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Application Handbook

Entrance Exam for FY2025, FY2026 Enrollment

The first, The Second, and The Third Admission

Qualifications for Application

Any one of the following qualifications is necessary for admission:

1. Those who have a Master's degree or those who are expected to complete a Master's Course.
2. Those who have received a degree equivalent or superior to a Master's degree from an overseas educational institution, or who are expected to receive such a degree.
3. Those who are awarded a degree equivalent or superior to a Master's degree after completing a correspondence or an online course of a foreign school in Japan, or who are expected to receive such a degree.
4. Those who have received a degree equivalent to a Master's degree or a professional graduate degree by completing the required education designated by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science & Technology at educational institutes in Japan with a foreign graduate course education system, or who are expected to receive such a degree.
5. Those who have completed a program at the United Nations University and have received a degree equivalent to a Master's degree, or who are expected to receive such a degree.
6. Those who have completed an education course at a foreign school (at educational institutions that have been designated as qualifying for admission), (4) or those who have attended the United Nations University and passed an examination that is equivalent to the Examination of Doctoral Thesis Study Basic Ability, or those who are expected to pass the examination and are recognized as having academic ability that is considered equal to or greater than that of an applicant who holds a Masters degree shall be deemed qualified．
   (Examination of Doctoral Thesis Study Basic Ability)
   ⅰ）Examination to substantiate the applicant's advanced professional knowledge and ability in the major subject and basic knowledge in fields that are related to the major subject, which the candidate has learned or intends to develop in the first course.
   ⅱ）Examination to substantiate the applicant's ability to autonomously conduct research related to the doctoral thesis and to what will be learned in the first course.
7. Those who are engaged in research for 2 years or more after completing their undergraduate course in Japan or a 16-year course of school education in a foreign country, and have academic capability equivalent to or superior to a Master's degree, are eligible to apply for the doctoral course. The qualifications will be examined by the Board of Representatives. [Notification No.118 by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, 1989. (Partially amended on March 30, 2001)] Candidates applying under this category are advised to contact the office of the United Graduate School of Agricultural Science.
8. Those who are above 24 years of age and hold a Master's degree or higher. Applicants are required to satisfy an application qualification examination performed by the Graduate School.

Method of Selection of Applicants

Selection will be made based on the results of the oral examination, transcripts, and other materials of the applicant.

1. Examination in academic subjects

(1) Language ability

• 2025 The 3rd Admission: The score of one of the following tests taken after April 2021.
• 2026 The 1st / 2nd Admission: The score of one of the following tests taken after April 2022.

[English]

• 1. Score report of TOEFL iBT
  2. Score report of TOEFL ITP
  3. A copy of the official certificate issued by TOEIC Listening & Reading Test
  4. Score report of TOEIC L&R IP
  5. Transcript issued by IELTS

[Japanese] ※Japanese nationals are invalid.

1. 1. Transcript of JLPT

2. Oral examination

(a) Examination that asks basic skills related to the applicant's specialized subjects. (Approx. 10 minutes)
(b) Examination centered mainly on the applicant's Master's degree thesis or its substitute, and the statement of the applicant's research plan at the UGSAS, GU. The examination will consist of a 30-minute presentation and approximately 20 minutes of discussion. A projector and a Windows laptop computer with PowerPoint will be available for use.

Special Admission for International Students

Qualifications for Application

Applicants who have/are expected to be conferred a Master's degree, and should meet all of the following qualifications by March 31, 2026 (for entry in April, 2026) or September 30, 2026 (for entry in October, 2026).

1. Applicants should be outstanding students with the ability to obtain a doctorate within three years of admission to the program as international students.
2. Applicants should be recommended by direct supervisors such as academic supervisors at their graduate school, directors at government agencies, or private companies.
3. Applicants should be proficient in English.

Method of Selection of Applicants

In-person or Internet interview:

Basically, in-person interview will be conducted by three faculty members. If the applicant is unable to come to Japan, the interview may be conducted at his/her home university or other institution via a video conference system.

Please make inquiries about the video conference system (e.g., usage, standards) in advance. If the video conference system is unavailable, the interviews will be conducted via e-mail.

Notes: Email Interviews

1. 1. The applicant will be contacted via email by his/her prospective primary academic supervisor first. This e-mail will be sent to the applicant at the e-mail address written on his/her admission application.
   2. E-mail interviews will be conducted by three faculty members in the applicant's preferred field of study. The applicant will exchange e-mail messages at least three times with each faculty member (a total of nine times or more).

English Program for International Students

Qualifications for Application

Applicants should meet all of the following qualifications.

