Degree Programs in Comprehensive Human Sciences

Five-year Doctoral Program (Doctoral Program in Human Biology)

Click here for more details about the program.

Doctoral Program in Human Biology

August Selection Process (General Selection Process) April 2027 Entry
January to February Selection Process (General Selection Process) April 2027 or October 2027 Entry

Government-sponsored international students should contact the office of Doctoral Program in Human Biology before applying.
Contact: hbp-ad#@#un.tsukuba.ac.jp (Please remove “#” before sending an email.)

Important Notice

The University is currently applying to establish a new graduate school, the Graduate School of Integrative and Global Multidisciplinary Arena (G-SIGMA), for implementation in Academic Year 2027 (April 2027), under the system of a “basic organization for the delivery of inter-graduate school programs” designated by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT).

If the establishment is approved, the Doctoral Program in Human Biology, within the Degree Programs in Comprehensive Human Sciences, and the Ph.D. Program in Humanics, within the School of Integrative and Global Majors, will be integrated and transitioned to the Doctoral Program in Humanics under G-SIGMA from April 2027.
As approval is expected around autumn 2026, the entrance examination to be conducted in August 2026 will be held under the current programs. If approval is granted, applicants who pass this examination will enroll in the new program. In addition, entrance examinations conducted in January–February following approval will be administered under the new program.

For information on admissions to the new program, please refer to the “Outline of Admissions” for G-SIGMA available on the University of Tsukuba Graduate Admissions website. The Application Guidelines will be newly published around autumn 2026, and a notification will be posted on the “Information” page. Applicants are advised to check the Graduate Admissions website for the latest information.

University of Tsukuba Graduate Admissions Website:
https://eng.ap-graduate.tsukuba.ac.jp/
G-SIGMA Website:
https://g-sigma.edu.tsukuba.ac.jp/en/

Security Export Control

The University of Tsukuba has established the University of Tsukuba Rules on Security Export Control in accordance with the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act (FEFTA), and conducts strict examinations for acceptance of international students etc. International applicants who fall under any of the conditions set out in said regulations may be unable to enter their desired program.

[IMPORTANT] Procedures for “Deemed Export” for Security Export Control

In order to strengthen the prevention of leakage of sensitive technology related to security, “deemed export control” was clarified and related laws and regulations were revised (effective May 1, 2022).
As a result, our university has decided to require all applicants to our graduate school to confirm the applicability of Specific Categories.
Please review the link below and check the corresponding items on the web application system.

・Procedures for “Deemed Export” for Security Export Control

Application Process Overview Chart

Check your qualifications!

(A) No Eligibility Screening is required for the following individuals: (General Selection Process)

Individuals who have graduated from, or who are expecting to graduate from, a Japanese four-year university
Individuals who have graduated from a university outside Japan that implements 16 or more years of a school curriculum up to university graduation, and earned a bachelor’s degree, or individuals who are expecting to graduate from such a university and earn a bachelor’s degree
Others
(If you have any questions about your eligibility, send us an email.)

(B) Eligibility Screening is required for the following individuals:

Individuals who have graduated from, or are expecting to graduate from, a junior college or upper secondary school as latest academic background
Individuals who have graduated from, or are expecting to graduate from, a vocational school or a similar school as latest academic background
Individuals who have graduated from, or are expecting to graduate from, a university of a foreign country that implements less than 16-year school curriculum
Other
(If you have any questions about your eligibility, send us an email.)

Please contact a faculty member from whom you wish to receive academic instruction.

Assessment of Eligibility for Application

Email us to obtain necessary documents by the schedule below. If you are deemed eligible for admission, you will be given a passcode needed on the Web Entry System.

【Due Dates】

August Selection Process: July 3, 2026
January to February Selection Process: November 24, 2026

Applicants Who Need Assistance

If you need assistance due to disability, contact us by the following dates.
＊We may not be able to accommodate your request for consideration.

【Due Dates】

August Selection Process: July 3, 2026
January to February Selection Process: November 24, 2026

Web Entry

Before submitting the required documents, the application must be submitted online by our Web Entry System.
Read the guidelines carefully before applying.
Required documents must be posted by registered mail, or submitted to the Office of Doctoral Program in Human Biology in person, after completing the online application.
Please complete the online application as soon as possible, considering the delivery days.

【Application Period】

August Selection Process: Thursday, July 9, 2026 (from 12 p.m. JST) – Wednesday, July 22, 2026 (by 3 p.m. JST)
January to February Selection Process: Monday, November 30, 2026 (from 12 p.m. JST) – Thursday, December 10, 2026 (by 3 p.m. JST)

Required documents must be posted by registered mail, or submitted to the Office of Doctoral Program in Human Biology in person.
If the documents have not arrived by the end of the application period, or required documents have been missing, your application will not be accepted.

Sign Up

First, you will need your own account to login. Once you make an account, you may save the data you entered and log back in later to continue.

