Admission information for the School of International Peace Studies

Overview of Application Procedures and Requirements
The School of International Peace Studies (SIPS) is a graduate program designed to nurture creative “Global Citizenship” that will lead the international community undergoing unprecedented changes along with the acceleration of globalization. A successful applicant could be described as possessing the following qualities
  • Understand the School’s objectives and have a clear purpose of going to a graduate school and a strong will to study under the School’s programs.
  • Have knowledge and research ability equivalent to the level of a person who has finished a bachelor’s course in the humanities and social science areas.
  • Have English ability necessary to keep up with education and conduct research at the School.
The School of International Peace Studies considers all applications in a holistic manner; applicants are selected based on the combination of their individual characteristics and by how well their educational goals can be met through the School of International Peace Studies.

Application Procedures and Requirements

Applicants to the School of International Peace Studies must include the following components in their application materials
  • Completed application and accompanying forms
  • Demonstration of sufficient English language proficiency
  • Personal statement related to the applicant’s goals for graduate study
  • Two letters of recommendation
Once the completed applications are received during the designated application periods, an interview date for each applicant will be scheduled.

Application Materials, Fees, Scheduling and Application Eligibility

1. Application Materials and Processing Fee

(1) Application Form Soka University Designated Form A*
(2) Test Ticket / Photo I.D. Card Soka University Designated Forms C and D
(3) College Transcript Processed by individual institutions
(Soka University students can obtain their transcript through the campus automated vendor)
(4) Diploma / Proof of Graduation Processed by individual institutions
(Soka University students can obtain their transcript through the campus automated vendor)
(5) English Proficiency Test Score Please see details on page 5
(6) Personal Statement Please see details on page 5
(7) Two letters of Recommendation Please see details on page 6
(8) Application Fee ¥33,000

Fill out attached remittance form and pay through a local Japanese bank

Provide copy of remittance invoice when submitting application

In case applicants are staying abroad, please make payment via a credit card from https://payment.soka.ac.jp/international/applic ation_fee.php
Notes
  • On Form A, the section requesting “Title of Master Thesis” is optional.
  • Form B is not required for the application for SIPS.

2. Application Periods

Two application periods are scheduled each year in September and January, prior to each academic year that begins annually in April.
Application Period One: September (Maximum 6 applicants are accepted)
Application Period August 18-24, 2017
Interview Date September 30, 2017
Application Results Announced October 6, 2017
1st Tuition / Fee Payment October 11-19, 2017
2nd Tuition / Fee Payment February 19-26, 2018
Application Period Three: January (Maximum 10 applicants are accepted)
Application Period November 6-17, 2017
Interview Date January 8, 2018
Application Results Announced January 12, 2018
1st Tuition / Fee Payment February 19-26, 2018
2nd Tuition / Fee Payment

Overseas applicants can be interviewed via online technologies.

3．How and Where to Apply

Upon preparing the necessary documentation and payment of the application fee, individuals seeking to apply to this school must submit their application package either in person or by mail.
To Apply Directly in Person
Graduate Schools Section Faculty Administration Department Faculty Affairs Office (Global Square 1F) Hours: 9:30-17:00 (Mon-Fri)

To Apply by Mail
Graduate Schools Section Faculty Administration Department Faculty Affairs Office Soka University 1-236 Tangi-machi Hachioji-shi, Tokyo, Japan 192-8577 Tel: 81-42-691-2203 
When choosing to apply by mail, please be sure to send the documentation by registered mail to ensure that the application package arrives at Soka University during the official application period.

4．Application Terms

Please note the following restrictions regarding applications
  1. Your application will only be accepted if the required documentation that is submitted is complete: Incomplete applications will not be accepted.
  2. Applications submitted after the deadline will not be accepted.
  3. Documents submitted as part of your application will not be returned.
  4. The application fee is nonrefundable.