1. Applicants who have been conferred a Master's Degree or who are expected to be conferred a Master's Degree by March 31, 2026 (for entrance in April, 2026) or September 30, 2026 (for entrance in October, 2026).
2. Applicants should be academically outstanding international students with the ability to obtain a doctorate within three years of enrollment in the program.
3. Applicants should be recommended by their direct supervisors, such as academic supervisors at their graduate school, directors at government agencies, or senior executives at private companies.
4. Applicants should meet at least one of the following requirements to show English proficiency.
• TOEFL iBT: 72 points or more
• IELTS: 5.5 points or more

Method of Selection of Applicants

Selection will be made by the results of oral examinations, transcripts, and other material of the applicant.

• Oral examination:
  Examination centered mainly be centered on the applicant's Master's degree thesis or its substitute, and the statement of the applicant's research plan at the UGSAS, GU. The examination will consist of 30 minutes of presentation and about 30 minutes of discussion. A projector and a Windows laptop computer with PowerPoint will be available for use.

International Joint Ph.D. Program in Food Science and Technology between Gifu University & Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati

Qualifications for Application

Refer to The first/Second Admission.

Method of Selection of Applicants

Selection will be conducted in two-stages based on the results of the applicant's oral examination, transcripts, and other supporting materials.

1. Examination for international joint PhD program in food science and technology
   Fundamental knowledge in the target academic area in which the applicant wishes to study, research plan, master's thesis, etc., and competency in the English language.
   
   
2. Examination for the United Graduate School of Agricultural Science (The 1st / 2nd Admission)

Take one of the following examinations: The 1st Admission or the 2nd Admission
Applicants who wish to enter the International Joint PhD Program in Food Science & Technology are to apply concurrently for the Science of Biological Resources Course, in which the desired academic supervisor belongs.

Entrance examinations for this course will be conducted in July (1st Admission) or February (2nd Admission).

Document required:
First choice: International Joint Ph.D. Program in Food Science & Technology
Second choice: Science of Biological Resources

1. English language qualification: You will need to demonstrate competency in English by submitting a test score from one of the following recognized English language qualifications.
   • TOEFL iBT: 80 points or more
   • TOEIC Listening & Reading Test: 730 points or more
   • IELTS: 6 points or more

Application Handbook Download

• MyPage registration must be made prior to the application. Please visit the following website to start the online application registration process: https://e-apply.jp/ds/gifu-gs/

• A password is required for applicants who meet the conditions described below* to proceed with the procedure. Please ask before you apply.
  * Applicant who will complete any of the master's courses of Gifu University and Shizuoka University and wishes to continue post-graduate courses at UGSAS, Gifu University.
  * Foreign students who have received a Japanese Government Scholarship.
  * As a special measure, Gifu University will waive the examination fee for applicants who have been affected by a significant natural disaster. Please refer to the Gifu University website (https://www.gifu-u.ac.jp) for details.
• A password is required for applicants who apply for "Special Admission for International Students (*Exception)" to go through the procedure. Please inquire before applying.
• The Application Handbook and Application Form are not available in paper form. Please download the necessary data and prepare the application documents accordingly.
• Applicants who submit applications to both the English Program for International Students and the Second Admission, and who are not admitted to the English Program but are accepted through the Second Admission, shall be required to pay the examination fee.
  (Applicants who are eligible for a fee exemption for the Second Admission will not be subject to this payment obligation.) Individuals to whom this policy applies will be notified via email regarding the payment procedure.

Tuition and Admission Fees

Admission Fee

Admission fee: 282,000 yen (estimated)

• In addition to the admission fee, successful candidates are required to purchase "Accident and Casualty Insurance for Students During Educational Research Activities." Further information will be provided to candidates after they have been accepted into the program.
• Students who will complete the master's program at any participating university in March or September 2026 are exempt from the admission fee.
• The admission fee is an estimate; therefore, if modified, the revised amount will be applied from then on.

Tuition Fee

Tuition fee (first semester): 267,900 yen (estimated; 535,800 yen a year is payable in two installments for the first and second semester)

• Students will pay the tuition for the first semester in May by bank account transfer. Further information will be provided to candidates after they have been accepted into the program.
• International students who will remain as recipients of the Japanese Government (Monbukagakusho) Scholarship in the new academic year are exempt from both admission and tuition fees. Towards this, the international students mentioned above must submit the certificate of the Japanese Government (Monbukagakusho) Scholarship.
• The tuition fee is an estimate; therefore, if modified, the revised amount will be applied from then on.

Capacity and Enrollment

Capacities in each course and current number of enrollment

As of April/1/2024

() indicates the number of international students.

Number of Students by Participating Universities

As of April/1/2024

() indicates the number of international students.

Number of Doctor's Degrees Awarded

Course Doctorare

() indicates the number of international students.

Admission Statistics

2024

() indicates the number of international students.