MEXT Scholarship at Science Tokyo: How to Apply Through IGP(A) for Fall 2027

The Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship, taken through the university recommendation route at the Institute of Science Tokyo (Science Tokyo), can fund a master’s degree or an integrated doctoral programme in Japan for fall 2027 entry. You apply through Science Tokyo’s International Graduate Program (A), usually shortened to IGP(A), and the university recommends a limited number of students with outstanding academic records to MEXT. But the real deadline is earlier than it looks: before you can apply at all, a Science Tokyo professor must agree to supervise you and issue a consent letter, and that letter is due by 15 November 2026. Without it, there is no application. The full application then closes on 22 November 2026 at 23:59 Japan time.

Quick Facts

Item	Detail
Supervisor consent letter deadline	15 November 2026 (you cannot apply without it)
Application deadline	22 November 2026 at 23:59 JST
Level	Master’s programme, and Integrated Doctoral Education Program (master’s and PhD combined)
Institution	Institute of Science Tokyo (Science Tokyo), Japan
Funding	MEXT Scholarship by university recommendation: monthly stipend, enrolment fee and tuition waived, air tickets under set conditions
Who can apply	International students with a bachelor’s degree or equivalent; no Japanese language required

Who can apply

IGP(A) is an English-taught route into graduate study at Science Tokyo. It offers five English-language curricular programmes spread across 14 departments, in two forms: a two-year master’s programme, and the Integrated Doctoral Education Program, which combines the master’s and doctoral programmes so that students can earn both degrees within three to five years. Admission is for the fall semester, and each department admits several students. There is no Japanese language requirement, because lectures and seminars are held in English, although students can attend Japanese language classes to settle into daily life.

The standard eligibility route is education based. If you have completed 16 years of education outside Japan and hold a degree equivalent to a bachelor’s degree, or you expect to do so by the day before the enrolment date, you meet the main condition and do not need a separate eligibility screening. If you have not yet graduated, you can still apply, provided you will graduate before the programme starts; you submit a certificate of expected graduation and expected degree instead.

Some applicants fall under conditions (3), (4) or (5) in the Application Guide, for example those without a completed bachelor’s degree. Those applicants must complete the Individual Assessment of Admission Eligibility and contact the Admissions Division before applying.

Two further points decide whether this route is realistic for you. First, the MEXT recommendation is competitive and limited: only a limited number of students with outstanding academic records are recommended. Second, recommendations for this intake run under the Priority scheme, because MEXT has suspended the General scheme from 2026 onwards. Under the Priority scheme, 75 percent or more of nominees are chosen from among nationals of countries designated by MEXT, and the designated country list sits in the appendix to the Application Guide, so check it early.

The 14 departments sit in five schools: the School of Science (Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Earth and Planetary Sciences); the School of Engineering (Mechanical Engineering, Systems and Control Engineering, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Information and Communications Engineering, Industrial Engineering and Economics); the School of Materials and Chemical Technology (Materials Science and Engineering, Chemical Science and Engineering); the School of Life Science and Technology; and the School of Environment and Society (Civil and Environmental Engineering, Architecture and Building Engineering).

What the scholarship covers

For students allocated to Science Tokyo by MEXT under this scheme, the official guidelines set out the following benefits:

• A monthly stipend of JPY 147,000 for master’s students and JPY 148,000 for doctoral students.
• The enrolment fee and tuition are waived by Science Tokyo.
• The application (entrance examination) fee is reimbursed if you are allocated to Science Tokyo by MEXT.
• Air tickets to and from Japan are provided by MEXT, under certain conditions.

The initial scholarship period covers the two years of the master’s programme. Students on integrated doctoral programmes may apply to extend the scholarship when they proceed to the doctoral stage, provided they achieved a grade point average of 2.50 or above out of 3.00 in the master’s programme and meet the other criteria. The extension is not automatic, and the scholarship is cancelled if a student moves to a more advanced level without an approved extension. Recipients under the Priority scheme must also attain a grade point average of 2.30 or above each year, or their eligibility for the scholarship ends.

Understand the chain of decisions. Science Tokyo recommends candidates, but MEXT makes the final decision, and the university warns that the Japanese government may reject a recommendation even where the applicant meets every eligibility condition. Admission results are announced on 3 March 2027, Science Tokyo recommends its scholarship candidates to MEXT in early March, and MEXT announces the successful scholarship candidates between July and August 2027.

How to apply

1. Read the Application Guide for IGP(A) commencing in fall 2027 on the Science Tokyo admissions site. The university instructs applicants to always refer to the latest guide, from application through to enrolment.
2. Choose your programme and department from the schools listed above, then identify a prospective supervisor. Review the faculty lists on your intended department’s website, confirm the researcher appears on the faculty list for your programme, and find their contact details in the Science Tokyo researcher database (STRDB).
3. Contact the professor directly and request a consent letter. This is the step the whole application hangs on: the consent letter must be submitted by 15 November 2026, so start early.
4. Send the consent letter to the Admissions Division. In return, you receive the URL and token you need to access the online application system. You cannot submit the letter before the application period opens.
5. Complete the online application and upload every required document by 22 November 2026 at 23:59 JST. All documents must be submitted online by the deadline; an incomplete application is rejected.
6. Pay the application fee through e-shiharai.net, the only payment method accepted. If you do not have a card, a friend may pay on your behalf, as long as your name and intended department are registered correctly.
7. If you want the MEXT scholarship, say so within your IGP(A) application and add the extra MEXT materials listed below during the same application process. There is no separate MEXT application window for this route.
8. Wait for the outcome: admission results on 3 March 2027, then the MEXT decision in July to August 2027 if you are recommended.

