School of Culture, Media and Society

School of Culture, Media and Society

WASEDA UNIVERSITY

Global Studies in Japanese Cultures Program

Overseas Students Admission

For entrance in September 2022

Application Guidelines <Updated on October 12, 2021>

Updated changes highlighted in yellow: P.5, 17, 18, 19

<Updated on October 28, 2021>

Updated changes highlighted in yellow: P.3, 4

* Please make all inquiries via e-mail ([email protected]) or message on the online application system in order to

keep records of all communications with applicants.

* Due to the ever-changing situation with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the School of Culture, Media and Society may

take additional measures and this guideline may be updated.

* All dates and times stated in this guideline are in Japan Standard Time (JST).

Administrative Office for Faculty of Letters, Arts and Sciences,

Waseda University

1-24-1, Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8644, Japan

E-mail: [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]


CMS JCulP OS (2022 Admission)

1

<Table of Contents>

Enrollment Procedures ............................................................... P.2

Admission Policy ............................................................... P.2

1. Academic Year and Number of Students to be Admitted ............................................................... P.3

2. Applicant Eligibility ............................................................... P.3

3. Screening Methods and Schedules ............................................................... P.4

4. Application Procedures ............................................................... P.6

5. Notes on Application ............................................................... P.18

6. Announcement of Application results ............................................................... P.19

7. Enrollment Procedures ............................................................... P.19

8. School Expenses and Other Fees ............................................................... P.21

9. Dormitories ............................................................... P.21

10. Scholarships ............................................................... P.22

<Terms>

CMS … The School of Culture, Media and Society

JCulP … Global Studies in Japanese Cultures Program

TAO … “The Admissions Office” (the online application system)


2

Enrollment Procedures

The following chart explains the general process of application. Please note that it may be different for each individual.

Read through it carefully, so you can prepare and submit the appropriate documents indicated on each page.

Preparation / Application Reference Contents in the Guidelines

1. Check eligibility

2. Pay screening fee

3. Prepare application documents

4. Complete online application

.....P.3-4

.....P.6-10

.....P.11-16

.....P.17

Screening Reference Contents in the Guidelines

1. Check examinee number

2. Interview (if required)

.....P.5

.....P.4-5

Announcement of successful applicants and Enrollment Procedures Reference Contents in the Guidelines

1. Announcement of Application results .....P.19

2. Enrollment Procedures .....P.19-21

Admission Policy

Under the educational policy of “The Independence of Learning,” Waseda University admits a large number of domestic

and international students who have a superior level of basic academic ability, a healthy intellectual curiosity, an

enterprising spirit (one of the educational philosophies of the university), and high motivation to study. Our school

particularly requests prospective students to have the following qualities and abilities.

◆ Prospective students need to be eager to work hard for a degree with an understanding of our philosophies and goals: to

“explore cultural manifestations and structures, analyze representations, create literature, and discuss the nature of

human beings and society in order to conceive cultures suitable for new eras” and “apply the wisdom of cultural

studies to the issues of the present day and daringly transcend the bounds of existing academic disciplines, favoring

interdisciplinary approaches to learning.”

◆ Prospective students need to have a certain level of basic academic ability to complete their studies after admission

with an understanding of our curriculum ranging from foundation-level to specialty courses. They also need to have

accumulated a broad range of academic knowledge and experience before their entry into our school.


3

1. Academic Year and Number of Students to be Admitted

Year of

Entry Department

Number of Students

to be Admitted Degree

Time of

Enrollment

First Year School of Culture,

Media and Society (CMS) 15

Bachelor of Arts in

Literature September 2022

<NOTES>

⚫ Second or third year transfer students are not admitted at CMS.

⚫ This admission is non-binding. Applicants may apply to other undergraduate schools in Waseda University or other

universities.

2. Applicant Eligibility

You must meet one of the requirements below:

A. At the time of application, you must meet one of the following qualifications (a)

(1) You have completed or are expected to complete secondary education and formal school education for 12 years or

more outside Japan (b).

(2) You have completed or are expected to complete secondary education and formal school education for 12 years at an

international school that has been accredited by an international accreditation institution (c).

(3) You have completed or are expected to complete formal school education at a foreign school in Japan, designated by

MEXT (d) as is equivalent to a high school in Japan (e).

(4) You have obtained or are expected to obtain one of the following qualifications: International Baccalaureate Diploma,

Baccalauréat, Abitur, or General Certificate of Education Advanced Level.

(5) You have completed or are expected to complete secondary education and formal school education for 11 years in the

specific countries designated by MEXT (f).

(6) You have completed or are expected to complete a college preparatory course designated by MEXT after completing

a formal education of less than 12 years, other than the cases specified in No. 5 above.

(7) You have graduated or are expected to graduate from a “High School” or a 6-year “Secondary School” in Japan, or

you meet one of the qualifications in footnotes (g).

B. You are 18 years old or older as of the expected enrollment date, AND you meet either one of the following

qualifications:

1. You have passed, at the time of application, a qualification exam that proves you are equivalent to or higher in

scholastic ability than those who have completed a 12-year education curriculum outside Japan.

2. You have passed, or are scheduled to pass by the expected enrollment date, the high school equivalency examination

given by MEXT.

C. You are 18 years old or older as of the expected enrollment date, AND you are recognized individually by the School of

Culture, Media and Society as having met the requirements equivalent to A or B above.

(a) There is no minimum age requirement if you meet the requirement A above.

(b) Those who “have completed or are expected to complete secondary education and formal school education for 12 years or more outside

Japan” refers to those who have completed elementary and secondary school education, whether in Japan or outside, and who in the end

graduated/expected to graduate from a formal secondary education institution in a foreign country.

