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Eligibilities and Admissions Requirements

Eligibilities

Application eligibility criteria vary according to the student category you select (see the four categories below).

Degree-seeking students: Non-degree-seeking students:
Regular Students
matriculate in the 1st year		 Transfer Students
matriculate in the 2nd year		 One-Year-Regular
Students (OYR)
for one academic year		 Kenkyusei
(Special Students)
in a specific research field
for one academic year

The eligibility criteria for each student category is given below. If you feel uncertain about your eligibility, submit the Eligibility Check Form to the ICU Admissions Center to confirm your eligibility and additional requirements at least one month before the application period starts.

Important:
- Submissions made closer to or during the application period may not be processed in time, so you may not receive a response early enough to support your application within your intended timeline.
- Please keep in mind that late submissions are very likely to result in delays or missed opportunities. We strongly encourage you to consider applying during the next available application period if necessary.

Bachelor's Degree-Seeking Students:

ICU does not require undergraduate students to choose a specific major before enrollment. Students nurture their basic academic abilities through a wide range of courses, gradually narrow their fields of interest, and then decide on their majors before starting their junior (third) year.

Regular (First-Year) Students

A Regular Student is a student who matriculates as a first-year student to seek a bachelor's degree. Applicants must meet one of the following criteria at the time of enrollment to ICU:

    Applicants must:
  1. have completed 12 years of formal education in Japanese schools accredited by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology or
  2. have completed 12 years or more of formal education outside of Japan or
  3. have an International Baccalaureate Full Diploma, French Baccalauréat, European Baccalaureate, Abitur, or UK GCE Advanced Levels or
  4. have graduated from an officially accredited international/foreign school in Japan or
  5. have passed an examination demonstrating academic ability equivalent to 12 years of formal education, such as the GED (General Educational Development) test or the Upper Secondary School Equivalency Examination, and be at least 18 years of age or
  6. have completed 11 years or more of formal education* in which the high school curriculum is based on the system of Uzbekistan, Sudan, Belarus, Peru, Russia, Myanmar, Ukraine, or Kazakhstan.
    *In these cases, applicants must contact the Admissions Center in advance as there are specific requirements.

Transfer (Second-Year-Transfer) Students

A Transfer Students is a student who matriculates as a second-year student to seek a bachelor's degree at ICU. Applicants must meet one of the criteria listed for Regular (First-Year) Students and also meet one of the following criteria at the time of enrollment to ICU:

    Additionally, they must have:
  1. completed at least one academic year of a bachelor's degree program as a degree-seeking student (excluding the period of leave of absence, if any) or
  2. completed an associate degree at an institution of higher education (university/college).
    !! NOTES:
  • The minimum number of years that Transfer Students must complete at ICU is three years.
  • Transfer credits will be granted only when accepted students complete the credit transfer procedures after entering ICU. More details can be found at the following link:
    https://www.icu.ac.jp/en/admissions/undergraduate/engdoc/credittransfer/
  • Degree-seeking students (i.e. Regular and Transfer Students) are not allowed to register at other institutions simultaneously while studying at ICU. Students must officially withdraw or graduate from their previous institution by the time of enrollment at ICU.

Non-Degree-Seeking Students:

One-Year-Regular Students

A One-Year-Regular Student (OYR) is a student who studies at ICU for one academic year. Applicants must meet both of the following criteria at the time of enrollment to ICU:

    They must have
  1. completed at least one academic year of higher education (university/college) outside of Japan and
  2. attended formal education outside of Japan during the previous two years.
    !! NOTES:
  • Applicants who already have or will have a bachelor's degree at the time of enrollment to ICU are not eligible for admission as One-Year-Regular Students. They should apply as Kenkyusei.
  • Students of ICU's Overseas Academic Exchange partner institutions should consult with their home institution's study abroad office regarding application to ICU. For a list of partner institutions, refer to the following link:
    https://www.icu.ac.jp/en/academics/undergraduate/global/index.html

Kenkyusei (Special Students)

A Kenkyusei is a student who pursues research in a specific field at ICU for one academic year. Applicants must have completed a bachelor's degree, or 16 years or more of formal education, by the time of enrollment at ICU.

    !! NOTES:
  • Admission with Kenkyusei status may be granted only when education and research at ICU are not adversely affected as a result.
  • Kenkyusei may attend classes, but coursework does not count toward a degree.
  • ICU will provide transcripts of the completed coursework to other institutions upon the student's request.
  • If a Kenkyusei wishes to become a Regular/Transfer Student, theKenkyusei must submit an application and follow the same screening process as other Regular/Transfer Student applicants. If admitted, the coursework completed as a Kenkyusei will not be applied towards ICU's residency requirement.
  • A Kenkyusei is not allowed to live in the dormitory, receive a school commuter pass, or have Student Discount Certificates for JR (Gakuwari).

    !! NOTES: If any of the following apply to you, contact the Admissions Center
  • I have been home-schooled.
  • I have been attending unaccredited schools.
  • I am 23 years old (or older) and a high school graduate.
  • I left my university/college more than five years ago.
  • I couldn't find my educational system in the list on "Admissions Requirements by Educational System" page.
⇒ To confirm your eligibility and any additional requirements, submit the Eligibility Check Form to the Admissions Center at least one month before the application period starts.

Admissions Requirements
By Educational System

To ensure your application eligibility, it is necessary that you submit a set of documents that verifies your (prospective) completion of secondary education and thus prove your qualification, which is generally required for university entrance in your educational system.

