Admissions Policy

Requirements

Applicants MUST fulfill all of the following three requirements:
1. Nationality (*for April Enrollment only), 2. University Entrance Eligibility, and 3. English Language Proficiency

1. Nationality (*for April Enrollment only)

Applicants must meet one of the following requirements.

1. Possess non-Japanese nationality.
2. Possess only Japanese nationality and have graduated or are to graduate, by the time of enrollment, from a) high schools/ senior secondary schools located abroad or b) international/ foreign schools located in Japan.

2. University Entrance Eligibility

Applicants must meet one of the following criteria before their enrollment date* at Ritsumeikan University.
Applicants admitted into the University in the prospect of satisfying one of the requirements below should fulfill the requirement before their enrollment date; otherwise, the offer of admission will be revoked.
* Enrollment date: April 1 for April enrollment / September 26 for September enrollment.

A.	Have completed a standard 12-year course curriculum, or an equivalent curriculum as designated by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT)
B.	Have completed a 12-year course curriculum at an international school accredited by an international accrediting organization (WASC, NEASC, CIS or ACSI)
C.	Have completed a 12-year course curriculum at a school for international students in Japan accredited by MEXT to be equivalent to a high school outside of Japan
D.	Possess a qualification of the International Baccalaureate Diploma, Abitur, Baccalaureate, or GCE A-Level
E.	Have completed an 11-year standard education curriculum in countries specified by MEXT (e.g., Belarus, Myanmar, Peru, Russia, Sudan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine)
F.	Have completed school education in a country where the curriculum is shorter than 12 years and have completed a Japanese pre-university preparatory course accredited by MEXT
G.	Have passed an exam demonstrating equivalent academic ability to completion of a standard 12-year course curriculum outside Japan and have reached 18 years of age e.g.,General Educational Development (GED)
H.	Have passed the High School Equivalency Exam (高等学校卒業程度認定試験 ) / the University Entrance Qualification Exam (大学入学資格検定 ) provided by MEXT in Japan and have reached 18 years of age
I.	Have been recognized, through an individual screening review by Ritsumeikan University, as having an academic ability equivalent to or greater than that of a person who has completed high school, from their academic background and other qualifications and have reached 18 years of age *The University recognizes applicants who graduate from Korean senior schools (朝鮮高級学校 Chosen Kokyu Gakko) as having met this requirement.

NOTE

• Those who have completed a standard 12-year curriculum in less than 12 years with appropriate reasons, such as grade skipping or early graduation, will be regarded as having met the requirement.
• "Criteria F." and "Criteria H." are NOT applicable for JD Program applicants.
• Inquiry or questions regarding eligibility: Applicants who wish to apply and are unsure if they meet the eligibility requirement, or those who wish to apply under "Criteria I." must contact the International Admissions Office, three weeks prior to the start date of the application period.
  Visit HERE to place your inquiry.

3. English Language Proficiency

English Test Score

In order to demonstrate sufficient English ability, applicants must take one of the tests listed below and achieve the minimum score indicated below by the time of application.

The English tests must have been taken within the two-year period before the last date of the application period that the applicant applies for and the test score must be available during the application period.
• The University accepts the TOEFL iBT® Home Edition, IELTS Indicator, and Duolingo English Test. This does not apply to GLA.
• The University only accepts TOEFL iBT® scores from a single test date, not MyBest™ scores.
• The University does not accept institutional tests such as the TOEFL ITP® Test or TOEIC® IP Test. 
GS Major
TOEFL iBT®Test	76
IELTS Academic Module	6.0
TOEIC®L&R Test	740
Duolingo English Test	100
CRPS Major
TOEFL iBT®Test	71
IELTS Academic Module	5.5
TOEIC®L&R Test	730
Duolingo English Test	95
ISSE Course
TOEFL iBT®Test	71
IELTS Academic Module	5.5
TOEIC®L&R Test	730
Duolingo English Test	95
JD Program
TOEFL iBT®Test	85 with 20 in each section
IELTS Academic Module	6.5 with 6.0 in each component
PTE Academic	60
SAT Reading Test sub-score	30
ACT English Score	25
Duolingo English Test	115
GLA
Please note that the following is a summary of the ANU Policy: English language admission requirements and post-admission support. Please refer to the complete policy to check the minimum scores of each English language test. For information on the valid period of the scores for GLA, Ritsumeikan University applicants must comply with the rules as stated in the Ritsumeikan University Application Handbook rather than the ANU Policy.
TOEFL iBT®Test	80 with 20 in W&R (Writing and Reading), 18 in S&L (Speaking and Listening)
IELTS Academic Module	6.5 with 6.0 in each component
PTE Academic	64 with 55 in each of the communicative skills
Cambridge C1 Advanced	176 with 169 in all sub-skills


Score Waiver
Submission of English test scores listed above is not required of applicants who meet the waiver criteria stated below. For details on documents to be submitted instead of the English test scores, please consult the Application Handbook, "7.(3) Submission of Application Documents".
GS Major, CRPS Major, and ISSE Course
Applicants whose most recent 6 years of formal education before the enrollment date were conducted and instructed only in English.
JD Program
Applicants with educational backgrounds as stated in a. or b. below.

1. Four years of study (grades 9, 10, 11, and 12 or equivalent) in U.S. regionally-accredited or IB, CXC or UK curricula (inside or outside the U.S.), where English is the only medium of instruction AND no ESL courses have been taken.
2. Four years of study (grades 9, 10, 11 and 12 or equivalent) in selected English-speaking countries or in the educational systems of these countries (regardless of location) where English is the only medium of instruction AND no ESL courses have been taken.
English-speaking countries include:
U.S., UK and Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Australia, New Zealand, Canada (except Quebec), Singapore, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and these countries in the Caribbean (Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Helena, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent & Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands)
GLA
Applicants who meet the requirement specified in the Australian National University (ANU)'s Policy: English language admission requirements and post-admission support may be qualified for the score waiver. Please refer to the ANU policy for further details regarding requirements.
Regarding ANU Policy
• Applicants must meet the requirements for “Admission to Undergraduate Programs”.
• Applicants who will obtain the IB Diploma (taught and assessed entirely in English) after the application deadline will meet the English language requirement by submitting the IB Predicted Grades and English Language Test Score Waiver Request Form during the application period. In this case, applicants must present the original IB Diploma after acceptance to the University. If the applicant does not acquire the Diploma, the offer of admission will be revoked.
• For secondary qualifications that require achievement of specified levels, applicants must be able to present their final results/grades by the end of each application period.