Entrance Exam Summary
Admission guide
The three most important qualities required for future students of the Graduate School of FBS are: intellectual curiosity, imagination, and sufficient English to negotiate with others. As we believe any gaps in knowledge can be filled through our education courses, we examine each student’s potential as a scientist during the oral examination.
FBS aims to develop individuals with an interdisciplinary perspective who can serve as leaders in science, business, and other sectors of society.
After gaining a master’s degree and PhD, many of our alumni are active at the forefront of their fields in various companies as well as academia.
Entrance examination dates and requirements
- *Please read all the requirements needed to take the entrance examination before proceeding.
| Length | Entrance Examination (oral) | Entrance Examination(written) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entrance examination for the five year Ph.D. Program* | 5 years | July and December | None |
| Entrance examination for third-year transfer students* | 3 years (those with a master’s degree may transfer into the third year) | August and January for admission in October/April | None |
The doctorate program is designed to normally take five years (students will be eligible to receive a master's degree after two). No written test is required. The entrance exam is oral and takes place annually in July and December. Students with a master’s degree can start the program from the third year of the five-year program. For these students, the entrance exam is available in August (for admission in Oct) and January (for admission in April). Please refer to the page of Laboratories and contact a prospective supervisor to discuss potential research activities and their availability.
Regarding English proficiency scores of potential applicants at the time of application
| English proficiency test required | Accepted tests | Minimum score |
|---|---|---|
| Original copies of your English proficiency test scores must be submitted | TOEIC, TOEFL, and/or IELTS | TOEIC (Listening & Reading Test): 550 or higher TOEFL iBT: 57 or higher IELTS (academic module): 6.0 or higher |
Please submit your most recent English score achieved within the stipulated period. (Generally within 2 years before the application period. This will vary depending on the selection program, so please check the application guidelines for details.)
*For those attending universities or educational facilities whose main language is English, submission of English proficiency scores may not be required. Please contact the Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences for details if you think you fall under this category.
- Submit scores from TOEIC, TOEFL, and/or IELTS only.
- Scores from special institutional program tests (TOEIC-IP, TOEFL-ITP, and IELTS: General Training Module) are not accepted.
- TOEIC/TOEFL/IELTS scores should be submitted by the deadline for the application of the entrance examination.
- TOEIC/TOEFL/IELTS scores differ depending on the year; please be sure to check the entrance examination guidelines for the year that you are applying.
- The original documents showing your scores is are required (copies are not accepted).
- TOEFL’s “MyBest scores” is not acceptable for our application.
- Submit the original document(s) showing your score(s) within the timeframe stipulated by the program.
Generally, the minimum proficiency requirements are:
- TOEIC (Listening & Reading Test): 550 or higher
- TOEFL iBT score: 57 or higher
- IELTS (academic module): 6.0 or higher
20 min. oral examination is performed to show the aspects of an applicant’s persistence, imagination, sense of judgment, and logical thinking, which are required to be shown in a researcher candidate. Please be sure to contact your prospective supervisor (s) and obtain informal acceptance before applying.
*TOEFL “MyBestscores” cannot be accepted.
*If you are an international student plan to enroll with a Japanese government (MEXT) scholarship, please contact us in advance.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I request the application guidelines and application forms?
- For domestic applicants, please enclose a 250 yen stamp in a size 2 envelope (330×240mm) and write on the front, “Application guidelines and forms for matriculation examination.” For overseas residents, you can download the guidelines and forms from our website
- Does the form for the oral examination have to be handwritten?
- No, you can type directly on the English digital application and print it (regarding the Japanese version, you can print remarks that fit inside the document’s prepared frame and paste them onto the document).
- Is it OK to print a document with graphs or charts in color for the oral examination?
- No, printing in color is not acceptable. Even if documents are submitted in color, black and white copies will be used during the oral examination.
- I contacted the laboratory I want to be assigned to before the summer entrance examination for a five year PhD program. Do I need to contact them again before the winter entrance examination?
- The number of students accepted to your laboratory of choice may have changed after the summer entrance examination. Please contact them again to reconfirm your acceptance. If you wish to be assigned to a different laboratory, you must confirm your new selection as well.
- With the COVID-19 epidemic, I can hardly work on my graduation research. Will this be disadvantageous at the time of the examination?
- You don’t have to worry about the progress of your current research. At the FBS examination, we evaluate the elements of an applicant’s persistence, imagination, sense of judgment, and logical thinking required to be shown as a research candidate. It is important to be ready to explain the importance, principle, and value of your current experiment(s) and future project(s) at FBS. You will be asked how you are going to pursue your research project.
Entrance examination (general admission for the five year PhD program/third-year transfer students)
Non-degree Research Students
Contact Us
Questions regarding admission matters should be addressed to:
admission[at]fbs.osaka-u.ac.jp *Change [at] to @
Address
1-3 Yamadaoka Suita, Osaka 565-0871 Japan