(c) WASC (Western Association of Schools and Colleges), ACSI (Association of Christian Schools International), CIS (Council of International

Schools)


4

(d) “MEXT” in this section refers to the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

(e) Foreign schools in Japan designated by MEXT (in Japanese) http://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/koutou/shikaku/07111314/003.htm

(f) Designated 11 year school education equivalent to a “High School” in Japan; Belarus, Myanmar, Peru, Russia, Sudan, and Uzbekistan

(g) Other qualifications are;

- You have graduated or are expected to graduate from a high school part of a “School for Special Needs Education” or completed the 3rd

grade of a 5-year “College of Technology” in Japan

- You have graduated or are expected to graduate from a school for Japanese outside Japan which is designated by MEXT as is equivalent

to high schools in Japan

- You have completed or are expected to complete an upper secondary course at a specialized training college designated by MEXT

< NOTES>

⚫ Eligibility is not decided by nationality or length of period living abroad.

⚫ If you are expected or scheduled to meet any of the qualifications above, you must meet those before the first date of

enrollment (September 21, 2022).

⚫ If you are not sure whether you meet the requirements for applicant eligibility or if you wish to verify your eligibility,

please contact the International Admissions Office ([email protected]) at least 3 weeks before the application

deadline.

⚫ If you submitted a certificate indicating that you are expected to meet the qualifications required to enter Waseda

University in order to meet the eligibility requirements stated in the application guidelines at the time of application,

you must submit a certificate indicating that you have indeed met the requirement prior to enrollment. You will not be

permitted to enter Waseda University, even if you pass the screening, unless you submit the relevant certificate.

⚫ For those who need to submit a Score of an English Language Proficiency Test, there is required minimum score you

need to clear. If your score does not fulfill the criteria, your application will be refused. For details, please refer to

P.14-16.

3. Screening Methods and Schedules

(1) Document Screening

You will be screened in a holistic manner based on your application documents.

(2) Interview (if required)

⚫ An interview will be required only when we judge that we need further information in addition to the application

documents.

⚫ We will disclose information on the criteria to determine who to be interviewed.

⚫ The interview will be conducted through an online interview system (Zoom) without having applicants travel all the

way to Japan or any other locations.

⚫ Further instructions will be provided to the applicants when required.

⚫ The applicants who are required to take the interview will receive an e-mail on April 13, 2022. Please check your

e-mail on the day.

⚫ Applicants must prepare their own usage environment. Before the actual interview, please test your internet connection

by joining a test meeting (https://zoom.us/test). Expenses for using Zoom meeting are the responsibility of the

individual applicant.

➢ Internet connection

You are responsible for preparing a stable internet connection. To ensure a stable connection, we strongly

recommend that you connect to a wired LAN via a cable rather than a wireless LAN (e.g., Wi-Fi). Please be aware

http://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/koutou/shikaku/07111314/003.htm


https://zoom.us/test


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that the university cannot be held responsible for any technical or network trouble occurring during the online

interview.

➢ Audio/ Visual Equipment

You will need a webcam and a microphone to use the system. Feel free to use the built-in webcam on your

computer, if you have one.

➢ Location

As well as preparing the above environment, you must prepare a room where you can ensure that no third parties

will enter. Please make sure to prepare an environment where you can have an interview without any

disturbances.

⚫ The start time of the exam will be set by the university. Please note that we cannot accommodate individual requests.

⚫ The limit of tardiness is 20 minutes after the exam start time. If you are more than 20 minutes late, you will be

considered absent.

⚫ If it is deemed difficult to conduct the exam due to unforeseen circumstances such as a disconnection, CMS will

contact you by phone or e-mail at the address provided on the application system. Please check the details of the

contact and follow the instructions. If we are unable to contact you or if you do not follow our instructions, we may

consider you to have abandoned the exam. In such cases, the application fee will not be refunded.

⚫ If you leave your seat during the exam, you may be considered to have abandoned the exam.

⚫ Failure to observe the following precautions may be regarded as cheating.

➢ The only items you are allowed to have on hand are your examinee slip, writing utensils, a notepad, a plain

handkerchief, and tissue paper out of a box or bag.

➢ Recording, videotaping, or photographing the exam is prohibited.

➢ Please keep Zoom video and audio “on” at all times, and make sure that your entire face is on the screen at all

times.

➢ Do not use any communication devices other than those used in the exam. Do not search for information on the

device you are using for the exam, and do not use any applications or tools other than Zoom.

➢ Do not use the virtual background function of Zoom.

➢ To ensure that there are no third parties around, you may be asked to move the camera to show the entire room

during the exam. If this happens, please follow the instructions.

➢ Please remove your mask during the exam.

⚫ For your information

Zoom Help Center https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us

(3) Screening Schedule

Based on the application period, screening is scheduled as follows:

January 7 (Fri.), 2022 – February 24 (Thu.), 2022 ✓ Period for the payment of Screening Fee

✓ Period for the Registration for TAO

Early April, 2022

✓ Notification of the Examinee Number

* We will notify your Examinee Number via TAO.

(Login > Application > Show examinee slip)

April 14 (Thu.), 2022 – April 19 (Tue.), 2022 ✓ Interview (if required)

April 21 (Thu.), 2022, 10:00 AM ✓ Application results

* Screening results will be posted on TAO.

https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us


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4. Application Procedures

To apply for admission, you must complete all the following 3 steps by the deadline.

If you fail to complete any of these steps, your application will be considered INVALID.

