Once you start down the MEXT Scholarship path, you may want to keep going, so you’ll need to know about the scholarship extension application process.
In many cases, no information is available about the extension application before it is time to apply, so scholarship winners worry about this extension. Here are just a few of the questions I often receive in blog comments and by email:
- It is easy (or guaranteed) to extend your scholarship?
- Is it possible to extend my scholarship to move up to the next degree?
- Can I extend my scholarship and move to a different university?
- What are the requirements to extend a MEXT Scholarship?
- Am I eligible to extend my MEXT scholarship?
- How/when do I apply to extend my MEXT Scholarship?
In this article I will explain how the MEXT scholarship extension application system works, who is and is not eligible to extend their scholarship, and everything you need to know about eligibility and requirements. I will explain each type of extension separately, so scroll down to the scholarship extension type you are most interested in for more details. (But read the next section first!)
These guidelines are current as of 2019, for students extending their scholarship within that academic year.
When is it Impossible to Extend your MEXT Scholarship?
There are a few situations where it is impossible to extend your scholarship. Fortunately, these situations will apply to a very, very small number of students, but let’s get them out of the way first:
- If you will not be moving on to a new level. (For example, you cannot extend your scholarship award time as a research student or Master’s student beyond 2 years, or your time as a Doctoral student beyond 3 years.)
- If you are already a doctoral degree student.
- If you are in a degree program and want to become a research student.
- If you are a University Recommended MEXT Scholar and want to change universities.
- If you are a PGP Scholarship Winner, but your university has no PGP scholarship slots in the next degree level for the year you would advance.
- If you require permission from your employer or home country government to extend your MEXT scholarship and fail to obtain it.
- If you intend to conduct fieldwork or participate in an internship outside of Japan after extending your scholarship.
- If you fail to obtain acceptance to the degree program at the next level that you plan to apply for.
Who Can Extend Their Scholarship?
Here is a list of the different scholarship extension types and who is eligible. You can find more details about each extension in the sections below’
| Started As | Current Status | Extending To | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research Student | Research Student | Masters or Doctoral Degree Program (including professional degree programs) |
|
| Non-PGP: Research Student or Master’s Degree Student |
Master’s Degree Student (including professional degree programs) | Doctoral Degree (including professional degree programs) |
|
| Non-PGP: Bachelor’s Degree Student | Bachelor’s Degree Student | Master’s Degree (including professional degree programs) or Doctoral Degree, in the case of a 6-year undergraduate program in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, or veterinary studies |
|
| Non-PGP: Bachelor’s Degree Student College of Technology Student Specialized Training College Student |
Master’s Degree Student | Doctoral Degree (including professional degree programs) | |
| College of Technology Student | College of Technology Student | Bachelor’s Degree Student (3rd year transfer enrollee) or advanced course at the College of Technology | |
| Specialized Training College Student | Specialized Training College Student | Bachelor’s Degree Student (3rd year transfer enrollee) | |
| College of Technology Student Specialized Training College Student |
Bachelor’s Degree Student | Master’s Degree | |
| PGP: Master’s Degree Student | Master’s Degree Student (including professional degree programs) | Doctoral Degree |
|
MEXT Scholarship Extension Application Requirements
Here are the requirements, conditions, and number of slots available for each type of extension.
Extending from Research to Degree Program
In order to extend from Research Student Status to a Degree Program, applicants must:
- Be expected to receive admission in the appropriate degree program
- Be strongly recommended by their advising professor
- Be appropriate for recommendation, as determined by the president of the university or Dean of the Graduate School
Changing Universities
For Embassy-Recommended MEXT Scholars, it is possible to change universities when moving from research student to degree-seeking student status. However, the student’s current advising professor must clearly explain the need for the change in the adviser’s section of the extension application form. Students may designate up to two universities for where they want to move up to the degree program, but if they move up to another university, they would lose their scholarship.
University-Recommended MEXT Scholars (including PGP scholars) will lose their scholarships if they change universities.
Slots
There is no limit to the number of scholars that universities can nominate in this category. However, that does not mean that all nominees will automatically be accepted for extension by MEXT. The number of successful nominees will be determined by the contents of the nomination and MEXT’s budget.
In practice, I have never heard of anyone in this situation being unsuccessful in their extension application. The caveat about MEXT’s budget is always there because they are not allowed to commit to any spending in advance of the fiscal year. It is nothing to worry about.
Extending from Master’s to Doctoral or Bachelor’s to Master: Non-PGP
This category does not include students who started as undergraduate MEXT scholars, previously extended to a Master’s degree, and are now applying to extend to a PhD. Please see below for that category.
Both of these categories have the same requirements and share a combined slot limit, so I am addressing them together.
In order to extend to the next degree level, applicants must:
- Have a GPA of 2.50/3.00 in their current degree program
- Be expected to receive admission in the appropriate degree program
- Be strongly recommended by their advising professor
- Be appropriate for recommendation, as determined by the president of the university or Dean of the Graduate School
- Be expected to complete their current degree within the standard years of enrollment
The standard years of enrollment is 4 years for a bachelor’s degree and 2 years for a master’s degree. If you take longer than that to earn your degree, you would lose your scholarship at the end of the standard years (or as soon as it became apparent that you would not finish within the standard years) and would not be able to extend your scholarship.
Changing Universities
The same condition applies as to research students extending to the degree program.
For Embassy-Recommended MEXT Scholars, it is possible to change universities when moving from research student to degree-seeking student status. However, the student’s current advising professor must clearly explain the need for the change in the adviser’s section of the extension application form. Students may designate up to two universities for where they want to move up to the degree program, but if they move up to another university, they would lose their scholarship.
Slots
The total number of students a university can nominate for these two types of extension combined is equal to the average number of nominees for the two types combined over the past three years, rounded up. If a university has not nominated any students for extension in either category over the preceding three years, the number of nominees is capped at one.
Unlike the condition for research students advancing to the degree program, above, there is no statement about not all nominees being accepted.
