[Master’s Thesis] Thesis and Related Procedures[Flowchart of the Thesis (Master of Medical Science) Examination]

First year
1. Submission of a research plan
2. Mid-term presentation
The mid-term presentation provides students with an opportunity to present
not only their theses but also to listen, understand, and express their opinions
on other students’ presentations. Absence for reasons related to work or otherduties is not permitted.
However, students unable to participate due to the unavoidable circumstances
listed below are allowed to give their mid-term presentations after theseconditions are resolved.
A leave of absence from school on the day of the mid-term presentation
An unexpected accident or illness (influenza or other infectious diseases)
3. Examination before thesis submission (early degree completion students only)
Second year
Submission of the thesis title registration form (written notification to students
through each department)
Recommendation for examination committee members (written request tosupervisors in charge)
1. Thesis submission deadline:
Submission to the Graduate School Section, Academic Affairs Division, Graduate
School of Medical and Dental Sciences
Peer review by the Graduate School Education Board Master’s Program
Committee members
Written notification of the peer review results to students
Thesis correction and resubmission based on the peer review results
2. Examination referral
3. Examination request (chief and examiners)
4. Question and answer session
5. Thesis examination
6. Report of the examination results
7. Approval/rejection of the thesis and decision on degree completion
8. Awarding of the degree

Thesis (Master of Medical Science) and Related Procedures
To earn a master’s degree, the submission of a master’s thesis must follow thegraduate school rules, degree regulations, and other detailed procedural guidelines.
Read this handbook carefully to ensure compliance with the procedures.
1. Standard degree completion(1) Requirements for master’s thesis submission
Students are eligible to submit a master’s thesis after meeting all therequirements listed below:
1-1. Attending graduate school for over one year and six months.
1-2. Having earned or expecting to earn a minimum of 30 course credits asprescribed in the graduate school rules.
1-3. As for the mid-term presentation, students must be well trained to present
their theses, while at the same time listening, understanding, and expressing
their opinions on other students’ presentations. Absence for reasons related
to work or other duties is not permitted. However, students unable toparticipate due to the unavoidable circumstances listed below are allowed togive their mid-term presentations after these conditions are resolved.
A leave of absence from school on the day of the mid-term presentation
An unexpected accident or illness (influenza or other infectious diseases)(2) Master’s thesis
1) In general, a master’s thesis is written by a single author.
(3) Master’s thesis examination committee members
1) The master’s thesis examination committee consists of one chief and twodeputy examiners, with a supervisor serving as the chief examiner.
2) One deputy examiner is assigned to a professor or associate professor at theGraduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, and the other to a faculty
member who meets the academic staff qualifications for the Graduate Schoolof Medical and Dental Sciences.
3) At least one of the deputy examiners will be from a different field than thechief examiner.
(4) Thesis peer review
A thesis peer review is conducted by the Master’s Program Committee
members before public presentation of the thesis. Based on the review results,
the thesis may require correction and resubmission.
2. Early degree completion(1) Outline
Students recognized for their outstanding academic achievements are eligible
for the early degree completion program. For early degree completion students,
more than one year of study will suffice to complete the degree requirements.
(2) Outstanding academic achievements“Outstanding academic achievements” in Article 10-2 of the Graduate Schoolof Medical and Dental Sciences Regulations refers to the students’ academic papers
that have been or will be published as the first author in a renowned international
scholarly journal with a well-established peer review system (limited to scholarly
journals recommended beforehand by Graduate School of Medical and Dental

