Chapter 5: Procedure for Acquiring the Master s Degree

Transcription

1 Chapter 5: Procedure for Acquiring the Master s Degree 5.1. Requirements for Completing the Master s Program Students must fulfill the following requirements in order to complete the master s program. Some of the requirements vary depending on whether a student chooses to write, or not to write a thesis (Non-Thesis Track) to complete the master s program. 1. Complete four or more semesters at the Graduate School of Media and Governance excluding the period of any temporary leave of absence Waived for students who are granted early completion of the master s program. *1 2. Acquire a total of thirty credits or more The total of thirty credits may include: Two credits acquired from the Master s Thesis A maximum of ten credits obtained by combining the following credits: Credits earned from other graduate programs at Keio University Credits earned from other universities (including universities overseas) after enrolling in the Graduate School of Media and Governance, and accredited by the graduate school Credits earned before entering the master s program *2 (maximum eight credits) Credits earned from Optional Subjects (Jiyu Kamoku) cannot be included. 3. Make a mid-term presentation 4. Pass the evaluation of the master s thesis 5. Pass the final examination Non-Thesis Track It is possible to complete the master s program and acquire a master s degree without writing a thesis. Before deciding to take this option, students should discuss the matter carefully with your research supervisor. When reading this Guidebook, references to the master s thesis should be interpreted as referring to the report regarding the activities and results of Project Courses for students who select the non-thesis track. Students must fulfill the following requirements in order to complete the master s program by the non-thesis track. 1. Complete four or more semesters at the Graduate School of Media and Governance excluding the period of any temporary leave of absence Waived for students who are granted early completion of the master s program. *1 2. Acquire a total of thirty credits or more The total of thirty credits may include: A maximum of ten credits obtained by combining the following credits: Credits earned from other graduate programs at Keio University Credits earned from other universities (including universities overseas) after enrolling in the Graduate School of Media and Governance, and accredited by the graduate school Credits earned before entering the master s program *2 (maximum eight credits) Credits earned from Optional Subjects (Jiyu Kamoku) cannot be included. 3. Meet the GPA requirement *3 on courses approved by the Academic Advisor 4. Make a mid-term presentation 5. Pass the evaluation of the Research Activity Report of the Project Courses Students must submit a report regarding the activities and results of Project Courses. 6. Pass the final examination Students must make a presentation based on research conducted during the master s program. 31

2 *1: Early Completion of the Master s Program Students should refer to section two of Article 109 of the Keio University Graduate Schools Regulations. The Regulations define students who have made outstanding academic achievement as follows: Students have met the GPA requirements and Students have accomplished work equivalent to the following three examples of academic achievements: as the only, or primary, author, completed one original paper which has been published, is in press, or has been accepted for publication in an academic journal after referees review, published an academic book, or become a high-ranking award winner in a notable competition. Procedure for Early Completion of the Master's Program The student must inform his/her Main Research Advisor and Co-Research Advisors of his/her candidacy for early completion of the master s program at the time of submitting the Master s Thesis Title / Master s Presentation Title Application Form (designated form). The Main Research Advisor of the student must write documents to the Graduate School Committee stating the desirability of early completion of the master s program. The student must inform the examiners of his/her candidacy for early completion of the master s program before beginning his/her presentation on the final examination / final presentation day. The Graduate School Committee will decide based on the result of the final examination (final presentation) and the Main Research Advisor s appraisal of the student concerning the possibility of an early completion. *2: Transferable Credits Earned Before Entering the Master's Program Graduate students who have already completed the Program Courses (Research Area Courses before academic year 2007) of the Graduate School of Media and Governance (excluding Program Courses Heisetsu) with grading criteria A or B in their undergraduate years either in the Faculty of Policy Management or Faculty of Environment and Information Studies (Faculty of Environmental Information before academic year 2007) may apply for a transfer of their credits after entering the master s program. Students cannot include those credits that are counted as credits required to graduate from the undergraduate program. Those students who have completed the aforementioned Program Courses while they were non-degree students (with credits) may also apply for a transfer of credits. A maximum of eight transferred credits may be certified as credits required for completing the master s program. Required Documents: Place of Submission: Submission Deadline: Designated application form with a seal of Academic Advisor of the student Grade Report (a copy is acceptable if the original is presented) Registrar Section, Academic Affairs Office on the first floor of the Alpha Building Students enrolled in April: End of May of the first year of enrollment Students enrolled in September: End of October of the first year of enrollment This information is also available at the following website: If students in the Program for Leading Graduate Schools (All-round type) have questions about credits earned before entering the doctoral program, they must contact to the Academic Affairs Office, 1st floor of the Alpha Building. *3: GPA Requirement GPA stands for the Grade Point Average which is calculated from grades earned from courses at Keio University, excluding grades earned from Project Courses, the Master s Thesis and Optional Subjects (Jiyu Kamoku). Also students must note that grades of approved transferable credits earned before entering the master s program cannot be included. The GPA is calculated based on the following scale: A=3.0, B=2.0, C=1.0, D=0.0. The requirement is to maintain a GPA of 2.5 or above (GPA shall be calculated to two decimal places and rounded off to one decimal place. The GPA is rounded up if the number is 5 or more; and rounded down if the number is less than 5) Procedure and Schedule for Acquiring the Master s Degree Academic Year

