Application Guide

AO Admissions (English Basis)

  • If the University determines that it is difficult to carry out admissions as stated in the Application Handbook due to unforeseen circumstances, there may be some changes. Changes regarding AO Admissions (English Basis) will be announced on this website.

  • Admissions Overview

    Click here to download pdf

    Starting your Application

    Below is a summary of the application information. For full details, please read the Application Handbook carefully. All the information you need to complete an application is written in the Application Handbook.


    Important Notes Regarding Applications
    • The University will contact applicants through the online application system and/or E-mail. It is the applicant’s responsibility to regularly check E-mail communication and the online application system, and respond in a timely manner.
    • All times indicated on this page refer to Japan Standard Time (UTC+09).


    Admissions Policies

    College of Global Liberal Arts

    Based on the school spirit of “freedom and innovation” and on the educational philosophy of “peace and democracy,” Ritsumeikan College of Global Liberal Arts seeks students from Japan and the world who agree with its Human Resources Development Aims and educational goals and have passion to study at Ritsumeikan University. In accordance to this context, the students, admitted to the College, should have the following academic abilities, interests, and aptitudes.

    (1) Knowledge and Understanding
    Through education at a senior high school, etc., the applicants must have obtained the academic ability and English language ability necessary for the wide array of studies in the humanities and social sciences.
    (2) Thinking and Judgment
    Applicants must have the critical thinking abilities that form the foundation of academic knowledge and of making ethical judgments with global viewpoints.
    (3) Interest, Motivation and Attitude
    Applicants should be interested in social change, progress in science and technology, history in global perspective, and socio-cultural diversity.
    Applicants must have challenging spirit, social tolerance, cooperative mind, and leadership in identifying and solving problems.
    (4) Skill and Expression
    Applicants must have the ability to reason appropriate data collections and their analyses, and the ability to clearly express and discuss their own opinions.

    Joint Degree Program, College of International Relations

    The Global International Relations Joint Degree Program is looking for globally minded students who can be effective leaders both on and off campuses. We expect our graduates to take an active role in their professional fields and contribute directly and indirectly to the deepening of mutually beneficial relations between the U.S., Japan and the rest of East Asia, as well as to the peace and prosperity of the international community.

    College of International Relations

    In the Department of International Relations within the College of International Relations, students systematically learn three types of essential approaches to understanding global society: language skills, theories, and area studies. Throughout this learning process, students develop a high level of foreign language proficiency and the ability to think logically, while cultivating deeper intellectual capacities to better understand cultural diversity. The college seeks students who have the will to act independently and the desire to contribute to society in terms of governance, economics, culture, and peace.

    To this end, the college admits students who already possess the following abilities and motivations:
    (1) Basic academic skills necessary to analyze problems facing global society
    (2) A deep interest in the problems facing global society and the self-motivation to pursue them
    (3) Language abilities necessary to understand and explain the problems facing global society

    College of Policy Science

    The College of Policy Science seeks students who will challenge themselves both in practical and scholastic terms, with the aim of creating a better society through policy solutions. Thus, the College expects students to have the following academic abilities and interests upon admission:
    (1) Basic academic knowledge acquired at high school or equivalent educational institutions.
    (2) Interest in acquiring thinking skills and abilities for problem solving based on that knowledge.
    (3) Willingness to design and work on practical solutions to a wide-range of social problems.

    College of Information Science and Engineering

    Education and research at the College of Information Science and Engineering encompasses a wide range of topics. These relate to the core knowledge of technologies, and their application at the cutting edge. Our educational goal is to develop specialists and researchers with expertise in utilizing computers to obtain effective and innovative solutions to unforeseen issues. Graduates of CISE will be ready to play the leading role in a variety of organizations at the global level. With these objectives in mind, we welcome prospective students with the following qualities and attitudes.

    (1) The prospective students should have acquired logical thinking skills and fundamental understanding of mathematics and natural sciences necessary to pursue studies in information science.
    (2) For those who are to choose one of the six courses provided in Japanese, they should have sufficient Japanese proficiency to understand and produce Japanese texts, as well as the fundamental proficiency in English. For those who are to be enrolled in the course provided in English, they should be able to display sufficient command of English to pursue academic studies in the language.
    (3) They should have acquired academic underpinnings to start a wide range of studies at the tertiary education level.
    (4) They should have wide and keen interests in academic fields related to information technology.
    (5) They should be strongly motivated to acquire the fundamentals of programming.
    (6) They should have sincere motivation to acquire specialized and advanced knowledge and technologies, ethical attitudes, and leadership.
    (7) They should be fully aware of the significance of skills for problem-identifying/solving and those for communication, and are ready to improve those skills to the more advanced levels.

    Requirements

    Applicants MUST fulfill the following two requirements:
    1. University Entrance Eligibility and 2. English Language Proficiency

    1. 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 the 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, Cognia, 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 a standard 11-year education in one of the designated curriculums of countries specified by MEXT
    e.g., Belarus, Kazakhstan, Myanmar, Peru, Russia, Sudan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan
    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

    • Applicants 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.
    • The following do not meet JD Program application eligibility requirements:
      -Criteria F and H.
      -Completion of an upper secondary course in a specialized training college (専修学校の高等課程).