Sciences professors and acknowledged by the Master’s Program Committee). The
students’ papers should serve a fundamental role in research outcomes related totheir master’s theses, with a focus on studies conducted during the Graduate
School of Medical and Dental Sciences Master Course.
(3) Recommendation for early degree completion candidates
In accordance with requests from students with outstanding academicachievements, supervisors can recommend these students as early degreecompletion candidates to the dean of the graduate school. In addition tooutstanding academic achievements, the candidates who meet either of thefollowing criteria are qualified for recommendation:1) Students who desire to advance to the Graduate School of Medical and Dental
Sciences Doctoral Course, with the aim of further contributing to thedevelopment of international research by following consistent researchguidance.
2) Students who can be expected to play an even more active role in society asa result of early completion of the Graduate School of Medical and DentalSciences Master Course.
(4) Assessment of early degree completion eligibility
To apply for early degree completion eligibility, the following documents mustbe submitted to the Graduate School Section, Academic Affairs Division, Graduate
School of Medical and Dental Sciences.
Students approved for early degree completion based on the assessment results
are eligible to submit a master’s thesis.
1. Letter of recommendation by a supervisor (in the prescribed form)
2. Publication certificate or document recording the issued date of an academicpaper(Use the form for the doctoral course. A printout of an email stating
publication acceptance is also acceptable.)
3. Reprint of an academic paper or submitted paper that specifies the name of apublished journal(5) The master’s thesis examination pertaining to early degree completion isconducted in the same way as standard degree completion.
3. Master’s thesis submission and other procedures(1) Master’s thesis submission procedures
1) Master’s thesis submission periodThe master’s thesis submission period is as follows. When the submission datefalls on Saturday or Sunday, the date will be changed to the preceding Friday(deadline: 5 pm).
1. Standard degree completion students: January 15 in the second year
2. Early degree completion students: January 15 in the first year or July 15
in the second year
2) Place of thesis submission
Theses must be submitted by students in person to the Graduate School
Section, Academic Affairs Division, Graduate School of Medical and DentalSciences.
3) Documents to be submitted
1. Degree (master’s degree) application (Form 1): 1 copy2. Thesis (Form 2): 5 copies (1 original and 4 duplicates)
3. Thesis abstract (Form 3): 5 copies
4. Curriculum vitae (Form 4): 2 copies
5. Inquiry form on research ethics for a master’s thesis (Form 5): 5 copies (1original and 4 duplicates)
Specify the approval number and other relevant information.
*If the thesis is under review by different ethics and other related committees,
attach copies of the application forms and result notifications.
6. Permission for accessing or copying a thesis: 1 copy
(2) Public thesis presentation1) Final exam
Students who have submitted a thesis are required to attend the thesispresentation (open to the public) held around February every year to present
their theses in the allocated time and participate in a question and answer
session with academic staff members serving as the chief and deputy
examiners and other participants. Students are expected to prepare
presentation materials such as slides. Questions include areas related to thetheses, and answering these questions corresponds to the final examination.
In addition, the thesis presentation provides students with an opportunity topresent their theses as well as listen, understand, and express their opinions
on other students’ presentations. Absence for reasons related to work or otherduties is not permitted. However, students unable to participate due to thefollowing unavoidable circumstance are allowed to give their presentations
after this condition is resolved.
- An unexpected accident or illness (influenza or other infectious diseases)
2) Scope of disclosure
In the open examination of the master's program, since the announcement isin an unpublished thesis format, the confidential content of the patent isincluded.
Therefore, in principle, the scope of disclosure is limited to those belonging tothe Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, University Hospital,
School of Dentistry, and School of Medicine. However, the following conditions
may be allowed, so please consult with the Graduate School of Medicine andDentistry in advance.
1. Person who has decided to enter the master's program at the Graduate
School of Medical and Dental Sciences
2. Persons approved by the presenter's chief examiner (limited to fields
approved by the chief examiner)(3) Awarding of the degree
The results of the thesis and final examinations by the examination committee
are reported to the Graduate School Faculty Meeting. Following the authorizationof Master Course completion and the resolution on degree conferral, the diploma
is generally awarded by the dean of the graduate school during the commencement
ceremony (March 25).
*After awarding the degree, the submitted thesis will be stored in a simplebinding.
4. Thesis preparation instructions
Follow the instructions listed below on how to prepare a thesis

Students with outstanding academic achievements (early degree completion) arerequired to submit a reprint of an academic paper or submitted paper (other thanthe thesis) that specifies the name of a published journal based on Form 2 asindicated below.
(1) Thesis (Form 2)
1) Title page
1. The title must provide a concrete and concise description of the thesis content.
Write the title in Japanese when the thesis is in Japanese, and if the thesis iswritten in English, write the title in English with the Japanese translation inparentheses placed below the title.
2. In general, do not use abbreviations in the title other than those in extremelycommon use.
3. A subtitle may be used, but write it as concisely as possible and avoid usingphrases like “The first report…”
4. Write the author’s full name without titles, abbreviations, or acronyms.
Title page format (A4 size paper)
A. Title (Japanese translation added to the English title)
B. School information
Medical Sciences Course (field of study and department), Kagoshima
University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences
C. Author’s name
○○○○○
（）

＿＿＿

B＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿

C＿＿＿＿＿＿

2) Body text
1. If the thesis is in Japanese, type the text horizontally on A4 size paper using
a word processor or other word processing programs.
2. If the thesis is in English, type the text double-spaced on A4 size paper using
a word processor or other word processing programs.
3. Use standard A4-size plain white paper that does not contain the names ofinstitutions or organizations. Avoid using low quality paper to preservestorage conditions.
4. Arrange charts, figures, and other illustrations within the range of A4 size
considering the margin at the binding edge.
5. Use the same original photographs in the thesis for its duplicates.
6. Carefully review and proofread the thesis to ensure all changes andcorrections are made before final submission.
7. Bind the thesis for submission (simple binding is acceptable). Arrange thethesis in proper order according to each format. Use a file and binding tapeto prevent the pages from falling out.
8. Make a copy of the thesis before submission as it will not be returned.
9. If the thesis has been approved by an ethics committee or organization
pertaining to research ethics, include the ethics approval in the thesis.

(2) Academic papers for reference
1) An applicant can submit a previously published academic paper as a reference.
2) A submitted reference paper should be attached at the end of the thesis andbound together.
5. Instructions for filing other documents(1) Thesis abstract (Form 3)
1) If the thesis title is in English, add the Japanese translation in parentheses
below the title.
2) An abstract must not exceed 1,500 words (about one page of A4 size paper) andbe typewritten (font size of around 11 points) or printed out using a word
processor or other word processing programs.
3) The abstract’s content should be summarized in each section that includes thepurpose and scope (materials), methods, results, analysis, conclusion, and others.
4) Do not include charts and photographs.
(2) Curriculum vitae (Form 4)1) List your educational background in chronological order beginning with seniorhigh school graduation.
2) Refer to the sample for other sections.