The benefits of starting as a research student prior to your graduate program

You can initiate your research under faculty supervision before admission to our graduate school. During this period, you can also brush up on Japanese through a Japanese language program provided by the Hokkaido University International Student Center. Lessons are free of charge.

Please have a look at our FAQs to see if we can answer any questions you might have.

Also visit How to Apply for Graduate Study.

Note on language requirements

Master’s degree programs

Please be advised that the master’s curriculum is mainly delivered through coursework and lectures in Japanese. You will be required to have a certain Japanese language proficiency upon application to follow classes and group work. We suggest that you start as a ‘research student’ at Hokkaido University while waiting for the master’s program of your choice to begin in April.

Doctoral degree programs

There is no minimum Japanese language proficiency required of PhD candidates.

Research Student Admissions

Go to the Graduate School of Health Sciences to determine which degree program to pursue, and a prospective research supervisor (either a professor or associate professor). Reach out to the faculty member directly to discuss your research proposal. As with degree programs, you can apply for a research student position only after gaining consent for acceptance from the faculty. Research student admission guidelines will be communicated through the faculty.