University
Although the number of all school students who undertake a course of study after completing high school has been particularly high in recent years and is still above fifty percent, it is generally very difficult to gain admission to a Japanese university, and above all to a well respected one. The entrance examinations are especially difficult, and it is not uncommon for Japanese school students to devote all their time and effort to preparing for the examinations. Graduating from one of the famous universities, however, opens all kinds of career doors later. There are basically two types of university: those offering a four-year course, which concludes with a Bachelor’s degree and which then can then lead to a Master’s or a Doctorate course of study; and those offering a short course, which lasts just two years and provides quicker entry onto a care