2025 Application Guidelines for MEXT Scholarship for International Priority Graduate Programs (IPGP) - Division of Information Science -
The Division of Information Science is calling for candidates for the Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship. If you wish to apply for this scholarship, please contact the Division of Information Science laboratory you wish to enter.
1. Number of MEXT scholarships
Master's course 4
Doctoral course a few
2. Enrollment date
October 1, 2025
(Students must enter either the master's or doctoral course on the above date. Research students are not accepted under this program.)
3. Scholarship benefits
- Monthly scholarship amount*
(Master's course) 144,000 yen (Doctoral course) 145,000 yen - Exemption of tuition and entrance fees
- Travel expenses (limited to airfare) from their country to Japan will be provided upon acceptance.
- Travel expenses (limited to airfare) to return to their country will be provided after completing the program.
*The amount is subject to change depending on the annual budget of the following year.
4. Scholarship term
Master's course From October 2025 to September 2027
Doctoral course From October 2025 to September 2028
QUALIFICATIONS FOR APPLICATION
Applicants must fulfill all of the following qualifications.
- Applicants who have the nationality of a country which has diplomatic relations with Japan.
- Applicants who will come to Japan in order to enter NAIST under this program.
- Applicants who were born after April 2, 1990.
- Applicants who have an excellent academic record. (They must have average grade points (*1) of 2.30 or higher in the course they are currently enrolled in (or in the case of graduates, in the last course they were attended) and are expected to maintain this points during the duration of the scholarship.)
- [For master's course applicants]
a. Applicants who have completed or will complete a 16-year school curriculum by September 30, 2025, or
b. Applicants who have been recognized by NAIST through Preliminary Screening of Applicant Suitability (*2) as having the academic ability equivalent or superior to the level of a bachelor's degree, and are 22 years old or older by the enrollment date. - [For doctoral course applicants]
a. Applicants who have a master's degree by September 30, 2025, or
b. Applicants who have been recognized by NAIST through Preliminary Screening of Applicant Suitability as having the academic ability equivalent or superior to the level of a master's degree, and are 24 years old or older by the enrollment date.
*1. For the average grade points calculation, please see the following page.
http://www.naist.jp/en/international_students/prospective_students/financial_support/doc/calculation.pdf
*2. For detailed information on Preliminary Screening of Applicant Suitability, please contact the IPGP Screening Committee.
Note: The following people are not eligible for the scholarship
Ⅰ. Active military personnel or military civilian employees.
Ⅱ. Those who have already accepted a scholarship from an organization other than MEXT (including the government of their country).
Ⅲ. Those applying for this scholarship through other universities or applying for other support programs for international students from MEXT or Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO).
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS
| a | Application for MEXT scholarship |
Form available here. |
|---|---|---|
| b | Field of study and study program |
Form available here. In "Field of study" section, you write the outline of your current research field. In "Study program" section, you write your study plan after enrolling in NAIST. |
| c | Letter of recommendation | Form available here. (Any format is acceptable if it contains the same information). Must be issued by the Dean, the person corresponding to the Dean, or person of higher authority, and addressed to the President of NAIST. |
| d | Photo (4.5cm x 3.5cm) | A full-faced photo without headwear (except religious), taken within the past 6 months. |
| e | Proof of citizenship | A passport copy is preferable. |
| f | Academic transcript | [Master's course applicants] Undergraduate transcript [Doctoral course applicants] Both undergraduate and master's transcripts |
| g | Graduation certificate or certificate of academic degree | Must be issued by the last university attended. If you are expected to graduate, you must submit a document certifying that you will graduate before September 30, 2025. |
| h | Evaluation report on applicant | Form available here. (Any format is acceptable if it contains the same information). |
| i | Certification of language proficiency | English (please submit one of the following documents) 1.Scores of TOEIC, TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo or equivalent obtained after January 2023 (copy is acceptable) *CEFR B2-level or higher is required. *If your score is under B2-level, we will accept the score for preliminary screening. However, please note that you will need to obtain B2-level or higher for final recommendation to MEXT by January 31. 2.An official document which certifies that English is the main language used for your undergraduate or master's course. Japanese (if you have one) Scores of JLPT (copy is acceptable) *N2-level or higher level is preferable. |
| j | Letter of acceptance | Form available here. Must be written by a prospective supervising professor in NAIST. *The Letter of Acceptance should only be requested for one faculty member at a time (not for several faculty members at the same time). |
| k | Abstract of thesis | Any format is acceptable. (If you haven't written graduation thesis yet, summary of research is acceptable.) |
Note
Ⅰ. If documents are written in a language other than Japanese or English, please attach a Japanese or English translation.
