Daily Life & Schools

Higher Education After Graduating From Japanese Language School
Daily Life & Schools
Higher Education After Graduating From Japanese Language School
January 24, 2025  |  By Mike Kozlowski

If you want to work in Japan but have not yet graduated from a university in your home country, you will need to pursue higher education in Japan to qualify for a work visa. While work experience and specific skills may help you obtain special visas, having a degree will significantly simplify the process of securing a job offer and a work visa.

Your Japanese Language School Will Help You

Japanese language schools have counselors to guide you through the Japanese higher education landscape, arrange campus tours, and keep you informed of the application calendar and supporting documents. You should always contact them first with any questions you may have about a specific school and the requirements needed.

Attendance Is Everything: Do Not Skip Class!

Higher education institutions will want to know how you did at your language school. You will need to send your attendance record, grades transcript, and proof of planned graduation. Your Japanese language school can provide these documents easily.

Many schools have minimum attendance requirements. Even schools that do not have minimums will still consider your attendance when making decisions. Attend school every day and arrive on time! There are many stories of students who did not take attendance seriously until it was time to apply, and by then, it was too late to gain admission.

Most admissions are for an April start. Some schools have an October start, but these are less common and have fewer openings. Check the universities you are interested in to see when you should apply. Some applications close as early as September, but most remain open until November or December. Waiting too long risks missing a spot, as seats fill up quickly.

Some schools may also ask for a letter of recommendation. Your language school can write this, but you should ask them well in advance because it takes time to prepare. Give them at least a week’s notice. If you ask too close to the deadline, they might not have enough time to help you. If your performance is poor, they may not give you a recommendation, so make sure to do well!

EJU: The Exam for Japanese Universities

The EJU is a standardized test for foreign students wishing to attend higher education in Japan. Most universities require you to submit an EJU score, and some trade schools and graduate schools also request it.

The test is held twice a year, in June and November. Most people take the test in Japan since only Asian countries offer the exam. The EJU covers the following subjects:

  • Japanese as a foreign language
  • Physics
  • Chemistry
  • Biology
  • Japan and the world
  • Mathematics (there are two tests: one for general studies and a more difficult one for majors that require high math ability)

Except for “Japanese as a foreign language”, the tests can be taken in either Japanese or English. As it is impossible to take all of the subjects at once, you will have to check with the school to see what subjects you should take.

Past exam questions are available to view on this site.

You can take the EJU as many times as you want, but the scores are only good for 2 years. When applying for a school, you choose which test score gets sent out, so there is no penalty for taking it several times. Having a high EJU score will give you tremendous opportunities for study in Japan. It can give you priority for admissions and scholarship opportunities.

Types of higher education schools in Japan

Essentially, there are three types of higher education in Japan: trade schools, universities, and graduate schools.

Trade schools

Japanese trade schools are typically two-year schools where you study a specific trade with the goal of working in that industry after graduation. Some schools offer a four-year program, but this isn’t the same as a university degree; instead, it’s an “advanced diploma.”

The most important thing to consider is that if you graduate from a trade school, you can only work in a field related to your major. If you’re going this route, be very sure that it’s an industry that you want to work in for a long time! The only way you’ll ever be able to change industries is to get a visa that does not have these restrictions, such as a marriage visa or permanent residency.

Most trade schools have much easier entrance requirements than universities. They also have a wide variety of trades to study, so it’s likely that you’ll be able to find a school that matches your interests. Whether you want to study business, medical care, tourism, culinary skills, game design, anime, manga, or fashion, there will be multiple schools to choose from!

The needed documents and entrance requirements vary greatly from one school to the next and are less standardized than in universities. You should check the school’s admission requirements directly to find out.

For most schools, the application process usually requires the following:

  • Completed application form and supporting documentation
  • Documents from your language school
  • Entrance Exam
  • Interview
  • Essay

The entrance exam, interview, and essay portions are usually much easier than the ones you would take at a university.

It is usually also possible to transfer to a university once you graduate. There are even trade schools that focus on going to high-ranking universities, including those geared towards foreigners, which have intensive Japanese classes.

List of trade schools we work with

Universities

Like most countries, Japanese universities are usually four-year programs where you decide on a major and find work after school. Unlike a trade school diploma, university graduates can work in Japan in any field; it does not need to be related to their major.

The application process for universities usually requires the following:

  • Completed application form and supporting documentation
  • Documents from your language school
  • Entrance exam
  • Interview
  • Essay
  • EJU score
  • JLPT score

Not all schools will require everything, but this is a general guideline of what to expect.

If a university does require an entrance exam, it will most likely be one specifically for foreign students and will be much easier than the test for Japanese students.

For the JLPT, N2 is usually necessary unless you are taking an English program. In this case, you may need to submit a TOEFL or IELTS score instead.

Some schools may also require other exam scores, so check the school’s admission requirements for details.

The school will decide which EJU subjects you need to take.

Graduate Schools

Graduate schools are for those who have already completed postgraduate studies, either in Japan or in their own country. You can apply to either a master’s or doctorate program, with each one having its own requirements.

The application process for graduate schools usually requires the following:

  • Completed application form and supporting documentation
  • Documents from your language school
  • Letter of recommendation
  • Entrance exam
  • Interview
  • Essay
  • Oral examination related to your plan of study
  • Graduation research thesis and summary
  • Research plan

Although you might not need to submit a JLPT score, you should have a minimum of around N2 level. For many programs, N1 is expected unless you are planning to do your coursework in English.

In addition, you may need to have an academic advisor when applying. You will have to find such an advisor on your own, either through networking or following a professor’s research and contacting them directly if you think you would work well together.

Taking The Next Step

Graduating from a higher education school in Japan is a great way to solidify your life in the country and start on a career path. The information in this article is incredibly basic, and you’ll have to research the schools and programs on your own. Your greatest resource will be the teachers in your Japanese language school. The most important thing to do is plan ahead, have realistic expectations about the schools you want to apply to and work with your school to create a study path that will allow you to get into your future school.

Regardless of the higher education path you choose, you will spend a significant amount of time job hunting, so there is a strong likelihood that you will receive a job offer by the time you graduate.

Additionally, schools often publish their graduation employment rates and provide information about the types of jobs their graduates secure. Be sure to check this information to understand what a particular school can offer you!

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