JAPANESE GOVERNMENT (MONBUKAGAKUSHO – MEXT) SCHOLARSHIP FOR 2012

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

MEXT (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) offers scholarships to international students who wish to study at Japanese universities as undergraduate students under the Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship Program for 2012 as follows.

FIELDS OF STUDY
Those who wish to study in Japan as an undergraduate student must choose a field of major from:
(1) Social Sciences and Humanities

• Social Sciences and Humanities-A: Laws, Politics, Pedagogy, Sociology, Literature, History, Japanese language, and others.
• Social Sciences and Humanities-B: Economics, and Business Administration.

(2) Natural Sciences

• Natural Sciences – A : Science (Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry), Electric and Electronic Studies (Electronics, Electrical Engineering, Information Engineering), Mechanical Studies (Mechanical Engineering, Naval Architecture), Civil Engineering and Architecture (Civil Engineering, Architecture, Environmental Engineering), Chemical Studies (Applied Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Industrial Chemistry, Textile Engineering), and other fields (Metallurgical Engineering, Mining Engineering, Maritime Engineering, Biotechnology).
• Natural Sciences – B : Agricultural studies (Agriculture, Agricultural Chemistry, Agricultural Engineering, Animal Science, Veterinary Medicine, Forestry, Food Science, Fisheries), Hygienic studies (Pharmacy, Hygienics, Nursing), and Science (Biology).
• Natural Sciences – C : Medicine and Dentistry.

QUALIFICATIONS

1. Nationality: Applicant must have the nationality of a country which has diplomatic relations with the Japanese government. This applies at such times to stateless persons, too. Applicant who has Japanese nationality at the time of application will not be eligible. Applicant screening will be made at the Japanese Embassy/Consulate General (hereinafter, referred to as “Japanese legation”) in the country of Applicant’s nationality (except where two or more countries are attended by the same Japanese legation).
2. Age: Applicant must have been born between April 2, 1990 and April 1, 1995.
3. Academic Background: Applicant must either have completed a 12-year regular course of school education or have graduated from a school equivalent to an upper secondary school in Japan. (Included is any Applicant who will satisfy the above qualifications by March, 2012.)
4. Japanese Language: The Applicant must be willing to learn the Japanese language and receive university education in it.
5. Health: The Applicant must be physically and mentally healthy enough to pursue study at a university in Japan.
6. Arrival in Japan: In principle, the selected Applicant must be able to leave for and arrive in Japan between the 1st and 7th of April 2012. Travel expenses will not be provided if the Applicant chooses to travel to Japan before this set period. If the Applicant is unable to travel to Japan within the dates set, the scholarship will be cancelled. In case where the student starts from the fall semester through direct placem ent (i.e English courses), the selected applicant must be able to leave for and arrive in Japan by the date specified by the university.
7. Visa Requirement: Selected Applicants must obtain a College Student ?ryuugaku ??? visa prior to his arrival in Japan. Applicants who are already in Japan before the start of the scholarship period under a visa other than College Student ar e required to change it to College Student by the end of the month preceding the start of the scholarship. Applicants who change their resident status to any status other than “College Student” after their arrival in Japan will immediately lose their status as a Japanese government scholarship student.

TERM OF SCHOLARSHIP
Scholarship awards will be tenable for five years from April 2012 to March 2017, including one-year preparatory education in the Japanese language and other subjects due to be provided upon arrival in Japan. For scholarship grantees majoring in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine or a six-year course in pharmacy, the term of scholarship will be seven years until March 2019.

• Note 1: The preparatory education requirement can be waived for grantees who have sufficient knowledge of the Japanese language to pursue their study or who wish to enter a university which demands no Japanese language ability (via direct placement). In this case, the awards will be tenable for four years (or for six years for those majoring in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine or in a six-year course in pharmacy). If a grantee graduates earlier or withdraws from his/her undergraduate course for early college entrance, the awards will be tenable until his/her graduation or withdrawal.
• Note 2: The term of scholarship in case of direct placement will start from the time of entrance to the university, taking into account the circumstances of the accepting university.
• Note 3: In regard to six-year majors in Pharmacy, the student must undergo the common examinations (CBT=Computer-based Testing, OSCE= Objective Structured Clinical Examination) implemented prior to practical training. In cases when it is impossible to fulfill the set standards necessary for practical training, the scholarship may be cancelled.
• Note 4: If a grantee graduates from an undergraduate course and is admitted to a master’s course at a graduate school during the term of his/her scholarship, he/she may have the term extended upon successful examination by MEXT provided that he/she has outstanding academic achievement that meets certain criteria. The scholarship will be discontinued if approval is not granted.

