This Q&A basically applies to the Regular Examination. Answers are not always right for every type of examination. Please confirm the Application Guide, and the Entrance Examination Guide sent from us to each applicant. Also, please confirm the Online Examination Q&A [Master’s Program] in the case of Online Examination.

Application Guide

Q1. What could I do to get the Application Guide?

A. Please download it from our website. (Admissions > Application Guide) We do not issue paper-brochure type application guide.

Judgment of Eligibility

Q2. Do I need to take the Judgement of Eligibility?

A. First, please confirm the eligibility by yourself by reading the “II. Eligibility Requirements” in the Application Guide.
Applicants satisfying at least one of the eligibility requirements (1)-(8) are not required to pass through it.
Applicants who wish to apply under the eligibility requirement (9), (10) or (11) must be screened by JAIST prior to applying. The forms and the guide are available from our website (Admissions > Application Guide > Judgement of Eligibility), an applicant who needs to take the Judgement of Eligibility has to fill in, print out and submit them with the other necessary documents by the deadline which are described in the Application Guide.

Multiple Applications

Q3. Can I apply for other examinations conducted by JAIST at the same time?

A. Applicants are not allowed to apply for other examinations conducted by JAIST until they receive the result of the examination he/she took. After knowing the result of the examination, you can apply for another examination. You need to start an application procedure again from the beginning each time you apply.

How to input the data

Q4. What kind of face photo data should I prepare?

A. Please prepare your color photograph data (jpeg, jpg, png, bmp) (max:2MB) which shows your full head and shoulders facing the front without a hat or any material covering your head and face, has no background and was taken in the past 3 months. The photograph taken with a smartphone is acceptable. The photograph should be clear.

Q5. Should I fill in the same address as that in my Certificate of Residence?

A. In the case that you reside in Japan, please fill in your current address accurately including a building name and a room number. This address is very important because we use this for mailing your Examination Admissions Card.
In the case that you reside outside Japan, please enter the information such as your country’s name, etc. into the Online Application Registration page.
If you would like to change your address after having finished the Online Application Registration, please email the Admissions Section (nyushi@ml.jaist.ac.jp).

Q6. Do I have to enter my mobile phone number?

A. Yes, please. We need your phone number for an urgent call during the examination.

Q7. What could I fill in as the most recent educational background, which satisfies the Eligibility Requirement?

A. Mostly it is about a university, or an advanced course of technical college or junior college.

Q8. What could I do when I need more space for writing my educational (or professional) background?

A. Please write it down in paper and mail it with your certificates. The form is unspecified.

Q9. I am an international student. How could I fill in my name?

A. Please use English alphabet letters that is the same as shown in your passport. Even in the case that you are expected to graduate or already graduated from Japanese university, please write it in English. Regarding FURIGANA, Japanese phonetic guides, if you know it, please fill in. If you do not know FURIGANA, please fill out your name in English alphabet letters.

Q10. How could I describe the name of a university outside Japan? I graduated (am expected to graduate) from a university outside Japan.

A. Please use English alphabet letters for filling out the name of a university, a department and a major. Even when your official transcript and/or (expected) graduation certificate are written in other languages, please use English alphabet letters. In the case that you graduated from Japanese university, please use KANJI, Chinese characters, for filling out the name of a university, a department, and a major.

Q11. Which case do I have to submit Curriculum vitae?

A. Not only applicants who have studied in university, but also all the applicants who have received education in any kind of school in countries other than Japan need to submit the curriculum vitae. In the case that you are a Japanese university graduate, there is no need to submit it.

Online Application Registration

Q12. I noticed my input mistake after the payment. What could I do?

A. Please contact the Admissions Section of JAIST (nyushi@ml.jaist.ac.jp) within the application period.

Q13. Do I have to complete the online registration application within a specified period?

A. Yes, you have to complete it within the application period. During the application period, you can register 24 hours a day. Please note that you have to complete the online registration, the payment of screening fee and mailing your certificates (Postmark Valid) within the application period.

Q14. Is there any specification for the file format when I upload the application documents?

