2016 Applicant Guidelines for Doctoral Programs(PhD) of Graduate School of Information Science, Nagoya
University (October admission)
Important Notice: The Japanese version of the Applicant Guidelines for the Doctoral Programs of the
Graduate School of Information Science, Nagoya University serves as the official guidebook. This English
translation is provided only for the applicants’ convenience. All notations should be understood as Japanesetime, currency, regulations, organizations and so on, unless otherwise specified.
The Graduate School of Information Science invites applicants for admission to the doctoral programs (PhD)
for enrollment starting October 2016, in accordance with the following guidelines.

1. Application Eligibility
Persons who fall under one of the following criteria:(1) Persons to whom a master's degree or a professional degree has been granted or is scheduled to be
granted by September 30, 2016.
(2) Persons to whom a degree equivalent to a master's degree or a professional degree has been granted ina foreign country by September 30, 2016.
(3) Persons who have taken courses offered in Japan from a foreign school via distance education towhom a degree equivalent to a master's degree or a professional degree has been granted or isscheduled to be granted by September 30, 2016.
(4) Persons who have completed a course of study in Japan offered at an educational institution under theschooling system of a foreign country offering graduate school programs and designated separately by
the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, to whom a degree equivalent to amaster's degree or a professional degree has been granted.
(5) Persons designated by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (TheMinistry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture Public Notice No. 118 of 1989).
Persons applying under Application Eligibility criterion (5) must refer to Page 6, "ForApplicants Applying under Eligibility Criterion (5)".
(6) Persons who will be at least 24 years of age by September 30, 2016 and are recognized by the
Graduate School of Information Science through individual screening of eligibility for admission as
having scholastic ability equivalent to or higher than that of persons who have a master's degree or aprofessional degree.
Persons applying under Application Eligibility criterion (6) must refer to Page 7, "ForApplicants Applying under Eligibility Criterion (6)".
2. Number of Candidates to Be Admitted
Dept. of Computer Science and Mathematical Informatics
Dept. of Information Engineering
Dept. of Media Science
Dept. of Complex Systems Science
Dept. of Systems and Social Informatics

Few
Few
Few
Few
Few

3. Application Period
Applications will be accepted from July 1 (Friday), 2016 to July 7 (Thursday), 2016 (excluding Saturdays,
Sundays, and holidays.)Reception time is from 9:00am - 4:00pm (excluding 12:00pm – 1:00pm)-1-

4. Application Documents
The following documents must be submitted by all applicants:(1) Application Form (Form1)(2) Examination Form (Form prescribed by the Graduate School), Photograph Form (filled in using form
prescribed by the Graduate School)(3) Statement of Reasons for Application (Form2)(4) CV (Form3)(5) Two Self-Addressed Return Envelopes (one to receive the examination card, one to receive
notification of results from the Graduate School) Note that the return envelope to receive theexamination card must have a 242 yen stamp affixed (for overseas addresses/places of receipt, enclosea sufficient International Reply Coupon (IRC) to cover the required return postage with thesubmission).
(6) Two Address Labels (filled in using form prescribed by the Graduate School)(7) Master's Degree Diploma or document certifying prospective conferral of Master's Degree (must be
issued by University attended)(8) Academic Transcript (must be issued by last university attended)(9) Application Fee of 30,000 yen
The applicant will not be required to pay the application fee if he/she falls under either of thefollowing categories: The applicant wishes to advance to the Doctoral Program (PhD Program) at theGraduate School of Information Science directly after the completion of a Doctoral Program MasterCourse at a Graduate School of Nagoya University; or the applicant is a Government (MEXT)sponsored scholar.
* Please fill in the "Application Fee Payment Form" and make the payment with cash at a post officecustomer service counter (do not pay via an ATM). Note that payment by cash at the Graduate
School or postal money orders will not be accepted.
Payment processing will begin at post offices on Monday, June 20 2016.
Applicants residing overseas who find payment via post office difficult should consult with the
Graduate School.
* Applicants must enter their own name in the "payer" field'' on the following documents:
A. Payment Handling Form - "Haraikomi toriatsukai hyo"
B. Bank Transfer Payment Invoice/Receipt - "Furikae haraikomi seikyusho ken juryosho"
C. Certificate of Bank Transfer Payment Received (application fee payment receipt) – "Furikae
haraikomi uketsuke shomeisho"* The applicant must pay the bank transfer fee.
* After making the payment, the applicant must affix "C. Certificate of Bank Transfer Payment
Received (application fee payment receipt)" with a receipt stamp on it to the Application Form in
the indicated position.
* The applicant must retain "B. Bank Transfer Payment Invoice/Receipt" for his/her record.
<Note> Under no circumstances will the application fee be returned or refunded following receipt of
the application documents at the Graduate School.
However, application fees received will be returned or refunded in one of the following situations
applies:i. If, after paying the application fee, no application is submitted, or the application is not
accepted for submission.
ii. If the application fee is paid twice.
In these cases, please contact the Graduate School Section, Graduate School of Information Science by
Friday, July 29.
(10) Master's Thesis (one thesis; a copy is acceptable), Summary of the Master's Thesis
Applicants who have completed a master's program with ABT/ABD (completed All But
Thesis/Dissertation) status must submit an academic paper, etc. which serves as a substitute for thethesis.
Applicants whose Master's degree is scheduled to be granted by September 30, 2016 are not required toprovide a master's thesis, but are required to submit a summary of their master's thesis (One copy);
The thesis summary may be submitted using the form distributed by the Graduate School, or in any
other printed format. Multiple pages may be added as needed.
-2-Additional Reference Documents that may be submitted(1) If there are other documents/materials that indicate the applicant's research ability other than a master's
thesis, it is desirable to submit one copy of each document and, as needed, a summary of each.
(2) International students who have taken the Japanese Language Proficiency Test must submit acertificate indicating that they have passed the test, or official notification of their test results.
If a copy is submitted with the application, applicants must write “No discrepancies from theoriginal” on the copy, then sign and seal it with inkan, if available.
(3) Applicants who have been certified with or have taken an English language proficiency test (STEP,TOEIC, TOEFL, etc.) must submit a copy of a certificate indicating that they have passed the test, or
an official, written notification of their test results.
If a copy is submitted with application, applicants must write “No discrepancies from the original”
on the copy and sign and seal with inkan if available.
The following documents must be submitted only if applicable:(1) Applicants who are foreign nationals residing in Japan must submit a copy of their Resident Register(Certificate of Residence) or Certificate of Items Stated in Resident Register issued by the head of thecity, town, or village of residence to indicate
resident status.
(2) For applicants currently employed by a government agency, company or organization, etc. who intend
to continue such employment after enrolling in the Graduate School, a document indicating that they
have approval for applying for admission (no prescribed form).
(3)Applicants who are currently government (MEXT)-sponsored scholars must submit acertificate to this effect issued by the university they are currently attending.

