Master's program
As an independent graduate school without an undergraduate program, we open our doors widely to Japanese university graduates, working people and foreign students. All applicants with the originality and zeal to tackle the problems of information systems can enter the school, regardless of their undergraduate subjects or specialties.
Course duration
The standard Master's program takes two years. It can be completed in one year, however, if applicants produce outstanding research achievements.
Schedule
When entering the Master's program, the student has their choice of instructors and laboratory. The laboratory also includes visiting professors from the affiliated organizations below:
- Current affiliated organizations
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NHK Science & Technology Research Laboratories, Hitachi Systems Development Research Institute, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Toshiba, Railway Technical Research Institute, NTT, KDDI R&D Laboratories, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, NEC Corporation.
The Master's program is taught through lectures over a period of two years and many students proceed according to the schedules below:
In the first year, students focus on the basics of information systems in lectures, and efficiently complete exercises and write reports on individually assigned computers,
In the second year, students focus on research activities, attend a few lectures on special subjects and then consult with their instructors to choose a research topic. The research is discussed in detail in seminars at the laboratory, and the results are presented at domestic or foreign conventions. Finally, the research is summarized into a dissertation and presented at the Master's dissertation exam in February.
Subjects and credits
In addition to lectures on cutting-edge subjects in specialized research and lectures on the fundamentals of information systems, the school also offers applied subjects where researchers from leading companies lecture on their fields of expertise and special lectures by outside researchers who cover various topics in greater breadth or depth. Moreover, the school holds cross-laboratory lectures that enable students to obtain a wide range of knowledge on interdisciplinary fields. More than 30 credits in total are required to complete the Master's program. Of these, 12 credits are lessons directly relevant to the research including seminars by instructors. Moreover, if necessary, subjects studied in other graduate schools before or after entering the school can also be added to the number of credits required for completion.
Doctor's program
As an independent graduate school without an undergraduate program, we open our doors widely to Japanese university graduates, working people and foreign students. Moreover, the course positively supports working people, such as independent engineers and researchers engaged in information systems R&D, to obtain a degree. Students can enter the Doctor's program without a Master's degree if their track record of R&D on information systems pursued in business is evaluated positively.
Course duration
Although the basic term for the Doctor's program is three years, applicants who produce outstanding research results can complete it in one year. Students who complete the fast-track Master's degree, however, are unable to complete the Doctor's program in one year. The combined Master's and Doctor's program requires three years.
Working people in particular can take advantage of the fast-track course effectively by incorporating their R&D achievements before entering the school into their doctoral dissertation. The long-term course is ideal for working students who have difficulty finding sufficient study time because of business commitments, etc.
Schedule
In the Doctor's program, research activities in each subject become important. After consultation with their instructors, students carry out their research activities with suitable methods and schedules and then write their doctoral dissertation, submit it to academic journals and present it at an international conference.
Every year, progress reports are presented orally about the research, and faculty members other than the course instructors check the progress of the research and give advice. Finally, the research results are collected to pass the research exam (preliminary exam) before presentation to the doctoral dissertation exam board.
Subjects and credits
In addition to lectures on cutting-edge subjects in specialized research and lectures on the fundamentals of information systems, the school also offers applied subjects where researchers from leading companies lecture on their fields of expertise and special lectures by outside researchers who cover various topics in greater breadth or depth. More than 16 credits in total are required to complete the Doctor's program. Of these, 12 credits are lessons directly relevant to the research including seminars by instructors.
