What is the difference between research and undergraduate MEXT scholarships?

Do you want to apply for one of the MEXT scholarships, but you are not quite sure which one to choose? There are 7 MEXT scholarships in total that you can apply for. In this article, I will focus on the difference between research and undergraduate MEXT scholarships.

The Japanese government offers around 9,000 scholarships yearly for students who would like to continue their studies abroad in Japan. This is known as the MEXT scholarship program or monbukagakusho scholarship (monbusho).

MEXT undergraduate scholarship

It is for students who have just finished high school or are about to. Applicants have to be between 17 and 22 years old and also need to have a high school degree. If you get this scholarship, you are embarking on a 5-year study journey in Japan at a Japanese university. You will have a one-year preparatory course, and you will take university admission exams, including EJU exam.[spacer height=”20px”]

Applying for this scholarship is fairly easy. However, you need more Japanese language skills than for the research program. At the end of the 5^th year, you will have a bachelor’s degree in the study field of your choice.[spacer height=”20px”]

If you want to apply for the MEXT undergraduate, I highly recommend that you start preparing yourself at least two years beforehand. You can read about how to prepare yourself and apply in the only e-book dedicated entirely to this scholarship: MEXT Scholarship Undergraduate Students.

MEXT research scholarship

This is a graduate program for students who finished a university and want to continue their studies with a master or Ph.D. Applicants must be under 35 years old at their arrival in Japan. They must also have either a bachelor or a master’s degree.[spacer height=”20px”]

The application procedure is more complicated for the research program. Applicants have to write a research proposal plan, as well as search for a suitable university and supervisor. However, Japanese language skills are not compulsory since there are graduate courses taught partly or completely in English. This option is virtually non-existent for undergraduate schools in Japan.[spacer height=”20px”]

If you obtain the research scholarship, you will start with 1.5 or 2 years of research course (kenkyuu). This is a preparatory course where you get used to university life in Japan and learn the Japanese language. Nevertheless, you will not receive any degree for completing it. Afterwards, you will have an admission exam for the master course (shuushi). This takes another two years, and you will receive a master’s degree. The next level is the Ph.D., and it usually takes three years to complete.[spacer height=”20px”]

If you successfully go from one level to the next, you can spend up to 7 years in Japan on the MEXT research scholarship. The competition is harsh, so if you are determined, you should start preparing yourself at least one year beforehand.[spacer height=”20px”]

You can read all about the application procedure, how to write your research plan, how to find a suitable university and a supervisor, and many other essentials in this straightforward and efficient e-book dedicated to the MEXT graduate program: MEXT Scholarship Graduate Students (Research Master, Ph.D.).