Guide to
Graduate School
Learning
2024 Academic Year

Design Your Own Learning with

Osaka Universityʼs
Graduate Education
SystemTo graduate students
starting their studies

Contemporary societies are facing complex
and increasingly diverse issues, such as those
identiﬁed in the SDGs. These issues cannot be
solved through unidirectional processes: it isessential to develop advanced capabilities
that enable issues to be tackled from various
angles.
Dramatic changes are also taking place in theform of advancements in AI and othertechnologies alongside the global spread of
infectious diseases. We are said to live in an
era of uncertainty when predictions are
diﬃcult to make.
In these conditions, graduate degree holders
are expected to tackle problems with ﬂexibility and a broad worldview, collaborate withdiverse stakeholders, and leverage coreexpertise as they more broadly and deeply
deploy their graduate school education.
Osaka University has been pursuing reforms
to its graduate education system to enable
students in its graduate schools to devise
their own diverse learning patterns tailoredto the types of expertise they seek to acquire.
The new system is characterized by the ability
for students to select their own study load
and to design their own learning in accordance with their interests.
How you design your learning at graduate
school is up to you. Make use of the widearray of options at Osaka University toenhance your own learning experience.

Design Your Own

Since the 2021 academic year, Osaka University has been promoting the
Double-Wing Academic Architecture (DWAA), an advanced graduate
education system. It is geared toward interdisciplinary and social collab-

Learning withoration, with the aim of nurturing doctoral professionals capable ofgenerating social innovations across a wide range of ﬁelds not limited to

Osaka Universityʼs
Graduate Education

academia.
DWAA is composed of three areas: "Deepening of Knowledge," "Fusionof Knowledge," and "Integration of Knowledge with Society."
In addition to developing expert knowledge, which has been the focus

Systemof conventional graduate school education, one feature of this new
system is expanding education in two new directions predicated on theacquisition of core expertise.
Osaka University has long oﬀered a range of educational programs
oriented toward the "Fusion of Knowledge" and the "Integration of
Knowledge with Society." To provide students with more ﬂexible
choices, these programs have now been reorganized as "Intellectual
Gymnastics Programs" (hereafter "Intellectual Gymnastics").

Direc ted at interdisciplinar y and social collaboration

D o u b l e - W i n g A c a d e m i c A r c h i t e c t u r e ( D WA A )Deepening ofKnowledge
Enhancespecialization

Fusion of Knowledge

Integration of
Knowledge with Society
Resolvesocietal issues

Promoteinterdisciplinary
fusionCore
ExpertiseIntellectual Gymnastics
Deepening of Knowledge
Fusion of Knowledge
Integration of Knowledge with Society

Education to deepen specializations and nurture experts(conventional graduate-level education )Education in integrated areas composed of multiple
disciplines or ﬁelds of research
Education through practical activities that aim to resolve
societal issues

Intellectual Gymnastics Program Listings
Category

※１

C4S

C3

※１

C3S

C2

All※3 orSpeciﬁeddepartments
only

Yes

Graduate Minor
ProgramAllNo
departments※4 (some exceptions)

WISE Programs
Program for
Leading Graduate
Schools
Honors Programfor Graduate
Schools

All※3 orSpeciﬁeddepartments
only

Graduate Programfor Advanced
Interdisciplinary
Studies
Osaka University
International
Certiﬁcate ProgramAll
No
departments※4 (some exceptions)

Graduate ProgramAll
for Advanced
departments※4
Interdisciplinary
Studies※2
Osaka University
International
Certiﬁcate Program
Osaka University
International
Certiﬁcate Program-S
Advanced Liberal
Arts Education etc.

All
departments

Yes

No

Degree Certiﬁcate

WISE ×※5
Leading △◯◯×

WISE ×※5
Leading △Honors ◯WISE ◯
Leading ◯Honors ×

◯

×

◯

×

ー

ー

(some exceptions)

ー

Few

C1

WISE Programs
Program for
Leading Graduate
Schools

IssuedEntry onRegister for individual courses

Total 6
credits or lessProcess

Certiﬁcate

Credits

Total ofbetween
7 and 13credits

Departments

Program Title

Completion

Programs systematically compose of multiple courses

Total 14 ormore credits

Selection

Many

C4

Eligible※１ S (Special) = Programs with special conditions attached (restrictions on students' aﬃliations, selection processes, etc.), or programs
provided as part of JST or MEXT schemes※２ Graduate Program for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies in the C2 category requires at least 5 credits in total.
※３ The Cross-Boundary Innovation Program is open to all graduate schools except Osaka University Law School.
※４ Some subjects have restrictions on eligible departments.

