Burma Study Abroad Website
Requirements and Information by Country
Contents of this Page
Education System
Selected Universities
where Burmese have Studied
Useful Links
Almost all universities in Japan teach in Japanese (especially at the undergraduate level), so students who want to study in Japan must learn Japanese first. However a new university called Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University offers admission to student who do not know Japanese. Over the course of 4 years, they will take enough Japanese courses to become fluent.
Required Tests
International students applying to undergraduate programs must take a Japanese language exam called the Japanese Efficiency Test Level I. This test is organized by the Ministry of Education and is held on the first weekend of Dec. every year. Students in Burma/Myanmar can also take the test at the Japanese Embassy in Yangon. After that, depending on how they do on this test, they must choose a university and take the universitys entrance exam.
Graduate students also need to take an entrance exam. It is often difficult to do well on this without first spending some time in Japan, so the best course of action is to go to Japan as a researcher for a year and then take the exam. To go as a researcher, a student must be invited by a professor at a university. Students can get more information about professors and universities through the internet or at the Japanese embassy.
Selected Universities where Burmese have Studied
Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU)
General Information
Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University is located in Beppu on Kyushu Island in southern Japan. It just recently opened and is eager to attract international students.
APU aims to develop the capabilities of people who will play a major role in various international institutions such as the UN and in business in the Asia Pacific region. APUs overall goal is to foster people who have advanced expertise in international management, international sociology, Asia Pacific studies, and information processing and high level communication skills.
Students can enroll either in April or October. It currently offers only an undergraduate curriculum. Students can enroll with no prior knowledge of Japanese. They will be required to take a number of Japanese language courses and as their proficiency improves, they will be able to take other subjects taught in Japanese. Special sections will also be offered for students who can understand basic Japanese but are still not fluent.
Tuition and Living Expenses
The tuition is approximately 1 million yen/year. Living expenses are also approximately 1 million yen/year. There is also a 100,000 yen admission fee.
Scholarships
APU offers several scholarships including a total tuition waiver, a 65% reduction of the tuition fee, and a 35% reduction of the tuition fee. Outstanding students can also apply for a scholarship which covers their tuition and their living expenses. Scholarship application forms are available online. Students who have been at the university for a year or two may also be able to apply for prefecture-sponsored scholarships.
Contact Info
E-mail: inquiries@welcome.apu.ac.jp
Website: www.apu.ac.jp
For links to colleges and universities in Japan go to:
http://www.mit.edu:8001/people/cdemello/jp.html