Doctoral course

Meiji University offers a general Doctoral course, a three-year graduate program taught in English with entry points in April and September. The university was originally established as Meiji Law School by three young lawyers in 1881, in the early years of Japan's modern period, and has continued under the guiding motto "Right and Liberty, Independence and Self-government" as one of the leading private universities in Japan for more than 140 years. Meiji University today comprises 10 undergraduate schools and 14 graduate schools. A general doctoral course allows students to pursue advanced research within a chosen academic discipline, typically working under faculty supervision toward an original dissertation. Depending on the graduate school and department a student enters, doctoral research may draw on fields spanning law, commerce, political science, literature, science, engineering, or other areas represented across Meiji University's graduate schools. Over the three-year program, candidates are expected to develop deep disciplinary expertise, contribute original research findings, and build the academic and analytical skills associated with doctoral-level scholarship. Graduates of doctoral programs commonly pursue academic careers as university faculty and researchers, or move into senior professional roles in fields connected to their discipline, including research institutions, government, and specialized technical or policy positions. Meiji University's history as a private university founded in the early Meiji period, combined with its scale of 10 undergraduate and 14 graduate schools, provides a broad academic environment for doctoral study taught in English within a Japanese institution with more than a century of operation. Two intake points a year offer some flexibility in when a doctoral candidate begins their studies.