Monbukagakusho Scholarship - Scholarship Types

Scholarship Types

There are seven types of Japanese government-sponsored scholarships available under the Japanese Government (Monbu-kagaku-shō) Scholarship program: those for research students, teacher training students, undergraduate university students, Japanese studies students, college of technology students, special training students and YLP students.

Research students: You must be under 35 years of age and a college graduate (includes prospective graduates). Or you must have completed 16 years of schooling. This programs allows the recipients to apply for a Graduate Degree Program (Masters and/or PhD) given that they passed their assigned University's entrance examination.

Teacher training students: You must be under 35 years of age and a graduate of a college or teacher training college. You must have at least five years of active experience as a teacher in a primary, secondary or teacher training college in your country. (Please note that college and university teachers currently in active service are not considered for this scholarship).

Undergraduate university students: You must be at least 17 and under 22 years of age and have completed 12 years of school education or have completed courses in a school comparable to a high school (includes prospective graduates).

Every year a large number of students are enrolled by embassy recommendation (see below). Each half of the contingent undergoes a 1-year preparatory program at eitherOsaka University Center for Japanese language and culture or Tokyo University of Foreign Studies before entering a 4-year undergraduate program at one of 87 Japanese national universities.

Japanese studies students: Applicants must be from 18 to 30 years old. Applicants must be enrolled as undergraduate students in faculties or schools which major in Japanese language or Japanese culture in a university outside Japan at the time when they come to Japan and must be enrolled in the home institution at the time when they return to their home countries. Students majoring in the fields other than Japanese language or Japanese culture who wish to study various aspects of Japan ( engineering, economy, agriculture, architecture, art, etc.) as part of their major studies should apply to the JASSO (Japan Student Services Organization) for admission to the Short-term Student Exchange Promotion Program.

College of technology students: You must be at least 17 and under 22 years of age and have completed school education comparable to a high school (a minimum of 11 years beginning in primary school) education (includes prospective graduates).

Special training college students: You must be at least 17 and under 22 years of age and have completed 12 years of schooling or have completed school education comparable to a Japanese high school (includes prospective graduates).

Young Leaders' Program (YLP) students: Applicants must be young public administrators and so on, from Asian and other countries participating in the YLP who are expected to play active roles as future national leaders in their respective countries. The participants must be university or college graduates, who have at least 3–5 years' work experiences in public administration or enterprises and so on(*). The screening of the participants is based on recommendations of the recommending authorities.