Educational Goal and Three Policies

Admission Policy of the Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Master’s Courses

(1) Educational Goal

It is the educational goal of the Graduate School of Sciences and Engineering to develop graduates committed to the following principle: Approach work in the spirit of truth, ethics and progress, to build the kind of educational/research system and framework capable of adapting to change, in order to further the progress of local and global communities. In order to live up to this principle, we aim to develop graduates who study the truth, theories of basic and applied science and engineering, and who explore their field in depth for the progress of human culture. We strive toward this goal by developing engineers, researchers and specialized professionals who have high ethical standards who can deal with contemporary issues and develop comprehensive knowledge about nature and our environment in order to cope effectively and flexibly with advancement and diversification in the natural sciences, and who can serve as rolemodels for future generations.

(2) Admission Policy

1. Desired qualities

• commit themselves to our mission; have underlying academic skills; are strongly motivated; are capable of rational thinking ; and have good communication skills;
• are keenly interested in the unresolved issues of science and engineering; are inquisitive; and spare no effort in finding solutions to problems;
• hone their skills in making research plans and in producing logical analyses in scientific and multilateral methods to analyze different phenomena in the discipline;
• make the best use of what they learn and respect different values and cultures of the world to make both the local and global communities better;

2. Capabilities desired in students

The required capabilities are knowledge/ability worthy of a bachelor’s degree holder, knowledge/skills in the specialized field of the preferred department and ability in foreign languages (English). However, students applying for the Special Admissions in Other Fields are required to have the knowledge/ability worthy of a bachelor’s degree holder, knowledge/skills in their field of specialization and foreign language ability (English).

3. Basic Principle of Candidate Screening

The General Selection (oral examination) tests applicants’ knowledge/ability related to the specialized field of the master’s degree program of the preferred department and aptitude/motivation through an interview including an oral examination. These abilities are necessary to achieve the status of the sort of human resource outlined in the Educational Goals. Also to be taken into account is the grade achieved at the school the applicant has graduated from and the Statement of Reasons for Applying.

The General Selection (written examination) evaluates applicants’ knowledge/ability related to the specialized field of the master’s degree program of the preferred department, reading comprehension of a foreign language (English) and aptitude/motivation through the examination on the specialized subject (questions from the specialized field of the master’s degree program of the preferred department, i.e., either the Department of Science or the Department of Engineering), on the foreign language (English) and an interview. These abilities are necessary to achieve the status of the sort of human resource outlined in the Educational Goals. Also to be taken into account is the grade at the school the applicant has graduated from.

The Special Admissions in Other Fields appraises applicants’ ability, aptitude and motivation all of which are necessary to achieve the status of the sort of human resource outlined in the Educational Goals. The appraisal is conducted through an interview, including an oral examination. Also to be taken into account is the grade achieved at the school the applicant has graduated from and the Statement of Reasons for Applying.

The Special Selection for Those in Employment assesses applicants’ knowledge/ability related to the specialized field of the master’s degree program of the preferred department and aptitude/motivation both of which are necessary to achieve the status of the sort of human resource outlined in the Educational Goals through an oral examination. Also to be taken into account is the grade achieved at the school the applicant has graduated from and the Performance (Operation) Report.

The International Students Special Admissions tests applicants knowledge/ability related to the specialized field of the master’s degree program of the preferred department, reading comprehension of a foreign language (either Japanese or English) and aptitude/motivation through the examination on the specialized subject (questions from the specialized field of the master’s degree program of the preferred department, i.e., either the Department of Science or the Department of Engineering), on the foreign language (either Japanese or English) and an interview. These abilities are necessary to achieve the status of the sort of human resource outlined in the Educational Goals. Also to be taken into account is the grade achieved at the school the applicant has graduated from.

The English Course Special Admissions is used to evaluate applicants’ English proficiency, knowledge/ability in the specialized field of the master’s degree program of the preferred department, and aptitude/motivation through the examination on foreign languages (English) and either an interview which includes an oral examination. These abilities are necessary to achieve the status of the sort of human resource outlined in the Educational Goals. Also to be taken into account is the grade at the school the applicant has graduated from.

Admission Policy of the Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Doctoral Course

(1) Educational Goal

It is the educational goal of the Graduate School of Sciences and Engineering to develop graduates committed to the following principle: Approach work in the spirit of truth, ethics and progress, to build the kind of educational/research system and framework capable of adapting to change, in order to further the progress of local and global communities. In order to live up to this principle, we aim to develop graduates who study the truth, theories of basic and applied science and engineering, and who explore their field in depth for the progress of human culture. We strive toward this goal by developing engineers, researchers and specialized professionals who have high ethical standards who can deal with contemporary issues and develop comprehensive knowledge about nature and our environment in order to cope effectively and flexibly with advancement and diversification in the natural sciences, and who can serve as rolemodels for future generations.

(2) Admission Policy

1. Desired qualities

The candidate

A) shares the principle of the Graduate School of Science and Engineering, has the basic ability and motivation to realize it, thinks logically and rationally, and has communicative skills.

B) is deeply interested in different issues in science and engineering, sparing no effort in grappling with a variety of problems with a strong inquiring spirit.

C) is willing to sharpen their skills, formulating scientific and multi-dimensional execution plans and analyzing their results logically in order to clarify different phenomena in science and engineering.