Activation

When you sign up, activation email will be sent to your email address registered. Click the activation URL on the email to activate your account.

Login

For the first time after the activation, you’re already logged in. Just click on “Login” button to begin. When you visit our Login page the second time or later, enter your email address and password to login.

My Page

At the “My Page”, you need to click on the “Application Form” button. On that page, you can edit your login information or reset password.

Application Form

There are four sections in the Application Form:

Applicant’s Information
Course Information/ Preferences
Eligibility
Educational Background

Fields marked with “Required” in each section are required. It will be saved when you click on “Proceed” button on each confirmation page. After saving, you can continue from where you left off when you login again.

On “1. Applicant’s Information,” upload your photo in JPEG format (the file size must be less than 500KB, 2,000pixel). On “3. Eligibility,” describe your motivations for the application, academic/non-academic background, study plan(s), and future career plan(s) with about 1,000 words in English. On “4. Educational Background,” applicants who have graduated from a university outside of Japan are required to upload their degree certificate in JPEG format, which is one of the documents to be submitted. (Since each country has different education systems, we need to confirm their eligibility for application.) Click here for details on information, certificates and supporting documents required for application.

Payment

You must pay the examination fee to complete your application. The University can accept:

–Online credit card payments for both domestic and overseas applicants
–Convenience store payments for domestic applicants only

Click here for details.

*The applicants who have received or will receive MEXT scholarship are exempted from paying the fees.

The applicants who hold MEXT scholarship should contact us before you enter to the web entry system.

Submission

You can submit your application by clicking “Submit to Apply” button. Once you click on the button, the information you have entered will be sent to the University, and you will not be able to go back to edit. Make sure to double-check before proceeding.

After you submit your application, a confirmation e-mail will be sent to the registered e-mail address. Be sure to check it.

(*Check and adjust the spam filter settings in your e-mail account beforehand so that you can receive an e-mail from the “webentry.ap-graduate.tsukuba.ac.jp” domain.)

Create PDF

After you submit your application, follow the instructions given at the last stage of the Web Entry and be sure to print the PDF documents. You can download them from the Web Entry system only while the system is open.

【Application Period】

August Selection Process:Thursday, July 9, 2026 (from 12 p.m. JST) –Wednesday, July 22, 2026 (by 3 p.m. JST)
January to February Selection Process: Monday, November 30, 2026 (from 12 p.m. JST) – Thursday, December 10, 2026 (by 3 p.m. JST)

Web Entry

Submission of Certificates and Supporting Documents

Submit originals of all required certificates and supporting documents to University of Tsukuba by registered mail, or to the Office of Doctoral Program in Human Biology in person.

【Due Dates】

August Selection Process: July 23, 2026 (by 3 p.m. JST if you submit them in person)
January to February Selection Process: December 11, 2026 (by 3 p.m. JST if you submit them in person)

Click here for details.
※YOUR APPLICATION IS NOT ACCEPTED UNLESS ALL THE ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS ARE ARRIVED TO THE OFFICE BY THE DEADLINE.

Information and Instructions for Examinees

Information and Instructions for Examinees will be posted on the program website.

【Expected Release Dates】

August Selection Process: August 5 2026 (tentative)
January to February Selection Process: January 13, 2027 (tentative)

Examination Dates

August Selection Process: August 20(Thu), 21(Fri) (extra day), 2026
January to February Selection Process: January, 28(Thu), 29(Fri) (extra day), 2027

*Please check the program website for the latest information on the admissions process, as it is issue to change.
For availability of previous examinations, refer here.

Announcement of Admission Results

August Selection Process: September 10 (Thu), 2026
January to February Selection Process: February 15 (Mon), 2027

The examinee number of the successful applicants will be posted on the website (https://webentry.ap-graduate.tsukuba.ac.jp/).
Letter of Acceptance will be issued online.
An email will be sent to the email address registered for the application from 10:00 a.m. (JST) on the day of acceptance announcement sequentially.
Please follow the instructions in that email to download Letter of Acceptance.
*It may take up to an hour from the announcement to receive the email.

Documents for Enrollment

The information on Admission Procedure will be provided to successful applicants to the email address registered for the application.
Please follow the instructions in that email to conduct the admission procedure. Admission will be permitted upon completion of the prescribed admission procedure.

Emails will be sent sequentially on the date of the announcement of acceptance.

Late June 2027

All applicants with a full-time job (except part-time) need a document or a letter (ex; an order for a training course, a letter of leave of absence or an approval letter) from the employer to prove that you are available to complete the program.

Procedure for Enrollment

Please complete the application procedures by early March for applicants who will enroll in April 2027, and by late August for applicants who will enroll in October 2027. Please refer to the Enrollment Procedure Guidelines for submission deadlines.

Entrance

April Entry: On April 1, 2027
October Entry: On October 1, 2027