(1) Payment of the screening fee

The amount of the screening fee depends on where you reside at the time of application regardless of your nationality. In

some cases, overseas residents may be asked to provide documentary proof of where they live.

Place of residence at the time of application Screening fee

Outside Japan JPY 5,000

Japan JPY 35,000

Payment proof should be uploaded on TAO in order to complete your application. Without paying the screening fee, your

application will not be complete.

<NOTES>

As a general rule, application documents and screening fees are not returned. A full screening fee will be refunded if you

fall into one of the categories below.

1) You paid a screening fee but failed to submit the required application documents.

2) You paid a screening fee but submitted the application documents after the deadline.

3) You paid a screening fee and submitted the application documents, but your application was rejected before screening

due to the following reasons.

The submitted application materials are not complete enough to meet the application requirements.

You do not meet all the eligibility criteria.

If you fall into one of the categories above, please contact CMS office ([email protected]).

* If you have made a payment by credit card, handling fees which may be incurred for refund must be paid by the applicant.

Also, if you have made a payment by wire transfer from the bank outside of Japan, all handling fees to be charged for

refund to that bank must be paid by the applicant.

(1) Payment of Screening Fee

Payment Method Applicability

1. Credit card, China Union Pay, or Alipay Both inside and outside of Japan

2. Payment at a convenience store Only in Japan

1. Credit card, China Union Pay, or Alipay

To make a payment by credit card or online payment system (China Union Pay or Alipay), please access the online

screening fee payment website (https://e-shiharai.net/ecard) and complete the required procedure. In the “Category

Selection” page of the website, make your selections as follows:

First Selection English-based Degree program

Second Selection School of Culture, Media and Society

Third Selection September 2022 Admission

Fourth Selection

(In the case of payment from outside of Japan: JPY 5,000)

JCulP Applicant Residing Outside of Japan.

(In the case of payment from Japan: JPY 35,000)

JCulP Applicant Residing in Japan


https://e-shiharai.net/ecard


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<NOTES>

⚫ After completing the transaction, save the “Result” page as PDF/JPEG/PNG, and upload it with your application on

TAO.

⚫ The payment can be made 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays.

⚫ The payment can be made with a credit card held in the name of the third person. In this case, the applicant’s own

information must be entered in the “Basic Information” page of the screening fee payment website, not that of the card

holder.

2. Payment at a convenience store (Payment in Japan only)

⚫ Please pay the screening fee at a convenience store near you.

⚫ To make a payment at a convenience store, you must complete the designated application procedure in advance by

accessing the “screening fee convenience store payment site” (http://e-shiharai.net/) [Japanese only] on the Internet.

⚫ After making the payment, detach the “Certificate of Payment of the Screening Fee” on the Screening Fee Handling

Description, take a photo of the payment receipt which includes your name, payment date and amount, and upload it

with your application on TAO.

⚫ The payment can be made 24 hours a day, seven days a week , including Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. However,

please note that application via the website will end at 23:00 on the last day of the payment period. Similarly, you will

not be able to make a payment at a convenience store after 23:30 on the last day of the payment period.

⚫ If a family member or acquaintance of an applicant conducts the procedure for the applicant, they must enter the

applicant’s own information, not that of the payer’s.

http://e-shiharai.net/


8

After completing the transaction, print the “Result” page as a PDF,

or take a screenshot of the page and upload it with your application on TAO.


9

Take a photo of the payment receipt which includes your name, payment date

and amount, and upload it with your application on TAO.


10

(2) Screening Fee Waiver Program

1. Outline

Applicants who wish to be admitted into an undergraduate or graduate school of Waseda University are eligible to apply for

a screening fee waiver if they reside in one of the countries designated by Waseda University AND hold nationality of one

of those countries.

2. Eligibility

The following conditions must be fulfilled:

1) The applicant must reside in one of the countries classified as “Least Developed Countries” or “ Low Income

Countries which are not LDCs “ in the list of ODA recipients as published by OECD/DAC AND hold nationality of

one of those countries (the applicant's country of residence and nationality do not necessarily have to be identical).

* For the list of eligible countries, refer to “Eligible Countries” below.

* Applicants residing in Japan are not eligible.

2) Applicants with dual nationality are only eligible if both nationalities are included in the list of eligible countries

described in 1) above.

3. Procedures

When applying to an undergraduate or graduate school of Waseda University, please enclose the following documents in

place of the certificate of payment for the screening fee (copy of the remittance form etc.) required as part of admissions

application documents. You must submit these documents before the admissions application deadline. They will not be

accepted after the deadline under any circumstances.

1) Application Form for Screening Fee Waiver [Appendix 4]

2) Copy of passport (including all details of the applicant)

* Applicants who apply for the screening fee waiver program are not required to pay the screening fee. However, if

payment was made before the application for the screening fee waiver program, the screening fee will not be

reimbursed. Please note that the University will not refund the screening fee if you mistakenly paid it.

* In the event that the applicant is found to be ineligible for the screening fee waiver program or have made a false

claim, the application for admission to Waseda University itself might be revoked immediately.

[Eligible Countries]

Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros,

Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea,

Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Kiribati, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania,

Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Niger, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia,

South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda, Yemen, Zambia , Zimbabwe


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(2) Prepare application documents

While the application process will be mostly conducted through the online system, there are a number of documents that

you must prepare in advance. Carefully read this application guideline and prepare all the required documents before the

start of the application period.

(1) Application Form Create via TAO

(2) Residence Card in Japan Prepared by yourself

* Only for non-Japanese national residing in Japan.

