Graduate School Admissions
For Internal Applicants
Admissions Guidelines for Current APU / Ritsumeikan University Students （April / September 2020 Enrollment）
Internal Applicants (current APU / Ritsumeikan University students) have several opportunities to apply to APU's Graduate Schools. Please read through the guidelines below and the Application Handbook before applying. You are strongly encouraged to discuss your graduate school plans with your current professors.
- Admissions Handbook - For All Graduate School Applicants
- Graduate School of Asia Pacific Studies (Doctoral)： Click here for details
1. Screening Schedule
April 2020 Enrollment
| Program | Application Deadline | Result Notification |
|---|---|---|
| Master's Programs | September 24, 2019 (Tue) | November 11, 2019 (Mon) |
| October 23, 2019 (Wed) | December 9, 2019 (Mon) | |
| December 10, 2019 (Tue) | February 10, 2020 (Mon) | |
| Doctoral Program | October 23, 2019 (Wed) | December 9, 2019 (Mon) |
| December 10, 2019 (Wed) | February 10, 2020 (Mon) |
September 2020 Enrollment
| Program | Application Deadline | Result Notification |
|---|---|---|
| Master's Programs
*Including the IMAT Program |
November 19, 2019 (Tue) | January 20, 2020 (Mon) |
| February 25, 2020 (Tue) | April 6, 2020 (Mon) | |
| March 31, 2020 (Tue) | May 18, 2020 (Mon) | |
| June 2, 2020 (Tue) | July 13, 2020 (Mon) | |
| Doctoral Program | March 31, 2020 (Tue) | May 18, 2020 (Mon) |
| June 2, 2020 (Tue) | July 13, 2020 (Mon) |
2. Student Intake
| Graduate School / Major / Program | Intake per Year* | Regular Admissions |
| Graduate School of Asia Pacific Studies (GSA) | ||
| Master's in Asia Pacific Studies (APS) | ||
| International Relations (IR) | 15 | April/September |
| Society and Culture (SC) | ||
| Master's in International Cooperation Policy (ICP) | ||
| International Public Administration (IPA) | 45 | April/September |
| Public Health Management (PHM) | ||
| Sustainability Science (SS) | ||
| Tourism and Hospitality (TH) | ||
| Development Economics (DE) | ||
| Dual Degree Program -
International Material Flow Management (IMAT) Program |
September Only | |
| Doctor of Philosophy | ||
| Asia Pacific Studies | 10 | April/September |
| Graduate School of Management (GSM) | ||
| Business Administration (MBA) | ||
| Japanese Management (JM) | 40 | April/September |
| Accounting and Finance (AF) | ||
| Marketing and Management (MM) | ||
| Innovation and Operations Management (IOM) | ||
*The student intake numbers represent all application categories combined.
3. Admissions Requirements
- Applicants MUST fulfill all of the following requirements.
- ① Students who are scheduled to graduate from APU or Ritsumeikan University directly before enrolling into the Graduate School. Students who have a cumulative GPA of 3.00 and above (APU) or 3.50 and above (Ritsumeikan University) are preferred.
- ② Students must possess the ability to comprehend lectures, undertake independent research, and produce well written reports in English. Submission of one of the following scores is recommended but not compulsory:
- TOEFL iBT® - 80 points or above
- TOEFL® PBT - 550 points or above
- TOEFL® ITP - 550 points or above*
- TOEIC® L&R - 780 points or above
- TOEIC® IP - 780 points or above*
- IELTS (Academic) - 6.0 or above
- PTE Academic - 50 points or above
- Cambridge English Language Assessment - FCE Grade B or above
- * Only Institutional Test Scores from APU or Ritsumeikan University can be accepted.
- ③ MBA applicants are strongly encouraged to submit GMAT or GRE test scores, though it is not required.
4. Required Documents
Please submit your application through the APU Online Application System.
In order to apply, you must first create an account within the system. Details
regarding the required information and documents in order to complete your
application is included below.
