HomeRegistration and application to the IAO website
Registration and application to the IAO website
Q2. What should I do if I do not receive a confirmation email after registering to the IAO?
Q5. Is there a deadline for IAO applications?
Q6. I do not have all the required documents. Can I still proceed with the IAO application?
Q7. Is it necessary to submit language certificates when entering information into the IAO?
Q9. Can I make additions or revisions to my application after I've submitted the information to IAO?
Q1. Who is the IAO for?
A. For applicants residing outside Japan who wish to study abroad at Hiroshima University. Aspiring students who wish to apply either as a regular graduate students, through the Special Selection Examination for Foreigners, or as a (non-regular) foreign research student (*1) must register on the IAO website and submit the necessary information and documents via the website's online application form.
Applicants who are aiming for a scholarship - for example from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology - and those wishing to study abroad at Hiroshima University as non-regular students except for research students do not need to register with the IAO or obtain an approval number. In such cases, please contact the support office of each school of graduate school directly.
https://www.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/international/contact_information
*1
Regular students: Upon completion, students will be awarded a master's degree or doctoral degree (depending on the program).
Non-regular students: No degrees are awarded upon completion of studies. (research students, auditing students, non-degree students, etc.).
Please note, that foreign research students can become regular students if they pass the university entrance examination during their second semester at Hiroshima University (after 6 months from first enrolling as a research student, and no later than 1 year from enrollment).
Q2. What should I do if I do not receive a confirmation email after registering to the IAO?
A. If you do not receive a confirmation, please check the following
(1) See if the e-mail sercive you are using has been set to receive only certain types of e-mails. Please also check whether or not your e-mail address has been classified as spam mail.
(2) You may have registered a different e-mail address than the one you are using. Please re-do the "New Member Registration".
(3) If you are using QQ mail, you may not receive the registration e-mail. Please try another e-mail address.
If you still do not receive the e-mail after checking the above points, please contact IAO directly.
Q3. If an applicant from abroad has graduated from a Japanese university, does he/she still need to complete the IAO application?
A. In principle, no. Applicants who have graduated or will graduate from a Japanese university do not need to apply through IAO. The application processes may differ between programs, so please directly inquire at each graduate school's the support offices.
https://www.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/international/contact_information
Q4. I am currenty a research student at Hiroshima University. Do I need to apply through IAO when I want to change my status into a regular student?
A. No, you do not need to apply through IAO if you are applying to the graduate school where you are currently enrolled. If you have any questions, please contact your graduate school's Support Office directly.
Q5. Is there a deadline for IAO applications?
A. There are no specific deadlines, but we recommend that you apply at least two months prior to your preferred program's application deadline.
Q6. I do not have all the required documents. Can I still complete the IAO application?
A. No. The information you provide to the site will not be processed before all the necessary documents and information is provided. It is, however, possible to save a partially filled application, so you can register the documents you have currently on hand, and complete the application later.
Q7. Is it necessary to submit language certificates when entering information into the IAO?
A. Yes, it is required. Please check the application guidelines for the required minimum test scores. Note that not all programs require language certificates, and hence those few programs are the only exception to this submission requirement.
Q8. When I make a photocopy of a certificate of graduation or transcript, the words "COPY" or "VOID" appear on the document. Can I still use them when applying?
A. Yes, there is no problem when entering information into IAO (the documents must still be official ones, with official seals and/or signatures). If you submit such copies to IAO, however, you must sent the original documents by mail for the actual application.
Q9. Can I make additions or revisions to my application after I've submitted the information to IAO?
A. In principle, no. If you have compelling reasons or have special circumstances for why you should be allowed to make changes even after submission, please contact the IAO to explain your situation and request permission for revisions.
About your preferred academic advisor
Q. How do I find the graduate school and faculty I am interested in?
A. First, please visit the website of the graduate schoolyou find interesting, and check whether they have a program that suits your academic background and goals. Then search fir faculty members within the program whose research areas and teaching overlap with your research field and interest.
The four graduate school webpages are listed on the following page: https://www.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/en/schools
List of faculty can be found on the Researcher Directory
Some graduate schools/programs may include a list of faculty advisors in their application guidelines. Once you have decided on the program of your choice, please check the "Admissions" tab on the sidebar of the graduate school's homepage for detailed application guidelines, number of openings, and application acceptance period.
*Please note that the maximum number of applicants and the application period differ for each program.
*If the application guidelines for the relevant year have not been announced, please refer to the previous year's information.
(Usually, the application guidelines are published around March for October admission, and around November of the previous year for April admission.)
Q. Is there a list where I can check which faculty members have space for accepting new students?
A. Unfortunately, no. Some faculty members are asked about their availability to accept new students on a weekly basis, so maintaining such list is not feasible. When you submit your application through IAO, they are first subjected to a number of checks (for completeness etc) after which IAO will confirm the (contact) availability of the faculty member selected in the application. The applicant will be informed of the requested faculty member's availability after the checks have been completed.
Q. Is it possible to apply for more than one program at a time?
A. No, unfortunately it is not possible to apply for more than one program or faculty member at a time. In the rare case that a desired faculty member isn't available (to be contacted), we may introduce you to another faculty member who is working on a similar program or has similar research interests to you, judginh from the information you've provided on your application.
After receiving a notification of Contact Request approval/rejection
Q. Can you tell me the reason for contact rejection?
A. If the faculty member states a reason for the contact rejection, we will let you know. The reasons may be related to the student not having reached the expected academic level or that the research topic does not match, etc. If the faculty member does not provide reasons for rejecting the application, IAO will similarly not be able to share anything with you in the matter.
The most common reason for rejection is that "the research theme you are applying for does not match the research theme of the faculty member you wish to study under. We recommend that you first carefully go through existing research from the faculty member who you are considering requesting for, and then clearly stating in the research plan your reasons for why you think this specific faculty member would make for best choice as your academic supervisor.
Q. If I receive a rejection letter from one faculty member, can I reapply for another?
A. In principle, you cannot reapply. Reapplying is only possible in the face of unavoidable circumstances, such as when a teacher is already supervising a maximum number of students and thus cannot accept more, or when a teacher is about to retire and will not be able to supervise the student's research until graduation.
Q. I received a notification for approval of contact from the faculty member I wish to study under. I wrote to them, but have not received a reply yet. What should I do?
A. Please contact the program's support office.
Q. What should I do after receiving an informal acceptance notification from the faculty member I wish to study with?
A. Please complete the online application procedures according to the application guidelines for each program. If you have received informal acceptance notification as a research student, please contact the Support Office of the Graduate School you are applying for.
Q. I have completed the IAO information entry, but I would like to change my status to a research student instead of a regular student. Do I need to re-enter my information?
A. If you change your desired course of study or the date of admission without changing the academic advisor who has approved of your contact request, you do not need to re-apply. Please inform the Graduate School support office directly.
