How to Apply for Research Student (non-regular student) Program for October 2025 Admission (Application closed)

▸Only those who meet the language proficiency requirements at the time of application (as of February 28^th, 2025) can apply.

Definition of Research Student (non-degree-seeking student)

Undergraduate research student: Those who possess a bachelor's degree and conduct research in a specialized field at an undergraduate department.

Graduate research student: Those who possess a master's degree and conduct research in a specialized field at a graduate school.

Requirements for Applicants

Applicants whose native language is neither English nor Japanese must satisfy one of the following requirements:
(1) Those who passed the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) N1 (A score above 150 is desirable).
(2) TOEFL - minimum score of 80 iBT; 213 CBT;
(3) IELTS - overall band 6.0 or higher;
(4) Those applicants studying/studied at institutions in English or Japanese-speaking programs and will complete/be completed their degrees.
If you meet the language proficiency requirements (1), (2), or (3) above, you are required to submit a certificate of language proficiency when applying for a research student.

Note to those who wish to apply for English-based G30 graduate programs after being accepted as a research student: We highly recommend that you refer to the application requirements for the G30 programs on the following website to see if you satisfy the prerequisites: http://admissions.g30.nagoya-u.ac.jp/apply/#apply_8

Application Procedure

1. Find a program and faculty member with whom you wish to work (your prospective academic supervisor).

■ Faculty of Linguistics and Cultural Studies Program (English)
■ Faculty of Japan-in-Asia Program (English)
■ Faculty at the School/Graduate School of Humanities (English & Japanese)

2. Complete the online application.

2A (Group Ⅰ). If your prospective academic supervisor is affiliated with one of the following fields, you need to access Nagoya University Admission Assistance System (NU-AAS) with your research proposal(※) and a copy of your academic transcript and complete the online application.
The application period is February 28^th (Friday) 10:00 am - March 7^th (Friday) 12:00 noon [JST]. (Please complete the submission before the deadline).

Linguistics, Japanese Linguistics, English and American Literature, French Language and Literature, German Studies, German Cultural Studies, Chinese Linguistics, and Literature, Teaching Japanese as a Foreign Language, English Language Education, Applied Japanese Linguistics, Chinese Philosophy, Indian Philosophy, Asian History, History of Art, Cultural Anthropology, Socio-cultural Change Studies, Gender Studies, and Media, Culture, and Society.

The link to NU-AAS was deleted.
Please carefully check that all the inputted contents and attached documents are correct before submission.
We do not accept any insufficient or incorrect applications.

2B (Group Ⅱ). If your prospective academic supervisor is affiliated with one of the following fields, please directly contact them by mid-August before you complete the online application (Nagoya University Admission Assistance System [NU-AAS]). When contacting them, we highly recommend you let them know your research topic and attach your CV and research proposal(※).

Japanese Literature, English Linguistics, Philosophy, Greek and Latin Classics, Japanese History, Occidental History, Archaeology, Cinema Studies, Japanese Cultural Studies, Sociology, Geography (graduate research students in Sociology, and Geography are affiliated with the Graduate School of Environmental Studies), and Psychology (graduate research students are affiliated with the Graduate School of Informatics).

→Once you obtain preliminary approval from your prospective academic supervisor, please access Nagoya University Admission Assistance System (NU-AAS) with your research proposal(※) and a copy of your academic transcript and complete the online application.
You cannot apply to NU-AAS without preliminary approval from your prospective academic supervisor. Even if you apply, it will be canceled.
The application period is February 28^th (Friday) 10:00 am - March 7^th (Friday) 12:00 noon [JST]. (Please complete the submission before the deadline).

The link to NU-AAS was deleted.
Please carefully check that all the input contents and attached documents are correct before submission.
We do not accept any insufficient or incorrect applications.

For your research proposal, please use the designated form and attach a reference list.

※Research Proposal.docx (Please click and download the form here.)

• Research proposals created using generative AI will not be accepted.
  
  
• Applications will not be accepted if the 'Prospective Supervisor' in the research proposal does not match the 'Full Name of Expecting Supervisor' entered NU-AAS.
  
  
• Note that you can only apply to one field from either one of the two options, Group Ⅰ or Group Ⅱ. Do not create multiple accounts using different email addresses.
  
  
• The research proposal should be written in the designated form and include a title and references (approximately 2000 characters in Japanese or approximately 800 words in English). If you wish to write a research proposal in English, please consult your prospective academic supervisor in advance.
  
