Job Description

Opportunity Description

Planning to pursue a master’s or Ph.D. in urban planning or environmental engineering in Japan? The Graduate Program for International Students in Urban and Environmental Studies (UBE-UPN/ENV) is a special English graduate program run by the Department of Urban Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo. It is open to international applicants of any nationality except Japanese nationals and people currently residing in Japan. Coursework and research supervision are conducted entirely in English, so no Japanese is required to study.

This is an admission pathway, not an automatic scholarship. Successful applicants pay the university’s standard tuition unless they secure a separate scholarship. The Department of Urban Engineering nominates 2 to 3 qualified master’s applicants each year for the fully funded Asian Development Bank–Japan Scholarship Program (ADB-JSP), and other admitted students may apply for MEXT, University of Tokyo, or private scholarships. Applications for the October 2027 intake are open now.

Key Details

Eligible Degree Programs

Master’s Degrees

• Urban Planning Course
• Urban Environmental Engineering Course

Ph.D. Degrees

• Urban Planning Course
• Urban Environmental Engineering Course

An optional double master’s degree is also available with the United Nations University Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS), leading to a Master of Science in Sustainability after one extra year of study.

UBE-UPN/ENV Benefits

• Master’s and Ph.D. coursework and research supervision delivered entirely in English
• No Japanese language requirement at application; free Japanese language classes offered after enrollment
• Access to the ADB-Japan Scholarship Program (JSP) for eligible, department-nominated master’s applicants, which covers full tuition fees, a monthly subsistence allowance including housing, books, and instructional materials, medical insurance, and travel expenses
• Access to the MEXT Scholarship (University Recommendation), which exempts recipients from tuition, admission, and examination fees
• Access to the University of Tokyo Fellowship, SEUT Grant, and private-organization scholarships recommended through the Graduate School of Engineering
• Optional double degree with UNU-IAS, earning a Master of Science in Sustainability in three years total
• Standard admission expenses if no scholarship is secured: JPY 10,000 examination fee, JPY 282,000 admission fee, and tuition of JPY 535,800/year (master’s) or JPY 520,800/year (doctoral)

Scholarship Awards Summary

Eligibility Criteria

• Applicants must not hold Japanese nationality and must not reside in Japan from the application’s start date until its deadline
• Applicants must also have sufficient English proficiency to take classes and receive research guidance in English

Master’s applicants must meet one of the following:

• Hold or expect a bachelor’s degree from outside Japan with 16 years of prior education
• Alternatively, hold an equivalent bachelor’s degree from a foreign university completed in three years or more
• Otherwise, qualify as equivalent to a Japanese university graduate through individual screening, provided you are 22 years or older

Ph.D. applicants must meet one of the following:

• Hold or expect an equivalent master’s, doctoral, or professional degree from outside Japan
• Alternatively, hold an equivalent master’s degree from a foreign university completed in three years or more
• Qualify as equivalent to a Japanese university graduate through the United Nations University
• Complete two years of qualifying research before the admission date
• Otherwise, meet the requirement at 24 years or older with qualifications equivalent to a University of Tokyo master’s degree
• Finally, unsure applicants can request individual eligibility screening

How to Apply?

• Download and read the application guidelines for both the Graduate School of Engineering and the Department of Urban Engineering before starting.
• Review the faculty members and research units to identify a preferred laboratory.
• Confirm the schedule above, then create a T-cens account and complete the online application before the deadline.
• Applicants who pass the first screening must also submit original documents by post; do not mail documents unless instructed.
• For more information, visit the official website.

Apply Now

You may also be eligible:

DSU Toscana Scholarship in Pisa 2026/2027 – FULLY FUNDED

Boston University Free Online Courses 2026 | edX

MATS Winter 2027 – FULLY FUNDED AI Safety Fellowship