Who Should Apply?

SDS welcomes curious, creative, and motivated individuals from all backgrounds—whether you studied engineering, design, philosophy, economics, art, computer science, or something entirely different. You don’t need to fit neatly into a box. What matters most is your desire to work across disciplines, your eagerness to collaborate, and your commitment to building systems that make a real difference. If you’re excited by questions without easy answers, interested in designing your own path, and ready to learn through real-world projects with faculty and peers, SDS might be the right place for you.

Master’s students who complete our program will be awarded a Master of Engineering degree by Chiba Institute of Technology. While the degree is formally situated within the field of engineering, the program itself is deeply antidisciplinary. Typically, we will consider students for a PhD track after they finish the Master's program.

Key Dates

July 14*, 2025

Deadline to submit application materials to SDS (for full consideration)
End of day in your local time zone, anywhere in the world

July 15-18, 2025

Faculty review applications and schedule virtual interviews

July 22-25, 2025

Virtual interviews conducted with selected candidates

Late July, 2025

Top candidates notified and instructed to complete additional administrative procedures, including submitting application materials, passport, and home address through Chiba Tech’s official portal

August 4, 2025

Deadline for submitting materials through Chiba Tech’s official portal

August 28, 2025

Official results announced to applicants and Chiba Tech

Important Notes

All applicants to the School of Design and Science must start their application through this page. Applications submitted directly to Chiba Tech’s official Japanese-language portal, without first completing this SDS application, will not be considered. We have designed this process to ensure our top candidates—especially those unfamiliar with Japanese—receive adequate support during their official application submission. When you are directed to Chiba Tech’s official portal, it means your application has already passed SDS’s internal merit-based evaluation.

The application provided on this page serves as both the preliminary consultation and preliminary qualification review, as defined in Chiba Tech’s official application guidelines. Specific details about the official Chiba Tech application—including required documents and submission instructions—will be provided individually to applicants who successfully pass SDS’s merit-based evaluation.

While we have carefully presented all necessary application information, some wording on this page may differ slightly from Chiba Tech’s official guidelines. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us.

Financial Support

Like most graduate programs, our school charges tuition. However, top students typically receive full tuition coverage and a stipend. We are committed to assisting all students in securing financial support. Detailed financial information will be provided with the official admission notification.

Demonstrating English Ability

Because SDS conducts all coursework, research, and discussions in English, applicants must demonstrate English language proficiency. You can do this by submitting a short self-introduction video in English as part of your application, or even test scores (if you have them). Additionally, applicants will participate in a live virtual interview conducted entirely in English.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must meet one of the following criteria:

1. Individuals who have graduated from a university or expect to graduate from a university by March 31, 2026.

2. Individuals who have been awarded or expect to be awarded an undergraduate degree by March 31, 2026, pursuant to the stipulations of the School Education Act, Article 104, Clause 4.

3. Individuals who have completed or expect to complete 16 years of school education in a foreign country by March 31, 2026.

4. Individuals who have completed or expect to complete 16 years of school education by taking correspondence courses offered by a foreign school in Japan, by March 31, 2026.

5. Individuals who have completed a program recognized by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) at an educational institution in Japan that is affiliated with the education system of a foreign country, and that has a university program in that foreign country (only if those who complete the program are treated as having completed 16 years of school education in that foreign country), or who expect to complete such a program by March 31, 2026.

6. Individuals who have completed a specialized program at a specialized training college (only those with a standard term of four years or longer, and that meet other standards established by MEXT) recognized by MEXT on or after the date determined by MEXT, or who expect to complete such a program by March 31, 2026.

7. Individuals recognized by MEXT.

8. Individuals who have been enrolled in a university for three or more years as of March 31, 2026, and who have been deemed by this Graduate School to have earned a prescribed number of credits and excellent grades.

9. Individuals who were enrolled in another graduate school pursuant to the stipulations of the School Education Act, Article 102, Clause 2, and who have been deemed to have academic ability suitable for receiving a graduate school education at this Graduate School.

10. Individuals who are recognized by this Graduate School as possessing academic skills equivalent to or greater than those of a university graduate based on an individual application qualification review, and who will be 22 years of age or older by March 31, 2026.

Note: Individuals applying based on criteria 8–10 (“exceptional eligibility criteria”) will be required to undergo a preliminary qualification review. Applicants who specify this condition in their application will be automatically subject to review.

Contact Us

sds-admissions@chibatech.dev