Former Undergraduate MEXT Scholar Extending from Master’s to Doctoral Program
In order to extend to a doctoral degree, applicants must:
- Have a GPA of 2.80/3.00 in their current master’s degree program
- Be expected to receive admission in the appropriate doctoral degree program
- Be strongly recommended by their advising professor
- Be appropriate for recommendation, as determined by the president of the university or Dean of the Graduate School
- Be expected to complete their current degree within the standard years of enrollment
The standard years of enrollment for a master’s degree program is 2 years. If you fail to complete your degree within 2 years, you would lose your scholarship at that point (or as soon as it became apparent that you would not graduate within 2 years) and would not be eligible to apply to extend your scholarship.
Slots
There is no limit to the number of scholars that universities can nominate in this category. However, that does not mean that all nominees will automatically be accepted for extension by MEXT. The number of successful nominees will be determined by the contents of the nomination and MEXT’s budget.
In practice, I have never heard of anyone in this situation being unsuccessful in their extension application. The caveat about MEXT’s budget is always there because they are not allowed to commit to any spending in advance of the fiscal year. It is nothing to worry about.
College of Technology MEXT Scholar Extending to Bachelor’s Program or Advanced Courses at the College of Technology
In order to extend to a bachelor’s degree transfer student, applicants must:
- Have a GPA of 2.80/3.00 in their current program with a class attendance rate of 95% or better
- Be expected to receive transfer admission into the third year* of the appropriate bachelor’s degree program
- Be strongly recommended by their advising professor
- Be appropriate for recommendation, as determined by the president of the university or Dean of the Graduate School
- Have a clear connection between their current field of study and the field of study to be pursued in the bachelor’s degree
*For students who are not able to meet this criteria, the nominating school must consult with MEXT in advance. Applicants are responsible for researching the possibility and availability of transfer applications at their desired programs in advance to ensure it is possible.
Changing Universities
Allowed (required if transferring to a bachelor’s degree). Applicants may select up to two universities, two advanced courses at colleges of technology, or one of each, that they want to proceed to.
Slots
In general, up to 1 nominee per College of Technology. However, that does not mean that all nominees will automatically be accepted for extension by MEXT. The number of successful nominees will be determined by the contents of the nomination and MEXT’s budget.
Specialized Training College MEXT Scholar
In order to extend to a bachelor’s degree transfer student, applicants must:
- Have a GPA of 2.80/3.00 in their current program with a class attendance rate of 95% or better
- Be expected to receive transfer admission into the third year* of the appropriate bachelor’s degree program
- Be strongly recommended by their advising professor
- Be appropriate for recommendation, as determined by the president of the university or Dean of the Graduate School
- Have a clear connection between their current field of study and the field of study to be pursued in the bachelor’s degree
*For students who are not able to meet this criteria, the nominating school must consult with MEXT in advance. Applicants are responsible for researching the possibility and availability of transfer applications at their desired programs in advance to ensure it is possible.
Changing Universities
Required. Applicants may select up to two universities that they want to proceed to.
Slots
Up to 5 nominees per Specialized Training College. However, that does not mean that all nominees will automatically be accepted for extension by MEXT. The number of successful nominees will be determined by the contents of the nomination and MEXT’s budget.
Former College of Technology MEXT Scholar or Specialized Training College MEXT Scholar Extending from Bachelor’s to Master’s Program
In order to extend to a master’s degree, applicants must:
- Have a GPA of 2.80/3.00 in their current bachelor’s degree program
- Be expected to receive admission in the appropriate master’s degree program
- Be strongly recommended by their advising professor
- Be appropriate for recommendation, as determined by the president of the university or Dean of the Graduate School
- Be expected to complete their current degree within the standard years of enrollment
The standard years of enrollment for a bachelor’s degree program is 4 years. If you fail to complete your degree within 2 years, you would lose your scholarship at that point (or as soon as it became apparent that you would not graduate within 4 years) and would not be eligible to apply to extend your scholarship.
Changing Universities
It is not possible to change universities.
Slots
There is no limit to the number of scholars that universities can nominate in this category. However, that does not mean that all nominees will automatically be accepted for extension by MEXT. The number of successful nominees will be determined by the contents of the nomination and MEXT’s budget.
In practice, I have never heard of anyone in this situation being unsuccessful in their extension application. The caveat about MEXT’s budget is always there because they are not allowed to commit to any spending in advance of the fiscal year. It is nothing to worry about.
Extending from Master’s to Doctoral: PGP Scholarship Recipients
In order to extend to the next degree level, applicants must:
- Have a GPA of 2.50/3.00 in their current degree program
- Be expected to receive admission in the appropriate degree program
- Be strongly recommended by their advising professor
- Be appropriate for recommendation, as determined by the president of the university or Dean of the Graduate School
- Be expected to complete their current degree within the standard years of enrollment
The standard years of enrollment is 2 years for a master’s degree. If you take longer than that to earn your degree, you would lose your scholarship at the end of the standard years (or as soon as it became apparent that you would not finish within the standard years) and would not be able to extend your scholarship.
Changing Universities
It is not possible to change universities as a PGP Scholarship recipient.
Slots
A university can only nominate students for scholarship extension if the PGP program is still within its 3-year award period and has PGP slots assigned at the doctoral level.
Essentially, this means that only scholars who received the PGP scholarship during its initial year would be eligible to advance. Scholars selected in the second or third year of the program implementation, would graduate from their master’s degrees after the program’s selection period had ended, so there would be no available slots.
Payment of Application and Matriculation Fees
If you are applying to extend your MEXT scholarship fees, you would be responsible for paying all application and matriculation fees for the programs that you want to apply to. However, the fees would be refunded to you as follows, based on the success of your applications.
If your application to extend your MEXT scholarship is successful, the application and matriculation fees to the university you enroll in would be refunded.
If you apply to multiple universities (Embassy-Recommended MEXT Scholars are allowed to apply up to two during the extension process), then your fees for the university that you do not end up attending would not be refunded.