A. PDF file is preferable to prevent layout collapse.

Q15. Do I have to print out the Application Form and submit it to JAIST?

A. You do not need to submit it to us. Please keep it for yourself.

Certificates (official transcript, proof of (expected) graduation

Q16. Do certificates need to be sealed?

A. If the paper is anti-counterfeiting or special paper of the university with the official seal, there is no need to be sealed. However, certificates with an electronic seal but not in anti-counterfeiting paper are not accepted unless the envelopes are sealed by the university from which applicants graduated or are expected to graduate.
Certificates in languages other than English or Japanese must be accompanied with official translations in English or Japanese. (in this case, if the original certificate needs to be sealed, please submit the sealed envelope that contains the original certificate.)

*We accept translations translated by the public institution such as Embassy or Consulate General, Japanese language schools, or translation companies, and an official seal of the translation institution is essential in the translation. We do not accept the translation without the official seal or the translation translated by an applicant.

Q17. Are copies acceptable?

A. No, copies are not acceptable. You must submit the original. If applicants cannot submit the original, please submit the Certified True Copy, which is proved by the university that applicants graduated from or a public institution such as an Embassy or a Consulate that it is the true copy of the original certificate.
We might cancel your admission or enrollment, if we knew that it was not the original.

Q18. When is the deadline of submitting the certificates?

A. Please mail them within the application period (Postmark Valid). We will not accept your application without confirming your certificates.
“Postmark Valid”, however, if the parcel is significantly delayed, we could reject it. If the EMS is stopped or slower than usual due to the changes in the international situation, please use other international courier services such as DHL, FedEx, etc. Before mailing, you should confirm when the parcel is scheduled to arrive at JAIST.

Q19. Could you return the certificates that I submitted to me?

A. No, we could not. Regarding the proof of (expected) graduation, please submit the certificate issued by the university you are expected to graduate or graduated from, NOT diploma. A university usually issues certificates when a graduate asks, however, in the case that the university never issues the certificate and you would like us to return, please submit the document telling us that the university never issues the certificate, and consult us at the time of application.

Q20. Do I have to submit two certificates, in the case that the certificate describes both of my transcript and my graduation in one sheet of paper?

A. In that case, please submit one.

Q21. I transferred to another university. Which transcript do I have to submit?

A. Please submit the transcripts from both of universities.

Q22. My transcript contains credits transferred from the previous university. Is it enough to submit the transcript from the university which satisfies the Eligibility Requirements?

A. No. We would like to know the points (grade) of each subject. In the case that a credit was transferred, please submit the transcript which describes the evaluation points/grade which were the basis of credit accreditation.
For example: in the case that you left A university and entered B university, then B university approved a credit you had obtained in A university, you need to submit both of transcripts from A university and B university.

Q23. Who needs to submit the degree certificate?

A. Mainly a person who graduated (is expected to graduate) from a university outside Japan needs to submit it. If proof of graduation shows the bachelor's degree, proof of bachelor's degree is not necessary.

Q24. I already have a master’s degree, but again I would like to apply for the master’s program. Do I have to submit the master’s transcript and the proof of master’s degree?

A. Please submit the bachelor’s transcript and the proof of graduation. (Master’s transcript and the proof of master’s degree are not necessary.)
Please note that in the case that your eligibility does not meet any of the requirements (1) to (8), even though you have a master’s degree, you need to take the judgement of eligibility. After passing it, you will be able to apply for it.

Q25. A university I graduated from has a course selection system. A department, which I belonged to, at the time of enrollment is different from a department at the time of graduation. When applying for the Master’sprogram at JAIST, which transcript do I have to submit?

A. We require both of them, the one before you decided the course and the one after you decided the course. Please note that the proof of graduation must be the one after you decided the course.

Q26. I have a copy/an electronic version of the transcript and the proof of graduation. I cannot go and get the original certificates in person. What could I do?

