Degree Application Guide(Master’s Program)for AY 2024

Master’s Program in Informatics
Degree Programs in Comprehensive Human Sciences
Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences

University of Tsukuba
April 2024

Completion Schedule of Master's Program in Informatics
Schedule(Completion in September
2024)

Schedule(Completion in March 2025)

Subject

Deliberation
Review
committee committee

Submissions, etc.

2023/12/7(Thu)2024/7/18(Thu)Interim presentation

The program will be published by a week before thepresentation.

around December

around August

Submission of theCompetence
Evaluation Chart[Submit the Competence Evaluation Chart on manaba]
Fill in the chart (the part of "At the time of interimpresentation") and submit on manaba.

2024/4/22(Mon) 9:002024/4/24(Wed) 12:00

2024/11/18(Mon) 9:002024/11/20(Wed) 12:00

Submission of the PDF file ofThesis Title Registration onmanaba[Submit the PDF on manaba.]
Thesis Title Registration
・Sign on it, scan, and sibmit the PDF file on manaba.
・The title should be the same language as the thesis.
[Register the thesis title on manaba]* The title must be identical with the one on the form ofThesis Title Registration (PDF).

around May

around December

Submission of theCompetence
Evaluation Chart[Submit the Competence Evaluation Chart on manaba]
Fill in the chart (all) and submit on manaba. The course
is different from that for thesis submission.

2024/6/3(Mon) 9:002024/6/5(Wed) 12:00

2024/12/16(Mon) 9:002024/12/20(Fri) 12:00

Submission of the PDF files andregistration of the thesis title onthe manaba[Submit the PDF on manaba.]①Application for Master's thesis review②Thesis③Abstract④Author bibliography⑤Curriculum vitae⑥Statement of Research Ethics⑦Screenshot of output of iThenticate*the screen displaying title page of the thesis and total
parcentage⑧Ethical Reviw Report⑨Letter of Consent *If necessary⑩Registration of Degree Thesis to the Digital Library
System (Tsukuba Repository)
Sign on ①④⑤⑥⑧⑨⑩, scan, and sibmit the PDF fileon manaba.
[Register the thesis title on manaba]* The thesis title you registered before can be updated.
* The thesis title must be registered again even if noupdate.
* The registered thesis title must be identical with theone on the thesis PDF.
* Register English or Japanese translatated thesis title
on manaba separatedly.

2024/6/20(Thu)2025/1/16(Thu)

Final presentation for Master'sdegree2024/7/1(Mon) 9:0017:00

2025/1/27(Mon) 9:0017:00(Only when the committee
pointed out)
Submission of "Modified Thesis
Title Registration" andregistration of the modified thesis
title on manaba

Master'sThesis
ReviewCommittee

The program will be published by a week before thepresentation.
Only when the committee pointed out, "Modified Thesis
Title Registration" must be submitted and the modified
thesis title must be registered on the manaba. Besides,
resubmit "Resistration of Degree Thesis to the Digital
Library Systrm".
*Changes in the title will be reflected in the Tsukuba
Repository, but not as the title of the official master'sthesis.

2024/6/21(Fri) 9:002024/7/3(Wed) 17:00

2025/1/17(Fri) 9:002025/1/29(Wed) 17:00

Modification of the thesis andabstract

Modify the thesis and Abstract based on the suggestions
from the thesis review committee, receive confirmationfrom the supervisor, and submit the PDF to manaba. In
conjunction with the revision of the thesis, the following
documents must be resubmitted if deemed necessary by
the chef examiner of thesis review committee. (Fordetails, please refer to the following guide.)・Statement of Research Ethics
・Ethical Reviw Report

2024/7/26(Fri)2025/2/21(Fri)Steering
Judgement of Master's thesis
review and deliberation of degree Committee
conferment

2024/9/25(Wed)2025/3/25(Tue)Commencement ceremony

2025/92026/3Publish Master's theses openly on
Tsukuba Repository

Degree Application Guide (Master’s Program)
For the application of a master’s thesis review (including the final examination; hereinafterreferred to as the “thesis review”), follow the instructions below. If a false application orplagiarism is discovered, the thesis review may be suspended if before the degree is conferred,or the degree or completion may be revoked if after the degree is conferred. Both false
application and plagiarism will result in disciplinary action.
1.

Master’s degree(1) Diploma policy
The degree is given to an individual who completes the purpose of the course which isdefined in the Regulations of the Graduate School of the University of Tsukuba, and iscertificated as possessing ability in the field of Informatics. The given master’s degree is theMaster of Science in Informatics.

