Bilingual Master’s Program in Law (BiP)

Application Guidelines for Privately Funded Applicants(For April or October 2025 Admissions)
1. Introduction
Please read the following Application Guidelines carefully before submitting anapplication.
The Bilingual Master’s degree program in Law (BiP) offers students the unique
opportunity to engage in graduate level study of law in a “bilingual” environment at a law
faculty in Japan. The program is designed for students who already have a solid
foundation in the Japanese language but wish to improve their Japanese ability, whilst at
the same time engaging in classroom study and supervised research across a wide rangeof subjects in the fields of law and political science.
For further details on the BiP, see: http://www.law.kyushu-u.ac.jp/programsinenglish/
Please note that this application process covers applicants who intend to financetheir own studies, either with private resources OR a scholarship that is notprovided by the Japanese government. If you are the recipient of a Japanese
Government Embassy Scholarship, please use the separate guidelines specificallyfor that purpose.
2. Program Duration
BiP is taught on a full time basis and takes a minimum of 12 months for completion,
beginning in either April or October every year and ending in March or September of thefollowing year.

1Students are able to extend the period of study for an additional 6 or 12 months (one or
two semesters) if they so wish. Please note that the decision to extend the period of study
is subject to faculty approval.
3. Admission Requirements
For admission to BiP, applicants must meet the following requirements:
1. An undergraduate degree in either Law OR Japanese/East Asian Studies.
2. A good command of oral, written and reading Japanese. Although there is noformal Japanese language requirement for BiP, an interview will be conducted withall candidates to ensure that students have the ability to fully participate in courses
taught in Japanese. In addition, students will be obliged to submit a personalstatement written in Japanese as part of the application process.
3. A good command of English. A TOEFL score of 79+ (Internet-based) or equivalentis required for non-native English speakers.
4. Sufficient financial support for the duration of the program.
Please note: Japanese Nationals are not eligible for BiP.
4. Tuition & Fees
On enrollment, all incoming students must pay an Examination Fee and Entrance Fee, in
addition to the Tuition Fees.
For the academic year 2024-2025, the fees were as follows:
Tuition Fees (for one year): ¥535,800
Registration Fee: ¥30,000
Entrance Fee: ¥282,000
Please note that this amount is subject to annual review. The final amount for 2025-26 isavailable upon request from admissions@law.kyushu-u.ac.jp.

2

A fee waiver scheme operates for students demonstrating a high level of academic
performance.

Please note that it is rare for students to receive a waiver on the Entrance

Fee, and for the Tuition Fee successful candidates

normally only receive a remission of

up to 50%.
5. Application Materials
Applicants are requested to submit by registered airmail or equivalent (i.e. Federal
Express, DHL etc.), an original and one copy of the following documents:
1. Completed BiP Application Form (form attached below). Please note: (1) It isvery important that the name that you include in Section 1 of the Application Formis the same as the name in your passport. The Student Visa of successful applicants
will be issued with the name provided in Section 1, and it can cause problems at
immigration when entering Japan if the names are different. (2) Nationality. You
must indicate if you have dual nationality or Japanese nationality.
2. Photocopy of Graduation Certificate of the last university and graduate school
attended, OR a Certified Letter from the university at which the applicant iscurrently attending, stating the expected graduation date.
3. Official School Transcript of the last school from which the applicant graduatedand that which the applicant is currently attending.
4. Two Letters of Recommendation from the Dean, the applicant's supervisingprofessor or other teaching staff who have had direct contact with the applicant;or from a supervisor in the employing body with personal knowledge of theapplicant (forms attached below). *A reference letter in Japanese or English is
acceptable.
5. For non-native speakers, proof of English proficiency must be provided. A
TOEFL score of 79+ (Internet-based) or equivalent is required for non-native
English speakers.
All application materials should be typed in English on the attached forms or additional

3

sheets of A4 paper.
In the event materials required above are in a language other than English or Japanese, atranslation into one of these languages must be attached.
Application materials will not be returned to applicants.
6. Application Deadlines
The deadlines for receiving application materials are as follows:
For Spring 2025 admissions: November 1, 2024.
For Autumn 2025 admissions: May 7, 2025.
Applications arriving after these dates cannot be accepted.
7. Interview
Candidates will be interviewed either by ZOOM, phone or (if it is convenient) in person
within 6 weeks of the application deadline.
The main purpose of the interview is to assess whether an applicant’s Japanese language
is of an appropriate standard to pursue graduate study of law in Japanese.
8. Notification of Result
Applicants will be informed of the result of their application within six weeks of theinterview.
9. Warning
Successful applicants will have their enrollment at Kyushu University withdrawn
immediately in the event of any of the following:-

If the student is found to have made false statements on his/her application.

