Moving to Japan for Japanese and Graduate studies

[jarciniegas]

Hi all!

I am very interested in taking a 1 or 1 1/2 year Japanese course in Japan with the idea of applying later to a Masters or PhD program in Music and Technology. I have read information on the sites of several language institutes and I've seen that in many cases they provide assitance with VISA applications for these types of programs.

I am concerned that I may have difficulties obtaining a student VISA because of my particular situation. I am 30 years old and have been working as a programmer at a company for 2 years since I finished my Masters. I am afraid to have my VISA application turned down for not having the typical profile of a student.

I was wondering if people here have any experience or advice about this kind of situation. Does age limit the possibility to apply for a long stay VISA with the purpose of studying Japanese? Also, is it necessary to have a close relative acting as a contact person in Japan or could it be a friend?

Thanks! I will really appreciate your input

[stiggynet]

I'm not sure of the answer, but I have the same question. I'm considering applying to the media studies graduate program at either Waseda or Keio. Which schools have you looked at? Aren't the application fees so high compared to the states?

I actually used to be a music major as well, but switched majors in order to get a more broad understanding of media. So now I'm a web developer.

Let me know how you make out!