    Inquiry 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 an inquiry.

    2. 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.

      The English tests must have been taken within the two-year period before the last date of the application period that the applicant applies in and the test score must be available during the application period.

      • The University does not accept the TOEFL iBT® Home Edition or the TOEFL® Essentials™ Test.
      • The University only accepts TOEFL iBT® scores from a single test date, not MyBest® scores.
      • The University does not accept IELTS Online or IELTS Indicator.
      • IELTS One Skill Retake is not acceptable.
      • The University does not accept institutional tests such as the TOEIC® IP Test.

      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 English Language Test 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 R&W (Reading and Writing), 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

      TOEFL iBT®Test 85
      with 20 in each section
      IELTS
      Academic Module
      6.5
      with 6.0 in each component
      PTE Academic 60
      Cambridge B2 First
      176
      with 169 in all sub-skills
      Cambridge C1 Advanced
      176
      with 169 in all sub-skills
      Cambridge C2 Proficiency
      176
      with 169 in all sub-skills
      SAT Reading Test
      sub-score
      30
      ACT English Score 25
      Duolingo English Test 120
      with 110 in each sub-score

      TOEFL iBT®Test
      76
      IELTS Academic Module 6.0
      Duolingo English Test 100

      TOEFL iBT®Test 71
      IELTS Academic Module 5.5
      TOEIC®L&R Test 730
      Duolingo English Test 95

      TOEFL iBT®Test 71
      IELTS Academic Module 5.5
      TOEIC®L&R Test 730
      Duolingo English Test 95


      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".

      Applicants who meet the requirements specified in the Australian National University (ANU) Policy: English language admission requirements and post-admission support.

      Regarding ANU Policy

      • Applicants must meet the requirements listed under “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.

      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)

      Applicants whose most recent 6 years of formal education before the enrollment date were conducted and instructed only in English.


    When and How to Apply

    1. Download and Consult Application Handbook


    The Application Handbook is a central reference for the whole application process, from the start of your application to your enrollment at Ritsumeikan University.
    Download Documents

    2. Check Application Period

    Enrollment Period Dates
    April 2025
    1 2024/8/21 Wed. - 2024/9/10 Tue.
    September 2025
    1 2024/10/2 Wed. - 2024/10/22 Tue.
    2 2024/12/4 Wed. - 2025/1/14 Tue.
    3 2025/2/12 Wed. - 2025/3/4 Tue.
    Enrollment Period Dates
    April 2025
    1 2024/2/14 Wed. - 2024/3/5 Tue.
    2 2024/8/21 Wed. - 2024/9/10 Tue.
    Enrollment Period Dates
    April 2025
    1 2024/8/21 Wed. - 2024/9/10 Tue.
    September 2025
    1 2024/12/4 Wed. - 2025/1/14 Tue.
    2 2025/2/12 Wed. - 2025/3/4 Tue.
    Enrollment Period Dates
    September 2025
    1 2024/12/4 Wed. - 2025/1/14 Tue.
    2 2025/2/12 Wed. - 2025/3/4 Tue.
    Enrollment Period Dates
    April 2025
    1 2024/2/14 Wed. - 2024/3/5 Tue.
    2 2024/8/21 Wed. - 2024/9/10 Tue.

    3. Create Your Account on Online Application System

    Applications must be submitted via the online application system called The Admissions Office (TAO).
    Please access TAO here to create and activate your account.

    Access TAO

    NOTE

    By creating an account on TAO, applicants agree to the terms of use and handling of personal information designated by TAO Co.,Ltd.

    4. Register Application on TAO

    Applications can be submitted only during each application period.
    After creating a TAO account, select Ritsumeikan University and the program to process the application.
    Separate applications are required when applying to multiple programs.

    5. Submit Documents

    Fill in the necessary information and submit the required documents online through TAO. For full details on what to submit and how, please consult the Application Handbook "7.(3) Submission of Application Documents".

    【Examples of Application Documents】
    • Documents Proving University Entrance Eligibility
    • Documents Proving English Language Proficiency
    • Academic Transcripts
    • Application Essay(s)
    • The topic of each essay and the number of essays required for each program can be found in the  Application Handbook.
    • Letter(s) of Reference
    • - GLA / JD Program / GS Major / CRPS Major : 1 letter
      - ISSE Course : 2 letters
      Send a request for the letter(s) of reference to your referee(s) via TAO. The letters must be directly submitted to TAO applications by referees.

    6. Pay Application Fee

    Fee Amount: 5,000 JPY per program.
    For full details, please consult the  Application Handbook "7.(4) Application Fee".

    7. Completion of Application

    Once completing an application, you must click the “Complete my application” button and confirm the application status has changed to “Application Completed”.
    You are able to click the “Complete my application” button if you have successfully:

    • Had your referee(s) submit the letter(s) of reference via TAO
    • Paid the application fee by the application deadline
    • Submitted all required documents

    Important Notes

    The University will contact applicants through the online application system and/or E-mail. It is the applicant’s responsibility to regularly check E-mail communication and the online application system, and respond in a timely manner.

