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Q & A: Examination for the Doctoral Degree Program1

English Test Score
1.1

Q: Do I have to submit my English test score?
A: The English proficiency test score is not a required document for the entrance
examination of the doctoral program. However, we strongly encourage you tosubmit an English proficiency test score if you intend to write a thesis in English.

2Recommendation Letter
2.1

Q: To whom should the letter of recommendation be addressed?
A: Submission of a letter of recommendation is voluntary. You can apply without aletter of recommendation. It should be addressed to “The Graduate School ofInternational Development, Nagoya University.” See the final page of the“Application Guidebook” for its postal address.

2.2

Q: Do you have any specific format?
A: No format is specified. However, it is desirable to use a form with letterhead
from the institution, such as the university to which the recommender belongs.

2.3

Q: Is it all right to ask the supervisor at the current seminar to write a letter ofrecommendation? Or it must be the dean or superior of the faculty?
A: It is up to the applicant to decide who to request to write the recommendation
letter. It does not have to be a dean. Instead, asking someone familiar with theapplicant, mainly your academic advisor, is better.

3Research Proposal
3.1

Q: Is it correct that the 2000-word limit of the research proposal does not include
the number of words in the bibliography?
A: References, footnotes/endnotes, charts, tables, etc., are not included in thenumber of words. However, the title and subtitle of the research are included.

3.2

Q: Is it possible to exceed the word limit?
A: If you exceed the word limit, certain points will be deducted according to thenumber of excess words.

3.3

Q: Is the submitted research proposal final and cannot be changed? Or is it
possible to change it during the course of research?
A: The research proposal submitted at the time of application is a plan. It is
possible to make changes after consulting with your academic advisor. But wewould like you to avoid making significant changes after enrollment.

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4Academic Advisor
4.1

Q: Before applying, should I find a professor who can be my academic advisorand discuss my research plan?
A: When applying for the doctoral program, finding a faculty member who will be
your academic advisor from the GSID faculty list and obtaining prior consent arestrongly recommended. The list is available athttps://www4.gsid.nagoya-u.ac.jp/general/members (Japanese) or
https://www4.gsid.nagoya-u.ac.jp/en/general/members (English).
You can also get the email address of the GSID faculty members.

5

Other Documents
5.1

Q: Certificates of my university are issued only in an electronic version, and there
is no hard copy.
A: In that case, you may submit it directly from your university by email. It is notnecessary to submit paper certificates.

6The Oral Examination (Interview)
6.1

Q: Please tell me about the language of the interview.
A: It will be conducted in Japanese or English. It is basically conducted inJapanese for the examinees who have written a research proposal in Japaneseand English for the examinees who have written a research proposal in English.

6.2

Q: Will using the English language during the interview make a better impression
than someone using the Japanese language or vice versa?
A: We will not discriminate against applicants according to what language is usedin the interview.