Graduate School of Humanities
and Studies on Public Affairs
Instructions on Application for theConferral of a Degree (Doctor byDissertation)
Reviews of doctoral theses are conducted in accordance with the following procedures. Notethat the specific schedules may vary slightly from year to year. Be sure to check the schedules
for that year. The schedules and forms are available on the Dissertations (Doctor byDissertation) page of the Graduate School of Humanities and Studies on Public Affairs website.
1) Consultation with a faculty member who will recommend you for the application process
Before submitting an application for the preliminary qualification screening, applicants must
consult and obtain the approval of a faculty member who is in a discipline closely related to thearea of the doctoral thesis and will recommend you for the application process. A degree
conferred at the Graduate School is either of Doctor of Philosophy (Philosophy) (文学), Doctorof Philosophy (Philosophy) (学術), Doctor of Philosophy (Public Affairs) (公共学), Doctor ofPhilosophy (Law) (法学) or Doctor of Philosophy (Economics) (経済学).
2) Application for preliminary qualification screening
Applicants must submit an application for the preliminary qualification screening at least threemonths in advance of the application for a degree. Former students who have been enrolled inthe Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences or the Graduate School of Social
Sciences and Humanities of Chiba University for at least the standard period of enrollment(years) and have acquired the predetermined number of credits before leaving the school are
exempt from the preliminary qualification screening. Submit the application documents to theStudents Affairs Office for the Graduate School of Humanities and Studies on Public Affairs.
For information on the documents required for an application, refer to Section 1.1 “Application
for Preliminary Qualification Screening.”
Those who fall under any of the following conditions are eligible to apply for the conferralof a degree by submitting a thesis:(1). Those who have been enrolled in the Graduate School of Humanities and SocialSciences or the Graduate School of Social and Cultural Sciences for at least thestandard period of enrollment (years) and have acquired the predetermined number ofcredits before leaving the school(2). Those who have at least four years of research experience after completing amaster’s course(3). Those who have at least six years of research experience after graduating from auniversity(4). Those who are deemed qualified by the faculty, other than those who fall under theprevious three conditions
12. Research experience is defined as follows:(1) Period during which they were engaged in research as a full-time member of auniversity faculty(2) Period during which they were enrolled as a student in a graduate school(3) Period during which they were engaged in research at a national/municipal
government, research institute, or private company(4) Other periods recognized by the faculty as research experience
3) Preliminary qualification screening
Theses are reviewed by the Academic Affairs Committee (Doctoral Program) and theFaculty Council in advance to determine whether they are worthy of a degree review. If thequalifications are deemed worthy of the review, the applicants will proceed to the process ofapplying for the conferral of a degree.
4) Application for the conferral of a degree
After passing the preliminary qualification screening, submit the application documents forthe conferral of a degree, along with the review fee of 57,000 yen, to the Students Affairs
Office for the Graduate School of Humanities and Studies on Public Affairs. For information on
the documents required for the application, refer to Section 1.2 “Application for the Conferral ofa Degree.” Note that if the applicants have been enrolled in the Graduate School’s doctoral
course for at least the standard period of enrollment (years), have acquired the predetermined
number of credits before leaving the school, and submit a doctoral thesis within one year after
leaving the school, they are exempt from paying the review fee.
5) Review of the doctoral thesis
Theses are reviewed to determine whether they are worthy of a degree. Which degree tobe conferred (the name of discipline) is also determined. A review committee is formed for eachapplicant who submitted a thesis and at least five reviewers participate in the process. The
committee examines the thesis and the applicant’s academic ability and holds a thesispresentation session.
Note that if the applicants have been enrolled in the Graduate School’s doctoral course forat least the standard period of enrollment (years), have acquired the predetermined number ofcredits before leaving the school, and submit a doctoral thesis within five years after leaving
the school, they are exempt from the examination of academic ability out of examinations
specified in the preceding paragraph.
6) The Faculty Council determines whether the applicants are worthy of the conferral of adegree, based on the report of the review committee.
7) Conferral of a degree
A degree is conferred in March or September.
8) Publication of the doctoral thesis
After a degree is conferred, the full text of the thesis will be published on the Chiba University
Repository for Access to Outcomes from Research. Submit the full text data of the doctoral
thesis to the Students Affairs Office for the Graduate School of Humanities and Studies on
Public Affairs. For detailed information, refer to Section 1.3 “Submission of the Final Thesis.”2

1．Required Documents
1.1 Application for Preliminary Qualification Screening
Required documents

Numberof copies

Application for Preliminary Qualification Screening(Attached Form 1)
Resume (Attached Form 3)

1

Guidelines
forPreparation
2.1

1

2.1

Certificate of Graduation (Completion) of the lastschool (university)
List of Research Achievements (Attached Form5)
Letter of Recommendation from the Faculty
Member of the Graduate School (Attached Form 6)

1

1.2 Application for the Conferral of a Degree
Required documents

5

2.1

1

2.1

Numberof copies

Application for the Conferral of a Degree (AttachedForm 2)
Resume (Attached Form 3)

1

Guidelinesfor
Preparation
2.1

1

2.2

Certificate of Graduation (Completion) of the lastschool (university)
Doctoral Thesis

15

2.3

Abstract of the Thesis (Attached Form 4-1 or 4-2)

5

2.1

List of Research Achievements (Attached Form5)
Thesis as Research Achievements

5

2.21

2.1

Letter of Recommendation from the Faculty
Member of the Graduate School (Attached Form 6)
Letter of Consent (Attached Form 7) (whennecessary)

1

2.1

1

2.4

1.3 Submission of the Final Thesis
Required documents
Data of the full text of the doctoral thesis (or data of theabstract of the doctoral thesis, if you cannot publish thefull text of the thesis)
Consent to Publication of Doctoral Thesis on theInternet (Form 1)
Doctoral thesis for preservation

Number ofcopies

Guidelines for
Preparation

1 copy of CD-R

2.5

1

2.6

1

2.7

1.4 Instructions on application
Once submitted, no changes to the documents are permitted. In principle, submitted
documents will not be returned.

