United Graduate School
of
Agricultural Sciences
Iwate University
Guidance for Thesis Submission
（Thesis Doctor）
Applicable from April 2007
（Revised Edition, January 2014）
I. To be qualified for submitting a doctoral thesis, applicants should:
1. Have been enrolled in the United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Iwate University (hereinafter, “UGAS”), for the standard completion years (three years) or more.
2. Have graduated from a university after taking courses of agricultural sciences and have continued researches for five years or more excluding the undergraduate period.
3. Be approved by the UGAS professorate when not meeting the requirements of 2 above.
* The applicant’s research career should meet one of the following categories. The time spent for the following categories is totaled.
(1) The period spent for researches as a member of the full-time academic staff of the faculty of agriculture in a university or an agricultural research institute.
(2) The period when the applicant was enrolled in a graduate course of agriculture of a university (excluding the period of a leave of absence.)
(3) The period when the applicant was enrolled in the advanced program of agriculture in a university, including the time spent as a full-time research student or an advanced program student (excluding the period of a leave of absence).
(4) The period when the applicant was a full-time researcher in the following research facilities.
(i) The whole period spent in the following facilities/organizations is recognized as the applicant’s research career
(a) An agricultural research institute affiliated with the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries or other ministries.
(b) An overseas institute as below.
*An overseas university of agriculture or an institute affiliated with a university.
* An agricultural research institute affiliated with a foreign government
(ii) If the applicant worked for a research institute that is not covered by (i) above, the UGAS professorate will decide how much of the period is recognized as the applicant’s research career.
(5) The period when the applicant was engaged in researches in a manner that the UGAS professorate recognizes as equal to or above (1) – (4).
II. Requirements for applying for the doctoral degree
1. Category A
Applicants who have withdrawn after being enrolled in UGAS for the standard completion years (three years) or more and have obtained more than 6 credits in courses needed for completion, excluding courses from Advanced Research (in total twelve or more credits) and apply for the degree within three years starting from the next fiscal year after his/her withdrawal,
(1) The applicant should have one or more academic papers in Japanese or English that appeared in an academic journal or other publication that has a refereeing system (hereinafter, “published paper(s)”), with the applicant as first authors.
(2) The applicant’s published paper(s) should, in principle, constitute part of his/her doctoral thesis, and be the main paper in the List of Papers that the applicant is required to submit when applying for the degree.
(3) If the applicant’s published paper has not been actually released in a printed publishing, it will be regarded as a published one if the applicant attaches the “certificate of publication” or “contract of publication” that shows the editor’s formal decision to publish the paper. The certificate should contain the applicant’s name, name of the academic association, title of the paper, volume number and date of issuing.
2. Category B
Applicants who were enrolled in UGAS for the standard completion years (three years) or more, withdrew from the school, and apply for the degree three or more years after their withdrawal; and those who apply for the degree under the assisting project of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) for applicants for the doctoral degree. (Thesis doctor)
(1) The applicant should have three or more published papers.
(2) The applicant’s published papers should meet the requirements in Category A.
3. Category C
Applicants who were admitted to UGAS in fiscal 2006 or before, enrolled for two years of more and less than three years (the standard completion years), took 60 or more hours of common seminars (30 or more hours of general seminars and 30 or more hours of special seminars), withdrew from UGAS, and then apply for the degree within three years starting from the next fiscal year after their withdrawal.
(1) The applicant should have one or more published papers.
(2) The applicant’s paper(s) should meet the requirements in Category A.
4. Category D
Applicants who were admitted to UGAS in fiscal 2006 or before, enrolled for the standard completion years (three years) or more, took 60 or more hours of common seminars (30 or more hours of general seminars and 30 or more hours of special seminars), withdrew from UGAS, and then apply for the degree within three years starting from the next fiscal year after their withdrawal.
(1) The applicant should have one or more published papers.
(2) The applicant’s paper(s) should meet the requirements in Category A.
5. Category E
Applicants who were admitted to UGAS in fiscal 2006 or before, enrolled for the standard completion years (three years) or more, took 60 or more hours of common seminars (30 or more hours of general seminars and 30 or more hours of special seminars), withdrew from UGAS, and then apply for the degree after three years or more starting from the next fiscal year after their withdrawal.
(1) The applicant should have three or more published papers.
(2) The applicant’s paper(s) should meet the requirements in Category A.
6. Category F
Applicants who are not covered by any of the categories above.
(1) The applicant should have five or more published papers.
(2) The applicant’s paper(s) should meet the requirements in Category A.
III. Period for degree application
The application should be made, in principle, during the period in May and October which the Dean of UGAS designates, but see the website of UGAS for the period.
（http://ugas.agr.iwate-u.ac.jp/）
IV. Documents/forms required for the application
1. Degree Application Form (Form 1) 1 copy
2. List of Papers (Form2) 5 copies
3. Doctoral Thesis (in Japanese or English)
1 copy of original script and 5 copies of duplicate (photocopies are acceptable)
4. Summary of Doctoral Thesis (Form 3) 5 copies
5. Academic Paper(s) (main paper) and Reference Paper(s) on which the doctoral thesis is based 5 copies each
6. Certificate of Taking common seminars (Form 4; applicants admitted to UGAS in fiscal 2006 or before) 1 copy
7. Academic Transcript (Form 5: applicants who were admitted to UGAS in fiscal 2007 or later and have withdrawn from it) 1 copy
8. Personal Resume (Form 6) 1 copy
9. Bona Fide Diploma or Certificate of Completion of the applicant’s final educational institution 1 copy
10. Certificate(s) of Research Career (Form 7) 1 copy each
11. Letter of Recommendation by an academic member of staff who is eligible to be the applicant’s major advisory professor (hereinafter, “recommending professor”) 1 copy
12. Notification of Chosen Foreign Language for Examination （Applicants in Category B, C, E and F, Separate form (Number 12) 1 copy
13. Certificate of Publication 1 copy
14. Degree refereeing fee
15. Whatever is regarded as necessary in addition to the above items
l Bind the doctoral thesis in 3 above into an A4-size file.
