How to go to Graduate School in Japan

In 2009, the Japanese government started a program to attract foreign students, which became known as the “Global 30”, now the “Top Global University Program.” The Japanese government selected the most elite schools and began offering English-only undergraduate and master’s programs. Since 2009, graduate school in Japan for international students has become more popular than ever.

The beauty of this program is that you do not need to take the GRE for admission. You simply apply as you would do with any other school.

How much is it?

Compared to the U.S (my home country) it’s amazingly cheap. One semester cost me around $3,000. I graduated in 3 semesters and got a scholarship for the last semester of tuition, which means I paid about $8,000 for my masters.

Visa?

No worries, a student visa is practically a given provided you’ve gained acceptance into the school and have proof of sufficient funds. This part may be a bit tricky though. I came to Japan with hardly enough to survive and pay for two years of school, but I used my mother as my guarantor on my school application.

Accommodation?

This is where things get a bit messy. Most universities have dormitories, but these are limited and the chances of a grad student getting one is limited. Moreover, these are usually overpriced. You’ll have to find your own apartment. I did this within a month of arriving in Japan. Start up costs for an apartment in Japan is expensive, basically you’ll need close to 3-4x times your rent depending on the landlord, but that’s another story. You can easily find an apartment through an agent, I used Kimiwillbe to find mine.

How to survive?

This was the hardest part to be honest. I consider myself a very cheap person, and spent about $1267 (140,000 yen) a month in Japan. This covered my rent, utilities, food, transportation and hanging out from time to time.

Breakdown:

15,000 for transportation a month

52,000 for rent

12,000 for utilities, cell phone, and internet

40,000 for food

21,000 for hanging out/clothes

I came to Japan with my savings and after paying my tuition, putting down money for my apartment, and buying supplies, I quickly realized my money wouldn’t last long.

I applied for every scholarship known to mankind (Americans are eligible for very few) and was fortunate to get one that covered my tuition. I had to go through an interview, which was conducted in Japanese. Two weeks later, I received a letter in the mail saying I got the scholarship! It was probably one of the happiest days in my life.

If you are considering coming to Japan and are independent, you need to come with the cash up front; there is just no way you can work part-time and have enough to cover tuition and living expenses.

Coursework?

Most of your teachers, if not all, will be western educated. 50% of my professors were Japanese and the others American/Canadian. The teaching style is similar to that of the states, I didn’t notice much of a difference. I can’t speak for all programs, but the coursework is a bit heavy. Prepare for tons of readings!

Opportunity?

Studying in Japan provides students with more opportunities than you think. There are a number of internships and exchange programs you can participate in. My university had an exchange program in Cairo, Moscow, and Shanghai where you could study for the semester. After my first year in graduate school, I did an intensive program at the United Nations University in Tokyo and was able to receive some extra credit along the way. The 1 month program was completely free too!  I even interned at the Afghanistan Embassy in Tokyo, which was a great experience given my background in international relations.

Japanese language?

You don’t need Japanese language skills to study in Japan. Many of my classmates spoke 0 Japanese, and that is totally fine. You are free to enroll in Japanese language courses, but they are not mandatory. You’ll need to be able to speak Japanese for many scholarships, as many of the interviews are conducted in Japanese.

Overall thoughts?

I enjoyed my program and the diversity in the classroom. In one single class you could have North Americans, Kazaks, Chinese, Koreans, South Africans, Filipinos, Colombians, Sri Lankans, etc. As the sole African-American male in the program, it was a humbling experience. I was grateful to be in the presence of so many bright individuals from around the world. With the rising cost of American education, I just can’t justify being in debt for a similar education abroad.