D) appreciates the different values and cultures of the world, has high ethical standards and is keen to use the expertise acquired at the Graduate School of Science and Engineering to make contributions to local and global communities.

E) is willing to become a scholar or highly qualified professional in science or engineering and is eager to take on the responsibilities of leadership.

2. Required knowledge and skill levels

The successful candidate will have advanced expert knowledge/skills in Material Science and Production Engineering, System Information Science or Natural Science, and advanced knowledge/fluency in a foreign language [English].

3. Basic Principle of Candidate Screening [General Screening]

The screening criteria include the results of an oral examination, school records, master’s thesis and research proposal, and advanced knowledge/skills and aptitude/motivation in the specialization. These skills are necessary for the candidate to become the kind of researcher who can meet the Educational Goal.

Curriculum Policy of the Graduate School of Science and Engineering
[Curriculum organization/implementation]

Master’s Courses

To produce experts in science and technology who will have a broad perspective and be able to flourish in the global community, the Master’s Course, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Kagoshima University has in place the following high-quality educational subjects in the curricula of the master’s degree programs organized by the respective departments.

1. Curricula are organized systematically from admission to degree acquisition.
1. the Intellectual Exploration Subjects to help students obtain advanced expertise in science and engineering,
2. the Cross-Graduate School Subjects to help students obtain knowledge in a wide range of specialized fields other than their own and nurture a good sense of ethics,
3. the Practical Skills Subjects and the Intellectual Pursuit Subjects to help students acquire an autonomous and practical problem-solving capabilities, and
4. the Language-related Subjects to help students learn communication skills for working internationally.
2. Educational methods to suit the purposes/goals of each subject

To develop the abilities stated in the diploma policy, each subject will be taught through methods that best serve the purposes/goals of the subject.

3. Rigorous performance evaluation

Each subject explicitly indicates its educational/learning goals and evaluation criteria to be strictly applied to appraisal of students work.

Doctoral Courses

Doctoral Courses provide high-quality education, as described below, through degree programs organized into individual courses, in order to develop researchers who will work for the well-being of the global community becoming leaders in the global science and engineering community, and furthering the frontiers of science and engineering.

This is accomplished by:

1. Curricula are organized systematically from admission to degree acquisition.
1. providing the kind of education where the student is encouraged to combine the knowledge of science and engineering organically with that of other fields, to develop problem-solving skills, logical thinking and expansive problem-setting, and to build a solid foundation of scientific ethics.
2. providing the kind of education where the student learns how to identify the essence and universality of the problem. He/she also learns how to discover and explore new issues and acquires a sense of ethical practice and develop a range of specialized academic skills in depth and breadth to entertain different perspectives.
3. providing the kind of specialized education where the student develops deep insight and high ethical standards, uses them proactively in pursuing the assigned research and develops the ability to lead efforts in exploring a new direction of learning.
4. providing opportunities to present papers at academic conferences in and out of the country and/or to contribute papers to academic journals so that the student refines his/her presentation and language skills.
5. providing the kind of education where the student takes the initiative in developing a research project so that he/she obtains world-class leadership qualities.
2. Educational methods to suit the purposes/goals of each subject

To develop the abilities stated in the diploma policy, each subject will be taught through methods that best serve the purposes/goals of the subject.

3. Rigorous performance evaluation

Each subject explicitly indicates its educational/learning goals and evaluation criteria to be strictly applied to appraisal of students work.

Diploma Policy of Graduate School of Science and Engineering

Master’s Courses

The Master’s Course will confer a Master’s Degree on students who have obtained the designated credits at the required GPA, passed the examination on the Master’s Thesis and the final examination, and have acquired the following abilities.

1. the ability to work, in a multifaceted/comprehensive way, on various problems which local and international communities are facing and do so with high standards of ethics and from a global, long-term viewpoint,
2. the ability to examine and analyze information from a scientific viewpoint, and the ability to discover challenges,
3. the ability to obtain, proactively based on logical thinking, advanced expertise/skills and the knowledge available in a wide range of fields other than one’s specialization,
4. the ability to think creatively and flexibly on the basis of the knowledge/expertise in one’s specialization and the knowledge available in a wide range of fields other than one’s own, and the ability to solve problems autonomously and practically, and
5. the ability to communicate effectively so as to play a leading role continuously and to contribute to the development of local and international communities.

Doctoral Courses

A doctoral degree will be granted if the student has been enrolled for a designated period of time, completed the degree program of the course on schedule, earned necessary credits, received research guidance and passed the dissertation review and final examination of the Doctoral Courses.

The following are the completion criteria of the Doctoral Courses.
The courses are considered completed if the student:

1. has a deep insight and high ethical standards and uses specialized skills to solve the practical problems of different natural sciences.
2. combines the knowledge of natural sciences and technology in a coordinated way to work proactively on ingenious issues/subjects and presents the results to the world.
3. is aware of the mission to use the full depth and breadth of systematized knowledge acquired to support a knowledge-based society as a science and technology professional.
4. has the skill to discover and explore new issues and to help solve a wide range of problems using a deep insight into the essence and universality of science.
5. has leadership qualities based on high ethical standards to ensure the progress of local and global communities.

For admission policy for each major