3 Prescribed forms can be downloaded from the following website: Expected Completion in September 2015 Expected Completion in March 2016 Submit the Master's Thesis/Presentation Title Application Form October 8, 2014 April 24, 2015 Submit the Master s Thesis/Presentation Title Amendment Form (if required) April 9, 2015 September 29, 2015 Mid-term Presentation May 9, 2015 October 17, 2015 Receive the Mid-term Presentation Evaluation Sheet Final Submission of the Master s Thesis/Presentation Title Amendment Form (if required) One week after the mid-term presentation June 18, 2015 December 11, 2015 Submit the Master s Thesis and Other Required Documents July 2, 2015 January 12, 2016 Final Examination (Final Presentation) July 29, 2015 February 1 and 2, 2016 Announcement of the Results for the Final Examination (Final Presentation) Amend the Master s Thesis (if required) July 30, 2014 February 3, ) Main Research Advisors submit a list of modifications to be made to the Registrar Section. The list will only be accepted if it is submitted by Main Research Advisors. August 3, 2015 February 8, ) Students must submit one set of modified pages to the Registrar Section by the deadline. August 7, 2015 February 12, 2016 Announcement of Students who Successfully Completed the Master s Program September 4, 2015 March 10, 2016 Students expecting to complete their degree in 2015 should submit the Master's Thesis/Presentation Title Application Form by the deadline indicated below. For Spring semester 2015: October 8, 2014 For Fall semester 2015: early April, 2015 Details will be in the 2015 Guidebook Detailed Procedure for Acquiring the Master s Degree Main Research Advisor Students must choose their Main Research Advisor. As a general rule, the Main Research Advisor should be selected from the committee members of the Graduate School of Media and Governance. Co-Research Advisors The Main Research Advisor will choose two Co-Research Advisors for the student. Co-Research Advisors should be the Graduate School Committee members or faculty members in charge of the Project Courses Submit the Master's Thesis/Presentation Title Application Form Students should follow the instructions below: Obtain the permission of their Main Research Advisor to submit a master s thesis Ask the Main Research Advisor to assign two Co-Research Advisors Obtain a seal of approval from the Main Research Advisor on the application form Make a copy of the application form to keep as a personal record Submit the application form to the Registrar Section by the stipulated deadline (which is by 33

