2025 Application Handbook (G)2025

APPLICATIONHANDBOOKAPRIL / SEPTEMBER 2025 ENROLLMENT

FOR ALL GRaduate school
APPLICANTS

admissions.apu.ac.jp/graduate

Handling of Personal Information at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University
Ritsumeikan Trust’s policies for handling of personal information are available on the following websites:① The Ritsumeikan Trust Privacy Policy

https://en.apu.ac.jp/home/contents/privacypolicy.html/② Ritsumeikan Trust Personal Information Protection Regulations
https://en.ritsumeikan-trust.jp/info/privacypolicy/g01_01_e/③ Public Announcement Based on the Act on the Protection of Personal Information
https://en.ritsumeikan-trust.jp/info/privacypolicy/g01_06_e/
The handling of personal information is subject to change, so please check the above website for the latest information.

Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University
Privacy Policy Pursuant to the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
Refer to the website
https://admissions.apu.ac.jp/regulations/?&lang=en

Organizations Providing Standardized Examinations
TOEFL® Test
Test of English as a Foreign Language by ETS: Educational Testing Service
www.ets.org/toefl
IELTS
International English Language Testing System by the British Council
www.ielts.org
Cambridge English Language Assessment
Cambridge English Language Assessment by Cambridge Assessment English
www.cambridgeenglish.org
TOEIC® Test
Test of English for International Communication by ETS: Educational Testing Service
www.ets.org/toeic
PTE Academic Pearson Test of English Academic by PEARSON
www.pearsonpte.com
TOEIC, TOEFL, TOEFL iBT and TOEFL ITP are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS).
This publication is not endorsed or approved by ETS.
L&R is an abbreviation for LISTENING AND READING.

Application Checklist
Please apply online at r.apu.jp/apply_online.
• A digital copy of all required application documents should be submitted through the online application.
• There is no need to print out the documents submitted online and send them to APU at the time of application.
All documents submitted online will be treated as the authentic copy.
• For documents not written in English, please also upload an oﬃcial English translation.

Required Application Information andDocuments✓□

1. Online Application□

Graduate School ofAsia Pacific Studies
Master’s

IMAT

Graduate
School ofDoctoral Management✓

1) Applicant Information□✓

2) Personal Statement□✓

3) Research Proposal/Study Plan□✓

4) University Graduation Certificate(s)/Certificate of Scheduled Graduation□✓

5) Academic Transcripts□✓

6) Document(s) proving English proficiency
Required for all applicants who do not meet theexemption requirements□✓

7) Two Letters of Recommendation□✓

8) Passport scan (if available)□✓

9) Photographs□✓10) Curriculum Vitae□

×11) Sample Work or List of Research Achievements

□

×

✓

12) Master’s thesis□×13) Supervisor Confirmation Letter□×14) Certificate of Employment

□

×
✓

✓
×

✓
✓
×

×
×
✓

15) GMAT® Results, GRE® Results□

Strongly recommended but not mandatory

2. Application Fee Payment□✓

Proof of Application Fee Payment□✓

3. Online Assessment□✓

1) Residence Card
(Only for applicants who already have a valid
Japanese status of residence)□✓

2) Proof of scholarships received from organizations
other than APU□✓

3) Additional required documents for each external
scholarship□✓

4) Designation Page in Your Passport(Only for applicants who have a valid Specified
Visa – Designated Activities)□✓

4. Additional Documents (only if applicable)

After being accepted to APU, enrolling students must submit certified copies of uploaded application documents
to APU by post. Make sure to hold on to any documents you submit during the application process. Your
acceptance to APU will be revoked if your documents submitted after acceptance differ from those uploaded with youronline application, or if you are not able to submit the necessary documents.

Process from Application to Enrollment to APU
Submit the online application and pay the application fee
Submit the online assessment
From Application
to Final Results
Approximately
2-5 months
Receive application result and APU Tuition Reduction Scholarship result

Complete enrollment procedures- Pay enrollment procedure fees
- Submit required enrollment documents

From Final
Results to

Receive Certificate of Eligibility issued by Japanese Immigration
Bureau from APU- April enrollment: receive starting in February- September enrollment: receive starting at the end of July
Apply for a student visa at local Japanese Embassy/Consulate

Enrollment

Approximately
3-10 months

Arrive to APU- April enrollment: End of March- September enrollment: Middle of September

Become an APU Student- April enrollment: April 1- September enrollment: September 21(These dates may differ from the Entrance Ceremony)Contents
2025 Personal Information Policy
Application Checklist
Process from Application to Enrollment to APU
Admissions Guidelines

1. Educational Objectives 
2. Admission Policy 
3. Application Category 23
3

Master’s Programs

1. Number of Students Accepted 
2. Application Eligibility 
3. Application Schedule 4
45

Doctoral (Ph.D.) Program

1. Number of Students Accepted 
2. Application Eligibility 
3. Ph.D. Application Process 
4. Application Schedule 

6
6
7
7

Scholarships

1. APU Tuition Reduction Scholarship 
2. External Scholarships 
3. Additional External Scholarships 
4. External Scholarships Available After Enrolling at APU 

Application Process

1. Online Application 
2. Notes on creating Research Proposal and Study Plan etc. 
3. Application Fee 
4. Online Assessment 
5. Application Submission 
6. Evaluation Method 
7. Additional Requests from APU 
8. Admissions Support for Prospective Applicantswith Medical Conditions or Disabilities 
9. Information on Local Medical Services From Acceptance to Enrollment

1. Enrollment Process Overview 
2. Submitting Required Application Documents 
3. Deadlines for Enrollment Procedures 
4. Document Submission 
5. Enrollment Procedure Fees 
6. Final Pre-Enrollment Procedures 

SUPPORT SERVICES AND POLICIESTo apply online, please go to:r.apu.jp/apply_online

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Admissions Guidelines
Based on the educational philosophy of promoting Freedom, Peace and Humanity, International Mutual Understanding
and the Future Shape of the Asia Pacific Region, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU) gathers diverse students
from many countries and regions and hopes to fulfill the mission of fostering future global leaders through the exchangeof languages and cultures. After completion of their studies, APU graduates should be equipped with interculturalcommunication skills and the ability to adapt to a changing international horizon.
To fulfill this mission, APU aims to recruit domestic and international students with the potential to be active leaders ofthe 21st century international society in the Asia Pacific region, and the following graduate schools were establishedwith this purpose.

1

Educational Objectives

The educational objectives of Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU) were established on the following premises:
1. To cultivate Japanese citizens with global perspectives and worldviews who can cooperate with people of various
countries and regions in the spirit of mutual international understanding.
2. To cultivate international students who, by learning at a Japanese institute of higher education, develop a proper
understanding of Japan and become active in the global arena.
3. To cultivate talented individuals who can build amicable and trustworthy relationships between Japan and thecountries of the world and contribute to developing the future economies and societies in their respective countries
and regions.

Graduate School of Asia Pacific Studies
Master of Science in Asia Pacific Studies

The Master’s Program in Asia Pacific Studies aims to cultivate human resources who will possess a keen interest in
research pertaining to and specialized knowledge and skills necessary for development of the Asia Pacific region in suchareas as international relations and social and cultural studies, will achieve practical resolutions for issues in the region,
and will contribute to sustainable development and coexistence in the region.

Master of Science in International Cooperation Policy

The Master’s Program in International Cooperation Policy aims to cultivate human resources who will possess a keeninterest in research pertaining to and specialized knowledge and skills necessary for development of the Asia Pacificregion in such areas as public administration, environment, development, health and tourism, will achieve practicalresolutions for issues in the region, and will contribute to sustainable development and coexistence in the region.

Doctor of Philosophy in Asia Pacific Studies

The Doctoral Program in Asia Pacific Studies aims to foster the advanced capacity for pioneering a new academic
discipline (area) necessary for development of the Asia Pacific region and cultivate advanced researchers and highly
qualified professionals with doctorate degrees who will contribute to sustainable development and coexistence in theregion.

Graduate School of Management
Master of Business Administration

The Mission of the Graduate School of Management (GSM) is to cultivate creative, well-rounded professionals whowill manage and lead globalizing enterprises and organizations with their advanced management skills and innovative,
global, and ethical mindset.
APU hopes to realize these educational objectives by accepting outstanding students from all over the world.

2

2

ADMISSION POLICY
Admissions
Guidelines

Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU) welcomes students who will uphold the university’s basic ideals of Freedom,
Peace, and Humanity, International Mutual Understanding, and the Future Shape of the Asia Pacific Region. Thesestudents should also be ready to acknowledge and understand differences in cultures and values, engage actively in aninternational campus community, and contribute to mutual learning.
New graduate school students must possess the following attributes and abilities in order to engage in this kind oflearning:

Master’s Programs

1. Specialized knowledge and global perspective required to pursue advanced studies in one’s graduate school anddivision
2. Analytical skills, perceptiveness, and aptitude to solve real-world problems
3. Requisite English language proficiency for research and study
4. Desire to contribute to and make full use of a multicultural collaborative learning environment

Graduate School of Asia Pacific Studies
Master’s Program in Asia Pacific Studies

Master’s Program in International Cooperation Policy

1. H igh-level interest in research pertaining to specialist fields including administration, environmental studies,development, health science and tourism required for the development of the Asia Pacific region and the world at large
2. Strong intention to contribute to sustainable development and coexistence across the world

Doctoral (Ph.D.)
Program

1. High-level interest in research pertaining to specialist fields including international relations, social studies, andcultural studies required for the development of the Asia Pacific region and the world at large
2. Strong intention to contribute to sustainable development and coexistence across the world

Doctoral Program in Asia Pacific Studies

Scholarships

1. High-level interest in pioneering new academic disciplines required for the development of the Asia Pacific region andthe world at large
2. Aptitude and skills for mastering new academic theories and applications as an independent researcher
3. Strong intention to contribute to sustainable development and coexistence across the world

Graduate School of Management
Master's of Business Administration

In order to admit graduate students compatible with APU’s learning environment, research plans, assessment tests,
interviews, academic transcripts, and other materials will be used in a multi-faceted evaluation of the aforementioned
knowledge, attributes, skills, and intentions.

Application Category

Before applying, please confirm which category you fall under as the requirements and deadlines differ. The categories
are as follows:

Overseas Applicants

All applicants residing outside Japan, excluding Japanese nationals and will continue to live outside of Japan during theentirety of the application process.

Domestic Applicants

All foreign nationals residing in Japan with a visa status other than short-term (for example, a Work Visa or a
Dependent Visa) and all Japanese nationals whether living in Japan or abroad. Applicants who do not possess Japanesenationality must have a visa which is valid until the time of enrollment at APU. If your current visa will expire within twomonths of the time of enrollment at APU, please confirm with the Japanese Immigration Bureau whether or not it will bepossible for you to extend your current visa or change to a student visa before applying to APU.

Internal ApplicantsApplicants currently enrolled at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU) or Ritsumeikan University.
3

From Acceptance toEnrollment

3

Application Process

1. High-level interest in solving the management issues faced by companies and other organizations within global society
2. Ability to contribute innovative ideas to the sustainable development of the Asia Pacific region and the world as awhole, as a well-rounded manager and inclusive leader with a deep sense of social responsibility
3. Analytical skills, perceptiveness, and problem-solving ability acquired through at least three years of workplace experienceMaster’s Programs
1

Number of Students Accepted

Graduate School of Asia Pacific Studies (GSA)
Master of Science

IntakePeriodIntake per
Year

Asia Pacific Studies (APS)• International Relations (IR)• Society and Culture (SC)

April/
September

15

International Cooperation Policy (ICP)• International Public Administration (IPA)• Sustainability Science (SS)• Tourism and Hospitality (TH)• Development Economics (DE)

April/
September• International Material Flow Management (IMAT) Program*1, 2

September
OnlyStandard
Period ofCompletion

Total
Tuition2 years

2,800,000
JPY

45*1 In addition to tuition, IMAT students must pay a program fee of 200,000 JPY per year. They must also pay administration fees of approximately 172
EUR per semester during the third and fourth semester to Trier University of Applied Sciences, Environmental Campus Birkenfeld.
*2 In order to obtain a student visa for the second year in Germany, the IMAT students must prepare a blocked account of around 11,208 euros at theirdisposal for one year. For more information, please visit: www.study-in-germany.de/en/plan-your-studies/requirements/proof-of-financing

Graduate School of Management (GSM)
Master of Business Administration

Business Administration (MBA)IntakePeriodIntake per
YearStandard
Period ofCompletion

Total
TuitionApril/
September40

2 years

3,800,000
JPY

Tuition fees vary on the basis of the awarded Tuition Reduction Scholarship. Refer to page 8 for more information.