3

2． Guidelines for Preparing Documents
2.1

Download the prescribed forms from the Dissertations (Doctor by Dissertation) page ofthe Graduate School of Humanities and Studies on Public Affairs website and carefully readthe instructions on each form before preparing your documents.
2.2

General instructions on the preparation of documents are given in 2.1. If there are anychanges to the information after submission of the application for preliminary qualificationscreening, enter the information after the change.
2.3

Doctoral thesis for review

Printed copies of the thesis must be bound for submission. For instructions on binding, refer toAttached Instruction 1. If the thesis has already been published, the book may be submitted asa doctoral thesis for review.
A doctoral thesis must be written solely by an applicant, in principle. However, it isacceptable for the theses, on which the doctoral thesis is based, to include to a certain extent
the ones that are jointly written with other authors.
2.4

If the thesis includes to a certain extent the ones that are jointly written with otherauthors, the applicants must obtain a letter of consent from the co-authors to the use of
the co-authored thesis for the application for a degree from the Graduate School andsubmit it with the other application documents for the conferral of a degree. Download theAttached Form 7, read the instructions on it carefully and complete the Letter of Consent.
One copy of the Letter of Consent is required for each report of the use of a thesis (evenwhen there are multiple reports for the doctoral thesis).
2.5 Submission of the final thesis
1) Data of the full text of the doctoral thesis(i)
Data must be copied onto a CD-R for submission.
(ii)
Write “Doctoral Thesis,” the date of the conferral of a degree (year and month) andyour name on the surface of the CD-R.
2) Format of the electronic file(i)Data will be published in PDF. Submit your file in the PDF (PDF/A (ISO-19005))
format.
(ii)
Submit the text of the thesis in the form of a single electronic file that includes acover page, table of contents and diagrams.
(iii)
Setting of the PDF file
To ensure long-term readability, storability, and accessibility, check the following:- The format must not be model- or vendor-dependent.
- The file does not reference external sources (e.g., external fonts).
- The file must not be encrypted, password-protected or restricted from printing.
3) File nameSpecify the file name as below:
DB_(underscore)name4) Data of the abstract of the doctoral thesis4

If the applicants intend not to publish the full text of the thesis for more than one year
after the conferral of a degree and if the Graduate School Committee approves it, an
abstract of the thesis must be published instead of the full text, and the applicants must
prepare and submit it.
(i)Data must be copied onto a CD-R for submission.

(ii)

Write “Abstract of Thesis,” the date of the conferral of a degree (year and month)and your name on the surface of the CD-R. Create a PDF file of the text inaccordance with 2) “Format of the electronic file” above and save it on the same
CD-R.
5) File nameSpecify the file name as below:
DB_(underscore)name_(underscore)+Y
6) Surface of the CD-RWrite the following information on the surface of the CD-R. Submit it in a CD case.
Examples of the surface of a CD-R
Full text

AbstractDoctoralThesis

Abstract ofthe Thesis

March 20xx

March 20xx

NameName7) Others
Information necessary for registering the doctoral thesis on the Chiba University
Repository for Access to Outcomes from Research, including Q&A, is provided on theChiba University website. Refer to it.
(http://www.chiba-u.ac.jp/education/thesis/faq.html)
2.6

Consent to Publication of Doctoral Thesis on the Internet

Under the Rules on Academic Degrees (Ordinance No. 9 of the Ministry of Education of April1, 1953), those on whom a doctoral degree has been conferred are obligated to publish the fulltext of the relevant doctoral thesis on the internet, with the cooperation of the university (or the5National Institution for Academic Degrees and Quality Enhancement of Higher Education) that
conferred a degree.
Your thesis will be published on the Chiba University Repository for Access to Outcomesfrom Research. Fill out the Consent to Publication of Doctoral Thesis on the Internet (Form 1)
and submit it together with the full text data of the doctoral thesis to the Students Affairs Officeof each Graduate School.
If the applicants have an unavoidable reason that inhibits them from publishing the fulltext of the thesis for more than one year after the conferral of a doctoral degree and if theGraduate School approves it, they can publish an abstract of the doctoral thesis instead of
the full text. Unavoidable reasons are explained on the Chiba University website.
If you have specified the date when you will be able to publish the thesis as “undecided”
and have published an abstract instead of the full text, submit the Request for Publication ofDoctoral Thesis on the Internet (Form 2) to the Graduate School that reviewed the thesis assoon as the unavoidable reason is resolved.
Note that the checks of rights required before the publication on the internet must beconducted by the applicants for a degree.
2.7

Doctoral thesis for preservation

For the appearance of the bound thesis, refer to Attached Instruction 2. The year on thehard cover should be indicated as “20xx.” The text must be printed on both sides of thepaper.

If you have any questions about this document, contact the faculty member to whom you
submitted your thesis or the office in charge below:
Contact:
the Students Affairs Office for the Graduate
School of Humanities and Studies on Public
Affairs
1-33, Yayoi-cho, Inage-ku, Chiba-shi, Chiba,263-8522 JapanTEL:

043-290-2354

FAX:

043-290-2356

e-mail:gah2352@office.chiba-u.jp

Office hours: 8:30 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 17:00 (except Saturdays, Sundays, andnational holidays)(Office on the first floor of the Faculty of Letters building)6