Ⅱ. All private information is used only for the purpose of screening and is not used for any other purpose.
Ⅲ. If any false information is discovered in the submitted documents, applicants will be disqualified from screening.
SCREENING
1. Screening process
Applicants will be screened by IPGP Screening Committee of the Division of Information Science on the basis of the submitted documents. Interviews through internet/e-mail may be conducted if necessary.
We will select the top 4 applicants from master's course and the top few applicants from doctoral course as candidates for MEXT scholarship. Following this, NAIST will send the candidates' application forms to MEXT.
Although the formal decision is made by MEXT, applicants' status is essentially guaranteed when they are selected as candidates by NAIST.
2. Application period
October 16, 2024 - November 15, 2024
Applicants must send all required documents by e-mail to your prospective supervising professor (Please CC:naist-ipgp[at]is.naist.jp). The supervising professor will write letter of acceptance and send it to IPGP Screening Committee along with the submitted documents.
*Applicants can contact a prospective supervisor before the above application period.
*The Letter of Acceptance should only be requested for one faculty member at a time (not for several faculty members at the same time).
3. Results of preliminary screening
Results will be sent by e-mail by December 26, 2024.
4. Secondary screening (NAIST entrance examination)
If applicants pass the preliminary screening, they must take the entrance examination on the following days.
The detailed information of the application process will be sent by e-mail.
Entrance examination schedule
| Course | Application period | Dates of examination |
|---|---|---|
| Master's course | February 3 - 5, 2025 | March 5, 2025 |
| Doctoral course | January 20 - 22, 2025 | February 17 - 18, 2025 |
Ⅰ. The application guidelines for the entrance examination can be found here.
Those who passed the IPGP preliminary screening do not need to go through the "Pre-application procedure for the NAIST Entrance Examination".
Ⅱ. If applicants fulfill all of the following conditions, they can apply for the Screening of International Students by Special Recommendation, in which they are evaluated according to the application documents. The detailed information of the Screening will be notified to each examinee.
a. Applicants are a registered student, faculty member or researcher at, or have graduated from a university which has an Academic Exchange Agreement with NAIST. (List of the partner universities)
b. Applicants have a letter of recommendation signed by the president or dean of the partner university.
Screening of International Students by Special Recommendation schedule
| Course | Application period | Announcement of results |
|---|---|---|
| Master's course | February 3-7, 2025 | February 21, 2025 |
| Doctoral course |
5. Final results
Final results will be announced by MEXT around June - July. NAIST will notify the applicants of the results soon afterwards.
CONTACT ADDRESS
If you have any further questions regarding the application guidelines, please contact us at the following address.
About screening process
IPGP Screening Committee
Division of Information Science
Nara Institute of Science and Technology
8916-5, Takayama, Ikoma, Nara 630-0192, Japan
E-mail:naist-ipgp[at]is.naist.jp
About scholarship information
International Student Affairs Section
International Affairs Division
Nara Institute of Science and Technology
8916-5, Takayama, Ikoma, Nara 630-0192, Japan
Phone: +81(743)72-5087 Fax: +81(743)72-6244
E-mail:ryugaku[at]ad.naist.jp