(2) Prerequisites for applying for the thesis review
Students at the Master’s Program in Informatics (hereinafter referred to as the “Master’sProgram”) need to fulfill all the requirements below to undergo the thesis review.
1) Students who have enrolled or are expected to enroll in the Master’s Program for two years
or longer (in case of Early completion, for one year) up to the degree conferment
2) Students who have acquired or are expected to acquire 30 credits or more in theCompletion requirements of the Master’s Program3) Students who have received research guidance from their Academic advisors, have made ainterim presentation, and have obtained approval from their main academic advisors toapply for review of their thesis.
4) Students who have been confirmed as having achieved or expected to achieve thecompetence by their academic advisors
5) Students who have submitted the form of Thesis Title Registration (form code:情－修１)*Requirement for Interim Presentation
1. Student who have enrolled in Master’s Program for one year or longer.
2. Students who have completed INFOSS and eAPRIN.
(eAPRIN is not necessarily required for students enrolling before the 2021 academic year.)*Application of Early Completion
Early completion in one year is possible for those who have made outstanding researchachievements. Students who want to complete their studies early should apply to the to theGraduate Academic Affairs Section and their academic advisor prior to enrollment. After
receiving approval from the academic advisor, the student must submit a "Notification ofEarly Completion" form to the Graduate Academic Affairs Section within one week of theregistration deadline for courses starting in the Spring A module (in case of Octoberenrollments, Fall A module). The Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences
judges if the application for early completion is approved or not.
If the student has not made an interim presentation, had a paper accepted, or applied
for master’s thesis review by the prescribed deadline, the student will be transferred to the1regular completion process.

(3) Applying for the thesis review
Students who wish to undergo the thesis review need to formally apply by submitting thedocuments below to the Executive Dean, Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Scienceson the designated dates.
＊Follow the “Thesis preparation rules” after page 4 when writing the thesis.
① Application for master's thesis review (form code: 情－修２)② Master’s thesis and thesis abstract③ Author bibliography（form code: 情－修３）④ Curriculum vitae（form code: 情－修４）⑤ Statement of Research Ethics（form code: 情－修５ or 情－修５英）⑥ Output of iThenticate＊The page showing the title page of the thesis and the total percentages⑦ Ethics review report (form code: 情－修６)⑧ Letters of Consent（form code:情－修７ or 情－修７英） ＊If necessary⑨ Registration of Degree Thesis to the Digital Library System⑩ Competence Evaluation Chart＊Submit to a different manaba course than the one for thesis submission.

(4) Basic requirements for the thesis
1) The dissertation must be a single-authored work, written in either Japanese or English.
2) The thesis must be based on research conducted independently by the degree applicant andmust present scholarly conclusions.
3) If the dissertation is based on a “co-authored paper”, the applicant's contribution should beused. The term "co-authored paper" here refers to a paper that has been published or isscheduled to be published (including in the process of submission) in a journal, etc. as theprincipal author. It does not matter whether it is peer-reviewed or not. When writing part ofa dissertation using a co-authored papers, permission for use must be obtained from allco-authors by form of Letters of Consent（form code:情－修７ or 情－修７英）.

(5) Thesis evaluation criteria
1) Significance of the research theme
2) Grasping and understanding of prior research3) Validity of the research method
4) Conclusions and the validity of the logic leading to them5) Adequacy of style and organization
6) Appropriate citation of documents and materials(6) Thesis review process
A Master’s Thesis Review Committee, assembled for each thesis, examines the contents of themaster’s thesis, open thesis presentation, and final examination.

21) The Master’s Thesis Review Committee is formed by three or more faculty members
including main and secondary academic advisors.
2) The final presentation must be made open to the public. The duration is about 30 minutes,including Q&A.
3) The final examination takes place orally or in writing about the thesis and related subjects.
The open thesis presentation can serve as an oral examination.

(7) Conferment of the degree
The master's degree is conferred on those who have been enrolled in the Master’s Program for
two years or longer (in case of Early completion, for one year), have acquired 30 or more credits in
the Completion requirements, and are considered eligible by the thesis review.

(8) Publication of the master’s thesis and its abstract
The master’s thesis of those who are conferred the degree will be published openly in theTsukuba Repository one year after the day of conferment. The master’s thesis abstract will be
published on the Program Web page.

2.

Precautions(1) On the Statement of Research Ethics
The applicant has to check no plagiarism is included in the thesis. In addition, theapplicant has to use the plagiarism checking tool “iThenticate” in collaboration with the main
academic advisor and submit the Statement of Research Ethics with the signature of applicant.
"iThenticate" should be requested well in advance, as it will be conducted by the main academicadvisor.

