Graduate School of Political ScienceWaseda University

With the goal of producing graduates who play leadership roles in international society, Waseda University has made it a priority to open its doors to the world and welcome a large number of students from overseas. The Graduate School of Political Science has long accepted foreign students proficient in Japanese. In addition, starting in September 2010, the GSPS has aimed to make further contributions to global social progress by launching English-based degree programs, in which students can earn credits by taking classes conducted in English and write their thesis/dissertations in English.

The admissions process at the Graduate School of Political Science is referred to as the entrance examination. The entrance examination is based on a holistic review of written application documents, especially the research plan submitted by applicants, and an interview (referred to as an “oral examination”). Only applicants who pass the first screening (document review) will be invited to an interview for the second screening (oral examination). Interviews are conducted online.
As indicated in the table below, we have different types of admissions depending on the program and the applicant. For each type of admissions, we provide links to the complete Application Guidelines and various application documents in the respective sections below. Please check the FAQ as well.

Please note that this table refers only to the English-based degree program admissions. You may refer to our website in Japanese for the Japanese-based degree programs.  Beginning with the 2023 academic year, all admissions for the English-based graduate programs at the Graduate School of Political Science are for September entry only, whereas all admissions for the Japanese-based graduate programs are for April entry.

*Open only to undergraduate students at WASEDA University

Admission Schedule

Admission Schedule

Open to undergraduate students at WASEDA University only.

 Admission Schedule

September 2025 Admission

 Application Documents

Admission Schedule

September 2025 Admission

*Please note that the Admission Schedule will differ depending on whether you are an Overseas Applicant or a Domestic Applicant.

Admission Process for September AY2024