How to apply
For YLP applicants, please see the Young Leader’s Program (YLP) page for its admission details.
MBA Admissions Criteria
Before applying for admission to the MBA Program at Hitotsubashi ICS, you'll need to make sure you meet the following criteria:
- At least 16 years of education. For specifics, see "Admission Requirements"(P4) in the Hitotsubashi ICS MBA Application Package
- A bachelor's degree that evidences a sound academic record
- (Full-time) post-graduate work experience of 2 years or more (may include the months leading up to entrance to the MBA program in September)
What We Look For
We take a holistic approach that considers every component of your application, evaluating three broad areas:
- An employment history, essays and personal references that reflect clear purpose, high motivation, and well-developed interpersonal skills
- General aptitude for business studies, as demonstrated by the GMAT or GRE score
- A strong command of English
Admissions Schedule for 2025 Intake
There are two rounds of applications for the entering Class of 2025.
Please note the following:
- Applicants may apply for either the One-Year program, excluding the Young Leaders’ Program (YLP), or the Two-Year program. Once accepted into a program, it is not possible to switch to the other program.
- Applicants are encouraged to submit applications as early as possible.
- Decisions regarding scholarships for candidates are made only after a candidate has been admitted into a program. Since scholarships are limited in number, students who apply during the first round have an advantage with respect to securing a Scholarships.
| Application Round |
Applications period | Interview | Decision Notification Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| One | August 1, 2024 – October 10, 2024, 14:59 JST |
November 21, 2024 | December 5, 2024 |
| Two | November 11, 2024 – February 6, 2025, 14:59 JST |
March 21, 2025 | April 3, 2025 |
Application Process for Each Application Round
Step 1
Application
Online only, with payment of the application fee of JPY 30,000 to be made during the application period.
Note: We do not review applications received via post or email.
First screening (document screening) will be conducted for applications that have no deficiencies in documents or admission requirements.
Step 2
Interview
For candidates selected during the initial (document) screening. Online format for interviews.
Step 3
Decision
Notification of ICS’s decision 2-3 weeks after the interview. By email and post.
Step 4
Enrollment
Enrollment procedures, payment of matriculation fee
Completing Your Application
2. START THE APPLICATION PROCESS – CREATE YOUR ACCOUNT
3. SUBMIT THE APPLICATION FORM
Submit ALL required documents. The application must be filled out in English. If your original documents or certificates are written in a language other than English, please attach a certified English translation. Please note that you are able to change uploaded documents as much as you like prior to pressing the “submit” button.
Required Documents
| Degree certificate | A document that certifies the applicant’s earned degree. Must be issued by the Registrar Office of a university or college. Applicants with a master’s or doctoral degree must submit certificates for these degrees as well. Successful applicants must submit copies of the original documents to the Hitotsubashi ICS Admissions Office within the enrollment period. |
|---|---|
| Official transcript | Must be issued by the Registrar Office of a university or college. |
| Essay | |
| Official GMAT/GRE score report |
Scores must be dated within five years of the interview day of each round. Applicants must have the GMAC or ETS send the official score report directly to Hitotsubashi ICS. - GMAT: University Code No.: F6R-Q5-29 Applicants are advised to take tests early enough to allow scores to be reported via both methods above before the application submission due date. |
| Proof of application fee payment | A non-refundable application fee of JPY 30,000 is payable during the application period, via credit card or bank transfer. We strongly recommend payment via credit card. However, if a bank transfer is necessary, please contact ics-opencampus@ics.hub.hit-u.ac.jp. |
| Identity document | Provide a photocopy of the relevant page(s) to be submitted as part of applicant’s identity document. This document must indicate applicant’s name, and include a photograph, passport number or Japanese driver’s license number, date of birth, etc. |
| TOEFL or IELTS score report * optional |
Scores must be dated within two years of the interview day of each round. Applicants are to have the ETS or IELTS test center send the official score report directly to Hitotsubashi ICS. - TOEFL: University Code No.: 8682 Applicants are advised to take tests early enough to allow scores to be reported via both methods above before the application submission due date. |
| Up to two letters of reference *optional |
Hitotsubashi ICS highly recommends applicants to submit one or two reference letters to enable the school to learn more about the applicant via the objective evaluations provided by the referees. A reference should be from a person who has been directly responsible for assessing the applicant’s work and/or academic performance. It is desirable that a reference be from a supervisor within the applicant’s current company/employing organization. The Hitotsubashi ICS Online Application System will send the form to the applicant’s referees directly after completion of online registration. |
| Haken Shodakusho* * (Company-sponsored applicants only) |
An official letter prepared by the applicant’s employer must state that the employer is willing to sponsor the applicant. (There is no set format for this letter.) For applicants from Japanese companies, a Haken Shodakusho in Japanese is acceptable. |
If you plan to apply for the Young Leaders'Program scholarship, please note that the application details (regarding the application period, etc.) differ from those for the standard application process and requirements detailed here.
Pre-application consultation
Individual faculty members are not authorized to respond to questions regarding examinations and admissions. If you have any inquiries regarding MBA examinations and admissions, please contact our Hitotsubashi ICS Admissions Office from the ‘Contact’.
Pre-consultation for applicants with disabilities or other special needs
ICS does not discriminate against applicants based on disability in the admissions process. Every applicant is evaluated based on merit and their potential to succeed in our program.
Applicants who have disabilities or special needs that require some form of accommodation in the application process and/or once admitted to their program of study at Hitotsubashi ICS should notify the Hitotsubashi ICS Admissions Office by email at ics-opencampus@ics.hub.hit-u.ac.jp two months prior to the starting date of an application period. (If you do not know the application period, please contact us. Although the Hitotsubashi ICS Admissions Office will accept such notifications during the application period, it may not be able to make the necessary arrangements in time for the candidate screening and/or the program’s starting date.)
Requesting such type of accommodation in the application process does not obligate you to apply to Hitotsubashi ICS. Even if you are undecided about whether to apply to Hitotsubashi ICS, you may still make such a request.
Please note that it may take some time for the Hitotsubashi ICS Admissions Office to respond, depending on the nature of the accommodation requested.
Upon request, we provide reasonable accommodations for the application process, including but not limited to:
- Application process support, such as alternative formats for application materials
- Exam accommodations, such as consideration of interview time based on the applicant's medical or disability-related needs.