Japan

Contents

• Entry requirements and application information
• Fees and scholarships
• International Development Studies
• Life at Sussex
• Clubs and societies
• Alumni
• Get in touch

Entry requirements and application information

• Undergraduate entry requirements

  Undergraduate Foundation Year

  Upper Secondary Leaving Certificate (Kotogakko Sotsugyo Shomeisho)

  A typical offer would be based on achieving grades 4 out of 5.

  Additional subject-specific requirements may apply depending on the undergraduate course you are applying for. These entry requirements are intended as guidelines. If you have questions about your qualifications or if they are not listed here, please feel free to contact us.

  If you do not meet the grade requirements for direct entry into the Foundation Year or Year 1, please refer to the International Study Centre for the relevant foundation year entry criteria. 

  Undergraduate Year 1

  Upper Secondary Leaving Certificate (Kotogakko Sotsugyo Shomeisho)

  A typical offer requires that applicants must have completed a foundation year, or one year of study at a recognised university in Japan in addition to the Upper Secondary Leaving Certificate.

  Associates degree (Tanki Daigaku)

  Applicants with this qualification would be considered for Year 1 entry.

  Undergraduate Year 2

  Bachelor’s degree

  For direct entry into Year 2, applicants must have successfully completed the two years of university or higher education, earning 120 credits with an overall weighted average of at least 55%, and without any resits.

  Alternatively, applicants may qualify by completing the first year of higher education with a minimum GPA of 3.3, also without any resits.

  Additional subject-specific requirements may apply depending on the undergraduate course you are applying for.

  Please note that direct entry into Year 2 is not available for our Law, Psychology or Social Work degree courses.

  English language entry requirements 

  Typical offers for undergraduate and foundation year courses include a standard overall IELTS score of 6.0, with a minimum of 5.5 in each of the four components.

  See the full range of English language qualifications that we accept.

• Masters entry requirements

  Academic entry requirements

  A Bachelor’s degree is required, with a minimum CGPA of 3.0 /4.0, depending on your chosen Masters programme.

  Additional subject-specific requirements may apply based on the postgraduate course you are applying for.

  These entry requirements are intended as guidelines. If you have questions about your qualifications or if they are not listed here, please feel free to contact us.

  English language entry requirements 

  Typical offers for a Masters course include a standard overall IELTS score of 6.0, with a minimum of 5.5 in each of the four components.

  See the full range of English language qualifications that we accept.

• PhD entry requirements

  Academic entry requirements

  A Bachelor’s degree is required, with a minimum CGPA of 3.0 /4.0.

  Additional subject-specific requirements may apply based on the postgraduate course you are applying for.

  However, if you do not meet the academic requirements, you may still be considered for the degree if you can provide evidence of extensive work experience in a related field.

  These entry requirements are intended as guidelines. If you have questions about your qualifications or if they are not listed here, please feel free to contact us.

  English language entry requirements

  Typical offers for a PhD degree include a higher overall IELTS score of 6.5, with a minimum of 6.0 in each of the four components.

  See the full range of English language qualifications that we accept.

Hear from Japanese students at Sussex

How to apply

Undergraduate applications

As an undergraduate student, you can apply via the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).

Find out more about how to apply for undergraduate courses.

Read our guide to undergraduate study to find out about the structure of an undergraduate degree and ways you can enhance your course.

Masters applications

As a Masters student, you can apply using our Masters application portal.

Find out more about how to apply for Masters courses.

Read our guide to Masters study to find out how you’ll learn and be assessed as part of your Masters degree, as well as how to get extra support with your study or English language skills.

PhD applications

As a PhD student, you can apply using our PhD application portal.

Find out more about how to apply for PhD courses.

Read our guide to PhD study to find out who will supervise you and the typical structure of a PhD. 

Visas and immigration

You can find suggestions and advice for applying to the UK as a student on a visa in our guide to visas and immigration for students.

You can also find more information from the UK Home Office regarding the details and requirements for a Student visa.

Fees and scholarships

Fees for Japanese students

Find specific fees for our undergraduate, Masters and PhD degrees by visiting your selected course page’s fees and scholarships section.

Visit our tuition fees page to find out what your fees cover and ways to pay.

Scholarships for Japanese students

For the 2026-27 academic year, Japanese students are eligible for awards from our faculties and can also apply for the Chancellor’s International Scholarship.

Find out more about:

• undergraduate scholarships
• Masters scholarships
• PhD funding and scholarships.

Life at Sussex

Situated on the edge of a national park and located just a few minutes away from one of the most vibrant cities in the UK, Sussex has it all.

My tutors clearly explain the difficult sides of the English language and I’ve been really happy to meet students from different cultural backgrounds.”
Saya KichijiDoshisha University, Kyoto, Japan

Spirit of Sussex Award

Safety on campus

We offer a safe campus community for our students, supported by our 24/7 on-site security team, who are contactable 24-hours a day if you have any concerns. The Security Centre is equipped 24/7 to respond to emergency situations and includes CCTV and other crime prevention equipment. Find out more about our campus safety.

Food 

Brighton has many Asian restaurants and supermarkets.

You can buy international products from our weekly on-campus market, food markets in Brighton and international supermarkets in the city.

Clubs, groups and societies

Choose from a range of student societies and groups at Sussex including:

• the Buddy Scheme, which matches new students with current students based on your interests and includes activities and trips
• the Language Café, where you take part in language exchange sessions and other activities
• the Japan Society.
  

Alumni

We also have an alumni network based in Japan who can discuss with you their experiences of studying at Sussex. Find out more.

Our Japanese Alumni Association (USAAJ) provide a student support network and organise activities such as:

• member dinners and parties, often with university staff
• British Council and Foreign and Commonwealth Office events
• academic seminars
• counselling prospective students at education exhibitions
• briefing new students before they go to the UK.

Get in touch