The UNU Intensive Core (UNU-IC) courses will be held in September 2026. Two courses will be offered in person at UNU headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, and one will be conducted in hybrid mode (in person and online). The courses provide analyses of global issues from both theoretical and empirical perspectives and draw on the research projects undertaken at UNU-IAS and other UNU institutes.
These courses are designed for:
- students who are currently enrolled in a master’s or PhD programme in any discipline;
- young professionals (with a college or university degree) in various occupations in Japan and abroad; and
- those who wish to pursue careers in international fields in public service or private organizations, including the United Nations, multinational corporations, and non-governmental organizations, as well as national foreign service organizations.
Individual course details are available at the bottom of the page.
- Course Schedule
- Faculty and Learning Environment
- Course Requirements
- English Language Requirements
- Credit Transfer
- Course Completion
- Application Procedures
- Contact
Course Schedule
For start and end dates, please refer to each course page. There will be approximately fifteen 100-minute sessions per course — i.e., three course sessions per day (10:00–11:40, 12:30–14:10 and 14:30–16:10), though no single course will take the entire three sessions of one day. [Top]
Faculty and Learning Environment
The UNU-IC Courses are taught in a cooperative fashion by a team of scholars and practitioners comprising both in-house and outside experts. One of the unique features of the UNU-IC courses is that many of the instructors come from UN organizations as well as leading universities. Students will have direct access to teaching faculty as UNU-IAS shares a building with many UN agencies, providing a unique learning environment. [Top]
Course Requirements
- Mandatory reading of approximately 150 pages is required per course per week — a total of 900 pages per course (in addition, students are provided with lists of further recommended reading in the range of 150 pages per course per week)
- Regular class attendance and active participation in class discussions
- Short written assignments
- Assessment assignments (e.g., group or individual presentations or a summative essay)
- Course evaluation form
For assignment details, please refer to the syllabus and course materials which will be provided after the selection and payment process. The above requirements are subject to change. [Top]
English Language Requirements
The courses will be conducted in English. Excellent written and verbal English language skills are required. The expected language test scores are:
- TOEFL: minimum of 600 on paper-based test / minimum of 100 on online test
- IELTS: 7.0 [Top]
Credit Transfer
The course is designed to be equivalent to 2 credits. Students who successfully complete the course will be awarded 2 credits with a transcript. While a number of universities have negotiated credit transfer agreements with UNU-IAS, ultimately the decision on whether credits are transferable will be made by the student’s university. [Top]
Course Completion
Upon completion of the course, UNU-IAS will issue an official transcript, which will be sent by mail once the grade is confirmed. [Top]
Application Procedures
- Review this webpage and application form to prepare application materials.
- Submit the application form by the deadline of 12 July 2026 (23:59 JST/UTC+9).
Successful applicants will be notified via email by the end of July 2026. They will be asked to confirm their intention to participate in the course and pay the course fee by the designated due date.
Notes
- The application form may take up to 30–60 minutes to fill out and it must be completed in English. The form is composed of eight sections. There are back and next buttons at the bottom of each section, which enable you to go back and forth between sections and edit your answers before you hit the submit button at the end of the form. However, please note that the application must be done in one sitting — you cannot save your application and continue it later.
- Those applicants who have not yet obtained a bachelor’s degree will be required to provide a letter of reference.
Email will be the primary method of communication with UNU-IAS IC Secretariat. It is essential that you provide a valid email address in the application form. Please ensure that your email provider does not direct emails from icsec@unu.edu to spam or junk folders. UNU-IAS will not be held responsible for unread email communication.
Please note that no financial support or scholarship will be provided for this course.
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Contact
For more information, please contact UNU-IC Secretariat at icsec@unu.edu
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