Documents to prepare

For the IGP(A) application:

• The consent letter from your prospective academic supervisor, submitted to the Admissions Division by 15 November 2026.
• Academic transcripts.
• A certificate of graduation and a certificate of degree. Science Tokyo treats these as two separate documents and requires both; if you have not graduated yet, submit the expected versions. If your university cannot issue them, a university letter with your personal details, admission and expected graduation dates, programme name and degree to be awarded can be submitted instead.
• The Field of Study and Study Program form, one of the programme’s designated forms.
• An evaluation sheet with recommendation, completed by the supervisor of your bachelor’s or master’s programme; either one is acceptable.
• Certified translations: any original document that is not in English or Japanese must come with a translation certified by a public institution or the issuing university. Translations by independent sworn or certified translators are not accepted.

For the MEXT scholarship application, added to the above:

• The MEXT scholarship application form. The form in use is a tentative format, because MEXT publishes this year’s format after the IGP(A) deadline; you may be asked to complete the application again in the new format.
• A recommendation letter from the dean, or an equivalent official, of the university where you studied full time, addressed to the President of Institute of Science Tokyo. It must be signed by the dean. A letter written by your academic supervisor is acceptable if the dean signs it, but a letter signed only by a department head is not.
• Evidence of English proficiency: either a score report from IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT or TOEIC L&R taken within two years before 1 January of your enrolment year, or a certificate confirming that the medium of instruction of your most recent degree programme was English. For TOEIC L&R, writing and speaking ability is assessed separately through interview or presentation.

One point that confuses many applicants: an English test score report is no longer required for the IGP(A) admission application itself, because Science Tokyo now assesses English through interviews, examinations and communication during admission. The score report is required as part of the MEXT scholarship application, and a prospective supervisor may also request one before issuing your consent letter.

Common mistakes

• Treating 22 November as the only deadline. If your consent letter is not submitted by 15 November 2026, you never receive access to the application system, and the later date becomes irrelevant.
• Writing to a professor who is not on your programme’s faculty list. Check both the department website and the IGP(A) programme list before you make contact.
• Submitting graduation and degree proof as a single document. Science Tokyo lists them separately and verifies both; if eligibility cannot be verified, the application is not accepted.
• Using a sworn translator for your documents. Translations must be certified by a public institution or your issuing university.
• Applying to two Science Tokyo programmes at once, or holding an application open while awaiting another result. Such applications are rejected or revoked. Applications to other universities are fine.
• Trying to run both MEXT routes together. If you apply for the MEXT scholarship under IGP(A), you cannot also apply to be a MEXT research student under the Embassy Recommendation route.
• Leaving documents for later. Everything must be uploaded by the deadline.

Key takeaways

• The MEXT Scholarship through Science Tokyo’s IGP(A) funds master’s and integrated doctoral study in English, with a monthly stipend, waived enrolment fee and tuition, and air tickets under set conditions.
• The consent letter from a prospective supervisor is due 15 November 2026 and gives you access to the application system; the application itself closes 22 November 2026 at 23:59 JST.
• Standard eligibility is 16 years of education outside Japan with a bachelor’s degree or equivalent, including expected graduates.
• Only a limited number of outstanding students are recommended, mostly from MEXT-designated countries under the Priority scheme, and MEXT makes the final decision in July to August 2027.
• If Japan is one of several options on your desk, compare it with the other awards in our guide to fully funded scholarships for Africans before the November deadlines close in.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to speak Japanese to study through IGP(A)? No. There is no Japanese language requirement for IGP(A), because lectures and seminars are held in English. Students are offered regular Japanese language classes to help them adapt to daily life in Japan.

I am in my final year and have not graduated. Can I apply? Yes, if you will graduate with your degree before the programme starts. Submit an original certificate of expected graduation and expected degree with your application.

Do I need IELTS or TOEFL for this application? Not for IGP(A) admission itself: Science Tokyo no longer requires an English test score report for the programme application. You do need English evidence for the MEXT scholarship application, which can be an IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT or TOEIC L&R score from the last two years, or a certificate showing your most recent degree was taught in English.

Can I apply for MEXT through the Japanese embassy in Nigeria at the same time? No. If you apply for a MEXT scholarship under IGP(A), you cannot also apply to be a MEXT scholarship research student under the Embassy Recommendation route. The rules allow you to apply to IGP(A) or IGP(C) as a privately funded student alongside an embassy application, but not both MEXT routes at once.

When will I know the result? Science Tokyo announces IGP(A) admission results on 3 March 2027 at 15:00 JST. Scholarship candidates are recommended to MEXT in early March, and MEXT announces the successful scholarship candidates between July and August 2027.

If I take the integrated doctoral route, does the scholarship cover the PhD years automatically? No. The initial scholarship period covers the two years of the master’s programme. You may apply for an extension when proceeding to the doctoral stage if your master’s grade point average was 2.50 or above out of 3.00 and you meet the other criteria, but the extension must be approved before you proceed.

Last updated: 7 November 2026

Ready to start? Read the programme details and the Application Guide on the official Science Tokyo IGP(A) page: https://admissions.isct.ac.jp/en/013/graduate/programs/igp/igp-a