How to apply

HitotsubashiICS students from around the world are listing to the class

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

If you have any questions, please check FAQ or contact us here.

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.

Step 2
　Interview

For candidates selected during the initial 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

Hitotsubashi ICS MBA admissions check Application Package

1. DOWNLOAD THE APPLICATION PACKAGE

Please see the Application Package containing detailed information before you begin your application. If you have any questions, please see FAQ or contact us here.

Download the Application Package

Hitotsubashi ICS MBA admissions Registering to the online application system

2. START THE APPLICATION PROCESS – CREATE YOUR ACCOUNT

Please make sure to register with the Online Applications System as early as possible, as this will ensure that you have enough time if a technical issue occurs.

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. Applicants with a master’s or doctoral degree must submit certificates for these degrees as well. Successful applicants must submit copies of original documents to the Hitotsubashi ICS Admissions Office within the enrollment period.
Essay	Download Essay Questions
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 - GRE: University Code No.: 4454 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 - IELTS: Organization Name: School of International Corporate　Strategy (ICS), Hitotsubashi University Department: Hitotsubashi ICS Admissions Office University: Hitotsubashi University Address: National Center of Sciences, 2-1-2 Hitotsubashi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-8439, Japan 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.

Note

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.