Both of the two Acceleration program formats are highly intensive and academic. All students will need to have a high level of motivation to learn Japanese. Most students are either graduates or university/college students, although this is not a minimum entry requirement. (Please note that for all Yamasa Institute courses, a degree is preferred, but not essential.) If you have not yet matriculated, then please note that it will be essential for you to prove that you have the academic ability to enter a university in your country of origin or current country of permanent residence.

As an absolute minimum:

1) Applicants must have a minimum of 12 years of full-time education in their native country or have a diploma equivalent to a Japanese senior high school diploma. (For Hong Kong or Malaysian residents, please note that Form 5 may also be acceptable - though you will need to apply very early as interviews may be required.) Applicants who do not have a university/college background will need excellent grades from their secondary studies.

2) As a general rule students need to be 18 years and over. If you are not going to be 18 at the time of the program commencement you need to contact the Director of the International Office, Mr Declan Murphy at Admissions as early as possible to seek a waiver.

3) All students applying for the student visa will need to be at least 18 at the time they will enter Japan. It is possible for you to start the program on a tourist visa when you are still 17 (subject to the conditions 1 and 2), and then transfer to the student visa after your 18th birthday. Please note however that a waiver would be required and that in fact very few students are under the age of 20. At the moment the policy of the Institute is not to accept more than 4 students under the age of 20 into either format of the program.

It is not a pre-requisite but it is helpful if you have some experience of studying Japanese or a foreign language before.

Citizens of certain countries will need to find guarantors. Please check the Visa Requirements section to see if this applies to you.