4 the end of the semester prior to the one when the student plans to undertake the Master s Thesis) Submit the Master s Thesis/Presentation Title Amendment Form (if required) If students wish to change the title of their thesis, they must obtain approval from their Main Research Advisor, and then submit the form to the Registrar Section, Academic Affairs Office. The title of the master s thesis must be exactly identical to the one written on the form submitted to the Registrar Section, including punctuation, and use of upper and lower case. Students should make a copy of the amended thesis title to keep as a personal record. No further amendments to the advisors are permitted after this stage Mid-term Presentation The mid-term presentation assesses the progress of students research toward the final examination (final presentation). Documents Required for the mid-term Presentation Students must prepare approximately twenty copies of the presentation summary which should be one or two pages A-4 size pages in length. Distribution of Documents Students must distribute the summary to each examiner before the beginning of the presentation. Presentation Duration 15 minutes per student (oral presentation: 10 minutes, question-and-answer session: 5 minutes) Available Equipment A projector and a document camera Students must prepare paper documents in case electronic devices are unavailable for use. If students wish to use electronic devices other than those provided by the university, they are expected to install and uninstall such devices by themselves. Students must check that the schedule sheet distributed at the mid-term Presentation correctly shows their thesis title and the names of their Main Research Advisor and Co-Research Advisors Receive the mid-term Presentation Evaluation Sheet Students and their Main Research Advisor receive the mid-term presentation evaluation sheet approximately one week after the mid-term presentation. Students are advised to refer to the evaluation sheet when they write their master s thesis and prepare for the final examination (final presentation) Final Submission of the Master s Thesis/Presentation Title Amendment Form (if required) If students wish to change their thesis title, they must consult and obtain approval from their Main Research Advisor, and then submit the form to the Registrar Section, Academic Affairs Office. The title of the master s thesis must be exactly identical to the one written on the form submitted to the Registrar Section, including punctuation, and use of upper and lower case. Students should make a copy of the amended thesis title to keep as a personal record. No further amendments to the title are permitted after this stage Submit the Master s Thesis (or the Research Activity Report of the Project Courses) Deadlines for Submission Students scheduled to complete in September 2015: 3:00 p.m., July 2, 2015 Students scheduled to complete in March 2016: 3:00 p.m., January 12, 2016 Submission of the master s thesis or related materials will not be accepted after the deadline. Place of Submission Before the Deadline Date: Registrar Section, Academic Affairs Office, first floor, Alpha Building On the Deadline Date: Classroom located on the second floor of the Tau Building (Detailed information will be notified on Jukusei Site.) 34

5 Documents and Other Related Materials Required for Submission Documents and materials which are not complete will be rejected. Also, replacement of documents and materials is not permitted after submission. Master s Thesis / Research Activity Report Students must submit the required number of copies of the master s thesis or research activity report. (One copy for the Main Research Advisor, each Co-Research Advisor and Media Center) Students must make sure that the title of the master s thesis to be exactly identical to the one written on the form submitted to the Registrar Section, Academic Affairs Office, including punctuation, and use of upper and lower case. Details of the format are described in the following section 5.4., Instructions on How to Prepare the Master s Thesis. Other Related Materials In general, students who have design drawings, artwork or computer programming software as additional material, must submit the same number of copies as the master s thesis. Some artworks, such as models, are not acceptable. Students must consult with their Main Research Advisor if they are submitting any photographs that are not replaceable. Master's Thesis Submission Form (designated form) Permission for the Reproduction and Public Transmission of Master s Theses Form The aforementioned prescribed forms are available for download from the following website: Final Examination (Final Presentation) The final examination (final presentation) assesses the academic achievement of master s students. Students make a presentation based on their thesis (or the research results for students chose the non-thesis track). Students must pass the final examination in order to successfully complete the master s program. Students are evaluated by four or more examiners, including their Co-Research Advisors. The Main Research Advisor of the student cannot act as an examiner during the final examination. Documents Required for the Final Presentation Students must prepare approximately twenty copies of the presentation summary which should be one or two pages A-4 size pages in length. Distribution of Documents Students must distribute the summary of documents to each examiner before the presentation. Presentation Duration 30 minutes per student (oral presentation: 20 minutes, question-and-answer session: 10 minutes) Available Equipment A projector and a document camera Students must set up required devices during the question-and-answer period of the previous speaker. Students must prepare paper documents in case electronic devices are unavailable for use. If students wish to use electronic devices, other than those provided by the university, they are expected to install and uninstall such devices by themselves. In general, students cannot connect electronic devices to networks Announcement of the Result for the Final Examination (Final Presentation) The results will be notified on the top page of Gakuji Web System at 10:00 a.m. on the day following the final examination (final presentation). [login SFC-SFS] [click "Gakuji Web" button] [click " Gakuji Web System" button] Amend the Master s Thesis (if required) In principle, master s theses cannot be amended. However, if the Main Research Advisor decides 35