SCHOLARSHIP BENEFITS

1. Allowance: Under the fiscal 201? budget each grantee will be provided monthly with 123,000 yen. (an additional monthly stipend of 2,000 or 3,000 yen may be provided to those undertaking study or research in specially designated regions.) (However, this will be subject to change, depending upon the annual budget for each year).
2. Traveling Costs: Transportation to Japan: Each grantee will be provided, according to his/her itinerary and route as designated by MEXT, with an economy class air ticket from the international airport closest to his/her place of residence to Narita International Airport (or following the itinerary normally used by the university where the grantee is placed). E
3. School Fees: Fees for entrance examinations, matriculation and tuition at universities will be paid by the Japanese government.

SELECTION

1. In cooperation with the governments of the applicants’ countries the Japanese legation will perform primary screening of applicants by means of submitted application documents, interviews and academic examinations
2. Results of primary screening will be notified to each applicant on the date designated by the Japanese legation.
3. Applicants who have been selected by this primary screening will be recommended to MEXT.
4. MEXT will perform final selection of the recommended applicants and select scholarship grantees.

PREPARATORY EDUCATION PRIOR TO PLACEMENT AT UNIVERSITY

1. Preparatory Education prior to Placement at University: Each grantee will be enrolled at a preparatory school designated by MEXT for a one-year intensive course in the Japanese language and other subjects necessary for preparation for proceeding to university. The preparatory course lasts for one year. Its curriculum will mainly consist of education in the Japanese language, but will include other subjects
2. Please note that a grantee will not be allowed to proceed to university if he/she is determined incapable of completing the prescribed course at the preparatory school. (He/she will be required to return home upon such determination.) This preparatory education requirement can be waived for a grantee who has sufficient knowledge of the Japanese language to pursue his/her study at university or who wishes to enter a university without the Japanese language requirement (via direct placement).
3. Change of Major Field of Study: A grantee will not be permitted to change his/her major field of study between Social Sciences, Humanities and Natural Sciences, nor between Social Sciences and Humanities A and B, or between Natural Sciences A, B, and C.
4. Subjects to be Studied: A grantee must study compulsory subjects as determined by the preparatory school even if he/she has already studied them at a university outside Japan.

UNIVERSITY EDUCATION

1. Entrance into University: A grantee who has completed the preparatory education will go on to the university designated by MEXT upon passing its entrance examination. The university whose examination a grantee will take will be decided by MEXT in consultation with the university and the preparatory school and in comprehensive consideration of the results of the academic examination in the primary screening held in his/her home country, academic achievement at the preparatory school, the grantee’s proposed major subject, and the receiving capacity of the university. No objection by the grantee against the decision will be allowed.
2. Academic Year: The academic year begins on April 1 each year and ends on March 31 the next year.
3. Language Used in Education: All classes will be given in the Japanese language (except where a grantee is placed at a university which requires no Japanese language ability).
4. Degree of “Gakushi”( Bachelor’s Degree ): If a grantee attends the designated university for the prescribed number of years and earns the number of credits as determined by the university, he/she will be awarded the degree of “Gakushi.”
5. Change of Major Field of Study and Subjects to be Studied: 6 (2) and 6 (3) above will apply.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

Applicants must submit the following documents to the Japanese legation by the required date. The submitted documents will not be returned.

1. Application (by the prescribed forms)
2. Application (Attachment) (prescribed form for applicants for direct placement)
3. Photographs (4.5 x 3.5 cm, Upper body, Full-faced, Uncapped) taken within the past 6 months (name and nationality should be written on the reverse; photo to be pasted onto the application documents. Digital photographs also acceptable)
4. Academic transcript for the past 3 years
5. Recommendation from the principal or the adviser of the last school attended
6. Graduation certificate of the last school attended (or certificate of expected graduation for an applicant due to graduate)
7. Certificate of passage of university entrance qualification examination (if applicable)
8. Certificate of enrollment (for an applicant currently enrolled in a university)
9. Medical certificate (on the prescribed form)
   

   

More information on the

JAPANESE GOVERNMENT Undergraduate SCHOLARSHIPS

OTHER  International Student Scholarship OPPORTUNITIES

FREE UNDERGRADUATE International Student SCHOLARSHIPS

Canadian Undergraduate International Student Scholarships

• Canadian Universities offer a world class education and generous scholarships to international students. Here’s our list of the best opportunities.

U.S. Undergraduate International Student Scholarships

• Numerous US Universities offer scholarships for international students. We list only the best opportunities here.

TOP 10 Undergraduate International Student Scholarships

• We’ve examined scholarship opportunities from 100’s of schools and only these make our TOP 10 list.

Receive our Best International Student Scholarships Opportunities by Email