5．Application Eligibility

Applicants to graduate programs in Japan must satisfy any of the following criteria
  1. Applicants who have graduated from university (or expected to graduate by March 31, 2018).
  2. Applicants who have been granted a Bachelor’s degree from the NIAD-UE (the National Institution for Academic Degrees and University Evaluation).
  3. Applicants who have completed 16 years of school education outside Japan, or are expected to complete their education by March 31, 2018.
  4. Applicants who have completed 16 years of school education within Japan through correspondence programs offered by overseas school.
  5. Applicants who have completed courses at an educational institution in Japan that is deemed to have courses offered by an overseas university according to the educational system of that country, and have also been designated by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. This applies solely to those who have completed 16 years of school education of the country concerned.
  6. Applicants who have completed the specialized courses offered at an advanced vocational school, designated by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (which minimum period required for graduation is four years or longer, and which also satisfies other conditions specified by the Minister), after the date specified by the Minister.
  7. Applicants designated eligible for admissions by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
  8. Applicants who have been enrolled in a university for more than three years, or have completed 15 years of school education abroad, and who are recognized by the relevant Graduate School Committee as having earned designated credits with superior grades.
  9. Applicants who have turned 22 years old by March 2018 and have been recognized by the relevant Graduate School Committee as having the equivalent academic qualifications of a university graduate.
Notes
  • Questions related to eligibility requirements can be addressed to gsoffice@soka.ac.jp prior to submitting an application. Please provide sufficient time for communication related to eligibility questions prior to application deadlines.
  • In some special cases, it may be necessary to determine admissions eligibility after the application has been submitted.

English Language Proficiency Requirement

All applicants, including those who identify themselves as native English speakers, to the School of International Peace Studies must demonstrate their ability to successfully complete an English-medium graduate program by providing a photocopy of acceptable TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) iBT or IELTS (International English Language Testing System) Academic Test scores achieved within the past two years.
There is no Japanese language proficiency requirement to enter the School of International Peace Studies. However, those students who do not speak Japanese may take, as an extra-curricular program, a Japanese language course offered by the Japan Studies Center of Soka University. The concrete details of available Japanese language courses and their schedules will be announced by the Japan Studies Center in the beginning of each semester.

Personal Statement

Applicants are required to submit with their application a personal statement that addresses the following topic, and meets the following criteria

School of International Peace Studies

Personal Statement

Please provide a personal statement describing your educational objectives. The personal statement gives you the opportunity to explain your reasons for pursuing graduate study and to express your thoughts clearly in an organized and focused way.

Please answer the following question regarding the School of International Peace Studies

How does this program help you achieve your overall professional goals?

You may wish to address
  • Why you are applying for the School of International Peace Studies;
  • How the School of International Peace Studies will relate to your long-range career objectives;
  • What personal or “non-academic” qualities you will contribute to the learning environment in this program;
  • What your research interests in International Peace Studies may be; and / or,
  • What personal experiences have influenced your intellectual development and future goals with respect to the School of International Peace Studies.
The personal statement should
  • Include your name and a title;
  • Not exceed 1,000 words; and
  • Be typed double-spaced (Times New Roman 12).
Please carefully revise and edit your statement, as all qualities of academic writing including organization, structure, grammar, and spelling will be considered.

Letters of Recommendation

Two letters of recommendation are requested of each applicant. These two letters should be provided by those able to attest to the applicant&rsquo;s abilities to successfully complete a rigous graduate degree in an international context (delivered in an English-medium format).<br />
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Each letter of recommendation should
  • Include the contact information (email, address and telephone number) of the referee;
  • Be completed on the form provided (additional pages can be included by the referee, on official institutional letterhead);
  • Must be signed by the referee; and,
  • Returned in a sealed envelope, signed across the seal, to the applicant to be included in the package of application materials deleivered to the university.

Interview

Interviews will be held on the Soka University campus in Hachioji, Tokyo, in the Global Square Building, on the specified dates above.
  • Soka University administration will notify the applicant of the specific interview time.
  • Applicants should plan to arrive a minimum of 20 minutes before their scheduled interview.
  • Interview rooms will be announced at the entrance lobby of the Global Square Building on 7 the interview day.
Applicants living abroad can be interviewed via online technologies. In the case of interviews for applicants living abroad
  • Applicants will be contacted via email prior to the interview in order to organize necessary information (exchange of Skype IDs, etc.).
  • It is the sole responsibility of the applicant to ensure that suitable technology is available in their country of residence to perform the interview.
  • Video interviews are required in order to verify applicant identity.
  • Scheduling of the interview time will be at the discretion of the interviewers, but every reasonable effort will be made to take into account time zone differences.

Announcement of Application Results

  1. Application results will be notified through an email by the university administration.
  2. Application numbers of successful applicants will be posted at the university Graduate School bulletin board in Global Square Building 1F.
  3. Successful applicants should pick up an official notification slip and related admissions documents at the Graduate Schools Section in the Faculty Affairs Office on the day of the announcement. Documents for those successful applicants who did not pick them up in person will be mailed to them the following day. If the documents are not received within three days, please contact the Graduate Schools Section in the Faculty Affairs Office on the university campus.
Additional information
  • Applicants who are accepted may be required to undergo final confirmation of personal identity prior to the date of the entrance ceremony of that academic year. At that time, if any improprieties are discovered, the university reserves the right to withhold admissions of the applicant.