University Study Guide
Understand how universities, junior colleges and graduate schools differ and how credits for graduation work. Learn how far each type of program allows classes taken from home, and know what to check when choosing the way of studying that suits you.
In Japan, there are several kinds of higher education after high school. A university (undergraduate faculty) normally takes 4 years (6 years for medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine and 6-year pharmacy), and graduates receive a bachelor's degree (gakushi). A junior college (tanki daigaku) takes 2 or 3 years, and graduates receive an associate degree (tanki daigakushi). A graduate school (daigakuin), which people mainly enter after graduating from university, has master's programs (standard 2 years) and doctoral programs (standard 5 years, sometimes divided into a 2-year first stage and a 3-year second stage). There are also professional universities (senmonshoku daigaku) that offer practical, career-focused education (4 years, bachelor's degree (professional)).
| School | Standard length | Credits to graduate/complete | Degree |
|---|---|---|---|
| University (undergraduate) | 4 years (6 years for medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine and 6-year pharmacy) | 124 or more (182 to 188 or more for 6-year programs) | Bachelor's |
| Junior college | 2 or 3 years | 62 or more for 2-year programs, 93 or more for 3-year programs | Associate |
| Graduate school, master's | 2 years | 30 or more, plus review of a thesis or similar | Master's |
| Graduate school, doctoral | 5 years (may be divided into 2 + 3 years) | 30 or more, plus review of a doctoral dissertation | Doctorate |
University study is counted in credits (tan'i). Under the Standards for the Establishment of Universities (Daigaku Secchi Kijun), one credit is based on 45 hours of study as the standard, combining class time and study outside class such as preparation and review. For example, a 2-credit course assumes about 90 hours of study in total. It helps to think of credits as including not only attending classes but also the time you spend reading, writing and researching on your own. The teaching period is in principle 35 weeks a year. The requirement for graduation is "earning 124 credits or more, plus whatever the university sets." In other words, 124 credits is the national minimum, and each university adds its own conditions such as required courses or a graduation thesis.
There are two ways to study: on-campus programs (tsugakusei) and correspondence courses (tsushin kyoiku katei). On-campus programs can also hold remote classes using video conferencing or the internet (classes that make advanced use of media). However, in on-campus programs, no more than 60 credits of those needed to graduate can, as a rule, be earned through remote classes (some universities or faculties certified by the Minister of Education have an exception). The rest must come from classes taken in a classroom or similar setting.
Under the Standards for University Correspondence Education, correspondence classes are divided into four types: (1) classes using printed materials (read textbooks and submit reports), (2) broadcast classes (taken via TV, radio or video), (3) face-to-face classes (taught directly in a classroom; also called schooling), and (4) classes using media (remote classes over the internet and similar means). Types (1) and (2) come with guidance such as corrections of your work. Of the 124 credits needed to graduate, 30 or more must be earned through face-to-face classes or classes using media, and up to 10 of those 30 can be replaced by credits from broadcast classes. Since 2001 (Heisei 13), the system has allowed all 124 credits to be earned through classes using media.
In fiscal 2024 (Reiwa 6), 46 universities offered correspondence education at the undergraduate level. At graduate level there were 23 master's, 11 doctoral and 2 professional degree programs, and 11 junior colleges offered it (counts may include the same school more than once). There were 184,735 undergraduate correspondence students in regular programs, and 60,277 of them were students of The Open University of Japan (Hoso Daigaku). The Open University of Japan has no entrance exam, and you can watch its classes on BS satellite TV or online (see the Open University of Japan website for details).
There are also systems for people who study while working. Under the university standards, when a student who has a job or similar circumstances asks to study according to a plan over a period longer than the normal length and then graduate, the university can allow it (long-term study, choki rishu). There is also the credited auditor system (kamokuto rishusei), in which people who are not enrolled students take one or more courses and receive credits. If you are a working adult or find it hard to go out, check the following in each university's information when choosing. How many credits of face-to-face classes are required, and how many can be replaced by media classes? Can you take credit exams at home, or must you go to a test site? How many years can you stay enrolled, and what does it cost? If you have a disability, where is the support office? Since April 2024 (Reiwa 6), providing reasonable accommodation to students with disabilities has been a legal duty for all universities, including private ones. Talking to the university before you enroll can give you peace of mind.