A. Issuing certificates sometimes takes a lot of time. You need to take it into consideration. Please consult with the university whether you can get it by means of post or not.
Upon knowing that, before applying, an applicant who cannot submit the original of certificates at the time of application for the reason that the university is closed due to the changes in the international situation, and there is no other way to get certificates, emails us with the information of a website, etc. The information of a website, etc. must clearly state the fact that the university does not issue or mail the certificates at all within the application period.
Only when we can confirm the fact, we will consider the acceptance of a copy/an electronic version. However, even in that case, an applicant must submit the original of certificates during the admission procedure, after passing the examination.

Short Essay

Q27. I wish to major in a different research field from my major field in the university. What could I write for Short Essay?

A. That difference does not matter, please write about the research you would like to do at JAIST. You can write a reason why you would like to change your major research field and how you are preparing for it.

Q28. Could I ask questions to teachers in the laboratory to which I wish to belong after enrollment when I write the Short Essay?

A. Yes, you could. Since the research theme you wish to pursue is closely related to the research contents of the laboratory, you could ask questions to them.

Q29. Could I paste charts/diagrams in my short essay?

A. Yes, you could. They must be within the prescribed form.

Q30. Do you count charts/diagrams as words?

A. Yes, we count them.

Q31. Could I modify the prescribed form as I can enter easier?

A. We do not accept modifications in the prescribed form. Please use the original style of prescribed form. The change of the subject and exceeding pages are regarded as insufficient application documents and we will not accept the application. Please write using the font size of 11 points or larger and less than or equal to one page in length, single-sided, A4-sized paper. You can adjust the line spacing when you cannot type the specified number of characters in one page due to the usage environment.

Examination

Q32. What could I prepare for the oral presentation?

A. The oral presentation is conducted online displaying your presentation material in full screen by using the screen sharing of web conferencing system. Thus, the presentation material should be still images such as PDF. (There is no page limit. It is recommended to use horizontally long sheets of paper. (i.e. long sides of a sheet come to the top and bottom.))

*We allow you to have a printed copy of your presentation script during the oral presentation, however, you are not allowed to have or distribute other devices and materials.

Q33. I am an international student. I do not have enough confidence in my Japanese ability.

A. If you have Japanese or English ability enough to study at classes and conduct your research, it is just sufficient. We value your basic knowledge, ability, and aspiration necessary for carrying out study and research at JAIST. However, when it comes to the course for working professionals in Tokyo satellite campus, Japanese proficiency is necessary as well as the proper Status of Residence that allows you to do various activities in Japan. The Student visa is not adequate in that purpose.

Others

Q34. Is it hard to pass because my major in university was different?

A. We do not count your major in university as long as you have sufficient basic knowledge, ability and aspiration necessary for carrying out study and research at JAIST. We accept students from a wide variety of backgrounds.

Q35. Could I decide the examination date?

A. No. The decision of the examination date is related to the number of applicants and the specialty of examiners. Therefore, we do not accept any of applicant’s request for the date and time.

Q36. Do I need to wear a suit and tie for the examination?

A. You do not always need to wear them. Casual clothing is acceptable as long as it is within the common sense. From May to September, the staffs in JAIST are allowed to wear summer casual clothes.

Q37. Do you release the details of the past examinations to the public?

A. No, we do not. Since the examination is a special oral examination that is conducted within 30 minutes per an applicant, we do not release them.

Q38. Do those things such as the university I graduated from, my previous supervisors or the company for which I work affect the result of the examination?

A. No, they do not affect the result of the examination. We do not allow applicants to write down or mention the name of the university an applicant graduated from, the name of supervisors, the name of the company an applicant work for in the Short Essay, in the presentation material, and during the examination. Wearing a company’s uniform and/or logo is not allowed during the examination, either.

Q39. Where could I contact before enrollment?

A. First of all, please read the application guide thoroughly. All inquiries must be made by each applicant. As we have information sessions and open campuses, you are always welcome to attend it. Regarding the application guides, examinations and admission procedures, please contact the Admissions Section (nyushi@ml.jaist.ac.jp). Regarding the university information sessions and open campuses, brochures and posters, please contact the Admissions Service Section (nyugaku@ml.jaist.ac.jp).