Graduate Institute for Advanced Studies

For Graduate Institute for Advanced Studies, tuition fees are 535,800 JPY per year.

The Basic Biology Program, offered as a three-year doctoral program at The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI, is conducted in English, with admission each April and October, based at the university's Aichi location. SOKENDAI was established in 1988 to train first-class researchers through doctoral course programs built around the research environment of Japan's Inter-University Research Institutes. This three-year track covers the same core discipline as the university's Basic Biology Program, spanning molecular biology, cell biology, genetics, developmental biology, and organismal biology, but follows a shorter timeline than the five-year version, suggesting it is designed for applicants entering with prior graduate-level preparation in biology. Doctoral candidates conduct research within laboratories affiliated with national research institutes, working alongside established scientists and gaining access to specialized equipment and ongoing projects. The program combines focused coursework with independent dissertation research addressing an original question in biological science. Students investigate living systems at the molecular, cellular, and organismal levels, applying experimental and computational approaches to genetics, physiology, and evolutionary biology. Graduates typically move into research scientist roles at universities, government research institutes, and biotechnology or pharmaceutical companies, as well as postdoctoral positions that extend their specialization further. The Aichi location connects students to SOKENDAI's broader network of national research institutes, providing access to specialized facilities for biological research. With admission offered twice yearly, in April and October, applicants can choose the start date that best fits their circumstances. Because instruction is delivered in English, international students can pursue this three-year doctoral track in basic biology at a Japanese national research institution without first needing to be fluent in Japanese.