Applications are considered complete only when both the online application has
been submitted and the application fee has been paid. Please be sure to submit your online
application and pay the application fee by 23:59 (Japan time) on the day of the deadline.
In addition to the information below, please also review our
online application guidelines before starting
your online application.
IMPORTANT
- 1. Applicants must complete the application by themselves. All information required on this form and all required documents MUST be submitted in English.
- 2. Within the online application, please upload a digital copy of the original version of the required documents listed below. For documents not written in English, please also upload an official translation that includes the translator’s name, address, contact details, and signature or official seal. APU will only accept translations created by the original document’s issuing institution, a translation company, or a licensed translator.
- 3. Acceptance to APU will be revoked if any false information or forgeries are found within a submitted application, even after enrollment.
- 4. After being accepted to APU, enrolling students must submit original documents or certified documents* for the uploaded application documents to APU by post. If the original or certified documents* submitted after acceptance differ from the digital copies uploaded with the online application, or if enrolling students are not able to submit original or certified documents*, acceptance to APU will be revoked. Please be sure to keep the original versions of the documents you upload with your online application.
- *A certified document is one that has been marked as being equivalent to the original with a stamp or seal by the issuing institution (preferred) or a notary public. Detailed information about how to get a document certified can be found here.
Required Documents to be uploaded by All Applicants
-
1. Graduate School Application Form
-
Applicants must complete all the information within the online application by themselves.
-
2. Personal Statement
-
Please follow the guidlines within the online application.
-
3. Research Proposal / Study Plan
-
Please follow the guidlines within the online application.
- Payment by Credit Card: Please complete the payment online through the APU Online Application System when submitting your application. You do not need to submit a digital copy of the payment receipt.
- Payment by Bank Transfer: Please upload a digital copy of your payment receipt within the online application. (Applicants who submit a paper application must pay the application fee by bank transfer.)
-
5. University Graduation Certificate(s) / Certificate of Scheduled Graduation
-
All applicants must submit proof of graduation from every university attended. If you are currently attending a university for a bachelor’s or master’s program, you must submit proof that the program will be completed prior to your intended date of enrollment at APU. High school graduation certificates are not required.
-
6. Academic Transcripts
-
All applicants must submit a transcript of grades for all university study to date along with information about the grading system.
If you have attended a language school or higher education institution in Japan for any length of time, please also submit academic transcripts and attendance reports covering your entire period of study. - TOEFL® iBT Test:
① Request to send the score report to APU directly from the TOEFL website. The APU institution code is 2791.
② Input the date you requested to have the score report sent to APU within the online application.
③ Upload a digital copy of the score report within the online application. - IELTS:
Upload a digital copy of the Test Report Form within the online application. - TOEIC® L&R Test:
Upload a digital copy of the original score report within the online application. - PTE Academic: You can receive a 10% discount when registering for a PTE Academic test.
Upload a digital copy of the score report within the online application. - Cambridge English Language Assessment:
① Input the ID Number and Secret Number within the online application.
② Upload a digital copy of the result statement within the online application. - Applicants who can certify that they have graduated or are scheduled to graduate from a bachelor’s program offered in English.
- Applicants with nationality from Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, the United Kingdom or the United States.
- Applicants who can certify that they have graduated from a bachelor’s program and have graduated or are scheduled to graduate from a master’s program both offered entirely in English.*Research report is not acceptable.
- Applicants who can submit a master's thesis or a draft of a master’s thesis written in English.
- Applicants with nationality from Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, the United Kingdom or the United States.
-
8. Supervisor Confirmation Letter (Doctoral Program Applicants Only)
- Doctoral program applicants must submit a signed Supervisor Confirmation Letter with their application. Please see page 7 for more details. The Supervisor Confirmation Letter may be downloaded here.
-
9. GMAT® Results
-
Although it is not mandatory, we highly recommend that you submit GMAT exam results, as strong
emphasis is placed on GMAT results during the application evaluation process.
