Admission Information

a. Overview

The Biology department welcomes applications for Master's and Doctoral programs from both local and foreign students. Prospective students are required to have the necessary qualifications for their program of choice, pass the entrance exams, and complete the admission procedures on the designated enrollment schedule. Applications are open twice a year and may be conducted in either Japanese or English. Enrollment to the graduate programs may either be done for the Fall Semester (Summer Examinations) or the Spring Semester (Summer and Winter Examinations). 

Admission to the programs at the Graduate School of Science at TMU proceeds in several stages. First, applicants must find and contact professors in the laboratory of interest and obtain their approval for thesis supervision. At this point, students interested in applying for scholarship should discuss their intentions with their prospective supervisor and submit scholarship applications as they are advised. Applications for taking the entrance exams at TMU begins with obtaining the necessary forms from the Academic Affairs Office, preparing the relevant documents, and finally sending the completed applications by mail. In return, the Academic Affairs Office will send the applicant their exam admissions card, which the applicants are expected to bring on the day of exam. Once the applicant passes the entrance exams, they can proceed with their enrollment by completing the admissions procedures as they are instructed.

Generally, applicants who wish to take the entrance exam for the master's program should have completed 16 years of education between elementary school to college. Applicants who do not meet this criterion may still be able to take the exams provided they apply for supplementary assessment and are deemed to have sufficient qualifications by the Graduate School. In contrast, completion of a master's degree in Japan or overseas regardless of the number of years of education already qualifies an applicant for the doctoral program to take the exams.

b. Application Requirements

Shown below is a general list of documents required for application in the graduate programs. Please be sure to consult the Graduate School of Science (link) for updated information on application requirements and deadlines.

Documents:

1. Application Forms*
2. Academic Transcripts
3. Certificates of (expected) Graduation
4. Payment certificate for the entrance examination fee (JP¥ 30 000)
5. Return-mail envelope + postage stamp
6. Valid Certificate of English Proficiency (TOEIC / TOEFL-iBT / IELTS Academic Module)
7. Applicant's inquiry sheet* (if applicable)
8. Request for support regarding acquisition/renewal of student visa*
9. Certificate of receipt of the government-financed scholarship (if applicable)
10. Application form for the long-term study system* (if applicable)  

Application Forms and other forms marked with “*” can be obtained from the Academic Affairs Office of the Graduate School of Science by requesting in-person or by mail. All required documents must be prepared as original hard copies written in either English or Japanese, enclosed in the prescribed envelope, and sent by mail before the designated deadline. Applicants requiring special considerations (eg applicants residing outside Japan, master course applicants with less than 16 years of education prior, applicants who wish to take the written examination in English, and applicants with special circumstances) must communicate their intentions to the Academic Affairs Office (rikou.r@jmj.tmu.ac.jp) and complete the necessary procedures prior to the application period.

c. Examination Information

Applicants wishing to enter the Graduate School need to pass the entrance exams which are held twice a year in August (Summer Examinations) and February (Winter Examinations). For prospective Master's students, the exam consists of two stages: a written exam (about the field of study of your choice), and an oral exam (panel interview). Successful applicants will be evaluated based on the results of both written and oral exams, as well as the submitted academic transcripts and English proficiency scores. For prospective doctoral students, the exam of consists only an oral exam (panel interview). Selection for successful doctoral applicants will be based on the oral examination, academic transcripts, and master's thesis (or equivalent research work). The entrance exams are typically conducted in Japanese, but applicants may apply to take an English exam by sending a request to the Academic Affairs Office. Copies of previous entrance exams may also be obtained from the Department by sending an email.

A list of successful applicants will be posted on the website of the Graduate School of Science (link) on the designated period. A letter of acceptance will then be issued to the successful applicants in person at the Academic Affairs Office in exchange for the exam admission card. Admissions procedures must then be completed by the specified date, otherwise the admission offer will be forfeited.

d. Prospective Research

Research is the core of graduate education at TMU. It is therefore very important to find a professor who can support you in your work and to whom you can communicate well with. In order to achieve this, prospective students are encouraged to thoroughly browse through the research profile of their faculty member of interest, then politely but clearly communicate their research interests and their desired language of instruction. Afterwards, professors can provide guidance on the best course of action for gaining entry to your desired program, including recommendations to good funding opportunities Sometimes, due to differences in the research scope or certain limitations in the capacity of the labs, professors might not immediately be able to agree to become your supervisor. For this reason, this step should be done well ahead of the application period to provide ample time for proper discussion and adjustments.

A complete list of the faculty members from the Biology department who are available for thesis supervision can be found in the Application Guidelines regularly posted and updated by the Graduate School of Science (link). Comprehensive research summaries of individual laboratories are also described in their respective pages.

Research Laboratories

e. Scholarship Information

Students requiring financial assistance for tuition fees and living costs can apply to many different types of scholarships offered by the Tokyo Metropolitan University, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, and the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. Depending on the scholarship, application procedures, channels, and deadlines vary. In summary, there are three main types:

• For privately-financed students – includes Japanese Government (MEXT) domestic scholarships, Monbukagakusho Honors Scholarship (c/o JASSO), scholarships from private foundations and public organizations, and tuition reduction or exemption (link).
  
• Japanese Government Scholarship Programs – tuition fee subsidy and subsistence allowance awarded by MEXT for qualified applicants via Embassy or University recommendation (link)
• Tokyo Global Partner Scholarship Program – tuition fee subsidy and subsistence allowance awarded by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government for qualified applicants as recommended by their prospective supervisors (link)

Detailed application procedures, deadlines, and relevant links on individual scholarships are posted by the Graduate School of Science (link) and the International Affairs Office (link) for guidance.   

All admissions information detailed in this summary are designed to guide prospective students at the Graduate School of Sciences, Department of Biological Sciences. As specific details can change depending on the admission circumstances, applicants are encouraged to regularly consult the Graduate School of Science website (link) for the updated application guidelines and other announcements. Further admission-related inquiries can be made by contacting the Academic Affairs Section of the Graduate School of Science either by email (rikou.r@jmj.tmu.ac.jp) or in person (Building 8, 2F, Tokyo Metropolitan University Minami-Osawa Campus (access map)

f. Other Research Opportunities at TMU

Information for Post-Docs

We'd love to have you in TMU! Interested post-docs should get in touch with professors who they'd like to work with to explore hosting possibilities. Funding may be available for post-docs wishing to come to Japan through the Japan Society for Promotion of Science (JSPS) and you can find the relevant information here.

Internships and Short-term visits

International internship and short-term visits may also be available. Please contact individual faculty members directly for more information.