GraSPP doctoral Program graduates are expected to be policy professionals equipped with the intellectual instruments to take the lead in the real world. For that purpose, GraSPP doctoral Program trains students in skills which are necessary in order to develop original questions from their research, to construct and assess potential solutions that synthesize expert knowledge from various disciplines, and to move these solutions quickly into practice with an international perspective, communicating with diverse stakeholders, in addition to advanced research skills. During the coursework, in the Research Design Seminar, students learn to communicate with experts in different fields, and in the Project Seminar, students design and implement research projects related to real-world policy issues receiving input and feedback from actual practitioners. Students must also acquire basic knowledge of both Law and Politics and Economics. In the final examination of the doctoral thesis, the policy implications and implementation challenge of those policies will be also discussed.
No. You may contact our faculty if you would like, though pre-approval from professors before application is not necessary.
Standard duration for completion is 3 years. Those who have a difficulty in completing the program within the standard duration for personal reasons such as employment may extend the duration of study up to 6 years. The application for the extension is available only at the time of the enrollment procedure.
Foundation of specialized knowledge of either Law and Politics or Economics at master level is required to begin the program. In the field of Economics for example, if you are enrolled at a master or a professional degree program of a graduate school at the University of Tokyo, you should take
and earn credits for the courses in Microeconomics I/II, Macroeconomics I/II and Econometrics I/II held at the Graduate School of Economics. Excellent grades are expected for those courses. Applicants who have previously graduated from a graduate school at the University of Tokyo or at another institution, should possess a background knowledge comparable to the one delivered by the courses indicated above.
Yes. In the case of a master’s degree (not a bachelor’s degree) received abroad, students will not receive an exemption.
No. We do not accept a GMAT score instead of a GRE score.
Yes, IELTS Online is acceptable. (Nov. 4, 2022)
Please send any material that is relevant to the research proposal you are envisaging to GraSPP. This may include any thesis written at the professional degree program at GraSPP or any published academic papers or policy papers. Revised thesis or research paper etc. are acceptable as well.
GraSPP Master’s degree program students are required to complete a “Thesis” (course code: 5150020 / 5150021), not a “Research Paper”.
Those who can evaluate your performance properly. At least one letter must be written by your academic supervisor.
Yes. The Letters of Reference with Form#2 in PDF format must be sent by e-mail directly from a referee by the end of the application period.
If the graduation date is included on the official transcript, we will accept it as a substitute for a certificate of graduation.
Official proof of graduation and official transcripts can be sent directly to the admission office from your school. Please inform us if your school will be sending these documents directly to the admission office.
Firstly, you should know that the credit card used for payment does not have to be your own. A relative or acquaintance may execute the payment on your behalf. In this case, please clearly state the credit card holder’s name as well as your own name on the checklist of your application package to let us know that the payment is from you. Please refer to the https://e-shiharai.net/english/ for more detailed information regarding e-payment. If you cannot make the payment through e-payment for any reason, remittance to the bank account of the University of Tokyo is also acceptable. You can get the account information from the PhD Desk.
No. We do not accept cash payments. Please remit your payment to the designated bank account.
