Graduate School of Information
Science and Technology,
Osaka University

Admission in April 2024

Application Guide for Master Course Applicants（Information Technology Special Course in English, December）

This application guide applies to one of the following seven entrance examinations for entrance to Master Course in
April 2024 as indicated with a circle ‘○.’Entrance Examination
Master Course for 2024 (General Selection)
Master Course for 2024 (Special Selection for Working People)
Master Course for 2024 (Special Selection for Recommended Students)
Master Course for 2024 (Special Selection for Juniors of Undergraduate Schools)
Master Course for 2024 (Special Selection in Summer for International Applicants)
Master Course for 2024 (Special Selection in December for International Applicants)○

Master Course for 2024 (Selection for Information Technology Special Course in English)

August 2023

【Cautions】
Before submitting their application, all applicants should contact the expected
academic supervisor (or the Department Chair) of the department they wish to enterwith regard to the course of research they wish to follow after admission.
See the following webpage of the Graduate School of Information Science andTechnology to find the contact address of instructors.
https://www.ist.osaka-u.ac.jp/english/introduction/organization.html

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【Features of this course】
The Information Technology Special Course in English (ITSCE) is an education and research program conducted
in English.
ITSCE encompasses both Master’s (2 years) and Ph.D. studies (3 years), to be completed in sequence, so that to
obtain both the master’s and doctoral degrees.
1. Admission Policy
Graduate School of Information Science and Technology
Education objectives, diploma policy, curriculum policy and admissions policy[Education objectives]
The Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, Osaka University, holds the philosophy that
“Information Science and Technology is an essential academic discipline which leads social innovation by creating
new technologies and systems to implement advanced information society toward our enriched and fulfilled life.”
With this in mind, we aim to develop engineers, researchers, educators, etc. who acquire a profound academic
knowledge of information science and technology, play leadership roles in their major discipline, and open up newacademic regions.
The master course strives to develop human resources who have the following capabilities, and, by making use ofthem, play an active role with high ethical standards within the information science and technology and related fields
such as mathematics, life sciences, and so on.
- Broad knowledge, advanced expertise and skills relating to his/her major discipline.
- The design skills required to conduct research and development by envisioning a new system.
- The communication skills required to work with a global perspective.
- The management ability to carry out projects in collaboration with other people.
The doctor course is committed to developing human resources who are equipped with the following capabilities
in addition to the above, and, by making use of them, play an active role with high ethical standards.
- The research abilities required to explore research themes set up on their own.
- Leadership skills to guide other engineers and researchers with a global perspective.
[Diploma Policy]
Based on diploma policies of Osaka University, the master course of Graduate School of Information Science andTechnology confers a master’s degree to students who fulfill the following requirements through the systematiccoursework providing an overview of the information science discipline and fostering the basic skills of information
sciences.
- The students who earn a predetermined number of credits must acquire the knowledge needed to pursue a career
requiring research capability and advanced expertise in the major discipline.
- The students’ master dissertations, written clearly and plainly based on the necessary research guidance received,
should include research contents that contribute to the development of the major discipline, and should
demonstrate the student’s abundant academic knowledge of his/her discipline.
The doctor course of Graduate School of Information Science and Technology confers a doctor’s degree to students
who fulfill the following requirements through the systematic coursework enabling a deeper understanding ofadvanced expertise in their major discipline, and the acquisition of cutting-edge academic knowledge.
- The students have made important contributions relating to scientific principles and their application in theinformation science discipline by discovering an unknown phenomenon or object, establishing and rolling out a
new theory, developing/inventing/applying a new technology/equipment/methodology/algorithm, producing a
new academic concept, and so on.
- The student’s doctoral dissertation, written clearly and plainly based on the necessary research guidance received,
demonstrates the student’s abundant overall knowledge of the discipline that makes up the academic content of
the dissertation.
- The student has the academic skills required to conduct independent research, and the academic content of his/her
dissertation makes a contribution to society.