l The numbers of copies mentioned 2-5 above are for an examination committee of four members. If there are more than four members, add as many copies as the number of surplus members.
l The recommending professor for an applicant who has been enrolled in UGAS should be the applicant’s major advisory professor in UGAS. The applicant should have a good consultation with the professor before making an application.
V. Fee for refereeing doctoral thesis
150,000 yen. However, the fee is 75,000 yen for the applicants below.
1. Graduates from the under graduate school of Iwate University.
2. Applicants who completed the graduate school (the master course of the first half of the doctoral course) of Iwate University
3. Applicants who have been enrolled in UGAS or in the second half of the doctoral course of engineering in Iwate University for the standard completion years or more, acquired the subject credits required for completion, and one year has passed since they received necessary research guidance, and withdrew from the school.
4. Applicants who were admitted to UGAS on March 31, 2007, or before and have been enrolled for the standard completion years or more, and one year has passed since they received necessary research guidance and withdrew from UGAS.
5. Graduates from the Faculty of Agriculture and Life Science, Hirosaki University, the Faculty of Agriculture, Yamagata University, or the School of Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine.
6. Applicants who completed the Graduate Course of Agriculture and Life Science, Hirosaki University, the Graduate Course of Agriculture, Yamagata University, or the master course of the Graduate School of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro University.
l Applicants of 3 or 4 above who make the degree application within one year after their withdrawal have total exemption from the fee.
l Pay the fee in cash.
l The degree-refereeing fee will not be refunded.
VI. The documents/forms should be sent to:
The office of the United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Iwate University
Address: 3-18-8, Ueda, Morioka-shi, Iwate, 020-8550
Phone:019-621-6246 Fax:019-621-6248 E-mail:
Other constituent universities will not accept the documents/forms.
* The documents/forms that have been accepted will not be returned.
VII. Refereeing of doctoral thesis and examination of academic achievement (quasi-final examination)
(See the Flowchart of Applying for Degree/Refereeing)
1. Refereeing of doctoral thesis
(1) The doctoral thesis submitted by an applicant is subject to the preliminary examination for the purpose of the smooth procedure for accepting the thesis and the proper maintenance of the level of doctoral theses. Based on the preliminary examination result, the Dean will decide if it is proper to move on to the procedure of accepting the thesis.
(2) If the Dean decides it proper to move on to the acceptance procedure, the Board of Representatives will examine the eligibility of the applicant and the submitted documents/forms. If the Board confirms that all the requirements are met, it is formally decided that the thesis be accepted.
(3) The recommending professor will inform the Dean of the candidates for the Examination Committee members (Form13) and the schedule for the open refereeing (Form14). The examination Committee should consist of four or more members, including one from each of the three constituent universities in principle, with the recommending professor being the chief examiner and the others examiners. An academic staff member from another graduate school or research institute can be one of the examiners if the UGAS professorate considers that necessary.
(4) The Dean will set up an Examination Committee for refereeing a doctoral thesis after the discussion by the Board of Representatives, and remit the refereeing to the Committee.
(5) The Examination Committee will hold the open refereeing at the University of the Chief Examiner in principle.
(6) At the open refereeing the applicant will make an oral presentation and answer the questions.
(7) After consulting with the examiners, the chief examiner will submit the refereeing result by filling in the “Result Summary of the Thesis Refereeing” (Form 8).
2. Examination of academic achievement for applicants in Categories B, C, E and F
(1) Applicants will take oral or written examinations on the fields associated with their thesis and on one foreign language at the university to which the chief examiner of the Committee belongs to, in principle.
(2) The chief examiner will put the examination results together into the “Result Summary of Academic Achievement Examinations” (Form10) and submit it to the Dean.
3. Quasi-final Examination for applicants in Categories A and D
(1) Applicants will take oral or written examinations in the fields associated with the thesis or the specialized field at the university to which the chief examiner belongs.
(2) The chief examiner will put the examination results together into “Result Summary of Quasi-final Examinations” (Form 11) and submit it to the Dean.
VIII. Forms to be submitted by the recommending professor (the chief examiner)
Document / Form / Copy / DeadlineRecommendation of Examination Committee Members / Form 13 / 1 / Designated date
Date of Open refereeing / Form 14 / １ / Designated date
Result Summary of Thesis Refereeing / Form 8 / １ / Soon after refereeing
Result Summary of Academic Achievement Examinations / Form 10 / １ / Soon after refereeing
Result Summary of Quasi-final Examination / Form 11 / １ / Soon after refereeing
Thesis Summary and Result Summary of Thesis Refereeing / Form 15 / Data / Designated date
IX. Decision to award the degree or not
The decision to award the degree to the applicants or not will be made by the votes in the UGAS professorate. The professorate will decide to award the degree with affirmative votes from three-fourths or more of the attending members.
Consult about the application
Letter of Recommendation