Standard Period of Completion

The standard period of completion for the master’s programs in the Graduate School of Asia Pacific Studies andthe MBA program in the Graduate School of Management is two years. This standard period allows for in-depth
study and research and provides greater freedom to create a structured course plan. However, if you fulfill certain
requirements after enrollment, it may be possible to complete your master’s program in less than two years.
The total tuition fees for the programs will not change even if you complete your degree before the standard
period of completion. Please refer to the following website for more information:
http://r.apu.jp/accelerated

2

Application Eligibility

Applicants must fulfill the following requirements.

Requirement 1: Educational Qualifications

Applicants must fulfill one of the following conditions at the time of application:• Have graduated or be scheduled to graduate from a bachelor’s program with a standard period of completion of atleast 3 years• Have completed or be scheduled to complete a 16-year standard education curriculum outside of Japan• Have completed a 15-year standard education curriculum outside Japan and have academic achievements determined
to be outstanding by the university• Be at least 22 years of age and have been individually screened by the graduate school to have the academic ability ofa university graduate or higher
If you have other educational qualifications, please contact the Office of International Admissions before applying.
4Requirement 2: Language Proficiency

Minimum English Proficiency Requirement
IELTS/IELTS Online

TOEIC® L&R Test

PTE Academic

85

6.5

800

58

Cambridge English
Language Assessment/ Linguaskill

176

Requirement 3: Work Experience (Graduate School of Management Applicants Only)

Applicants must meet one of the following experiential requirements:
1) Possess three years of full-time work experience (including full-time internship experience) by the time of enrollment
to APU, preferably in a field related to the desired area of study or2) Possess equivalent project or organizational experience such as volunteering activities, activities in NGO/NPO, etc.

3

Application Schedule

April 2025 Enrollment

Who Can Apply
Domestic /Internal
Applicants

Overseas
Applicants

AfDB/Rotary Yoneyama
Scholarship
Honjo/Yamaoka Scholarship
General Application 1✓

General Application 2✓✓

General Application 3

September 2025 Enrollment
Application TypeMEXT Scholarship (UR)ADB / AfDB Scholarship 1
Honjo Scholarship 1
Yamaoka Scholarship
General / IMAT Application 2
ADB / AfDB Scholarship 2

IMAT Application 5

General 5 / IMAT Application 6

Who Can Apply
Domestic /Internal
Applicants

Overseas
Applicants✓✓✓

Sep 16, 2024 (Mon)

Nov 13, 2024 (Wed)Oct 18, 2024 (Fri)

Dec 11, 2024 (Wed)2

Dec 4, 2024 (Wed)Feb 5, 2025 (Wed)3

Application Deadline

1

Final Result Notiﬁcation No.*¹

Sep 16, 2024 (Mon)

Nov 13, 2024 (Wed)1

Nov 13, 2024 (Wed)Jan 29, 2025 (Wed)4

Jan 10, 2025 (Fri)

Mar 12, 2025 (Wed)5

May 28, 2025 (Wed)6

Jul 9, 2025 (Wed)

7

✓
✓

✓

✓
✓

✓

✓

✓

Mar 26, 2025 (Wed)✓✓Apr 2, 2025 (Wed)✓May 21, 2025 (Wed)Please refer to pages 9 – 17 for scholarship information.
*¹ This corresponds to the numbers shown in the Deadlines for Enrollment Procedures section on page 28. Please makesure to check these deadlines before applying. Deadlines will not be extended under any circumstances.

Final Results

The final application and scholarship results will be posted on the admissions website on the final result notification
date. Information regarding how to view the final results will be sent to you by email. Please note that inquiries regarding
final results will not be accepted.
Admitted applicants will not be allowed to reapply to the same college for the same enrollment semester (e.g. April 2025
/ September 2025). If an admitted applicant does reapply, a new interview and online assessment will not be performed
and new results will not be given. The application fee will also not be returned.

5

From Acceptance toEnrollment

Honjo Scholarship 2
General / IMAT Application 3
Sylff Scholarship
General / IMAT Application 4✓✓

Final Result Notiﬁcation No.*¹

Application Process

Rotary Yoneyama Scholarship

General / IMAT Application 1✓

Application Deadline

Scholarships

Application Type

Doctoral (Ph.D.)
Program

The application will open on September 2, 2024, and applicants may submit their application at any time before thedeadline for their desired application type. Regardless of the time of submission, applications will not be screened until
after the corresponding application deadline.

Master’s Programs

TOEFL iBT ® Test

Admissions
Guidelines

As English is the language of instruction in all graduate classes at APU, applicants must possess the ability tocomprehend lectures, undertake independent research, and produce well-written reports in English. Please refer topage 20 “Documents Proving English Proficiency” for details regarding English language proficiency certificationand exemption requirements.

Doctoral (Ph.D.) Program1

Number of Students Accepted

Graduate School of Asia Pacific Studies (GSA)
Doctor of Philosophy

Intake Period
April/
September

Asia Pacific Studies

Intake per Standard
Period ofYear
Completion10

3 years

Total
Tuition4,300,000 JPY

Tuition fees vary on the basis of ones awarded Tuition Reduction Scholarship.

Standard Period of Completion

The standard period of completion for the doctoral program in the Graduate School of Asia Pacific Studies isthree years. This standard period allows for in-depth study and research and provides greater freedom to create astructured course plan. However, if you fulfill certain requirements after enrollment, it may be possible to complete
your doctoral program in less than three years.
The total tuition for the program will not change even if you complete your degree before the standard period ofcompletion. Please refer to the following website for more information:
http://r.apu.jp/accelerated

2

Application Eligibility

Applicants must fulfill the following requirements.

Requirement 1: Educational Qualifications

Applicants must fulfill one of the following conditions at the time of application:• Have completed or be scheduled to complete a graduate (master’s) degree• Be at least 24 years of age and have been individually screened by the graduate school to have the academic ability ofa postgraduate level or higher
If you have other educational qualifications, please contact the Office of International Admissions before applying.

Requirement 2: Language Proficiency

As English is the language of instruction in all graduate classes at APU, applicants must possess the ability tocomprehend lectures, undertake independent research, and produce well written reports in English. Please refer topage 20 “Documents Proving English Proficiency” for details regarding English language proficiency certificationand exemption requirements.

Minimum English Language Proficiency Requirement
TOEFL iBT ® Test

IELTS/IELTS Online

TOEIC® L&R Test

PTE Academic

85

6.5

800

58

Cambridge English
Language Assessment/ Linguaskill

176

Requirement 3: Supervisor Confirmation

Applicants must select a doctoral faculty supervisor before submitting their application to APU. In order to apply,
applicants must first contact their desired doctoral faculty supervisor via APU’s online Faculty Supervision Request
Form and receive their agreement to act as the faculty supervisor for the duration of the program. You can find therequest form and a current list of faculty supervisors here:
r.apu.jp/GSArequestform
After receiving the agreement of a faculty supervisor, applicants must then request a signed Supervisor Confirmation
Letter from the desired faculty supervisor. The Supervisor Confirmation Letter must be submitted with the rest of theapplication documents. It can be downloaded from our website:
r.apu.jp/graduatedownloads
Important Notes:
1. Applicants need to attach their research proposal, CV or resume, and master’s thesis when contacting a potential
faculty supervisor via the online Faculty Supervision Request Form.
2. Applicants must submit a completed Supervisor Confirmation Letter before the application deadline in order for theapplication to be considered.
3. Receiving a signed Supervisor Confirmation Letter only guarantees your eligibility to apply and does not mean you
have been admitted to the doctoral program.

6

3

Ph.D. Application Process

4 Application Schedule

April 2025 Enrollment

Who Can Apply
Domestic /Internal
Applicants

Overseas
ApplicantsRotary Yoneyama Scholarship✓

Honjo Scholarship /General Application 1✓✓

General Application 2✓

General Application 3

September 2025 Enrollment

Final Result Notiﬁcation No.*¹

Sep 16, 2024 (Mon)

Nov 13, 2024 (Wed)1✓

Oct 18, 2024 (Fri)

Dec 11, 2024 (Wed)2✓

Dec 4, 2024 (Wed)Feb 5, 2025 (Wed)3

Rotary Yoneyama Scholarship✓

General Application 1✓

MEXT Scholarship (UR)✓

Honjo Scholarship 1
General Application 2
Honjo Scholarship 2
General Application 3
Sylff Scholarship
General Application 4

✓

✓

✓
✓

Application Deadline

Final Result Notiﬁcation No.*¹

Sep 16, 2024 (Mon)

Nov 13, 2024 (Wed)1

Nov 13, 2024 (Wed)Jan 29, 2025 (Wed)4✓

Jan 10, 2025 (Fri)

Mar 12, 2025 (Wed)5✓

Mar 26, 2025 (Wed)May 28, 2025 (Wed)6✓

May 21, 2025 (Wed)Jul 9, 2025 (Wed)7✓

Please refer to pages 9 – 17 for scholarship information.
*1 This corresponds to the numbers shown in the Deadlines for Enrollment Procedures section on page 28. Please makesure to check these deadlines before applying. Deadlines will not be extended under any circumstances.

Final Results

The final application and scholarship results will be posted on the admissions website on the final result notification
date. Information regarding how to view the final results will be sent to you by email. Please note that inquiries regarding
final results will not be accepted.
Admitted applicants will not be allowed to reapply to the same college for the same enrollment semester (e.g. April 2025
/ September 2025). If an admitted applicant does reapply, a new interview and online assessment will not be performed
and new results will not be given. The application fee will also not be returned.

7

From Acceptance toEnrollment

Overseas
ApplicantsApplication Process

Who Can Apply
Domestic /Internal
ApplicantsApplication Type

General Application 5

Application Deadline

Scholarships

Application Type

Doctoral (Ph.D.)
ProgramApplications will open on September 2, 2024. Applicants may submit their application at any time before the deadline
for their desired application type. Regardless of the time of submission, applications will not be screened until after thecorresponding application deadline.

Master’s Programs

1.Review the faculty supervisors listed on the admissions website(https://r.apu.jp/GSArequestform) and find a supervisor whose research fields match your proposed area of research.
2. Fill out and send the Faculty Supervision Request Form (be sure to upload your research proposal, CV/resume, andmaster’s thesis in the form) and request a signed Supervisor Confirmation Letter, which can be downloaded from our
website: https://r.apu.jp/graduatedownloads
3. Receive the Supervisor Confirmation Letter by email.
4. Submit the Online Application (including PDF versions of the required hard copy application documents and theSupervisor Confirmation Letter) and pay the application fee.
5. Submit the online assessment.

Admissions
Guidelines

The process for applying to the doctoral program is as follows:Scholarships
1

APU TUITION REDUCTION SCHOLARSHIPThe APU Tuition Reduction Scholarship covers 30%, 50%, 65%, 80%, or 100% of tuition costs during the standard
period of program completion. All applicants can apply for this scholarship within the APU Online Application Systemupon understanding of the following information.

About the ScholarshipThis scholarship is made available by the financial contributions of domestic and international companies andindividuals, together with the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) that
support the ideals of APU, and its purpose is to help reduce the financial burden for outstanding students. Students
awarded with this scholarship are expected to maintain a good academic record, complete the tasks assigned to them,and serve as role models for their country or region.

Application and Selection Process

The scholarship will be decided based on an overall evaluation of the documents submitted for application. Major areasof the application to be evaluated when awarding scholarships are English language proficiency, previous academic
records, research proposal/study plan, professional experience (especially for the MBA program), and the online
assessment.
Scholarship results will be notified together with the admissions results. The awarded scholarship percentage is final
and will not be reconsidered under any circumstances. We strongly encourage applicants to submit their application to
APU as early as possible, as earlier applications will have a greater chance at receiving the scholarship. Please note that
the APU Tuition Reduction Scholarship will be cancelled if an applicant receives any of the external scholarships thatprovide a full tuition award.

