1.Approach
① Educational Approach
The aim of this 3-year program is to provide students with a deeper understanding of their fields of specialty. Established with the cooperation of three universities, the United Graduate School
reflects its geographical importance as a food production base for the Kyushu and Okinawa region in its Agricultural and Fisheries departments, which are rarely found in other united graduate schools.
The Graduate School therefore offers its studentswith a wider range of instruction. The United Graduate School also aims at training university instructors, as well as specialists who work for
national, public, or private research institutes, to contribute to the development of industries related to bioresources and marine resources.
② Research Approach
An important innovation in the United Graduate School system is the greater interaction between research departments of the respective universities. Promoting better and closer communication between associated doctoral research areas is one of the purposes of the school. Closer relationships help to foster mutual cooperation among instructors, which at the same time stimulates
research. This facilitates the organization of special project teams of instructors in the cooperating universities, and systemizes research work.
2.Research Guidance System
The School selects one advisory professor, two vice-advisory professors, and one assistant instructor for each student in accordance with students’ requests. This advisory system enhances the research activities of students.
3.Teaching Method for Research Work and Credit Acquisition
The students are each assigned to one university where their advisory professor works, and receive guidance for their doctoral degree from this professor. They also receive guidance from their vice-advisory professors belonging to the other universities.
The advisory professor will schedule the teaching curriculum for the student at the time of his/her admission, and will guide his/her studentship according to a scheduled curriculum in close communication with the vice-advisory professors and assistant instructors.
The students can use the facilities of the allied universities for their study.
The minimum number of credits required for graduation is Compulsory Subjects: Agriculture Science (2 credits), Thesis Seminar (2 credits), Thesis Research (6 credits), 1 credit or more from Basic Subjects and Advanced Subjects, and 1 credit or more from Common Subjects. A total of at least 12 credits must be earned for the submission of the doctoral thesis.
