How to Apply

Application Procedure

This application procedure is for the PhD program in collaboration with Institute of Science Tokyo and NIMS. 


If you are current students in master’s course of Graduate School, Institute of Science Tokyo, please check the “ Schedule for Internal Students Applying for a Doctoral Degree Program” for application procedure.

Contact a possible prospective supervisor prior to apply

All applicants are required to apply for the NIMS Graduate Research Assistantship as pre-screening. Applicants who passed the NIMS Graduate Research Assistantship screening (document screening and interview) can submit the university application documents to the university.

University Application

This program is only available for admission in April. Applications and admissions are by “理工学系" "20XX年4月入学 大学院博士後期課程” ( Application for Admission to Doctoral Degree Program Commencing in April 20XX Institute of Science Tokyo) category, regardless of nationality or place of residence, from the applicants from NIMS.(not applicable for IGP/JICA category.)

 *Please note: For applying, applicants need to obtain the printed version of the application guideline (including designated application forms). For the details, please refer the above link or consult with your prospective professor. 


For April 2025 admission

NIMS Junior (NIMS Graduate Research Assistantship) and University Application

In this program, all applicants are required to apply for the “NIMS Junior” NIMS Graduate Research Assistantship as pre-screening. Applicants who passed the NIMS Junior screening (document screening and interview) can submit the university application documents to the university.
Please be sure to check the following pages.

University Admission Guidelines

大学院博士後期課程 / Application for Admission to Doctoral Degree Program

Application for Individual Assessment of Admission Eligibility by late November
If you do not have a master's degree and may need to have your application reviewed for eligibility, please contact the possible supervising professor as soon as possible.
Application Period

early January
Application Documents

The name of the application guideline that this program applies is "大学院博士後期課程20XX年4月入学”.(not applicable for IGP/JICA category)

For April 2025 admission

  • Application guidelines are written in both Japanese and English.
  • Before submitting your application, be sure to order a printed version. Make sure to confirm with your prospective NIMS professors how to obtain the printed version.
Entrance Examinations

late January - early February

Please see the university application guideline for the details.
Result Announcement early March
Enrollment April

From Application to Admission

Contact the professor( until around June )

Applicants are to have earned or to be expected to have a master's degree or an equivalent by the date of admission.
See “Program members” to find the matches between your interested research and the professor's research. Email the professor your CV with a cover letter expressing your interest in the research subject.

Prepare for the application documents to NIMS( June - August )

All applicants are required to apply for “NIMS Junior” (NIMS Graduate Research Assistantship) as pre-screening. Applicants who passed the NIMS Graduate Research Assistantship screening (document screening and interview) can submit the university application documents to the university.

Please prepare for the following documents and submit to NIMS.

  1. 1.　Application form for the NIMS Graduate Research Assistantship (in Word format)
    * On the application form, please make sure to include the names and email address of at least 2 references. NIMS will directly contact the references regarding the applicant. The communication with the references is an important part of the assistantship selection, which is confidential and used solely for the purpose of assessing the applicant. The applicant must agree to waive the right of access.
  2. 2.　Academic transcripts of both undergraduate and graduate (in PDF format)
  3. 3.　PDF copy of the English test score certificate. The English proficiency tests should have been taken within 2 years from the end of the university application deadline. If you do not have a valid test score, please submit a previous one as our reference and plan to take a new English tests as soon as possible.
    Only the following test are acceptable:
    • ・TOEIC L&R
    • ・TOEFL iBT
    • ・IELTS Academic
    *A scanned copy or downloadable version of the score certificate is acceptable for the NIMS Junior (NIMS Graduate Research Assistantship). However, the original score certificate must be submitted to the university during the application period.
    *Valid result scores for university admission: For example, if you apply for 2024 August NIMS junior application, we accept English test scores from the tests taken after 2023 mid-January.

  4. 4.　CV

University application submission( Beginning of January )*By the mid-December, all original documents you have to submit must be delivered to NIMS.NIMS will apply to the university on your behalf if you live abroad.

The application and entrance examination is “大学院博士後期課程, Application for Admission to Doctoral Degree Program” category, irrespective of nationality and place of residence. (not applicable for IGP/JICA category)Please send the application documents to the university based on the information provided in the application guidelines. The package should arrive no later than the application period.

Enrollment( Early March )

The university admission results will be delivered to the applicants after the university exam result. The successful applicants will complete the enrollment procedure with the university. Meanwhile, registration for National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) needs to be completed before the enrolment.