Your fees would also not be refunded if you failed to pass the entrance exam or if your MEXT scholarship extension application was not approved.
Application Timeline
While the exact timing will vary slightly by your university’s procedures, expect the application to begin between October to December of the calendar year preceding when you plan to extend. In some cases, this would mean that you would be applying for the extension almost immediately after arriving in Japan.
Your university should let you know when it is time to apply, but if you do not hear from them by the beginning of December, it would be a good idea to contact your university’s Center for International Affairs to follow up.
Application Forms
You will receive the forms from your current university, but they should not pose any difficulty.
The application form itself is similar to the initial application form, but shorter and simpler. Since you have already completed the application form once, it will be no trouble.
The second form you have to submit is a Research Plan or Research Status Report. If you are applying to advance to the next degree, your Research Plan would be similar to the type of document you submitted for your initial Field of Study and Research Program Plan, except simpler. In this case, you would not be submitting your application for a competitive evaluation to professors/a university that is unfamiliar with your performance. So, your plan can be a simpler explanation of what you plan to research. Your current adviser should be willing to help you write it, as well.
If you are extending from research student status to degree status, and continuing your ongoing research, then you would write an update on your progress.
Former undergraduate or college of technology MEXT scholarship winners extending from Master’s to Doctoral degrees and former college of technology students extending from a Bachelor’s to Master’s degree must also submit a short essay. However, MEXT’s application guidelines have no instructions for this essay, so please follow up with your host university for more details (and let me know in the comments below!)
Special Thanks
Special thanks to the TranSenz supporters on Patreon, especially Daimyo Supporter Kenzo who pledges $10 per month to show his support! You can show your support for TranSenz on Patreon for as little as $1 (0.08% of a MEXT monthly stipend) per month. If TranSenz has helped you in your application process and you want to “pay it forward” to keep this site running to help future applicants, every contribution helps!
If you want to show your support but Patreon is out of reach, I’d appreciate it if you say hi on social media or in the comments below to let me know if you appreciate these posts. You can find me on facebook at @TranSenz or on Twitter at @tagsenzaki. I look forward to saying hi!
Questions?
Let me know in the comments below!
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Dear Transenz,
First of all, thank you very much for your detailed explanation.
I am currently in a Master’s degree program and in the midst of applying for a MEXT extension for a Doctoral program.
I would like to ask you regarding the research plan/status form in which you’ve mentioned that to advance to the next degree, the research plan should be similar but simpler as what have been submitted before.
In my case, my sensei have changed the project almost completely different from the previous research plan when I first applied.
Therefore, I am wondering if is possible to write about my current progress and my future plan for the ongoing research.
Thank you and looking forward to hear from you soon.
Best,
Latiefa
Hi Latifefa,
Yes, it is possible to build off your current project. I did not mean to suggest that your Research Plan for your extension application needed to based on the same idea as your original FSRPP. It should absolutely be based on what you are actually researching now and how you will continue that in your next degree.
Sorry about the confusion!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Travis,
First of all, thank you very much for this amazing website!
I would like to ask you a question regarding the extension from a Master’s to a doctoral program (Embassy Recommendation), if you don’t mind. I will graduate in April 2020 (therefore my scholarship will end that same month), and I was wondering if it would be possible to apply for an extension in order to start a doctoral program in October 2020? Or to put it differently: when moving from a Master to a PhD, is it possible to become a Research Student again for 6 months before starting the PhD?
Thank you so much for your very kind support!
Johnathan
Hi Johnathan,
Unfortunately, to the best of my understanding no, it is not possible to extend from Master’s degree to doctoral level research student or to have a gap in your scholarship funding. You would have to move directly to a doctoral degree program immediately at the end of your current scholarship period, so you would need to be admitted to a doctoral degree program starting in April.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hey Travis,
My question is specifically concerning changing schools as (an Embassy Recommend) Research Student. I’ve spent a semester at my university and attempted the entrance exam. I failed and I’m quite sure I won’t be able to be successful at this university due to the language requirements. As such, I’m looking to transfer to another school (with my advisor’s blessing) but I’m curious about what that entails regarding the extension and if I will keep the scholarship at all. I believe the extension period at my university is in November or December. Will I simply put the name of the school I wish to transfer to? Can I remain a Research student or do I need to jump to the master’s level at that point?
Above it’s written, “Students may designate up to two universities for where they want to move up to the degree program, but if they move up to another university, they would lose their scholarship.”
Does this mean that as a research student, If I move to another school, my scholarship will be lost? If so, this effectively means that I cannot transfer schools.
I’m sure that I have more questions, but these are the more foundational ones. Also thank you for providing this website as a resource, I certainly wouldn’t even be here without it.
Hi Kona,
When you apply for the scholarship extension, you can designate up to two schools that you want to attend after you extend. Since you are an Embassy-Recommended Scholar and have your advisor’s blessing, you meet the criteria to be able to extend. The phrase you referred to was probably unclear on my part. You can choose up to two schools, and if you move up to either of those, it is possible to keep your scholarship. If you move to another university (one that is not on the list of two schools), in that case, you would lose the scholarship.
When you extend your scholarship, you must “move up”, so you would have to move to your new university as a degree-seeking student (Master’s student), which means that your extension is going to be conditional on passing the entrance exam there. You cannot extend your scholarship while remaining at the same level, only when you move up to the next level.
I hope that helps. Please let me know what your other questions are and I will answer them as best I can.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello Travis,
I have received a LoPA from Kobe University to start studying as a research student from April 2020. Because of the following reasons, I might want to change my university after 6 months.
1. I should return to my home country quickly (I found a one year program at a national university in Tokyo and waiting for its regular admission)
2. One of my relatives lives in Tokyo so I could stay in his apartment to save cost.
3. I would like to explore both Kobe and Tokyo in order to get different kind of experiences of Japan
I want to ask you that changing university while extending the scholarship is a normal practice? Since Japanese people care about loyalty more than any country, I am nervous that my academic supervisor or MEXT would not accept my request at that time.
