Graduate School of LawWaseda University

Admission Schedule for April 2026 Entry

(Time of Enrollment for AY 2026 is April ONLY. No September Entry.)

*1) All required application materials (including recommendation letters from referrers) should be submitted on the web application system (TAO).
*2) Step 1 and Step 2 are required for the application. If one step is not satisfied within the deadline, your application will not be accepted.

NOTE:
-For more details, please refer to the application guidelines.
-We do not accept any inquiries after 3pm (Japan Time) on the last day of the application period (Aug. 22, 2025).

Application Guidelines

※Guidelines for 2026 Entry will be uploaded around July 18, 2025.

Application Guidelines for April 2026 Entry

Materials/Designated Forms

• Web Application  (TBA: only available from July 18 ~ Aug 22, 2025 in Japan Time)
• Application Form 
• Reason for Application
• Recommendation Letter
• Statement of Financial Resources
• Application Form for Screening Fee Waiver

TOEFL/ IELTS/ TOEIC

All applicants who are not native speakers of English or do not have receive a degree from an institute of higher education (university of higher) in English-speaking countries are required to submit English test results.

TOEFL iBT
According to their website, the official score reports will be sent to recipients approximately 13 days after your test date. Please refer to the URL below for their test schedule.
https://www.ets.org/toefl.html

IELTS
According to the website, IELTS score report will be available 13 days after you complete the test.
Please find their test schedule from the URL below.
https://www.ielts.org/book-a-test/find-a-test-location

TOEIC
The official website says that TOEIC score takes 2 to 4 weeks to be sent to recipients.
Please check the test schedule on their website.
https://www.ets.org/toeic.html

The Waseda LL.M. is considerably more affordable than comparable programs in the English-speaking world.

• If you are currently enrolled in, graduated from, completed, or withdrawn from an undergraduate, graduate , or specialized program of Waseda University, you are not required to pay the Admission Fee.
• If you are currently enrolled in or graduated from any school of Waseda University, you are not required to pay 40,000 JPY from Membership Fees (Alumni Association Fee).
• If you are currently enrolled in or graduated from the School of Law, Waseda University, you are not required to pay 2,000 JPY from Membership Fees (Waseda University Academic Society Enrollment Fee).
• For more information of the fee deduction, please refer to the “Guide to Enrollment of Procedures” sent to successful applicants.

Based on its educational philosophy of “Independence of Learning,” Waseda University welcomes many students from Japan and the rest of the world who have a solid basic academic ability and thriving intellectual curiosity, a rich spirit of enterprise reflecting this university’s philosophy, and a strong motivation to study. In this Graduate School, we recognize that there are many talented people from diverse backgrounds, including new graduates who wish to conduct research in their own special field of law, mature students who wish to enhance their expertise in specific fields of law, others with legal qualifications or commensurate ability who wish to improve their research skills, and international students seeking to receive a high-level legal education in Japan. We will create and operate an appropriate entrance selection system to address this diversity and to attain our goal of nurturing human resources who not only have advanced skill in legal research, but also have a “legal mind” and can convey the outcome of their research constructively and with precise logic. Given that one of our missions is to train researchers, it is only natural that certain levels of academic knowledge and ability are expected requirements for selection; but it is also desirable to accept students who spare no effort and motivation in maximizing their own latent ability.

The LL.M. curriculum is robust yet flexible. It provides both a solid theoretical foundation and real-life know-how while allowing students to freely pursue their own intellectual interests. The program requires 15 semester-long courses (2 required courses; 1 required elective courses; 12 elective courses) for completion. Each course meets weekly for 100 minutes, and small class size – about 10 students each – ensures an interactive, engaging learning experience. The program culminates in a master’s thesis, usually a research paper on a topic of the student’s interest. Although Japanese language is not required, students can choose to take a Japanese language course, which counts towards the degree requirement. International students can also enroll in additional Japanese language courses offered by the Center for Japanese Language (as non-credit courses).

Full-time students are expected to complete the curriculum in one Japanese academic year, which begins in April and ends the following March.

Prospective students may qualify for scholarships from Waseda, the Japanese government, and other funding sources. Students will apply for scholarships after entering the school (in April).

1) Is it necessary to contact a professor before applying?

No, it is not necessary for this program.

2) Is a law undergraduate degree necessary?

A law degree (eg. BA in Law, LL.B., JD, etc.) or equivalent legal knowledge and experience is required for admission. If an applicant has no formal law degree, he/she should state his/her equivalent knowledge and experience on a separate sheet and submit it with other application documents.

3) Is September Entry available?

No, only April Entry is available for this program.

4) How can I apply for school scholarships?

All scholarships will be offered after the entrance. Students are screened by professors based on their transcripts submitted and other application materials as a whole. And the school awards scholarships to a select number of qualified students. Please note that the number of scholarships available is limited and they are highly competitive. Every year, about the half of the international students receive some kind of scholarships.

5) Is there any minimum English score required to apply?

There is no minimum TOEIC/ TOEFL or IELTS score required for application.
We do not automatically reject any application even if his/her score is low, but we do look at them and the score may affect your application’s success.

6) Is a score of online English test acceptable?

No,  any scores of online version of TOEIC/ TOEFL or IELTS are not acceptable.

7) Can I apply even if I will not have a bachelor’s degree by the date of entrance?

No, the LL.M. is a master program, so a bachelor’s degree or higher is required.
Also, all LL.M. classes start in April and you have to participate from the first orientation scheduled in the beginning of April. Therefore, you have to have a bachelor’s or higher degree before attending classes starting in April.

8) How can I apply for school scholarships?

All scholarships will be offered after the entrance. Students are screened by professors based on their transcripts submitted and other application materials as a whole. And the school awards scholarships to a select number of qualified students. Please note that the number of scholarships available is limited and they are highly competitive. Every year, about the half of the international students receive some kind of scholarships.

For more information, please refer to “Applicant Eligibility” on the Application Guidelines.