3[Curriculum Policy]
Based on curriculum policies of Osaka University, the master course of Graduate School of Information Scienceand Technology provides the systematic coursework overviewing the information science disciplines and fostering
students’ basic skills. The course offers basic subjects for acquiring expertise in each major as well asinterdepartmental subjects covering important peripheral disciplines. The course also offers subjects that foster
students’ practical skills, such as interdisciplinary subjects, special lectures covering leading-edge technological trends
offered by external instructors invited from the industrial community, etc., internships to experience work at acompany or research institution in Japan or abroad, and project-based seminars to allow students to acquire basic
qualities as advanced engineers/researchers as well as the broad knowledge required to meet the diverse
requirements of society. These advanced classes relating to information science technology foster cultural knowledge,
design skills and an international perspective. In addition, the course also provides excellent research guidance as
well.
The doctor course of Graduate School of Information Science and Technology provides the systematic coursework
enabling students to acquire more advanced expertise in their major discipline and cutting-edge academic knowledge.
The course offers the basic subjects covering cutting-edge science and technology, as well as internships to experience
work at a company or research institution in Japan or abroad, to foster students' ability to create new academic value.
The course also trains human resources who can utilize this academic value to develop new social value. In addition
to offering advanced classes relating to information science technology to foster comprehensive understanding,
synthetic imagination and transcultural communicability, the course also provides excellent research guidance.
Credits are granted to students who have achieved grades of the requisite level by submitting reports and taking
examinations. Students who have attained excellent grades may be able to end the course earlier than usual, subject
to deliberation by the faculty council.
[Admission Policy]
Based on admission policies of Osaka University, the master course at Graduate School of Information Scienceand Technology accepts students, whether from Japan or abroad, who are motivated to establish and deepen
information science technology, enabling the realization of a more advanced information society. For this purpose, thecourse accepts those who have studied information science technology in the science and technology department andwho are interested in the application and roll-out of information science technology to biology or medicine. To seek
candidates from a broader array of fields, the course also accepts students who have studied disciplines other thaninformation science technology. The course is willing to accept excellent students from overseas as well, not just within
Japan. To this end, the course conducts diverse types of screening using examinations and interviews.
The doctor course of Graduate School of Information Science and Technology accepts students, whether fromJapan or abroad, who are motivated to create innovation in the information science discipline to realize a moreadvanced information society. For this purpose, the course accepts those who have learned information science
technology in graduate school of science and technology (master course), who are interested in the application androll-out of information science technology to biology or medicine, as well as students who have completed thesegraduate school programs and strongly wish to contribute to the information science discipline while working invarious fields of society.
To seek candidates from a broader array of fields, the course accepts students who are registered in graduate
schools other than information science, as well as working adults who are motivated to study and conduct research
into information science. The course is willing to accept excellent students from overseas as well, not just within Japan.
To this end, the course conducts diverse types of screening through examinations and interviews.

42. Enrollment Limits
Department

NumberInformation and Physical Sciences
Computer Science
Information Systems Engineering
Information Networking

A few students

Multimedia Engineering
Bioinformatic Engineering
3. Admission Requirements
Eligible applicants are those international students who fulfill any one of the following requirements.
(1) An applicant who has graduated or expect to graduate from a Japanese university or a Japanese professional
university by March 31, 2024.
(2) An applicant who has earned or expect to earn a bachelor’s degree from the National Institution for Academic
Degrees and Quality Enhancement of Higher Education by March 31, 2024 under the stipulations of Article 104,
Clause 7 of School Education Law of Japan (Law No.26, 1947).
(3) An applicant who has completed or expect to complete 16 years of formal school study in a foreign country byMarch 31, 2024.
(4) An applicant who has completed correspondence courses in Japan which are administered by foreign schools
and thus completed 16 years of formal school education in the said country or who is expected to have completed
such by March 31, 2024.
(5) An applicant who has graduated from a foreign university (including a foreign university which is equivalent toa Japanese professional university. The same shall apply hereinafter) which is positioned as a university in theschool education system of that country or who is expected to do so by March 31, 2024. The said university
must be recognized by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of the Japanese
Government. In this case the applicants must have completed 16 years of formal education in the said country.
(6) An applicant who has completed an academic program of either a foreign university or a foreign educational
institution (limited to which its comprehensive progress of education and research have been evaluated by an
external personnel certified by its government or its related agency, or an institution designated as equivalentby the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of the Japanese Government) whose termof study is at least 3 years or more (including completion of the said program in our country earning credits fromits institution’s correspondence course or from an educational facility established in Japan under the school
education system of the said foreign country designated in the preceding issue), and has earned or expect to earna bachelor’s degree or an equivalent degree by March 31, 2024.
(7) An applicant who has graduated from a specialized course of a college which is recognized by the Minister of
Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of the Japanese Government on or after the date designatedby the Minister, or who is expected to do so by March 31, 2024. The college must fulfill the criteria designated by
the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of the Japanese Government, including aterm of study of four years or more.
(8) An applicant who is accredited by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of theJapanese Government (Notification No.5 of the Education Ministry dated February 7, 1953).
(9) An applicant who entered a university under the stipulations of Article 102, Clause 2 of School Education Law
of Japan and who is accredited by the Graduate School of Information Science and Technology via the preapplication screening as having appropriate academic ability for a graduate student.
(10) An applicant who has graduated from a junior college, a specialized vocational high school, a school in the
miscellaneous category or other educational institutions, who is at least 22 years-old by March 31, 2024, and
who is accredited by the Graduate School of Information Science and Technology via the pre-application
screening as having academic skills equal to a university or a Japanese professional university graduate.

