Admission Policy/
Who Are We Looking For?
We believe that the leaders of the next generation must combine a sharp business sense with a belief in public awareness and responsibility. We are a graduate school of business administration, and consequently we find that many of our students come from the business sector, perhaps intending to manage firms and projects or start their own businesses in the future. At the same time, we accept applicants from the public and civil service sectors, international organizations and central/local governments as well as NGOs and NPOs and other social enterprises. We do so because we believe that the future of leadership education lies in learning beyond specific boundaries.
In the selection process, an applicant’s potential will be assessed according to the following 3 elements:
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1. A willingness to take the initiative and find your own path in life:
Leadership entails taking the initiative and influencing other people to bring about change. Leaders must also have a strong self-awareness, developed through life experiences. They must be curious, pursue continuous personal growth, and aspire to become exceptional people. They must be willing to start or rejuvenate a business, and challenge the status quo of existing organizations, rather than becoming departmentalized specialists.
Applicants from the public sector must be willing to take on policy making and operational tasks in their organizations.
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2. The ability to absorb knowledge and think critically:
Applicants should strive to understand the fundamental nature of a broad range of issues, as well as have the ability to think about complex structural phenomena, use logic to form their own hypotheses and engage in constructive discussion to verify these hypotheses.
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3. A sense of social awareness and willingness to help others:
Applicants should be engaged with and concerned about world affairs and our societies and the problems they face. In other words we seek socially engaged individuals. They should have their own ideas about the tasks and challenges of the organizations they run and they should have the capability to face reality without succumbing to mantra or idealism, as well as the ability to contemplate issues at a deeper level rather than focusing only on the surface. Further, candidates should be prepared to actively contribute to the learning, development and educational experiences of other students, and be considerate of them in the spirit of friendly rivalry.
Application Process
- Applicant Eligibility
- As an applicant, you are required to have a minimum of three years full-time work experience and to fulfill one of the following conditions at the time of enrollment:
- Obtained a university or college degree
- Obtained a bachelor’s degree from the National Institution for Academic Degrees and Quality Enhancement of Higher Education of Japan
- Completed 16 years of education in a foreign country
- Being designated by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan
- Are considered to have qualifications in education, knowledge, skills and aspiration to be admitted in the program by the Shizenkan Admissions Committee
- Admissions Process
- 【Stage 1】Document screening
【Stage 2】Interview - Admissions Cycle
- There are three application cycles for admissions. In principle, applicants who completed their application before a particular submission deadline will receive their admissions result within one month of each deadline. However, the document screening and interviews may start before the deadline to facilitate the admissions process.
• 1st Deadline: January 15th, 2025
• 2nd Deadline: April 10th, 2025
• 3rd Deadline: May 31st, 2025 - Application Guidelines
- Shizenkan Application Guide（PDF）
- How To Apply
- Please prepare and submit your documents according to the application guidelines.
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Prepare your application package and pay the application fee
Please download and fill out the application forms.
* Prepare application forms in the language of the program you are applying for (Japanese/English). -
Submit the application package
To complete your application to Shizenkan you should pay the application fee, submit the application forms via the online system, and mail the required original documents.
<Online Application Process>
1. Access the application system to submit online forms in the language of
the course you are applying for (Japanese/English).
2. Enter your basic information:
Please enter your basic information by following the instructions on the screen.
Your information can be saved if you are not able to finish in one sitting.
3. Upload required documents:
(1) Application form (Form A)
(2) CV/Personal resume *Free format, 1-3 sheets of A4 paper
(3) Essay (Form B)
(4) Copy of receipt of the application fee (Form D)
(5) Certificate of company sponsorship (Form E: company sponsored applicants only)
(6) Passport copy (non-Japanese applicants only)
(7) Residence card copy [both sides] (non-Japanese applicants residing in Japan only)
(8) Application for Credit Recognition (Form F: Applicants earned credits as a non-degree student)
(9) Request for Use of Preferred Name (Form G: Applicants wish to use their preferred name (including maiden name) )
4. Confirm registered information:
Please click the "Confirmation" button after registering each item listed above to complete the application.
5. Mail documents:
After completing the online application, please mail the following documents to Shizenkan.
-Graduation Certificate (if you are unable to submit a Graduation Certificate, please submit a copy of your diploma or certificate of degree.)