Assessment for Continuation

A review of academic performance and other criteria will be conducted each semester to determine whether recipientsqualify for renewal of the APU Tuition Reduction Scholarship. Provided that the recipients maintain a good academic
record, complete assigned tasks on time, and avoid any misconduct unbefitting of a scholarship recipient, theirscholarship will remain valid until the standard number of credits required to graduate has been reached. In the case of
inappropriate behavior or conduct that tarnishes the reputation of APU, the scholarship will be revoked.

For MBA Applicant

We highly recommend that MBA applicants submit GMAT exam results, as strong emphasis is placed on GMAT results
during the application evaluation process. Note that submitting GMAT results may increase your chances of receiving
tuition reduction scholarship.

Scholarship Award(Tuition Reduction %)Amount of Tuition to be Paid by the Student for the First Year
GSA (Master’s/Doctoral)

GSM

30% Tuition Reduction

910,000 JPY

1,260,000 JPY

50% Tuition Reduction

650,000 JPY

900,000 JPY

65% Tuition Reduction

455,000 JPY

630,000 JPY

80% Tuition Reduction

260,000 JPY

360,000 JPY

100% Tuition Reduction

None

None

Tuition may be subject to change.

82External Scholarships

Scholarships available by APU program
GSA(Doctoral
Program)

Scholarship

GSA(IMAT)

GSM✓

Application Process
Apply to APU

AfDB-JADS✓✓

Apply to APU

FUNED Scholarship✓✓① Apply to APU② Apply to organization
Apply to both APU and scholarshiporganization. The applicant must
check the application schedule andapply to the scholarship organization
independently.

✓

✓

✓

✓

MEXT (Embassy)

✓

✓

✓

MEXT (UR)✓✓✓

Nikkei Leader
Scholarship✓✓

Nikkei Scholarship

✓

✓

✓

Rotary Yoneyama

✓

✓

✓

Sylff Scholarship

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

Yamaoka Scholarship① Apply to organization② Apply to APU
Apply to APU① Apply to APU② Apply to organization① Apply to organization② Apply to APU① Apply to APU② Apply to organization
Apply to APU
Apply to APU

Eligibility
Requirements

1.	Be a national of an ADB borrowing member country and a Japanese Official Development
Assistance scholarship eligible country
2. Not hold dual citizenship of any developed country
3. Not be currently living or working outside of your home country
4.	Have at least two years of full-time professional work experience after obtaining a bachelor’s
degree at the time of application
5.	Have proficiency in oral and written English communication skills to be able to pursue studies.
6.	Be 35 years old or less at the time of application
7. Not already be enrolled in a graduate degree program
8. In principle, not have a bachelor’s or master’s degree obtained outside of your home country
9. Not be pursuing a second master’s degree
10. Hold a bachelor's degree or its equivalent with superior academic record.
11.	Not be an executive director, alternate director, management or staff of ADB, a Staff of ADB–
JSP designated institutions, nor a consultant or relative of the aforementioned
12.	Agree to return and work in his/her home country for at least two (2) years after completion ofstudies under the Program in order to contribute to its development
13. Applicant’s family income should not exceed US$50,000 per year, and individual income should
not be more than US$25,000 per year. Applicant must submit Certificate of Income if selected
as a scholarship candidate.
14. Intend to enroll at APU in September 2025
Notes:• Please refer to the Asian Development Bank website for the country list and further information:
adb.org/work-with-us/careers/japan-scholarship-program
adb.org/site/careers/japan-scholarship-program/frequently-asked-questions

From Acceptance toEnrollment

About theScholarship

The ADB-JSP Scholarship aims to provide an opportunity for well-qualified citizens of the
Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) developing member countries to pursue graduate studies indevelopment-related fields of the Asia Pacific region. APU was selected as a designated institution
by ADB in 2010 and will provide this scholarship each year to a few eligible GSA applicants(excluding IMAT program applicants).
To be considered for this scholarship, applicants must first apply to APU. APU will then selecteligible candidates to recommend to the scholarship organization.

Application Process

Asian Development Bank – Japan Scholarship Program (ADB-JSP)

Scholarships• ADB-JSP: Asian Development Bank - Japan Scholarship Program• AfDB-JADS: African Development Bank - Japan Africa Dream Scholarship• FUNED Scholarship: FUNDACION MEXICANA PARA LA EDUCACION, LA TECNOLOGIA y LA CIENCIA, A.C.
• Honjo Scholarship: Scholarship for Foreign Students Studying in Japanese Graduate School• MEXT (Embassy): Japanese Government (MEXT) Embassy Recommendation Scholarship• MEXT (UR): Japanese Government (MEXT) University Recommendation Scholarship• Nikkei Leader Scholarship: Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Scholarship for Nikkei Communities in Latin America and the Caribbean:
Program for Developing Leaders in Nikkei Communities• Nikkei Scholarship: The Nippon Foundation Nikkei Scholarship “Dream Come True Project”• Rotary Yoneyama: Rotary Yoneyama Scholarship for Overseas Candidate• Sylff Scholarship: The Ryoichi Sasakawa Young Leaders Fellowship Fund• Yamaoka Scholarship: Yamaoka Scholarship Foundation - Scholarship for International Students

9Doctoral (Ph.D.)
ProgramHonjo Scholarship

Master’s Programs

ADB-JSP

GSA(Master’s)

Admissions
Guidelines

APU students are eligible to receive a number of scholarships through organizations outside of APU. Each scholarshiphas diﬀerent eligibility requirements and application procedures, so please be sure to review the information on eachscholarship organization’s website before applying.

Award• Full admission fee• Full tuition• 144,000 JPY/month for living expenses (amount subject to change)• Study material and research allowance• Medical insurance• Economy class air travel between the home country and APU at the beginning and end of the
program

Notes:• The initial scholarship period is one year. Extension for the second year will be considered basedon the student’s academic performance at APU.
1. R
 equest to be considered for this scholarship within the APU online application and submit theapplication by November 13, 2024 or January 10, 2025 (for September 2025 enrollment)
Along with their application, applicants must upload the following document(s):•C ertificate of Employment issued by the company. If the duration of the current employment isless than two years, also submit a Certificate of Employment from the previous company.
The certificate(s) must state the start and end date of the employment, and the monthly/annual
income. Alternatively, the latest Income Tax Return may be submitted to certificate applicant’s
annual/monthly salary.

Applicationand Selection
Process

Notes:• If the income shown in a local currency, convert and submit an additional USD form (available atadmissions.apu.ac.jp/resource/load/documents_2021/Grad_USD_Conv_form.docx)• Computer-generated proof of income without an authorized signature is not acceptable• Documents issued by the company must include the company letterhead/logo and an authorized
signature.
2. APU reviews application documents and selects suitable candidates to recommend to
the ADB-JSP. Selected candidates must prepare additional documents stipulated by thescholarship organization.
3. Applicants selected to be recommended for this scholarship are notified with their final APU
application results.
4. The final scholarship award results are decided by ADB-JSP.

URL

adb.org/site/careers/japan-scholarship-program/main

African Development Bank-Japan Africa Dream Scholarship (AfDB-JADS)
About theScholarshipThis scholarship is open to applicants from African Development Bank member countries with
relevant professional experience and a history of supporting their countries’ development efforts
who are applying to a graduate degree program in energy development and related disciplines.

To be considered for this scholarship, applicants must first apply to APU. APU will then select eligible
candidates to recommend to the scholarship organization.

Eligibility
Requirements

1. Be a national of an AfDB member country
2. Be 35 years old or less
3. S hould have a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree or its equivalent in energy, agriculture, health,environmental sustainability, engineering studies or related areas; and have excellent academic
records and relevant professional experience, and a history of supporting their countries’
development efforts.
4. S hould have at least 1 year of paid employment in their home country or in other Africancountries after receiving their Bachelors (or equivalent university) degree within the past 3 years.
5. Not be living or working outside of your home country
6. Not already be enrolled in a graduate degree program
7. N
 ot be an Executive Director, his/her alternate, and/or staff of all types of appointments of theAfrican Development Bank Group or a close relative of the aforementioned by blood or adoption
with the term "close relative" defined as: Mother, Father, Sister, Half-sister, Brother, Half-brother,Son, Daughter, Aunt, Uncle, Niece, or Nephew
8. A gree to return to your home country to contribute to its economic and social development after
completion of studies under the programAward• Full tuition• 140,000 JPY per month for living expenses (amount subject to change)• Economy class air travel between the home country and APU at the beginning and end of the program

Applicationand Selection
Process

1. R equest to be considered for this scholarship within the APU online application and submit
the application by September 16, 2024 (for April 2025 enrollment) or November 13, 2024 orJanuary 10, 2025 (for September 2025 enrollment).
2. A
 PU reviews application documents and selects suitable candidates to recommend to the
AfDB-JADS.
3. A
 pplicants selected to be recommended for this scholarship are notified with their final APU
application results.
4. The final scholarship award results are decided by AfDB-JADS.

URL

afdb.org/en/about-us/careers/japan-africa-dream-scholarship-jads-program10

Scholarship for Foreign Students Studying in Japanese Graduate School (Honjo Scholarship)
This scholarship is open to international students who study or plan to study in a Japanese graduate
school for doctoral or master’s degree. Applications can be submitted from abroad as long as theapplicant is accepted into a Japanese graduate school. All nationalities and research fields arewelcome. Applicants may directly apply to the foundation without pre-selection by the university.
The scholarship is available for all accepted applicants (both admitted and enrolled).

5. The student must have a strong will to serve in their home country as a future career plan.

6. Must have a deep understanding of international friendship and goodwill and attend the events
organized by the Foundation and take part in the network as an alumni member.
For details, please review the application guidelines by the scholarship organization.

Applicationand Selection
Process

Application for April 2025 enrollment:
1. Submit your application to APU by September 16, 2024
2. Apply independently to the scholarship organization during the application period (around
September - October 2025). The applicant may submit their application even before the resultsfrom APU are announced.
Application for September 2025 enrollment:
1. Submit your application to APU by November 13, 2024 or January 10, 2025
2. Apply independently to the scholarship organization during the application period (around
April 2025). The applicant may submit their application even before the results from APU are
announced.
hisf.or.jp/en/scholarship/foreigner/

MEXT Scholarship (Embassy Recommendation)

Award

1. Intend to study abroad in Japan from overseas
2. Not have Japanese nationality and be a national of a country that has diplomatic relations withJapan
3. Be born on or after April 2, 1990
4. Must be willing to learn Japanese, be interested in Japan, and be willing to deepen yourunderstanding of Japan after arriving in Japan
5. MBA applicants only: Possess three years of full-time work experience (including full-time
internship) by the time of enrollment to APU, preferably in a field related to the desired area ofstudy or possess equivalent project or organizational experience

Notes:• Those who are serving on active military duty or civilians employed by the military at the time of
application are not eligible for this scholarship.
• Recipients must be able to arrive in Japan during the arrival period stipulated by APU.
• Those who apply for this scholarship cannot have received a MEXT scholarship in the past unlessthey have more than 3 years of educational research experience after the final payment of theprevious MEXT scholarship award.
• Recipients of this scholarship cannot receive a scholarship from another scholarship organization
while studying at APU.
• Recipients of this scholarship must have “student” as their status of residence (visa status) inJapan.
• Full application fee• Full admission fee• Full tuition• 144,000 JPY per month for living expenses (amount subject to change)• Economy class air travel between the home country and APU at the beginning and end of the
program11

From Acceptance toEnrollment

Eligibility
Requirements

To be considered for this scholarship, applicants must first apply through the Japanese embassy.
After receiving the primary screening results from the embassy, applicants will then submit certain
documents to APU. Most embassies accept applications around April each year, but please contact
the embassy in your home country to confirm their application procedures.

Application Process

About theScholarshipThis scholarship is provided by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science andTechnology (MEXT) through the recommendation of the Japanese embassy in the applicant’s homecountry.

