Japan-Expert (Bachelor Degree) Program

Application Guidelines for AY 2024

December 2023
 1. Japan-Expert (Bachelor Degree) Program

Japan-Expert (bachelor degree) Program has been established to train international

Academic students who possess a Japanese outlook to further understand Japan’s culture and
Objectives society, and hope to find employment at relevant companies in Japan or in their own
countries. Four courses of study have been established—Agricultural Science,
Healthcare, Art and Design, and Japanese Language Teacher Training. Each course is
designed for international students interested in Japan, aimed to provide them with the
expertise and critical thinking skills they need in Japanese to detect and solve local and
global issues related to their respective fields. This includes acquiring specializations in
agriculture, healthcare, Japanese art or Japanese language teaching after acquiring
advanced Japanese-language skills and understanding Japan’s culture and society.

College of Agro-Biological Students will be comprehensively evaluated on their

Resource Sciences, motivation, ability to learn Japanese, and their social
School of Life and adaptability, such as having an interest in biological
Environmental Sciences resources, which are the foundation of human survival
(Agricultural Science and a safe and prosperous life. Furthermore, having an
Course) interest in Japanese agricultural and forestry research
and technology, and a desire to utilize them to contribute
as an agronomist in research institutions or companies
Admission Policy related to agriculture and forestry, in Japan or abroad in
the future, will also be taken into account.
College of Nursing, The incentive to learn basic academic skills, health care
School of Medicine and system and health care technology, ability to learn in
Medical Sciences Japanese, aptitude, sensibility, social adaptability, and
(Healthcare Course) sense of humanity will be comprehensively evaluated.

School of Art and Design In addition to learning achievements in high school

（ Japanese Art and (secondary education) and Japanese language ability,
Design Course） the applicant’s motivation and quality of works submitted
will be comprehensively evaluated.

College of Japanese We are aiming for students who have wide-ranging

Language and Culture, interests in the Japanese language and culture, and hope
School of Humanities and to become Japanese-language teachers and teach
Culture Japanese to people in Japan and elsewhere, and who
(Japanese Language want to attend school or work in Japan or work at
Teacher Training Course) Japanese companies.

Students
From first year
Accepted

Number of Japanese Language Teacher Training Course: Three students

Students
Other courses: Several students

Degree Agricultural Science Course: Healthcare Course:

Bachelor of Agricultural Science Bachelor of Science in Healthcare

Japanese Art and Design Course: Japanese Language Teacher Training Course:

Bachelor of Art and Design Bachelor of Arts in Japanese Language Education

Inquiries
about Email Address: [email protected]
Application

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 2. Entrance Examination Schedule (Japan Standard Time)
Online Application and Payment of the Examination Fee for the First Stage Screening
Friday, March 1 (from 12 p.m. JST), to Friday, March 22 (until 5 p.m. JST), 2024

▼
Acceptance of Application Documents
Must be received by Friday, March 29, 2024

▼
Announcement of Successful Applicants from the First Stage Screening
Friday, April 19, 2024 (from 12 p.m. JST)

▼
Payment of the Examination Fee for the Second Stage Screening
Friday, April 19 (from 12 p.m. JST) to Tuesday , April 30 (until 5 p.m. JST), 2024

▼
Pre-operation Check for web-based interviews*:
Specified by Each Course（To be announced）
*NOTE: Applicants are allowed to sit for the exam (individual interview) in their country of residence via the Internet
(e.g., through Zoom). Before taking the web-based Interviews, they must do a pre-operation check of their internet
connection at a specified time.
▼
Second Stage Screening (Individual Interviews)
Japanese Language Teacher Training Course:May 13 , 2024 (Monday)
Healthcare Course:May 14, 2024 (Tuesday)
Japanese Art and Design Course:May 14, 2024 (Tuesday)
Agricultural Science Course:May 17, 2024 (Friday)

▼
Announcement of Final Successful Applicants
Friday, June 7 , 2024

▼
Enrollment Procedures
Friday, June 7 , 2024 to Friday, June 28 , 2024

▼
Entrance Ceremony and Orientation
Monday , September 30 , 2024 (To be announced)

▼
Enrollment Date
Tuesday , October 1,2024

For Applicants with Disabilities:

If you require special adjustments related to disabilities, please contact “12. Contact Desk” by Thursday ,
February 22 , 2024. In case you don’t consult with admission staff beforehand, we may not be able to make
reasonable adjustments nor address any individual support requirements.

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3. Requirements for Application

(1) Applicant Eligibility

Only those who possess a nationality other than Japanese and fall under any of the
requirement [1] through [5] below may apply.

