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Campus Feature

Studying in Japan

Akramul Hoque Samim

Japan is a country, rich in history and cultural variations. The standard of education is also very high. As a result, thousands of foreign students come to Japan to study. But, many students also give up the idea of studying in Japan before they even start, due to the idea that it's a costly country to live in. But don't let these fears scare you away. There are attractive scholarships and the opportunity to work part-time to take care of your expenses.

At present, the number of international students is increasing day by day. Many Bangladeshi students also show keen interest to come to Japan to pursue higher education.

Education System
In Japan, there are five types of higher education institutes that foreign students can enter. These are, universities (Graduate course), universities (undergraduate course), college of technology, professional training schools and Japanese studies.

The length of study for most undergraduate departments is four years. But it is six years for medicine, dentistry and veterinary science. Master's course lasts for two years. Doctorate course lasts for three years. But in case of medicine, dentistry and veterinary science, the course lasts for four years.

Academic year
The academic year at higher educational institutes in Japan begins in April. It finishes in March of the following year. In most cases academic year is divided into two semesters. First semester lasts from April to September and the second from October to March.

Application process and minimum requirements
Students must have to apply to university authorities. For this purpose, at first students have to select the preferred university. Detail information about application process and minimum requirement can be obtained from university website. To catch the classes, students should apply 2-3 months in advance of commencement of his studies. Bangladeshi students have to talk with the relevant people at the Japanese Embassy in Bangladesh
and to acquire study permit.

Students wishing to enter undergraduate courses must have completed 12 years of schooling (HSC equivalent). Students must have completed 16 years of school education and graduated from a 4-year University or be recognised as having academic ability to enter Master's course.

To know about the application and admission process of individual University, students can mail to them.

Language requirement
Most of the university programmes of Japan are taught in Japanese language. If anyone wants to go to Japan for higher studies he or she must have minimum language test requirement. For Japanese language proficiency, the Embassy of Japan is the host institution in Bangladesh.

Programmes
Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary Science, Biochemistry, Applied Physics, Biopharmaceutical Sciences, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Molecular Sciences, Business Administration, Marketing, Economics, International Relation, Law, Sociology, Management, Finance, MBA and many more are taught in Japan.

Tuition fees
Tuition fees of a course vary depending on programmes and universities. The tuition fees for National Universities (all departments) is 7,13,800 Japanese yen. Local public universities tuition fees is almost 8,33,133 to 9,95,465. For graduate school it varies from 8,91,469 to 11,36,492 Japanese yean. This is the annual average cost. From the second year onwards student will pay approximate 70% of these figures, as the admission fee is paid in the first year only.

Scholarships
Economic assistance is available to international students in the form of both scholarship and tuition reductions. Some of these scholarships must be applied from outside of Japan. But there are also a number of scholarships available after you arrive. These include Japanese national and local government scholarships and honours scholarships. Also there are Japanese private foundation scholarships and educational institution scholarships. In Addition, the Ministry of Education offers up to 30% reduction in tuition fees at both national and private universities, junior college and graduate schools.

Accommodations and living expenses
There are four types of accommodation for foreign students. These are student dormitories, public housing provided by regional public organisations, staff dormitories owned by Japanese firms, and private accommodation available on rent. Living expenses vary from region to region. Average monthly living expenses for a foreign student in Tokyo is almost 1,58,000 yen, but it is 1,17,000 yen in Shikoku.

Part-time work
Many foreign students choose to do part time work to help pay their tuition or living expenses. Before you do any part time work, you have to make sure to get a permit.

It you want to know more about higher studies in Japan you can visit the following website. www.studyjapan.go.jp