4

-

If the student is subject to disciplinary measures or has been found to have no
promise for academic achievement by the University.

-

If the student is absent from University for a prolonged period of time without
permission.

-

If the student has insufficient resources to finance their studies in Kyushu
University.

10. Inquiries
Inquiries by phone cannot be accepted. Written inquiries regarding this program andsubmitted materials should be addressed to:Admission Office,Graduate School of Law, Kyushu University,
744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan.
Alternatively, candidates may correspond by fax or e-mail:Fax: 81[Japan]-92-802-5407
E-mail: admission@law.kyushu-u.ac.jp

5Self-financing

No. ____BILINGUAL LL.M. PROGRAM, APPLICATION SUMMARYFACULTY OF LAW, KYUSHU UNIVERSITY

Family nameFirst nameMiddle nameName
Nationality

Date of BirthAge（

Mailing Address

E-mail address:

Phone No.：
Name of Institution
Address

Present Status

Statusvalid until（//

Date attended

Major Field）

Degree or Diploma（Date expected）
Name of Institution
Address
StatusLast School

Date attended

Major Field
Degree or Diploma（Date received）
EnglishProficiency
Japanese
Proficiency）

TOEFL SCORE（

Name
1
Letters ofRecommendation

Position
Institution
Relationship to Applicant
Name

2

Position
Institution
Relationship to Applicant※Office Use Only

Date
Received//

Documents Received

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Required documents: 1. BiP Application form. 2. Graduation Certificate. 3. Official transcript. 4. Passport.
5. Two letters of recommendation. 6. Three photos. 7. Proof of English proficiency.

1）Self-financing

BILINGUAL LL.M. PROGRAM, APPLICATION FORM
FACULTY OF LAW, KYUSHU UNIVERSITY

1. Name (in English) (氏名):2. Gender: Male: (男) □3. Nationality (国籍):_____________________ _______________________(Family name)(Given names)

Female: (女) □Paste one
passport
sized
photo
here

_______________

4. Date of Birth (生年月日):______(Year)_______(Month)________(Day)

Age (年齢): ____

5. Mailing address and telephone number, facsimile number, e-mail address（住所、電話、ファックス番号、e-mailアドレス）

6. Accompanying Dependents (同伴者)

Name 氏名

Relationship 続柄

2

Age 年齢Self-financing

7. Educational history (学歴)Name and address of school
学校名及び所在地

Elementary
education
初等教育
Elementary school
小学校

Secondary
Education
中等教育
Secondary
School
中学校
・高校

Lower
中学

Year & Month of
Entrance &Completion
入学及び
卒業年月

Name 学校名

From 入学

Location 所在地

To 卒業

Name 学校名

From 入学

Location 所在地

To 卒業

Name 学校名

From 入学

Location 所在地

To 卒業

Name 学校名

From 入学

Major
subject
専攻科目

Diplomaor DegreeAwarded
単位 学位・
資格

Upper
高校

Higher Education
高等教育

Location 所在地
To 卒業

Undergraduate
Level
学部
Name 学校名

Graduate level
大学院

From 入学

Location 所在地
To 卒業

Years 年

Total years of schooling
以上、全学校教育を通算した修学年数

8. Employment record (職歴)Name and Address of Organization
勤務先及び所在地

Period of
employment
勤務期間

3

Position
役職名Type of work
職務内容

Self-financing

9. Proposed study program in Japan. In 600 words or more, please describe the details of yourintended major field of study. This item will be used as one of the most important criteria for
selection. Additional sheets may be attached if necessary. Please write in English.
日本における研究計画：志望する研究領域について、600単語以上用い、英語で詳述して下さい。用紙が不足する場合は、別紙を加えても構いません。
なお、この研究計画は選考の際の重要な要素となります。

10. State the titles of any published books or research papers (including graduation thesis
authored by the applicant), if any (mention the name and address of publisher and the date of
publication).
業績： 著書、学術論文（卒業論文を含む）があれば、その題名、出版社名、出版年
月日、出版場所を示して下さい。