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4. Pre-application Screening
Pre-application screening is necessary for all applicants. All applicants must contact the expected academic
supervisor of the department they wish to enter for obtaining their confirmation. An applicant may submit anapplication for admission after passing the pre-application screening.
All applications must arrive at the graduate school office within the acceptance period. Postal/Percel service withtracking (i.e. EMS, FedEx, DHL, etc.) is recommended to ensure the proper delivery of applications.
Indicate “Information Technology Special Course in English” in red ink on the outside of the envelope.
Acceptance Period

September 25, 2023 (Mon.) – October 6, 2023 (Fri.)

Application documents

No.1 to 4 shown in the list of application documents

Submit to:

Graduates Section
Graduate School of Information Science and Technology
Osaka University
1-5 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, JAPANSubmission of an application form to the Graduates Section by hand is permissible within the following period,
provided that the applicant has an acceptable reason for doing so.
9:00－11:30 ／ 13:00－16:00
October 4, 2023 (Wed.) – October 6, 2023 (Fri.)The result of the pre-application screening will be sent to each applicant by e-mail / postal mail on October 18, 2023
(Wed.).
5. Application Procedure
All applications must arrive at the graduate school office within the acceptance period. Postal/Percel service withtracking (i.e. EMS, FedEx, DHL, etc.) is recommended to ensure the proper delivery of applications.
Indicate “Information Technology Special Course in English” in red ink on the outside of the envelope.
Acceptance Period
October 23, 2023 (Mon.) – November 2, 2023 (Thu.)
Application documents

No.5– 10 shown in the list of application documents

Submit to:

Graduates Section
Graduate School of Information Science and Technology
Osaka University
1-5 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, JAPANSubmission of an application form to the Graduates Section by hand is permissible within the following period, provided
that the applicant has an acceptable reason for doing so.
9:00－11:30 ／ 13:00－16:00
October 31 (Tue.) –November 2 (Thu.) 2023
6. Examination Fees
¥ 30,000(1) When paying via the Application Fee Payment System
You can pay the examination fee by credit card, the convenience store, or an internet banking service of Payeasy through Application Fee Payment System. For further details, please refer “How to pay the application
fee by the Application Fee Payment System” on our graduate school web page (Top / Admission / Application
Guides/ Application Guides for 2024). If you choose to pay through Application Fee Payment System, please
send the Receipt of Application Fee Payment.

6(2) When paying with the money transfer slip designated by the Graduate School
Place of payment: All banks in Japan (Don’t use an ATM for sending the payment.)
You can’t pay the examination fee at the Japan Post Bank.
Method of payment: Use a money transfer slip designated by the Graduate School.
All bank charges incurred in this connection shall be borne by the applicant.
Attach a bank receipt with a stamp (certificate of examination fee payment) to the Graduates Section.
(3) When paying by foreign remittance from overseas
Make a payment of 30,000 yen (Japanese yen) of examination fee by transfer in accordance with the following
guideline as well as submit a copy of Foreign Remittance Request. If a separate commission is required at the
local bank from which you will transfer the fee, you are required to pay the commission at the counter in
addition to the examination fee above. Please inform the Graduates Section in advance when transferring theexamination fee from overseas,
Remittance type: Telegraphic transfer
Bank commission: To be borne by Applicant
Amount of money to be transferred: 30,000 yen
Purpose of transfer: Examination fee(*Entry item for application form)
Receiving bank: SUMITOMO MITSUI BANKING CORPORATION
Swift code: SMBCJPJT (if a 11 digit is required: SMBCJPJT XXX)
Branch name: TOYONAKABRANCH
Account number: 154-7484657
Payee name: OSAKAUNIVERSITY
Currency: JPY-Those who have been officially recognized by the Japanese Government as Japanese Government Scholarshipstudents are exempt from examination fee payment.
-Special measures for examination fee exemption will be implemented for those who have been affected by large
scale disasters in Japan.
For further details, please refer “Regarding the exemption of examination fees for entrance examination in
Graduate School of Information Science and Technology” on our graduate school web page (Top/Admission).
Only Japanese website.
The applicants who apply for the examination fee exemption should not pay the examination fee and are
required to submit the necessary documents such as the exemption application form instead.