① Request to have the score report sent directly to APU from the test center’s website.
The APU Institution Code: 2791, Program Code: 6VF-X6-86.
② Input the date you requested to have the score report sent to APU within the online application.
③ Upload a digital copy of the score report within the online application.
Test results are valid for five years from the test date.
For more information regarding the official GMAT®, please refer to the following website: http://www.mba.com/the-gmat/ -
10. GRE® Results
-
Although it is not mandatory, we highly recommend that you submit GRE test results, as strong
emphasis is placed on GRE results during the application evaluation process.
① Request to have the score report sent directly to APU from the test center’s website. The APU Institution Code: 7116.
② Input the date you requested to have the score report sent to APU within the online application.
③ Upload a digital copy of the score report within the online application.
Test results are valid for five years from the test date. GSA applicants who do not currently have a GRE® score, or for whom taking this exam poses significant difficulties, are not required to submit it.
For more information regarding the GRE® test, please refer to the following website: http://www.gre.org/ -
11. Certificate of Employment
-
If you have previous full-time work experience, please upload a digital copy of
written proof of your employment. This proof may be in the form of a certificate of
employment issued by your employer or a letter authorized by your former place
of work that shows the period of employment and a simple description of your
duties. This certificate or letter should also show the name and contact information
of the employer in case we need to contact them to confirm the details given.
The certificate or letter can be in any format you choose, but must be written in English or have an English translation attached.
For MBA applicants, if you do not have three years of full-time work experience at the time of application but will have three full years by the time you enroll at APU, you must submit an official Certificate of Employment verifying your total work experience to the Admissions Office upon enrollment. -
12. Sample Work or List of Research Achievements
(Required only for doctoral and IMAT program applicants.) - Applicants must submit either examples or a list of previous papers written and/ or presentations made which are relevant to their proposed field of study. Ph.D. applicants should also submit a copy of their master’s thesis. If the sample work is in a language other than English, please submit an English abstract.
-
13. Two Letters of Recommendation
-
The Letter of Recommendation form can be downloaded here. Please submit the
Letter of Recommendation either by uploading a digital copy within the online
application or having the referee send the letter directly to apurec2@apu.ac.jp.
(Emails containing Letters of Recommendation should be sent to APU using the
referee’s official email address at their corresponding university or organization.)
- One letter must be written by a university instructor who knows you well enough to write the recommendation.
- The second letter can be written by another instructor, employer or someone who is a non-relative and knows you on a professional or academic level.
- Both letters must be written in English. If the letters are written in another language, please attach an English translation.
4. Proof of Application Fee Payment
Please pay the application fee by credit card. You may pay by bank transfer (international or domestic) only if you cannot pay by credit card.7. Documents Proving English Language Proficiency
Please upload a digital copy of the original results from one of the accepted
English language proficiency exams using the method specified below.
If you have taken the TOEFL® iBT Test, PTE Academic, or Cambridge English
Language Assessment, please be sure to complete steps ①, ② and ③ in order
to submit your test results.
・April 2020 Enrollment: Only scores of examinations taken on or after June 1, 2017 will be accepted.
・September 2020 Enrollment: Only scores of examinations taken on or after September 1, 2017 will be accepted.
Additional notes for submitting results
Notes:
Exemption Requirements*
The following applicants are exempt from having to provide documents proving English proficiency:
Master's applicants
Doctoral applicants
*Clear documented proof must be included with the application. Proof may be in the form of an official letter from the institution or any other official document such as a transcript indicating the language of instruction.
Applicants who do not meet the above requirements will not be considered. No exceptions will be made.
14. Curriculum Vitae
A summary of the applicant’s employment history, qualifications, education, and personal information in tabular form on at most two A4 pages.
