Semester Dates!- HELP.

[thejazzstuff]

Hi there, I`m getting done with my second year of engineering [Electronics and Communication-(Bachelors)] and am planning to further my studies in Japan.

I noticed that for the master programs, the starting semester is generally spring. I will only finish my exams in June two years from now. I will definitely not be able to attend college until my final semester exams are over.

Are there NO colleges in Japan that begine their courses in the fall?

 

[melon0712]

I believe there are some that do start in September... because there are a number of people each year traveling to Japanese universities as part of their degree and people from Japan come to Unis whose terms start in September.. though the list of universities offering this is limited and i believe most of the universities that do start their year from September are specialized in languages...

 

[Half-n-Half]

If you do a program that is in English, chances are it will start in the Fall. Check out this website for a list of courses taught in English. It's basically a list of Japanese universities and what courses they offer and on what level (undergrad, master's, PhD).

 

[Glenski]

My uni has graduate school programs (not in engineering unless you count a form of agricultural engineering), and they start in spring and fall. They are not just for Japanese or just for foreigners.

Keep looking.

You may have to meet certain standards for language requirements. If you are serious about this, I'd suggest starting to study Japanese now. Some schools will require that you take 3-6 months of intensive courses in Japanese language before you even attend their uni.

 

[thejazzstuff]

Thanks alot guys, But I`m looking at an Msc in engineering ofcourse. I doubt any of them start in the fall, so I will have to lose nearly a year in applications procedure`s and what not. But atleast it`ll give me time to study for EJU, GRE, TOEFL and IELTS and also complete atleast JLPT 1 and 2.

@Glenski, I`m planning on applying to colleges in germany too so I`m spending this year studying german and will start Japanese as soon as the year ends. My application process will start in 2014 aproximately which when I`ll get done with my bachelor`s too. A year to a year and a half would be enough to study the level of Japanese needed for entrances?

 

[Mike Cash]

What further levels of JLPT do you intend to complete after at least 1 and 2?

 

[Half-n-Half]

Are you planning to do a program in Japanese or in English?

The University of Tokyo offers a program called MEM (International Graduate Program In: Mechanical, Electrical and Materials Engineering) which is in English and Tohoku University is really well known for their Engineering. They also offer degrees in English, and obviously at either university you can do the Japanese route.

I know for a fact that the Tohoku University Graduate Engineering department allows April and October enrollment. I'm sure others do, too.

 

[thejazzstuff]

@ Mike Cash, I`m sorry I really meant atleast 1. I think I`m going to need it for entrances, not only for college but for the scholarships too.

@Half-n-Half Thank you, I`m just a little confused as to when I should be applying for my Masters. I will graduate in june of 2014. Now does that mean I need to apply for master programs that begin in the fall of 2014 or spring of 2015??
I`ve been downloading and reading brochures at the engineering departments of Kobe and Kanazawa for now.

 

[Mike Cash]

I was just razzing you....nobody takes any of the other tests after passing JLPT 1.

 

[thejazzstuff]

lol aite.

I`m really clueless atm about an education in Japan, and any knowledge that I do have now is 4-5days worth of looking up stuff

 

[Mike Cash]

I hope you weren't under the impression that only the lowest levels of the JLPT are required by many universities. Level 1 is the most difficult level of the JLPT and level 5 is the easiest. See a guide here.

Level 1 (Old Test)

The examinee has mastered grammar to a high level,
knows around 2,000 kanji and 10,000 words, and has
an integrated command of the language sufficient for
life in Japanese society. This level is normally reached
after studying Japanese for around 900 hours.

Level 4 (Old Test: Corresponds to Level 5 of New Test)

The examinee has mastered the basic elements of
grammar, knows around 100 kanji and 800 words, has
the ability to engage in simple conversation and read
and write short, simple sentences. This level is
normally reached after studying Japanese for around
150 hours and after completion of the first half of an
elementary course.

Heck of a big difference. The lowest levels are essentially useless for such purposes as university.

 

[Half-n-Half]

@Half-n-Half Thank you, I`m just a little confused as to when I should be applying for my Masters. I will graduate in june of 2014. Now does that mean I need to apply for master programs that begin in the fall of 2014 or spring of 2015??
I`ve been downloading and reading brochures at the engineering departments of Kobe and Kanazawa for now.

You don't have to graduate before you apply for a program. I know that at least in America grad school applications are due December-January of your final year when most people do not graduate until May the following year. For the program I applied for in Japan, the requirement was that you graduate by September 30th, even for Fall admission of the same year!

So I'm pretty sure that if you graduate in June 2014 you can apply for programs that begin in the Fall of the same year. But, it may depend on the program and I would research the admissions process of any program you think of joining.

 

[Glenski]

Thanks alot guys, But I`m looking at an Msc in engineering ofcourse. I doubt any of them start in the fall,

Half-n-Half has already shown you one example of this being incorrect. I suggest digging more. Your "doubt" is unfounded.

Kyushu U (starts in October)
http://www.isc.kyushu-u.ac.jp/g30/programs-g.html
U of Tokyo (starts "in principal" in October)
東京大学 | 国際化教育支援室
Tokyo U of Marine Science & Technology (October)
http://www.kaiyodai.ac.jp/English/e-admissions/mye.htm
Tokyo City Univ.
TOKYO CITY UNIVERSITY | Admissions | Graduate School

Just to name a few.

@Glenski, I`m planning on applying to colleges in germany too so I`m spending this year studying german and will start Japanese as soon as the year ends. My application process will start in 2014 aproximately which when I`ll get done with my bachelor`s too. A year to a year and a half would be enough to study the level of Japanese needed for entrances?

If you apply yourself and study intensively and are a reasonably good learner, that should be plenty to get a decent JLPT, perhaps level 2 (or whatever the current designation is). But it won't be easy, and you will definitely have to apply yourself! You won't need level 1 for many schools, I suspect. At my uni, foreigners can barely speak, let alone read, Japanese yet they are accepted. And, we're talking about grad school programs at my uni in agricultural fields like soil science, mechanical engineering, food science, etc.

Why do you want a degree from a foreign country, when it should be far easier to get in your own?

 

[thejazzstuff]

Yep, Half-n-Half, got it! Like Glenski implies, I need to do alot more research on the application processes, semester dates, course requirements, etc.

@Glenski, I`m just looking for a change of scene. I`ve lived in India, Bangalore, more precisely, and I`m bored of the surroundings. I like the idea of going somewhere new where I have to learn about someone elses culture/customs/language. Thats about it. Its not about how easy/hard it is to get the degree. Right now, I`m just willing to work to the best of my ability to get out here for a while, and see the world for a bit, and I love what I`m studying right now so I want to continue my enducation in the same field.

 

[thejazzstuff]

Thank you for the Help, I`ve shortlisted 3 colleges in Japan and 2 in Germany to pursue a Master`s program in Electronics and Communications. Will start working towards those Goals consistantly from now on. This is my order of preference:

Kyoto Uni.
Tokyo Institute of Technology
Tohoku Uni.
[I just hope none of the entrance exam dates will coincide with my semester exams [May and June of 2014]]

RWTH Aachen Uni.
Universitat Technische Berlin

-Rahul.