Curriculum Policy

Postgraduate Programs

Master's Program

1) As envisioned by the Graduate School and its Departments, the students will acquire highly specialized knowledge and advanced expertise in the areas of food, the environment, and applied life sciences through lectures, practical exercises, and experiments designed by the respective Departments.
2) The students will actively engage in research for the purpose of writing a master's thesis, while learning how to accurately understand problems, devise scientific problem-solving methods, and think logically; and acquire advanced knowledge and experimentation expertise in their areas of specialization, as well as scientific ethics.
3) To enable students of various backgrounds to select courses from among a broad range of subjects in biosphere science, the courses, each of which is attributed 1 credit, will range from basic to advanced in the level of specialization.
4) The students will be encouraged to read papers at domestic and international scientific meetings to improve their public speaking and communication skills.
5) A large number of courses will be taught in English and by specially appointed instructors of various nationalities.

 

Doctoral Program

1) The students will engage in their original and advanced research for the purpose of writing a doctoral dissertation, while learning how to discover research problems, devise scientific problem-solving methods, and think logically; and acquire advanced knowledge and experimentation expertise in their areas of specialization, as well as scientific ethics.
2) The students will develop their ability to autonomously design a research plan, execute experiments, and compile research results so as to learn to autonomously conduct research.
3) The students will be encouraged to read or publish papers at domestic and international scientific meetings or in domestic and international scientific journals to improve their public speaking and academic paper writing skills.

Department

Department of Bioresource Science: Master's Program

To train students as individuals capable of contributing to the resolution of problems existing in the biosphere, especially regarding sustainable biological production in terrestrial and marine regions and the utilization and distribution of bioresources, the Department has established a curriculum composed of required subjects, required elective subjects to be chosen from within each student's major subjects (core subjects), elective subjects, and Graduate School subjects (including five common Graduate School lectures). The students are expected to individually manage the progression of their course work following an educational recording system and under their principal and secondary academic advisors' supervision.
The required subjects (10 credits) are Special Research (8 credits) conducted under the students' respective principal and secondary academic advisors' supervision and Common Seminars (2 credits).
The required elective subjects (11 credits) must include Seminars (2 credits) and a Practical Exercise (experiment/exercise; 1 credit), both designated by the students' principal academic advisor. Subjects for the remaining 8 credits may be determined by the students and their principal academic advisor in consultation.
The elective subjects (9 credits) may be chosen from among the Graduate School subjects (including five common Graduate School lectures), and up to 5 credits may be obtained under this category from subjects taught by other graduate schools or educational units.
The preparation of a master's thesis is instructed by the respective students' principal academic advisor. The students are expected to proactively take charge of the recording and management of the research plan, interim progress, interim presentation, and research results (master's thesis), using the educational recording system and under their principal and secondary academic advisors' supervision. In general, the students present their research plan in the first half of the first year, interim research results in the first half of the second year, and their master's thesis in the second half of the second year.

Department of Bioresource Science: Doctoral Program

To train students as individuals capable of contributing to the resolution of problems existing in the biosphere, especially regarding sustainable biological production in terrestrial and marine regions and the utilization and distribution of bioresources, the Department has established a curriculum composed of required subjects, required elective subjects, and elective subjects.
The required subjects (2 credits) are Common Seminars (2 credits).
The required elective subjects (2 credits) must include Seminars (2 credits) designated by the students' principal academic advisor. Additional credits obtained by completing required elective subjects may be counted as credits obtained for elective subjects.
The elective subjects (4 credits or more) may be chosen from among the elective subjects or Graduate School subjects (including those for master's program students and five common Graduate School lectures) and subjects taught by other graduate schools or educational units that the students did not take while in the master's program.
The preparation of a doctoral dissertation is instructed by the respective students' principal academic advisor. The students are expected to proactively take charge of the recording and management of interim progress in their research and the submission of a draft doctoral dissertation, using the educational recording system and under their principal and secondary academic advisors' supervision.

