Application process

We would like to share information on application process to the Graduate Program in Japanese Language, Literature and Culture (Master in Sciences) at the University of São Paulo. The Portuguese page provides the official application process.

Registrations to Graduate Program in Japanese Language, Literature, and Culture (Master in Sciences) are opened  twice a year. The courses in this program are in Portuguese. You must have a bachelor degree to enroll.

Foreigners (not Brazilians) must have language proficiency in Japanese (mandatory if the  mother language is English) or English (mandatory if the mother language is Japanese) and Portuguese. Besides the language proficiency, the application process will have curriculum vitae and research proposal evaluations by interview.

Step 1. Registration

Documents to registration

1. Registration form.
2. Bachelor’s degree copy (duplex) or graduation certificate and transcript. The Program does not accept bachelor’s degree in junior college. If the candidate is still an undergraduate student, has to fill the Termo de Compromisso (available on  http://www.pos.fflch.usp.br/node/317) and bring the bachelor’s degree or graduation certificate during the enrollment period.
3. Curriculum vitae
4. Copy of passport (photo and name pages).
5. Fee payment form. The fee payment form will be available on pos.fflch.usp.br/node/317, during the registration period.
6. Copy of language proficiency (if the candidate has the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (Nihongo Nôryoku Shiken) Level 2 or Level 1 issued up to last 3 years and if the candidate has TOEFL at least 550 score (Paper Based), 213 score (Computer Based) or 80 score (Internet Based) and CELPE-BRAS (above intermediate level) issued up to last 3 years). If the candidate does not have these certificates, need to apply for languages proficiency exams (see below).

The registration can be either personally or by internet (http://pos.fflch.usp.br/).

Registration venue: Serviço de Pós-Graduação da FFLCH/USP – Rua do Lago, 717 – Cidade Universitária, São Paulo/SP.

Step 2. Selection process

1. Language proficiency exam (step round)

Foreigners (not Brazilian) will have to apply for a language proficiency exam in Japanese (mandatory if the mother language is English) or in English (mandatory if the mother language is Japanese) and Portuguese. Depends on the research field, the Program will ask to the candidate apply for both, Japanese and English exams.

The candidate does not have to apply for languages exams if the candidate has the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (Nihongo Nôryoku Shiken) Level 2 or Level 1 issued up to last 3 years or if the candidate has TOEFL at least 550 score (Paper Based), 213 score (Computer Based) or 80 score (Internet Based) and CELPE-BRAS (above intermediate level) issued up to last 3 years

Registrations to the languages exams will be by  http://clinguas.fflch.usp.br/. The Japanese and the English proficiency exams will be applied at the Centro Interdepartamental de Línguas da FFLCH-USP and the candidate has to have the evaluation “aprovado” or “suficiente” to be considered proficient. Foreigners (not Brazilian) will also have to take Portuguese language proficiency exam and the candidate has to have at least grade 7 to pass.

2. Research proposal and curriculum vitae evaluation by interview.

An evaluation committee will interview the candidate on research proposal and curriculum vitae

Research proposal evaluation is by relevance of proposal, ideas consistency and objectivity and feasibility of proposal implementation. This evaluation has weight 2.

Research proposal in Portuguese must be taken the week after the results of language proficiency test in English or in Japanese  (and the Portuguese to foreigners) to the secretary of PPG-LLCJ –  Departamento de Letras Orientais, no Prédio de Letras, sala 25 (Av. Prof. Luciano Gualberto, 403 – Cidade Universitária, São Paulo/SP).

Research proposal must have from 15 to 25 pages in A4 sheet (font Times New Roman 12; spaces 1,5; margins 3,0 cm). The proposal items are: objectives, problem or theme, explanation; theory and methodology bases and schedule. Write on lhe cover lhe proposal research field:

1. Teoria e Análise Linguística em suas Dimensões Diacrônica e Sincrônica
2. Texto Literário: Tradução e Estudos Críticos
3. Culturas em Contato: Inserção e Decodificação

Curriculum vitae evaluation will be by academic performance, participation in academic events related to study field; participation in undergraduate research; papers and book or chapters. This evaluation has weight 1.

To pass, the candidate must have weighted average equal or above grade 7.

1. Schedule

The candidate has to access Centro Interdepartamental de Línguas da FFLCH-USP site http://clinguas.fflch.usp.br to know dates and venues to language proficiency exams.

Interviews have been in early June and November.

Step 3. Vacancy (Advisors’ research fields and themes and the mandatory proficiency language). Please, find on the site in Portuguese.