The United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Kagoshima University, in cooperation with Saga University and University of the Ryukyus, conducts high quality doctoral course education through a professoriate composed of a variety of specialists, aiming at training leaders with a spirit of enterprise as researchers, educators, and technical experts. This graduate school sets the following three policies.

Educational Goals
 1) We develop human resources that have learned a broad range of academic subjects and Obtained advanced
     specialized knowledge and skills related to agriculture.
 2) We develop human resources that have acquired solid analytical ability, multifaced perspective, the capability
     to explain matters thoroughly and an enhanced ability to contribute towards an effective social betterment such
     as a global viewpoint and an eagerness to face hard challenges.
     In order to attain these educational goals, the admissions, curriculum, and diploma policies are laid down as
     follows.

1. Diploma Policy
Under the diploma policy of the Kagoshima University and the educational goal of the United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, we confer degrees on students based on the following policies.
The doctoral degree will be awarded to students who have the following abilities after earning prescribed credits and successfully passing the examination and doctoral thesis judgment.
 1) As a person with a doctorate, they should display a dignified demeanor, have advanced specialized knowledge,
     and possess the ability to carry out research work independently, from finding subjects to solving problems
     in the fields of agriculture, forestry, and fisheries.
 2) As a researcher, technical expert, and educator, they should have the ability and a well-developed sense of
     leadership in order to be active in both the local and global societies.

2. Curriculum Policy
In order to nurture personnel set in the diploma policy, the United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences arranges the following educational program, and conducts it.
 1) Degree program: Students learn a broad range of academic subjects in addition to obtaining advanced
     specialized knowledge and skills related to agriculture, while improving their ability to search and elucidate
     various issues under the mentorship of their supervisors.
 2) Advanced Human resource development programs: Students acquire solid analytical ability, multifaced
     perspective, the capability to explain matters thoroughly and an enhanced ability to contribute towards an
     effective social betterment, such as a global viewpoint and an eagerness to face hard challenges.

3. Admissions Policy
  1) Prospective applicants
     We admit students and working people from all over the world who are keenly interested in the fields of
     agriculture, forestry and fisheries, such as food production based on life science and the environment of
     biological resources. Applicants should display enough enthusiasm and ability required to acquire their
     doctorate degrees, and be willing to elucidate the assigned subjects and engage in scientific research.
 2) Required knowledge and skill levels
     Students should have extensive knowledge in the fields of agricultural, fishery and natural sciences,
     graduate-level achievement in specialized fields, rich international sensitivity, and English ability required for
     the doctoral course. Students from overseas should desirably possess basic skills in Japanese.
 3) Applicant admission selection procedure
    For students who have finished a master's course, admission decisions are given grading according to their
    oral presentation, which include their master's theses, and future research proposals as well as answers from
     their oral examination questions. Students who have not finished a master’s course must take a preliminary
     qualification examination. When the eligibility requirements for the examination are certified, admission
     decisions are given grading according to their oral presentation, which include their research contents
     equivalent to master’s theses, and future research proposals as well as answers from their oral examination
     questions.