SOPHIA UNIVERSITY

GRADUATE SCHOOL OF HUMAN SCIENCES

MASTER’S AND DOCTORAL PROGRAMS IN EDUCATION
English-taught program
上智大学 総合人間科学研究科

教育学専攻（英語修学者向け）

APPLICATION BOOKLET
Academic Year 2024

２０２４年度入試要項

M.A. Ph.D.

Sophia University
Admissions Office
7-1 Kioi-cho, Chiyoda-ku
Tokyo 102-8554, Japan
Tel: 81-3-3238-3517
Fax: 81-3-3238-3262
Email: admission-g-co@sophia.ac.jp
 CONTENTS

1. Number of Students to be admitted----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2

2. Eligibility ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2

3. Application procedure--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------3

4. Application schedule for April 2024 entry (M.A. and Ph.D.) -------------------------------------------------------------------------4

5. Application fee ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------4

6. Application documents-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------4

7. Entrance examination---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------7

8. Special provision for those with working experience (Master’s program) ---------------------------------------------------------7

9. Notification of the results----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------7

10. Matriculation procedures---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------8

11. Scholarship information----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------8

12. Housing-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------9

13. International students coming to Japan ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------9

14. Application Materials Checklist -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------10

Published by Admissions Office

Sophia University
May 2023

Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein. However, subsequent to the date of publication, unavoidable
circumstances may result in changes in this document. The university reserves the right to make all such changes, including those in the program of
study, courses of instruction, fees, and officers of administration and instruction, without notice.

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1．Number of students to be admitted

Master’s Program in Education 10 students

Doctoral Program in Education 5 students
This is the total number of students to be admitted every year to the Japanese and English language tracks combined.
Students are accepted to the program once a year, with classes beginning in the Spring semester (April). No September entries are
accepted.
Those with working experience of more than three years that is related to the topic of the planned research may be eligible to apply
under the “special provision for those with working experience” for the Master’s program. Please refer to p.7 for details.

2．Eligibility
Important Note: Applicants who wish to study in English must contact potential supervisors via email with their CV attached in
principle before June 25 for the September examination and November 25 for the February examination (both dates in Japan time) to
confirm whether their research interests match those of supervisors. Currently, the Graduate Programs in Education accept applicants
in the following two fields: 1) Comparative and International Education and 2) Education and International Development. Applicants
who wish to study in other sub-fields of education should consult with the faculty members in charge of the fields.
Those who have work experience of more than three years and wish to enter the Master’s program could apply for a partial exemption
from the entrance examination (see 8．Special provision for those with working experience (Master’s program)). Applicants should
check the eligibility criteria and consult with potential supervisors about their eligibility.
Information about the disciplinary specialties, research interests of faculty members and the contact information is available at the
Graduate Program in Education website:
http://www.sophia-humans.jp/department/01_education_06.html

【Specific prerequisites】
＜M.A. Eligibility＞
Those who meet ONE of the following seven criteria can apply to the Master’s program in Education:
(1) Applicants who have graduated, or are expected to graduate, from a university in Japan before entering the Master’s
program.
(2) Applicants who have completed, or are expected to complete, 16 years of formal education at a foreign educational
institution before entering the Master’s program.
(3) Applicants who hold a bachelor’s degree or an equivalent awarded by a foreign educational institution which requires at
least three years of study for graduation.
(4) Applicants who have successfully completed a postsecondary course designated by the Minister of Japan’s Ministry of
Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) at a specialized training college after the date designated by the
Minister or are expected to do so. The course must have at least a four-year study duration and meet requirements specified
by the Minister.
(5) Applicants deemed eligible by the Minister of Education.
(6) Applicants aged 22 or above whose academic ability has been judged by Sophia University as equivalent to that of a student
who graduated from a university.
Applicants without a bachelor’s degree, who fall under (2), (6) above are required to go through an eligibility screening process.
Please contact the Admissions Office at least one month prior to the application submission deadline.