7. Selection Methods
Selection will be made after comprehensively examining the result of the interview test, a research plan, an
academic transcript of the school the applicant graduated from, and a score of the TOEIC/TOEFL/IELTS test. Theinterview test (online or offline) will be coordinated on the specific date during the examination period.
Examination Period

November 27, 2023 (Mon.) – December 9, 2023(Sat.)78. Announcement of Examination Results
For all departments, the successful examinees’ numbers will be displayed on the bulletin board on the first floor of A
building in the Graduate School of Information Science and Technology at Suita Campus. At the same time, anotification will be sent to each applicant via e-mail / postal mail. Telephone or e-mail inquiries are NOT accepted.
Announcement of Examination Results

December 22, 2023 (Fri.) at 2:00 p.m.

9. Necessary Fees for Enrollment
Admission fees: ¥282,000.
Tuition fees: ¥535,800 (annual tuition).
Tuition fees are withdrawn from the account in two equal installments (¥267,900 each).
(1) The above fees are valid as of April 2023 and are subject to change. The fees will be confirmed before theadmission procedure starts.
(2) In the case of a change in tuition fees during school terms, the revised tuition fees will be applicable as of thedate when they are effective.
(3) If they are admitted as a Japanese Government Scholarship Student on the time of their entrance to the
Graduate School, they are exempt from admission fee and tuition fee payments.
(4) Osaka University offers tuition waiver system (Tuition Waiver System for Honor International Students) for
privately-funded international students who are recognized as excellent in the graduate school entrance
examinations in order to further strengthen research capabilities and promote the acceptance of international
students.
This entrance examination is subject to the Tuition Waiver System for Honor International Students.
10. Handling of Personal Information(1) The names, addresses and other personal information obtained from applicants are used for entrance
examination purposes such as the ‘selection of students (handling of applications and selection examinations)’and ‘admission procedures’ only.
For successful applicants, personal information might be used for providing information about educational
programs which can be registered after entering Osaka University.
For those admitted to Osaka University, personal information is also used for ‘student control purposes (school
register control and course taking instructions),’ ‘student support (health management),’ and ‘tuition fee
collection’.
(2) Entrance examination results and other data are used for tabulation and analysis of the examination results
and research and study on appropriate applicant selection methods.
(3) We may entrust an outsourcing contractor with the handling of any personal information to conduct theabove business. In this case, we make a contract with the outsourced companies to handle the personal
information in an appropriate way and provide the whole or a part of the information to them.

11. Cautions
(1)

(2)
(3)
(4)

Some applicants may not be required to submit a TOEIC/TOEFL/IELTS score certificate.
For example, a native English speaker or a student who has graduated from or who is expected to graduate
from an institution where all instruction is in English.
Such an applicant should consult with his/her intended academic supervisor, prior to submission of theapplication form, to verify that it can be waived from application requirement.
An applicant requiring special assistance for taking an entrance examination or studying after admission
should inform the Graduates Section to this effect by October 6, 2023 (Fri.).
Application documents which are incomplete, or contain errors and omissions will not be accepted.
After they are submitted, application documents may not be corrected in any manner.

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(5)

The admission procedure is accepted from March 7, 2024 (Thu.) to March 8, 2024 (Fri.). Successful applicants
will be notified of the details at a later date.
(6) An applicant who does not fulfill entrance requirements (Article 20 of Osaka University Regulations) by
March 31, 2024 is subject to the cancellation of his/her admission to the Graduate School.
An applicant who has submitted false information in the application documents may be subject to thecancellation of his/her admission to the Graduate School.
(7) Examination fees are not refunded except in the following cases:(a) an applicant is found not to be qualified for the examination after his/her submission of application
documents,(b) application documents arrive after the close of the acceptance period and hence are rejected,(c) application documents are incomplete, or contain errors and omissions and hence are rejected,(d) examination fees are paid but the applicant doesn’t submit his/her application documents within theacceptance period,(e) examination fees are paid twice erroneously, or(f) other cases in which the University elects to award a refund.
In the case of (a) to (f) above, an applicant should make a claim for a refund of the examination fees to the
University. For the detailed procedures, contact to the Graduates Section.
(8) This entrance examination is for international students with an appropriate student visa. An applicant is, inprinciple, ineligible to submit an application form if he/she does not hold an appropriate student visa. Therefore,
an applicant applying for this entrance examination who currently lives outside Japan or who is currently
staying in Japan with a visa other than a ‘student visa’ must obtain or change to a ‘student visa,’ prior toenrollment.
(9) International students are categorized as follows.
(A) Japanese Government Scholarship Students : International students awarded a scholarship by theJapanese Government (Japanese Government(Monbukagakusho) Scholarship Student)(B) Students dispatched from foreign countries : Foreign government-sponsored students(C) Unsponsored international students : Other international students(10) Information and measures in case of unexpected contingency will be announced on the Graduate School’s
website.
(11) Due to the spread of the COVID-19, the information described in the application guides may be changed.
Please check the graduate school website regularly for the latest information.