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5. Application Procedure
Applicants should prepare the application documents, place them in the envelope distributed by the Graduate
School, and either hand in or mail them to the Graduate School Section, Graduate School of Information
Science.
Important points(1) When submitting application documents in person, applicants must deliver the
documents themselves.
(2) When submitting application documents by mail, they must be sent by registered mail to arrive no later
than 4:00pm on Thursday, July 7, 2016, to the Graduate School Section, Graduate School ofInformation Science.
(3) An Examination Form will be mailed to the applicant. Contact the Graduate School Section, Graduate
School of Information Science if the Examination Forms do not arrive a week prior to the examination.
(4) Be aware that application documents not filled correctly, completely and as per the instructions will
not be accepted.
(5) Application documents cannot be altered or replaced after submission. The application fee will not be
returned or refunded.
6. Selection Method(1) Successful applicants will be selected on the basis of the overall evaluation of application documents
submitted and Oral Exam results.
(2) Schedules for the Oral Exams are as specified in the table below. Applicants with special
circumstances must consult with the Graduate School prior to application submission.
(3) The locations of the Oral Exams will be posted at the first-floor entrance to the Liberal Arts andSciences Building A (see the Nagoya University Higashiyama Campus map) on the date of theexamination.
(4) Applicants must arrive at the examination locations at least 30 minutes before the examination start
time and follow the instructions of the clerk in charge.
Oral Exam
The Oral Exam is comprised of an approximately 20-minute presentation on the master's thesis or thesubstitute academic paper and the research plan for the doctoral program (Final Three-Year Program),followed by questions and answers on the presentation and an interview covering the specialized field ofstudy.
Department
Date
Time
Computer Science and Mathematical Informatics

August 4 (Thu.)

9:30 -

Information Engineering

August 4 (Thu.)

9:30 -Media Science

August 4 (Thu.)

9:30 -

Complex Systems Science

August 4 (Thu.)

9:30 -

Systems and Social Informatics

August 4 (Thu.)

9:30 -

Note: * A PC projector will be available and may be used when giving the presentation. However, theapplicant is responsible for bringing a PC that can be connected to the projector.