※５ Coursework completion certiﬁcates are provided for Program for Leading Graduate Schools, but you need to complete yourgraduate school course of study in order to complete the program fully.

Design your own program tailored to your interests and workload
I want to study new ﬁelds in depth,

WISE Programs, Program for Leading Graduate

in addition to delving deeper into

Schools, Honors Program for Graduate Schools,

my own specialization

Graduate Minor Program, etc.

I want to select courses that utilize
my expertise from among a varied

Graduate Program for Advanced

course menu, and organize myInterdisciplinary Studies, etc.

learning systematically

I want to pick and choose courses
in line with my interests

Advanced Liberal Arts Education, etc.

Program Details
WISE Programs(Doctoral Program for World-leading Innovative & Smart Education)

Category

C4S / C3S

These are ﬁve-year integrated doctoral programs designed to foster doctoral professionals capable of tackling social issues
and powering innovation in society, as well as playing leading roles in the creation and application of new knowledge andgenerating values for a new era. Those completing the program will have their completion recorded on their degree certiﬁcates when they complete the doctoral program in their aﬃliated graduate school.

Transdisciplinary
Program for
Biomedical
Entrepreneurshipand Innovation

Multidisciplinary
PhD Program for
Pioneering Quantum
Beam Application

An educational system based on industry-government-academia collaboration provides a platform that fosters doctoral professionals equippedwith a comprehensive perspective on the biomedical sciences, criticalresearch skills to achieve world-leading, cutting-edge advances in basic
research, and the competence to translate oneʼs own research ﬁndings
rapidly and eﬀectively into tangible solutions that our society needs.
Through a collaborative curriculum with top research institutions andcorporations within and outside Japan, this programʼs objective is to train
people capable of social implementation of innovative quantum beam
application technologies to create a safe and super-smart society with
abundance, health, and longevity.

Curriculum

How to Enroll

5-year integrated curriculum

Must apply and be selected to

Systematic arrangement of multiple subjects

participate(check speciﬁc programs for required number ofSome programs are limited tocredits)

speciﬁc graduate schools anddepartments

i-TGP website(in Japanese)Category

Program for Leading Graduate Schools

C4S / C3S

These are ﬁve-year integrated※ educational programs designed to cultivate leaders to take a wide variety of global roles inindustry, academia, and government. Program completion is recorded on your degree certiﬁcate once you have satisﬁed
the program conditions and successfully completed doctoral studies in your graduate school.
※ Some programs oﬀer study patterns other than the ﬁve-year integrated model.

This program aims to cultivate leaders who will have the ﬁrst-rate creative
Cross-Boundary
Innovation Programand practical skills to cross boundaries and to generate the innovationthat can foster change. These new-generation graduates will achieve this"Cross-Boundary Innovation" by transforming their way of thinking andgoing beyond the shells of their specializations.

Interactive
Materials Science
Cadet Program

The IMSC Program aims to train program students as "Cadets for Materials
Science" who will drive innovations in materials science research anddevelopment in a wide range of sectors spanning industry, government,
and academia.
This program aims to cultivate outstanding leaders via intensive interdis-

Humanware

ciplinary studies (Seido Jukugi: in-depth discussion) to foster leaders who

Innovation

can construct ﬂexible, robust, and sustainable systems that support an

Programever-changing social environment by introducing an entirely new

Interdisciplinary

concept: humanware.
This program aims to foster the next generation of leaders with acomprehensive understanding of integrated biomedical systems, theProgram forability to pursue interdisciplinary research in life science ﬁelds, play active

Biomedical Sciences

global roles in industry, academia, and government, and develop new
therapies to conquer intractable diseases.