Scholarships

URL

210,000 JPY per month for 1 - 2 years
190,000 JPY per month for 3 years

Doctoral (Ph.D.)
ProgramAward

The scholarship will be provided every month throughout the minimum period required to acquire thedegree. The amount of scholarship depends based on the duration of the studies (amounts subject
to change):

Master’s Programs

Eligibility
Requirements

1. Not have Japanese citizenship2. Must be currently an admitted applicant or in the process of applying to APU (both master’s anddoctoral degree)
3. Conversational Japanese language proficiency. Interviews will be conducted in Japanese (Noexception)
4. Master's applicants must start the master's program by the age of 30. / Doctoral applicants must
start the doctoral program by the age of 35.

Admissions
Guidelines

About theScholarship

Applicationand Selection
ProcessURL

1. Contact the embassy for further information
2. Submit application documents to the embassy around April or May.
3. Receive the primary screening results from the embassy
4. S
 ubmit the APU Graduate External Scholarship Application(available at admissions.apu.ac.jp/graduate/how_to_apply/external_scholarship/embassy).
Within the application, submit the following documents:• Copies of all documents submitted to the embassy• Copy of the embassy’s screening result• Personal Statement (please follow the directions within the application)• (MBA applicants only) Certificate of Employment
5. Receive the “Letter of Acceptance” from APU
6. Submit the “Letter of Acceptance” to the embassy
7. Receive the final decision from the Embassy
mext.go.jp/a_menu/koutou/ryugaku/boshu/1415352.htm

MEXT University Recommendation (UR)

About theScholarshipThis scholarship is awarded to outstanding international students who are recommended by APU.
The Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) provides thisscholarship with the aim of enhancing the international competitiveness and promoting the active
exchange of international students in Japanese universities.
To be considered for this scholarship, applicants must first apply to APU. APU will then selecteligible candidates to recommend to the scholarship organization.
1. Intend to study abroad in Japan from overseas
2. B
 e a national of a MEXT designated country
3. Be born on or after April 2, 1990
4. Have achieved a GPA of at least 2.30 on a 3.00 scale at their most recent university

Eligibility
Requirements

Award

Applicationand Selection
Process

Notes:• Please refer to the website for the country list and further information:
admissions.apu.ac.jp/graduate/how_to_apply/external_scholarship/u_recommendation• Those who are serving on active military duty or civilians employed by the military at the time of
application are not eligible for this scholarship.
• Recipients must be able to arrive in Japan during the arrival period stipulated by APU.
• Those who apply for this scholarship cannot have received a MEXT scholarship in the past unlessthey have more than 3 years of educational research experience after the final payment of theprevious MEXT scholarship award.
• Those who apply for this scholarship cannot be applying for another MEXT scholarship.
• Recipients of this scholarship cannot receive a scholarship from another scholarship organization
while studying at APU.
• Recipients of this scholarship must have “student” as their status of residence (visa status) inJapan.
• Period of Validity for the English Proficiency Test Score:
Only scores of examinations taken on or after March 22, 2023 will be accepted.
• Full admission fee• 100% of tuition (covered by the APU Tuition Reduction Scholarship)• 144,000 JPY per month for living expenses (amount subject to change)• Economy class air travel between the home country and APU at the beginning and end of the
program
1. S
 ubmit the APU application by November 13, 2024 (for September 2025 enrollment).
Additional documents are not required to be considered for this scholarship.
2. APU reviews application documents and selects outstanding candidates to recommend to MEXT.
3. A
 pplicants selected to be recommended for this scholarship are notified with their final APU
application results.
4. Selected applicants complete and submit additional MEXT application documents to APU.
5. The final scholarship award results are decided by MEXT.

12

Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Scholarship for Nikkei Communities in Latin America
and the Caribbean: Program for Developing Leaders in Nikkei Communities (Nikkei Leader Scholarship)

To be considered for this scholarship, applicants must first apply to APU. After being accepted to
APU, applicants must then apply to the scholarship organization directly.

Eligibility
Requirements

The Nippon Foundation Nikkei Scholarship "Dream Come True Project" (Nikkei Scholarship)

About theScholarshipThis scholarship project aims to provide opportunities to study in Japan for young Japanesedescendants having definite plans and dreams of promoting understanding between their countryof residence and Japan as well as contributing to the development of their country of residence
and local communities.
To be considered for this scholarship, applicants must first be recommended by an overseas
Japanese descendant organization and apply to the Nikkei Scholarship directly. Applicants mustthen apply to APU afterwards.

13

From Acceptance toEnrollment

jadesas.or.jp/jp/kenshu2

Application Process

URL

1. If you plan to apply for this scholarship, please contact APU by email (apugrad@apu.ac.jp) by
the end of August 2024. APU will inform you individually regarding how to receive the informal
written consent from your graduate program supervisor.
2. Receive the acceptance letter from APU
3. S
 ubmit the Nikkei Leadership Scholarship application before the stipulated application deadline(Please refer to the scholarship program website for details regarding the required application
documents and deadlines. For reference, last year’s deadline was September 25.)
4. Attend an interview at a JICA overseas office or at its headquarters in mid-October 2024
5. The JICA headquarters will make the final scholarship decisions in late October 2024.
6. T he final scholarship award results are announced by the JICA headquarters via its overseas
offices in November 2024.

Scholarships

Applicationand Selection
Process• Full admission fee• Full tuition• Approximately 5,000 JPY per day for living expenses (amount subject to change)• 100,000 JPY for purchasing daily necessities upon arrival in Japan• 164,000-224,000 JPY moving (housing) allowance• 6,000 JPY document shipping allowance• Economy class air travel between the home country and APU at the beginning and end of the
program

Doctoral (Ph.D.)
ProgramAward

Notes:• Those who are serving on active military duty or civilians employed by the military at the time of
application are not eligible for this scholarship.
• Those who are currently employed must resign or take a leave of absence from work prior toenrolling at APU.
• Those who are scheduled to receive a scholarship or financial aid from another organization while
studying at APU are not eligible to apply for this scholarship.
• Those who plan to engage in employment while studying at APU are not eligible to apply for thisscholarship.
• Recipients must have “student” as their status of residence (visa status) while studying in Japanand are not allowed to engage in work activities other than those permitted by the Ministry ofJustice of Japan.

Master’s Programs

1. Be a Japanese emigrant and descendant (in principle, up to third generation Nikkei)
2. B e a national of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Mexico,
Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, or Venezuela
3. Be 40 years old or less as of April 1, 2025 (born after April 2, 1985)
4. Have Japanese language ability sufficient for daily life in Japan
5. Intend to enroll at APU in April or September 2025

Admissions
Guidelines

About theScholarship

The aim of this scholarship program is to assist Japanese emigrants in their resettlement
efforts and to help them establish their lives overseas by nurturing future leaders among Nikkei
communities.

Eligibility
Requirements

Award

Applicationand Selection
Process

1. B
 e a Japanese descendant (regardless of nationality, educational background or previous visits
to Japan)
2. B e a national of a Central or South American country (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia,
the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, etc.)
3. Be between 18 to 35 years old
4. Be recommended by an overseas Japanese descendant organization
5. H ave a dream of acquiring technical knowledge and, after returning home, playing an active rolein your country of residence and local community
6. H ave a dream of working as a bridge between your country of residence and Japan by making
the most of your overseas study experience
7. Be willing to participate in international student volunteer activities and social action programs
8. Intend to enroll at APU in April or September 2025
• Full admission fee• Full tuition• 130,000 JPY per month for living expenses (amount subject to change)• Up to 50,000 JPY per month for housing expenses• Up to 200,000 JPY for key money• Expenses for group workshops and participation fees for academic conferences• Additional living expenses (student commuter pass, medical insurance premiums, etc.)• Economy class air travel between the home country and APU at the beginning and end of the
program
1. S
 ubmit the Nikkei Scholarship application by the middle of July 2024 (please refer to thescholarship program website for details regarding the required application documents anddeadlines).
2. If you submitted an application for this scholarship, contact APU by email (apugrad@apu.
ac.jp) by the end of August 2024. APU will inform you regarding the application process andthe schedule for up until you receive the Letter of Enrollment Approval (Certificate of Expected
Enrollment).
3. Pass the document screening in early August
4. Attend an interview with the Nikkei Scholarship in September/October 2024
5. The final scholarship award results are announced by the Nikkei Scholarship in late October
Please be sure to check the website below to see if there are any additional changes from last year.

URL

jadesas.or.jp/en/scholarship

Rotary Yoneyama Scholarship for Overseas Candidate (Rotary Yoneyama Scholarship)
About theScholarship

Eligibility
Requirements

Rotary Yoneyama Scholarship for Overseas Candidate is for international students located outside
Japan that are scheduled to enroll in APU’s Graduate School. Both master’s and doctoral programapplicants are welcome to apply.
The applicant must apply to both APU and the scholarship organization independently. Review theapplication and selection process thoroughly for both APU and the scholarship organization.
1. Must not hold Japanese nationality (dual nationality holders included)
2. Must obtain a student visa to enter Japan for the purpose of study
3. Residing outside Japan until the start of the program
4. H
 ave not resided in Japan for longer than 31 days in total. If the stay exceeded 31 days, it wasdue to a family situation (only applicable if applicant had not completed compulsory education at
the time), or the applicant was residing in Japan under the Rotary Youth Exchange high school
program.
5. Japanese language proficiency at least equivalent to JLPT N4 or above
6. Born after April 2, 1980
7. Have not previously been a Rotary Yoneyama Scholar
For details regarding eligibility requirements and other obligations, please review the application
guidelines on the scholarship organization website.

Award• Master’s students: 140,000 JPY per month for two years• Doctoral students: 140,000 JPY per month for two years• Economy air travel and other travel related expenses reimbursed up to 250,000 JPY after arrivalin Japan

14

Application for both April and September 2025 enrollment:

URL

rotary-yoneyama.or.jp/english/overseas/

The Ryoichi Sasakawa Young Leaders Fellowship Fund (Sylff)

Applicationand Selection
Process

Available for September 2025 enrollment only.
1. R equest to be considered as a Sylff scholarship candidate in the APU Online Application Systemand submit the application to APU by March 26, 2025.
2. APU reviews application documents and selects suitable candidates.
3. Finals results will be announced by APU in June.
Visit APU Student Office for the latest information
https://r.apu.jp/sylff

Yamaoka Scholarship

About theScholarship

Yamaoka Scholarship Foundation was founded by Yanmar Co., Ltd, a major Japanese agriculturaland construction equipment manufacturer, with a mission to support cultivating the necessary skills
to contribute to the world peace and the development of society and culture. By providing equal
opportunities to receive higher education, the foundation strives towards the realization of a society
where people can work and live with peace of mind.
To be considered for this scholarship, applicants must first apply to APU. APU will then selecteligible candidates to recommend to the scholarship organization.

15

From Acceptance toEnrollment

URL

125,000 JPY/month for 12 months (subject to change)

Application Process

Award

Scholarships

Eligibility
Requirements

1. Intend to take a cross-disciplinary approach to tackle global issues and overcome differences ofnationality, language, religion and political systems.
2. Intend to propose research content that is consistent with the basic theme of "Issues andOpportunities Facing the Asia-Pacific Region: Rapid Transformation amid Accelerating
Globalization".
3. Intend to conduct research that is for the benefit of the general public and contributes to social
development, freedom, peace, humanity and international mutual understanding.
4. W
 illing to take initiative towards my chosen issue or problem, and have the determination andpotential to take a leading role on the domestic and/or international stage.
5. If receiving a scholarship from another scholarship organization, the monthly amount must be
less than 48,000 Japanese yen.
6. Have not been subject to any disciplinary action in the past.

Doctoral (Ph.D.)
Program

About theScholarship

Ryoichi Sasakawa Young Leaders Fellowship Fund (Sylff) has been established at Ritsumeikan
Asia Pacific University thanks to the kindness of The Tokyo Foundations for Policy Research’s The
Ryoichi Sasakawa Young Leaders Fellowship Fund (Sylff). The scholarship aims to cultivate future
leaders who will be active both domestically and internationally.
Every year, one student from each graduate school will be nominated for the scholarship.

Master’s Programs*If you have received a conditional selection from the Rotary Yoneyama scholarship organization
but missed the application deadline to APU, please contact us.