Your posts have helped me to come to this stage more than anything.
Millions of thanks and best wishes.
Hi Danny,
I’m very glad to hear that you have found my posts to be helpful! Unfortunately, I do not think you are going to like what I have to say below.
To be completely blunt, none of the reasons you gave for wanting to change universities would be seen as legitimate.
In general, it is expected that any scholar extending from Research Student status to Degree status would stay at the same university. Changing universities is more common when moving from Master’s to PhD (and not even that common then), in cases where your current university does not offer a higher level program or research in your field of interest. It is practically unheard of for someone to change after only 6 months.
The only reason that I think your advisor, or MEXT, would accept for your changing universities would have to be centered on research. For example, if it became apparent that your current advisor (and every other faculty member at Kobe) could not supervise your research, then a switch might be legitimate. Or if your advisor was retiring and nobody else could take you on. I really can’t think of any reasons other than those.
Additionally, if you do change universities, your current advisor has to recommend it and the extension counts against the number allowed for your current university, so it is not something that can be done without serious consideration.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thanks a lot for your detailed responses.
I hope I would not have to change my university. However in a extreme case, I might choose a pathway of privately financed student. Moreover, do you think it is possible to conduct a research project or final thesis at my home country? If yes, how long is a MEXT student authorized to leave Japan? Also, I heard that a student needs to sign every month to receive a stipend of that month.
In the end, I would like to start donating for the future scholars and students when my study commences. Could you give me a brief guidance about it?
Best regards,
Danny
Hi Danny,
If you intend to conduct fieldwork outside of Japan, that is one of the disqualifying criteria for the MEXT scholarship (please see the top of the article), so I would recommend being careful with that idea.
In terms of leaving the country, you may leave Japan when it does not interfere with your coursework to do so, but in general, you must be away for less than a month. As you mentioned, you are required to sign in once per month to prove that you are still present and studying at the university in order to receive your stipend. This signature period is usually pre-determined during the first few days of the month, so it’s not a matter of “once a month whenever you feel like it” – in most cases I know of, the dates are fixed.
I’m not sure I completely understand what you mean about donating for future scholars and students when your study commences. If you mean becoming a supporter for this website, I’d be very grateful and would be happy to explain more, but if you’re referring to an organization that provides direct financial or other support for students, I’m afraid I do not know of any at the moment.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thank you Travis.
I understood all the points you mentioned.
I just would like to become a supporter for this website.
Regards,
Tulga
Hi Tulga,
Thank you very much for your reply, and especially for your willingness and interest to become a supporter of this site!
If you are interested in becoming a monthly supporter, I use a site called Patreon, where you can register and make a monthly pledge to support. They handle all the payments securely.
If that isn’t what you had in mind, then there are a few other ways that you could support the site, such as buying one of my books (and giving it to a friend or junior student at your school, if you don’t need it anymore) or even asking your university or local library to buy one of them. All of the income I make from those goes back into things like site maintenance as well as my time in producing new content and answering questions here!
If nothing else, I sincerely appreciate the sentiment and willingness to become a supporter! Thank you.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thank you for your precious information.
I have already got the 3-year scholarship extension for Ph.D program and I’ve already studied 6 months at the current university . But my professor and I have different research interest and I want to change the another university where I start to study as a Master Student. Is it possible to change the university as a Master Student?
I am looking forward to your kind reply.
Best Regards,
Hi Kzs,
Unfortunately, it is not possible to change universities in the middle of your degree or to downgrade from a PhD program to a Master’s program as a MEXT scholar. If you really want to change universities and programs, your only choice would be to give up the scholarship and continue your studies as a self-funded student.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thank you very much for your kind reply, Travis.
Best Regards,
Kzs
Hello, I am a Research Student going to Master Degree MEXT scholarship member.
I once tried to apply for extension for MEXT scholarship, however, I failed the entrance exam and need to withdraw the extension application (I still have my Research Student MEXT Scholarship).
Right now, I already passed the second entrance exam and planning to extend my scholarship to Master Degree. Will my failed one will effect my current application? Will I still be eligible to apply for extension? I am a bit worried.
Thank you for your explanation in advance!
Hi Gabrielo,
As far as I know, having failed the entrance examination and having had to withdraw your extension application in the past should not affect your next extension application in any way. Your previous withdrawn application should essentially be wiped from the record.
You are certainly still eligible.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Travis,
Glad to hear that since I am a bit worried about Japan rigid administration. Hearing it from you give me a relief. Thank you for your help!
Hi!
I really appreciate all the information you provided and I verified it with the japanese version that is available in the MEXT webpage.
I just have a question, master degree used to be completed in two years and take the next step to PhD, but is it possible to apply for extension of scholarship if is expected to finish the program just only within 1 year and not 2? if it is, then which category should i be considered in?
Thank you in advanced
Hi Luis,
Are you saying that you’ve found a 1-years Master’s degree program in Japan? I’ve never heard of anyone finishing a degree that far ahead of schedule here – at least not an academic one.
When you finish your Master’s degree and want to move on to the PhD while remaining a MEXT scholar, you must apply to extend your scholarship effective with the semester that you start your PhD. I do not see any reason why it would not be possible to extend in that situation.
In terms of this article, you would fall under the same category for extensions as anyone else who finished their master’s in two years and applied for the extension to PhD (so, either the 2nd row of the table or the bottom row, depending on whether or not your program was a PGP).
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Travis,
I would first like to thank you for your posts on MEXT scholarship as they helped me tremendously during the application process. Having obtained the scholarship, I am to start the Japanese language program as a non-degree (research) student this October. I have not received any information about applying to the PhD program, however, as I suspect, I would be taking entrance exams in February to start the PhD program in April of 2020.
My question is regarding the change of field of study and, as a consequence, the change of school and supervisor. During the time between the application to MEXT and the start of the program I realized that I would like to change my field of study (within my major field of biology ofc.). Am I allowed to change the supervisor (affiliated with another university) during the language program? Is it accepted by MEXT? If you are familiar with this kind of situation, could you please suggest the steps I need to take to achieve this? Should I have acceptance from my desired university and supervisor at hand before I inform MEXT?
