Master in International Graduate Program in Language Sciences

Tohoku University, located in Sendai, Japan, is a historic institution that has been a pioneer in many ways. Founded in 1907, it was the first university in Japan to admit female students in 1913, reflecting its commitment to equality and inclusivity. You can benefit from its strong research focus, diverse student body, and rich history, making it an attractive choice for international students.

The university offers 27 programs, providing opportunities for you to explore different fields and interests. Specifically, Tohoku University has a strong focus on engineering, business, and medicine, with many research areas and departments dedicated to these subjects. English is a key language used in many programs, allowing international students to integrate easily into academic life.

As a student at Tohoku University, you will be part of a community of around 17,591 students, including 1,732 international students from 90 countries and regions. Sendai, the city where the university is located, provides a unique blend of traditional Japanese culture and modern amenities. You can enjoy the city's festivals, try local cuisine, and take part in many student activities and clubs, making your time at Tohoku University a rich and memorable experience.

The International Graduate Program in Language Sciences is a two-year master's program at Tohoku University in Miyagi, Japan, taught in English, with entry each October. The program focuses on language sciences, an interdisciplinary field that studies how language is structured, acquired, processed, and used, drawing on linguistics, psychology, cognitive science, and computational methods. Students in a program of this kind typically study topics such as syntax, phonology, language acquisition, and psycholinguistics, while building research skills through coursework and a thesis project supervised by faculty working in the field. Tohoku University describes its UREX-Tohoku Project, titled "The Journey Starts Here," as a plan to build a research ecosystem by supporting early and mid-career researchers and attracting researchers from other countries. The project is funded through the government's Universities for International Research Excellence initiative; the university states it was the first in Japan selected for the initiative and that it will receive 15.4 billion JPY, or roughly 100 million USD, in the current fiscal year, with about 10 billion JPY expected annually over the following 25 years. Graduates of a master's program in language sciences commonly move into further doctoral study, teaching, language technology roles, or research positions in linguistics and cognitive science. The international format of the program, combined with an entrance process that includes document screening, an interview, and an oral examination with presentation, is designed to identify candidates ready for graduate-level research in language sciences. Because coursework is delivered in English, students from outside Japan can pursue the full two years of study while drawing on Tohoku University's research resources in Miyagi, with pre-arrival admission procedures available to streamline the transition.