Department of Biofunctionl Science and Technology: Master's Program

To train students as individuals capable of contributing to the resolution of problems existing in the biosphere, especially regarding the elucidation and utilization of biofunctions, the Department has established a curriculum composed of required subjects, required elective subjects to be chosen from within each student's major subjects (core subjects), elective subjects, and Graduate School subjects (including five common Graduate School lectures). The students are expected to individually manage the progression of their coursework following an educational recording system and under their principal and secondary academic advisors' supervision.
The required subjects (10 credits) are Special Research (8 credits) conducted under the students' respective principal and secondary academic advisors' supervision and Common Seminars (2 credits).
The required elective subjects (11 credits) must include Seminars (2 credits) and a Practical Exercise (experiment/exercise; 1 credit), both designated by the students' principal academic advisor. Subjects for the remaining 8 credits may be determined by students and their principal academic advisor in consultation.
The elective subjects (9 credits) may be chosen from among the Graduate School subjects (including five common Graduate School lectures), and up to 5 credits may be obtained under this category from subjects taught by other graduate schools or educational units.
The preparation of a master's thesis is instructed by the respective students' principal academic advisor. The students are expected to proactively take charge of the recording and management of the research plan, interim progress, interim presentation, and research results (master's thesis), using the educational recording system and under their principal and secondary academic advisors' supervision. In general, the students present their research plan in the first half of the first year, interim research results in the first half of the second year, and their master's thesis in the second half of the second year.

Department of Biofunctionl Science and Technology: Doctoral Program

To train students as individuals capable of contributing to the resolution of problems existing in the biosphere, especially regarding the elucidation and utilization of biofunctions, the Department has established a curriculum composed of required subjects, required elective subjects, and elective subjects.
The required subjects (2 credits) are Common Seminars (2 credits).
The required elective subjects (2 credits) must include Seminars (2 credits) designated by the students' principal academic advisor. Additional credits obtained by completing required elective subjects may be counted as credits obtained for elective subjects.
The elective subjects (4 credits or more) may be chosen from among the elective subjects or Graduate School subjects (including those for master's program students and five common Graduate School lectures) and subjects taught by other graduate schools or educational units that the students did not take while in the master's program.
The preparation of a doctoral dissertation is instructed by the respective students' principal academic advisor. The students are expected to proactively take charge of the recording and management of interim progress in their research and the submission of a draft doctoral dissertation, using the educational recording system and under their principal and secondary academic advisors' supervision.

Department of Environmental Dynamics and Management: Master's Program

To train students as individuals capable of contributing to the resolution of problems existing in the biosphere, especially regarding the assessment, prediction and management of cyclic systems in the biosphere, the Department has established a curriculum composed of required subjects, required elective subjects to be chosen from within each student's major subjects (core subjects), elective subjects, and Graduate School subjects (including five common Graduate School lectures). The students are expected to individually manage the progression of their coursework following an educational recording system and under their principal and secondary academic advisors' supervision.
The required subjects (10 credits) are Special Research (8 credits) conducted under the students' respective principal and secondary academic advisors' supervision and Common Seminars (2 credits).
The required elective subjects (11 credits) must include Seminars (2 credits) and a Practical Exercise (experiment/exercise; 1 credit), both designated by the students' principal academic advisor. Subjects for the remaining 8 credits may be determined by students and their principal academic advisor in consultation.
The elective subjects (9 credits) may be chosen from among the Graduate School subjects (including five common Graduate School lectures), and up to 5 credits may be obtained under this category from subjects taught by other graduate schools or educational units.
The preparation of a master's thesis is instructed by the respective students' principal academic advisor. The students are expected to proactively take charge of the recording and management of the research plan, interim progress, interim presentation, and research results (master's thesis), using the educational recording system and under their principal and secondary academic advisors' supervision. In general, the students present their research plan in the first half of the first year, interim research results in the first half of the second year, and their master's thesis in the second half of the second year.

Department of Environmental Dynamics and Management: Doctoral Program

To train students as individuals capable of contributing to the resolution of problems existing in the biosphere, especially regarding the assessment, prediction and management of cyclic systems in the biosphere, the Department has established a curriculum composed of required subjects, required elective subjects, and elective subjects.
The required subjects (2 credits) are Common Seminars (2 credits).
The required elective subjects (2 credits) must include Seminars (2 credits) designated by the students' principal academic advisor. Additional credits obtained by completing required elective subjects may be counted as credits obtained for elective subjects.
The elective subjects (4 credits or more) may be chosen from among the elective subjects or Graduate School subjects (including those for master's program students and five common Graduate School lectures) and subjects taught by other graduate schools or educational units that the students did not take while in the master's program.
The preparation of a doctoral dissertation is instructed by the respective students' principal academic advisor. The students are expected to proactively take charge of the recording and management of interim progress in their research and the submission of a draft doctoral dissertation, using the educational recording system and under their principal and secondary academic advisors' supervision.


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