[1] Persons who have completed or are expected to complete a 12-year curriculum of formal

school education*1 in a country other than Japan by September 30, 2024 .

[2] Persons who have completed or are expected to complete a 12-year curriculum in Japan

at an international school*2 designated by the Minister of MEXT by September 30, 2024 .

[3] Persons who hold or are expected to hold an International Baccalaureate, Abitur
(Germany), Baccalauréat (France), or GCE Advanced Level (United Kingdom)*3 by
September 30, 2024 .

[4] Persons who have completed or are expected to complete a 12-year curriculum at a
school accredited by any of the following international accrediting groups by September
30, 2024 :

・ Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC),

・ Council of International Schools (CIS),

・ Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI), and

・ New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).

[5] Others*4

*1 Persons from an international school may not be eligible. For more details, please contact

“12. Contact Desk” by Thursday , February 22 , 2024 .

*2 See the MEXT website below:

https://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/koutou/shikaku/07111314/003.htm

「我が国において、高等学校相当として指定した外国人学校一覧」

*3 For the GCE A-Level, applicants must complete the subjects and assessments that have been

set by the University below.

 Agricultural Science Course, Healthcare Course, and Japanese Language Teacher Training
Course: Complete three or more Advanced Level subjects at grade E or above.
 Art and Design Course:
Complete three or more Advanced Level subjects (including Art) at grade E or above.

*4 We will check and screen your applicant eligibility individually if you do not fall under any one of
categories [1] through [4] above. For inquiries, please contact “12. Contact Desk” by Thursday ,
February 22 ,2024 .

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(2) Conditions for Application
[1] Japanese Language Proficiency
Applicants are required to have a Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT)
competence level of N3 or higher (N2 or above for applicants of the Japanese-Language
Teacher Training Course), or the following scores of other Japanese Language Tests
equivalent to JLPT levels. please upload the image of the issued transcript (including successful
applicants who passed Japanese language tests other than JLPT).
Course JLPT J.TEST*1 TOP-J*2 AP*3 EJU*4

Interme Anyone who passed AP Average score or

D-E level
Agricultural diate A test with a rating of 5 above in Japanese
Level N3 500 or
Science Course level or (extremely well qualified) as a foreign
above
above on 5-point scale language subject

Interme Anyone who passed AP Average score or

D-E level
diate A test with a rating of 5 above in Japanese as
Healthcare Course Level N3 500 or
level or (extremely well qualified) a foreign language
above
above on 5-point scale subject

Interme Anyone who passed AP Average score or

Japanese Art and D-E level
diate A test with a rating of 5 above in Japanese as
Level N3 500 or
Design Course level or (extremely well qualified) a foreign language
above
above on 5-point scale subject

Japanese Interme Anyone who passed AP Average score or

A-C level
diate A test with a rating of 5 above in Japanese as
Language Teacher Level N2 600 or
level or (extremely well qualified) a foreign language
Training Course above
above on 5-point scale subject

*1 J.TEST Test of Practical Japanese (A-D level Examination)

*2 Top Japanese Test

*3 The AP Japanese Language and Culture Exam

*4 Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students

[2] Art Works

Japanese Art and Design Course applicants must upload photos of art works (Within 3 pieces) they
have created themselves or image files of blueprints or proposals.
If you live in Japan and are planning to take the oral exam at the University of Tsukuba, please bring
with you the art works you have submitted as image files, blueprints, proposals, etc.
In contrast, applicants from other than Japan will be asked to follow instructions and show the relevant
work onscreen if the individual interview is conducted online.

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4. Selection Method

A comprehensive decision is made based on interviews conducted in Japanese by each course and
the information on submitted documents. The screening procedure for the entrance examination
will be made in two stages: the 1st stage screening (by comprehensively assessing the submitted
materials, etc.) and 2nd stage screening. The 2nd stage screening will be conducted on successful
applicants in the 1st stage screening. Successful applicants in the 2nd stage screening (finalists) will
be determined by comprehensive assessment with the inclusion of the results of the 1st stage
screening.
（2nd stage screening）
Course Interview Details
Time
Agricultural Science Course 20-30 Basic knowledge and understanding of Mathematics, Biology,
minutes Physics, Chemistry, etc. and whether the applicant is equipped
to apply these kinds of information and understanding to the
field of Agricultural Science will be examined. At the same
time, your interests and eagerness to study biological
resources ,and your Japanese language ability will be
evaluated.
Healthcare Course 20-30 With a view to engaging with policy and administration officers
minutes of healthcare technology, and education/research related
matters, your basic academic ability, learning motivation, and
Japanese speaking ability will be evaluated, along with asking
you to have a clear motivation for your aspirations.
Japanese Art and Design 30 minutes Basic academic skills in art and design and enthusiasm, future
Course prospects, and social nature will be assessed. At the same
time, your Japanese language ability will be evaluated.
Japanese Language 20～30 For a Japanese language teacher and to be able to study
Teacher Training Course minutes Japanese language and culture, it will be necessary to
evaluate your basic academic ability, learning motivation,
aspirations, and acquired Japanese language ability.

