Q1. Regarding Admissions

[Q1-1] How much are entry and tuition?

[A1-1] Please see the Application Guidelines for details regarding entry and tuition fees.

[Q1-2] Are there enrollment and examination requirements?

[A1-2] There are three admission categories: General Admission, Special Admission for Working Adults, and Special Admission for Foreign Exchange Students. Application requirements vary depending on the admission category you apply under. If you are a working adult who wishes to apply, you are expected to take the exam for special admission for working adults. For details, please see the Applicant Guidelines.
Please note that it may be necessary to undergo an Application Eligibility Screening before submitting an application for enrollment. See “A 1-4.” for details. In addition, if you are applying for special admission as a foreign exchange student, please contact the admissions office before submitting any paperwork.

[Q1-3] If I haven’t graduated from a four-year university (for example, have only graduated from high school or a junior college), can I still be admitted?

[A1-3] Yes, you may be. However, you must first pass an Application Eligibility Screening. See “A 1-4.” for details.

[Q1-4] Do I have to undergo an Application Eligibility Screening?

[A1-4] Submitting to an Application Eligibility Screening is only necessary when applying under the following circumstances. For all other cases, a screening is not necessary. (See also the Applicant Guidelines.)
Application Eligibility for General Admission Applications(8) Those who have not attended university but who have, by an individual Eligibility Screening by the faculty of this program, been determined as having achieved an academic level equal to or greater than a university graduate, and who will be 22 years of age by March 31st, 2016.

(9) Those who have attended university for three years or longer, and who have received excellent grades in courses that are recognized as credit-worthy by this university.

(10) Those who have completed 15 years of schooling in a foreign country, or who have completed a correspondence educational program provided by a school in a foreign country while residing in Japan, thereby earning the equivalent of 15 years of education in that country, and who have received excellent grades in courses that can be recognized as credit-worthy by this university.

Application Eligibility for Working Adult Admission Applications

(8) Those who have not attended university but who have, by an individual Eligibility Screening by the faculty of this program, been determined as having achieved an academic level equal to or greater than a university graduate, and who will be 24 years of age by March 31st, 2016.

[Q1-5] I am currently attending university while working and will be graduating this March. Do I fall under the category for general admission (into the Master’s Program)? Or admission as a working adult?

[A1-5]　You qualify for general admission under the following guideline:
(1) Those who have graduated from college or who will do so by the end of March 2016.However, you may also qualify for special admission as a working adult under the following guideline:

(8) Those who have not attended university but who have, by an individual Eligibility Screening by the faculty of this program, been determined as having achieved an academic level equal to or greater than a university graduate, and who will be 24 years of age by March 31st, 2016.

However, if you wish to apply for special admission as a working adult under guideline (8), you must first submit an Application for an Eligibility Screening, the results of which will determine whether you can apply under this category.

[Q1-6] I graduated from a trade school and then was admitted into a four-year university as a junior, and will be graduating this March. Can I apply for admission to the Master’s Program?

[A1-6] Yes, you can apply for general admission under the following guideline:
(1) Those who have graduated from college or who will do so by the end of March 2016.In this case, as you transferred from a trade school to a four-year university, you must submit your graduation certification and transcripts for the trade school, as well as your certificate of expected graduation and transcripts from the university.

[Q1-7] If I have a recommendation from my place of work, will I be given preferential treatment for admission?

[A1-7] No. We have no system in place for preferential admission based on recommendations from workplaces.
We may collaborate with companies and other organizations to create an additional special category for admissions in the future, but no such category exists at this time.

[Q1-8] If I wish to enroll while continuing to work at a company or government office, do I need to obtain approval from my workplace?

[A1-8] No, you do not.

[Q1-9] Do you have a system for auditing individual courses to receive credits?

[A1-9] Yes, we do. For details, please refer to the questions below related to entrance examinations and part-time student admissions.

[Q1-10 Do you admit research students?

[A1-10] Yes. We have admitted research students since the 2008 academic year.

Q2. Regarding the Curriculum

[Q2-1] If I enroll as a working adult, will I be able to continue working regular work hours while taking courses?

