GSAD

In most cases, changing your supervisor may result in major changes in the research content and/or methods which may affect your period of study. Furthermore, doctoral research is very specific and it may be difficult to find another appropriate supervisor. Please consult with the Academic Office if you are considering changing your supervisor.

Yes. Doctoral students should register for classes according to the registration schedule for their semester of enrollment.

Yes. Doctoral students cannot apply for doctoral candidacy without earning credits from the two lecture courses.

Yes. However, that may delay your timeline for applying for doctoral candidacy.

Yes. GRiPS provides doctoral students an opportunity to gain presentation experience, receive constructive feedback on their research, and learn from their peers. Furthermore, all doctoral students who have successfully passed the doctoral dissertation screening must orally defend their knowledge of the contents of the dissertation and the connected field at an oral examination in front of the Screening Committee. GRiPS is an important part of preparing students for the difficulty of oral presentation and defense of their dissertation which is required to obtain a Ph.D. degree. Please consult with your supervisor regarding your presentation in advance.

The GRiPS requirements vary depending on the year in which you enrolled in the program. Please refer to the GSAD Seminars page for details.

The Plan for Research Supervision is a yearly plan for research supervision, created based on a research plan written by the student and presented to their supervisor. The Graduate School of Asia Pacific Studies requires that the supervisor prepares this plan for the student on a yearly basis.

The student is required to submit a soft copy of the Plan for Research Supervision to the Academic Office through Moodle. Students in the appropriate semester will be added to a Moodle course to submit the Plan for Research Supervision at the beginning of the semester.

Yes, please download it from the Graduate School website.

The deadline differs depending on the student’s semester. Please see the page on Research Supervision & Seminars for more details.

If you are unable to get your supervisor’s signature, you can submit an email from them confirming their writing of the Plan for Research Supervision. Please consult with the Academic Office in advance.

The requirements vary depending on the year in which you enrolled in the program. Please refer to the Doctoral Candidacy page for details.

You can apply for Candidacy anytime in the Academic Year. The deadline for candidacy application to receive results within the same semester is July 5 for screening in the spring semester and January 10 for screening in the fall semester. Please refer to the Doctoral Candidacy page for details.

Details about the application process are announced at the beginning of each semester.

Students are encouraged to submit published or conference papers to show that they have the potential to advance in their field. Acceptable types of research papers may include (but are not limited to): published journal articles, conference papers, draft chapters of the Doctoral Dissertation which should include the literature review chapter and a revised plan with an appropriate methodology, and papers written as part of the classes Research Paper I and II.
Depending on the year in which you enrolled in the program, you may be required to submit specific chapters of your Dissertation. Please refer to the Doctoral Candidacy page for details.

If you submit a joint paper to apply for doctoral candidacy, you have to indicate which parts are your own contributions to the work. The Dissertation Committee will decide if the paper can be used to apply for doctoral candidacy.

If you are unable to get your supervisor’s signature, you can submit an email from them confirming their approval instead. Please consult with the Academic Office in advance.

No. You must be a regular (full-time) student to apply for candidacy.

Students who passed the doctoral candidacy screening may continue working toward the completion of their dissertation and are eligible to submit their dissertation once it is ready and approved by their supervisor.

Students who did not pass the candidacy screening should revise and resubmit their papers in accordance with the recommendations from the Dissertation Committee. Students should bear in mind that they cannot submit their dissertations until they have successfully achieved candidacy.

Yes. However, early submission does not necessarily mean early notification of the results.

Doctoral candidates may apply for Doctoral Dissertation screening after they have obtained candidacy and prepared the required documents. Please refer to the Doctoral Dissertation page for details.

As the screening of dissertations takes at least 6 months, candidates who are expected to complete their 30 credits in that semester may submit their doctoral dissertations for screening at the beginning of each semester. The spring semester submission deadline is the first Friday after the beginning of classes in April, while the Fall semester submission deadline is the first Friday after the beginning of classes in October. Please refer to the Doctoral Dissertation page for details.

All students are requested to submit their doctoral dissertation by the prescribed deadline to ensure a rigid screening process during that semester. However, if you expect to be unable to meet the deadline, please consult with the Academic Office as early as possible.

Details about the submission process are announced at the beginning of each semester.

As a rule, approval from the supervisor is required to submit the dissertation and we cannot accept doctoral dissertations which have not been approved. If you are unable to get your supervisor’s signature, you can submit an email from them confirming their approval instead. Please consult with the Academic Office in advance.

Once the dissertation is endorsed by the Dissertation Committee, it is sent to the Examination Committee which consists of your supervisor, one internal examiner, and one external examiner for screening. The examination takes at least 1 month and you will be informed of the results when they are available. Please wait for further instructions from the Academic Office.

As a rule, if a doctoral dissertation is not endorsed, the candidate is requested to spend another semester on writing and polishing the contents to meet the minimum APU criteria and standards. Please follow the instructions from your supervisor and comments from the Dissertation Committee to revise your dissertation and submit it again in the following semester.

Please consult with the Academic Office as soon as possible. Your request will be forwarded to the Dissertation Committee for deliberations.

The exact date for the oral defense is decided when the examination results are “Pass” or “Minor Rewrite.” The examiners' schedules are given priority.

As a rule, once announced, the date for the oral defense cannot be changed. Please consult with the Academic Office in advance if you have any concerns.

Students who did not pass the doctoral dissertation examination may continue working on revising their doctoral dissertation to submit it for re-examination. Details are outlined in the result notification. If you have any concerns please consult with the Academic Office.

The following options are available to students who do not finish their doctoral dissertation within 3 years: 1) extend their enrollment in the Doctoral Program (you must apply each semester), 2) take a Leave of Absence, or 3) withdraw from the program.
Please note that if you choose to extend your enrollment, you will be billed 100,000 JPY for each semester extended beyond the 3 years until completion or discontinuation of the program. However, if your enrollment exceeds 3 years due to insufficient credits, you will be billed 350,000 JPY per semester until completion of these credits or discontinuation of the program.
Please refer to the Enrollment Options for PhD Students page for details.

Applications for an extension of enrollment are accepted before the end of each semester. Students who wish to apply for an extension must submit the designated documents by the deadline. Applications are reviewed by the GSA Faculty Council for approval and students are informed of the results before the end of the semester. Please refer to the Enrollment Options for PhD Students page for details.

Students should submit the following two documents when applying for an extension: 1) Application for Extension of Period of Enrollment to Complete Doctoral Dissertation and 2) Doctoral Dissertation Composition Schedule. The application forms can be found on the Enrollment Options for PhD Students page.

If you are unable to continue your studies due to unavoidable circumstances you can take a Leave of Absence or withdraw from the program. Please discuss possible alternatives with your supervisor, the Student Office, and the Academic Office.

As a rule, approval from the supervisor is necessary to apply for an extension. However, if you are unable to get your supervisor’s signature, you can submit an email from them confirming their approval instead. Please consult with the Academic Office in advance.

Only doctoral students completing their program are eligible to present at the Ph.D. Research Presentations.

Yes. Doctoral students completing their program should present the results of their research conducted at APU at the Ph.D. Research Presentations. These presentations are open to all students, faculty, friends, and family to attend.