5. Online Application and Documents

To start an application, complete the online application form through the program website
at https://webentry.ap-graduate.tsukuba.ac.jp/undergraduate/jp-ex/.
The period for the online application and the payment of the examination fee for the first stage
screening is from Friday, March 1 (from 12 p.m. JST) to Friday, March 22 (until 5 p.m. JST), 2024.

NOTES:
 Once you have signed up, you may save and leave the page by clicking the “Save & Quit” Button.
Before completing submission, you may manage the saved data any time.

 You will be asked to upload application documents online.

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  Some of the uploaded documents must be sent to “6. Mailing Address for Application Documents”
by post. The mailed documents must be received by Friday, March 29, 2024 (JST).

 To check the delivery status of your application documents, please be sure to use the tracking
number with online tracking service of international mail or international courier service. We cannot
answer inquiries regarding receipt of application documents.

(1) Online Application Form

Items For Whom Remarks
i. Applicant’s All □ Name:: Fill in your name in alphabet as written in your passport
□ ID Photo: Use a photo taken within the last three months with no hat nor
Information
any head adornment. Take the photo with your glasses on if you will be
wearing glasses during interviews. Do not use retouched ID photo.
□ Date of Birth:
□ Sex:
□ Nationality:
□ Contact Information: Important messages will be forwarded to this contact
information from the University of Tsukuba until enrollment.
□ Emergency Contact: Provide contact information other than the
applicant’s contact information above.
□ School/College (Course): Select your desired school and course.

Applicable □ Current Affiliation:

Persons □ Status of Residence in Japan: Only for those staying in Japan

ii. Test Site for the All □ Desired Examination Site:

Select “Tsukuba Campus, University of Tsukuba,” or “Outside
Individual Interview
Japan (via Skype or other teleconferencing system)*.”
Only those who reside outside Japan can take the individual
interview with Internet communication. Fill in the name of the
city where you will take the interview.

iii. Requirements for All □ Applicant Eligibility: Select one from [1] through [5].
□ Conditions for Application:
Application
-Level of Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT): If you have
already taken the JLPT test, please select the appropriate level.
-Level of Japanese Language Test other than JLPT: If you have
already taken a Japanese Language Test other than JLPT, please select
the appropriate level.

iv. Educational All □ Primary Education / Elementary School

□ Secondary Education (Lower) / Middle School
Backgrounds
□ Secondary Education (Upper) / High School
□ Higher Education / University or College
□ Other

v. Career History Applicable □ Job Experience:

Persons Fill in your all job experience except for part time job.

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vi. Motivation and Study All □Motivation and Study Plan:

Plan Describe your motivation to study in the school/ college (course) you apply
for, your study plan which includes what you want to learn for 4 years,
what competency you want to gain, and what you think about your future
after you graduate from the University of Tsukuba (within 2000 characters
in Japanese or 1000 words in English. For those who will take the
Japanese Language Teacher Training Course, describe within 2,000
characters in Japanese).

vii. Financial Plan All □ Financial Plan:

Describe in detail your financial plan for study and living expenses after your
enrollment. For example, how you (or someone other than yourself) will pay
the tuition fees and living expenses for four years. Note that when you will
apply for a “Student” visa upon acceptance to the university, you will be
requested to submit specific documents that prove your ability to cover
expenses during your studies in Japan such as your sponsor’s certificate of
bank.

(2) Application Documents (For Uploading & Mailing)

Upload scanned data of the following documents online. In addition, to complete the
application procedure, uploaded documents must be sent to “6. Mailing Address for
Application Documents” by Friday, March 29, 2024 (JST) via postal mail.

NOTES:
 Submitted application documents will not be returned. If you cannot submit a
certificate/transcript because you have only one original, please submit certified
copies which are signed by your school or official agencies such as an embassy and a notary
public.
 All documents must be written in Japanese or English. If any documents issued by your
school are in a language other than Japanese or English, translate these documents into
Japanese or English, have your school certify the translation, and submit them with the
original documents. (No specific format is designated.)