  
• The academic transcript must be issued by the university to which the applicant belongs (the university's official seal is required). Graduate students should submit their academic records for both undergraduate and graduate studies. If the original document is not in Japanese or English, please include a Japanese or English translation (you may translate them yourself). If you have graduated from or completed multiple universities or graduate schools, please submit transcripts for each of the undergraduate and graduate programs that are most relevant to your future research field. Applicants who graduated from a university or graduate school in China: "Verification Report of China Higher Education Student's Academic Transcript" issued by China Higher-education Information and Student Information (CHSI) will be accepted as well.
  
  
• No proof of language proficiency is required at this stage, but grade holders are required to enter their level and score into NU-AAS. If you do not enter it, we will consider that you do not meet the language proficiency requirements and will not accept your application.

3. The application guideline will be sent only to those who obtain preliminary approval after applying for the First Step of NUAAS at mid-April. Please apply as instructed in the guideline.

①The application period of the Second Step on NU-AAS: April 11^th (Friday) - May 9^th (Friday) 2025, 12:00 noon [JST]
②Submission period of the original copies and application fees:
・Examination fee: April 4^th (Friday) - May 1^st (Thursday), 2025
・Original copies of the application documents: May 14^th (Wednesday) - 23^rd (Friday), 2025【Must arrive by the deadline】

4. FAQ

Q1. Can I apply with a JLPT N1 score lower than 150?
A1. Yes, you can. However, if you intend to enroll in a regular graduate program taught in Japanese, possessing a JLPT N1 score of 150 or above is desirable.

Q2. Can I use a score of TOEIC or CET (College English Test) issued in China as proof of language ability?
A2. Unfortunately, we accept neither TOEIC nor CET test results.

Q3. [Requirements for Application] Do the results in (1) or (2) must be from the recent examination?
A3. We accept examination results from several years ago.

Q4. I got a high score in Japanese exams other than the Japanese Language Proficiency Test. When converted to the score of Japanese Language Proficiency Test score, it is equivalent to passing N1. Can I apply for a research student?
A4. No. We only accept JLPT results as evidence of Japanese language proficiency.

Q5. I graduated from the Japanese language department of the university. Does this meet the requirements for language proficiency?
A5. If all classes are taught entirely in Japanese, it meets the language proficiency requirement, but if not, (1) or (2) of "Requirements for Applicants" is required.

Q6. Do I need to submit an academic transcript of my exchange study?
A6. No, you don't.

Q7. Do I need to contact my prospective academic supervisor in advance?
A7. Please carefully read 2A (Group Ⅰ) and 2B (Group Ⅱ) above. If you are applying for Group II, it is mandatory that you contact your prospective academic supervisor in advance. You may also contact your prospective supervisor even if you are applying for Group I.

Q8. I don't know the e-mail address of my prospective academic supervisor.
A8. Please contact the International Office. We will inform you of the e-mail address. We will not forward your e-mail to your prospective academic supervisor.

Q9. I have obtained preliminary approval from my prospective academic supervisor, could you send me the application guidelines?
A9. After obtaining preliminary approval from your prospective academic supervisor, please finish the online application (First Step of NUAAS). We will then send the application guidelines by email.

Q10-1. (On the NU-AAS application screen) I cannot select the prospective academic supervisor's name.
Q10-2. (On the NU-AAS application screen) I cannot find the prospective academic supervisor's name.
A10-1. The names of faculty members who have decided not to accept research students due to various reasons are displayed in gray. Grayed-out faculty members cannot be selected as prospective academic supervisors.
A10-2. You cannot choose a prospective academic supervisor whose name is not displayed.
※If you cannot select the name of the relevant academic supervisor despite receiving prior application permission, please contact the academic supervisor who granted the permission immediately.

Q11. When will I know the result of the First Step of NU-AAS?
A11. Please read "Application Checklist".

Q12. I didn't obtain preliminary approval from my prospective academic supervisor. I want to know the reason.
A12. Please contact your prospective academic supervisor directly.

Q13. I sent the application materials. Will you let me know when you receive them?
A13. You will only be contacted when we find a problem regarding the application documents.

Q14. I am Japanese. Can I apply for the research student program?
A14. Yes, anyone who meets the requirements can apply.

Q15. When do you announce the application of research students?
A15. The application for October admission in the current year is announced around the end of January, and the application for April admission in the following year is announced around the end of July on this website.

▶Contact (by email only):
Mail address: prospective_hum[at]t.mail.nagoya-u.ac.jp
(Please change [at] to @.)
Please make the title "Application for research student program for October 2025)".
Otherwise, we will not reply to your inquiry.
＊Please read carefully all the instructions above and the Instruction Guide and Application Checklist found on the top page of NU-AAS (Released August 30^th) before sending an inquiry. We will not answer questions about what is written on these pages.