Thank you a lot for your time,
ZK
HI ZK,
Thank you for your kind words and congratulations on all of your success so far!
From what I understand, you will be enrolled in the Japanese language program for your first semester. Is your plan then to enroll directly in the PhD program in April, or to spend a semester as a research student at that university, first, then apply to matriculate to the degree program in April 2021?
I ask because it affects when you can apply to change universities. When you apply to extend your scholarship (from research student status, which is where you would be during the language program and during a potential research student semester, to degree-program student), you are allowed to indicate up to two universities that you would like to be able to enroll in for the degree. However, in order to change universities, your advisor at your current university must recommend it in your extension application.
So, my recommendation if you want to follow that course is to start talking with your originally-intended advisor, first. See if there is any way you can pursue your new research interest under his/her supervision at the university you were already accepted to (perhaps by working with another faculty member there at the same time). If not, then you’ll need to discuss with that advisor whether or not he/she is willing to recommend that you change universities to follow your research interest elsewhere.
At the same time, you would also need to be sure that you could be accepted at that second university, and that would mean taking the entrance exam there, just like any fee-paying student. (If you pass the entrance exam, MEXT approves your change to that university, and you enroll there, you would get any application fees refunded later). I would certainly also recommend that you be in touch with your future target advisor to make sure that you can pursue your research there.
I’m sure that you are giving this deep consideration, but I just want to reiterate that this is not a decision to be taken lightly. If you start down this path, there is a good chance that you will burn bridges with the original university that accepted you and the professor there, so if anything goes wrong in the application process, including your current advisor not approving the change, it might make it harder to return there. Ask yourself if, in the worst case scenario, whether you would rather risk giving up the scholarship entirely or staying in your current program. Once you have your PhD, you’ll be able to pursue whatever research that interests you in the future during your professional career.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello, thank you for the information. I have a question. It is possible to extend from Specialized Training College to a bachelor degree programm?
Hi Santiago,
I cover that exact application process in the article above!
So, yes, at least as of this year, it was possible.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Well it says from “College of technology” to “Bachelor’s degree student”, college of technology is not the same as Specialized Training College, so I assume that in this post both are treated as the same? If that’s the case, then thank you very much for your reply.
Hi Santiago,
Thanks for pointing that out. The criteria are the same for CoT and STC scholars extending to Bachelor’s degrees as third-year transfer students. The problem was that since the Extension guidelines are only available in Japanese, I did not realize that CoT and STC had different English names.
I have corrected the article now to show a clear separate section for Specialized Training College Students!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi !
Thanks for the informative piece.
I’m in my Master’s second year right now and planning to go to PhD next year.
My university said all MEXT students (embassy or uni-recommended) will be equally subjected to the selection process for the extension. The uni is a national one but relatively much smaller so they seem not to receive enough quota from MEXT. So, what they said was that usually only one get the extension. Does that mean your extension depend on your university’s quota or slot even if I am an embassy-recommended student?
If so, should I apply for the different universities in advance that seem to have more slots if I really want to secure MEXT stipend for my PhD?
My current professor supports me going to PhD but he is also worried about the extension since there was a case in the past that one student from our lab got rejected for PhD extension (he was a uni-recommended student).
Thank you.
Hi Ken,
The number of extensions your university can recommend is equal to the average that they have nominated for the past three years, regardless of whether you are a university-recommended or embassy-recommended scholar.
Since you are an embassy-recommended scholar, you could list up to two universities that you want to apply to, but that is the only difference. However, I do not think that would impact your chances. As far as I understand, even if you transfer universities ultimately, the slot is still counted from the university that you were previously enrolled in, since that is where you would be completing your extension application.
I am sorry that I don’t have better news for you.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
I am currently a Research Student under the Faculty of Medicine.
Since the PhD program of the Faculty of Medicine usually requires 4 years to complete, may I know:-
(1) Is it possible for MEXT to extend my scholarship for the next 48 months?
(2) What if I applied 3 years first, and then applied again for another 1 year of extension, is it possible to extend for 2 times as long as not exceeding the maximum period (48 months)?
Thank you for your help.
Regards,
Donny
Hi Donny,
There are some programs in Medicine that have a 4-year doctoral course and in that case, the MEXT scholarship would cover all 4 years. (Typically, these are programs that follow a 6-year undergraduate course and require a minimum of 18 years of schooling in order to qualify).
When you extend your scholarship to move from research student status to a degree program, it should cover the standard length of the degree program, even if that is 4 years, instead of 3 (as in most PhD programs).
It is not possible, however, to extend your scholarship further without moving up to another degree level.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis, I passed the Embassy recommended Mext Scholarship exam and am slated to arrive Japan in October as a research student. However I have some questions. My adviser told me that I could take the University entrance exam in August ( at my own expense and become a regular PhD student in October upon arrival that is if I pass the exam. In this case I would not have to apply for a scholarship extension) or I could write the entrance exam in March 2020, become a regular PhD student in October 2020 but I would have to apply for a scholarship extension and it is not 100% guaranteed. I am quite confused regards what to do. I sure do not have the resources to travel at my own cost in August for the exam. And since an extension is not guaranteed … Am not sure what best to do. Please advise. Thanks.
Hi John,
Congratulations on winning the MEXT Scholarship!
Extensions to the MEXT Scholarship are not guaranteed, but as long as you are performing to expectations, they are as close to guaranteed as they can possibly be. As long as you excel during your research student period, have the continued support of your advisor, and pass the entrance exam in March 2020, there is no reason to believe that you would not get the scholarship extension. (I, at least, have never heard of that happening).
Although you will have to pay for the entrance exam fees out of pocket, you will get those fees refunded once your scholarship extension is approved. However, you would not get the travel fees refunded.