＜Ph.D. Eligibility＞
Those who meet ONE of the following seven criteria can apply to the Doctoral program in Education:
(1) Applicants who have completed, or are expected to complete, a Master’s program at a university in Japan before entering
the doctoral program.
(2) Applicants who have completed, or are expected to complete, a Master’s program at a foreign educational institution before
entering the doctoral program.
(3) Applicants who have successfully obtained a degree equivalent to a Master’s degree or professional Master’s degree at a
foreign educational institution in Japan designated by the Minister of Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science
and Technology (MEXT) as an educational institution offering graduate school curricula.

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 (4) Applicants deemed eligible by the Minister of Education.
(5) Applicants aged 24 or above whose academic ability has been judged by Sophia University as equivalent to that of a student
who has completed a Master’s program.
Applicants without a Master’s degree who fall under (5) above are required to go through an eligibility screening process. Please
contact the Admissions Office at least one month prior to the application submission deadline.

【General prerequisites for both M.A. and Ph.D.】

Applicants must have ONE of the following at the time of application:
-TOEFL® scores higher than 580 (PBT), 85 (iBT)
-IELTS (academic module) scores higher than 6.5
-TOEIC® scores higher than L&R840, S&W330
-First Grade of the Jitsuyo Eigo Gino Kentei/EIKEN (Test in Practical English Proficiency)
These tests must be taken within two years of the application deadline. TOEFL® ITP (Institutional Testing Program) scores are
not acceptable. The English proficiency requirement is waived for applicants who have obtained a degree from an institution
where English is the official medium of instruction. In such cases, an official document from their institution attesting to this is
required. The document must be signed by a person who holds a post such as department chair.

3．Application procedure
Application is accepted through the following steps. Make sure to CHECK and COMPLETE each step.
A. Prepare the following:
-Application materials (see 6. Application documents)
-Digital face photo (color)
-PC and printer

B. On the online application website, register the following to create your “My Page”:
-Email address
Note: Important information including the reference number will be sent to the email address registered until enrollment in
Sophia. Make sure to use an email address which you will always be able to access even after leaving your current school.
-Digital face photo
-Basic information
For more information about the application website, refer to the guide on the website below:
http://www.guide.52school.com/guidance/net-sophia-parallel/
C. In your “My Page”, enter all the required application information.
You can input information during the online application period only!

D. Pay the application fee (see 5. Application fee) and submit the application online.
This IS NOT the end of the application. Go to the next step to complete the application.

E. Send the printed application forms and all the other documents listed on 6. Application documents to the Admissions
Office of Sophia University by post.

Important notes:
-Applicants must use a trackable shipping service.
-Application forms cannot be revised once application fee is paid. To change information on the forms, please write correct information in red
directly on the print-out forms.

-Test scores must be sent directly to Sophia University (see 6. Application documents).
-Documents sent directly from schools are also accepted.

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Medical attention:
Any applicant with physical conditions that might require special attention when undertaking university work should notify the Sophia Admissions
Office in writing before the application period.

4．Application schedule for April 2024 entry (M.A. and Ph.D.)

Applicants can apply during one or both application periods below.
※Only applicants who hold valid residence status in Japan can apply to the February Examination.
※Ph. D applicants applying for the September examination must already have a Master’s Degree, or be expected to receive one by
September 2023.
September Examination February Examination
*only applicants who hold valid
status of residence in Japan
Online application period June 14 - June 28, 2023 November 15 – November 29, 2023
Deadline for submitting the application
June 29, 2023 November 30 , 2023
documents1
Examinee ticket download date September 5, 2023 February 6, 2024
Written examination date (MA only) September 13, 2023 February 17, 2024
Oral examination date September 13, 2023 February 18, 2024
Notification of results on the website 10:00 a.m.(JST*), September 27, 2023 10:00 a.m.(JST*), February 28, 2024
Matriculation deadline October 18, 2023 March 6, 2024