(3) Personal Identification Prepared by yourself

(4) ID Photo Prepared by yourself

(5) Certificate of (Expected) Graduation Ask your school to prepare this document

(6) School Profile (if possible) Ask your school to prepare this document

(7) Academic Transcript Ask your school to prepare this document

(8) Grading Scale Ask your school to prepare this document

(9) Certificate of University Entrance Qualification

examination/Standardized Test

Prepared by yourself, or by your school, or by the

organization that conducts the test

* We are aware that some high schools/institutions have a

policy to keep predicted grades (e.g., IBDP, GCE A-level)

confidential from students. In this case, ask your school to

submit the required certificates directly to CMS office

([email protected]).

* For more details, see "List of Application Documents by

Education System" which can be found on CMS website.

(10) Score of an English Language Proficiency Test Prepared either by yourself or the organization that

conducts the test

(11) Statement of Purpose (Essay) Prepared by yourself

(12) [Appendix 1] or evidence document for Academic

Honors & Personal and Volunteer Activities Prepared by yourself, your school, or your organization

(13) Certificate of Study Abroad Experience Ask your school to prepare this document

<NOTES>

● As a general rule, we will not return application documents. However, we will return the originals of documents that can

be issued only once (i.e., high school or college diplomas) upon request.

● Requirements on original documents

On TAO, you will first upload digital (scanned) copies of original/certified documents and certificates to follow our

online application process. However, later as part of our enrollment procedures, successful applicants will be required

to prove its originality either by submitting their physical copies by post, having their official versions sent by e-mail

from the issuing organization, or using digital credential services. If you are unable to do so by the designated deadline,

you will be considered to have failed to meet our enrollment qualifications. Discrepancies may be considered as

falsification/fabrication of application documents, and your admission may be revoked. For more details, refer to P.19

(2) Submission of Enrollment Documents.

● Language specification

Certificates issued in English or Japanese are accepted. If they are originally issued in any other language, attach an

English translation to its original. The translation must be prepared either by the issuing institution (e.g., your high



12

school), translation agency or other appropriate office officially approved by the government. Notarization for the

translation is not required.

● Meeting the deadline

All application materials, including ones directly sent from your high school or other institution, must be received by

CMS no later than the designated deadline. Those that arrived after the deadline will not be accepted under any

circumstances.

Application

Form

Fill out the application form on the designated online application system “TAO”

<NOTES>

1) Once you have completed your application, you cannot change the registered name (should be the same

as it appears on your passport or identification document), date of birth, and sex.

2) If you do not have last name, fill in as “None”.

3) Enter all your educational background in chronological order from primary school to the currently

attending school including experiences of studying abroad (if you have any).

Personal Detail

⚫ Residence Card in Japan

If you are a non-Japanese national and have a status of residence in Japan, upload a digital copy of

both sides of your residence (Zairyu) card.

⚫ Personal Identification

Upload a scanned copy of your passport. If you do not have a passport at the time of application,

upload a copy of any identification documents that displays your photograph, full name, and date of

birth in English alphabet or Japanese.

If you are a citizen of more than one country, upload copies of all your passports. You need to merge

them into one file when uploading.

⚫ ID Photo

Upload a color photograph (aspect ratio of 4:3) of yourself taken within three months, showing a front

view above chest level with a plain background. Your head should be uncovered except for religious

reasons. This photograph will be used for your Student ID card after enrollment.

High School

Graduation

⚫ Certificate of (Expected) Graduation

Upload a PDF version of a certificate proving you have completed or are scheduled to complete a

secondary education curriculum. Certificate must show your legal name in alphabet, date of birth,

official name of the school in English, (expected) graduation date, and issuance date.

<NOTES>

1) If the transcript shows (expected) graduation date, you do not need to prepare a separate document

which certifies your (expected) graduation (date).

2) If your high school does not issue a certificate of graduation (or expected graduation), use the

“Template for Certificate of Graduation/Expected Graduation” [Appendix 3].

3) If you did not graduate from high school but passed the university entrance qualification test (high

school equivalency examination), submit the documents certifying the fact, instead of the certificate of

high school graduation.

⚫ School Profile

Upload a school profile of your high school you attended / are attending (as much as possible). It is

preferable that you submit the school profile of a tertiary education institution (university, junior

college, etc.) as well as a high school, if you are enrolled in a tertiary education institution.

Academic

Transcript

⚫ Academic Transcript

Upload a PDF version of your academic transcripts/school reports issued by high school (or an

equivalent institution) for the last three years (equivalent to three years of High School Education in


13

Japan). Certificate must show your legal name in alphabet, official name of the school in English, and

issuance date.

<NOTES>

1) Submit the academic transcripts as specified in the “List of Application Document by Education

System” which can be found on CMS website.

2) If you have been enrolled in more than one school, submit the academic transcripts from all the schools

that you have been enrolled in.

3) If you have passed the high school equivalency examination, submit the documents certifying the fact

and its score. Submission of an academic transcript is not necessary even if you have been enrolled in a

high school in the past.

4) If you are studying or have studied at a tertiary education institution (university, junior college, etc.),

submit an academic transcript with grades for the period until the most recent academic term at the time

of application.

5) If you are unable to submit grades for the designated period due to COVID-19 (e.g., letter grades being

suspended, courses taken during the most recent semester not shown due to school closure etc.), you

may submit the most up-to-date transcripts which you can receive from your high school at the time of

application.

⚫ Grading Scale

Prepare a document which shows the grading scale/system of your high school (or equivalent

education institution).

