Yes, we have two admission periods, one for the Spring Semester and the other for the Fall Semester. For details on the schedule for admission, please refer to the following page.

Admissions

You can apply for the MA program with a BA from a different field. The Graduate School of International Relations welcomes and accepts competent applicants from broad fields; however, you must have the basic knowledge and background necessary to carry out your research.

Requirements differ based on the type of admission. Please consult the Application Guidelines for the specific requirements of your application, including eligibility criteria and application process.

Application Guidelines

1) All applicants interested in this scholarship should first contact their local Japanese embassy/consulate for the most up-to-date information and details. The university cannot assist you until after you have passed the embassy/consulate’s primary screening.
2) After passing the embassy/consulate’s primary screening, visit our MEXT Embassy Recommendation Scholarship-based Admissions page to learn how to apply for a Letter of Provisional Acceptance.

Submission of official certificate of English language proficiency is waived if you completed or are expected to complete an undergraduate or graduate program in the following countries.

Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, Malta, New Zealand, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, U.K. and U.S.A.

Submission of official certificate of English language proficiency is also waived if you completed or are expected to complete an undergraduate or graduate program where English is the official medium of instruction. In such case, an official universty document certifying this is rquired. The document must be original and signed by a person who holds a post such as dean or department chair.

Applicants for the English-based program are not required to have Japanese language ability. However, some knowledge of the Japanese language would make it easier to transition into living in Japan. After enrollment, you will have the opportunity to join introductory Japanese lessons offered by the Office of Graduate Schools.

There are two types of screening methods in our admission: "Document-only" and "Document + Interview."
While "document-only" implements admission based on the screening of all submitted documents (without interviews), "document + interview" implements both document screening and on-site interview. For information on which screening method each admission uses, refer to the following page.

Admissions

If you need to inform the Admissions Office of a change in your address, please send your new contact information to the following mail address: ir-adm@st.ritsumei.ac.jp
We must have an accurate mailing address for each applicant to ensure all admissions and enrollment documents are securely received.