*All dates and times are based on Japan Standard Time (JST).
¹For applicants sending documents from abroad, the package must arrive by this deadline. For applicants sending documents
from within Japan, packages postmarked with the deadline date are accepted.
*Applicants who plan to use the MEXT scholarship must contact the following email address during the application period.
Email: admapp-g-co@sophia.ac.jp
In the e-mail, please let us know your name, the major or the program for which you are applying, and you will be using the
MEXT scholarship. For more information about the MEXT Scholarship, contact the Center for Global Education and Discovery
E-mail:inbound-co@sophia.ac.jp

5．Application fee
35,000 yen
Online payment handling fee of 990 yen will be charged in addition to the application fee.

Please follow the guide on STEP 3 of “My Page” to complete the payment1.
Payment should be made by credit card, at a convenience store (inside Japan) 2, via Pay-easy, or via online banking during the
application period. Payment must be completed by 11:59 p.m. (JST) of each application deadline. After the deadline, the application
will not be accepted. The application fee is non-refundable once it is paid.

1In case the window shuts down during STEP 3, go to STEP 4 to continue the payment process.
2The name of the payer does not need to match the applicant’s name. Please note that the payment at a convenience store could take a while to
complete.

6．Application documents
All application documents must be original, unless indicated otherwise (see note 2 below).
The following documents 1 to 10 (with the exception of the TOEFL®/IELTS official scores and official documents from
schools/recommenders sent directly to the Admissions Office) should be enclosed in an envelope and sent to the following address
by express trackable mail or international shipping service. They must reach Sophia Admissions Office by the application deadline.
Late applications will not be accepted. Official test scores (TOEFL®, IELTS) must be delivered directly to Sophia University from the
testing service by the application deadline.
For shipping inside Japan, please print out the mailing label available on STEP 4 of “My Page”. For shipping outside Japan, please make

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sure to write the Admissions Office address on the envelope:

SOPHIA UNIVERSITY ADMISSIONS OFFICE 102-8554 東京都千代田区紀尾井町7-1

7-1 KIOI-CHO, CHIYODA-KU, TOKYO 102-8554 JAPAN Or 上智大学入学センター
EDUCATION (M.A. or Ph. D.) APPLICATION 教育学専攻英語修学（M.A. または Ph.D.） 出願書類在中
Important Notes:

1. Documents printed in languages other than English or Japanese should be translated into English and certified by a school official or an
official agency, such as an embassy or consulate.
2. If an original document cannot be reissued, a copy certified by the school official (Principal or Registrar) or Sophia University Admissions
Office is acceptable.
3. The application documents once submitted will not be returned.
4. Applicants who use different names in their application documents must submit a copy of their Family Register (Koseki Tohon) or other
applicable documents.

1 Application forms should be filled out through the online application website
http://www.guide.52school.com/guidance/net-sophia-parallel/ and printed out after the
Application Forms (2 pages) application fee payment.
Application forms cannot be revised once application fee is paid. To change information on the forms,
please write correct information in red directly on the print-out forms.

2 Applicants should submit ONE of the following:

(1) University/college issued certificate of a degree or official letter (original copy)
(2) Transcript indicating degree received and date of conferral

*Ph.D. applicants must submit one of the above for master’s degrees.

