The Graduate School accepts about 60 full-time graduate students per year. This ensures low numbers of students for each faculty member so that we can deliver best-in-the-world teaching to our graduate students. The basic requirement for the OIST Graduate Program is completion of a bachelor’s, master’s, or equivalent degree before the admission date. Students may submit an application at any time. Your application will be considered at the next admissions committee meeting. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to the Admissions Workshop, held on-campus twice a year, as part of the selection process. OIST does not conduct written entrance exams.

OIST strives to create and maintain an inclusive, equitable, and diverse environment that does not discriminate against gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, sexual orientation, mental or physical disability, medical condition, race, ethnicity, ancestry, culture, national origin, religion, or marital status. Applications from women and other underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged.

For more details, please refer to the OIST Graduate School Three Policies.

Selection Schedule


2025 Winter Admissions Selection


Timeline Date
Application deadline November 15, 2024, 23:59 (JST UTC+9)
Announcement of shortlisting result
Selection results will be sent via an official email address from OIST.
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to the Admissions Workshop at OIST.		 Late December 2024
Admissions Workshop
Various sessions introducing OIST and our PhD program will be offered for the shortlisted candidates. These sessions will be held at OIST.
At least 4 interviews will be arranged for the shortlisted candidates. 		February 17 - 21, 2025
Announcement of final result Early March 2025
Enrollment
Successful candidates can choose the term of enrollment.		 1) May 1, 2025
2) September 1, 2025
3) January 1, 2026

*The schedule is tentative and subject to change.

2025 Summer Admissions Selection


Timeline Date
Application deadline March 31, 2025, 23:59 (JST UTC+9)
Announcement of shortlisting result
Selection results will be sent via an official email address from OIST.
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to the Admissions Workshop at OIST.		 Late April 2025
Admissions Workshop
Various sessions introducing OIST and our PhD program will be offered for the shortlisted candidates. These sessions will be held at OIST.
At least 4 interviews will be arranged for the shortlisted candidates.		 June 16 - 20, 2025
Announcement of final result Late June 2025
Enrollment
Successful candidates can choose the term of enrollment.		 1) September 1, 2025
2) January 1, 2026

*The schedule is tentative and subject to change.


Eligibility

Those who graduated with a bachelor's or master's degree or expect to complete their degree before the enrollment date are eligible to apply.

Application Procedure

We only accept application documents online. To apply for the program, you must create an account. Please prepare all required documents in English, save them as a PDF file, and upload them to the application website. You can complete the application in one session or save your progress and return to finish it later.

The application for the 2025 Summer Admissions Selection is now open. Please visit the application website for more details.

Note: We recommend using a computer when preparing the online application. If you prefer using a mobile device, please make sure to have the latest operating system for the application website to work properly.

Required Documents

Scanned copies of your current academic transcript and any other transcript from your past degree (BSc, MSc, etc.) along with completed diploma (BSc, MSc, etc.) in PDF format.

  • A scan of an unofficial transcript or other record of grades may be uploaded to the application website.
  • English translation is required for transcripts that are not written in English.
  • If you have not graduated and do not have a diploma yet, please upload a certificate of enrollment from your institution, preferably indicating your expected graduation date.

This should be no more than 400 words (2500 characters) and should address the following points:

  • The applicant’s scientific interests and aspirations.
  • What the applicant hopes to gain from undertaking graduate studies at OIST.

Each applicant is required to have at least two and no more than five letters of recommendation from appropriate academic recommenders. Two is the minimum requirement, but as a rule, it is very helpful for the admissions committee to have more than two letters.

Please ensure you obtain permission and confirm that you have the correct email address before entering contact information. Your recommender will receive an automatic message from OIST requesting them to submit a recommendation letter. Recommenders must follow the instructions provided in the email. OIST does not accept recommendation letters submitted directly by applicants.

Please be considerate of your recommenders and ensure they have ample time to submit their recommendation letters before the application deadline. OIST does not grant any deadline extensions.

OIST declines to disclose any submitted recommendation letters. To ensure the objectivity of the evaluation, recommendation letters will remain confidential, and applicants will not be permitted to view the letters submitted.

You can only submit your application after at least two recommendation letters are received in the application system.

An applicant who is seeking admission on the basis of a qualification from a university for which the language of teaching and/or examination is not English is required to provide a TOEFL iBT or IELTS score obtained within the last two years. Please upload a digital copy of your official score report to the application website.

There is no minimum score required but the information is needed to determine preparatory course requirements.

The application system requires applicants to provide their passport number and upload a scan of the passport photo page. It is essential for applicants from outside Japan to have a valid passport for travel to Japan. Ensure that you include your passport details during the application process.

If you do not have a passport at the time of application, you can upload other government-issued identification documents instead. However, if you are shortlisted for the interview, OIST will need a copy of your valid passport immediately to prepare your visa application and travel arrangement to attend the Admissions Workshop in Okinawa.

Please upload a recent photo taken within the last three months, showing your face from the front in standard passport orientation.

Optional Documents

The following documents may be submitted optionally, and will be taken into consideration if available:

  1. Additional evidence of academic ability such as Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) General Test or specific test scores obtained within the last two years.
  2. Additional material such as the title and abstract of publications and oral presentations, and other evidence of achievement.

Note: The OIST Graduate School reserves the right to request an external evaluation of academic qualifications from any applicant.

Application Fee

There is no application fee to apply for the OIST PhD Program.