4

Self-financing

11. Personal statement. Describe briefly your reasons for wanting to participate in Bip at
Kyushu University and your long-term career goals. Please indicate the relevance of yourprevious education and work experience. Please write in Japanese.
志望動機：九州大学BiPプログラムを志望する理由について、将来に望むキャリアとの関係で位置づけながら、また、これまでの学歴および職歴に触れつつ、日本語で、簡潔に記述して下さい)5Self-financing

12. First Language. Please indicate the language or language(s) that you consider tobe your first language(s).
母語：母語を記入して下さい。複数でも構いません。

13. Foreign Language Proficiency. Evaluate your level and mark with an × where appropriate in the following
categories.
外国語：外国語能力を自己評価のうえ、該当欄に×印を記入して下さい。適宜言語を加えても構いません
Excellent 優Good 良Fair 可Japanese
日本語
English英語
French仏語
German独語
Spanish西語
Chinese中国語
Korean韓国語

14. Declaration（申請） :I confirm that everything contained in this application is true to the best of my knowledge. I have read and understood
the Privacy Policy for International Students Applying for Admission at Kyushu University available at:
http://www.kyushu-u.ac.jp/en/website/privacypolicy/internationalstudents
上記記載の事項に間違いありません。また、九州大学の入試におけるプライバシーポリシーのサイトを確認し、理解しました。
Applicant's signature （出願者署名）:______________________

Applicant's name in block capitals （出願者氏名）:
Date of application （出願年月日）:_________________________________________

6

RECOMMENDATION (1)
To: President of Kyushu University※To the RECOMMENDER: Please write a statement concerning the applicant, stating how long and in what connection you have
known him/her, your evaluation of his/her character, your speculation on the applicant’s potential for success as a graduate student andhis/her potential for independent research (use space below)

On behalf of(Name of Applicant):,
Family,First

MiddleCONFIDENTIAL
IMPORTANT: Please evaluate the applicant’s qualification, compared with the last 5 years students, by checking
the appropriate space below, and specifying first the group with which you have compared him/her.

QUALIFICATION

Excellent(upper 5%)Good(6-20%)

Satisfactory(21-50%)

Average or below(lower 50)

No basis forjudgement➀KNOWLEDGEIntellectual ability
Knowledge in subject ofproposed study
General knowledge➁GOOD JUDGEMENT & EXPRESSION
Imagination
Oral Expression
Written Expression➂COMMON SENSE
Industry andPerseverance
Emotional stability
Inquisitiveness &independence➃CONCLUSION(Overall potential as)
Teacher
Scholar (research fellow)
LL.M. holder
LL.D. holder

Signature_____________________________________________ Date_____________________________________________
Name___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Position_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Institution______________________________________________________________________________________________
Relationship to Applicant________________________________________________________________________________
Address_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Phone Number________________________________________ Fax Number______________________________________
E-mail__________________________________________________________________________________________________
We appreciate the time and effort that you have taken to provide us with these comments.
Please return this letter directly to Kyushu University OR place in a sealed envelope and return to the candidate.
Address: Admission Office of International Programs
Faculty of Law, Kyushu University
744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka, 819-0395 JAPANRECOMMENDATION (2)
To: President of Kyushu University※To the RECOMMENDER: Please write a statement concerning the applicant, stating how long and in what connection you have
known him/her, your evaluation of his/her character, your speculation on the applicant’s potential for success as a graduate student andhis/her potential for independent research (use space below)

On behalf of(Name of Applicant):,
Family,First

MiddleCONFIDENTIAL
IMPORTANT: Please evaluate the applicant’s qualification, compared with the last 5 years students, by checking
the appropriate space below, and specifying first the group with which you have compared him/her.

