Admission Information for Research Student and Graduate Research Student of School/Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University (For Privately Financed International Students)

1. About the Research Student Program

A Research Student (研究生 or Kenkyusei) and Graduate Research Student (大学院研究生or Daigakuin Kenkyusei) are a non-degree seeking student who pursues their research under the supervision of an academic advisor and prepares to enroll in a postgraduate program at Nagoya University. Non-Japanese citizens who wish to study in the Research Student Program and seek a college student visa will be provided a Certificate of Residence when given an admission offer by the School of Engineering. No certificate or transcript will be offered upon completion of the program.

Beside Research Student program, you can directly apply for the G30 International Graduate Programs through internet, which are full-degree programs taught in English. Please refer here for more details about the programs and admission information.

2. Eligibility

Notice:
Applicants must contact their prospective supervisor before the application deadline. Only those who have obtained permission from their prospective supervisor to submit an application may apply through NU-AAS.

2-1 Undergraduate Research Student

1. Those who have graduated or expect to graduate from a university conferred with a degree in Engineering or a related field of study.
2. Those confirmed by the Faculty Council as equivalent to (a.) who possess ability to conduct academic and research activities as a Research Student.

2-2 Graduate Research Student

1. Those who possess or expect to acquire a master’s degree.
2. Those confirmed by the Faculty Council as equivalent to (a) who possess academic ability to conduct academic and research activities as a Graduate Research Student.

3. Admission and application period

    Application period for April 2027 Entry: (Tentative) 
    From 10:00 on Tuesday, September 1, 2026 to 17:00 on Friday, September 18, 2026 (Japan Standard Time)

    Application period for October 2026 Entry: (Closed)
    From 10:00 on Friday, February 20, 2026 to 17:00 on Monday, March 16, 2026 (Japan Standard Time)

4. Application Fee and Payment method

    Application fee ¥ 9,800 should be paid online, and instructions will be sent directly to applicants who pass the STEP1 by email.

5. Application Procedure

Application to the Research Student Program at the Graduate School / School of Engineering must be conducted online through the NU-AAS (Nagoya University Admission Assistance System).
The application procedure consists of two steps and only the first step of the application process is shown below.
Applicants who are successful in a comprehensive selection process consisting of document screening and an interview during the first step can proceed to the second step and will receive further instructions.
The results for the first step will be notified via email.

5.1 Find a faculty member to be your prospective Academic Supervisor.

      Please refer to the following link to find out your preferred department and a prospective academic supervisor.

     https://www.engg.nagoya-u.ac.jp/en/dept/dept.html

Notice for applicants who apply for Graduate Department of Materials Physics:

•  Please also consider applying for the Global 30 International Graduate Program for Engineering Physics. More information about the program and admission can be found here.
•  Make sure to contact your prospective academic supervisor in advance before applying for the program. Click here for information about laboratory/research group at Engineering Physics.

5.2 Make your application through NU-AAS

      Access the following URL and follow the instructions to create your account and complete the First step procedure.

     Online application URL:

     https://aas.iee.nagoya-u.ac.jp/apply/index.cgi

     Application period for April 2027 Entry (Tentative): 

    From 10:00 on Tuesday, September 1, 2026 to 17:00 on Friday, September 18, 2026 (Japan Standard Time)

5.3 Receive the notification of result and proceed to the second step if approved

The NU-AAS will carefully screen your documents and contact your prospective supervisor. The supervisor will determine whether or not direct contact with him/her can be initiated and whether or not you will be invited to participate in an online interview. The result of the first step will be sent to you by email through NU-AAS.

• If approved: You can proceed to the second step. Please follow the instructions carefully and complete every procedure within the designated period. Also, please note that you have not been approved for admission at this stage.
• If not approved: Please look for another school/graduate school of Nagoya University or another university.

6.  Required Documents for the first step of NU-AAS (STEP1)

Make sure to follow the following instructions to prepare your application documents:

*  At Nagoya University (Tokai National Higher Education and Research System), based on the “Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act,” we have established security export management regulations called the “Tokai National Higher Education and Research System Security Export Control Regulations” (hereinafter referred to as the “Regulations”), and we conduct strict reviews on the export of goods and the provision of technology (including the acceptance of people). Please note that if the regulations are violated, admission may not be permitted (※) even if you pass the entrance examination selection, or restrictions may be imposed on research activities, etc. after admission. For more details, please refer to the website below. Applicable individuals will be notified separately.
※Even if admission is not granted, the application fee already paid will not be refunded.
https://www.aip.nagoya-u.ac.jp/securityexport-extramural

* Each document should be written in English or Japanese. If it is written in other language, the translated document in English or in Japanese should be attached.
* For detailed information about all required documents please refer to the NU-AAS Checklist.　

1. Research proposal (Approximately 1,500 characters in Japanese or 800 words in English including a research title and references)
2. Application form and Declaration of applicable specific categories (designated form for Research Student)
3. Official transcript(s) of academic records (Graduate students should submit academic records for both undergraduate and graduate studies)
4. Certificate of graduation and degree (or certificate of expected graduation)
5. Online verification report of higher education qualification certificate or online verification report of student record (Only for applicants from mainland China. It can be obtained after register on the Chinese Ministry of Education website ＜http://www.chsi.com.cn/xlcx/bgys.jsp＞)
6. Letter of recommendation (designated form)
7. Document proving Japanese or English language proficiency (Certificate of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test, or certificate written by the applicant’s Japanese language instructor for Japanese. TOEFL / IELTS score for English)

7.  Required Documents for the second step of NU-AAS (STEP2)

Please note that from 2026, a new document has been added: a copy of the Tuberculosis Clearance Certificate. For details, please refer to the link below:

Precautions Regarding Implementation of Japan Pre-Entry Tuberculosis Screening

* For details on other STEP2 application documents, please refer to the NU-AAS Checklist.　

8.  Selection Method

     A comprehensive selection process consists of document screening and an interview.

9. Announcement of Screening Result and Enrollment

    Each applicant will be directly notified of the result of the screening after the selection process.
    Enrollees are required to pay the registration fee and 6-month tuition at the time of enrollment.

• Entrance fee 84,600
• Tuition fee 178,200 per semester (29,700 per month)

    *Non-refundable. Please note that actual tuition is subject to change and could differ from the amount shown above.

10. Frequently Asked Questions

     Please refer here for the FAQ.

11. Inquiries and Information regarding NU-AAS and Research Student Admissions

      If you have a question for the NU-AAS that is not covered in the FAQ above, please send an email inquiry with the title: “[Question for April 2027 entry (your name, your home university)]” 

    ◇ Email address: eng-admission*a*int.engg.nagoya-u.ac.jp (replace *a* with the＠symbol)