Admissions
Guidelines

Applicationand Selection
Process

1. R equest to be considered as a Rotary Yoneyama scholarship candidate in the APU Online
Application System and submit the application to APU by September 16, 2024.*
2. A
 pply directly to the scholarship organization around October 2024. Notify the scholarshiporganization that the Letter of Recommendation from the desired university will be issued after
the application deadline.
3. A
 PU provides a Letter of Recommendation for the selected scholarship candidates after theadmissions results notification. The results from APU will be announced on November 13, 2024.
4. Submit the Letter of Recommendation to the scholarship organization.

Eligibility
Requirements

Award

Applicationand Selection
Process

URL

3

1. E
 ligible countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, East Timor, Georgia,
India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal,
Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Viet Nam, Uzbekistan
2. Excellent personal and academic qualities, and in good health
3. In need of economic assistance: annual household income less than five million Japanese yen.
(The household income will be checked by the university.)
4. In principle under 35 years old
5. If receiving a scholarship from another scholarship organization, the monthly amount must be
less than 50,000 Japanese yen.
6. Scholar must attend scholarship foundation activities.
Monthly stipend of 100,000 Japanese Yen (duration: two years)
Application for both April and September 2025 enrollment:
1. R equest to be considered for this scholarship within the APU online application and submit theapplication by September 16, 2024 (for April 2025 enrollment) or November 13, 2024 (forSeptember 2025 enrollment).
2. A
 PU reviews application documents and selects suitable candidates to recommend to the
Yamaoka Scholarship Foundation. Selected candidates must prepare additional documents tobe submitted to the scholarship organization:• Application Form
• Essay “My reasons for studying in Japan and future plans”. Length: 2000 words in English (A4paper)• Letter of Intent to APU
3. S
 elected candidates will be requested to attend an interview (candidates residing in Japan may
be requested to attend the interview in person)
4. Finals results decided by the scholarship organization are announced by mid-June.
www.yanmar.com/jp/about/company/fund

Additional External Scholarships

APU also accepts graduate students on scholarship programs from other organizations. Please refer to their respective
websites for details regarding eligibility requirements and application procedures.
FUNED Scholarship (for Mexican nationals)
funedmx.org

4 External scholarships available after enrolling at APU
Reservation Program for the Monbukagakusho Honors Scholarship for Privately-Financed
International Students by Pre-arrival Admission (JASSO Scholarship)
About theScholarship

Eligibility
Requirements

This scholarship is awarded to privately financed international students with excellent academic
and character records who have received pre-arrival admission to APU’s Graduate School and arefacing financial difficulties.
APU will apply for this scholarship on behalf of international students once they are accepted to
APU. Successful recipients of this scholarship will be notified after enrollment.
1. D oes not have a Japanese nationality
2. Must obtain a student visa to study in Japan before enrolling at APU.
3. Intend to study in Japan from overseas, and currently do not have long-term residence in Japan.
4. Privately financed student
5. T he average monthly remittance is 90,000 JPY or less (excluding expenses for admission fees
and tuition, etc.).
6. (Applicable only if the dependent will reside in Japan) The annual income of the dependent mustbe less than five million yen.
48,000 JPY per month for living expenses (amount subject to change)

Award

URL

Note: The scholarship award period depends on the time of enrollment:• April 2025 enrollment: 12 months• September 2025 enrollment: 6 months• Students must reside in Japan during their studies to receive the monthly allowance.
jasso.go.jp/en/study_ j /scholarships/shoureihi/index.html
List of countries:
r.apu.jp/JASSO

16

The Monbukagakusho Honors Scholarship for Privately-Financed International Students who
participated the Study in Japan Global Network Project (JASSO Study in Japan Scholarship)

Those wishing to apply for this scholarship must state their event attendance in the APU Online
Application. APU will apply for this scholarship on behalf of international students once they are
accepted to APU. Successful recipients of this scholarship will be notified after enrollment.

48,000 JPY per month for living expenses (amount subject to change)Award

Details about the Study in Japan Global Network Project and List of country:
r.apu.jp/JASSOB

Scholarships

URL

Notes:The scholarship award period depends on the time of enrollment:• April 2025 enrollment: 12 months• September 2025 enrollment: 6 months• Students must reside in Japan during their studies to receive the monthly allowance• Enrolled students are also eligible to apply for this scholarship

Doctoral (Ph.D.)
Program

1. M
 ust have participated in any activities listed below organized by the Study in Japan Global
Network Project prior to finishing application to APU• Consultation with overseas study coordinators and network organizations• Participated in educations fairs (physical or online) organized by Study in Japan Global Network
Project• Visited overseas network organization offices
2. Must obtain a student visa to study in Japan before enrolling at APU.
3. M
 ust hold a nationality of a country or region designated by the Ministry of Education, Culture,
Sports, Science and Technology, and does not have Japanese nationality
4. Must obtain a student visa to study in Japan before enrolling at APU
5. Privately financed student
6. T he average monthly remittance is 90,000 JPY or less (excluding expenses for admission fees
and tuition, etc.)
7. (Applicable only if the dependent will reside in Japan) The annual income of the dependent mustbe less than five million yen

Master’s Programs

Eligibility
Requirements

Admissions
Guidelines

About theScholarshipThis scholarship is awarded to privately financed international students with excellent academic
and character records who have received pre-arrival admission to APU’s Graduate School andare facing financial difficulties. In addition, the student must have attended an event organized byStudy in Japan Global Network Project prior to applying to APU.

Other Scholarships Available After Enrollment

Scholarships available to international students for studying in Japan are also listed on the following website.

Notes for All External Scholarships
1. Due to the time required to create a bank account and arrival procedures, students will not receive thefirst installment of living expenses until at least one month after arriving in Japan. Scholarship recipientsare therefore advised to bring at least 100,000 JPY along with them to Japan to cover initial expenses.
2. If the applicant cannot arrive in Japan during the set arrival period, travel expenses to Japan will not be
paid to applicants expected to receive them. Furthermore, if the arrival is delayed for a considerable
period of time, the scholarship may be revoked.
3. Those who have or will receive scholarships from other institutions, including their own government, will
not be selected for these scholarships.
4. Any false statements made in the application documents could be grounds for revoking a grantee’sscholarship at a later date.
5. The 2025 application guidelines for these scholarships have not yet been announced, so there may
be changes to the eligibility requirements and/or scholarship awards. In addition, detailed rules
and conditions that applicants must comply with to receive the scholarship are available on eachorganization’s website. Please be sure to confirm the regulations before applying.
6. If you would like to apply for both the Nikkei Leader Scholarship and the Nikkei Scholarship, please
consult with both scholarship organizations before applying to APU.
17

From Acceptance toEnrollment

Independent Administrative Institution Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO)
www.jasso.go.jp/en/study_j/scholarships/index.html

Application Process

Other external scholarships may also be available to students after beginning their studies at APU. If eligible, students
can apply for these scholarships through APU’s Student Office on campus. Further information about scholarships
available after enrollment can be found on our official website (r.apu.jp/studentofficescholarships)
Please note that some of the scholarships listed on the website are only available for undergraduate students and thatscholarship details may be provided only in Japanese.

Application Process
1

Online Application

1. Visit APU’s admissions website and begin your online application(r.apu.jp/apply).
2. Upload a digital copy of all required application documents within the online application.
3. Pay the application fee and submit your online application.
4. Submit your online assessment by 23:59 (Japan time) on the day of the application deadline.

IMPORTANT Notes for the Online Application
1. Applicants must complete the application and prepare the related documents by themselves. All the information
within the application and documents must be submitted in English.
2. Within the online application, please upload digital copies of the original versions of the required documents
listed on pages 18 – 22. For documents not written in English, please also upload an official translation that
includes the translator’s name, address, contact details, and signature or official seal. APU will only accept
translations created by the original document’s issuing institution, a translation company, or a licensed translator.
3. Your application may be rejected if it or any accompanying documents contain forgery, false information, and/or plagiarism, or you were found to be cheating in the application process. Additionally, your admission to APU
will be revoked even if evidence of such acts is found after your acceptance or enrollment. You may also be
prevented from reapplying to APU in the future. Further information about our forgery policy can be found on theadmissions website (https://admissions.apu.ac.jp/graduate/how_to_apply/forgery_policy).
4. If applicants had enrolled at APU previously, APU will also use the maintained information of those applicantsfor the screening process. The information of applicants that will be used are about the overall student life,
specifically the transcripts at the time being enrolled, information about rewards and punishments while enrolled
and whether applicants had obeyed properly to the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act while
enrolled, etc.
5. After being accepted to APU, enrolling students must submit certified copies of uploaded application
documents to APU by post. Make sure to hold on to any documents you submit during the application
process. Your acceptance to APU will be revoked if your documents submitted after acceptance differ fromthose uploaded with your online application, or if you are not able to submit the necessary documents.
*A certified document is one that has been marked as being equivalent to the original with a stamp or seal by theissuing institution (preferred) or a notary public. Detailed information about how to get a document certified can befound on the admissions website (https://r.apu.jp/graduatedownloads ).

Required Documents to be Uploaded by All Applicants
1) Applicant Information

Please enter all the required information within the online application. Personal
information should be entered as shown on your passport.
Notes on sex as shown on your passport:*In order for the university to operate in accordance with Japanese laws andregulations, applicants must input their sex as registered on legal documents.
Information regarding sex will be used for university registration but will notaffect the results of the admission screening or selection process in any way. For
information about APU's response to sexual and gender diversity, refer to page 34
for APU's Policy Statement on Sexual and Gender Diversity.
As the university application system only provides two options (male or female) at
this time, choose one of the two as shown on or will be shown on your passport. If
your passport indicates a third option or if you would like to share more about yourgender identity, contact the Office of International Admissions at apugrad@apu.
ac.jp.

18

2) Personal Statement

Rather than answering the following questions individually, please write one
continuous essay. Your statement should include responses to the following:

Additional question for MBA applicants only:
5. Describe your past work experience in detail, if any, and your future careerplans.
Additional questions for IMAT applicants only:
6. How did you find out about the IMAT program?
7. Why are you interested in studying Material Flow Management?
Research Proposal “Graduate School of Asia Pacific Studies”:
Please submit a research proposal of approximately 1,500 words (doctoral
applicants:approximately 3,000 words) of typed/printed text addressing thefollowing points. Rather than answering each point individually, please write one
continuous proposal.

Study Plan “Graduate School of Management (MBA)”:
Please provide an outline of your study plans in the MBA program. The plan should
be approximately two A4 pages of typed/printed text.

Scholarships

1. A brief literature review of sources related to your proposed research topic.
2. Specific research questions and objectives of your research, and how they relate
to your intended program at APU.
3. The research methodology you intend to use to complete your research.
4. Potential significance of your proposed research.

Doctoral (Ph.D.)
Program3) Research Proposal/Study
Plan

Master’s Programs

1. What attracted you to this program?
2. How will your present academic achievements and professional experience help
you succeed in this program?
3. What are your future goals and career objectives?
4. How will an advanced degree in your chosen area of study help you achievethese goals and objectives?

Admissions
Guidelines

Please write a statement according to the instructions below explaining the reason
you would like to enroll in Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University's Graduate School.
The length of the personal statement must be at least one A4 page, but no longer
than two pages of typed text.

Rather than answering each point individually, please write one continuous plan.
Your study plan should address the following:

All applicants must submit proof of graduation from every university attended. If
you are currently attending a university for a bachelor’s or master’s program, youmust submit proof that the program will be completed prior to your intended dateof enrollment at APU. High school graduation certificates are not required.

The date of enrollment is April 1 for spring enrollment and September 21 for
fall enrollment.
5) Academic Transcripts

All applicants must submit a transcript of grades for all university study to datealong with information about the grading system.
If you have attended a language school or higher education institution in Japanfor any length of time, please also submit academic transcripts and attendance
reports covering your entire period of study.

