Admission for International Students in Engineering at the University of Tokyo
Rahul Maroju Updated in February 2026

In this article, I will talk about the general admission procedure in the Graduate School of Engineering at the University of Tokyo (UTokyo) from the perspective of international students.

Are you an international student willing to pursue a Master or Doctoral program in Engineering at UTokyo? International Multidisciplinary Engineering (IME) Program is the perfect way to realize this! This is an exclusive way for foreign students with no Japanese skill required for lectures as well as research guidance.

Website: https://www.ime.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/

The IME program specifically includes supervisors who have a good proficiency in English, thus making it much easier for foreigners to collaborate efficiently. Initially, the candidate should decide a suitable program and a prospective supervisor. This includes checking the research websites of the listed supervisors and comparing the topics with one’s own interests. Many supervisors have a dedicated page for prospective students which explains about the laboratory research, environment, expectations, procedures, etc.

Program degree title and duration: Master of Engineering – 2 years, Doctor of Engineering – 3 years.

The main requirements for the application include the student’s past educational records, CV, 2 letters of recommendation, research proposal, English language proficiency certificate, and motivation for research in Japan. As a part of the application, the student needs to obtain a preliminary consent from the supervisor for joining the lab. Generally, the supervisors respond to email, and may have an informal call online to understand the student’s background and interests. This will help the student to evaluate the feasibility of conducting research in that lab with suitable feedback.

After the first round of screening, the candidate will need to pass an entrance examination followed by oral examination (interview round) which will be conducted online. So, there is no need to travel to Japan for the admission process! As UTokyo is one of the most prestigious universities in Japan, the admission procedure could be competitive due to many applicants. So, I recommend focusing especially on 2 parts - creating a clear and feasible research plan for the application, and a good preparation for the exams. Succeeding these steps, welcome - your admission will be granted!

Application timeline: To enter the Autumn semester (starting October), the application deadline would be around the first week of November of the previous year.

Link for detailed timeline: https://t-cens.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/t-cens/course_guide.php?admissionType=screening

Other Engineering streams: Apart from Electrical Engineering, IME offers courses for Mechanical Engineering, Aeronautics & Astronautics, Chemical System Engineering, Materials Engineering, Precision Engineering, and Bioengineering.

Scholarships: After the IME Graduate Program admission procedure, the top qualified students will be awarded scholarships like the MEXT Scholarship by the Japanese Government or other equivalent scholarships.
However, a lot of students receive other sources of scholarships as there will be many opportunities even after starting the program. Such information will be communicated by emails (and some by wall posters) to all the students.

Fees (as of 2025): Examination fee: 10,000 yen.
There is an Entrance Fee of 282,000 yen and annual Tuition Fee is 535,800 yen for Master and 520,800 yen for Doctoral students.

Japanese language class: As an additional benefit, free basic Japanese language classes shall be provided to the students and their spouses.

Disclaimer: The above information could change in the future, so consider this as a general guide and please refer the official website for accurate information.