[A2-1] This graduate school was designed to admit mainly working professionals. Therefore, we have chosen e-learning as our format of instruction.
With e-learning:
・You can save time that would have been spent on auxiliary tasks.
Commuting and travel time are eliminated.・Manage your schedule more easily
By mainly using the asynchronous format of e-learning, students can determine when they should submit tasks, etc. In other words, you will not have to schedule your normal life around your studies, but rather will be able to fit your studies into your normal life.
We would like to utilize benefits such as these to create a study experience that is convenient for working adults.
However, although we are committed to creating a convenient study environment for working adults, the amount of time required for studying (the amount of school work), does not differ from that of a standard graduate school.

[Q2-2] Am I required to travel to Kumamoto University or the Tokyo Satellite Campus?

[A2-2] In general, as long as you have a network connection that is capable of playing streaming videos, etc., almost all courses can be completed without ever visiting the Kumamoto or Tokyo campuses. There is no daily commute.
Even the intensive lecture sessions, which be attended on-site at either Kumamoto University or the Tokyo Satellite Campus, are also offered as simulcasted video conferences so that they can also be attended remotely.
However, certain hands-on tasks as well as advising regarding one’s master’s thesis do require in-person instruction from faculty members.
Also, it may be necessary for you to come to Kumamoto to attend certain admission or graduation-related events. Specifically, the open thesis defense meeting before graduation is held in Kumamoto and must be attended in person.

[Q2-3] How is thesis advising conducted?

[A2-3] In general, instruction is conducted asynchronously through the creation of a course for each student on our LMS. However, some instruction is carried out synchronously, using video conferences, etc. that are arranged between the individual student and faculty member.
It is also possible to conduct a special research project (and submit a research paper) instead of writing a master’s thesis.

[Q2-4] Can I apply credits earned at another graduate school to this course?

[A2-4] We are legally permitted to accept the transfer of up to 10 credits earned at other universities, but credits are only approved for use toward this program after careful consideration of the content of the study and the academic rigor involved in acquiring them. Formal processing and consideration must be applied for after admission.

[Q2-5] If I earn credits through auditing courses and then later am admitted into the Master’s Program, can I apply the credits I earned as an auditor to the 30 credits necessary for the master’s degree?

[A2-5 Up to 10 credits earned as an auditor before enrolling in the Master’s Program may be applied toward a master’s degree. Students auditing courses to earn credits before enrolling in the Master’s Program should be aware of this limit of transferrable credits.

[Q2-6] Will I be able to use SOSEKI from my home PC once I enroll?

(Note: SOSEKI is a Kumamoto University proprietary system that students can use to view completed courses and grades directly from a web browser on their home computers.)

[A2-6]　Yes, we provide an environment that lets you use SOSEKI while off-campus, at your home, etc.

Q3. Regarding Entrance Examinations

[Q3-1] Is it beneficial to become a part-time student before enrolling full-time in the school?

[A3-1] It can be difficult to judge the time commitment necessary for studying while not physically attending a school, as is the style of this program. Indeed, some prospective students worry about whether they will have enough time to study after enrolling. Individuals with such concerns may wish to begin their study experience here as part-time students, and then apply for full admission. This route will eliminate any uncertainty regarding the time commitments, and the grades earned as part-time students can be used to strengthen your admissions application. As there are two application periods for part-time students, a student could take courses part-time during the fall semester while preparing for the entrance examination for full enrollment, which takes place in February. In addition, the period for application for part-time study during the fall semester is after the announcement of the results of the February entrance exam are released. So, a student could attempt the admissions process for both the full program and part-time enrollment in the same year.

Furthermore, our program offers open courses that provide a great deal of reference information for you to get an idea of what studying in this program is like, and our class reunions often include enrollment consultation meetings and other opportunities to receive advice about this program.

*Although these consultation meetings are not official university events, information about them is posted on the home page of this website and on our Facebook page.

[Q3-2] What sorts of questions have appeared on past entrance examinations?

[A3-2] Please refer to the Past Entrance Exam Information page on this website to register to view past examination questions.

[Q3-3] What has the approximate ratio of applicants to admitted students been in the past?

[A3-3] The number of applicants and students admitted for the past five years is as below.

Master’s Program

Academic Year	Number of Applicants	Number of Students Admitted
H25	28	17
H26	16	13
H27	37	22
H28	17	15
H29	18	15

Doctor’s Program

Academic Year	Number of Applicants	Number of Students Admitted
H25	4	3
H26	8	3
H27	8	3
H28	8	5
H29	5	3