(2) On the modification of the thesis
If needed, modify the thesis based on the indication of Thesis Review Committee andconfirmed by the Academic advisors, and resubmit it on the designated dates. Use iThenticate
again and also resubmit the Statement of Research Ethics. (The resubmission is unnecessary if
the modification is minor. The judgement of resubmission is made by the chief examiner ofMaster’s Thesis Review Committee.)Resubmit the Ethics review report as well if it needs to be revised due to modifications such as
excluding some research or experimental results. (The judgement of resubmission is made bythe chief examiner of Master’s Thesis Review Committee.)

3Thesis preparation rules
Those who wish to apply for the thesis review must prepare the necessary documents,
following the rules below.
1. Master’s thesis
1) The master's thesis must be on A4 portrait format, written in Japanese or English.
2) Structure of the thesis
The master’s thesis should be comprised of the following (items with an asterisk are notmandatory):① Title page: It must be prepared following the instruction for the title page
② Abstract③ Table of contents④ List of figures*⑤ Body of thesis (including conclusion)⑥ Acknowledgement*⑦ Bibliography⑧ Appendices*3)If the dissertation is to include content approved by ethical review, clearly state in afootnote to the body of thesis or elsewhere that the approval has been obtained.
(Example)
User experiments on ~.
Footnote {University of Tsukuba Library, Information and Media Sciences Ethics Review
Notice (Approval) No. xx-xx} was made.

2. Abstract
The abstract of the master’s thesis must be prepared following the instruction for theabstract. The abstract should not include any reference.
*For Thesis written in Japanese
Write the title in both Japanese and English on the page of Abstract.
The name should be as registered in TWINS (“Name” and “Name(alphabet)”).
Write the body of abstract in Japanese. You can add the body in English.
*For Thesis written in English
Write the title in English on the page of Abstract.
The name should be as registered in TWINS ( “Name(alphabet)”).
Write the body of abstract in English.

43. PDF file specifications
For preparing PDF by Adobe Acrobat, follow the settings below. If using other software, try touse similar corresponding settings. Open the Adobe PDF setting window from the “Print”
menu (Figure 1).
・Default Settings: High Quality Print
・Adobe PDF Security: None
・Adobe PDF Page Size: A4・Add document information: Off・Rely on system fonts only, do not use documents fonts: OffFigure 1. Property setting

5Instruction for the title page (Thesis written in English)

Title(20 points, centered)Name(16 points, centered, name should be as registered on TWINS)

Master’s Program in Informatics
Degree Programs in Comprehensive Human Sciences
Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences
University of TsukubaMonth YYYY
(16 points, centered, the month of completion)

6Instruction for the title page (Thesis written in Japanese)

論文題目(20 points, centered)筑波大学
人間総合科学学術院人間総合科学研究群
情報学学位プログラム
２０ＸＸ年Ｘ月
氏

名(16 points, centered, the month of completion, name should be as registered on TWINS)

7

Instruction for the abstract (Thesis written in English)

Head margin: 35 mmTitle(Title in Einglish, 14 points, centered)(Hereafter 10.5 points)
Name: Tsukuba Taro(Name should be as registered on TWINS)

Left margin：
30 mm

This is an example of the abstract of a thesis for the Master’sProgramin Informatics, University of Tsukuba. The text size is 10.5points.＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊(The abstract should not include any reference.)
This example is to show how a thesis abstract should appear.

Right margin：
30 mm

Main Academic Advisor: Ichiro DAIGAKU
Secondary Academic Advisor: Hanako SHIHO

Bottom margin: 35 mm

Within one page8

Instruction for the abstract (Thesis written in Japanese)

Head margin: 35 mm

論文題目Title( Title in Japanese and English, 14 points, centered)(Hereafter 10.5 points)(Name should be as registered on TWINS)氏名：筑波(Name should be as registered on TWINS)

Left margin：
30 mm

太郎
Tsukuba Taro

この文書は、筑波大学大学院情報学学位プログラムの論文概要のサンプルである。文字のサイズは 10.5 ポイントとする。＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊
このサンプルは同じような書式にするために提供している。
（参考文献は書かない）

Right margin：
30 mm(English translations may be added.)This is an example of theabstract of a thesis for the Master’s Program in Informatics,
University of Tsukuba.＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

主研究指導教員：大学
副研究指導教員：紫峰一郎
花子

Bottom margin: 35 mm

Within one page9