Frequently

AskedQuestions

andAnswers for Application
International Graduate Programme for East Asia Sustainable Economic
Development Studies, Graduate School of Economics, Kyoto University

ATTENTION:For your application, please carefully read the Application Guidelines andthe Frequently Asked Questions and Answers. We only respond to thoseinquiries to which answers cannot be found in the guidelines and FAQ.

Updated on 16th February, 2021

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[FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS FOR APPLICATION]

Frequently Asked Questions and Answers for Application[For 2021 Academic Year Enrolment]

1. Eligibility
2. Application Procedures
3. Application Documents
4. General Information about the East Asia Programme

1. Eligibility

Q1-1. My university does not have a partnership agreement with Kyoto University. Can
I still apply to the Programme?
A1-1. Yes.
Q1-2. Does this Programme allow students to enrol in April?
A1-2. No. The Academic Year of this Programme starts in October. Students have to enrol
in the Programme starting from October.
Q1-3. Am I still eligible for the Doctoral Programme even though I did not complete myMaster’s degree at Kyoto University?
A1-3. Yes.
Q1-4. I have already received a Master’s degree in economics or in another academic
field. Do I have a chance to be admitted to the Doctoral Programme if I apply for theMaster’s Programme?
A1-4. No. If you go through the screening process for the Master’s Programme, you canonly be admitted as a Master’s Programme student. If you wish to start your study as adoctoral student, please apply for the Doctoral Programme. Please check the application
guidelines for the application schedule.
Q1-5. I have an embassy recommendation for a Japanese Government Scholarship.
Can I be accepted to your Programme?
A1-5.
In principle, applicants who received an embassy recommendation should apply to theInternational Graduate Programme for East Asia Sustainable Economic Development Studies
Graduate School of Economics, Kyoto University

[FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS FOR APPLICATION]

3General Programme (whose academic year starts in April and whose medium ofinstruction is Japanese), and enrol initially as a research student. In order to become aresearch student, you are required to obtain a letter of acceptance from a prospectivesupervisor. For details, see the link below:
http://www.econ.kyoto-u.ac.jp/en/examguide/application/letter-of-acceptance
http://www.econ.kyoto-u.ac.jp/en/examguide/faq/
In the case that an applicant with an embassy recommendation wishes to be enrolled inthe East Asia Programme (whose academic year starts in October and whose medium
of instruction is English), the applicant is also required to go through the screening
process of the East Asia Programme. Please bear in mind that the application procedure
is different for the General Programme and the East Asia Programme. Also note thateven if you become a research student of the Graduate School of Economics, or go
through the screening process of the East Asia Programme, we cannot guarantee thatyou will be accepted to the programme.
The application submission period for the East Asia Programme is scheduled for
November for the Master’s Programme, and from April to mid-May for the Doctoral
Programme.
Please direct any questions about the General Programme to the Student Affairs Officeof the Faculty of Economics. Their email address is kyoumu@econ.kyoto-u.ac.jp.
Q1-6. Does the EA Programme have any minimum TOEFL AND IELTS scorerequirements?
A1-6. No, there is no minimum score. In the past, the minimum score for our successful
applicants tended to be around 90-100 for TOEFL and 6.5-7.0 for IELTS.

2. Application ProceduresQ2-1. Can applicants suggest a faculty member from the Graduate School of Economics
to be their academic supervisor?
A2-1. Yes, as long as the faculty member is affiliated with the Graduate School ofEconomics and has already agreed to be your supervisor. However, please note that forvarious reasons faculty members may not be available to be your supervisor; therefore,
you may want to have more than one faculty member in mind when considering yourInternational Graduate Programme for East Asia Sustainable Economic Development Studies
Graduate School of Economics, Kyoto University

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supervisor.
http://www.econ.kyoto-u.ac.jp/en/faculty-members/
See “Department Faculty” and “Affiliated Faculty”
Q2-2. I have an intermediate [or higher] level of Japanese language ability. Is this anadvantage in the screening process?
A2-3. Ultimately it depends on your research proposal and prospective supervisor. If, forexample, an applicants’ research proposal includes field research in Japan and/or theexamination/analysis of documents in Japanese it may be advantageous, as this will
make your research proposal sound more convincing and achievable. It is also true thatsome professors prefer to communicate with their students in Japanese. You canmention your Japanese language ability and how you intend to use or develop it to yourpreferred supervisor[s] when you contact them.

3. Application Documents
Q3-1. I received a bachelor’s degree from a university that does not use English as its
medium of instruction. Should I submit my GRE score?
A3-1. No. The GRE score is not required. Please submit your TOEFL or IELTS score.
Q3-2. I graduated from a university, but the university does not issue a certificate ofgraduation. What should I do?
A3-2. You can ask the university to put an official seal on the copy of your diploma.
Q3-3. I didn’t/don’t have an academic supervisor. Who could I ask to write arecommendation letter instead?
A3-3. For applicants without an academic supervisor, they should try to find a faculty
member from their institution who can write a recommendation letter. If the applicant
graduated from a university a long time ago and has difficulty in contacting former
professors/instructors, we accept a letter of recommendation written by a nonacademic person (e.g. a superior in their workplace). However, a letter from a nonacademic referee is not as highly regarded when verifying the applicant’s academic
credentials compared to a letter from an academic referee.
International Graduate Programme for East Asia Sustainable Economic Development Studies
Graduate School of Economics, Kyoto University

[FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS FOR APPLICATION]

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4. General Information about the East Asia Programme
Q4-1. Can I obtain only a Master’s degree in 2 years and not to proceed to the Doctoral
Programme?
A4-1. Yes.
Q4-2. Can I apply to both the Master’s Programme of the EA Programme and theGraduate School of Economics as Research Student?
Q4-2. Yes, it is possible to apply to both.
Q4-3. Does enrolment in the Master’s Programme guarantee entry into the Doctoral
Programme?
Q4-3. There is no guaranteed entry into the Doctoral Programme but the Master’s
Programme is closely connected to the Doctoral Programme. Students who successfullycompleted the Master’s Programme with sufficient results are eligible to enrol in theDoctoral Programme.
Q4-4. What are the differences between the East Asia Programme and the GeneralProgramme at the Graduate School of Economics at Kyoto University?
A4-4. The Graduate School of Economics has a General Programme, which offers both
Master’s and PhD degrees, and an International Graduate Programme for East Asia
Sustainable Economic Development Studies (or, the EA Programme), which also includes
both Master’s and PhD degrees.
The academic year for the General Programme starts in April and the EA Programme
starts in October. The medium of instruction for the General Programme is Japanese andfor the EA Programme it is English.
For more information, visit the following websites:
http://www.econ.kyoto-u.ac.jp/en/about/brochures/

International Graduate Programme for East Asia Sustainable Economic Development Studies
Graduate School of Economics, Kyoto University