Items For Whom Remarks
i. Qualification All Submit a certificate of completion (or expected completion) of
Certificate the last high school (secondary education) attended. Only
original certificates or certified copies will be accepted.
NOTES:
 If you are applying with International Baccalaureate qualification,
please also submit a copy of the International Baccalaureate
Diploma certified by the International Baccalaureate Office and an
original of your IB Final Examination Evaluation Certificate.
 If you are applying with Abitur (Germany) qualification, please
also submit a copy of the Zeugnis der allgemeinen
Hochschulreife and results described in the certificate.
 If you are applying with Baccalauréat (France) qualification, please

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 also submit a copy of the Diplome du Baccalauréat de
l’Enseignement du Second Degré and an original of Relevé de Notes.
 If you are applying with GCE A-Level (United Kingdom)
qualification, please also submit the test results of Advanced
Level subjects.
ii. Transcript of the All Submit a transcript for three years including the final year of
high school you are the last high school (secondary education) attended. Only
original transcripts or certified copies will be accepted.
attending or
NOTES:
graduated from.
 If the transcript doesn’t mention the full points, please confirm
Please indicate "full
your high school and submit a document which explains the
points" of the scores in
points.
your transcript.
 Please note that if your acquired points are not mentioned along
Example: 60 /100 (60
with the full (maximum) points, you will be asked to resubmit.
points (your points) out
of 100 points (full points)

iii. Academic Applicable If you have any further education such as universities, please
Persons submit a transcript for that period of education.
transcript from
university, etc.

(3) Application Documents (For Uploading Only)

Upload scanned data of the following documents. You do not have to submit the
original documents via postal mail.

NOTE:
 All documents must be written in Japanese or English. If any documents issued by your
school are in a language other than Japanese or English, translate these documents into
Japanese or English, have your school certify the translation, and submit them with the original
documents. (No specific format is designated.)

Items For Whom Remarks
i. Passport All Upload a scanned image of the ID page of your passport.
If you do not have a passport, please upload a certificate
of your name, birth date, and nationality.

ii School Information All Scan and upload the School Information Form of your last
Form and School Profile / high school (secondary education) written by one of
Brochure persons listed below electronically.

・ home-room teacher

・ counselor

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 ・ school principal

・ school official who can take the responsibility to

complete the form.

In addition, upload a school profile/brochure that includes

an overview (the official name, location, number of
students, number of teachers, accreditation etc.) and
education content (the educational goals, components
and methods of admission exams, curriculum, and career
patterns after graduation).

NOTE:

・ You may download “Form” from the program website

at https://jp-ex.tsukuba.ac.jp/en/entry/

iii. Photos or other Applicants for Please upload no more than three images of your own

records of your art work Japanese Art and artwork, including blueprints, proposals, etc.

Design Course

iv. JLPT certificate All Upload a scanned image of your Japanese-Language

Proficiency Test certificate, which is issued to those who
have passed the JLPT administered by the Japan
Foundation and Japan Educational Exchanges and
Services. For those who passed the Japanese language
tests other than JLPT, upload a scanned image of the
しょうめいしょ
transcripts that you passed. It should be 証 明 書 which
にんていしょ
provides your score, NOT 認 定 書 . A Certificate with
ふごうかく
不合格 announcement cannot be accepted.

v. Examination for Applicable Persons Upload a scanned image of your score report for the

Japanese University ※Please upload in Examination for Japanese University Admission for
case of taking the test. International Students (EJU) administered by the Japan
Admission for
Student Services Organization (JASSO).
International Students

score report

vi. Others Applicable Persons Upload a scanned image of your score report for the

※Please upload in TOEFL (iBT), TOEIC (Listening & Reading), IELTS

case of taking the test. (Academic) or other English-language ability

examination.

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(4) Payment of Examination Fee

Items For Whom Examination Fee

Examination Fee（First Stage Screening） All applicants \ 4,000

Examination Fee（Second Stage Screening） Only Successful applicants through \ 13,000

the first stage screening

Follow the step-by-step instruction given by the online application form for more details. Upon
the completion of the application information, you will be asked to remit the examination fee via
CREDIT CARD payment (Visa, MasterCard, JCB or American Express). By clicking a link from the
application form, you will be taken to another site to make your credit card payment. After the
payment is completed, you will get a “reception number.” Be sure to print out the confirmation
page as a proof of payment. You will be asked to upload a scanned image of the confirmation
page to complete your application.

NOTES:

 The examination fee is non-refundable after the payment.

 It is also acceptable if someone else pays the examination fee by credit card on your behalf. 
 Applicants who have passed the 1st stage screening are required to pay the examination fee for the
second stage screening (\13,000). The payment period and method will be announced with the result of
the first stage screening. In the absence of payment of the entrance examination fee, applicants cannot
go on to the second stage screening. In default of payment of the entrance examination fee by the
appointed time, applicants will be treated as those who declined the second stage screening. 