Note: ・ M.A. applicants who have not completed their final semester at the time of application must
submit as part of their application an official document from their school indicating their
Proof of Graduation expected date of graduation. They should then submit either (1) or (2) to the Sophia Admissions
Office by March 31, 2024. An applicant who does not submit this document on time could be
denied enrollment.
・ Ph.D. applicants currently in their final semester of a Master’s program must submit an official
document of expected date of graduation from their school or a letter from their thesis
supervisor affirming both the expected date of the thesis defense and/or completion of all
requirements for the Master’s degree. They should then submit either (1) or (2) to the Sophia
Admissions Office by March 31. An applicant who does not submit this document on time could
be denied enrollment.
3 Original copy of official transcripts showing all undergraduate and graduate (if applicable)
courses taken and grades received, including the list of courses you are currently attending,
Official University/College
must be submitted. The transcript(s) should be certified by a school official. Photocopies are
Transcript(s)
not accepted.
Note: Ph.D. applicants must submit a Master’s transcript.
4 Optional. Any format is acceptable. The letter must be signed and sealed.
Recommendation Letter
Online submission is also possible. In that case, the recommender should use the provided form
(IKEN-SHO)
and send it directly by email to the Admissions Office (email: admission-g-co@sophia.ac.jp)
5 The research proposal must describe a research project you wish to pursue for your thesis or
Research Proposal dissertation. It must include your research title, purpose and methodology (800 words in English
in A4 size paper).
6 M.A. In addition to items 1~5 above, the following are required.
Bachelor’s Thesis on If the applicant has not written a graduation thesis on education, submit a research paper
Education (English) discussing a topic on education (4,000 words in English in A4 size paper).
Ph.D. In addition to items 1~5 above, the following are required.

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 If the thesis is written in a language other than English, please submit an English summary (a
Master’s Thesis (English)
shorter version of the thesis) of around 8,000 words, together with a copy of the master's thesis.
Summary of Master’s Thesis 800 words in English
Other Academic Paper If any.
Published in
English
7 Either a TOEFL® official score (including Special Home Edition) higher than 580 (PBT), 85
(iBT), IELTS (Academic) official score higher than 6.5, TOEIC® official score higher than
L&R840, S&W330, or a test certificate of EIKEN (Grade 1).
We only accept exams taken within the past 2 years from the application period, and the exam
results must arrive before the application period deadline. For information on how to submit
the exam results, please refer to the notes below.

<How to submit the official test score>

・For TOEFL®, attach the Test Taker (Examinee) Score Report (photocopy accepted) to the
application, and arrange to have ETS send the Official Score Report to Sophia University
(University Code 0819). The Official Score report must be delivered to Sophia University by the
application deadline. We do not accept MyBest™ scores and TOEFL® ITP (Institutional Testing
Program) scores.
Certificate of English ・For IELTS, attach the Test Report Form (photocopy accepted) to the application, and arrange
language proficiency to have the testing institution send the official Test Report Form to Sophia University. There is
*Not required for English no code number for our university. Please be sure to specify our university, mailing address and
native speakers other necessary information so that the official Test Report Form will reach our university.
・For TOEIC® and EIKEN, attach the Official Score Certificate to the application.

If the official score has not been delivered by the application deadline, the application will
not be reviewed. Applicants are advised to order the delivery of the official scores well in
advance.

Note: ・For MA applicants: This requirement is waived for non-native applicants who have a bachelor’s/MA
degree or equivalent in an English-taught program. In such cases, a document from their
institution with an official stamp or a signature of a representative such as President or Dean
attesting to this is required.
・For PhD applicants: This requirement is waived for non-native applicants who have an MA degree or
equivalent in an English-taught program. In such cases, an official document from their institution with an
official stamp or a signature of a representative such as President or Dean attesting to this is required.
8 Application Form for Special Only required for applicants who wish to apply under “special provision for those with working
Provision for those with experience” for the Master’s program. The form provided on the Sophia University website
Working Experience should be used.
*use a provided form
9 *Only for international students who apply to the February Examination.
Photocopy of Residence
This is to check the applicant’s residence status. Please submit a photocopy of the front of your
Card in Japan
residence card.
10 Application Materials Check the items you enclosed in your application. The form provided on the last page of
Checklist this booklet.
*use a provided form
*The forms of special provision for those with working experience and application materials checklist are available on the
following page:
https://adm.sophia.ac.jp/eng/admissions/graduate_p/english_g2/english_edu/

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7．Entrance examination（consists of a written examination and an oral exam）
1. Procedure
-The examinee ticket (JUKENHYOU) will be available on your “My Page” on the designated day (see 4. Application schedule for
April 2024 entry). Please print out the examinee ticket yourself and bring it with you on the examination day. The examinee
ticket will not be mailed to you.
-The entrance examination will be held at the Yotsuya campus. The examination room will be announced on the bulletin board
at the Gate on the day of the examination. Please be seated in the examination room 30 minutes before the exam starts.

