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Purpose of the Graduate School of Information Science and Technology

Our school's philosophy of research and education is to contribute to the development of society and to create a knowledge-based society for the next generation. By creating and adopting the principles of information science, we aim to train engineers who have a broad and deep knowledge of this field, as well as an international sense. In this way we will cultivate highly creative scientists who independently carry out significant research and development.

Education Objectives

Students in our master's program can choose to specialize in information science in one of five major courses of study in the Divisions of the Graduate School-- Computer Science and Information Technology, Electronics for Informatics, Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Media and Network Technologies, or Systems Science and Informatics. In this program, we aim to educate innovation leaders who will: acquire advanced knowledge in basic and specialized fields of information science that cover the various areas studied in the above courses; create new knowledge in the field of information science; and become significant players in international research by achieving excellence in practical applications of technology and the conduct of research and development.

To obtain broad knowledge in various related fields, while focusing on information science, our students follow a backup-style curriculum, in which they take specialized subjects in accordance with the purpose of their chosen major course of study and take subjects from other courses of study as secondary subjects. In addition, we believe our students should acquire an international vision, learn to act according to global norms, and obtain knowledge in peripheral areas related to their major field of study. We offer them an education curriculum in which they can study a variety of subjects, such as specialized subjects in other majors, and they can study subjects that are common to all majors, such as subjects of project management, subjects of integration of humanities and sciences, and International collaborative informatics subjects. Moreover, we aim for them to obtain skills as innovation leaders by offering them special lectures, training in practical technical skills, and training in communication.

In the Graduate School’s doctoral program in Information Science and Technology, a student will follow a course of advanced study in information science in one of the five divisions of the Graduate School-- Computer Science and Information Technology, Electronics for Informatics, Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Media and Network Technologies, or Systems Science and Informatics. Our doctoral candidates should achieve global standards of research and development in their field of specialization and pioneer new fields by combining various areas of research. And, within an environment of international collaboration, we aim to develop them as frontier leaders who will globally promote research and development in a society based on advanced knowledge.

To acquire basic knowledge in a wide range of fields centered on information science, Master’s degree graduates of the Graduate School (including graduates of the former Graduate School of Informatics) will be able to study subjects that cover material that is different from the major or secondary fields that they studied in getting their Master’s. Other persons will receive a diverse education by studying subjects that do not duplicate courses that they studied before entering the Graduate School. Such persons will be able to choose from specialized subjects in a course of study or from a group of subjects common to the five courses of study. In addition, we will offer subjects on information science and international collaboration, subjects on practical applications, and subjects on the integration of the arts and sciences. In this way, we aim to increase students' abilities to do research through international and interdisciplinary collaboration. Furthermore, by having students take on special research activities, we aim to instill in them the abilities to organize information, communicate it inside and outside of an organization, and provide leadership to an organization-- abilities which they will need as leaders on the information frontier.

Admissions Policies

Admissions policies for the Master’s program

In the Graduate School, we accept persons who have a strong desire to acquire credits toward a Master's degree in the field of information science and who in a broad sense want to do academic work related to information science and other disciplines. This includes persons who want to study information science and other fields such as electrical engineering, electronic engineering, system engineering, mathematics, bioengineering, the life sciences, sociology, etc.

We accept persons from universities inside and outside of Japan (including prospective graduates). We are looking for persons who aim to do research and development as a career in the broad field of information science. Specifically, we select students from Japan and overseas who majored in information science as undergraduates and want to acquire a master’s degree in it. The entrance examination for the master’s program is a specialized exam that is conducted in English or Japanese. It tests the proficiency level of the student in each specialized area of information science deemed necessary for the master’s degree course, and it consists of a written and oral test.

Doctoral program admissions policies

The Graduate School accepts persons who have a strong desire to acquire credits toward a doctoral degree in the field of information science and who in a broad sense want to do academic work related to information science and other disciplines. This includes persons who want to study information science and other fields such as electrical and electronic engineering, system engineering, mathematics, bioengineering, the life sciences, sociology, etc.

We accept persons who have completed a master's degree program, who want to do more advanced research, and who, while being active in society, intend to further improve their research abilities and acquire a doctoral degree. Specifically, we select persons from Japan or overseas who major in information science and have completed their master’s degree and full-fledged members of society who want to acquire a doctoral degree. The entrance examination for the doctoral program is a specialized exam that is conducted in English or Japanese. It consists of both a written and oral test. For each course of study, it tests the basic skills in the areas of specialization for which the candidate will receive research guidance.

Diploma Policies

Graduate School of Information Science’s Policies on Awarding Diplomas

The Graduate School of Information Science and Technology contributes to the development of society under the four basic principles of Hokkaido University (frontier spirit, global perspectives, all-round education, and practical learning.) Our ideals of education and research are to develop a global, knowledge-based society. By creating and adopting the principles of information science, our educational objective is to train engineers who have a broad and deep knowledge of this field, as well as an international sense, and so cultivate highly creative scientists who can stand on their own and carry out significant research and development.

In the Graduate School of Information Science, the specific abilities (standards for the awarding of degrees) required of these target Human Resources are determined in the master's and doctoral programs. Those candidates who acquire the requisite abilities, earn the required credits, and pass the test and thesis examination will receive a master's or doctoral degree.

Master’s Program of the Graduate School of Information Science

We will confer a master's degree in information science on those candidates who have a wide basic knowledge of information science, have developed advanced expertise in each course, have acquired practical skills based on this specialist knowledge, and have the ability as leaders to bring about technological innovation. In addition, these candidates should have a broad vision and proactive approach to succeed internationally, and they should have a high sense of ethics as engineers in the information sciences.

Doctoral Program of the Graduate School of Information Science

We will grant doctoral degrees to persons who have the abilities as frontier leaders to substantially develop new areas of research, as a result of their basic knowledge in broad areas focused on information science; their attainment of specialist knowledge that meets global standards in each of their courses; and based on these, their ability to discover problems and solve them. In addition, we expect the recipient of a doctoral degree to have the ability to collect, analyze, and communicate information needed to carry out international projects, to demonstrate leadership and management skills, and to have a strong ethical awareness of their role as an educator, researcher, and engineer who provides instruction and guidance to students.

We will award a doctorate in information science to those who mainly study in the information science field and related areas, and we will award a doctorate in engineering to those who mainly study in the engineering field and related areas.