Obtaining a Degree / How to obtain a doctoral degree

Types of doctoral degrees and how to obtain them

Doctoral degree by coursework

You can obtain a doctoral degree by entering the doctoral program of the Graduate School of Literature, conducting research under the guidance of an advisor, earning designated credits, writing and submitting a doctoral dissertation while attending the school, and passing dissertation examinations. (A doctoral degree granted through this procedure is called a type “ko” doctoral degree in Japanese.)

Doctoral degree by dissertation

You can obtain a doctoral degree by submitting a doctoral dissertation to this graduate school and passing dissertation examinations without attending the graduate school or after leaving graduate school following the completion of doctoral coursework. (A doctoral degree granted through this procedure is called a type “otsu” doctoral degree in Japanese.)

If you would like to obtain a doctoral degree by dissertation, please consult a faculty member in an appropriate program in our graduate school because your work must be evaluated by faculty closest to your field in order to determine whether your dissertation can be accepted for examination.

Doctoral degree by coursework

The entrance examination	Entrance examinations are administered in September and March for matriculation the following April. (Those from abroad are only eligible to take the September examination, due to visa processing and other reasons.) These examinations are conducted to evaluate each examinee’s academic ability, potential, and plan of research. (Refer to the Admission Policy.)
The advising system	Each student in a doctoral program receives research guidance from an advisor whom the student selects. Students in all programs are required to submit a research plan for the year at the beginning of every academic year except for the year they submit their doctoral dissertation.
Preparing the dissertation	Students prepare their doctoral dissertations under the guidance of their advisors. The advisors give instructions about the contents, standards and forms. When the advisor considers that a dissertation has attained an acceptable level to achieve a doctoral degree, he/she submits it to the appropriate program for preliminary evaluation.
The preliminary evaluation	An advisor of an applicant for doctoral degree submits the dissertation to the appropriate program. Examiners in the program discuss whether or not the dissertation is acceptable. If it is deemed acceptable, the chief examiner informs the faculty of the graduate school that they should appoint a chair and two or more readers to the preliminary evaluation committee to review the dissertation.
The results of the preliminary evaluation	After the preliminary evaluation is completed, the chair reports the results at a faculty meeting. If the dissertation passes the evaluation, the chair requests the faculty to move to the main examination. The faculty then decides and appoints the members of the examination committee, including the chair and the readers to review the dissertation. The advisor returns the dissertation to the applicant, giving advice on how to revise it, based on the preliminary evaluation committee's report.
The main examination	The applicant submits a final dissertation after correcting and modifying the points instructed along with the necessary documents to the Academic Affairs Office, the Academic Affairs Division. The dean of the graduate school who receives the final dissertation from the Academic Affairs Office refers it to the examination committee. The committee is required to report the results of the examination and present their opinion on whether or not the applicant should be granted a doctoral degree to the faculty of the graduate school. In the final stage of the main examination, applicants must undergo an oral examination by the examination committee.
Voting	Following the report of the examination committee, the faculty of the graduate school votes on whether or not to grant the applicant a doctoral degree. If the faculty decides the dissertation is acceptable, the dean of the graduate school reports it to the President and he/she consults with the Graduate School Council about the dissertation. After examining the report on the dissertation from the chair of the examination committee, the council votes on whether or not the dissertation passes the examination.
Awarding the degree	The President awards the doctoral degree to the applicant after receiving the report that the dissertation has passed the council's vote.

Doctoral degree by coursework

* The flow chart below shows the procedures for both types of doctoral degrees.