(5) Examination ID Card

Be sure to print out your examination ID card after transmitting your application data. The card
will be created in PDF format upon the transmission, with “(6) Checklist.” You will be asked to
present the ID for your examination process.

(6) Checklist for Supporting Documents

Be sure to print out the “Checklist.” To confirm whether the required documents are ready, draw
a circle on the listed items. You need to enclose the check list with other documents when you
send them to the University by post.

6. Mailing Address for Application Documents

Japan-Expert Program Office, Division of Admissions, University of Tsukuba

1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577 Japan

NOTES:
 Send the application documents listed in “5 (2) Application Documents (For Uploading & Mailing)” by
post.
 All of them must be received by Friday, March 29, 2024 (JST). Therefore, please contact the post

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 office or courier service with the tracking number to check whether the documents have been received.
We cannot answer inquiries regarding the receipt of application documents.


7. Important Points
 Applying to multiple courses (schools/colleges) in Japan-Expert Program is not
permitted, nor changing to another course (school/college) after applying.

 Applying to Bachelor’s Program in Global Issues besides Japan-Expert Program is not

permitted.
 When sending your application documents, please consider the amount of time that will be
necessary for your documents to reach the university and plan ahead accordingly.

 Incomplete documents or incorrect entries will void your application. Please make sure
that you have included all required documents prior to sending your application package.
Please use “5 (6) Checklist for Application Documents.”
 We are unable to accept scanned application documents sent by email.
 Application documents and examination fee that has been paid will not be
returned.

 If any factual discrepancies are found in the information in the application documents
after admission to the university, admission may be revoked.
 If you are not able to meet the eligibility by September 30, 2024 the admission will be
revoked. For applicants with a certificate of expected completion, certificate of completion will
be required to complete prospective procedures.

8. Announcement of the Screening Results

(1) Announcement of the Results of the First Stage Screening

The results of the first stage screening (successful applicants’ entrance examination numbers)
will be announced on the website of this program on April 19, 2024 (from 12 p.m. JST). We
will not respond to any inquiries by phone or etc. regarding the outcome.

(2) Announcement of the Results of the Second Stage Screening

Along with listing successful applicants’ entrance examination numbers on the website of this
program on June 7, 2024 (from 12 p.m. JST), applicants will be mailed notices regarding the
outcome. At the same time, successful applicants will be e-mailed notices regarding documents
for enrollment procedures. We will not respond to any inquiries by phone or etc. regarding the
outcome.
Program Website: (Japanese) https://jp-ex.tsukuba.ac.jp/ (English) https://jp-ex.tsukuba.ac.jp/en/

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9. Admission Procedures

(1) Period of Admission Procedures

① The period for the procedures is from Friday, June 7, 2024 to Friday, June 28, 2024 (JST).

② Send all the necessary documents by post. All documents must arrive at the university within the
above time period.

(2) Documents Required for Admission Procedures

① Copy of the “Letter of Acceptance”.

② Other necessary documents will be notified when the “Letter of Acceptance” is sent.

(3) Admission Fee and Tuition Fee

① The admission fee is \282,000.
②The annual tuition fee is a total of \535,800 for the Fall Semester (¥267,900) and for the Spring
Semester (¥267,900).
③ If any fees are revised at the time of admission or during enrollment, the new amounts will be applied
from the time of revision.
④ Tuition should be paid by bank transfer through a Japanese financial institution after enrollment.
⑤ The university offers a full or partial tuition fee waiver only for a limited number of students who are
deemed to find it difficult to pay the tuition.

10. Disclosure of Information about the Entrance Examination

The university discloses information about the entrance examinations for the Japan-Expert (bachelor degree)

Program for AY 2024 to applicants upon their request from October 1, 2024 to November 30, 2024 (excluding

weekends and public holidays). For detailed information, please contact “12. Contact Desk.”

11. Handling of Personal Information

(1) Personal information obtained by the university from application documents is completely protected in
compliance with the Act on the Protection of Personal Information Held by Independent Administrative
Agencies, and pursuant to the University of Tsukuba Regulations on Personal Information.
(2) Personal information obtained by the university from application documents and exam results will be used for
processes for enrollee selection, admission procedures (including information on university events) and
surveys and research conducted as part of the enrollee selection process. Personal information of the person
completing the admission procedures will also be used after admission for academic affairs (training and
guidance, etc.), student support services (tuition exemption, scholarship applications, health management,
etc.) and other related processes.

12. Contact Desk

Japan-Expert Program Office, University of Tsukuba

Email Address: [email protected]

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