Students selected from both humanities/social science and naturalscience graduate schools come together in this program not only toDoctoral Program

deepen their expert knowledge in their ﬁelds of specialization but also tofor Multiculturaldevelop into researchers and practitioners equipped with the knowl-

Innovation

edge, skills, attitudes, and initiative to propose and implement concretemodels for new forms of coexistence oriented to a shared future, basedon the concept of “respect” informed by profound understanding ofothers.

※ From the 2020 academic year, the program is accepting new applications as an accredited study program of the Graduate School of Human Sciences

Curriculum

How to Enroll

5-year integrated curriculum

Must apply and be selected to

Systematic arrangement of multiple subjects; atparticipate

least 14 credits (check each program for total

Some programs are limited tocredit requirements)

speciﬁc graduate schools and※ Some programs oﬀer study patterns other than theﬁve-year integrated model※ The Doctoral Program for Multicultural Innovation is
accepting new applications as an accredited study programof the Graduate School of Human Sciences

departments

i-TGP website(in Japanese)

Honors Program for Graduate Schools

Category

C3S

The Honors Program for Graduate Schools consists of two programs in the areas of science, engineering, and informatics aswell as the humanities and social sciences. The objective of both programs is to provide students an opportunity to pursue
their chosen ﬁeld of interest, broaden their perspectives, and enable them to contribute to new or diﬀerent ﬁelds of study.
Both programs are comprised of units, one of which can be selected by students.

Honors Programfor Graduate Schoolsin Science,
Engineering,and Informatics

This program is designed for students not only to develop strong
research interest in their own scientiﬁc ﬁeld, but also to develop multidisciplinary insight and acquire the ability to delve into diﬀerent ﬁelds andnew possibilities. Students select from one of the ten units available in
the program, and take special subjects oﬀered or designated by the
program in addition to the curricular subjects in their own graduate
school and department.
Electronics and Informatics
Research Unit

Social Design Research Unit

Life Science Research Unit

Materials Science Research
Unit

Photonics Research Unit
Fundamental & Astro Physics
Research Unit
Environmental Materials &Joining Design Research Unit

Curriculum

Mechanics Unit

Humanware Research Unit
Pioneering Quantum Beam
Application Research Unit

How to Enroll

Four-year curriculum oﬀered from 2nd year of themaster course (can also be taken over the three
years of the doctorʼs course.)
Systematic arrangement of multiple subjects(minimum of 7 and maximum of 13 credits intotal)

Must apply and be selected toparticipate
Some units are limited to
speciﬁc graduate schools anddepartments※ Some units are operated as separate programs

Honors Programfor Graduate Schoolsin Humanities
and Social Sciences

Honors Program for
Graduate Schools in
Science, Engineering,and Informatics website

This program is designed for students to learn about knowledge in diﬀerent ﬁelds of the humanities and social sciences in addition to their
specialization and/or about applying the humanities and social sciencesin society while deepening their studies in their ﬁelds of specialization.
Thus, the program will foster doctoral professionals who have gainedadvanced convergence and practical knowledge that cannot be
obtained by studying only their ﬁeld of specialization. Students canselect one of two units available in the program.
Global Japanese Studies Unit

Curriculum
3-year PhD curriculum
Systematic arrangement of multiple subjects(minimum of 7 and maximum of 13 credits intotal)

Social Science Co-Creation Unit

How to Enroll
Must apply and be selected toparticipate

Honors Program for
Graduate Schools in
Humanities andSocial Sciences website

Graduate Minor Program / Graduate Program for Advanced
Interdisciplinary Studies

Category

C4 ~ C2The Graduate Minor Program and Graduate Program for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies are educational programs inwhich subjects are systematically organized according to certain academic themes for students to eﬀectively acquire multifaceted and comprehensive perspectives. In either program, students will be able to proactively take subjects that they areinterested in, allowing them to explore the latest issues in the real world and academia while working with academic staﬀ
and students from diﬀerent disciplines. Students will be awarded a certiﬁcate of completion for the program when astudent satisﬁes the requirements speciﬁed for the program. The number of programs oﬀered varies from year to year: inthe 2024 academic year there are 23 Graduate Minor Programs and 47 Graduate Programs for Advanced Disciplinary
Studies. The most up-to-date information is available on the website of the Institute for Transdisciplinary Graduate Degree
Programs (i-TGP).