    8. Screening and Notification of Results

    The decision on an application will be made based on a review of application documents. 

    Enrollment Period Final Result
    April 2025
    1 2024/10/31 Thu.
    September 2025
    1 2024/12/5 Thu.
    2 2025/3/6 Thu.
    3 2025/4/24 Thu.

    An overall assessment will be made based on the 1st screening (document screening) and the 2nd screening (interview). An interview will be conducted for applicants shortlisted in the 1st screening. Assessment will be made by both Ritsumeikan University and American University.

    Enrollment Period
    1st Screening
    Result
    Interview
    (if shortlisted)
    Final Result
    April 2025
    1 2024/4/18 Thu. 2024/5/4 Sat.,
    2024/5/5 Sun.
    2024/5/23 Thu.
    2 2024/10/31 Thu. 2024/11/16 Sat.,
    2024/11/17 Sun.
    2024/11/28 Thu.

    An overall assessment will be made based on a document screening alone, or a document screening and interview. An interview will be conducted for invited applicants.

    Enrollment Period
    Final Result / Call for Interview
    Interview
    (If required)
    Final Result
    April 2025
    1 2024/10/31 Thu. 2024/11/16 Sat.,
    2024/11/17 Sun.
    2024/11/28 Thu.
    September 2025
    1 2025/3/6 Thu. 2025/3/22 Sat.,
    2025/3/23 Sun.
    2025/4/3 Thu.
    2 2025/4/24 Thu. 2025/5/10 Sat.,
    2025/5/11 Sun.
    2025/5/22 Thu.

    An overall assessment will be made based on the 1st screening (document screening) and the 2nd screening (interview). An interview will be conducted for applicants shortlisted in the 1st screening.

    Enrollment Period 1st Screening Result
    Interview
    (if shortlisted)
    Final Result
    September 2025
    1 2025/3/6 Thu. 2025/3/22 Sat.,
    2025/3/23 Sun.
    2025/4/3 Thu.
    2 2025/4/24 Thu. 2025/5/10 Sat.,
    2025/5/11 Sun.
    2025/5/22 Thu.

    An overall assessment will be made based on the 1st screening (document screening) and the 2nd screening (interview). An interview will be conducted for applicants shortlisted in the 1st screening.

    Enrollment Period
    1st Screening Result
    Interview
    (if shortlisted)
    Final Result
    April 2025
    1 2024/4/25 Thu. 2024/5/11 Sat.,
    2024/5/12 Sun.
    2024/5/23 Thu.
    2 2024/10/31 Thu. 2024/11/16 Sat.,
    2024/11/17 Sun.
    2024/11/28 Thu.

    Interviews will be either a web-based interview or a telephone interview. Please refer to the Application Handbook for details.



    Applying to Multiple Programs / Applying Multiple Times

    Applying to multiple programs at the same time

    When applying to other English-medium undergraduate programs offered at Ritsumeikan University during the same application period, applicants must upload application documents and pay the application fee for each program. Applicants do not need to prepare different letters of reference for each program as one can be used for all applications.
    ISSE Course: Applicants must prepare an additional letter of reference when applying to the ISSE Course, as the ISSE Course requires two letters of reference, while other programs only require one.

    Applying in more than one application period

    There are multiple application periods set via this admission method and applicants can apply in more than one application period. In this case, applicants must upload application documents and pay the application fee for each application period.
    Applicants do not need to prepare different letters of reference for each application period, as one can be used for all application periods in the same enrollment year.

    After Admission

    For Incoming Students

    Once you are admitted to a program at Ritsumeikan University, you must take the necessary steps according to our instructions. Please refer to the information in the following page:

    For Counselors / Teachers

    Documents that can be directly submitted by the school *Optional

    The following documents can be submitted by the school on behalf of the applicant. In this case, applicants must send a request to the school via TAO for the school to upload these documents to TAO.

    Access TAO
    *Please also refer to Help for recommenders/requestees on TAO.

    Template: Certificate of (Scheduled) Graduation
    *If necessary, schools may use this template to provide certification of a student’s graduation or scheduled graduation from high school/senior secondary school.

    Letter(s) of Reference

    Ritsumeikan University (RU) requests letters of reference for applicants. Applicants send requests for the letters to their referees on the application system (TAO).

    • When counselors/teachers receive a request from an applicant, an automatic email will be sent from TAO. A recommender account must be created with the same email address to which the request was sent.
    • There is a designated field in the form if the referee chooses to upload their own format as well.
    • After filling out the form, please confirm that the status is "Submitted".
    • The letter must be written in English.
    • Please note that RU may contact the referee for confirmation.
    Access TAO TAO Tutorial Video
    *Please also refer to Help for recommenders/requestees on TAO.

    Summary of 2024 Admissions Results

  • GLA
  • JD Program
  • GS Major
  • CRPS Major
  • ISSE Course