QUALIFICATION

Excellent(upper 5%)Good(6-20%)

Satisfactory(21-50%)

Average or below(lower 50)

No basis forjudgement➀KNOWLEDGEIntellectual ability
Knowledge in subject ofproposed study
General knowledge➁GOOD JUDGEMENT & EXPRESSION
Imagination
Oral Expression
Written Expression➂COMMON SENSE
Industry andPerseverance
Emotional stability
Inquisitiveness &independence➃CONCLUSION(Overall potential as)
Teacher
Scholar (research fellow)
LL.M. holder
LL.D. holder

Signature_____________________________________________ Date_____________________________________________
Name___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Position_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Institution______________________________________________________________________________________________
Relationship to Applicant________________________________________________________________________________
Address_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Phone Number________________________________________ Fax Number______________________________________
E-mail__________________________________________________________________________________________________
We appreciate the time and effort that you have taken to provide us with these comments.
Please return this letter directly to Kyushu University OR place in a sealed envelope and return to the candidate.
Address: Admission Office of International Programs
Faculty of Law, Kyushu University
744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka, 819-0395 JAPANSelf-financing

No. ____BILINGUAL LL.M. PROGRAM, APPLICATION SUMMARYFACULTY OF LAW, KYUSHU UNIVERSITY

Family nameFirst nameMiddle nameName
Nationality

Date of BirthAge（

Mailing Address

E-mail address:

Phone No.：
Name of Institution
Address

Present Status

Statusvalid until（//

Date attended

Major Field）

Degree or Diploma（Date expected）
Name of Institution
Address
StatusLast School

Date attended

Major Field
Degree or Diploma（Date received）
EnglishProficiency
Japanese
Proficiency）

TOEFL SCORE（

Name
1
Letters ofRecommendation

Position
Institution
Relationship to Applicant
Name

2

Position
Institution
Relationship to Applicant※Office Use Only

Date
Received//

Documents Received

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Required documents: 1. BiP Application form. 2. Graduation Certificate. 3. Official transcript. 4. Passport.
5. Two letters of recommendation. 6. Three photos. 7. Proof of English proficiency.

1）Self-financing

BILINGUAL LL.M. PROGRAM, APPLICATION FORM
FACULTY OF LAW, KYUSHU UNIVERSITY

1. Name (in English) (氏名):2. Gender: Male: (男) □3. Nationality (国籍):_____________________ _______________________(Family name)(Given names)

Female: (女) □Paste one
passport
sized
photo
here

_______________

4. Date of Birth (生年月日):______(Year)_______(Month)________(Day)

Age (年齢): ____

5. Mailing address and telephone number, facsimile number, e-mail address（住所、電話、ファックス番号、e-mailアドレス）

6. Accompanying Dependents (同伴者)

Name 氏名

Relationship 続柄

2

Age 年齢Self-financing

7. Educational history (学歴)Name and address of school
学校名及び所在地

Elementary
education
初等教育
Elementary school
小学校

Secondary
Education
中等教育
Secondary
School
中学校
・高校

Lower
中学

Year & Month of
Entrance &Completion
入学及び
卒業年月

Name 学校名

From 入学

Location 所在地

To 卒業

Name 学校名

From 入学

Location 所在地

To 卒業

Name 学校名

From 入学

Location 所在地

To 卒業

Name 学校名

From 入学

Major
subject
専攻科目

Diplomaor DegreeAwarded
単位 学位・
資格

Upper
高校

Higher Education
高等教育

Location 所在地
To 卒業

Undergraduate
Level
学部
Name 学校名

Graduate level
大学院

From 入学

Location 所在地
To 卒業

Years 年

Total years of schooling
以上、全学校教育を通算した修学年数

8. Employment record (職歴)Name and Address of Organization
勤務先及び所在地

Period of
employment
勤務期間

3

Position
役職名Type of work
職務内容

Self-financing

9. Proposed study program in Japan. In 600 words or more, please describe the details of yourintended major field of study. This item will be used as one of the most important criteria for
selection. Additional sheets may be attached if necessary. Please write in English.
日本における研究計画：志望する研究領域について、600単語以上用い、英語で詳述して下さい。用紙が不足する場合は、別紙を加えても構いません。
なお、この研究計画は選考の際の重要な要素となります。

10. State the titles of any published books or research papers (including graduation thesis
authored by the applicant), if any (mention the name and address of publisher and the date of
publication).
業績： 著書、学術論文（卒業論文を含む）があれば、その題名、出版社名、出版年
月日、出版場所を示して下さい。

4

Self-financing

11. Personal statement. Describe briefly your reasons for wanting to participate in Bip at
Kyushu University and your long-term career goals. Please indicate the relevance of yourprevious education and work experience. Please write in Japanese.
志望動機：九州大学BiPプログラムを志望する理由について、将来に望むキャリアとの関係で位置づけながら、また、これまでの学歴および職歴に触れつつ、日本語で、簡潔に記述して下さい)5Self-financing