<NOTES>

1) If the transcript(s) shows the grading scale, additional documents are not necessary.

2) A photocopy of website, school profile, or any other official documents issued by your high school

which certifies the grading scale/system are acceptable.

University

Entrance

Qualification

Examination

You may submit the results of any of the standardized tests listed on “List of Application Documents by

Education System”, such as an official SAT or ACT score, IBDP (predicted) results issued by your school,

GCE A-level (predicted) results or the official certificate/score report of your country’s university entrance

qualification examination (e.g., China: Gaokao, Republic of Korea: CSAT, etc.). If your education system

is not listed or if you are not sure which category your case applies, inquire at CMS office

([email protected]) prior to the submission of your application.

Scores taken after the following designated date will be considered valid.

February 25, 2018

Test How to submit

SAT

ACT

IBDP Results

Arrange to have your score reports directly sent from College Board, ACT

Inc., or IBO. (If sent by other means, they will be considered invalid)

The Waseda University Code; [SAT: 0837] [ACT code: 5473] [IB code:

00549]

All Waseda undergraduate programs have access to these scores sent with the

above code, so if you are applying to multiple Waseda undergraduate

programs at the same time, you do not need to order scores for each program.

To check whether your documents have been received, contact the test board

directly.



14

IBDP Predicted

Grades

GCE A-level

China: Gaokao

Republic of Korea:

CSAT

Others

Upload a PDF version of the certificate by yourself on TAO.

Certificate must show your legal name in alphabet, date of birth, official

name of the issuing authority, and issuance date.

If your high school has a policy to keep predicted grades (e.g., IBDP, GCE

A-level) confidential from students, ask your high school to submit the

required certificates directly to CMS office ([email protected]) .

<NOTES>

1) Test scores, including the ones directly sent by the testing organization, must arrive by the deadline.

Arrival prior to the application period is acceptable.

2) We do NOT superscore. If you have taken the test multiple times, choose your best score (the sitting

with the highest total score) and enter that information.

Grace Period

CMS will accept scores until March 8, 2022 only for standardized tests that are conducted only once a year

AND the results will be released after our application deadline. If you submit your standardized test score

after the application deadline, please follow the instructions below:

(1) Check whether or not your test is applicable by referring to the List of Application Documents

by Education System. If “grace period is applied” has not been specified for your education

system but you believe it should be, inquire at CMS before the application deadline.

(2) Select your country/region and fill out the necessary information on TAO. Attach an official

announcement specifying the exam and score release schedule.

(3) Complete your application by the designated deadline.

(4) Submit the test score certificates via TAO message function as soon as the results come out.

▶ For those who cannot submit specified test scores:

CMS considers the examination results as an important factor to evaluate the applicant’s academic ability.

Therefore, even when the examination you were planning to sit for was canceled due to the COVID-19

pandemic, you are encouraged to take a different exam (for example, SAT) held on another date.

If you cannot submit any test results due to one of the following cases, select your case and fill out the

necessary information on TAO.

Case 1

You are a high school (secondary school) student at the time of application, and your

country’s or region’s university entrance qualification examination or another

standardized test will be conducted/released after our application deadline.

Case 2 You are receiving or have received your education in a country where there is no

national standardized test for assessing your qualification to enter university.

Case 3 Your standardized test has been canceled or postponed due to the COVID-19

pandemic.

Language

Proficiency

Test Scores

Whether you need to submit the Score of an English Language Proficiency Test or not depends on which

certificate of university entrance qualification examinations/standardized tests you take;

⚫ If you submit a certificate of university entrance qualification examinations/standardized tests

administered for an educational system in which the first language is English (such as SAT, ACT,

GCE, IB taught in English, etc.), you are NOT required to submit the score of an English language



15

proficiency test.

⚫ If you submit a certificate of university entrance qualification examinations/standardized tests

administered for an educational system in which the first language is NOT English, you are

REQUIRED to submit the score of an English language proficiency test.

Scores taken after the following designated date will be considered valid.

February 25, 2020

1. Required minimum score

For the applicants required to submit the English Language Proficiency Test Score, there is a minimum

Score of an English Language Proficiency Test required for application shown below. If your score doesn’t

meet the requirements, your application will be refused.

The English Language Proficiency Tests acceptable from the 2022 admission and the required score for

each is as follows.

Test TEAP

*1.

TEAP

CBT

IELTS

*2.

Eiken

*3.

TOEFL

iBT

*4.

Cambridge

English

Qualification

GTEC

CBT

Required

Score

375

or higher

800

or higher

7.0

or higher

2600

or higher

95

or higher

180

or higher

1350

or higher

<NOTES>

*1. The score of “TEAP OVERVIEW SCORE” is used (instead of CSE2.0).Please submit the “OFFICIAL

SCORE REPORT.”

*2. Only the “Academic Module” is acceptable. “IELTS Indicator” is not acceptable.Your score must be

sent directly from the organization.

*3. Only to pass the score of CSE2.0 is required for Eiken. The level or the result (success or failure) does

not matter.Please submit “PROOF OF EIKEN CERTIFICATION” or “EIKEN CSE Score

Certificate.”

*4. “My Best™ scores “ is not acceptable (please be sure to fulfill the required score with the test at once).

“TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition” is acceptable. “TOEFL-ITP” is not accepted.

Your score must be sent directly from the organization (ETS). Waseda University code is 9342.

* For TOEFL iBT and IELTS your score must be sent directly from the organization.

Please ask the organization to send to the address below.

* There are no bonus points even if you submit a considerably higher score than the standards shown

above. Also, there is no advantage or disadvantage based on which test you took.