6 that minor modifications, such as misprints, missing pages or data, are necessary while minimally affecting the contents of the thesis, then students may be allowed to amend the thesis. Amendment Procedure The Main Research Advisor of the student must submit a list of modifications. The required form is available for download from the following website: The student or the Main Research Advisor must bring one set of modified pages to the Registrar Section, Academic Affairs Office by the deadline and replace the original pages Announcement of Students who Successfully Completed the Master s Program Students are comprehensively evaluated based on the following criteria: Total number of acquired credits Evaluation of the master s thesis Result of the final examination (final presentation) The result will be stated in the Grade Report. Grade Report will be mailed to students and become available to see online on the following dates: September 4, 2015 (for students scheduled to complete in September 2015) March 10, 2016 (for students scheduled to complete in March 2016) 5.4. Instructions on How to Prepare the Master s Thesis The Master s Thesis is awarded two credits (does not apply to students who choose the non-thesis track) and is expected to demonstrate academic progress of the Project Courses or ongoing research related to the Project Courses. The thesis may include non-academic materials, such as design drawings, artwork, and software. Instructions A sample showing how to bind a master s thesis is available for inspection at the Registrar Section, Academic Affairs Office, first floor, Alpha Building. Make a cover page and an identical title page each on one A-4 size sheet of paper Prepare a thesis abstract The thesis abstract must be summarized on a single A-4 size sheet of paper. At the bottom of the page, students must specify five keywords from the thesis that can be used for searching their thesis after it is converted into a digital format in the database. The master s thesis must be written horizontally on A-4 size paper Bind the thesis on the left side with an A-4 size two-ring paper binder The title of the master s thesis must be exactly identical to the one written on the submitted thesis title application form or the amendment application form. Glue the cover page and spine onto the A-4 size two-ring paper binder. Bind the thesis in the following order: Thesis Written in English 1. Title page (should be identical to the cover page glued onto the cover of the binder) 2. Thesis abstract in English 3. Thesis abstract in Japanese(optional) 4. Master s thesis Thesis Written in Japanese 1. Title page (should be identical to the cover page glued onto the cover of the binder) 2. Thesis abstract in Japanese 3. Thesis abstract in English 4. Master s thesis Prepare complete master s thesis files each for the Main Research Advisor, the Co-Research Advisors and the Media Center. Language The master s thesis and other related documents must be written in Japanese or English. Format The following is a sample table of contents of a master s thesis. 36

7 Students may change the name of headings and arrange chapters and sections as they see fit. There is no specified format, such as font size, margin, both sides or one-side printing, to write a master s thesis. Sample of a Master s Thesis, Table of Contents Chapter 1: Introduction Overviews Objectives Chapter 2: Background of Research Situation of research within and outside Japan Trend of research Chapter 3: Research Summary Research summary Characteristics and originality of research (compare with other research) Expected outcome of research Research methodology Intermediate Chapters: Achievements of Research Details of approaches and achievements Explanation of models and programs Presenting characteristics of achievements Final Chapter: Conclusion Summary of research achievements Future challenges Acknowledgements References Provide complete references for all works cited, including the authors and other information. Students should clarify the connection between their research and the references. Appendix Master s Thesis Layout Sample Cover & Title Page Spine Thesis Abstract (in English) Thesis Abstract (in Japanese) Master s Thesis (Academic Year 2015) hesis Title of the Thesis Keio University Graduate School of Media and Governance Name Master s Thesis Title Name r Formats are available to download from the following website. T i t l e 37