Admissions Criteria

1.  Criteria

Within equal opportunities principles and legislation, applications will be assessed in the light of a candidate’s ability to meet the following criteria:

2.  Academic ability

Applicants are normally expected to be predicted or to have achieved a first-class or an upper second class undergraduate degree (or equivalent international qualifications ) in any subject or discipline, although it is preferable to have some social sciences or humanities background.

For applicants with a degree from the USA, the minimum GPA we seek is 3.7 or higher out of 4.0.

If you hold non-British qualifications, you are advised to check with the National Recognition Information Centre for the United Kingdom (UK NARIC) www.naric.org.uk for how your qualifications match these requirements.

Japanese Language Requirement

A degree of language proficiency equivalent to the Japan Foundation Japanese-Language Proficiency Level N4 (if the test was taken in 2010 or later), or Level 3 (if taken in 2009 or before). For those without a certificate of language proficiency, a score of 101 or more on the on-line J-CAT (Japanese Computerized Adaptive Test).

We require evidence of language proficiency at the higher level. This normally takes the form of:

• British Council IELTS English language at 7.5 with at least 7.0 in each component
• TOEFL at 630 or equivalent qualification with Written English score of 5
• Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CEP): Grade B
• Internet-based TOEFL: score of 109 (international applicants must achieve the following minimum individual language component scores: Listening 21, Reading 22, Speaking 23, Writing 23)

http://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/postgraduate_courses/apply/internat_students.html.

Academic references/letters of recommendation, which support intellectual ability, academic achievement, motivation and ability to work in a group.

Three academic references are requested.  These must be in English, if not a full translation must be attached.

Two pieces of written work in English are required.  They should be two relevant academic essays or other writing samples from your most recent qualification of 2,000 words each, or 2,000-word extracts from a longer work.

If necessary, you should arrange for translation of your written work into English.  Where written work has been translated you must ensure that the fact it has been translated, and the person and method of translation, is clearly identified.

This should include a summary of recent achievements, including details of qualifications, publications and any experience relevant to your application.

A detailed official record of higher education up to the present, including programmes of study taken and grades achieved. 

Official transcripts should be visibly and indelibly certified by the issuing institution.

If an official transcript is not in English, you must submit both (i) the original official document issued by your institution, and (ii) a translation into English certified by a professional translator or by the issuing body of the original transcript.

A 500 word/one page statement of possible research focus and interest in the degree.You may wish to consider a number of issues such as:

• What relevant academic, research, or practical experience do you have?
• Why are you applying to this particular programme of study?
• What areas of study in the subject interest you?

Performance at interview(s)

Interviews are not normally held as part of the admissions process.

The MSc in Modern Japanese Studies course is designed for students who have an interest in the following social science and humanities options politics, economics, sociology and anthropology, history, modern literature and linguistics.

The primary aim of the MPhil programme is to prepare students for subsequent doctoral work but it is also appropriate preparation for a wide range of careers.

• Preference may be given to those who have previously studied social sciences or humanities.

The following factors will govern whether candidates can be offered places:

• The ability of the Nissan Institute of Japanese Studies to provide the appropriate supervision, research opportunities, teaching and facilities for your chosen area of work.
• There are minimum and maximum limits to the numbers of students who may be admitted onto Oxfords research and taught programmes.

The provision of supervision is subject to the following points.

• The allocation of graduate supervision is the responsibility of the Nissan Institute of Japanese Studies and it is not always possible to accommodate the preferences of incoming graduate students to work with a particular member of staff.
• Under exceptional circumstances a supervisor may be found outside the Nissan Institute of Japanese Studies.

Please refer to the Graduate Admissions website http://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/postgraduate_courses/apply/application_guide.html#awhen_to_apply for information on the deadlines which must be met, and the full set of supporting materials required, in order for applications to be guaranteed to be considered.

6.  Whether you have yet secured funding is not taken into consideration in the decision to make an initial offer of a place, but please note that the initial offer of a place will not be confirmed until the college which gives you an initial offer of a place is satisfied that you have sufficient funding to cover your fees and living costs for the standard period of fee liability for your course.

Students are selected for admission without regard to gender, marital or civil partnership status, disability, race, nationality, ethnic origin, religion or belief, sexual orientation, age or social background.  Decisions on admission are based solely on the individual academic merits of each candidate and the application of the selection criteria appropriate to the programme of study.  Further information on how these matters are supported during the admissions process is available here http://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/postgraduate_courses/about_the_university/graduate_welfare/e_d.html

8. Other information

• We encourage prospective applicants to communicate with us prior to submitting an application to discuss the course content, teaching, assessment and to answer any questions.
  In the case of students who require specific help to ad
• just to an academic programme or to a new range of skills, the supervisor will work with them to ensure that they have additional support.

9. Assessors

All applications will be assessed by more than one member of the academic staff with relevant experience and expertise.

Further information is available from the course guide on the graduate admissions webpages at
http://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/postgraduate_courses/course_guide/japanese_studies.html