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7. Announcement of Results
Results will be posted at the entrance to the Graduate School of Information Science Building on Friday,
August 12, 2016 at 12:00pm.
In addition, applicants will be notified of the results (pass or fail) by mail.
Results will also be posted online. However, because this is a preliminary posting for the convenience of
examinees, results should be confirmed and verified by checking the results posted at the entrance of the
Graduate School of Information Science building or the mailed announcements.
8. Admission/Enrollment Procedures
Successful applicants will be notified of admission/enrollment procedures in early September 2016.
Admission/enrollment procedures will take place in late September 2016.
9. Enrollment and Tuition Fees
(1) Enrollment fee: 282,000yen(2) Tuition fees: 267,900 yen per semester (535,800 yen per year)
Note 1: The enrollment fee will be collected at the time of enrollment. Tuition fees are divided into
two installments, one for the first semester and one for the second semester. First semester
tuition must be paid in April, and second semester tuition must be paid in October;however, in the first year of enrollment, first semester tuition must be paid in May.
Note 2: If the tuition fees are revised at the time of or after enrollment to the University, the newfees after revision will be applied from the time of revision.
10. Other Important Points(1) Please inquire in advance if you are unclear about anything related to application eligibility,
application documents or selection methods.
(2) Applicants with special needs who require special support in undergoing the selection/examination
process should consult the Graduate School of Information Science in advance before Friday, June 3,
2016.
(3) Applicants must, prior to application submission, contact or consult with their desired advisors inadvance, to decide a desired research group(s)/advisor(s) with whom they will work for their doctoral
research.
(4) For details of research activities of professors, visit our website below.
http://www.is.nagoya-u.ac.jp(5) Nagoya University enforces regulations on the entry of vehicles to campuses. Please use public
transportation when taking examinations.
(6) Personal information including names, addresses, and dates of birth of applicants will only be used foradmission and selection procedures, announcement of results, admission/enrollment procedures andtheir related matters. Personal information obtained from applicants will be properly managed and will
not be used for other purposes.
* Notification of emergency information
In the event of changes in the examination procedure, schedule or selection process due to a natural
disaster or epidemic, etc., information will be posted on our website: http://www.is.nagoya-u.ac.jp/. Be sure
to check this site, especially before submitting applications, or before the examinations.

Graduate School Students Affairs Section
Graduate School of Information Science, Nagoya University
Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture464-8601
Tel. +81-52-789-4722
Fax: +81-52-789-4800
http://www.is.nagoya-u.ac.jp/
E-mail: admission@is.nagoya-u.ac.up-5-

Graduate School of Information Science, Nagoya University- Fundamental Principles of the Graduate School
With the advancement of the Information Age, information, together with materials andenergy, has become an important element of human society. The Nagoya University Graduate
School of Information Science studies Information Science as an academic subject from such
vantage points as Engineering, Natural Science, Computer Science, the Humanities, Social
Sciences, Cognitive Science, and Bioscience. Our aim is to create a new field of scholarship in a
way that lends itself to system development and the integration of fields of study. The
Graduate School aims to contribute to the advancement of culture and to train academic
researchers and highly professional technical experts and educators, by working with students
to engage in in-depth study and research activity that will enable students to grasp academic
theories and applications. Our aim is to enable students to acquire a wealth of academic
knowledge and superior skills needed to pursue careers that require high levels of expertise.
In addition, this Graduate School is not only dedicated to engaging in advanced research ininformation science, it also makes every effort to ensure that students deepen theirunderstanding of social and cultural questions and that they acquire ethical principles and asense of social responsibility. The goal of the Graduate School is to develop human resources
with these qualities. By offering students a comprehensive education as they engage in
research, the School assists students to engage with new challenges in both academia andsociety.
- Graduate School Education
Academic studies of information-related subjects will be of great use in scholarship in various
academic fields, and it can be seen that such studies will contribute to further development indiverse fields. The Graduate School thus seeks to admit students from various schools andfields to engage in studies ranging from the basics of information science to its applications in
an integrated fashion with a high level of scholarship. To do this we engage in the educational
activities outlined below.
1. We offer education enabling students to systematize a wide range of data-basedknowledge.
2. We offer education that gives students the ability to clarify information phenomena in thevarious sciences from necessary perspectives or standpoints.
3. We offer education that enables students to understand social norms and that imparts
proper ethical principles pertaining to technology, engineering, and information handling.
4. Education to acquire skills to understand and analyze social demands.
5. We offer education that helps students develop communication skills and enables them toexpress themselves.
6. We offer education that provides training for students to give them the ability to operate
actual information systems.
In this way, the Graduate School seeks to help students not only learn how to engage incutting-edge research in the information science field; it also endeavors to help themgrasp the social and cultural ramifications of their work. An important goal is theeducation and development of human resources with solid social values and ethicalstandards.
- Admissions Policy
The influence that information science has on scholarship and society is fully understood at Nagoya
University. Accordingly, the Graduate School seeks to recruit students with solid academic foundations andwith a strong desire to excel in theoretical and basic engineering study and research and to acquire solid-6-

skills in the practical applications of information science.

