Discovery Program for Global Learners

Postal code	700-8530
Address	2-1-1 Tsushimanaka, Kita-ku, Okayama-shi, Okayama
Department to contact	Discovery Program for Global Learners
Phone	+81-86-251-7915, 7912
Notable aspects of the school	You can earn a degree through classes taught entirely in English.
International Students Examination	Same examination and evaluation standards as for Japanese.
Admission capacity	60 (for the 2027 school year)
Applicants	190 (for the 2026 school year)
Successful candidates	82 (for the 2026 school year)
Number of international students	97 (for the 2026 school year)
Number of privately financed international students	80 (for the 2026 school year)
Application fee	17,000 yen (for the 2027 school year)
Admission fee	282,000 yen (for the 2027 school year)
Tuition per year	1,339,500 yen (for the 2027 school year)
Application to delay payment or receive a refund	Not available.
Remarks	For students enrolling in the 2027 academic year, the annual tuition fee is 642,960 yen (projected amount) for Japanese students and others, and 1,339,500 yen (projected amount) for international students. International students are defined as those residing in Japan with the status of residence of "Student" as listed in the table of Appended Table I-4 of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act (Cabinet Order No. 319 of 1951). Other foreign students are included in the "Japanese students and others" category. To support the educational and research activities of students in the Global Discovery Program (specifically high achievers), the program plans to offer tuition waivers or reductions for all international students to bring their fees in line with those of Japanese students, as well as full tuition waivers and scholarship grants for top-performing students. Please visit the program's website for details. https://discovery.okayama-u.ac.jp/en/prospective_students/tuition_and_fees/ https://discovery.okayama-u.ac.jp/en/prospective_students/s/
Distribution of application forms	End of July
Availability of previous exams	No previous exams available.
Entry (Spring)	April, 2027 entry
Application category	Global Discovery Program Admissions (April Enrollment)
Starting date for application submission	October 5, 2026
Deadline of application	October 15, 2026 (must arrive by this date)
Date of examination	December 5, 2026
Notification of examination result	December 21, 2026
Deadline of enrollment procedures	January 29, 2027
Admission procedures - Application from outside Japan	Available.
Admission procedures - Visiting Japan for entrance exam	Not necessary.
Sections of exam prepared by the college or university	Application screening process, Interview, *First-stage selection: Document screening to be conducted in mid-November; interviews to be held for those who pass the first stage.
English examination	If you have not received at least five years of secondary education in English, you are required to submit scores from English proficiency tests taken in or after September 2024.
Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT)	Not necessary.
Remarks	・Regarding the schedule for the final selection (interview): if the number of applicants exceeds a certain threshold, interviews will be held over two days (December 5 and 6, 2026). Before applying, please check the interview schedule and confirm that you are available to attend on either day. ・You must submit scores from one or more of the following English proficiency tests: Cambridge English Qualifications, EIKEN, GTEC (Advanced, Basic, or CBT), IELTS, TEAP, TOEFL iBT, TOEIC (Listening & Reading and Speaking & Writing tests), or IB English scores (including predicted scores). Please note that there is no minimum score requirement for admission to this program; however, as almost all instruction is conducted in English, an English proficiency level of CEFR B2 or higher is strongly recommended. ・If you have taken a Japanese language proficiency test (such as the JLPT), we strongly recommend submitting your results as optional supporting documentation. Please note that while Japanese proficiency is not a mandatory requirement for application, a level equivalent to CEFR B2 or higher is recommended for April entrants, as the post-enrollment orientation is conducted in Japanese. Applicants who wish to take courses offered by other faculties after enrollment must demonstrate their Japanese proficiency during the interview.
Entry (Autumn)	October, 2027 entry
Application category	Global Discovery Program Entrance Examination (October Enrollment (First Round))
Starting date for application submission	October 5, 2026
Deadline of application	October 15, 2026 (must arrive by this date)
Date of examination	December 5, 2026
Notification of examination result	December 21, 2026
Deadline of enrollment procedures	January 29, 2027
Admission procedures - Application from outside Japan	Available.
Admission procedures - Visiting Japan for entrance exam	Not necessary.
Sections of exam prepared by the college or university	Application screening process, Interview, *First-stage selection: Document screening to be conducted in mid-November; interviews to be held for those who pass the first stage.
English examination	If you have not received at least five years of secondary education in English, you are required to submit scores from English proficiency tests taken in or after September 2024.
Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT)	Not necessary.
Remarks	・Regarding the schedule for the final selection (interview): If the number of applicants exceeds a certain threshold, the interviews will be held over two days (December 5 and 6, 2026). Before applying, please check the interview schedule and confirm in advance that you are available to attend on either day. You must submit scores for one or more of the following English proficiency tests: Cambridge English Qualifications, EIKEN, GTEC (Advanced, Basic, or CBT), IELTS, TEAP, TOEFL iBT, TOEIC (Listening & Reading and Speaking & Writing tests), or IB English scores (including predicted scores). Please note that there is no minimum score requirement for admission to this program; however, as instruction is conducted almost entirely in English, an English proficiency level of CEFR B2 or higher is strongly recommended. ・If you have taken a Japanese language proficiency test (such as the JLPT), we strongly recommend submitting your results as optional supplementary documentation. Applicants who wish to take courses offered by other faculties after enrollment must demonstrate their Japanese language proficiency during the interview.
Entry (Autumn)	October, 2027 entry
Application category	Global Discovery Program Entrance Examination (October Enrollment (2nd Round))
Starting date for application submission	December 21, 2026
Deadline of application	January 8, 2027 (must arrive by this date)
Date of examination	March 6, 2027
Notification of examination result	March 19, 2027
Deadline of enrollment procedures	April 30, 2027
Admission procedures - Application from outside Japan	Available.
Admission procedures - Visiting Japan for entrance exam	Not necessary.
Sections of exam prepared by the college or university	Application screening process, Interview, *First-stage selection: Document screening to be conducted in mid-February 2027; interviews to be held for those who pass the first stage.
English examination	If you have not received at least five years of secondary education in English, you are required to submit scores from English proficiency tests taken in or after September 2024.
Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT)	Not necessary.
Remarks	・Regarding the schedule for the final selection (interview): If the number of applicants exceeds a certain threshold, interviews will be held over two days (March 5 and 6, 2027). When applying, please check the interview schedule and confirm in advance that you are available to attend on either day. You must submit scores for one or more of the following English proficiency tests: Cambridge English Qualifications, EIKEN, GTEC (Advanced, Basic, or CBT), IELTS, TEAP, TOEFL iBT, TOEIC (Listening & Reading and Speaking & Writing tests), or IB English scores (including predicted scores). Please note that there is no minimum score requirement for admission to this program; however, as instruction is conducted almost entirely in English, an English proficiency level of CEFR B2 or higher is strongly recommended. ・If you have taken a Japanese language proficiency test (such as the JLPT), we strongly recommend submitting your results as optional supplementary documentation. Applicants who wish to take courses offered by other faculties after enrollment must demonstrate their Japanese language proficiency during the interview.