2. Other Notes

⚫ For TOEFL-iBT and IELTS, only scores sent DIRECTLY FROM THE ORGANIZATION will be

considered valid. The scores must ARRIVE to the address below by the deadline. It takes several weeks

for test scores to reach us, so please allow yourself sufficient time to order your test scores.

Address: International Admissions Office, Admissions Center, Waseda University

1-6-1, Nishi-Waseda, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 169-8050, Japan

Phone: +81-3-3204-9073

⚫ For TEAP, TEAP CBT, Eiken, GTEC CBT, and Cambridge English Qualification, the scores are NOT

needed to be sent directly from the organization.


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⚫ In case you CANNOT submit the score due to COVID-19 pandemic

Please contact CMS office ([email protected]) before applying.

Essay

Upload an essay following the instructions below. The essay must be written by yourself.

Using your own personal experience as a foundation, write an essay in English of around 800

words explaining why you wish to enter the Global Studies in Japanese Cultures Program (JCulP).

Please address the following questions:

① What are you particularly interested in studying at JCulP?

② What makes you a suitable and unique candidate for the program?

<NOTES>

⚫ Use the cover form [Appendix 2] for your essay. Write a title at the top of your essay.

⚫ A4 sized PDF document

⚫ Prepare your essay on a computer, using font size 12 and double spacing.

⚫ Do NOT write your name or attach a photo of yourself on the cover form and in the text.

⚫ Write “The End” at the end of the essay.

Academic Honors

&

Personal and

Volunteer

Activities

“Academic Honors” refers to any awards, certificates, or other special honors received as a result of

exceptional academic performance. However, what you can write here is not limited to the case you were

awarded a prize, so please list and describe your academic activities you want to highlight.

“Personal and Volunteer Activities” refers to extracurricular activities, including cultural activities,

clubs, sports, community groups, and so on.

Please list and describe your “Academic Honors” and “Personal and Volunteer Activities” in the

appropriate fields (up to 150 words per field). You can enter up to three items each for “Academic

Honors” and “Personal and Volunteer Activities.” It is strongly recommended that you enter at least one

item for both “Academic Honors” and “Personal and Volunteer Activities.” Entries will be considered

invalid if they do not follow the specifications described below.

1. Information to be entered in the fields is limited to experience acquired after graduating from junior high

school or completing the first half of secondary schooling.

2. For each item you have listed in the “Academic Honors” and “Personal and Volunteer Activities” fields,

be sure to submit either (a) or (b) as evidence.

(a) “Proof of Honors and Activities” (see Appendix 1) signed by the representative of the

organization or school that conferred the honor or organized the activity in question (e.g., principal,

counselor, faculty member), in order to certify that the information on the form is correct.

(b)* A document that verifies your honors or activities (proof document), either in English or in

Japanese. For documents in other languages, attach a translation into English. Notarizations for

these translations are NOT necessary.

*Acceptable only in case you cannot prepare (a).

3. Each piece of evidence must bear the name of the relevant honors or activities, the name of the

applicant, as well as the conferral date for the given honor or the date of the activities.

Study Abroad

Experience

⚫ Please enter the required information if you have any study abroad experience (limited to experience

acquired after graduating from junior high school or completing the first half of secondary schooling)

which you would like to highlight (up to three entries).

⚫ Upload the “certificate of enrollment” and “transcript” issued by the educational institution where you

study abroad. Only documents issued in English or Japanese are acceptable. For documents in other

language, attach a translation in English (notarization for translation is unnecessary).



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(3) Register for TAO

Access the following URL. https://admissions-office.net/en/portal

(1) You must first create an account on TAO.

(2) After creating your TAO account, find “Waseda University, School of Culture, Media and Society (CMS) / Global

Studies in Japanese Cultures Program, Overseas Students Admission for September 2022 Entry” from the “Admission

categories” menu and start your application.

(3) Follow the detailed instructions shown on the system screen as you fill out and upload the materials.

(4) Note that Waseda University uses several other application systems for other admissions schemes. To prevent

confusion, make sure that you access TAO at the above link.

<IMPORTANT>

Be sure to click “Complete the Application” button in order to submit your application. Failure to complete submission will

result in your documents not being screened.

Online Application Period

10:00 AM January 7, 2022 – 5:00 PM February 24, 2022

<NOTES>

⚫ You do NOT need to create a “Profile” on TAO in this admission. CMS does not use the information filled in this

section.

⚫ Make sure to check your e-mail and TAO message regularly as you might receive messages from us regarding your

application.

⚫ By creating your account on TAO, you agree to the “Handling of Personal Information” designed by Samadhi Co.,Ltd.,

the service provider of TAO.

https://admissions-office.net/en/portal


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5. Notes on Application

(1) Other Notes

⚫ For the purpose of administering entrance exams in an efficient manner and carrying out admission procedures,

Waseda University collects information regarding your gender on legal documents. The information is collected only

when the reason is deemed reasonable, and these cases are limited to a minimum.

https://www.waseda.jp/inst/diversity/news/2020/04/21/8631/

⚫ You may be deemed to have committed a dishonest act if you falsified, fabricated, or plagiarized a document, material,

or information submitted in your application. In such a case, any decision taken regarding your application may later

be invalidated, without the application documents and screening fee being returned.

⚫ Handling of Personal Information

Waseda University utilizes applicant information (addresses, names, dates of birth etc.) collected at the time of

application in order to carry out operations such as the entrance examination, announcement of the screening results,

and enrollment procedures. We will take necessary and proper measures to protect such information from leakage,

disclosure, or unauthorized use. All or part of the above operations may be outsourced to an agency. In such case, the

agency will be contractually required to maintain necessary and proper management. Please note that the personal

information may be used as materials for studies and researches to improve our entrance examinations. The

information will be statistically processed to prevent any individuals from being identified.

