Research Students
Research Student (non-degree student) Admissions
To study at Hitotsubashi University as a research student, please confirm the qualifications firstly by Application Guidelines.
Application Guidelines
Admission Requirements
Applicants must meet both one of the application qualifications and one of the applicant types.
- Application qualifications
- 1.Have completed or be expected to complete 16 years of school education in a foreign country by the time of admission to the University.
- 2.Have received a degree equivalent to a bachelor’s degree from a foreign university, or be due to receive a bachelor’s degree by the time of admission to the university, or be recognized by the graduate school as having academic ability equivalent or superior to a bachelor’s degree.
- Applicant Types ［Click HERE for details ］
- 1. Those engaged in independent research as a researcher at a foreign university or foreign research institution.
- 2. Those whose admission has been requested by a foreign* university or foreign research institution and who are recognized as particularly suitable for the graduate school concerned.
- 3. Those whose admission has been requested by a foreign government or equivalent foreign* public organization and who are receiving a scholarship from a public institution, or who will clearly receive a scholarship by the time of the admission process.
- 4. Those whose admission is requested by foreign universities that have exchange agreements with Hitotsubashi University.
- 5. Those who have passed or are expected to pass the Interchange Association examination held by the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association for the applicable fiscal year.
- 6. Those whose admission is requested by the Japanese Government or equivalent Japanese public organization (including the Japan International Cooperation Agency and the Japan International Cooperation Center), and who are recognized as particularly suitable for the graduate school concerned.
- 7. Among those who have been awarded a master’s degree in the master’s course of this graduate school or those who have been enrolled in the doctoral course of this graduate school for at least three years (two years for those who have completed the course of the law school), have earned the prescribed subjects and credits, and have passed the examination for the thesis for earning doctoral degree credits, those who are recognized as particularly suitable by the graduate school concerned.
Research Period
Maximum of 2 years.
Graduate Schools Open to Research Students
- Graduate School of Business Administration [Researcher Training Course]
- Graduate School of Economics
- Graduate School of Law [Law and International Relations]
- Graduate School of Social Sciences
- Graduate School of Social Data Science
- Graduate School of Language and Society
Process of Application and AY2026 Timeline
[I. Application form request]
April Admission: Monday, August 4, 2025 – Wednesday, October 15, 2025
September Admission: Monday, February 2, 2026 – Wednesday, April 1, 2026
Applicants send an email including information listed below to Educational Affairs Division.
- Name of the graduate school to which you wish to apply
- Name of a university which you are attending (or you graduated from)
- Year and month of graduation (or expected to graduate)
- Which applicant type you would meet
- Certificate of graduation or Certificate of expected graduation (bachelor’s degree, PDF)
- (For types 2, 6 and 7) Informal consent from your preferred supervisor
- (For types 1, 2, 3 and 7) Certificate of enrollment or certificate of employment
*Outside of the period above, we do not respond to inquiries nor distribute application forms.
[II. Distribution]
Educational Affairs Division will distribute application forms based on received emails during the period above.
[III. Application]
April Admission: Friday, October 17, 2025 – Friday, October 31, 2025
September Admission: Monday, April 6, 2026 – Friday, April 17, 2026
Applicants submit the original copy of application documents to Educational Affairs Division by mail.
*The application documents must reach us no later than the due date.
[IV. Results]
April Admission: By early December, 2025
September Admission: By early June, 2026
Note: Please specify which of the following applicant types you fall under and send an e-mail to Educational Affairs Division during the period indicated above to request application documents.
*See the link of each type for requirements.
- 1. Those engaged in independent research as a researcher at a foreign* university or foreign* research institution.
- 2. Those whose admission has been requested by a foreign* university or foreign* research institution and who are recognized as particularly suitable for the graduate school concerned.
- 3. Those whose admission has been requested by a foreign government or equivalent foreign* public organization and who are receiving a scholarship from a public institution, or who will clearly receive a scholarship by the time of the admission process.
- 4. Those whose admission is requested by foreign* universities that have exchange agreements with Hitotsubashi University. *
- 5. Those who have passed or are expected to pass the Interchange Association examination held by the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association for the applicable fiscal year.
- 6. Those whose admission is requested by the Japanese Government or equivalent Japanese public organization (including the Japan International Cooperation Agency and the Japan International Cooperation Center), and who are recognized as particularly suitable for the graduate school concerned.
- 7. Among those who have been awarded a master’s degree in the master’s course of this graduate school or those who have been enrolled in the doctoral course of this graduate school for at least three years (two years for those who have completed the course of the law school), have earned the prescribed subjects and credits, and have passed the examination for the thesis for earning doctoral degree credits, those who are recognized as particularly suitable by the graduate school concerned.
*foreign means “outside Japan”
FAQ
Be sure to see the link HERE before your inquiry.
*Educational Affairs Division does not respond to inquiries regarding matters listed here.
Contact：
The Educational Affairs Division
Hitotsubashi University
2-1 Naka, Kunitachi City, Tokyo 186-8601, Japan
E-mail : 