-Academic Transcripts of Academic Degrees
*At the same time, please submit them to Shizenkan Admissions Office in PDF files attached to the email. (If it takes long time to get the documents or it is difficult to send them as PDF files, please contact us.)
[Mailing Address]
Admissions Office,
Graduate School of Leadership & Innovation, Shizenkan University
Nihonbashi Takashimaya Mitsui Bldg 17F,
5-1, Nihonbashi 2-Chome, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103 ‒ 6117
6. Provide Letters of Recommendation (Form C):
Shizenkan requires all applicants provide 2 letters of recommendation which should be sent to Shizenkan directly by your referees in soft or hard copy.
You can find the detailed information as well as required format for letters of recommendation HERE. - Schedule the interview
- Personal interview Step
*The interview will be conducted online (Zoom).We will let you know the details by email after the document submissions have been completed. - Admission
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Prepare your application package and pay the application fee
- Academic Fees
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The following table shows the academic fees required for enrollment in the program.
(*Note. The application fee is JPY 35,000)- Enrollment Fee
- JPY 200,000
- Tuition Fee for Year 1
- JPY 2,400,000
- Tuition Fee for Year 2
- JPY 2,400,000
- Grand Total Educational Fees
- JPY 5,000,000
- The enrollment fee is paid only one time – at the start of the first year.
- Program tuition can be paid on a yearly basis or as a lump sum. When necessary, the tuition fees for the first and the second semesters may be paid separately with the permission of Shizenkan, for the students who are nor sponsored and are self-funded. Further detailed information regarding the tuition and fee payment will be sent to you upon notification of acceptance.
- The tuition fees do not include costs of textbooks and other optional academic materials.
Optional Field Studies: In addition to the above, if you participate in field studies (optional) in Japan or overseas, their expenses are paid separately.
- Scholarship Program
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Shizenkan provides a Scholarship Program to offer students the opportunity of leadership education in an environment where people of different nationalities, coming from different backgrounds and sectors can learn together and inspire each other.
In principle, the amount is limited to ¥1,000,000 (for 2 years). However, applicants who are excellent in academic achievements and/or need financial aid more than the amount described above, may get no more than ¥4,800,000. The enrollment fee (¥200,000) must be paid by every applicant. The application for the scholarship is required to be made at the same time as the admission application (Application Deadline: May 31st, 2025).
For more information, please check our scholarship application guideline.Scholarship Guidelines / Application
In addition to the above, Shizenkan offers the following specific scholarships for those with specific eligibility requirements. Please refer to each scholarship page for details.
◆Global Impact Maker Scholarship
◆International Development Professionals Scholarship
◆Social Innovators Scholarship
◆Europa House-Shizenkan Scholarship
◆Refugee Higher Education Scholarship
- Use of Public Support Systems
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(1) Educational Training Benefits System
The Program has been designated as a course eligible for the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare’s Practical Education and Training Benefits Program. As a result, students who enroll and meet the requirements will be able to apply to receive reimbursement for a certain percentage of their education and training expenses (the maximum benefits of 1,120,000 JPY can be granted over 2 years). For further infomation, please checkHERE.
*Information about the Education and Training Program
(2) Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO) Loan Type Scholarship
Shizenkan students can apply for a loan scholarship (which recipients must reimburse after graduation) offered by the Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO). Students are required to apply for this scholarship through Shizenkan to JASSO after enrollment. For more information on the application requirements etc on this scholarship, please refer to the JASSO website. The application information for the students who start their study in AY2025 will be released by JASSO around March 2025. For your reference, please see the link below to the application guidelines for students enrolled in AY2023 and the outline of the scholarships.
Application Guidelines for Academic Year 2023 (only in Japanese):
https://www.jasso.go.jp/shogakukin/moshikomi/zaigaku/tebiki/in.html
Outline of the scholarships (monthly scholarship amount):
1) First Category
Choose from JPY50,000 and JPY88,000
2) Second Category
Choose from JPY50,000, JPY80,000, JPY100,000, JPY130,000, and JPY150,000
3) Special Increased Scholarship Loan Upon Enrollment
Choose from JPY100,000, JPY200,000, JPY300,000, JPY400,000, or JPY500,000 (Only once at enrollment)