If affording the trip to Japan in August to take the entrance exam is not reasonable for you, then I would recommend waiting to March to take the exam, with the confidence that the extension should not be a problem.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Travis, first of all I would like to thank you for your articles.
It is incredibly helpful for young people who do not know where to start with their application.
I am planning to apply for Kyushu University through Embassy recommandation next month to enroll in April 2020. Having already completed a Bachelor’s degree in my home country, I would like to know if I can apply directly for the degree seeking status.
I am a little bit scared by the whole process of starting as a research student and having to pass the University entrance exam to earn credits.
When I send my application to the Embassy, will it be eliminatory to mention that I would like to apply as a degree seeking student? Or the wise way is to apply for the research student status and try your luck once you’re selected?
Thank you so much.
Hi Naam,
Thank you very much for your kind words. I am happy to be able to help!
Yes, you can apply directly for Master’s Degree status (rather than the pre-graduate “Research Student” status), but ultimately, it is up to the university to decide whether or not they will accept you directly into the degree. Stating your preference one way or the other will not get you eliminated during the university’s screening.
In either case, you would have to pass the entrance exam. (Which is not always an exam – sometimes, it is just a document screening). If you apply as a Degree-seeking student, then you would have to pass it before arriving in Japan. If you apply as a research student, they you would have to pass it after arriving. If you are nervous, I would suggest that starting as a research student might be the better course of action. Once you’re accepted as a research student, you will have the opportunity to prepare while at the university already, under the supervision of your adviser and with the ability to get his or her guidance.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Travis,
Thank you so much for your reply! I think I will probably start as a research student then, since it would be a hassle to go all the way to Japan just to take the entrance exam.
Another question if you don’t mind.
I asked one of my Japanese class teachers from when I was an exchange student in Japan to write me a recommendation letter. She agreed but she told me that last month she already wrote one for another student from a different country, and she is scared that this will not do good to my application.
Does MEXT review the names of the professors who write recommendation letters? And is it forbidden for a teacher to recommend different students, even if they apply from different countries?
Just in case, I also asked one of my professors from my home country as well and she answered positively.
Thank you for your help
Naam
Hi Naam,
You’re very welcome.
There is no rule against a teacher writing a letter of recommendation for multiple students, whether they are from the same country or not. MEXT is not going to check it.
However, I think you should double-check the rules about who can write your letter of recommendation, because I do not think a teacher from your exchange time is eligible to do so.
As far as I recall, it should be your academic advisor, the dean of your faculty, or the president of your university, but in any case, it has to be someone who works at the university that you graduated from.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thanks for your answer Travis!
It’s weird, because on the French website of the Japanese embassy (to which I am going to apply since I am from France), it is written that it can be a professor and it does not necessarily have to be the Dean etc.. In France, since we don’t have to write a thesis for our bachelor, we do not have the Acedemic advisor system (?). I did ask a letter to one of my Professors from my french university, but I think it would be a little bit stupid of MEXT to refuse the letter from my Exchange university, as I have taken WAY more classes there and it is more recent, so the teachers do know me better there…
I’ll send both and see how it goes… Thank you anyway!!!
Hi Naam,
Thank you for the update.
The MEXT guidelines say that it should be your advising professor, but if you do not have that system in France, that must be why the embassy there says that any professor will do.
But it would absolutely need to be a professor at the university that you graduated/will graduate from, not your exchange program. Exchange program professors see you only for a little time during your degree and in a limited context (not to mention that in some cases, exchange programs have lower academic rigor and are not closely related to your major). In theory, a professor from your home university would be better able to evaluate you in the context of the expectations of graduates of your university and comparison to other students there.
Sending both would not hurt, but the one from your matriculated university would be the one required to meet the application guidelines.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis, thank you very much for explaining about MEXT Scholarship extension, this information is really difficult to find and you have explained it really well. I really appreciate it.
I would like to ask you a few things if you don’t mind. I am going to Japan as a research student this April and I plan to apply to graduate school this September. You say that “Students may designate up to two universities for where they want to move up to the degree program”. Is it possible for me to choose another major in the same faculty and university instead of choosing another university as the second option? Is changing major allowed if the majors are still closely related?
Hi Alice,
Thank you for your kind words.
Do the two majors have separate entrance exams at the graduate school? Assuming there is only one entrance exam for the graduate school, regardless of major, MEXT would consider that to be only one of the two schools that you can list. Whether or not you can change majors within the school is up to the graduate school, rather than MEXT. If your advisor and the other faculty are OK with it, then there should be no problem.
If I am missing something (or there are multiple different entrance exams), please let me know!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
There is no entrance exam for admission to both majors, there is only document screening. The document requirements are slightly different, one major requires an additional document (GMAT Score) and the majors have different personal essay questions. Other than that, the admission process and requirements are the same. Does that mean MEXT will consider the majors as two schools even though they are under the same graduate school?
Also, thank you so much for answering my questions, I am really grateful you take the time to read and reply to my comments! 😀
You’re very welcome!
Hi Alice,
I double-checked the application form for the scholarship extension, and there is no place for “Major” but there is a section for “Course”. It is going to depend on how your university is organized as to whether or not the majors are considered to be within the same course or not.
For example, you might have a graduate school of science and engineering and within that graduate school, mathematics and physics would be separate courses (they have completely separate graduation requirements), but within physics, you could have majors in theoretical physics, astrophysics, etc.
In Japanese, the words you are looking for are 専攻 (senkou) for major and 課程 (katei) for course.
I hope that helps.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis!
Thank you for helping me secure the MEXT scholarship! In April 2019 I will start as a non-degree research student.
I have a question about the timeline from non-degree to phd. Is this correct?
Non-degree: 2 years
Masters: 2 years
PhD: 3 years
Total: 7 years of funding.
My professor thinks I can only be a non-degree student for 1 year.
She asked me to take the masters entrance exam in September 2019 and start my masters in April 2020. But my research scholarship lasts until March 2021. I intended on extending the scholarship when entering the masters program in April 2021, NOT April 2020.
