Graduate Program in Sustainability Science (GPSS)

2 years English open

Entry requirements

Both routes Regular Admission (Ordinary Examination), GSFS Schedule B Special Admission with the Asian Development Bank – Japan Scholarship Program (ADB-JSP)

Eligibility

Regular Admission under Schedule B only
"Graduate Program in Sustainability Science only accepts students using Schedule B." Within Schedule B, GPSS opens only Regular Admission; the quota for Special Selection for Applicants with Overseas
No Japanese-language ability required
"This regular admission is conducted only in English. Japanese language skill is not required."
Individual screening of entrance qualifications (only for certain applicants)
Applicants relying on eligibility route (1)⑥ (aged 22+ and recognised as having abilities equivalent to a Japanese university graduate) must first pass an individual screening of entrance qualificatio
Residence status by enrolment
"Applicants not possessing Japanese nationality must have a status of residence that does not hinder their enrollment in graduate schools as stipulated in the Immigration Control and Refugee Recogniti
Security export control screening
"The University of Tokyo has established the 'The University of Tokyo Security Export Control Regulations'… pre-enrollment screenings are mandatory for all international students… applicants who fall
Full-time study expected
"Note that GPSS is designed for full-time student, not part-time students with employment and the required modules and other activities will be held during the normal working hours within the week day
No parallel applications inside GSFS
Applicants may not apply to "two or more departments within GSFS (or Graduate Program in Sustainability Science and any other departments) at the same time", may not apply to Schedule B after passing

Accepted tests and qualifications

Test / QualificationRequirementNotes
No written subject examination GPSS selection is "① Document Review" followed by "② Oral Examination" only: "The ordinary examination of GPSS consists of document review and oral examination." No GRE or subject test is required or · Guidance
Graduate of a Japanese university "Those who have graduated, or are expected to graduate, from a Japanese university by March 31, 2027." Those applying for October 2027 admission under Schedule B read this date as September 30, 2027.
16 years of school education abroad "Those who have completed, or are expected to complete, 16 years of school education abroad by March 31, 2027" (September 30, 2027 for October 2027 entry). Includes correspondence programmes of a fore
Three-year bachelor-equivalent degree "Those who have been conferred, or expected to be conferred by March 31, 2027, a degree equivalent to a bachelor's degree from a foreign university or other foreign institution (limited to those whose
MEXT-designated institutions "Those designated by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology or those who have graduated or are expected to graduate by March 31, 2027, from an educational institution desig
NIAD-conferred bachelor's degree "Those who have been conferred, or are expected to be conferred a bachelor's degree on or before March 31, 2027, by the National Institution for Academic Degrees and Quality Enhancement of Higher Educ
Individual screening route (age 22+) "Those who will be 22 years of age or older by March 31, 2027, and have been recognized as having academic abilities that are at least equivalent to those who have graduated from a Japanese university

English proficiency

TOEFL or IELTS score report is mandatory "GPSS accepts either TOEFL or IELTS Score Report." "GPSS requires TOEFL or IELTS score report to be submitted. Please take TOEFL or IELTS test well in advance." TOEIC is not accepted by GPSS even thou
Minimum score No minimum TOEFL or IELTS score is published by GPSS or GSFS for this programme.
Score validity window for Schedule B "English Score Reports must reflect tests taken after September 1, 2024 for Schedule A; or after February 1, 2025 for Schedule B." GPSS admits only through Schedule B, so the February 1, 2025 cut-off
TOEFL submission mechanics TOEFL-iBT scores are valid; "TOEFL-ITP scores are not considered valid". GPSS accepts TOEFL iBT® Home Edition, and "Regarding TOEFL score, 'My Best Score' is also considered in addition to 'Test Date
IELTS submission mechanics "Only Academic Module score reports are considered valid (General Module scores will not be considered valid)." The Test Report Form must be requested from the test centre with sending method "Electro
GPSS holds no TOEFL-ITP sitting "Please note that GPSS will not conduct TOEFL-ITP test." Some other GSFS departments run an in-house TOEFL-ITP as part of the entrance examination; GPSS does not, so an external TOEFL-iBT or IELTS Aca
Degree from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK or the USA "applicants who have graduated or will graduate from a university or a graduate school in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, or the United States… are exempted from submitting English
Degree from a university where English is the official language "applicants who have graduated or will graduate from a university or a graduate school where English is the official language are exempted from submitting English Language Competency Test Score Report

