Path to Ph.D.

April of the 1st year

• The first step is to determine the Ph.D. student’s advising committee of three faculty members. The student must make an application to determine his/her main advisor after admission. The student shall submit the application form by . The main advisor appoints two secondary advisors. The student undergoes interviews with his/her advising committee as needed.
• The student decides which courses to take according to the guidance of the advising committee. The student must submit the course registration application form to the Graduate School Affairs Office, and register for courses on the Educational Affairs Information System during the Friday, April 4 to Thursday, April 17, 2014 and Wednesday, October 1, 2014 to Tuesday, October 14, 2014 periods.

June of the 1st year

The student must submit his/her research proposal, which he/she modifies according to the guidance of the advising committee, to the advising committee by .

July of the 2nd year

The student presents his/her first interim progress report (open to all faculty and students of YNU) to the advising committee of three in response to the guidance and research results of the previous year. The advising committee considers the report and decides what guidance is needed.

May of the 3rd year

The student presents the second interim progress report (review of qualifications for writing a dissertation, open to all faculty and students of YNU). A “Pass” or “Fail” grade is assigned. Based on the results of the report, the advising committee decides whether the student is ready for a dissertation defense. Obviously, at this stage the student should have made substantial progress and be nearing completion of their dissertation. Students who are assigned a “Fail” grade for their second interim progress report may give the second interim progress report again in September of the 3rd year or the following academic year.

October of the 3rd year

The student who is assigned a “Pass” grade for his/her second interim progress report undergoes a preliminary defense, an oral presentation and defense in front of the committee of three faculty members (dissertation report will be open to all faculty and students of the YNU) in October of the 3rd year. A “Pass” or “Fail” grade for the preliminary defense is assigned.

December of the 3rd year

The student who is assigned a “Pass” grade for his/her preliminary defense submits a Ph.D. dissertation in December of the 3rd year. The Ph.D. dissertation defense committee (hereinafter “defense committee,” selected at relevant faculty meetings, etc.) reviews the said dissertation and reports the results to the relevant faculty meetings, etc.

January of the 3rd year

Final dissertation defense, an oral presentation in front of a committee of five faculty members is given in January of the 3rd year.

February of the 3rd year

After the Ph.D. oral examination is conducted, the committee of the Graduate School determines whether to approve the Ph.D. degree.

March of the 3rd year

Degree is conferred if all requirements are met and dissertation successfully defended. A copy of the final dissertation will be held at Library of International Social Science Studies, YNU. The dissertation will be posted on Yokohama National University Repository, and an abstract of the dissertation will be posted on the GSISS website. The National Diet Library in Tokyo will obtain the dissertation from the repository.