If I follow the advice of my professor and start my masters a full year earlier, would I therefore miss out on a year of funding as a non-degree research student?
What is the maximum number of years I can have the scholarship for? What is the typical timeline that students follow when they go from non-degree to masters to phd?
If I can be a research student for 2 years, then I would prefer to do so rather than jumping straight into the masters program after 1 year.
Thank you once again for your help,
Emma
Hi Emma,
You can spend up to two years as a research student (if you arrived in Japan in April), yes, but that is not common. Usually, MEXT scholars only spend two full years as a research student if they are not planning to move on to the degree program. MEXT scholars who want to move on to the degree program usually spend only one semester (or two, in some cases) as a Research Student before taking the entrance exam and extending their scholarship to cover the Master’s Degree.
There is really no reason to delay and most people want to get moving with their degrees as soon as possible. Yes, you would miss out on a year of funding as a research student, but that is also a year where you would not be earning credit toward your Master’s so it isn’t really productive time for you.
Is there a particular reason that you want to take longer?
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Travis,
Thank you so much for this post we really appreciate your effort.
I have been granted the Mext scholarship fortunately and i have been accepted as a regular (non-degree) student as i’m not fluent in Japanese i’m taking a 6 months Japanese prep.
Mext and my professor already know that i have showed desire wanting to be a masters student (in paper as well), i contacted my professor to talk about long term plans and he refereed me to international relations but unfortunately they did not respond (even though they have prior) which is OK but what i needed to know is how to prepare to take the entrance exam, i know that the entrance exam is an essay and its going to be in August
Also i’m starting in a different city for 6 months then moving to another for 2 years
What do you think i should do ? should i go to them once i’m in japan to ask about it ? because i feel like i need to sort the transition from (non-degree to degree) during the first 6 months
Thank you so much in advance for reading all the way i’m sorry if its too long.
Hi NJ,
It sounds like you are not in Japan yet, is that right? In that case, you would not have to do anything until you arrive in the country.
You should also double-check what your Letter of Acceptance said – did they accept you as a Master’s Degree student or a Research Student? In the latter case, you might spend a semester as a research student after your Japanese language program semester and take the entrance exam during that time.
I would certainly recommend getting in touch with them as soon as possible after you arrive in Japan. If your language program will be at a different university, then that language program university will be your official contact with MEXT during that semester, but it is a good idea to connect with your adviser and future university, too, even if they can’t help you quite yet.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thank you so much for the quick reply
– Yes i’m not in japan yet.
– Yes i got accepted as a research student (Non-degree) and i’m suppose to start in October.
– The Japanese language program will start in April and end in September.
Everything is set with the Japanese language program but i’m just lost when it comes to the entrance exam if i can take it during the Japaneses language program maybe ?
Hi NJ,
If you are supposed to start as a research student in April and then start as a non-degree student at your university in October, then your MEXT scholarship extension application would occur next fall, as far as I understand, and you would also take the entrance exam then so that you could start the degree program in April (or even later). That is probably what the university international office is assuming that you will do, if your acceptance is as a non-degree student.
If you’re looking to accelerate taking your entrance exam so that you could start as a degree-seeking student, then I would recommend that you be clear to them that you are trying to accelerate the program. Otherwise, they might simply put you off under the assumption that there will be time later.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Travis
Thank you for your useful information, I am currently as a master student in one of the Universities in Japan, I will graduate in March 2019, and I applied for MEXT scholarship by university recommendation, so I want to know for the recommendation letter it should be issued by my current dean faculty in Japan or I should have some recommendation from my graduated faculty in my country?
Sorry I want to mention that I applied for the Ph.D. scholarship
Hi Ahad,
The letter of recommendation should come from the Dean of your most recent degree program, so in your case, that would be your Master’s program in Japan.
But you wrote this comment on the article about extending your scholarship – are you currently a MEXT scholar applying for an extension, or are you a privately-financed student (or a student on another scholarship scheme) applying for the MEXT scholarship for the first time? That would affect what paperwork you need to submit.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Travis
Thank you for your reply, I am a student on another kind of scholarship, and it is my first time which I want to apply for MEXT university recommendation scholarship for the Ph.D. degree.
Dear Travis,
Thanks once more for putting this clear.
I applied as a Research Student (April 2019). Fortunately, I was accepted as a Masters student. I haven’t asked my advisor on this. Does it mean that I won’t have “entrance” exams?
HI Manzu Gerald,
Congratulations!
If your letter of acceptance from the university or the official notification from the Embassy says that you have been accepted as a Master’s Degree student – rather than a Master’s level research student, it means that you will start right away from the degree program and will not need to go through the entrance exams.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Travis,
I have been following your blog and am very thankful for all the information and resources you have carefully put together here. I am one of the mext scholarship recipients in my country and in April 2019 I will be starting as a non-degree research student. By Aug/sept 2019 I plan to take the entrance exam for my preferred Masters program.
My question is about this criteria of ineligibility for scholarship extension: “If you intend to conduct fieldwork or participate in an internship outside of Japan after extending your scholarship.” Does the phrase “after extending your scholarship” mean when I convert my status as a non-degree research student to a regular/degree student (upon admission to Masters program)? The Masters program I intend to apply for includes an “on the job practice” with separate credits for domestic and international on the job practice experience. When I spoke with one of the current students in the Masters program, he mentioned that he took a 4-month internship in Cambodia to complete his credits for “on the job practice (international)”. For this particular Masters program, would it not be possible to extend the MEXT scholarship based on the criteria mentioned?
Hi Yani,
The line about being ineligible if you plan to conduct fieldwork or an internship outside of Japan is in the original application as well as the extension, so it applies both during your research student phase and during the degree.
Is the on the job training outside of Japan mandatory? You would not be allowed to do an practice outside of Japan. One of the criteria to maintain your scholarship is that you must sign in as present, in person, each month at your university to receive your stipend, so you have to be physically present there every month.
