If I study marine biology in the US and decide to get a degree in it… say I want to move to Japan but my degree is in marine biology:
-Is their a visa that would allow me to move there and hopefully find a job in that field?
-is their a possible way for me to go to Japan and go to school there, if so what steps do I have to take?
(I know due to the virus this is probably impossible right now, but maybe in a year or so I’m talking)
5 comments
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Try MEXT, do a PhD or Master’s, there’s a lot of international students around Tokyo. Most of them are just N3 level, and some can’t even speak Japanese. I have been told that most international classes are in English, but they’re Japanese English so prepare to adapt if this is the path you’re taking.
I don’t know the details but I have a friend who’s currently finishing his PhD in Marine Biology in Tokyo thru MEXT, last I heard was he have a guaranteed job after graduating since he’s doing his thesis in partnership with a company associated to his lab.
Goodluck and I hope you get to enjoy Japan if ever you push through.
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Yes, if you apply to school there and get in they’ll work out a student visa with you. I recommend Okinawa, there’s an excellent marine biology research program my college was touting for exchange students (I can’t remember what college it came from though sorry). The problems you may encounter are language requirements and entrance exams, so you should definitely do a lot of research on the university you want to go to.
Personally, I would love to read a straightforward title and post like this, since I get to know whether I can give some useful insight or not.
In the MEXT welcoming party, I talked to a French guy who enrolled in [Graduate School of Marine Science and Technology](https://www.g.kaiyodai.ac.jp/english/). You might want to have a look at it.
*(Below was my text for a guy asking about CS field – sorry for me being too lazy to edit one of my previous post)*
“Since I am not in your CS field, I cannot speak for it. But I met up with several CS Master students in the Japanese Government Scholarship (MEXT) welcoming party. It is worth to mention that this scholarship regularly has two different systems to gather potential candidates: one from the official Japanese Embassy in your country, and the other recommendations from [“Type-A” and “Type-B” universities](https://www.qs.com/japan-funds-37-top-universities-to-improve-at-global-university-rankings/) (which I got mine). The latter, which is easier to get in my opinion, requires one professor to accept to be your research supervisor. After aiming some potential English CS course, reaching out via emails to them at each corresponding university is properly a good starting point. (FYI: Most prestigious Japanese universities start their graduate semesters at April and October, but it depends on particular course).
About daily life, even when you speak no Japanese, everything is super accessible within a walking distance, and you can get a train to get farther away (that being said, I only stay in Tokyo, so this one might not be true in other prefectures).
Although you can also apply for JET program and the like to come and teach English in Japan, it would cost less effort to make friends with Japanese people and get out of the gaijin bubble when you are at school (assuming by that time, you are not fluent in Japanese at all). On top of that, you can actually enjoy some of the best years in your life by staying away for the harsh English labor market while getting a (seemingly easy) degree.
Just a head up, if you consider pursuing a career here, you need to seriously prepare for it, since the professional job market in Japan is not simple for a foreigner to get a foot in the door.”