Required documents

  • Stage 1 — Document Review Required

    "① Document Review — Regarding application documents, refer to Section 3 below and the Guidelines for Applicants, 6. Application Documents." GSFS notes that where a department screens documents first,

  • Stage 2 — Oral Examination Required

    "② Oral Examination — Applicants who have passed the document review are interviewed about the research you have done and your research plan you submitted." "In principle, the interview examination is

  • Accommodations for applicants with disabilities Required

    "Our university provides reasonable accommodations for applicants and students with disabilities… Applicants who wish to request accommodations for the entrance examination should notify us through th

Other

Online application registration
"Please submit your application through the Online Application site", accessible from the GSFS entrance-examination information page. All documents are uploaded as PDF (profile photo as JPEG). "Applic
Profile photo data (JPEG)
"A clear, color photograph of your upper body taken within three months prior to application with no hat, looking straight forward and without a background." Used on the examination admission ticket f
Application screening fee payment
JPY 30,000, paid through the online application site. Not refundable once the application procedure is complete.
Undergraduate transcript
"Undergraduate (including liberal arts) transcript." Applicants who transferred university must also submit the transcript of the earlier institution; graduates of an advanced course at a technical co
Diploma or certificate of graduation (already-graduated applicants only)
Required only of applicants who have already graduated at the time of application. Those who have completed a master's degree upload both diploma and completion certificate. "You are not required to s
Inquiry Sheet (志望調査票)
A GPSS-specific form required in addition to the GSFS documents. The GPSS website links it from its Ordinary Examination page. It is where master's applicants nominate three prospective faculty superv
English Language Competency Test Score Report (TOEFL or IELTS)
See requirements.englishEvidence. Both the direct ETS/IELTS transmission and the uploaded copy are required.
Two letters of recommendation
"Confidential letters of recommendation from two persons including the supervisor or equivalent must be submitted to the email address shown at 4.(4) directly by the recommenders. Title of the email m
Research Plan
See requirements.researchPlan.
Research/Work Balance Plan (employed applicants only)
"Applicants who will conduct research while remaining employed at a company, government agency, or other organization, etc. must submit a research/work balance plan that explains how the applicant ant
Japanese or English translations
"Attach a Japanese or English translation for certificates, documents, or materials written in languages other than Japanese or English. For certificates, translations issued by a university or a publ
Original documents at the admission procedure
"Take care not to lose the original copies of documents uploaded during your application as they will be required during the admission procedure. Your admission may not be accepted if the original cop
Employer letter of support (employed applicants, at admission procedure)
"applicants… who plan to enroll while being employed by a company, government agency, or other organization must submit a letter (format is optional) from their workplace supporting their admission to
Certificate of MEXT scholarship status (fee waiver only)
"Those scholarship recipients who are not students (or research students) of The University of Tokyo must submit a certificate of proof of MEXT scholarship status" in order to be exempted from the JPY
ADB-JSP eligibility (set by ADB, checked by GSFS)
"In order to be nominated to ADB-JSP, the candidates should: Be a national of an ADB borrowing member country; Be nominated from an appointed educational institution (GSFS), and seeking for master deg
ADB-JSP is master's only
"According to the ADB-JSP eligibility, only master course applicants are eligible. If you would like to pursue a Ph.D. degree, we recommend you apply for a MEXT scholarship of Embassy Recommendation."
ADB-JSP application documents
"(a) One (1) Application Form" on the designated GSFS form; "(b) One (1) Field of Study and Research Plan" on the designated form; "(c) One (1) Official academic transcript or attested photocopy from
ADB-JSP submission channel
All materials except recommendation letters are uploaded to a designated Google Form; "If you were not able to access the Google Form… You may submit via email. Please make your email title as 'ADB-JS
ADB-JSP originals at the second stage
Successful first-screening candidates must submit "the original/physical documents of (a), (c), and (d)" plus additional ADB documents. "Please note that just printed documents or photocopies are not
ADB-JSP supervisor preference list
"In the application form, you can list preferable professors up to five, but you don't have to write five names." "Even if you did not contact a supervisor, or have no response from any of your prefer
Condition for October 2027 enrolment
"Those who successfully passed the admission for Schedule B and graduated from their undergraduate course by September 30, 2027, can enroll in October, 2027." The request is made in the online applica
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