How to apply
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 2024 Intake
There are two rounds of applications for the entering Class of 2024.
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, 2023 – October 18, 2023, 14:59 JST |
November 24, 2023 | December 7, 2023 |
| Two | November 13, 2023 – February 14, 2024, 14:59 JST |
March 22, 2024 | April 4, 2024 |
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
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 | 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 |
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 |
| 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 pages to be submitted as part of the applicant’s identity document. This document must indicate the 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 |
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: Department: Hitotsubashi ICS Admissions Office University: Hitotsubashi University Address: National Center of Sciences, 2-1-2 Hitotsubashi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-8439, Japan |
| Up to two letters of reference *optional |
Hitotsubashi ICS highly recommends that applicants 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 supervisorwithin the applicant’s current company/employing organization. The Hitotsubashi ICS Online Application System will send the form to the applicant’s referees directly after online registration has been completed. |
| 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. (These 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.