2. Examination schedule
＜M.A.＞
Date Time Exams Details
Written exams When applying online, applicants must indicate
consisting of one the sub-field (Comparative and International
Refer to
13:00 p.m.～14:30 p.m. general and two Education, and/or Education and International
pg.4
sub-field Development, and/or Educational Theory and
questions Schooling) questions they choose to answer.
Refer to 【September Examination】15:00 p.m.～
Oral exam Interview in English
pg.4 【February Examination】10:00 a.m.～

＜Ph.D.＞
Date Time Exam Details
Refer to pg.4 【September Examination】15:00 p.m.～ Oral exam Interview in English*
【February Examination】 10:00 a.m.～
*If you live outside Japan, your oral exam may be conducted online. Applicants who want to take the oral exam online must contact
the following email address before application.
Email: admapp-g-co@sophia.ac.jp
In the e-mail, please let us know your name, the major or the program for which you are applying and you want to take your
oral exam online.

8．Special provision for those with working experience (Master’s program)

Those with more than three years’ working experience related to the topic of planned research may be eligible to apply under the
“special provision for those with working experience” for the Master’s program. Instead of answering one general question and two
sub-field questions normally required for general applicants, these applicants will need to answer one general question and only one
sub-field question in any of these three fields: Comparative and International Education, and/or Education and International
Development, and/or Educational Theory and Schooling.
<Application Procedure>
(1) Applicants who wish to request this provision will need to fill out a request form “Application form for special provision for those
with working experience” available online and enclose it in the application pack. During the online application process, applicants
also need to choose “special provision for those with working experience” and indicate one sub-field question which they will
choose to answer during the examination.
(2) The University will notify applicants of the decision concerning eligibility at the same time as the issuance of the examinee ticket.
Those who are deemed not eligible will need to answer one general question and two sub-field questions as explained in 7.2.

9．Notification of results
Applicants can confirm their acceptance/rejection from “Admissions Decision” on “My Page” through the following website
http://www.guide.52school.com/guidance/net-sophia-parallel/
from 10:00 a.m. (JST) on the designated day (see 4. Application schedule for April 2024 entry).

Note: ・Servers may be slow if too many people access at the same time.
・The email address and the password will be required to log into “My Page.”

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 ・No physical materials will be sent to applicants from the Sophia Admissions Office. A letter of acceptance can be printed out from “My Page”.
・Sophia University will not disclose the results of an application by letter, telephone, fax or e-mail.

10．Matriculation procedures
To secure admission, an applicant must pay the fees prior to University entrance and submit the necessary documents to the Sophia
Admissions Office by the matriculation deadline (see 4. Application schedule for April 2024 entry).
Failure to meet the matriculation deadline will result in cancellation of your offer. No exceptions to this rule will be made.
<Instructions for matriculation>
1. Click “Entrance Procedures” on “My Page” to download the booklet “Entrance Procedures”.
Please read all the information and follow the instructions in the booklet to secure admission.
2. Choose the program to start entering the required information and upload a face photo online.
3. Print out the designated documents (payment slip for payment in Japan, Student Record / Pledge).
4. Complete fee payment and post mail the required documents by the matriculation deadline.

