Requirements to Graduate

To graduate from SOKENDAI, the following requirements must be met.

For 5-year doctoral program students

• Enrollment in SOKENDAI for five years or more (excluding a period of absence from school).
• Receiving at least the required number of credits as set forth in the course registration rules provided by the Graduate Institute for advanced studies.
• Having undergone the necessary research supervision by a supervisor, passing a doctoral thesis defense, and passing an examination.
• Full payment of the required tuition fees (except for those who are exempted from tuition payment).

For 3-year doctoral program students

• Enrollment in SOKENDAI for three years or more (excluding a period of absence from school).
• Receiving at least the required number of credits as set forth in the course registration rules provided by the Graduate Institute for advanced studies.
• Having undergone the necessary research supervision by a supervisor, passing a doctoral thesis defense, and passing an examination.
• Full payment of the required tuition fees (except for those who are exempted from tuition payment).

Credits students need to graduate

The prescribed numbers of credits required to complete Astronomical Science Program are as follows.

	Credits	Requirements
5-year doctoral program	42	More than 42 credits including 20 credits of Dissertation Work in Advanced Studies IA~VB.
3-year doctoral program	16	More than 16 credits including 12 credits of Dissertation Work in Advanced Studies IIIA~VB.

Guidelines for Evaluation of a doctoral thesis and a master’s thesis

Guidelines for Evaluation of a doctoral thesis

• The thesis must be a scientific paper based on observational, theoretical, or engineering work in astronomy or one of the related scientific fields.
• The work must be original and contain new knowledge.
• The work should be done independently. Only when the applicant has played the most significant role in the work, can work done by a research group be added.
• The level of the thesis work must be such that it is already published, or is going to be published within one year after the degree is awarded, in a refereed journal.

Additionally, as independent and objective evidence for the applicant’s ability to conduct his/her own research, it is required that the applicant has already published an academic paper. See below.

• It is expected that the applicant is the first author (or the Principal Investigator, see [iv] ) of the paper, and the paper is published in a refereed journal. The applicant must submit a copy of the paper as a supporting document.
• The applicant must submit a copy of the paper for the preliminary exam as well. If at the time of the preliminary exam the paper has not been accepted by the journal, a submitted version will be accepted by the examination committee.
• If for some reason a copy of the paper cannot be submitted to the examination committee, the applicant must explain the reason in writing to ask for an exemption to be granted by the Head of the Program. A paper dealing with material related to an on-going patent application would be one example for which an exemption may be granted.
• If the applicant is the Principal Investigator but not the first author of the paper, statements from co-authors must be provided to prove the applicant’s status as the PI.

Guidelines for Evaluation of a master’s thesis (Progress Report)

• The thesis must be a scientific paper based on observational, theoretical, or engineering work in astronomy or one of the related scientific fields.
• The work must be original and contain new knowledge.
• The work should be done independently. Only when the applicant has played the most significant role in the work, can work done by a research group be added.
• The level of the master thesis must be such that it can be submitted to a domestic or international refereed journal.

Those who have passed the examination for the Progress Report and have received the qualification for a master’s degree may apply for a master’s degree if they have been enrolled for at least two years and have obtained the required credits before leaving the university.

Limiting period of attendance at Institute / Extension of study

Students are not allowed to attend the program longer than the limiting period of attendance (excluding a period of absence from school) as shown below. The possible leave of absence for all students is 2 years.

Basis

• 5-year program 8 years
• 3-year program 5 years

Extension of study

SOKENDAI has a system that allows students who fall into one of the following categories and have difficulty studying as a regular (full-time) student to systematically take a course of study over a certain period of time with a change in the standard period of study. For details, please contact the Educational Affairs Section at the Hayama Headquarters or the Course administration office at each Parent Institute.

≪Eligibility requirements≫

• Those who are gainfully employed (regardless of whether they are self-employed, full-time employed or temporarily employed, but excluding those employed by SOKENDAI or a Parent Institution).
• Those who have housework, childcare, nursing care or other circumstances.
• Those whose circumstances are deemed to be unavoidable by the Head of the Program.

The length of study (set individually upon application and the duration of study for long-term courses are as follows.

• 5-year program: 5-8 years of study and 8 years of enrolment (period of attendance)
• 3-year program: 3-5 years of study and 5 years of enrolment (period of attendance)

Others

• Please refer to "Degree (SOKENDAI head office) " for information about the types of major fields and the degrees awarded by each major in a program.
• A student can also take courses from Program (majors) other than his/ her enrolled program (major). If there are courses that the student would like to take in other program (majors), please contact the program’s administration office at each Host Institute or the Educational Affairs Section at the Hayama Headquarters beforehand to see whether he/she can take the courses.
• If a student enrolled and reached the limiting period of attendance at school and wants to do so-called "coursework completed without degree," the student must submit an ’’Application Form to Withdraw" .
• If a student is acknowledged as "a person who has excellent research achievement" in the department, the student can shorten the enrollment period and complete the course. For details, please contact the program’s administration office at each Host Institute or the Educational Affairs Section at the Hayama Headquarters.

Contact

Educational Affairs Section at Academic and Student Affairs Division at SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies)
TEL: +81-46-858-1523