Program Overview

Introduction to IGPAS

The International Graduate Program for Advanced Science (IGPAS) was initiated in October 2004 as one of the first International Priority Graduate Programs supported by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, and Technology (MEXT). The lecture courses are taught in English, and the students are not required to learn the Japanese language, although they are encouraged to learn it in their daily lives.

Program Details

IGPAS is a five-year graduate program combining a two-year master's program and a three-year doctoral program. Admission only for the master's program, or admission only for the doctoral program, is also available. Each student is affiliated with one of six departments: Mathematics, Physics, Astronomy, Geophysics, Chemistry, and Earth Science. Each department determines its own curriculum and course requirements, and the availability of classes varies depending on the semester and/or departments. Students may consult their supervisor about their research plan each semester before registration.

Eligibility for IGPAS 2026

Applicants for IGPAS must satisfy one of the following conditions:

• Master's Program:
  • (i) Those who (will) have graduated from a university by September 30, 2026.
  • (ii) Those who (will) have been conferred a degree equivalent to a bachelor's degree upon completion of a three-year program at a university, or those who (will) have completed 15 years of school education by September 30, 2026, and have been recognized by the Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University as having obtained the necessary credits with excellent grades.
  • (iii) Those who will reach 22 years of age by September 30, 2026, and have been recognized by the Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University through an individual qualification examination, to have a scholastic ability equivalent or superior to those who have graduated from a university.
• Doctoral Program:
  • (i) Those who (will) have earned a master's degree by September 30, 2026.
  • (ii) Those who (will) have engaged in research activities for at least two years at an educational or research institution after their graduation from a university and have been recognized by the Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University on the basis of their research performance to have a scholastic ability equivalent or superior to those who have earned a master's degree.
  • (iii) Those who will reach 24 years of age by September 30, 2026 and have been recognized by the Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University through an individual qualification examination to have a scholastic ability equivalent or superior to those who have earned a master's degree.

Fees and Expenses

Tohoku University's application, admission, and tuition fees are shown in the table (as of AY 2024). Students who find it difficult to pay the admission fee and/or tuition fee for economic reasons may be granted a waiver on application and screening. Overall living expenses in Sendai, including apartment rent, utilities, food, transportation, and so forth, may range from 80,000 to 150,000 JPY per month depending on conditions.

Financial Support

MEXT (Japanese Government) Scholarship

• Scholarship availability: 6 slots for the Master's program and 2 slots for the Doctoral program
• Details:
  • Support Period:
    • Master's Students: for two years (from October 2026 to September 2028)
    • Doctoral Students: for three years (from October 2026 to September 2029)
  • Benefits:
    • (1) Monthly stipend: Master's Students: 146,000 JPY, Doctoral Students: 147,000 JPY (both including the Sendai regional allowance of 2,000 JPY)
    • (2) Flight tickets for coming to Japan for admission and for returning to the home country after completing the program
    • (3) Exemption from application, admission, and tuition fees
  • Eligibility:
    • Those who were born on/after April 2, 1991
    • Those who meet the application requirements designated by the MEXT

Post-Admission Programs

Some programs allow applications at the time of admission. Tohoku University has launched leading graduate degree programs called "International Joint Graduate Programs" and "Academia-Industry Collaborating Graduate Programs". By using Tohoku University's research strengths, the programs gather university-wide knowledge to overcome the boundaries between disciplines and form strong cooperative educational ties with leading overseas universities as well as collaborative education between private companies/organizations and research/international institutions.

• International Joint Graduate Programs:
  • Graduate Program in Spintronics: GP-Spin
  • International Joint Graduate Program in Earth and Environmental Sciences: GP-EES
  • Graduate Program on Physics for the Universe: GP-PU
  • Graduate Program in Data Science: GP-DS
  • International Joint Graduate Program in Materials Science: GP-MS
  • International Joint Graduate Program in Integrated Chemistry: GP-Chem
• Academia-Industry Collaborating Graduate Programs:
  • WISE Program for AI Electronics: AIE
  • WISE Program for Sustainability in the Dynamic Earth: SyDE
  • Graduate Program for Green and Digital Innovation: GreDi

Scholarships, etc.

• Tohoku University Advanced Graduate School Pioneering Research Support Project for PhD Students: Tohoku University provides support to PhD students in Tohoku University's Advanced Graduate School Pioneering Research Support Project for PhD Students as part of JST's "Support for Pioneering Research Initiated by the Next Generation" program, for which the university has been selected.
  • The stipend is 180,000 JPY per month and the annual research grant is 340,000 JPY.
• Global Hagi Scholarship: It is a scholarship, which provides 600,000 JPY per year (50,000 JPY per month) to students who strongly wish to continue from a master's to a doctoral program. Students in the 2nd year of a master's program or in the 1st year of a doctoral program with exceptional academic ability and character are eligible to apply.
• Monbukagakusho Honors Scholarship: This scholarship provides 48,000 JPY per month for self-financed international students. Eligibilities vary depending on programs and usually, the graduate school examines the eligibility of the students and then directly contacts applicable students.
• Scholarship for international students offered by private foundations and organizations: Some private foundations and other organizations in Japan offer scholarships for international students. These scholarships vary with regard to recruitment procedures, eligible fields of study, and amounts. In many cases, applications will be made through Tohoku University after admission.