August 2023

《Please direct your inquiries to:》Graduates Section
Graduate School of Information Science and Technology
Osaka University
1-5 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, JAPANE-mail: office@ist.osaka-u.ac.jp
Website of Graduate School of Information Science and Technology:
https://www.ist.osaka-u.ac.jp/

9List of Application Documents(Note.1) Please do not use erasable writing instruments (e.g. pencils, erasable ballpoint pen, etc.) when filling in all documents.
(Note.2) Certificates, documents and references written in a language other than Japanese or English must be accompanied
by a Japanese or an English translation.

● Documents required for pre-application screening№
1

2

Documents
Pre-Application Screening
Document (CV & Research
Plan)
Academic Transcript

3

TOEIC / TOEFL / IELTS Score
Certificate

4Letters of Recommendation

Description
Use the designated form.
Attach a picture taken within three months prior to the date of application.
Must be issued by the last university, etc., the applicant graduated from, or its equivalent.
An Official Score Certificate of TOEIC , a Test Taker Score Report (or Examinee Score Report)of TOEFL or Test Report Form of IELTS dated from October 2021 must be submitted. Official
Score Certificate of TOEIC and Test Report Form of IELTS must be original. Copies will not
be accepted. Regarding “Test Taker Score Report” (or “Examinee Score Report”) for
TOEFL, a score report that will be delivered to the test taker by postal mail or a score reportthat can be downloaded from the test taker's ETS account are acceptable. A score report thatwill be delivered to the test taker by postal mail must be original. Copies will not be accepted.
Scores from TOEIC-IP, TOEIC Speaking & Writing Tests, TOEIC Speaking Test, TOEIC
Bridge Test, TOEFL-ITP , and IELTS General Training Module are not acceptable.
For TOEFL iBT test, we only accept TOEFL iBT test scores from a single test date, not
MyBest scores.
A person who has falsified the score may have his/her enrollment cancelled even after
admission to the Graduate School, or the degree cancelled even after obtaining the degree inthe relevant course.
At least two letters of recommendation are required. Recommenders are asked to give theirpersonal impressions of the applicant’s intellectual ability, aptitude in research or professional
skills, character, and the quality of applicant’s previous work and potential. Recommenders
should be persons who are familiar with the applicant's academic and research activities.

● Documents that must be attached and submitted with the application form
5

Application for Admission

Use the designated form.
Please fill in the name as stated in the Certificate of Residence (Juminhyo) or on your passport
in principle.
Attach a picture taken singly within three months prior to the date of application.

6

Examination Admission Cardand Photo Identification Card
(Expected) Graduation
Letter/Certificate of (Expected)
Graduation
A copy of the Certificate of
Residence(Juminhyo-no-Utsushi)
or
Copies of residence card

Attach a picture taken singly within three months prior to the date of application and fill in
the required details.
Must be issued by the last university, etc., the applicant graduating or graduated from.
Students graduating from the undergraduate schools of Science, Engineering andEngineering Sciences of Osaka University are exempt.
Required only if the applicant already lives in Japan.
The document issued by the local government office which mentions your status of residence
and period of stay.
*Not required that of family members.
orCopies of your residence card (both sides)
For Japanese Government Scholarship Students only except for applicants currently
studying at Osaka University.
If you choose to pay through Application Fee Payment System, please submit the Receipt ofApplication Fee Payment.
If you pay with the money transfer slip designated by the Graduate School, attach a bankreceipt with a stamp (certificate of examination fee payment) on the designated form.
In case of transfer from overseas, you are required to submit a copy of Foreign Remittance
Request instead.

7

8

9
10

Certificate of Monbukagakusho
Scholarship Student
Certificate of Examination Fee
Payment-Those who have been officially recognized by the Japanese Government as Japanese
Government Scholarship students are exempt from examination fee payment.
-Special measures for examination fee exemption will be implemented for those who havebeen affected by large scale disasters in Japan. The applicants who apply for the examination
fee exemption should not pay the examination fee and are required to submit the necessary
documents such as the exemption application form instead.

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