15. Passport Copy
If you have a valid passport, please upload a digital copy of the information page showing your name, photo, and passport number. If you already have a valid Japanese Landing Permission, please also submit a photocopy of it on your passport. Applicants who do not have a valid passport are still eligible to apply.
16. Photograph
Please upload a photograph of yourself taken within the past three months, showing a front view above chest level with a plain background. Caps and hats are not allowed. Photographs may be in color or black and white.
Additional Documents for Submission (If Applicable)
-
1. APU Tuition Reduction Scholarship Application
-
Interested applicants are to submit their scholarship application upon
understanding of the following information.
About the Scholarship
This scholarship is made available by the financial contributions of domestic and international companies and individuals, together with the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) that support the ideals of APU, and its purpose is to help reduce the financial burden for outstanding students. Students awarded with this scholarship are expected to maintain a good academic record, complete the tasks assigned to them, and serve as role models for their country or region.
Application and Selection Process
The scholarship will be decided based on an overall evaluation of the documents submitted for application. Major areas of the application to be evaluated when awarding scholarships are English language proficiency, previous academic records, research proposal/study plan, and professional experience (especially for the MBA program).
Scholarship results will be notified together with the admissions results. The awarded scholarship percentage is final and will not be reconsidered under any circumstances.
Assessment for Continuation
A review of academic performance and other criteria will be conducted each semester to determine whether or not recipients qualify for renewal of the APU Tuition Reduction Scholarship. Provided that the recipients maintain a good academic record, complete assigned tasks on time, and avoid any misconduct unbefitting of a scholarship recipient, their scholarship will remain valid until the standard number of credits required to graduate has been reached. In the case of inappropriate behavior or conduct that tarnishes the reputation of APU, the scholarship will be revoked.
Tuition Reduction Scholarship Amounts
Please note that tuition is subject to change.Scholarship Award
(Tuition Reduction %)Amount of Tuition to be Paid by the Student for the First Year GSA (Master's/Doctoral) GSM (MBA) 30% Tuition Reduction 1,050,000 JPY 1,400,000 JPY 50% Tuition Reduction 750,000 JPY 750,000 JPY 65% Tuition Reduction 675,000 JPY 900,000 JPY 80% Tuition Reduction 300,000 JPY 400,000 JPY 100% Tuition Reduction 0 JPY 0 JPY - The scholarship will be decided based on the evaluation of the documents submitted for application.
- Major areas of the application to be evaluated when awarding scholarships are English language proficiency, previous academic records, research proposal/study plan and professional experience (especially for MBA).
- Tuition reduction only covers the least amount of credits required to graduate within the standard period of time.
- The amount of scholarship awarded is final and will not be reconsidered under any circumstances.
-
2. Residence Card (both sides) / Certificate of Residence
-
If you live in Japan and do not possess Japanese nationality:
Please upload a digital copy of both sides of your residence card within the online application.
If you live in Japan and possess Japanese nationality:
Please upload a digital copy of your Certificate of Residence（住民票）within the online application. -
3. Proof of Scholarships Received from Organizations Other than APU
-
Applicants who are due to receive scholarships offered by organizations other than APU after admission are required to submit proof of the scholarship award.
-
4. External Scholarship Eligibility Criteria Checklis
-
Applicants who apply for an external scholarship are required to submit this checklist.
-
5. Additional Required Documents for Each External Scholarship
- Please refer to each individual scholarship application for more details.
5. Video Interview
All applicants must complete an interview when applying to APU. This interview will be conducted in the form of a recorded online video interview. After submitting the online application, APU will contact applicants via email with instructions regarding how to submit the video interview.
6. Screening Method
All applicants are evaluated based on the information provided in their application and the video interview. If deemed necessary, the Admissions Office may also carry out the following: contact the applicant’s previous education institution or the person who wrote the Letter of Recommendation; ask the applicant for an explanation regarding their original submitted documents; require the applicant to submit additional documents relating to academic background, transcripts and/or language proficiency. Applicants who pass the initial document screening may also be required to attend an interview conducted by APU as part of the application process.
