Entrance exams for the Master's course of the Graduate School of Letters are divided into the following three classifications:

  • General Screening for Graduate Schools
  • Special Screening for Working People
  • Special Screening for International Graduate Students

The goal of the Master's course is to foster highly specialized professionals who are capable of appropriately addressing the various cultural issues in our rapidly changing modern society through training in the humanities and advanced language skills. Additionally, the program also concerns itself with the recurrent education of teachers and the like. Possible career paths after completion of the master’s degree program include work related to education, broadcasting, publishing, cultural affairs, cultural administration, and others. As such, students in the master’s degree program are expected to have the ability to find appropriate ways to solve various complex social problems using flexible thinking across multiple fields that demonstrates a deep knowledge of the humanities. For that reason, the master’s degree program entrance exam tests students on the abilities, aptitudes, and fundamental knowledge needed to conduct research across a wide range of fields, and on skills such as foreign language abilities needed for research.

General Screening for Graduate Schools

This applies to students expected to graduate from a Japanese university, alumni, students planning to obtain a bachelor’s degree from the National Institution for Academic Degrees, and those who have already obtained a degree. Entrance exams are held twice a year — once in the fall term (September) and once in the spring term (February). Applicants for admission may take either of the exams, or both. For the fall entrance exam, either a research abstract or a graduation thesis (or a graduation work, or alternatively a thesis or a work of similar academic quality) is an important material for the selection process, in addition to foreign language exams, specialized coursework exams, and oral exams. Meanwhile, for the spring entrance exam, specialized coursework exams, oral exams, and a graduation thesis (or a graduation work, or alternatively a thesis or a work of similar academic quality) are considered important selection materials.

Special Screening for Working People

In our diversifying society, there is a growing demand for professionals with highly specialized knowledge and a growing desire among adults for lifelong learning. In our master’s degree program, we have established a special screening entrance exam for working people to answer that demand and desire for learning. To be eligible to apply, a candidate should have at least three years of working experience after graduating from a university, or should have at least three years of working experience after receiving a bachelor’s degree from the National Institution for Academic Degrees.
In order to judge whether a candidate’s working experience is appropriate for the master’s degree program, the candidate must submit an Application Letter of Intent. Candidates must also submit an essay related to the coursework. As for specialized exams, some courses include a foreign language proficiency exam for languages considered necessary for research. Note that candidates are not asked whether they are employed at either the time of application or after matriculation.

Special Screening for International Graduate Students

For international students that meet the candidate qualifications listed in the application guidelines, students who plan to graduate (or have already graduated) from this university’s School of Letters or, as a general rule, students who have been enrolled as research students in the Graduate School of Letters of that school for at least six months, are eligible. A Japanese language exam is required in place of a foreign language exam. Additionally, the content of the specialized exams may vary from that of exams taken by Japanese candidates.

※Since the necessary documents (such as application forms, etc.) are not posted, please order them using the “Request for Materials” process.