Master's Program

Human Sciences

Outline of the Course

The Masters course is a 2-year program. The goal of this program is to contribute to international scholarship by creating new interdisciplinary networks among multifarious human-sciences and by facilitating the development of variable research endeavors. To further contribute in the development of scientific research, the graduates of this Masters course are strongly encouraged to continue to pursue a Ph.D. degree which usually takes 4 years (or 3 years in some cases) to complete.

While assistance in the form of handouts and presentation materials in English and special consideration in credit assessment may be given, almost all lectures are conducted in Japanese.

Please be aware of the following conditions:

1. You must have sixteen years of schooling to be admitted to the Masters course.

2. You must contact your prospective academic supervisor in the field of your interest and obtain his/her permission of acceptance PRIOR TO applying for the Masters course. Please refer to the List of Departments and Research Fields for Masters Programs.

Please check the Application Guidelines (Japanese version, 学生募集要項) for details.

Examination type

You can choose from Type A or Type B.

(Type A) Take the examination at Shinshu University

(Type B) Submit your English proficiency certificate and take an online interview

International applicants can take the examination by submitting their English proficiency certificates and taking online interviews (Type B) if they wish.
Please check the "(C) Entrance Examination Schedule and Method " for more details.

Annual Schedule for Admission and Entrance Examination

Admission to the Masters course is currently made once a year in April. The entrance examination is conducted in September (and December in case supplementary examination takes place), and the application period usually falls one or two months prior to the examination period. A prospective supervisor's approval letter is also a mandatory document to sit for the entrance examination, and for a student visa application. Again, contacting the supervisor in your field of interest as early as possible is always advised.

Admission Application Information

（A）Qualification Assessment
（B）Application for the Entrance Examination
（C）Entrance Examination Schedule and Method
（D）Notification of Examination Results
（E）Admission Procedures

(A) Qualification Assessment

A-1. Eligibility
(Excerption/ Please refer to the Application Guidelines (Japanese version, 学生募集要項) for details.)

Applicants must fall into one of the following categories:
S/he must:

(1) have completed sixteen-years of study in a foreign country, or is expected to do so before admission;

(2) have finished sixteen-years of education in Japan, or is expected to do so before admission;

(3) be recognized to have the equivalent to the above by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology; or

(4) be recognized to have the equivalent to the above by the Graduate Division of this institution.

A-2. Documents & Materials to submit

Applicants who fall into the categories of (4) in "A-1. Eligibility" are screened their qualifications as defined below. Download and fill out the application form (1. Admission Qualification Screening Application), and prepare (2, 3, 4, 5 and 6).

Note1: Required documents vary depending on the category. Please refer to the Application Guidelines (Japanese version, 学生募集要項) for details.
Note2: For documents Nos.2 and 3, if the institution does not issue records in Japanese or English, original language records must be submitted with certified, complete, and exact Japanese or English translations.

1. Admission Qualification Screening Application (Form 5 )
2. Final Degree Certificates
＊Certificate of Graduation
＊Academic Transcript
3. Certificate of Enrollment Period
4. Documents concerning the University you graduated
＊Documents that describe eligibility for admission，graduation requirements, and years required to graduate
5. Department Curriculum
＊A description of the courses or curriculum of the department at your attended or attending universities, such as a syllabus.
6. Letter of Recommendation
＊Letter of recommendation from a department head, supervising professor, or similar, format flexible.

A-3. Period of Application for Qualification Assessment
Primary recruitment :
Monday, June 30, 2025 to Friday, July 4, 2025　9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Secondary recruitment:
Monday, September 29, 2025 to Friday, October 3, 2025　9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Please be aware that you must contact your prospective academic supervisor and obtain his/her permission of acceptance PRIOR TO applying for qualification assessment.

A-4. Address for Submission
Admission Office
Graduate Division, Academic Affairs
Shinshu University Graduate School of Medicine
3-1-1 Asahi, Matsumoto, Nagano 390-8621, JAPAN,
Tel. +81-263-37-3376
Fax. +81-263-37-3080
mdaigak(at)shinshu-u.ac.jp

A-5. Notification of the Results
Upon receipt of the results, successful candidates should proceed to the application for entrance examination.

(B) Application for Entrance Examination

Shinshu University has introduced an application method using the Internet. Please register your application from the Graduate School Internet Application Registration Site.

Note: For documents Nos.6 and 7, if the institution does not issue records in Japanese or English, original language records must be submitted with certified, complete, and exact Japanese or English translations.

Additional Documents to Submit
1. Application Checking Sheet（submission sheet）
＊Print on A4 paper from the internet application registration website.
2. Statement of Purpose (Form 1 )
3. Supervisor's Approval (Form 2 )
4. Application Form for Overseas Applicants (Form 4 )
5. Examination type confirmation (Primary recruitment: Form 6-1／Secondary recruitment: Form 6-2)
6. Certificate of (prospective) Graduation of Bachelor's Course
7. Academic Transcript
8. Copy of Passport or Certificate of Residence
＊Applicants residing in Japan and in possession of a Resident Card or Alien Registration Card should obtain a Certificate of Residence from city office; otherwise, submit a copy of your passport ID page that includes your name, nationality, birth date, and sex, as well as a visa page if you have one.
9. Certificate of Application Eligibility
＊If you have undergone the eligibility assessment and been certified as eligible, submit a copy of the decision letter.

(C) Entrance Examination Schedule and Method

(Type A)
10:20 a.m. - 11:50 a.m.: English Written Test　 (Primary recruitment only)
1:00 p.m. - : Oral Interview regarding major field

English dictionaries (paper book) are accepted, electronic devices are not allowed.

After receiving the "Examination number notification email", visit the application registration site and print out the "Examination Card".

(Type B)
① Certification of English Proficiency
 Submit your certificate of TOEFL iBT or IELTS (Academic Module) or TOEIC (L&R) instead of taking written test at Shinshu University. These scores will be converted to the written test points out of 100.

【TOEFL iBT】
TOEFL iBT 72 or more = 100 points
Less than 72：Converted points＝100×(TOEFL iBT Score) / 72
Submit your Test Taker Score Report.
(My Best Score will be accepted.)

Submit your Test Report Form.

【TOEIC (L&R)】
TOEIC (L&R) 730 or more = 100 points
Less than 730：Converted points＝100×（TOEIC L&R Score）/ 730
Submit your Official Score Certificate.

② Interview
  Applicants are required to take online interview by Zoom instead of taking it at Shinshu University. You will receive further information at the registered email address upon your application.

(D) Notification of Examination Results

Examinees are requested to log in to the online application registration site on or after the announcement date to confirm their admission status. (Click on "Check Acceptance Results" from the "Application List" on the site.) Inquiries about results by phone or email will not be answered.

Successful applicants will find their "Acceptance Letter (Download)" and "Enrollment Procedure Guide" on the online application registration site. The university will not send acceptance notifications or enrollment procedure guides by postal mail.

＊Information regarding the examination results will be posted on the Graduate School of Medicine's website under Information about the Masters Courses.

(E) Admission Procedures

Please log in to the online application site during the enrollment period and complete the procedures from "Enrollment Procedures" in the "Application List." Failure to complete the enrollment procedures within the period will be considered as declining enrollment at this university.