Application

Admission Policy

The college accepts any students, whether from Japan or abroad, who fulfil the basic requirements necessary for a postgraduate programme leading to a doctoral degree in Buddhist studies. The successful candidates are expected not only to meet the basic academic criteria but also to have a lively curiosity about the historical past and a keen enthusiasm for bringing creative contributions to the future.

Requirements for admission:

(1)Basic knowledge in the field of Buddhist studies

(2)Basic skills for reading traditional Buddhist sources in classical languages

(3)Basic skills for reading secondary sources of Buddhist studies in modern languages

Information for Admission in 2025

The information below is exclusive for applicants residing outside Japan.

Enrolment

The college provides a five-year programme covering philological and cultural studies with instruction in the required methodologies. Specialists provide one-to-one supervision in order to enable the student to reach the stage of producing a Ph. D. thesis.

Enrollment per year : Four (4) students
Total enrollment : Twenty (20) students

Qualifications

Applicants must complete sixteen years of formal education before entering our college. Applicants who come from countries with only fifteen years of formal education and applicants who are considered to have abilities equal to those postgraduates should contact our Academic and Student Affairs Division for further information.

*Applicants are encouraged to obtain public scholarships such as the Japanese Government (Monbukagakusho ; MEXT) Scholarships before entering our college. This will ensure a very stable financial support of their studies and stay in Japan.

Time of application and method of selection

Time of application

     Applications are accepted from 1 April to 30 April 2024.

Method of selection

For applicants residing outside of Japan: Screening of documents submitted by the applicant and two letters of recommendation from two separate supervisors of the applicant. Before screening, applicants may be interviewed by phone or in person.

Entrance and tuition fees

Entrance fee Tuition Total
Summer semester
(April - July)
Winter semester
(October - March)
300,000 yen 300,000 yen 300,000 yen 900,000 yen
  • Entrance fee and tuition for the first semester must be paid upon entry.
  • Payment of the following semester fees may be paid per semester. The office will advise students as to when payment is due.
  • Students with an excellent record are eligible to reduction or exemption of their tuition fees.

Scholarships and tuition deduction for privately-financed students

ICPBS Scholarship

The college will award the maximum number of ten scholarships (but not half over the number of registered students). The successful applicant will be a student of the college chosen on the basis of his/her academic record and financial needs.

  1.  Eligibility:
    Applicants must satisfy each of the following four conditions:
    (1) They must either currently be students of, or have been accepted for admission to, the college.
    (2) They must be persons of outstanding academic achievement and personal merit, and must be in good health.
    (3) They must have a demonstrable commitment to the furtherance of international understanding, and to making an academic contribution at the international level.
    (4) They must need financial assistance for their studies at the college.
  2.  Amount of Scholarship: 80,000 or 180,000 per month depending on his/her academic excellence for the first two years of study.
    * After the initial two years, and depending on the student’s academic achievements, the scholarship may be continued for further three years.
  3. If you need the college scholarship, the application form for the scholarship and the letter of recommendation should be submitted along with the admission application form and the other relevant documents.
  4. The result of your application for the scholarship will be announced along with that of your application for admission.

Tuition deduction for privately-financed students from abroad

Privately financed international students who are regular students of our college may be allowed a partial or a full deduction on their tuition.

  • Details of the above scheme and information concerning scholarships and tuition deduction which the College students are entitled to apply for are available at the time of application.

Application for Admission for Academic Year 2025

Application Period, Notification of Selection and Time of Admission for Academic Year 2025

Application Period Notification of Selection Time of Admission
1 April - 30 April 2024 6 June 2024 3 April 2025

Application forms

     Application forms will be sent on request, or you can download a PDF file or WORD files.

Application fee

Application fee is 30,000 yen.

Contact us

Academic and Student Affairs Division,
International College for Postgraduate Buddhist Studies
E-mail: student@icabs.ac.jp

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