- Degrees
The Doctoral Program (Final Three-Year Program) offered at the Graduate School has specified
requirements for completion that must be met. Students meeting them will be conferred with a doctoral
degree in Information Science. However, when special reasons are recognized, doctoral degrees inEngineering or Arts may also be conferred.

 Outline of Departments
The Graduate School is comprised of five Departments: the Department of Computer Science andMathematical Informatics, Department of Information Engineering, Department of Media Science,
Department of Complex Systems Science, and the Department of Systems and Social Informatics.
The names and contact information of the faculty members of each Department can be found at
http://www.is.nagoya-u.ac.jp/.

-7-1) Department of Computer Science and Mathematical Informatics
The Department of Computer Science and Mathematical Informatics offers education and research
opportunities in the fields of computer science and mathematical informatics, which are the foundations of
the information sciences.
Specifically, the department engages in the study of such subjects as mathematical logic, discrete
mathematics, probability analysis, numerical analysis, calculation volume theory, correspondence theory,code theory, algorithm theory, calculation model theory, program meaning theory, quantum information,
quantum calculation, and optimization.
The research goals of this department include work on the development of information science with a focus
on mathematical models for deeper, richer analyses of structures. Our goals on the education side include
giving our students an opportunity to acquire necessary knowledge of computer science and mathematicalinformatics and the ability to develop and apply concepts in these fields. The department seeks to foster thedevelopment of engineers and researchers who will play central roles in the field of advanced information
science.

2) Department of Information Engineering
This department offers an education in the use of information technology to contribute to a moreconvenient, safer and more comfortable society. We seek to train students to design and build information
systems for diverse purposes, and to be able to make decisions on optimum configurations of hardware
and software for these purposes.
Another department aim is to contribute to further information system development in response to theremarkable advances made in semiconductor integrated circuits technology and information
communications technology.
The advances in semiconductor integrated circuits technology have made astounding developments
possible in integrated systems and miniaturization that have led to new devices and products in homeelectronics and the automotive industry.
In addition, the large-scale information systems that bring data processing devices together in mobile
environments have led to the need for ever-larger software configurations in highly complex systems.
It is against this background that the department engages in education and research activity that can offer
students the opportunity to grasp the techniques and scientific principles needed to design and build stateof-the-art information systems. We wish the engineers and researchers we develop to play leading roles in
the further development of the science of information systems.

3) Department of Media Science
The ability to rapidly and accurately extract and express information sustains a great deal of
human activity in such diverse areas as industry, economics, social activity, education, thearts, medicine, welfare and home life.
Seeking to contribute to further advances in information society, this department, with thestudy of basic science and engineering, cognitive science, and basic media science theory as itscore activity, strives to apply scientific knowledge to systems creation and to the clarificationof human cognitive functions. We expect the engineers and researchers being nurtured in our
department to be future leaders in these endeavors.

-8-4) Department of Complex Systems Science
The complex systems found in nature and in society are networks of multiple elements such as molecules,
neurons, and agents that transmit, convert and store information. They can be viewed as distributed
information systems. A key characteristic of complex systems is how the interaction between theirconstituent elements generates a structured order with dynamic, self-regulating functions that cannot be
anticipated from the characteristics of each single component.
The study of complex systems seeks to develop universal perspectives enabling us to see the processes ofself-organization in these structures and functions as information system processes.
Theories, experiments and calculations are combined to reveal the universal principles that are hidden
among a diverse range of subject matter, and to develop applied technologies.
This department engages in education and research activity to develop innovative calculation methods
need to analyze complex systems. Rather than conventional element reduction methods, we seek to createmodel systems that will enable us to understand complex systems and the development of structural
theories.
In addition, the department seeks to develop information system designs and distribution methodologies
based on the processes of self-organization of distributed elements. The aim is to train engineers withsuperior conceptual capabilities, engineers who can develop new ideas in this area of science.

5) Department of Systems and Social Informatics
The department engages in education and research activity in an attempt to yield further advances in
information technology, in order to bring to the advancing information society new perspectives andintegrated processes for the study of real-world physical objects and phenomena and of theoreticalsubjects in the virtual world. The department employs an integrated approach to the study ofenvironmental, structural and functional phenomena.
The aim of the department's education and research activity is to make a contribution, through theapplication of information technology, to the establishment of new paradigms and models to open up more
space for creative activity supported by human wisdom and creativity. The overall aim is to contribute to
the creation of knowledge-based social systems and social environments through the use of information
technology applied to the evaluation of a range of diverse issues.
From the standpoint of contributing to the development of human resources and helping students acquire
the skills and knowledge needed to meet the challenges of the information age, the department provides
instruction and guidance in such areas as data processing, information engineering, development andapplications, the design of functions for social information systems, database creation and development
for social information environments, and user interfaces. Its overall goal is to develop and deploy capable
graduates who will serve as the seeds of further social progress.

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