12. First Language. Please indicate the language or language(s) that you consider tobe your first language(s).
母語：母語を記入して下さい。複数でも構いません。

13. Foreign Language Proficiency. Evaluate your level and mark with an × where appropriate in the following
categories.
外国語：外国語能力を自己評価のうえ、該当欄に×印を記入して下さい。適宜言語を加えても構いません
Excellent 優Good 良Fair 可Japanese
日本語
English英語
French仏語
German独語
Spanish西語
Chinese中国語
Korean韓国語

14. Declaration（申請） :I confirm that everything contained in this application is true to the best of my knowledge. I have read and understood
the Privacy Policy for International Students Applying for Admission at Kyushu University available at:
http://www.kyushu-u.ac.jp/en/website/privacypolicy/internationalstudents
上記記載の事項に間違いありません。また、九州大学の入試におけるプライバシーポリシーのサイトを確認し、理解しました。
Applicant's signature （出願者署名）:______________________

Applicant's name in block capitals （出願者氏名）:
Date of application （出願年月日）:_________________________________________

6

RECOMMENDATION (1)
To: President of Kyushu University※To the RECOMMENDER: Please write a statement concerning the applicant, stating how long and in what connection you have
known him/her, your evaluation of his/her character, your speculation on the applicant’s potential for success as a graduate student andhis/her potential for independent research (use space below)

On behalf of(Name of Applicant):,
Family,First

MiddleCONFIDENTIAL
IMPORTANT: Please evaluate the applicant’s qualification, compared with the last 5 years students, by checking
the appropriate space below, and specifying first the group with which you have compared him/her.

QUALIFICATION

Excellent(upper 5%)Good(6-20%)

Satisfactory(21-50%)

Average or below(lower 50)

No basis forjudgement➀KNOWLEDGEIntellectual ability
Knowledge in subject ofproposed study
General knowledge➁GOOD JUDGEMENT & EXPRESSION
Imagination
Oral Expression
Written Expression➂COMMON SENSE
Industry andPerseverance
Emotional stability
Inquisitiveness &independence➃CONCLUSION(Overall potential as)
Teacher
Scholar (research fellow)
LL.M. holder
LL.D. holder

Signature_____________________________________________ Date_____________________________________________
Name___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Position_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Institution______________________________________________________________________________________________
Relationship to Applicant________________________________________________________________________________
Address_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Phone Number________________________________________ Fax Number______________________________________
E-mail__________________________________________________________________________________________________
We appreciate the time and effort that you have taken to provide us with these comments.
Please return this letter directly to Kyushu University OR place in a sealed envelope and return to the candidate.
Address: Admission Office of International Programs
Faculty of Law, Kyushu University
744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka, 819-0395 JAPANRECOMMENDATION (2)
To: President of Kyushu University※To the RECOMMENDER: Please write a statement concerning the applicant, stating how long and in what connection you have
known him/her, your evaluation of his/her character, your speculation on the applicant’s potential for success as a graduate student andhis/her potential for independent research (use space below)

On behalf of(Name of Applicant):,
Family,First

MiddleCONFIDENTIAL
IMPORTANT: Please evaluate the applicant’s qualification, compared with the last 5 years students, by checking
the appropriate space below, and specifying first the group with which you have compared him/her.

QUALIFICATION

Excellent(upper 5%)Good(6-20%)

Satisfactory(21-50%)

Average or below(lower 50)

No basis forjudgement➀KNOWLEDGEIntellectual ability
Knowledge in subject ofproposed study
General knowledge➁GOOD JUDGEMENT & EXPRESSION
Imagination
Oral Expression
Written Expression➂COMMON SENSE
Industry andPerseverance
Emotional stability
Inquisitiveness &independence➃CONCLUSION(Overall potential as)
Teacher
Scholar (research fellow)
LL.M. holder
LL.D. holder

Signature_____________________________________________ Date_____________________________________________
Name___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Position_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Institution______________________________________________________________________________________________
Relationship to Applicant________________________________________________________________________________
Address_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Phone Number________________________________________ Fax Number______________________________________
E-mail__________________________________________________________________________________________________
We appreciate the time and effort that you have taken to provide us with these comments.
Please return this letter directly to Kyushu University OR place in a sealed envelope and return to the candidate.
Address: Admission Office of International Programs
Faculty of Law, Kyushu University
744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka, 819-0395 JAPAN