DBA (How to apply)

Before you begin

To qualify for consideration, you must have:

A Master’s, MBA, or higher degree from a recognized institution, or exemption from the DBA Program Committee. Applicants requesting an exemption must seek approval from the DBA Program Committee beforehand. Please inquire before the following deadline if seeking an exemption. 1^st Round: August 1, 2025; 2^nd Round: January 23, 2026.
For specifics, see “Qualification of Applicants” in the Hitotsubashi ICS DBA Application Package
Sound knowledge of and interest in business scholarship, as demonstrated by the research proposal described in your application
Two or more years of full‐time work experience, or approval for exemption from the DBA Program Committee.
A good command of English, with a score above 109 in TOEFL iBT or 7.5 in IELTS Academic or equivalent.
GMAT score or GRE score is mandatory for all applicants.
GMAT 10^th Edition score of 600 or higher, or GMAT Focus Edition Score of 555 or higher, or GRE score of 160 or higher on Quantitative Reasoning and 150 or higher on Verbal Reasoning.
GMAT scores and GRE scores are valid for up to five years after the exam date. We accept score(s) of GMAT Focus Edition or GRE shorter overall test time.

For inquiries, email to:
chiyoda-info@hub.hit-u.ac.jp

The application period

Our admissions process entails both an application and an interview. We encourage you to submit your application as early as possible during the application period.

Applications are accepted twice a year, Round1 (from September to October) and Round2 (from March to April).

IMPORTANT NOTICE

[Updated on July 29, 2025]

If the number of applicants reaches the enrollment capacity in the first round, the second round will not be held.

Admissions schedule for 2026 intake is as follows:

	Round 1	Round 2	Notes
STEP 1 Application period	Thursday, September 11, 2025 - Wednesday, September 24, 2025 14:59 (JST)	Thursday, March 12, 2026 - Wednesday, March 25, 2026 14:59 (JST)	By online application system only, with payment of application fee during application period. We do not review application received via post or email. Please download the application package containing detailed information before you begin your application process, and read it carefully. Start the application process from the button below. Download the Application Package Apply Now
STEP 2 Announcement of First screening result	Friday, October 10, 2025	Friday, April 10, 2026	First screening based on written application documents.
STEP 3 Second screening (Interview)	Friday, October 24, 2025	Friday, April 24, 2026	20-minute discussion based on written application documents if selected in the first screening. Location: Hitotsubashi University Chiyoda Campus (National Center of Sciences) or Online The interview method and location are subject to change depending on circumstances.
STEP 4 Announcement of final result	Friday, November 21, 2025	Thursday, May 28, 2026	By email and on the website. Decisions will not be communicated by phone.
STEP 5 Period for completion of enrollment	Tuesday, November 25, 2025 – Monday, December 1, 2025	Monday, June 1, 2026 – Friday, June 5, 2026	Pay your matriculation fee to be officially enrolled and registered.

Notes

See the Hitotsubashi ICS DBA Application Package for more detailed information. We release the Application Package in July each year. Please make sure to download the latest version.
All documents must be written in English. For any documents or certificates written in another language, please attach an English translation.
Only complete applications will be considered. Incomplete applications at the time of the application deadline will not be considered.
The online application system’s ‘Submit’ button becomes available for selection ONLY when ALL mandatory documents above have been uploaded.
As the online application system can accept individual documents whenever they are ready and is also able to accept uploading of the same document multiple times, please start uploading individual documents to the online system as soon as they are available. In the case of needing to update an already-uploaded document, you may simply upload the document again. Please be sure to upload all documentation by the specified application deadline.
Maximum 10 files can be submitted and stored in each section.
Applicants who have disabilities or special needs that require accommodating in the application process and/or once they start their program of study at Hitotsubashi ICS should notify the Hitotsubashi ICS Admissions Office by email to <chiyoda-info@hub.hit-u.ac.jp>two months prior to the starting date of application period. (If you do not know the application period, please contact us as well. Although the Hitotsubashi ICS Admissions Office will accept such notifications after this date, it may not be able to make arrangements necessary to accommodate disabilities/special needs in time for the screening and/or the program 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 or not to apply to Hitotsubashi ICS, you may still make such requests.
NB: Depending on the nature of the accommodation requested, it may take some time for the Hitotsubashi ICS Admissions Office to respond.

Pre-application consultation

Pre-consultations regarding research content are generally accepted at any time. However, faculty members cannot respond to administrative questions related to the admissions. If there are any points that remain unclear after reviewing the published admission information, please contact the DBA Program Office or the Chiyoda Campus Administration Office <chiyoda-info@hub.hit-u.ac.jp>. Please note that we are unable to provide answers regarding the interview questions or their content.
Regarding research-related questions, we expect the applicant to present a sufficiently specific research plan and content. Additionally, since our DBA program is small in scale and the number of faculty members is limited, we ask the applicants/consultants to contact the faculty members with understanding in advance that the available timing and commitment of faculty members may vary depending on the situation.

Pre-consultation for applicants with disabilities or other special needs

Applicants who have disabilities or special needs that require accommodating in the application process and/or once they start their program of study at Hitotsubashi ICS should notify the Hitotsubashi ICS Admissions Office by email to <chiyoda-info@hub.hit-u.ac.jp> two months prior to the starting date of application period. (If you do not know the application period, please contact us as well. Although the Hitotsubashi ICS Admissions Office will accept such notifications after this date, it may not be able to make arrangements necessary to accommodate disabilities/special needs in time for the screening and/or the program 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 or not to apply to Hitotsubashi ICS, you may still make such requests.
NB: Depending on the nature of the accommodation requested, it may take some time for the Hitotsubashi ICS Admissions Office to respond.

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, option to switch from in-person to online interviews.

Admissions Policy

The DBA Program in School of International Corporate Strategy, Graduate School of Business Administration at Hitotsubashi University (hereafter referred to as the DBA Program) is designed for students who wish to engage in research or education in the fields of commerce and business administration as instructor, researcher, or practitioner in the future. Students must: (1) demonstrate genuine interests in the field of commerce and business administration through their professional experience, (2) be motivated to formulate and respond to their own research questions, (3) possess the literacy (in-depth academic knowledge in their discipline and high level of language competence) and clarity to start research project in the field of their choice, (4) possess a high level of research ethics to contribute to the sound development of social sciences, and (5) demonstrate a strong motivation to contribute to the development of academia and industry as a DBA holder.

In order to select our candidate, we evaluate the ability and motivation of candidate based on dossier which includes research plans, and by conducting interview to attest their clarity and research plans, in addition to TOEFL (exempted for native English speakers and those who have obtained a bachelor's degree or higher in an English language program) and GMAT or GRE scores. One important prerequisite for the admission is to have at least two years of professional experiences and a master's degree in a related field, such as an MBA, or equivalent experience and knowledge.

Past Admission Data

2025 intake（September 2025 entrance）

Seats	Number of applicants	Number of successful applicants	Number of entrants
4	11	4	4

2024 intake（September 2024 entrance）

Seats	Number of applicants	Number of successful applicants	Number of entrants
4	4	4	4

DBA