大学（だいがく）には 種類（しゅるい）が あります。大学は ふつう 4年です。短期大学（たんきだいがく）は 2年か 3年です。大学院（だいがくいん）は 大学の あとに 進む 学校です。
大学の 勉強は「単位（たんい）」で 数えます。1単位は 45時間の 勉強です。大学を 卒業（そつぎょう）するには、124単位 以上（いじょう）が 必要（ひつよう）です。
学校に 通う 大学でも、インターネットの 授業（じゅぎょう）が あります。でも、インターネットで とれる 単位は ふつう 60単位までです。
通信教育（つうしんきょういく）の 大学は、家で テキストを 読んで レポートを 出したり、テレビや インターネットで 授業を 受けたり します。インターネットの 授業だけで 卒業できる しくみも あります。放送大学（ほうそうだいがく）は 入学試験（にゅうがくしけん）が ありません。
働いている 人は、長い 時間を かけて 卒業する 方法も あります。障（しょう）がいの ある 人は、大学に 合理的配慮（ごうりてきはいりょ）を お願いできます。入る 前に、大学に 相談（そうだん）しましょう。
Under the university standards, how many credits are needed to graduate from a university (undergraduate)?
Article 32 of the Standards for the Establishment of Universities sets graduation as earning 124 credits or more, plus requirements the university sets. 62 credits is the requirement for a 2-year junior college.
As the standard, how many hours of study is one credit designed to require?
One credit is based on 45 hours of study as the standard, including class time and study outside class such as preparation and review. The university sets the class hours within 15 to 45 hours depending on the teaching method.
What degree do you receive when you graduate from a junior college?
Graduating from a junior college (2 or 3 years) gives you an associate degree. A bachelor's degree comes from a university, and a master's degree from a graduate master's program.
Under the general rule of the university standards, in an on-campus university program, what is the maximum number of graduation credits that can be earned through remote classes (classes making advanced use of media)?
Article 32, paragraph 5 of the university standards says credits earned through remote classes must not exceed 60. Correspondence courses follow different rules. (Some universities certified by the Minister of Education have an exception.)
In a correspondence course, how many of the 124 graduation credits must be earned through face-to-face classes or classes using media?
Article 6 of the Standards for University Correspondence Education says that 30 or more of the 124 credits must be earned through face-to-face classes or classes using media.
In a correspondence course, how many of the 30 credits from face-to-face or media classes can be replaced by broadcast-class credits?
The proviso in Article 6, paragraph 2 of the correspondence education standards allows up to 10 of the 30 credits to be replaced by credits earned in broadcast classes.
What must accompany "classes using printed materials" and "broadcast classes" in a correspondence course?
Article 3, paragraph 2 of the correspondence education standards requires guidance such as corrections to be given together with printed-material classes and broadcast classes. Corrected reports are an example.
Which correctly describes the requirements for completing a master's program?
Article 16 of the Standards for the Establishment of Graduate Schools requires 2 or more years of enrollment, 30 or more credits, the necessary research guidance, and passing the review and exam for a master's thesis or similar.
Which system is for students who, because they work or for similar reasons, want to study according to a plan over a period longer than the normal length and then graduate?
Article 30-2 of the university standards lets a university allow planned study beyond the normal length when a student with a job or similar circumstances asks for it.
What became a legal duty for all universities, including private ones, in April 2024?
With the amended Act for Eliminating Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities taking effect, providing reasonable accommodation to students with disabilities became a legal duty for all universities, including private ones.
Q. Can I graduate from university without leaving home?
A. In correspondence courses, the system allows all 124 graduation credits to be earned through classes using media (remote classes over the internet and similar). However, how many face-to-face classes are required and whether you can take credit exams at home differ by university. Check each university's information before applying.
Q. Can I study only the courses I want, without aiming to graduate?
A. Yes. Many universities have the credited auditor system (kamokuto rishusei), in which people who are not enrolled students take one or more courses and receive credits. The Open University of Japan also has a student type for choosing only the courses you like.
Q. I did not graduate from high school. Can I enter university?
A. If you pass the Certificate for Students Achieving the Proficiency Level of Upper Secondary School Graduates (kosotsu nintei), you become eligible for university entrance and can take university entrance exams. Some universities, such as The Open University of Japan, have no entrance exam, but admission conditions differ by student type, so check each university's information.
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Systems, schedules and amounts change from year to year. Before applying, always check the latest guidance from each organization.
Content checked: 2026-10-16
This page is a translation of the Japanese original. If the translation and the original differ, the Japanese version takes precedence. This translation was made with AI and may contain errors. Report a translation error View the Japanese original