Master's Program (English-based Degree Program)

Waseda University's Master's Program is an English-based graduate degree completed over two years, with a new intake each September, based at the university's Tokyo campus. The program sits within a private university enrolling more than 47,000 students across 13 undergraduate and 20 graduate schools, making Waseda the second largest university in Japan and one of the country's most active hosts of international students. A master's degree of this kind typically combines advanced coursework with a research thesis or capstone project, allowing students to build subject expertise while developing skills in independent research, data analysis, and academic writing. Students generally work with a faculty advisor to define a research topic, take seminar-style courses in their field, and present findings in a thesis defense before graduating. Because instruction is delivered in English, the program is designed for international students who want to pursue graduate study in Japan without first needing to complete coursework in Japanese. Career paths after a master's degree vary by field but commonly include specialized professional roles in industry, research positions, further doctoral study, or public-sector and international-organization careers that value advanced qualifications. Being based in Tokyo places students close to a wide range of employers, research institutes, and international organizations, offering networking and internship opportunities alongside coursework. The admissions process for this program combines document screening with an interview and oral presentation, along with English proficiency scores from TOEFL iBT, TOEIC Listening & Reading, or IELTS Academic, giving Waseda a way to assess both academic readiness and communication skills directly rather than relying solely on standardized subject testing.