⚫ If you expect to require special care during the entrance examination or after entering the university due to a disability

or serious medical condition, etc., please contact CMS office ([email protected]) immediately.

(2) Dishonest Acts

Waseda University has provided the following guidelines so that all examinations can be properly administered and all

examinees have an opportunity to perform in a fair and equitable environment. Please read the guidelines carefully and

approach the examination in a serious manner.

1. You may be deemed to have committed a dishonest act if Waseda University determines that you have falsified,

fabricated, or plagiarized the document(s), statement(s), or information submitted for your application.

2. Your actions may be considered dishonest if you commit any of the following acts:

1) Cheating (concealing or glancing at a cheat sheet or reference book during the examination, glancing at another

examinee’s answer sheet, or gaining answers from others)

2) Providing benefits to other examinees (providing them with answers etc.) during the examination

3) Keeping your mobile communication device with you or using it during the examination

4) Letting your mobile communication device or watch emit noise (incoming call alert, alarm, vibration, etc.) during the

examination

5) Conducting acts that could be considered a nuisance to other examinees at the examination venue

6) Not following instructions from the examination supervisors at the examination venue

7) Pretending to be an applicant and taking the examination for the applicant

8) Conducting other acts impairing the fairness of the examination

3. The following responses may be taken if an applicant is suspected of committing a dishonest act.

⚫ A supervisor may warn or question the applicant.

⚫ The applicant may be requested to take the examination in another room.

4. In addition, the following responses may be taken if a dishonest act is identified.

⚫ The applicant may not be allowed to continue taking the examination or allowed to take any other entrance

examination given by Waseda University during the year. (Screening fees will not be returned.)

⚫ The results of all entrance examinations taken by the applicant at Waseda University during the year may become

invalid.

https://www.waseda.jp/inst/diversity/news/2020/04/21/8631/



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(3) Unforeseen problems that are beyond human control

In cases of unforeseen circumstances that are beyond human control, such as a natural disaster (e.g., typhoons, earthquakes,

flooding, tsunamis) and/or accident, such as fire, power failure, and so on, measures including delaying the start of the exam

or postponing the exam, etc. may be taken. However, in such an event, we will bear no responsibility for any resulting

inconvenience, expense, or other personal loss that the examinee may incur.

6. Announcement of Application results

The results will be released via TAO (Login>Application>Show my screening status).

* We will not accept any inquiries regarding application results.

Date of announcement: 10:00 AM April 21 (Thu.), 2022

7. Enrollment Procedures

The enrollment procedure consists of the following two steps, for details please refer to the documents sent for the

successful applicants.

(1) Payment of tuition and Other Fees (The 1st Enrollment Procedure)

Remit the Registration Fee (amount equivalent to the Admission Fee), School Expenses and other fees (for the fall semester

of 2022) in the period designated below. Relevant details, including instructions on how to remit the fees from overseas,

will be sent to the successful applicants.

Please pay the Registration Fee, School Expenses and Other Fees during the following period:

April 22 (Fri.), 2022 - May 13 (Fri.), 2022

(2) Submission of Enrollment Documents (The 2nd Enrollment Procedure)

If you complete the payment mentioned in (1) above, you will receive documents that explains about the 2nd Enrollment

Procedure. These documents will be sent via TAO.

<NOTES>

⚫ As a rule, we do not return submitted documents or refund school expenses and fees (the entrance fee and school

expenses for the first semester). However, if you do not enter Waseda University due to unavoidable circumstances or

fail to meet the entrance qualifications prior to enrollment, we may refund only the school expenses for the first

semester (but not the entrance fee). For more information about the procedure for receiving such refund, refer to the

handbook on entrance procedures mailed to successful applicants.

⚫ If you have been accepted by one Waseda undergraduate school and completed the payment of entrance fee, school

expenses and other fees to that school and are later accepted by another Waseda undergraduate school which you prefer

to enter, you can enter the preferred undergraduate school and request to have the amount you have already paid

transferred to that school. However, this procedure can be done only when the enrollment procedure periods of the two

schools do not overlap. For more information about the procedure, please refer to the handbook on entrance procedures

mailed to successful applicants.

(1) Submit visa-related documents

International students without resident status in Japan are required to apply for a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) in order to

apply for a Student visa to enter and reside in Japan. Waseda University will apply for the COE on their behalf. If this

applies to you, you must submit all visa-related documents by May 31(Tue.), 2022.


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For further details, refer to the “Visa Application Guideline”, which can be found on CMS website.

https://www.waseda.jp/flas/cms/assets/uploads/2021/09/Visa-Application-Guideline.pdf

▶For Non-Japanese national who have a status of residence in Japan:

You should also see the above mentioned Guideline and take necessary actions.

(2) Submit enrollment documents

Successful applicants are required to submit official documents in order to prove originality of documents listed below

whose digital copies were uploaded on TAO.

<Required Documents>

Document Notes Deadline

Academic Transcript Must include the same contents as what you submitted during application.

Late August

2022

Standardized Test/

University Entrance

Qualification Exam

Must be the same contents as what you submitted during application.

Applicants who submitted SAT, ACT or IBDP Results during application are

NOT required to send certificates again.

Applicants who submitted predicted scores (e.g., IBDP, GCE A-level, HKDSE

etc.) must submit certificates for the predicted score first. Certificate for final

scores must be submitted together with Certificate of Graduation.