19

From Acceptance toEnrollment4) University Graduation
Certificate(s)/Certificate of
Scheduled Graduation

Application Process

1. Start with an outline of your work experience. Please describe your work history,
including company name and industry, work area, responsibility, and what you
learned. Tell us experiences that you managed well, as well as experiences thatyou found challenging and in which you expect an MBA program to be helpful
for your further development. (approx. 500 words)
2. Relate your planned university study to your career to date, current businessor work-related activities, and your future career path. What benefit would yourstudies in Japan have for your intended career? (approx. 500 words)
3. Describe a research topic or a business plan you would like to pursue as
your MBA research project. Possible research topics include managerial
problems, economic issues, and statistical inquiries. Possible business plansinclude business startups and expansion plans for existing companies andorganizations. (approx. 500 words)6) Documents Proving
English Proficiency
Required for all applicants
who do not meet theexemption requirements

Please upload a digital copy of the original results from one of the accepted
English language proficiency exams using the method specified below.
Score Validity Period
・April 2025 Enrollment: Only scores of examinations taken on or after June 1,
2022 will be accepted.
・September 2025 Enrollment: Only scores of examinations taken on or after
September 1, 2022 will be accepted.
・The score validity period requirement for English test scores is different for
MEXT UR Scholarship. Please refer to page 12 for details.
Additional Notes for Submitting Results
・TOEFL® iBT Test
Upload a digital copy of the score report within the online application. MyBest
scores are accepted.
・IELTS/IELTS Online
Upload a digital copy of the Test Report Form within the online application.
IELTS One Skill Retake results are accepted.
・TOEIC® L&R Test:
Upload a digital copy of the original score report within the online application.
・PTE Academic:
Upload a digital copy of the score report within the online application.
・Cambridge English Language Assessment / Linguaskill:① Input the ID Number and Secret Number within the online application.
② Upload a digital copy of the result statement within the online application.
TOEFL® ITP Test, IELTS (General Training Module), TOEIC® L&R Test (IP), and
PTE General, TOEFL® iBT Home Edition are not accepted.
Exemption Requirements
The following applicants are exempt from having to provide documents proving
English proﬁciency:

Master’s applicants• Applicants who have graduated or are scheduled to graduate from a bachelor’s
or master’s degree program in Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas,
Barbados, Belize, Canada (excluding Quebec), Dominica, Fiji, Grenada,
Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, St Kitts and Nevis,
Singapore, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago,
UK, or USA.
• Applicants who can certify that they have graduated or are scheduled tograduate from a bachelor’s or master’s degree program offered in English in acountry other than those listed above.

Doctoral applicants• Applicants who have graduated or are scheduled to graduate from a master's
degree program in Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados,
Belize, Canada (excluding Quebec), Dominica, Fiji, Grenada, Guyana, Ireland,
Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, St Kitts and Nevis, Singapore, St
Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, UK, or USA.
•A
 pplicants who can certify that they have graduated or are scheduled tograduate from a master’s degree program offered entirely in English in a country
other than those listed above.
•A pplicants who can submit a master’s thesis or a draft of a master’s thesis
written in English. (Research report is not acceptable.)
Clear documented proof must be included with the application. Proof may bein the form of an oﬃcial letter from the institution or any other oﬃcial document
such as a transcript indicating the language of instruction.
Applicants who do not meet the above requirements will not be considered.
No exceptions will be made.

20

When you input the necessary information about your recommender into
the related sections in the APU Online Application System, the Letter ofRecommendation form will be automatically sent to your recommender by
email. Make sure to confirm with your recommender that it has been delivered
successfully. The recommender may use an online form provided by APU or uploada PDF in the form of their choosing for the letter of recommendation. You will not
be able to see the submitted form, but you will be able to check the submission
status of the form within the APU Online Application System.

Please note that APU will only be able to accept letters of recommendation written
in English.

Please upload a photograph of yourself taken within the past three months,
showing a front view above chest level with a plain background. Caps and hats are
not allowed. Photographs may be in color or black and white.

10) Curriculum Vitae

A summary of the applicant’s employment history, qualifications, education,and personal information on at most two A4 pages. This is required for 1) the
Graduate School of Management (MBA) program and 2) IMAT program.

11) Sample Work or List of
Research Achievements

Applicants must submit either examples or a list of previous papers written and/or presentations made which are relevant to their proposed field of study. If thesample work is in a language other than English, please submit an English abstract.
This is required for 1) Graduate School of Asia Pacific Studies (Doctoral) programand 2) IMAT program.

12)Master’s thesis

Ph.D. applicants should also submit a copy of their master’s thesis. If the sample
work is in a language other than English, please submit an English abstract.

13) Supervisor Confirmation
LetterDoctoral program applicants must submit a signed Supervisor Confirmation Letterwith their application. Please see page 6 for more details.
The Supervisor Confirmation Letter may be downloaded from our website:
r.apu.jp/graduatedownloads

This is required only for Graduate School of Asia Pacific Studies (Doctoral)
program.
14) Certificate of
Employment

Full-time Internship or Volunteer Experience
If you wish to have full-time internship or volunteer experience included as
equivalent to full-time work experience, you must also upload documentation thatclearly proves this. This may be in the form of a letter from the internship provider
or volunteer organization stating the following:・number of hours worked per week・length of time worked
・description of duties
If you are not able to provide the above letter, an income statement showing theamount paid from that internship will also suffice.
The certificate/letter can be in any format but must be written in English or have an
English translation attached.
If you don't have three years of full-time work experience when applying but will by
the time you enroll at APU, you must submit an official Certificate of Employment
to the Office of International Admissions upon enrollment.
*This is required only for MBA applicants.
21

From Acceptance toEnrollment

Full-time Work Experience
If you have previous full-time work experience, please upload a digital copy of
written proof of your employment. This proof may be in the form of a certificate of
employment issued by your employer or a letter authorized by your former place ofwork, clearly indicating the following:・period of employment
・description of your duties
・name and contact information of the employer

Application Process

9) Photograph

Scholarships

If you have a valid passport, please upload a digital copy of the information page
showing your name, photograph, and passport number. If you have previously
entered Japan, please also submit a copy of your passport pages with theimmigration stamps showing your most recent arrival to and departure from Japan.
Applicants who do not have a valid passport are still eligible to apply.

Doctoral (Ph.D.)
Program8) Passport Scan(if available)

Master’s Programs

One letter must be written by a university instructor who knows you wellenough to write the recommendation. The second letter can be written byanother instructor, employer, or someone who is a non-relative and knows
you on a professional or academic level. Your recommenders should submit
their letter of recommendation by your application deadline.

Admissions
Guidelines

7) Two Letters ofRecommendation

15-1) GMAT® Results

We highly recommend that MBA applicants submit GMAT exam results, as
strong emphasis is placed on GMAT results during the application evaluation
process. Note that submitting GMAT results may increase your chances ofreceiving tuition reduction scholarship.
① Request to have the score report sent directly to APU from the test center’s
website. The APU Institution Code: 2791, Program Code: 6VF-X6-86.
② Input the date you requested to have the score report sent to APU within the
online application.
③ Upload a digital copy of the score report within the online application.
Test results are valid for five years from the test date. For more information
regarding the official GMAT®, please refer to the following website:www.mba.com/the-gmat.
Recommended but not mandatory.

15-2) GRE Results®

We highly recommend that GSA and MBA applicants submit GRE test results,
as strong emphasis is placed on GRE results during the application evaluation
process. Note that submitting GRE results may increase your chances ofreceiving tuition reduction scholarship when you apply to MBA program
especially.
GRE® General Test at Home (www.ets.org/s/cv/gre/at-home) is also accepted.

①R equest to have the score report sent directly to APU from the test center’s
website. The APU Institution Code: 7116.
② Input the date you requested to have the score report sent to APU within the
online application.
③ Upload a digital copy of the score report within the online application.
Test results are valid for five years from the test date. For more information
regarding the GRE® test, please refer to the following website: www.gre.org.
Recommended but not mandatory.

Additional Documents for Submission (if applicable)
1) Residence Card (bothsides) / Certificate of
Residence

If you live in Japan and do not possess Japanese nationality:
Please upload a digital copy of both sides of your residence card within the online
application.
If you live in Japan and possess Japanese nationality:
Please upload a digital copy of your Certificate of Residence（住民票）within the
online application.

2) Proof of Scholarships
Received from
Organizations Other
than APU

Applicants who are due to receive scholarships offered by organizations other than
APU after admission are required to submit proof of the scholarship award.

3) Additional Required
Documents for Each
External Scholarship

Please upload any additional required documents listed under “Application and
Selection Process” on pages 9 – 15 for the external scholarship that you are
applying for.

4) Designation Page inYour Passport

If you have a valid Specified Visa – Designated Activities:

Please upload a digital copy of the Designation Page in your passport that shows
the category of your Specified Visa – Designated Activities (e.g. working holiday,
internship).
In addition, please confirm with the Japanese immigration bureau in your area ofjurisdiction that your status of residence can be changed to “student” while you
are residing in Japan. Notify the Office of International Admissions promptly if you
find that your status cannot be changed in Japan.
Only for applicants who have a valid Specified Visa – Designated Activities

22

2

Notes on creating Research Proposal and Study Plan etc.

Originality of research

Plagiarism

Self-plagiarism

Example of statement if AI is used:

Statement: During the preparation of this work the author used [the name of the model] in order to [REASON].

Citation example to avoid self-plagiarism:

In-text citation (Author, year)
The stock estimate process, on which such cooperation is based, must be founded on science. However, separating"politics" out of the scientific process is difficult, and the appropriate "distance" within the industry-academicgovernment cooperation varies from a country to another, as well as from one international regime to another. (Sato,2018).
Reference
Author. (year). title of paper, Unpublished manuscript submitted in class of “Name of class". Name of University.
Sato, Y. (2018). Scientific knowledge and policymaking--a comparative study of international tuna
resource management regimes, Unpublished manuscript submitted in class of “Environment and Natural Resources
Conservation”. Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University.
Sato, Y. (2018). Scientific knowledge and policymaking--a comparative study of international tuna
resource management regimes, Unpublished manuscript submitted as final paper. Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University.

23

From Acceptance toEnrollment

Authors must disclose the use of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies and purpose for the use in the writing
process by adding a statement at the end of their manuscript, before the References list.

Application Process

At Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, if you utilize your past graduation theses or class reports to write Research
Proposal, Study Plan or other documents, it will also be considered as self-plagiarism. When quoting from your own
past documents, including those that have not been published or presented at academic conferences, please provide
proper references, following the examples below. While it is acceptable to consistently study the same research topic
from your undergraduate to graduate studies, if you write Research Proposal, Study Plan or other documents using
content from your past research, even with proper citations, you may receive a lower evaluation if the developmental
nature of the research is not recognized.
If you are using parts or the entire content of a research plan for application documents to other universities, or if you
have previously applied to Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University using similar content, our application system provides aquestion where you can report this situation. It is essential to disclose any prior submissions to ensure transparency andavoid self-plagiarism. Please make use of this feature to maintain the integrity of your application.

Scholarships

Plagiarism refers to the unauthorized replication or reproduction of copyrighted material in Research Proposal or otherdocuments without proper citation. It is an act that goes against the rules and morals of academia. Not only academic
papers, books, reports created by others, or internet sources but also information output by generative AI can be treatedas plagiarism if used without proper citation. Such acts of plagiarism are violations of copyright law and can result in
imprisonment or fines. Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University considers these forms of plagiarism, inappropriate citations,and data fabrication as acts of misconduct. At Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, students are expected to use the
APA (American Psychological Association) style for citing references in papers and reports. You are free to use writing
styles other than APA for application documents, but please consider it as a reference. When using generative AI, pleaserefer to the following rules.

Doctoral (Ph.D.)
Program

Universities are places to pursue learning and seek truth. Especially for those studying at the graduate school level,
there are many opportunities to engage in advanced research and create papers and reports. What is important in thesecases is your own original ideas and opinions. It goes without saying that the contents found in previous studies, otherpeople's ideas, information obtained from internet searches, and even information output by generative AI systems
like ChatGPT, are not one's own thoughts and achievements. Directly using such content may not only lack originality
but also lead to plagiarism, copyright infringement, and ethical issues in research. Learning from previous studies,exchanging ideas with others, and utilizing generative AI are important for deepening research, but these activities
should be part of the process of driving your own answers, and the outcomes should include originality.

Master’s Programs

To assess these qualities and abilities, we request the submission of Research Proposal, Study Plan, personalstatements, and online recorded video interviews. When submitting these documents, please keep the following points
in mind:Admissions
Guidelines

At Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, we seek applicants who possess the following qualities and abilities, as outlined
in our Admission Policy:
1. Specialized knowledge and global perspective required to pursue advanced studies in one’s graduate school anddivision
2. Analytical skills, perceptiveness, and aptitude to solve real-world problems
3. Requisite English language proficiency for research and study
4. Desire to contribute to and make full use of a multicultural collaborative learning environment

3Application Fee

Please pay the application fee by credit card before you submit the online application. We will accept payment by banktransfer (international or domestic) only if you cannot pay by credit card. Applications are considered complete only
when the application fee has been paid and the online application has been submitted.
Doctoral applicants applying directly to the doctoral program after completing a master's degree at APU are notrequired to pay the application fee.

