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Japan · PhD · Fully funded

Kochi University of TechnologyUniversity · Japan

KUT Special Scholarship Program 2027 in Japan (Fully Funded)

The KUT Special Scholarship Program 2027 funds a three-year English-taught PhD in Engineering at Kochi University of Technology, with every fee waived, a monthly stipend of JPY 150,000 and a one-off JPY 150,000 travel and settlement allowance. The first deadline for October 2027 enrolment (16 October 2026) has already passed; the still-open route is the second deadline, 9 April 2027. Before you apply, you must choose a project from the official SSP research project list and get the supervisor’s approval — that step is part of the application, not an optional extra.

Deadline 9 Apr 2027 · 166 days left Open Updated 16 Oct 2026 By Kochi University of Technology
Award
A fully funded three-year English-taught PhD in Engineering at Kochi University of Technology. The scholarship waives the entrance examination fee (JPY 15,000), the enrolment fee (JPY 300,000) and tuition (JPY 535,800 a year) in full, pays a monthly stipend of JPY 150,000, and gives a one-off JPY 150,000 travel and settlement allowance to applicants coming from outside Japan.
Eligible
International students of all nationalities holding a Master’s degree (or equivalent) for doctoral study. Applicants must select a research project from the official SSP Research Project List and obtain the supervisor’s approval before applying; KUT encourages the pre-application request at least eight weeks before the deadline. No Japanese language ability is required — the doctorate is taught in English.
How
Submit the pre-application through KUT’s online form, with your chosen project and supervisor approval, then send the formal application documents to KUT so they arrive by the deadline. The formal application pack follows the official SSP guidelines published on kut.ac.jp — check the current guidelines rather than any aggregator’s document list.
Deadline
9 April 2027 — the second deadline for October 2027 enrolment. The earlier deadline, 16 October 2026 (for April 2027 intake and the first October 2027 window), has passed.
Fine print
The stipend and allowances are tied to the SSP and the October 2027 intake; the project you choose determines your supervisor and research group, so a project without supervisor approval cannot proceed. Travel and settlement support is a one-off payment of JPY 150,000 for applicants outside Japan, not a recurring allowance.

About the scholarship

Kochi University of Technology (KUT), on the island of Shikoku, runs one of Japan’s most generous doctoral scholarships for international students. The Special Scholarship Program (SSP) is built around a simple idea: the university publishes a list of research projects, each with a named supervisor, and international Master’s graduates apply to work on one of them. The doctorate is taught entirely in English, and the funding covers everything a student needs to live and study — fees, a monthly stipend and a travel allowance.

The funding is genuinely full: the entrance examination fee, the enrolment fee and three years of tuition are all waived, the stipend is JPY 150,000 a month, and applicants from outside Japan receive a one-off JPY 150,000 for travel and settling in. The catch is the structure — you do not apply to KUT in general, you apply to a specific project with a specific supervisor, and that supervisor must approve you before the formal application goes in. Start that conversation early: KUT itself suggests the pre-application request at least eight weeks before the deadline.

Eligibility

  • Be an international student of any nationality.
  • Hold a Master’s degree (or equivalent) for doctoral study.
  • Select a research project from the official SSP Research Project List and obtain the supervisor’s approval before applying.
  • Submit the pre-application request — KUT encourages this at least eight weeks before the deadline.
  • No Japanese is required — the PhD is taught in English.

Benefits

  • Full exemption from the entrance examination fee (JPY 15,000).
  • Full exemption from the enrolment fee (JPY 300,000).
  • Full exemption from tuition (JPY 535,800 a year) for three years.
  • A monthly stipend of JPY 150,000.
  • A one-off JPY 150,000 travel and settlement allowance for applicants from outside Japan.
  • A three-year English-taught PhD in Engineering with a named supervisor and research group.

Documents to prepare

  • Your chosen project from the official SSP Research Project List, with the supervisor’s approval.
  • The pre-application submitted through KUT’s online form.
  • The formal application documents as set out in the official SSP guidelines on kut.ac.jp — use the current guidelines, not an aggregator’s list, and make sure the pack reaches KUT by the deadline.
  • Proof of your Master’s degree (or equivalent) as required by the guidelines.

How to apply

  1. Read the official SSP pages on kut.ac.jp and open the current SSP Research Project List.
  2. Choose a project that matches your background and contact the supervisor — you need their approval before you can apply. Do this at least eight weeks before the deadline.
  3. Submit the pre-application through KUT’s online form.
  4. Prepare the formal application documents exactly as the official SSP guidelines specify.
  5. Send the formal application so it reaches KUT by 9 April 2027 for the October 2027 intake.

FAQs

Is the KUT Special Scholarship Program fully funded?

Yes. It waives the entrance examination fee, the enrolment fee and three years of tuition, pays a monthly stipend of JPY 150,000, and gives a one-off JPY 150,000 travel and settlement allowance to applicants from outside Japan.

What is the deadline for the KUT SSP 2027?

9 April 2027, the second deadline for October 2027 enrolment. The earlier deadline, 16 October 2026, has already passed.

Do I need to know Japanese?

No. The SSP doctorate is taught in English and no Japanese language ability is required.

Do I need a supervisor before I apply?

Yes. You must select a project from the official SSP Research Project List and obtain the supervisor’s approval before applying. KUT encourages the pre-application request at least eight weeks before the deadline.

How long is the PhD and what does the stipend cover?

Three years. The JPY 150,000 monthly stipend is for living costs, and the one-off JPY 150,000 allowance covers travel to Japan and settling in.

Verified 25 Oct 2026: kut.ac.jp (official, KUT SSP pages) — programme structure, project list and supervisor approval; ResearchersJob, Global Scholarship Point, Fully Scholarships — admission schedule (16 October 2026 and 9 April 2027 deadlines), fee figures (JPY 15,000 / JPY 300,000 / JPY 535,800 a year), JPY 150,000 monthly stipend, one-off JPY 150,000 travel allowance, eight-week pre-application guidance. The formal document list is stated per the official SSP guidelines only, as aggregator lists were not fully confirmed.

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