows:
M.A.
Entrance Fee*

¥200,000

﴾Once at matriculation﴿

Semester Enrollment Fee¥30,000

﴾Per semester﴿

Tuition Fee**¥240,000

﴾Per semester﴿

Education Enhancement Fee¥90,000

﴾Per semester﴿Premium for Personal Accident Insurance for¥1,400Students Pursuing Education and Research﴾2 year period﴿

Tuition fee ﴾Spring Semester﴿¥561,400

Tuition fee ﴾Autumn Semester﴿¥360,000

Tuition fee ﴾Annual﴿

¥921,400

﴾Once at matriculation﴿

*Students who graduate from Sophia Undergraduate/Graduate Program in September 2025 or March 2025 will not be charged the Entrance Fee.
Students who graduated from Sophia Undergraduate/Graduate Program in and before March 2025 will be charged a half of the Entrance Fee.
**Tuition fee is revised annually based on the inflation rate.

Note:
The fees due prior to University entrance are not refundable. However, if a student notifies Sophia University of his/her intention not to attend by theappointed deadline, these fees, with the exception of the Entrance Fee and a handling charge, may be refunded. For details, please refer to the “Entrance
Procedures” instructions guide.

V. Other topics
1. Scholarship information
Various types of scholarships and financial aid are available. Scholarships that can be applied at the time of admission application are:1) New Students Scholarship: The grant varies from one-third to the full amount of the tuition fee for the first year.
2) Adachi Scholarship for students from Southeast Asia and Africa: Equivalent to the full tuition and education enhancement fee forthe first year.
The application forms for those scholarships are available from the following website:

https://www.sophia.ac.jp/eng/admissions-and-aid/tuition/
Other scholarships are also available after entrance to the University. For more information, please refer to the website above.

2. Housing
Sophia University has several off-campus dormitories and offers affiliated housing options. For more information, please refer to thefollowing website:

https://www.sophia.ac.jp/eng/campuslife/dormitory/

3. International students coming to Japan
Students coming from abroad to study at Sophia University must have a college student status of residence or any other appropriate
status of residence such as a diplomatic, official, or dependent status. A temporary visitor status is not acceptable. Before you apply
for a college student status of residence, you need to obtain a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) issued by a Regional Immigration Bureau.
Additional information, please refer to the guide for “Entrance Procedures” (available for accepted applicants) on your “My Page”.

8International Cooperation Studies (M.A.)

Application Materials Checklist（Please enclose this checklist in your application）
Applicant’s name:
Check the items you enclosed.
1) Application forms □ Enclosed
・Application forms should be filled out through the online application website and printed out after the application fee payment.
・Application forms cannot be revised once application fee is paid. To change information on the forms, please write correct information in red
directly on
the print-out forms.

2) Proof of Graduation □ Enclosed □ Sent directly to Sophia
3) Official University/College Transcript(s) from (school names):1.
□ Enclosed □ Sent directly to Sophia
2.
□ Enclosed □ Sent directly to Sophia
3.
□ Enclosed □ Sent directly to Sophia* If you have been to multiple schools, please fill in 2 and 3.
4) Research Plan □ Enclosed
5) Certificate of English language proficiency□ Sent directly to Sophia (TOEFL / IELTS / TOEIC)□ Enclosed (TOEIC) □ Enclosed (UN Test of English)
6) Recommendation Letters from (teacher name)□ Enclosed □ Sent directly to Sophia□ Enclosed □ Sent directly to Sophia7) Detailed curriculum vitae (if any)8) Photocopy of Residence Card in Japan (Only for international students who apply to February Examination)□ Enclosed*********************************************************************************************************************************
Please double-check the following:□ I have paid the application fee of 35,000 yen□ I have requested that my official TOEFL or IELTS or TOEIC scores be sent directly to Sophia.
Date you requested: ____________________IELTS Test Report Form #:□ I acknowledge that I must complete the Essay Writing task according to the Application Procedures.
□ Message, if any

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