IMPORTANT
1. Applications will not be processed until the application fee is paid. Make sure to complete the fee payment
before the application deadline. Note that credit card payments will not be possible after 23:59 (Japan Time)on the day of the deadline.
2. The payment must be made in Japanese yen (JPY). If you pay by bank transfer (international or domestic),
please submit a copy of the payment receipt with your application.
3. Cash or postal money orders will not be accepted.
4. In principle, the application fee is not refundable. However, a partial refund (after administrative fees are
deducted) or a full refund may be possible in the following cases:• The application fee has been paid multiple times, or the paid amount clearly exceeds the application fee andadministrative fees set by APU.
• The online application is deemed inadmissible and is not screened.
Further information regarding the refund policy for the application fee can be found on our admission website(https://r.apu.jp/refundpolicy_gr).
5. The application fee cannot be waived.

Credit Card
Fee Amount:

5,500 JPY for overseas applicants (5,000 JPY
for evaluation and 500 JPY for administrative
purposes)
36,500 JPY for domestic and internal applicants(35,000 JPY for evaluation and 1,500 JPY for
administrative purposes)
Payment Method: You will be able to pay the application fee
within the online application system. Aftercompleting the payment and submitting theonline application, the application will beconsidered complete.

Bank Transfer (only for applicants who cannot pay by credit card)

Note: Bank transfer fees vary from bank to bank. All bank transfer fees must be covered by the payer.
Fee Amount:7,000 JPY for overseas applicants (5,000 JPY for evaluation and 2,000 JPY for administrative
purposes)
35,000 JPY for domestic and internal applicants

Payment Purpose: Application fee
Contact Details:

Applicant’s Name, Phone Number

Branch Address:

1-3-22 Chuo-machi, Oita-city, Oita-prefecture, 870-0035 JAPAN
Tel: +81 97-532-5161

Bank Name:

Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation Oita Branch

Account Number: 1001673 (ordinary deposit account)
Account Name:
Swift Code:RITSUMEIKAN ASIA PACIFIC UNIVERSITYSMBCJPJTIBAN CODE (if necessary): JP28 SMBC 0721 XXX2 4029 0868

Bank Transfer Fee: Borne by the remitter

If the application fee is paid in Japan, even if it is paid by a friend or relative in Japan, please write the applicant’sname and phone number in the contact details when the payment is made. After completing the payment, please
upload a digital copy of the payment receipt within your Application Status Page.

24

4 Online Assessment

Instructions for completing the online video interview and the online assessment will be made available within the online
application system after you have submitted your application information, uploaded the necessary documents, andpaid the application fee. Therefore, please be sure to complete these steps with enough time left to complete the online
assessment before the application deadline.
For the video interview, you will not be speaking with a person. Instead, through a video interview platform you will see anumber of questions on your screen, and you will record your answers to them. Each question will have a set time limit
for responding.

Core Abilities Assessment (20 minutes)

The Core Abilities Assessment (CORE) consists of verbal, numerical, and abstract reasoning items and measures anindividual’s capacity to learn concepts and tasks, apply sound reasoning, and draw conclusions from information.

Watson-Glaser III Critical Thinking Appraisal (30 minutes)

The Watson-Glaser III Critical Thinking Appraisal (WGIII) measures a person’s ability to identify and analyze problems, aswell as seek and evaluate relevant information to reach an appropriate and logical conclusion. The assessment reportson three aspects of verbal critical reasoning, specifically the ability to 1) recognize assumptions, 2) evaluate arguments,and 3) draw conclusions, as well as providing an overall measure of critical thinking proficiency.

Doctoral (Ph.D.)
ProgramCore Abilities Assessment Sample Questions:
https://r.apu.jp/pearsoncoreabilitiessamplequestions

Master’s ProgramsVideo Interview (20 – 30 minutes)

Admissions
Guidelines

The online assessment is composed of a recorded video interview, the Core Abilities Assessment test, and the WatsonGlaser Critical Thinking Appraisal III test. The entire online assessment will last approximately 70 – 80 minutes.

Further Information about Critical Thinking:https://r.apu.jp/criticalthinkingtips

IMPORTANT
In some cases, an additional interview may be required. In this case, the date of interviews will be designated by
APU and notified to applicants. Interviews will be held online. It is not necessary for applicants to travel to Japanfor the interview.

Application Submission

Your application will not be considered complete until you complete the following:
1. Submit the online application and pay the application fee (including uploads of the digital copies of all required
application documents)
2. Submit your online assessment (including the online recorded interview and assessment tests)

6

Evaluation Method

All applicants are evaluated based on the information provided in their application documents, the video interview, andonline assessment tests. If deemed necessary, the Office of International Admissions may also carry out the following:• Contact the applicant’s place of study or the person who wrote the Letter of Recommendation.
• Ask the applicant for an explanation regarding their original submitted documents.
• Require the applicant to submit additional documents relating to academic background, transcripts, and/or language
proficiency.

25

From Acceptance toEnrollment

Applicants who are accepted to APU will be required to send certified copies of uploaded application documents to
APU’s Office of International Admissions by post as part of the enrollment procedures. Please refer to page 29 for moredetails.

Application Process5

Scholarships

Practice Critical Thinking (Watson Glaser) Test:
https://r.apu.jp/WG_Trial

7

Additional Requests from APU

After your application is received, we may need to contact you for further information, so please check your email
regularly after you have submitted your application.
Please also make sure that APU emails are not directed to your spam box.

8

Admissions Support for Prospective Applicants with Medical Conditions or Disabilities

In accordance with the “Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University Guidelines on Support Services for Students with
Disabilities” (refer to page 33), APU offers special support during the admissions process to prospective applicantswith disabilities or other medical conditions when necessary. For those who would like to request this support, read thefollowing information carefully and submit the necessary documents.
For prospective applicants with disabilities or other medical conditions who would like to request support during theadmissions process, submit the Admissions Support Request Form provided by APU before applying for admission. If
possible, also submit a medical certificate or patient referral document issued by a physician.

Step 1
Making the Request
Before applying, you may confirm details via the Inquiry Form URL or QR code
listed on the back cover at least four weeks prior to the deadline of yourintended application period.

Step 2
Receiving the Support Request Arrival Receipt
APU will send an email upon receiving the support request documents from theapplicant. Upload a copy of the email to the Other Required Documents page in
the Online Application System.

Step 3
Notification of Support Request Results
APU will send the Support Request Results in an email within three weeks after
sending out the Support Request Arrival Receipt.

26

9Information on Local Medical Services
Admissions
Guidelines

The following describes medical information in Japan, as well as the availability of medical care in and around ouruniversity. By providing this information, we hope to ensure a smooth transition for our students to Japan’s and APU’s
medical system. If you have any questions, please contact the Office of International Admissions.

1. APU Health Clinic

2. Applicants Currently Receiving Medical Treatment

For those currently receiving medical treatment, please consult with a physician about whether or not continued
treatment will be necessary after enrolling. If you wish to continue treatment at a medical institution in Japan after
enrollment, please be sure to submit a treatment plan or a patient referral document*1.

Master’s Programs

The APU Health Clinic is not a full-service medical institution and therefore cannot perform medical procedures such asprescribing medication or giving injections and infusions (IV). Students who will require medical care or treatment willneed to use off-campus medical institutions.

*1The patient referral document (which must include the name of the condition, symptoms, test results, and course of treatment/
treatment plan) must be written in English or Japanese.

There are heavy restrictions on bringing medication into Japan from abroad. Prospective applicants must check with
their local Japanese embassy or the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare regarding whether or not it will
be possible to bring their currently prescribed medicine*2 into Japan. Before coming to Japan, please make sure tocomplete the legal procedures to bring medication into Japan.

Doctoral (Ph.D.)
Program

3. Restrictions on Bringing Medication into JapanFor further information, please refer to the following page on the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare’s website:*2 Injectable medicine that cannot be self-administered must be administered at a medical institution under the supervision of a doctor.
However, depending on the facilities of the medical institution, there is a possibility that you will be unable to have the medicine
administered. Please also be aware that the APU Health Clinic will be unable to administer injections.

Scholarships

English: https://r.apu.jp/mhlw_pharmaceuticals_eJapanese: https://r.apu.jp/mhlw_pharmaceuticals_ j

4. Psychiatric Disorders/Disabilities (Mental illnesses, developmental disorders, sleeping disorders, etc.)

5. Accessibility

6. Additional Support

Please contact the Office of International Admissions if you will require further assistance in your daily life at APU.
This will be confidential and will have no bearing on your application’s evaluation. You may also contact us after being
accepted to APU.
Please note:
There have been situations in which students were unable to continue receiving prescriptions for the same medicine,or were unable to continue administering self-injections, in Japan. We strongly advise that you make your enrollment
decision after consultation with your primary care provider and careful consideration of your medical situation and thecircumstances in Japan.
If you have any questions, or if you would like to consult with the university, please visit (http://r.apu.jp/grad).

27

From Acceptance toEnrollment

Wheelchair-accessible public transportation within Beppu City is limited. There are currently only a few wheelchairaccessible buses available on the routes used to commute to APU. Accordingly, it is difficult to commute to APU bybus. Students must also contact the bus company in advance to use a wheelchair- accessible bus. It is advisable forwheelchair users considering APU to inquire with the university about accessibility accommodations before applying.

Application Process

There are no medical institutions near APU which can treat psychiatric disorders or disabilities in languages other thanJapanese. As mentioned above, there are many restrictions for bringing medication into Japan. For individuals currently
receiving psychiatric treatment and who will require treatment after coming to Japan, please consult with your primarycare provider and then with the university before deciding to enroll.

From Acceptance to Enrollment
1

Enrollment Process Overview

Admitted applicants who wish to enroll at APU must pay all required enrollment procedure payments and submit all
required documents within the specified deadlines. For more details, please refer to the Enrollment Procedure Handbookthat can be accessed on the APU Online Enrollment Procedures System. Please note that the required enrollment
payments and documents will not be accepted beyond the specified deadline.

Step 1
Complete the enrollment procedures:
Enrollment Fee 1 payment
Document submissions
Enrollment Fee 2 payment

Step 2
APU will apply for a COE on your behalf at the Japanese Immigration Bureau.

Step 3
Receive your COE once it has been issued:
For April enrollment, APU will send out the COE starting from February.
For September enrollment, APU will send out the COE starting from July.

Step 4
Apply for your student visa at the nearest Japanese Embassy/Consulate.

Step 5
Arrive in Japan.
Plan your arrival to APU:
For the middle of March for April enrollees
For the middle of September for September enrollees
The exact dates of the arrival period will be announced to enrolling students.

Step 6
Become an APU student.
April 1 for April enrollees
September 21 for September enrollees
The entrance ceremony may be held on a different date.

28

2

Submitting Required Application Documents
Admissions
Guidelines

Enrolling students must submit certified copies of uploaded application documents to APU by post. (All accompanying
translations must be the original versions.) Original documents will also be accepted, but all submitted documents will
not be returned. Submit certified documents for original documents that cannot be reissued.

Original Documents to be Submitted After Acceptance

Scholarships
Application Process*A certified document is one that has been marked as being equivalent to the original with a stamp or seal by theissuing institution (preferred) or a notary public. Detailed information regarding how to get a document certified can befound on the admissions website (https://r.apu.jp/graduatedownloads).

Doctoral (Ph.D.)
Program

Important:
1. There may be cases where APU asks you to submit a certified document or the original version of documents
other than those listed above.
2. APU will not return any of the submitted documents, regardless of the certificate type. Please submit
certified documents* for the original documents that cannot be reissued. Please note that submitted certificateswill be discarded under APU’s Document Preservation Regulation.
3. Your acceptance to APU will be revoked if the original or certified documents submitted after
acceptance differ from those uploaded with the online application, or if any false information orforgeries are found within the submitted documents even if evidence of such acts is found during or
after enrollment.