The information provided below is based on the criteria used in the previous admission cycle (2026 entries). For detailed requirements specified by educational system, be sure to consult the most recent Admissions Guide once it becomes available.

*For Transfer applicants: You will be exempted from submitting these documents if you already have a bachelor's degree and wish to enter ICU as an undergraduate transfer student. Otherwise, you should submit these documents.

Search for your educational system from the list below. If your educational system is not listed, submit the Eligibility Check Form to the ICU Admissions Center to confirm your eligibility and additional requirements at least one month before the application period starts.

If you have not graduated yet and thus cannot submit the required documents listed below at the time of application...
Submission of these documents is deferred until you graduate from high (upper secondary) school. On the other hand, you should submit the rest of the necessary documents for your application by the designated deadline. This includes the School Report (a format required by ICU) , on which the name of the expected diploma or certificate must be specified. Additionally, a list of courses progressing or to be taken in the final semester/year is needed to verify that you will meet the course requirements. Once admitted, you must submit the original or certified true copies of such a diploma or completion certificate to confirm your admission to ICU. Otherwise, your admission will be rescinded.
*NOTE: The following requirements may change without prior notice in the event of educational reform in the educational system.
Australia
Senior Secondary Certificates of Education* and Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR).
*Details of the required documents differ by state/territory. Check the website below.
   https://www.acaca.edu.au/index.php/senior-secondary-certificates/
Canada
Senior/High School Final Transcript that shows the completion of the required curriculum and/or final examination for entering a four-year university in Canada. Below are course requirements by province:
  • British Columbia: Five Grade-12 academic courses, including English Studies 12 (or English 12 or English 12 First Peoples).
  • Ontario: Six Grade-12 4U/4M courses including English 4U
  • Prince Edward Island: Five Grade-12 academic courses (611 or 621) including English 621
  • Other Provinces: For other provinces, please inquire at the Admissions Center in advance
    • *If some of the required courses are in progress or to be taken while in the final semester/term of your high school, and thus not listed on the transcript, submit a school-issued list of these courses in addition to the transcript.
China
Accredited Senior High School (Upper Middle School) Graduation Diploma
with Senior Secondary School Examination Results （会考）
＋National University Entrance Examination Results（高考)
  • All credentials (including the examination results) must be issued by the provincial Ministry of Education or verified by an official accrediting body such as the Center for Student Services and Development (CSSD).
  • If you are enrolled in a dual-degree high school system (e.g., Sino-US, Sino-UK, Sino-Canada, etc.), please refer to the admissions requirements needed for the accredited high school graduation diploma you will receive upon graduation.
France
French Baccalauréat examination certificate
Germany
Abitur certificate
Hong Kong
Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) report
  • Must contain four Core Subjects and two Elective Subjects (in Category A)
  • If not taking Chinese Language, three Elective Subjects are needed.
  • Mathematics Extended Part Module 1 or 2 can be used to meet the elective requirement.
International Baccalaureate
IB Full Diploma (Final Grades or Predicted Grades Report)
  • IB certificate alone is not acceptable. IB Full Diploma is needed. IB Course candidates are ineligible to apply unless they have other valid credentials for admission to ICU.
India
All India Senior School Certificate awarded by CBSE, or
Indian Certificate of Secondary Education awarded by CISCE.
Indonesia
Ijazah Sekolah Menegah Atas ​(Diploma awarded by Upper Secondary School)
Japan
Japanese High School Diploma ​(awarded by a MEXT accredited school)
  • Final High School Transcript (with date of graduation / awarded by a MEXT accredited school) must be submitted as proof.
Korea
Korean High School Graduation Certificate + College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT)
New Zealand
National Certificates of Educational Achievements (NCEA) Level 3 with University Entrance
    NOTES:
  • Submit Record of Achievements (ROA) and School Results Summary (SRS) issued by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA).
  • Both must show NCEA Level 3 with University Entrance.
  • Without the "University Entrance" standard, you are ineligible to apply.
Singapore
Singapore/Cambridge GCE O-level & A-level ​
  • At least three passes in H2 subjects are required to apply.
Thailand
Mathayom 6 (Thailand Certificate of Secondary Education) ​
Ukraine
Certificate of Completion of General Secondary Education in Ukraine
+ State Final Attestation (SFA) results as supplementary to the above certificate
+ External Independent Evaluation (EIE) test results
UK
General Certificate of Education Advanced Level (GCE A Level (A2)) (Final or Predicted Grades)
+ General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE)
+ General Certificate of Education Advanced Subsidiary (GCE AS Level) (if applicable)
  • At least five subjects must be passed, ideally with one from each of the subject groups: Humanities, Social Sciences, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Languages.
  • Of the five passes, two must be at GCE A Level.
  • Applicants originally from non-English speaking countries/regions are recommended to take English Language unless they have spent their junior and senior high school years - approximately six years - in the British school system.
  • A foreign language subject cannot be counted toward the above requirements if it teaches your first language or the language spoken in your home environment. Suppose a native Japanese speaker takes a GCE A Level in the Japanese language subject, for example. In this case, the candidate must have two GCE A Levels besides Japanese to apply.
USA
US High School Diploma ​(awarded by a public or officially accredited school)
  • Final High School Transcript (with date of graduation / awarded by a public or official accredited school) must be submitted as proof.
Vietnam
Bằng Tốt Nghiệp Trung Học Phổ Thông ​(High School Graduation Certificate) with National Examination results

For more details, please check the Admissions Guide for the Undergraduate Program

Undergraduate Admissions

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