Application Eligibility | APU Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University

1. Completed a 12-year standard education curriculum at an educational institution. If this applies to you, proceed to Requirement 2: Language Proficiency.
   If you do not fulfill the above condition, please check whether you fulfill one of the below conditions 2. – 9. (https://www.mext.go.jp/en/policy/education/highered/title02/detail02/1373912.html) If you fulfill one of the following educational criteria by the time of enrollment^* to APU, you fulfill Requirement 1 (Education Qualifications).
2. Completed a standard overseas education curriculum at an educational institution in Japan designated by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT).
3. Completed an upper secondary course at a special training college designated by MEXT.
4. Completed a standard education curriculum in less than 12 years at an overseas institution and have completed a curriculum at a preparatory educational institution designated by MEXT or at an educational center designated by MEXT.
5. Received an International Baccalaureate Diploma, Abitur, Baccalaureate Diploma, or GCE A Level results.
6. Completed a 12-year standard education curriculum accredited by an international evaluation group (WASC, CIS, ACSI, NEASC).
7. Be at least 18 years of age and have passed an official examination that shows academic background equivalent or superior to that obtained from a 12-year standard education curriculum (e.g. having received a GED certificate).
8. Be at least 18 years of age and have been recognized through an individual screening by APU as having an academic background equivalent to or higher than a high school graduate.
9. Completed a standard education curriculum equivalent to at least 11 years at an educational institution designated by MEXT or be expected to do so by the date of enrollment^* should the standard education curriculum of your country or region not exceed 11 years (applicable as of August 21, 2023: standard education curricula in Belarus, Kazakhstan, Myanmar, Peru, Russia, Sudan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan). If this condition applies to you, please contact us before applying via the Inquiry Form URL or QR code listed on the back cover, as individual conditions need to be confirmed.

At the time of application, you must submit documents online proving that you will meet one of the above educational criteria by the time of enrollment to APU. After receiving your results, you must submit further documentation by post proving that you have successfully met the required educational criteria in order to enroll at APU. Failure to submit such documentation in a timely manner may result in your acceptance to APU being revoked. If you possess an academic background other than those listed above, you may confirm further details via our Inquiry Form before applying.

^*The date of enrollment is April 1 for spring enrollment and September 21 for fall enrollment.

You must meet one of the following English or Japanese language proficiency requirements. Applicants who fulfill certain conditions may be exempted from submitting a language proficiency test. For more details about this exemption, view the application handbook from our Downloads page.

Transfer Students from Non-Bachelor’s Degree Programs

This refers to students who plan to transfer to APU from an educational program other than a bachelor’s degree program.

Second and third year transfer applicants must fulfill one of the following requirements:

1. Have graduated from a junior college by the time of enrollment^*1 to APU.
2. Have graduated from a technical college in Japan by the time of enrollment^*1 to APU.
3. Have graduated from a special training school approved by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) by the time of enrollment^*1 to APU. Note that application eligibility will be restricted to the terms stated in Article 90 of the School Education Act.

Transfer Students from Bachelor’s Degree Programs

This refers to students who plan to transfer to APU from a bachelor’s degree program at another university or students who plan to transfer to APU after already receiving a bachelor’s degree from another university.

Second year transfer applicants must satisfy one of the two requirements below:

1. Applicants who meet all of the following requirements by the time of enrollment^*1 to APU:
   • Have completed at least one year of study in a university bachelor’s degree program outside Japan.
   • Have completed 13 years of formal education based on a standard course curriculum^*2.
   • Have acquired at least one fourth of the credits needed to graduate from their current university’s bachelor’s degree program.
2. Applicants who have completed at least one year of study in a university bachelor’s degree program within Japan and acquired at least 30 course credits by the time of enrollment^*1 to APU.

Third year transfer applicants must satisfy one of the two requirements below:

1. Applicants who meet all of the following requirements by the time of enrollment^*1 to APU:
   • Have completed at least two years of study in a university bachelor’s degree program outside Japan.
   • Have completed 14 years of formal education based on a standard course curriculum^*2.
   • Have acquired at least half of the credits needed to graduate from their current university’s bachelor’s degree program.
2. Applicants who have completed at least two years of study in a university bachelor’s degree program within Japan and acquired at least 60 course credits by the time of enrollment^*1 to APU.

At the time of application, you must submit documents online proving that you will meet one of the above educational criteria by the time of enrollment to APU. After receiving your results, you must submit further documentation by post proving that you have successfully met the required educational criteria in order to enroll at APU. Failure to submit such documentation in a timely manner may result in your acceptance to APU being revoked. If you possess an academic background other than those listed above, you may confirm further details via our Inquiry Form before applying.

^*1The date of enrollment is April 1 for spring enrollment and September 21 for fall enrollment.

^*2 If you have completed an 11-year standard education curriculum at an educational institution in a country designated by MEXT (Belarus, Kazakhstan, Myanmar, Peru, Russia, Sudan, Ukraine, or Uzbekistan) as of August 21, 2023 and are currently enrolled in an educational institution for your 12th or 13th year of formal education, you may confirm further details via our Inquiry Form before applying.

You must meet one of the following English or Japanese language proficiency requirements. Applicants who fulfill certain conditions may be exempted from submitting a result of a language proficiency test. For more details about this exemption, view the application handbook from our Downloads page.