The doctorate course is basically a three-year program, but if one does not have a Masters degree, he/she can first join a two-year Master program in Geoscience , before proceeding to the PhD program, and upon completion of the necessary entry requirements.

An initial contact with the program coordinator, where one introduces his research interest, forms the initial stage of joining the PhD program. The entrance examination for the PhD program is held in February, while that of the Masters is in August; the application documents are available starting mid-June from the Division of Graduate Academic Affairs. More details can be found at the Geoenvironmental Science website. Detailed enrolment information for the year 2015-2016 academic year can be found in the Enrolment Guidebook for International Students.

Application Procedure

Before applying for the graduate study program, it is recommended for one to enroll first as a Research Student (kenkyusei) under the program's academic adviser. It during this period that one gets the opportunity to stream-line his research proposal before the entrance examination, and also carry-out any other research work of one's interest. The research studentship period offers the opportunity for one to get accustomed to the research surroundings, and also learn Japanese language, a necessity for the daily living and stay in Japan. One can enter the research studentship in April, September or December; the application period closing dates are in September, February, and May for the each of the entry months, respectively. More details can be found at the International Student Centre website. If one wish to pursue the graduate study without being a research student, he/she may come to the University of Tsukuba in the middle of November with a Tourist VISA for three months and prepare for entrance examination to be held in the first week of February.

For those who would like to join the program in the 2016-2017 academic year, the application documents for entrance examination are available from the end of November this year. The application period is from January 7- 9, 2016. The examination will be conducted on February 2016. More details on the application procedure can be obtained from the University's Division of Graduate Academic Affairs.

Registration and tuition fees are a requirement at the universities in Japan, international students in need of financial support (Monbukagakusho scholarship) from Japan, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, should consult the nearest Japanese embassy or consulate in their countries. The application procedure for those who wish to apply for the Monbukagakusho scholarship is expounded in the FAQ section of the international student centre website.