7. Application Submission
Please note that the application process is now
completely online. In order for your application to be considered, please also note
that you must pay the application fee in addition to submitting the application through
the online system. You must also complete the online recorded interview.
Applicants who are accepted to APU will be required to send the original versions of
application documents to the following address:
- 【Postal Address】 1-1, Jumonjibaru, Beppu, Oita 874-8577
- Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University
- Admissions Office (International)
- 【Direct Submission】 Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, 2nd floor, Building A
- Admissions Office (International)
8. Enrollment Procedures Fee and Tuition Fee Reduction
- （１）Application Fee：
- a. Credit card 36,800 JPY
- b. Bank Transfer 35,000 JPY
- * Please refer to the “Admissions Handbook and Application Form” for further information.
- （２）Admission Fee： Not required
- （３）Tuition Fee：GSA 3,000,000 JPY (for 2 years)
- GSM 4,000,000 JPY (for 2 years)
- Doctoral 4,500,000 JPY (for 3 years)
- * Students who do not complete the program within the standard period of completion will be required to pay extra fees.
- （４）Comprehensive Renters’ Insurance：Master's 8,980 JPY （for 2 years）
- Doctoral 13,010 JPY（for 3 years）
- * Only for students who obtain a Student Visa before enrollment. For more details, refer to the Admissions Handbook.
- * Students who will enroll in the IMAT program will only need to pay 4,950 JPY for the first year in Japan.
- （５）AP House Entrance Fee：
- The residence designated for graduate students is AP House 4 which is located off-campus in downtown Beppu.
- *1The moving in fee is non-refundable under any circumstances.
- *2The security deposit serves as a guarantee. In case of non-payment of AP House fees, or any damage done to the room during the period of stay, charges will be deducted from the security deposit, and the remaining amount will be returned upon moving out of the dormitory.
- *3April enrollees are required to pay 2 months rent in advance (April and May). September enrollees are required to pay 1.5 months rent in advance (From mid-September to end of October).
- （６）Other Fees：
- IMAT students must pay a Program Fee of 200,000 yen per year. This fee must be paid when completing enrollment procedures. There are also Administration Fees of approximately 172 EURO (amount subject to change) per semester during the third and fourth semesters to Trier University of Applied Sciences, Environmental-Campus Birkenfeld. There will also be other fees for the second year which will be spent in Germany, and the details of these fees will be announced after enrollment.
- （７）APU Tuition Reduction Scholarship
- The Tuition Reduction Scholarship at APU ranges from 30% to 100% and will be awarded to outstanding students only (Japanese nationals included). This scholarship only covers the least amount of credits required to graduate within the standard period of time. The scholarship results notification will be included in the admissions results package.
- Total Tuition Fees to be borne by the student depending on the amount of scholarship received:
| April Enrollment | September Enrollment | |
|---|---|---|
| Moving in Fee (*1) | 33,000 JPY | 33,000 JPY |
| Security Deposit (*2) | 98,000 JPY | 98,000 JPY |
| Rent (*3) | 98,000 JPY | 73,500 JPY |
| Total | 229,000 JPY | 204,500 JPY |
| Scholarship Award | 30% | 50% | 65% | 80% | 100% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GSA | 2,100,000 JPY | 1,500,000 JPY | 1,050,000 JPY | 600,000 JPY | None |
| GSM | 2,800,000 JPY | 2,000,000 JPY | 1,400,000 JPY | 800,000 JPY | None |
| Doctoral | 3,150,000 JPY | 2,250,000 JPY | 1,575,000 JPY | 900,000 JPY | None |
9. Contact
- Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, 2nd floor, Building A
- Admissions Office (International)
- Address ：1-1, Jumonjibaru, Beppu, Oita 874-8577
- TEL ：0977-78-1119 FAX ：0977-78-1121
- Email ：apugrad@apu.ac.jp
