Doctoral Program (English-based Degree Program)

This doctoral program is delivered in English by Waseda University and based in Saitama, Japan, running for three years with admission each September. Waseda University is internationally recognized as one of the top private universities in Japan, based in central Tokyo, and also operates programs and facilities at other locations, including Saitama. It is organized into 13 undergraduate schools and 20 graduate schools, enrolls over 47,000 students, and is the second-largest university in the country. The university has produced 8 prime ministers, and its alumni are active across many fields in Japan and internationally. Guided by its founder's ethos of harmonizing Eastern and Western cultures, Waseda has welcomed international students since its founding and describes itself as the most global-friendly university in Japan, enrolling around 8,000 students from more than 120 countries and regions in the 2019 academic year. Doctoral study in this program centers on independent, faculty-supervised research leading to a dissertation, and the admission process does not require a short essay, a formal interview, or an oral presentation, relying instead on document screening and English proficiency scores. Programs of this kind typically combine research training, regular meetings with a supervisor, and the use of specialized resources suited to the candidate's field of study. Graduates commonly pursue academic careers, advanced research positions, or specialist roles in industry, government, or policy, building on the research training and cross-cultural experience gained through doctoral study in Japan.