Certificate of

Graduation

Must show that you have actually graduated from the school.

Certificate of Expected Graduation is NOT required (nor accepted) for those who

uploaded it during application.

<What makes a document “Official”?>

An official document is one that meets all the following three conditions:

(1) Issued by the educational institution (e.g., high school), the government, exam board, or test provider

(2) Issued for a third party use

(3) Submitted via one of the following methods:

Submission

Method Who to send Notes

Post Applicants/

institutions

We accept:

- An “original” document: one with stamp, seal, watermark or signature of the

issuer in ALL pages.

- A “certified” document: copy of the original document that has been deemed

equivalent to the original with an official seal from the issuing institutions (e.g., a

high school) or another institution (e.g., a notary public).

A simple photocopy is NOT acceptable.

If your documents are sealed in an envelope by institution, do NOT open it as it may

lose its validity once opened.

E-mail

School officials

(administrators,

counselors, etc.)

The e-mail must be sent through a school domain e-mail address. If your school does

not have an official domain, the official documents must be sent by post.

Digital

Credential

Service

Arrange to send via:

- National Student Clearinghouse

- Parchment Exchange

- CHSI 中国高等教育学生信息网 (学信网)

https://www.waseda.jp/flas/cms/assets/uploads/2021/09/Visa-Application-Guideline.pdf


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[Send to]

Postal Mail: Administrative Office for Faculty of Letters, Arts and Sciences, Waseda University

1-24-1, Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8644, Japan

E-mail / Digital Credential Service: [email protected]

If you are unable to provide an official certificate by the designated deadline, you will be considered to have failed to meet

the entrance qualifications. Discrepancies may be considered as falsification/fabrication of application documents, thus your

admission may be revoked.

8. School Expenses and Other Fees

[First year] (In Japanese Yen)

Payment period Upon entry (Expenses for the

fall semester of 2022)

Expenses for the

spring semester of 2023

*expected amount

Total

Registration Fee (Admission fee) 200,000 - 200,000

Tuition 504,500 504,500 1,009,000

Library Fee 500 500 1,000

Membership Fee of Student Health

Promotion Mutual Aid Association 1,500 1,500 3,000

Total 706,500 506,500 1,213,000

⚫ From the second semester (spring semester of 2023), Waseda University uses an automatic account transfer system for

payment of school expenses and other fees. School expenses and other fees for the spring semester are scheduled to be

transferred on May 1. School expenses and other fees for the fall semester are scheduled to be transferred on October 1

in the second and subsequent years. If financial institutions are closed on May 1 or October 1, the account transfer will

be processed on the following business day.

⚫ Library fee is subject to change.

⚫ Some specific courses may require separate fees.

⚫ For the fourth year, 40,000 yen (amount for 10 years after graduation) for the alumni association membership fee is

required in addition.

⚫ If you are currently enrolled in, graduated from, completed, or withdrew from an undergraduate, graduate, or

specialized program of Waseda University, you are not required to pay the entrance fee (registration fee). For more

information, please refer to the handbook on entrance procedures sent to successful applicants or contact CMS office

([email protected]).

9. Dormitories

If you are admitted through this entrance examination, you may apply for residence in one of the student dormitories if you

want. For detailed information about the dormitories, refer to the following website: https://www.waseda.jp/inst/rlc/en/



https://www.waseda.jp/inst/rlc/en/


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10. Scholarships

There are separate scholarships for Japanese students (Japanese nationals, permanent residents, long-term residents, spouses

of Japanese nationals or permanent residents) and international students.

1. For International Students

Scholarship programs available for international students are shown below. Programs vary every year, so bear in mind that

the programs introduced below may not be available in the particular year of your study. These scholarships are given to

privately financed international students. Government-sponsored international students and students whose tuition is being

paid by a foreign government or scholarship organization will not be eligible to apply for these scholarship programs.

Scholarships can be grouped roughly into two types: “prior to enrollment” and “after enrollment.” They also differ in

terms of criteria for eligibility (including nationality and resident status), application periods , and application process.

【Prior to Enrollment Scholarships】

Prior to enrollment scholarships are awarded to a certain number of applicants who show great academic caliber. Eligible

recipients will be notified at the time of admission or during the enrollment procedure. There is no need to submit a separate

application.

【After Enrollment Scholarships】

Listed below are examples of scholarships you can apply for after enrolling at Waseda University.

1) Scholarships offered by Waseda University:

Scholarship Program Eligibility Scholarship Amount Duration

Azusa Ono Memorial Scholarship

Privately financed international

students who need financial

support

JPY 400,000 1 year

Waseda University Partial

Tuition-Waiver Scholarship for Privately

Financed International Students


students who need financial support

Amount equivalent to

tuition for the semester 1 year

2) Scholarships offered by other institutions:

Scholarship Program Eligibility Scholarship Amount Duration

Monbukagakusho Honors Scholarship

for Privately Financed International

Students


students of excellent character and

academic record who need

financial support

JPY 48,000/month 1 year or

6 months

<NOTES>

• Scholarship details are subject to change.

• For more information about scholarships, please refer to the following website: https://www.waseda.jp/inst/cie/en/life/aid

2. For students who are Japanese nationals, permanent residents, long-term residents, spouses of Japanese nationals

or permanent residents

Please refer to the following website (available in Japanese only): https://www.waseda.jp/inst/scholarship/

https://www.waseda.jp/inst/cie/en/life/aid

https://www.waseda.jp/inst/scholarship/

School of Culture, Media and Society

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