Curriculum

How to Enroll
Submit a request andGraduate Minor Program
Systematic arrangement of multiple subjects (totalof 14 or more credits)
Graduate Program for Advanced Interdisciplinary
Studies
Systematic arrangement of multiple subjects(for C3, minimum of 7 and maximum of 13 credits
in total; for C2, minimum of 5 and maximum of 6
credits in total)

register in the applicablesubject(s)※ Some programs have a selection
procedurei-TGP website(in Japanese)

Osaka University International Certiﬁcate Program
Osaka University International Certiﬁcate Program-S

Category

C3 / C2OUICPThis is a hybrid education program composed of online subjects and Practical Study Abroad courses international ﬁeldwork
subjects utilizing Osaka Universityʼs ASEAN campuses.
In the 10-month program, students participate in a short study at an international institution that houses an ASEAN campus
and receive a certiﬁcate of completion upon satisfying the requirements (earning between 6 and 8 credits). The number ofprograms oﬀered varies from year to year: for the 2024 academic year, there are 4 planned programs.
OUICP-S
This is an educational program that aims to nurture highly skilled global talent that will lead a co-creative knowledge-basedsociety and achieve high-quality growth in the ASEAN region.
These programs are oﬀered for one to six months, depending on the program, with at least seven days of overseas practicaltraining at Osaka Universityʼs ASEAN campuses. A completion certiﬁcate is conferred on students who have met thecompletion requirements (to earn two to six credits). (For the 2024 academic year, there are 3 planned programs.)

Curriculum
OUICP: Systematic arrangement of multiple
courses (minimum of 6 and maximum of 8
credits in total)
OUICP-S: Systematic arrangement of multiple
courses (minimum of 2 and maximum of 6
credits in total)

How to Enroll
Must apply and undergo aselection based on submitted

Proﬁle page on
the Osaka University
websiteAdvanced Liberal Arts Education

Category

C1

Advanced Liberal Arts Education are subjects designed for students in higher year levels and located within the “Liberal
Arts” category, one of the three pillars of Osaka Universityʼs education system. Osaka University aims to cultivate “multifaceted and comprehensive viewpoints” which can be acquired from learning outside professional education and “high-level
capability” to solve real-life problems through use of the advanced expert knowledge and skills acquired in specialized
education. For this purpose, students are able to take subjects other than those oﬀered within their own graduate school,
undergraduate school, or department. Students from the fall semester of the second year of undergraduate studies
through to graduate school level can be awarded credit upon completion of such subjects nominated by their own school,as advanced liberal arts and sciences subjects.

CurriculumOﬀered as single courses

How to Enroll
Register course by course

Proﬁle page on
the Osaka University
websiteEnrolling in the Programs
If you are interested in taking one of these programs, check the methods and application periods before submitting
a program application and registering for a course. Methods and application periods vary from program toprogram, so be sure to check the i-TGP website or program-speciﬁc pages for the latest information.
E xample1

I want to take a Program for Leading Graduate Schools or WISE Program.
Check if applications for the program are accepted from your graduate
school/department.
Check the application dates and apply.
Grad. school

Example timeline for
Programs for Leading

Previous academic year

New academic year

entrance exam

Program

Program selection

results announced

application

results announced

entrance

February

March

April

Grad. school Course registration
by deadline

Graduate Schools and WISE
Programs that begin in April＊For programs beginning in October, check the website or informational material.

E xample2

I want to know what kinds of Graduate Minor Programs and Graduate Programs for Advanced
Interdisciplinary Studies are available. Where do I ﬁnd program content and how to take them?
Visit the i-TGP website to explore programs youʼre interested in and attend joint online
guidance sessions.
Submit your program application through KOAN during the application period in April.
Then register for program courses.
Previous academic year

Example timeline for Graduate
Minor Program and Graduate

New academic year

Course registration

Grad. school

Program

Programby deadline

entrance

registration

courses starteach semester

Program for Advanced
Interdisciplinary Studies

AprilWant to know more?
For the latest information on any of these programs, check the oﬃcial program website or the i-TGP website. The
website of i-TGP brings together information on all these programs.

https://itgp.osaka-u.ac.jp/en/
Osaka U itgp

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