Master’s Programs• Academic Transcripts Certified document*• Certificate of Graduation or Certificate of Scheduled Graduation (if submitted with your application)
Certified document*• The TOEIC ® L&R Test result (if you submitted during the online application). Certified document*• Certificate of Employment Certified document*. Required only for MBA applicants and if applicable those
applying for certain external scholarships.
• Translation Documents Original only
English translations are required for documents written in languages other than English. Pease submit anofficial translation that includes the translator’s name, address, contact details, and signature or official seal.
APU will only accept translations created by the original document’s issuing institution, a translation company,
or a licensed translator. Translations alone will not be accepted. Please make sure to submit the original
document with the translation.

From Acceptance toEnrollment29

3

Deadlines for Enrollment Procedures

Confirm the payment and document submission deadlines below with the deadlines that appear on the Invoice for
Required Enrollment Fees and Procedures sent together with your final results. All documents must arrive by thedeadline specified below.

April 2025 Enrollment
No.

Result Notification

Enrollment Fee 1 Payment
Deadline

Document Submission
Deadline

Enrollment Fee 2 Payment
Deadline1

Nov 13, 2024 (Wed)Dec 12, 2024 (Thu)

Dec 12, 2024 (Thu)Jan 9, 2025 (Thu)2

Dec 11, 2024 (Wed)Jan 9, 2025 (Thu)Jan 16, 2025 (Thu)3

Feb 5, 2025 (Wed)Feb 20, 2025 (Thu)Mar 6, 2025 (Thu)

September 2025 Enrollment
No.

Result Notification

Enrollment Fee 1 Payment
Deadline

Document Submission
Deadline

Enrollment Fee 2 Payment
Deadline1

Nov 13, 2024 (Wed)Dec 12, 2024 (Thu)May 8, 2025 (Thu)

May 22, 2025 (Thu)Privately Funded:Feb 27, 2025 (Thu)Privately Funded:
May 8, 2025 (Thu)Privately Funded:
May 22, 2025 (Thu)

MEXT, AfDB, ADB
candidates:
Jul 3, 2025 (Thu)

MEXT, AfDB, ADB
candidates:
Jul 3, 2025 (Thu)Privately Funded:
Jun 19, 2025 (Thu)

MEXT, AfDB, ADB
candidates:
Jul 10, 2025 (Thu)Privately Funded:
Jul 3, 2025 (Thu)

AfDB, ADB candidates:
Jul 3, 2025 (Thu)

MEXT, AfDB, ADB
candidates:
Jul 3, 2025 (Thu)

MEXT, AfDB, ADB
candidates:
Jul 10, 2025 (Thu)Jun 26, 2025 (Thu)

Jun 19, 2025 (Thu)

Jul 3, 2025 (Thu)4

Jan 29, 2025 (Wed)5

Mar 12, 2025 (Wed)6

May 28, 2025 (Wed)7

Jul 9, 2025 (Wed)Privately Funded:
Apr 10, 2025 (Thu)

Jul 31, 2025 (Thu)

Aug 14, 2025 (Thu)*External scholarship candidates recommended by APU may have different deadlines set for them.

4 Document Submission
Please send all enrollment documents directly to APU by registered airmail or express mail service (DHL, FedEx, OCS,
EMS, etc.). Submitted documents must reach APU no later than deadline for document submission indicated above.
APU will not bear responsibility for any loss of documents in the course of delivery.

Address: Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University
Office of International Admissions
1-1 Jumonjibaru, Beppu, Oita, 874-8577 Japan
Tel: +81 977-78-1119

30

5Enrollment Procedure Fees

Enrollment Fee 1
Admission Fee

200,000 JPY
The Admission Fee will not be refunded under any circumstances. Internal applicants, APU graduates, and Ritsumeikan
University graduates are not required to pay the Admission Fee.

You must pay the entire first semester’s tuition before enrolling at APU.
GSA Master’s/Doctoral Program......... 650,000 JPY
GSM Master’s Program....................... 900,000 JPY

If you applied for the APU Tuition Reduction Scholarship, the tuition fee varies according to the awarded APU Tuition
Reduction Scholarship percentage.
APU Tuition Reduction
Scholarship Percentage

0%

30%

50%

65%

80%

100%
0 JPY

GSM Master’s Program

0 JPY

2. AP House Entrance Fee

All graduate students are guaranteed a room in one of APU's student housing facilities, AP House 3 or AP House 4,
which helps them adapt to their new life in Japan and concentrate on their studies. All rooms include basic facilities,
furniture, and utilities including internet access.
Both housings are located off campus. More information is available on the APU Admissions website:
r.apu.jp/graduatehousing
AP House 3 Entrance Fee Breakdown
Plan

September

33,000 JPY

33,000 JPY

66,000 JPY

66,000 JPY

Rent*366,000 JPY

49,500 JPY

Total

165,000 JPY

148,500 JPY

April

September

33,000 JPY

33,000 JPY

98,000 JPY

98,000 JPY

98,000 JPY

73,500 JPY

229,000 JPY

204,500 JPY

Moving In Fee*

Security Deposit*

2

AP House 4 Entrance Fee Breakdown
Semester of Enrollment
Moving In Fee*1
Security Deposit*
Rent*
Total

3

2

1

* The moving in fee is not refundable under any circumstances.
*2 The security deposit serves as a guarantee. In the event that you fail to pay rent, or if any damage is done to the room during your period of stay,charges will be deducted from the security deposit and the remaining amount will be returned to you upon moving out.
*3 April enrollees are required to pay two months of rent in advance (April and May), while September enrollees are required to pay one and half monthsof rent in advance (from mid-September and October). The rent for AP House 3 is 33,000 JPY/month and AP House 4 is 49,000 JPY/month.

31

From Acceptance toEnrollment

April
1

Application Process

When applying to the university, you will need to select which dormitory you prefer.

Scholarships

GSA Master’s/Doctoral Program 650,000 JPY 455,000 JPY 325,000 JPY 227,500 JPY 130,000 JPY
900,000 JPY 630,000 JPY 450,000 JPY 315,000 JPY 180,000 JPY

Doctoral (Ph.D.)
Program

Enrollment Fee 2
1. Tuition Fee

Master’s Programs

Enrollment procedure fees for admitted applicants with external scholarships may differ from below. Pleasecontact the Office of International Admissions for details. The amounts listed below may be subject to change.

Admissions
Guidelines

You must pay the fees listed below in order to complete your enrollment procedures. Please ensure that you havesufficient financial means before applying. Admitted applicants can view the invoice for the enrollment procedure feesin the APU Online Enrollment Procedure System. You must pay the fees stated in the invoice by the payment deadline
to enroll. Your acceptance will be revoked if any deadlines are missed. The admissions fee and AP House moving-in fee
are non-refundable.
We recommend using Convera, an online international payment service, to complete your Enrollment Fee 1 and 2
payments. If you pay by bank transfer instead, an additional handling fee of 10,000 JPY will be incurred. Further details
can be found in the Enrollment Procedures Handbook provided after acceptance.

3. Comprehensive Insurance for Students
Master’s Program.................................... 9,250 JPY
IMAT Program.......................................... 5,120 JPY
Doctoral Program.................................. 13,400 JPY

All international students must join the insurance programs designated by APU. All amounts are subject to change. Moreinformation can be found through the APU Online Enrollment Procedures System for admitted applicants.

4. IMAT Program Fee

In addition to tuition, IMAT students must pay a program fee of 100,000 JPY.

6

Final Pre-Enrollment Procedures

Certificate of Eligibility (COE) and Student Visa

In order to obtain a student visa for studying in Japan, you will need a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) issued by theJapanese Immigration Bureau.
STEP 1: Request APU to apply for your COE
APU will apply for the COE on your behalf as long as you meet all the criteria below.
1. You have requested only APU to apply for the COE on your behalf.
2. You have paid all the necessary enrollment procedure fees by the stipulated deadlines.
3. You are able to prove that you possess sufficient financial means for the entire period of study and have submitted
all the required documents.
4. APU considers it appropriate to apply for a COE on your behalf.
Once APU is able to confirm payment of necessary fees and your intent to enroll at our university, and you agree tothe conditions above, APU will proceed to apply for the COE on your behalf.
STEP 2: Use your COE to apply for your student visa
After the COE is issued, APU will send the COE to you by post. You must use your COE to apply for a student visa at aJapanese embassy or consulate in your country or region, before coming to Japan.

Renewal or Change in Status of Residence (for those who already possess a visa in Japan)

Please consult with the Immigration Bureau regarding changing/renewing your status of residence and also with yourlocal municipal authority (city hall) regarding any necessary renewals/changes to registrations (such as moving-out/
moving-in notifications). Once you have confirmed the correct procedures, please complete these procedures on your
own.

32

SUPPORT SERVICES AND POLICIESRefer to the following websites:
1. Support Services for Students with Disabilities
https://r.apu.jp/studentsupportservices
2. Policies and Resources Regarding Sexual and Gender Diversity
https://r.apu.jp/genderdiversity

33

CONTACT US
Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University
Office of International Admissions
1-1 Jumonjibaru, Beppu, Oita, 874-8577 Japan
Contact us via our Inquiry Form:
r.apu.jp/gradcontactus
Tel: +81-977-78-1119

APU

Kyoto

Ritsumeikan.APU
APUAdmissionsOfficeTokyo

Fukuoka
Osaka
Beppu

ritsumeikanapu
Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University
ritsumeikanapu

APU OVERSEAS OFFICESAPU OVERSEAS REPRESENTATIVES

CHINA

HONG KONG AND MACAU

Ritsumeikan Liaison Office –Shanghai Jiao Tong University D, 18F Shentong Xinxi
Guangchang, No. 55, Huaihai West Rd.
Shanghai City 200030 China
Tel: +86-21-6283-5104
Email: apuchina@apu.ac.jp

INDONESIAAPU Indonesia Information Center
C/O MARQUEE, Mayapada Tower I, 11th Floor, Jl.Jend.
Sudirman Kav. 28 Jakarta 12920 Indonesia
Tel: +62-21-5289-7328/7392
Email: apu-ina@apu.ac.jp

KOREA

APU Korea Office#608, Halla Classic Officetel 6th Floor, 23 Gangnam Daero
84 Gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul 06233 Korea
Tel: +82-2-564-3425/3426
Email: hello@ritsapu-kr.com

TAIWANAPU Taiwan Office
8F.,No.560, Sec.4, Zhongxiao E. Rd.,
Xinyi Dist., Taipei City 110, Taiwan
Tel: +886-2-7718-8685
Email: taipei@apu.ac.jp

THAILANDAPU Thailand Office
Room 1015, 10th Floor, Serm-Mit Tower 159/16 Soi Asoke,
Sukhumvit 21 Road Wattana, Bangkok 10110 Thailand
Tel/Fax: +66-2-665-7145
Email: thailand@apu.ac.jp

Mr. Daniel Smiley
Tel: +852-6858-5902
Email: smileyd@apu.ac.jp

INDIA (NORTH AND EAST)

Ms. Deepti Singh Ritsumeikan APU Delhi Office
18A103 WeWork, Berger Delhi One Floor 19, Sector 16B,
Noida Uttar Pradesh 201301, India
Tel: +91-73037-86004
Email: d-india@apu.ac.jp

INDIA (CENTRAL, WEST, AND SOUTH)

Ms. Ishana Malkani & Mr. Deeptanshu
Work Loft, Court Chambers, 35 New Marine Lines,
Mumbai, India 400020
Tel: +91-98-2187-4565, +91-79-0363-4641
Email: m-india@apu.ac.jp

MALAYSIA

Ms. Sookfan Ho
Tel: +6012-219-3312
Email: sookfan@apu.ac.jp
Mr. Alex Long
Tel: +60-111-068-0111
Email: alexlong@apu.ac.jp

SRI LANKA

Dr. Harin Gunawardena
183/1, Nawala Road, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka
Tel: +94-714251314

VIET NAM

APU Viet Nam Office
145A Phao Dai Lang Street,
Dong Da Ward, Hanoi, Viet Nam
Tel: +84-24-3203-2063
Hotline: +84-981-32-6432
Email: vietnam@apu.ac.jp

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Printed in July 2024

GRAD-E01

2023.4〜2030.3