Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies

Waseda University

MA Admissions

MA Admissions

Screening Schedules

The following is a general schedule for the entrance examinations for “General Admissions” and “Special Admissions for International Development”. Please refer to the application guidelines for details.
※Please refer to the link for the schedule of Special Admissions for Graduating Waseda University Students and 5BM Admissions for Waseda SILS students.

Matriculation Application Period Final Result
April Late August to early September of the year prior to enrollment Late November
September Early to mid-March of the year of enrollment Late May

MA Program Project Research List

MA Program Project Research List

Instruction and Notes for application

The short video (2.5 minutes) outlines the application process and points to keep in mind when you apply for the GSAPS.
Please make sure to check here before you start application preparation.*Please note that music will be played.

【English Ver.】How to apply for GSAPS? GSAPSへの出願方法

The following section contains the application guides and forms for the “English-based program”.
If you wish to check the guidelines for the “Japanese-based program（日本語履修）”,
please refer to the Japanese page.

GSAPS Application Guides

Schedule for the Release of Application guides
April Entrance: Available around July of the year before enrollment
September Entrance: Available around late December of the year before enrollment

September 2026 Entrance　MA course Application Guides/Designated Forms

Important Notices for entrance examinations targeting students entering September 2026

１．The Validity Period of Language Proficiency Test Results Required for Admissions
２．Notice of Change to Language Proficiency Test Requirements for Admissions

Application Guides

◆　 General Admissions for September 2026 Entrance【English-based program】*Scheduled to be released in late December 2025

◆　 Special Admissions for International Development for September 2026 Entrance 【English-based program】*Scheduled to be released in late December 2025）

※Please refer to the link for Application Guides for Special Admissions for Graduating Waseda University Students and 5BM Admissions for Waseda SILS students.

Designated Forms

◆　Essay A: Research Plan 【Form】
*A link to “Essay A: Research Plan” is provided in the linked PDF document.

◆　 Application Form for Application Fee Waiver, Waseda University*If applicable

Eligibility

MA Program Enrollment Capacity 120 / year

For the General Admissions, applicants must meet at least one of the eligibility requirements listed. Please note that the eligibility criteria are subject to change, so be sure to check the official application guidelines.

Admissions
Categories		 Eligibility
General
Admissions
  1. Those who have graduated or are scheduled to graduate from a university by the entrance period that applicants wish to matriculate.
  2. Those who have received a Bachelor’s Degree from the National Institution for Academic Degrees and Quality Enhancement of Higher Education or are scheduled to receive such a degree by the entrance period that applicants wish to matriculate.
  3. Those who have completed 16 years of standard school education overseas or are scheduled to complete such education by the entrance period that applicants wish to matriculate.
  4. Those who have completed a more than 3 years program in a university outside Japan or are scheduled to complete such education and hold a bachelor degree by the entrance period that applicants wish to matriculate.
  5. Those who are designated by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology by the entrance period that applicants wish to matriculate. (Please contact the GSAPS Admissions Office for details.)
  6. Those who have been enrolled at a university for more than three years (or have completed 15 years of school education overseas or are scheduled to complete such education by the entrance period that applicants wish to matriculate) and have been recognized by GSAPS as having earned a specified number of credits with an excellent academic record.
  7. Those who have been recognized by GSAPS as possessing academic credentials superior to those of university graduates through an individual entrance requirements screening process and are scheduled to reach 22 years of age by the entrance period that applicants wish to matriculate.

※“University” mentioned in requirements 1 and 6 refers to a university which is approved by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan.

※Graduates from three-year specialized college (zhuanke) programs in China do not meet “5” above. (However, those who have graduated from a four-year (benke) program after graduating from a three-year program and completed 16 years of school education fulfill “3”.)

※Prospective applicants who are unsure if they can fulfill the requirements 6 and 7, must confirm their eligibility with the admission office prior to the application. Please check the application guide for more details.
Special
Admissions
for
International
Development		 Applicants must fulfill the “Applicant Qualifications for General Admissions” and all of the following criteria to be eligible to apply for ‘Special Admissions for International Development’.
(1)Applicants must be Japanese or Special Permanent Residents.
(2) Those who have overseas experiences of more than one year in the following fields:
Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers, expert investigator in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, officer in an overseas diplomatic office, international civil servants such as with the United Nations, international NGOs, overseas CSR activities, or other international development activities.
Scholarship Admissions Applicants must fulfill the “Applicant Qualifications for General Admissions” and the criteria to apply to “Scholarship Admissions”.
Please note that the criteria for Scholarship Admissions are different by scholarship.
Please refer to the “Scholarship Admissions“.

Other Information

  • Application guide for GSAPS Excellence Awards Scholarship (For Japanese Applicants for the MA program) can be referred on this page.
  • If you expect to require reasonable accommodation during the entrance examination or after entering the university owing to a disability or serious medical condition, etc., please refer to the application guide and contact the relevant school office before submitting your application.
    Regardless of the type of entrance examination, answers to frequently asked questions can be found here. Please be sure to review them as well.
  • For MEXT Admissions (Japanese Government Scholarship), please refer to this page.
  • Click here for the FAQ

Inquiry to the Admissons Office

If the above information do not resolve your issue, please contact us from the form below.
It is not required to make prior contact or appointments with the faculty member(s) of your desired research project before the application. However, if you would like to do so, please send your CV and research plan to us through the same form with a message for the faculty member. We will forward it to them through the GSAPS Admissions Office. The email addresses of GSAPS faculty members are not open to the public.
Please note that we cannot guarantee a reply from the faculty member, and contact with GSAPS faculty members is not permitted once the application period starts.