GaijinPot

Getting started

Start by doing research about your options and more importantly decided what your strategy will be. Do you want to complete your degree in Japan or are you interested in doing an exchange year? If you want to do an exchange year the school that you are currently enrolled in is the place to start.

If you are looking for universities in Japan to enroll in then Japan Study Support is a good place to start, here you can find information on degrees, universities and scholarships.

One thing you need to decide is whether you want to pursue your studies in Japanese or English. Whilst some universities offer complete programs in English (such as Temple University and Sophia University) most university programs are entirely in Japanese although a number of institutions do offer some courses in English.

If you choose to study in Japanese you will have more options but make sure you know your Japanese – the majority of Japanese universities use a standard admission examination for international students where language ability, mathematics, science etc. will be tested.

Test preparation

If you’re thinking of applying for a MBA or graduate program you’ll most likely need to submit score report from GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test), LSAT (The Law School Admission Test) or GRE (The Graduate Record Examinations).

GMAT is a standardized assessment test that is used to predict future academic achievement. It’s recommended to start preparing for the test at least 3 months in advance. The test score is valid 5 years and you can take it several times (but all your test scores will show on the score report). The GMAT web page provides free preparation material. There are also a number of books that can help prepare you for the test as well as test preparation courses such as GMAT MBA Prep.

The LSAT was developed to measure skills that are essential for success in Law school such as logical and analytical reasoning and reading comprehension. To prepare for the test there are a number of books that provide good practice such as the LSAT series which uses old LSAT tests.

GRE measures verbal and quantitative reasoning, critical thinking as well as analytical writing skills whereas the GRE subject test measures the knowledge of different academic fields to forecast potential success in graduate schools within those fields.

There are a number of books and courses that aims to prepare future test takers:
The Princeton Review offer online courses for GMAT, LSAT and GRE(The Graduate Record Examinations).
Kaplan offers classroom courses in Tokyo to prepare for the tests.

MBA/graduate degrees

There are a number of fields in which you can earn a graduate degree such as International Relations and Finance. Most universities in Japan also offer a graduate degree in education, usually referred to as TESOL( Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages); a master program usually takes two years to finish and a doctor’s program five.

A MBA program usually takes two years to complete and by choosing different courses relevant for your field of work you can create a very good base for career development. Many universities, such as Temple University, have courses on weekends or in the evening which makes it possible to combine your work with studies. However both working and studying can obviously be very challenging and depending on your job you could see a lot of your salary going to pay tuition fees and your free time occupied with studies. Still, earning a degree can be a real competitive advantage if you want to boost your career.

Transferring courses to other schools

If you want to start your studies in Japan and continue them somewhere else make sure you know if the courses you will take can be transfered to the other program. If you are doing an exchange program this is normally not a problem but if you’re not be aware that most schools will only allow you to transfer a few courses if even that. Also make sure to check up on requirements that the school has to transfer credits earn from other universities, some require the school to be AASCB accredited for example.

Admissions process

All universities have their own requirements and you should therefore look into the institution that you are interested in to get the relevant requirements and processes. The admission process for MBA and graduate programs will usually look like this.

1. Application including a personal letter stating your goals and reason for wanting to take the program
2. Your resume
3. GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) Score report
4. TOEFL Score Report (for non-native speakers)
5. Transcripts from previous studies
6. Letters of Recommendation (preferably at least one will be from a previous employer)
7. Interview with the University you wish to enroll in