Some study programs that require practical training (such as factory training, etc.) are excluded from the MEXT scholarship, but if your program is practical training is more like an internship, that should be allowed. In either case, the university would know for sure whether it was allowed and would not have accepted you to the program if it violated MEXT’s rules, so that should not be an issue!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Transenz,
Glad to have an explanation about MEXT Scholarship extension. However I have several question I want to ask if you dont mind,
Right now I am a research student in Japan. I want to enroll as Master student thus I need to pass an entrance exam in the same way as everyone else (including the non-MEXT). So I guess my exam is a pretty serious one and I am not really sure whether I can really pass or not because the competition is fierce. The thing is, the deadline for the scholarship extension and the entrance exam is on the same week, so I was forced to apply for scholarship extension even though I am still not sure about my admittance to Master Degree.
What I want to ask is,
1. What will happen if I fail the exam and they accept my extension?
2. What will happen if they decline my extension, does this meant my current MEXT scholarship will also be revoked? I still have my research student scholarship until 2020, so I was planning to take the exam again if failed this one,. However I heard that if they decline my extension (because I failed my exam or anything else), my current scholarship is also be revoked. This makes me anxious.
Thank you in advance!
Hi Sabrac,
I think you may be overestimating how challenging the entrance exam will be. It varies by university, but I recommend that you check with your adviser for his or her advice.
All admissions processes in Japan are called “entrance exams” even when there is no exam involved. In some cases, completing the “entrance exam” as a MEXT research student is as simple as filling in a few application forms.
The timing you described is very common.
1. If you were to fail the entrance exam, your scholarship extension would not be approved either. As far as I understand, this would mean the end of your scholarship. However, I do not think there should be any risk of that happening. Unless your academic adviser now is telling you not to take the exam or that you are not ready, you should not have anything to worry about.
2. As far as I understand, yes. If you apply for the extension and it is not approved, then your ongoing scholarship would also terminate. But again, there should be no possibility of this happening.
I recommend talking to your academic adviser. He or she should be able to ease all of your concerns.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Travis,
Thank you for you reply.
Strangely, my supervisor seems new to this type of scholarship. Also, if you do not mind, let me tell a little of my stories. So I just took the entrance exam last week like many other student did, but after the interview exam my supervisor called me and told me that my chance to pass is pretty slim and my scholarship will also be terminated. This shocked me as the results should be announced on 19 February and it is barely one day since the paper exam finished. He said that he check my answer sheet and somehow it is not so good. Therefore, he said that I might have to go back home soon. This baffled me, because I thought that if I failed on the first try, I can try for the second and third one until the end of my research student scholarship. Then I try to explain to him that my scholarship period is until 2020 so I should get another chance,. This surprised him and he said that if I can stay until 2020, then I can try for another one or another way. I was pretty calm until then I realized that I already applied for the scholarship extension. Some people said that those entrance exam is just a formality and all, some people say that you might fail the exam, but if the extension is accepted first or something, you can still continue as research student and try for another chance, and some said that if I failed the I need to go home. There is so many answer which makes me ask those question in my previous post. However, I am grateful for your answer and does not mean to offend you in any way.
While I am not sure how they determine those who qualified to pass the entrance exam either by quota, scores, scholarship, or special cases, this makes me very anxious as somehow my supervisor do not really understand my cases and situation and I feel like a lost person. Sorry for the long post and I hope this can gives you insight or some stories.
Hi Sabrac,
I am very sorry to hear about your situation.
Am I correct in understanding that you applied already to extend your MEXT scholarship to cover the degree program and that you only listed one university as the possible university where you would enter the degree?
In that case, as far as I can tell, if you are not able to gain admission to the degree program, then I am afraid your scholarship would be terminated and you would not have additional chances to apply for entry to the degree program/scholarship extensions in the future. However, I was not able to find any clear guidance from MEXT on this subject.
My best suggestion to you would be to check with the international office at your university (or whichever office administers the scholarship) and ask their guidance. You may be able to ask them to chancel your extension application and stick with your current research scholarship payment period. Or they may be able to talk to your graduate school’s administrative office to explain your situation better and ask for consideration.
In any case, they would be able to give you an official answer on what would happen next, instead of relying on rumors and unofficial sources.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Travis,
Yes, I only applied for one university. I only fill the necessary thing and my supervisor filed the rest. I also did not know the how complex it is and it never cross my mind to apply for another university as I will not take another exam. I did not think the examination will be this bad.
It is sad that the MEXT did not have any clear explanation about this so maybe I will try to do as your suggestion. I was thinking maybe there is anyone you ever met that have same case as mine, but it looks like mine was a peculiar one.
Thank you!
Hi Sabrac,
Unfortunately, I have not encountered anyone else in your situation directly.
At the university where I managed scholarships, there was no paper exam, it was just an application form and interview. So far, nobody else has shared a similar experience on this blog, either, so I don’t know how it will end up in your case. Your International Office should have access to more information than I do, though, including the ability to follow up directly with MEXT for questions!
I would appreciate it very much if you could let me know what they say in the end.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Travis,
I already asked my university office about this matter. The person in charge said that if I failed the entrance exam, then I just need to cancel my extension for Master Student Scholarship and then revert back to my previous Research Student (RS) scholarship. This is a relief since it means I can take another exam in case I fail this one. About my entrance exam, I still don’t know the results yet as the announcement is still next week. I will follow you up for the results. My case indeed is a strange if not rare one.
Hi Sabrac,
Thank you for following up! That is indeed a relief to hear.
I will be hoping for the best possible result for your entrance exam, but in the meantime, it is good to know that not everything is riding on that one exam and that there is a backup plan available.
Please let me know how it goes!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
How about a research student proceeding to the doctoral program? Are there any requirements in order to extend the scholarship?
Hi Gelo Gener,
The article above covers all of the requirements to extend your scholarship from research student to degree-seeking student (in terms of MEXT’s requirements and procedures, it does not make a difference if you are extending from research student to doctoral program or from research student to master’s program).
If you have specific questions about the requirements described in the article, please let me know!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz