Department of Informatics, School of Multidisciplinary Sciences SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies) Doctoral Program April 2017 Special Admissions for Applicants Residing Abroad (Privately Financed International Students) 1. General Prospectus SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies) was founded on October 1, 1988 as one of the national universities of Japan. The basic idea of SOKENDAI is to develop a new system of postgraduate education in Japan. Its key features are as follows: 1) SOKENDAI offers both three-year and five-year doctor programs. 2) SOKENDAI consists of six schools with 21 departments operated by 18 Inter-University Research Institutes and Independent Administrative Institution ( parent institutions ). 3) Research and education are carried out in close cooperation with the parent institutions. 4) A broad and international vision is fostered by enhanced interchange among all departments and other universities in Japan and abroad. The parent institutions provide Japanese and foreign scientists with opportunities to conduct advanced joint research in various branches of science. They are equipped with extensive research facilities and function as centers for advanced studies. At present, they are cooperating in establishing a world-class program of postgraduate education in SOKENDAI. 2. Department Outline Informatics is a new scientific field that studies many problems related to information extensively and synthetically. It is based on a core of traditional information science and engineering, but is a multidisciplinary science covering humanities informatics and social informatics as well. Moreover, informatics serves as a pillar of almost all scientific fields in that the information technology (IT) for supporting information expression, collection, circulation, management, processing, and use is essential. Informatics plays an important role when results in one field are applied to other scientific fields and produce still newer research subjects and methods; it also greatly contributes to such goals as advances in industry and improvement in human life through applications of scientific research results. The Department of Informatics at SOKENDAI consists of six sub-fields: Foundations of Informatics, Information Infrastructure Science, Software Science, Multimedia Information Science, Intelligent Systems Science, and Information Environment Science. It has a unique education system where National Institute of Informatics (NII) provides an excellent education and research environment for Ph.D. students of the department with rich and advanced IT facilities as well as leading IT researchers. Internationality is also one of the notable strengths of the department; more than 60 students including many foreign students 1
from over ten countries are learning together, and many classes and seminars are conducted in English. Through their daily life in the department, students are able to gain valuable experiences in a multicultural, multilingual environment, which will likely help in their future global activities. List of Faculty: http://www.nii.ac.jp/graduate/advisor/index_e.html 3. Programs and Number of Students Accepted Program Three-year doctoral program Five-year doctoral program Number of Students Accepted (April 2017) Several Several 4. Qualifications [Qualifications for a three-year doctoral program] Applicants who satisfy one of the following requirements are eligible to apply for a three-year doctoral program. 1. Applicants who have obtained a master s degree or a degree equivalent to a master s degree (or who are expected to obtain the degree before entering the program) at an accredited foreign institution outside Japan. 2. Applicants who have obtained a master s degree or a degree equivalent to a master s degree at a Japanese university. 3. Engagement in research work at a university or a research institution for at least two years after 16 years of formal education outside Japan or after graduation from a Japanese university, and the approval of SOKENDAI as one whose achievement in research is equivalent or superior to the academic credentials of those who have completed the master s course. 4. Approval of an applicant through SOKENDAI's individual qualification screening procedure as one whose academic credentials are equivalent to or superior to those who have completed the master's course. Such an applicant must be at least 24 years old. * Those who have no master's degree itself (Qualified as 3 or 4) are required to take extra screening procedures that determine your academic level before the application. Please contact the prospective academic advisor well ahead of the application deadline. * The qualifications concern not the date of completion of the master s course of study but the date of conferral of a master s or equivalent professional degree. Those who have completed or are scheduled to complete a master s course before the time of enrollment in the program, but are not scheduled to be granted a master s or professional degree by that time should take extra screening procedures before the application. * Other than those above (Qualification 1 to 4), eligible applicants include those who otherwise satisfy or will satisfy qualification requirements for admission to 2
SOKENDAI. Those with questions or concerns regarding the qualifications are advised to contact their prospective academic advisors well ahead of the application deadline. [Qualifications for a five-year doctoral program] Applicants who satisfy one of the following requirements are eligible to apply for a five-year doctoral program. 1. Applicants who have completed 16 years of formal education in an accredited foreign institution (or who are expected to complete before entering the program). 2. Applicants who have completed a bachelor's course in a Japanese university. 3. Applicants who have completed 15 years of formal education outside Japan and were approved as having earned a required number of credits with an outstanding academic record by SOKENDAI. 4. Approval of an applicant through SOKENDAI's individual qualification screening procedure as one whose academic credentials are equivalent to or superior to those who have completed a master's course. Such an applicant must be at least 22 years old. * Those who have not completed 16 years of formal education or a bachelor's course (Qualification 3 or 4) are required to take extra screening procedures that determine your academic level before the application. Please contact the prospective academic advisor well ahead of the application deadline. * Other than those above (Qualification 1 to 4), eligible applicants include those who otherwise satisfy or will satisfy qualification requirements for admission to SOKENDAI. Those with questions or concerns regarding the qualifications are advised to contact their prospective academic advisors well ahead of the application deadline. 5. Doctor s Degree An enrolled student who obtains the designated number of credits in his/her department will be awarded a Doctor s degree. Requirements for graduation are follows: [Requirements for a three-year doctoral program] 1) Study for at least three years. However, the period may be shortened for those students who have achieved outstanding research results. 2) Acquisition of required credits in the department. 3) Preparation of a dissertation under the guidance of supervisors and a successful defense of his/her dissertation in a final examination. [Requirements for a five-year doctoral program] 1) Study for at least five years. However, the period may be shortened for those students who have achieved outstanding research results. 2) Acquisition of required credits in the department. 3) Preparation of a dissertation under the guidance of supervisors and a successful defense 3
of his/her dissertation in a final examination. 6. How to apply [Required Conditions and Notes] Applicants are expected to satisfy each of the following conditions. 1. Arrival in Japan: Applicants must be able to arrive in Japan in time for the semester starts in April, 2017. 2. Health: Applicants must be physically and mentally healthy enough to take graduate studies at universities in Japan. 3. Language Ability: Applicants who have good command of English or Japanese. 4. Security Export Control: Depending on the specifics of the education and research instructions they wish to receive upon entering the program, applicants may be subject to regulations on the export/transfer of controlled technologies based on the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Law. Please consult the International Affairs Section for further details. [Application Period] Applicants have to contact a faculty member of the Department whom you'd like to study under in advance. The complete set of application documents listed in the section Application Documents must reach the International Affairs Section, SOKENDAI, by no later than July 14, 2016 by registered mail, courier service or a similar service. SOKENDAI will NOT accept any applications delivered after the deadline. Additionally, please be advised that incomplete applications will not be accepted; no changes or alterations to the submitted documents will be allowed after filing; and the submitted documents will not be returned under any conditions. Mailing Address: International Affairs Section SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies) Shonan Village, Hayama, 240-0193 Japan Tel: 81-46-858-1519 [Application Documents] 1. Application Form (Attached) (Original) 2. Entrance Examination fee 30,000 yen to be paid 3. Certificate of graduation (Original) Photocopies are not accepted. Applicants from universities that do not issue certificates of graduation must submit the original of an attested copy of their graduation diploma with an original official seal or an authorization stamp of the university that issued the diploma. Applicants who have not yet graduated from a university (undergraduate or graduate course) must submit a Certificate of Prospective Graduation (document 4
certifying the expected date of graduation) or a certificate of enrollment. Such applicants should, if they successfully pass the entrance examination, submit a Certificate of Graduation to SOKENDAI before entering the program. Applicants who apply for five-year doctoral program must submit their Bachelor s degree certificate. Applicants who apply for three-year doctoral program must submit their Bachelor s degree and master s degree certificates. 4. Official transcript of the applicant s academic record (Original) Photocopies are not accepted. Applicants who apply for five-year doctoral program must submit their academic record for undergraduate level. Applicants who apply for three-year doctoral program must submit their academic record for Undergraduate and master s course level. Submit academic records of each academic year of all the universities or graduate schools you have attended. 5. Two recommendation letters from the Dean and the person who knows the applicant s research / academic activities well (ex. the applicant s academic supervisor of the attending or previously attended university, etc), addressed to the President of SOKENDAI. 6. ID Photo: passport-sized photograph taken within the past six months (4.5 3.5cm) is to be attached to the Application Form for admission. Write your name and nationality in block letters on the back of the photo. 7. Your past research work and activities (if applicable.) 8. Summary of your graduation thesis If you have no theses or publications, submit a summary of your current research project. 9. Field of Study and Study Program (Attached) 10. Proof of Nationality A photocopy of your passport pages showing your name, date of birth, nationality, gender, photograph, and passport number is acceptable. 11. Proof of English Skill (also see Note 6 below) Only TOEFL or TOEIC scores taken within the past five years, or IELTS score taken within the past two years are acceptable. Submit one of the following: - TOEFL Official Score Report - TOEFL Examinee s Score Report (Copy) - TOEIC Official Score Certificate (Original) - IELTS Academic Module Test Report Form (Copy) * TOEFL-ITP and TOEIC-IP are unacceptable. * IELTS-General Training Module is unacceptable. Note: 1) Application documents have to be submitted on A4 size paper. 2) All submitted documents should be prepared in English or Japanese. For 5
documents prepared in language other than English or Japanese, attach an English or a Japanese translation to each document. 3) SOKENDAI cannot respond to inquiries regarding the receipt of individual application documents. The applicant is responsible for the tracking and receipt of all materials. SOKENDAI strongly encourages sending the documents by registered mail, courier service or a similar service that provides tracking numbers and receipt verification services. 4) SOKENDAI will not return the submitted documents, nor provide photocopies of the submitted documents under any circumstances. Please keep a copy of all documents for personal reference. In the case that a document is not re-issuable, please submit an attested (notarized) copy instead. 5) Admission may be withdrawn at any time, even after enrollment, if the application documents are found to be invalid or contain false information. 6) If the applicant is a native English speaker or earned either a bachelor's degree or a master's degree (whose course must be a program for two years or longer) from an institution in which English was the primary institutional language of instruction, submission of Proof of English skill is optional. In that case, the applicant may be asked to submit additional documents which prove that the applicant satisfies the above condition. 7. Selection Schedule and Method Mid-August 2016: Online interview Make sure that applicants have to contact a faculty member of the Department whom the applicant would like to study under before preparing the application documents. * Applicants will be separately informed of additional selection details after their documents have been submitted. 8. Notification of Acceptance Acceptance notification will be mailed no later than October 30th, 2016.. 9. Admission and Tuition Fees Those admitted into the doctor programs will be required to pay the following fees. Admission Fee: 282,000 yen Tuition Fee: 267,900 yen/semester * If admission or tuition fees are revised before or during the time of enrollment, the new fees will be applied from the date of revision. 10. Student Visa Every candidate who is selected as a privately financed student must apply for a visa in person at the nearest Japanese consulate to enter Japan after receiving the Certificate of Eligibility which will be mailed from SOKENDAI. 6
11. Application Submissions and Further Inquiries Applications must be submitted to/inquiries must be directed to: International Affairs Section SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies) Shonan Village, Hayama, 240-0193 Japan Tel: 81-46-858-1519/1527 Fax: 81-46-858-1541 E-mail: kokusai@ml.soken.ac.jp http://www.soken.ac.jp/ 7