Information concerning tuition and other fees for the 2024 academic year have not yet been decided. The information will be informed
to accepted students. For your reference, fees for the 2023 academic year were as follows:

M.A. Ph.D.
Entrance Fee* ¥200,000 ¥200,000 (Once at matriculation)
Semester Enrollment Fee ¥30,000 ¥30,000 (Per semester)
Tuition Fee** ¥240,000 ¥225,500 (Per semester)
Education Enhancement Fee ¥90,000 ¥45,000 (Per semester)
Premium for Personal Accident Insurance for ¥1,400 ¥2,100
(Once at matriculation)
Students Pursuing Education and Research (2-year period) (3-year period)
Tuition fee (Spring Semester) ¥561,400 ¥502,600
Tuition fee (Autumn Semester) ¥360,000 ¥300,500
Tuition fee (Annual) ¥921,400 ¥803,100
*Students who graduate from Sophia Undergraduate/Graduate Program in September 2023 or March 2024 will not be charged the Entrance Fee.
Students who graduated from Sophia Undergraduate/Graduate Program in and before March 2023 will be charged a half of the Entrance Fee.
**Tuition fee is revised annually based on the inflation rate.
Note:
The fees due prior to University entrance are not refundable. However, if a student notifies Sophia University of his/her intention not to attend by the
appointed deadline, these fees, with the exception of the Entrance Fee and a handling charge, may be refunded. For details, please refer to the “Entrance
Procedures” guide.

11．Scholarship information
Various types of scholarships and financial aid are available. Scholarships that can be applied at the time of admission are:
1) New Students Scholarship: The grant ranges from one-third to the full amount of the tuition fee for the first year.
2) Adachi Scholarship for students from Southeast Asia and Africa: Equivalent to the full tuition and education enhancement fee for
the first year.
Application forms and other scholarships information are available from the following website.
https://www.sophia.ac.jp/eng/admissions-and-aid/tuition/
Sophia University Graduate School Scholarship for Fostering Researchers is available for PhD students. For the details, please refer to
the above website.

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12. Housing
Sophia University has several off-campus dormitories and offers affiliated housing options. For more information, please refer to the
following website.
https://www.sophia.ac.jp/eng/campuslife/dormitory/
13. International students coming to Japan
Students coming from abroad to study at Sophia University must have a college student residence status or any other appropriate
residence status (e.g., diplomatic, official, or dependent) in Japan. A temporary visitor status is not acceptable. Before you apply for a
college student residence status, you need to obtain a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) issued by a Regional Immigration Bureau. For
more information, please refer to the guide for “Entrance Procedures” on your “My Page”.

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 Education (M.A./Ph.D.)

Application Materials Checklist

（Please enclose this checklist in your application）

Applicant’s name:

Check the items you enclosed.

1) Application forms □ Enclosed

・Application forms should be filled out through the online application website and printed out after the application fee payment.
・Application forms cannot be revised once application fee is paid. To change information on the forms, please write correct information in red
directly
on the print-out forms.

2) Proof of Graduation □ Enclosed □ Sent directly to Sophia

3) Official University/College Transcript(s) from (school names):
1. □ Enclosed □ Sent directly to Sophia
2. □ Enclosed □ Sent directly to Sophia
3. □ Enclosed □ Sent directly to Sophia
* If you have been to multiple schools, please fill in 2 and 3.
4) Recommendation Letter from (teacher name) (if any)
□ Enclosed □ Sent directly to Sophia
5) Research Proposal □ Enclosed
6) <M.A. applicant> Research Paper on Education or Bachelor’s Thesis □ Enclosed
<Ph.D. applicant> Master’s Thesis (English), Summary of Master’s Thesis，etc. □ Enclosed
7) Certificate of English language proficiency (Not required for native speakers of English)
□ Enclosed (TOEIC / Eiken) □ Sent directly to Sophia (TOEFL / IELTS)
8) Application Form for Special Provision for those with Working Experience (if applicable) □ Enclosed
9) Photocopy of Residence Card in Japan (Only for international students who apply to February Examination) □
Enclosed

*********************************************************************************************************************************
****************
Please double-check the following:
□ I have paid the application fee of 35,000 yen
□ I have requested that my official TOEFL or IELTS scores be sent directly to Sophia. (if applicable)
Date you requested: ____________________ IELTS Test Report Form #:
□ (Only for applicants who wish to request the special provision for those with working experience) I would like
to choose □ Comparative and International Education, □ Education and International Development, □
Educational Theory and Schooling if my request would be approved.
□ Message, if any

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