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Graduate Course

Graduate Course in Psychology

Structure and Features of the Course

The Graduate Course in Psychology consists of a master’s course and a doctoral course.

In the master’s course, students study their research topic in detail through the psychological knowledge and methods learned in the undergraduate course. Their goal is to write a master’s thesis.

In the doctoral course, students will further develop their research and actively present their findings at academic conferences and association meetings. They are also required to publish their papers. Students have to study at least three years in the doctoral program to write a dissertation. Many of those who have completed the course are working as researchers at university and at research institutes.

Advising System

There are specialists in cognitive psychology, learning psychology, social psychology, developmental psychology and educational psychology in the Graduate Course in Psychology who are engaged in specialized research and education. In the study of psychology, it is difficult to draw a sharp distinction between one field and another. The study of cognitive psychology, for instance, is closely related with that of the learning psychology, social psychology, developmental psychology, and educational psychology. The graduate course, therefore, has an advisory committee system for students that provides each student with three advisors. The committee system allows for the provision meticulous advice to students and is quite effective as the topics of graduate students are often related to multiple areas of psychology.

Study Environment

Graduate students have a common research room, and each graduate student has a personal locker in the room. The research room is also equipped with personal computers, color printers, and shredders for the sole use of graduate students. As most of these personal computers are connected to the University Computer Center through the LAN on campus, students are not only able check their email but can also conduct literature searches and statistical analysis via SPSS. There is also a library and a reading room just for graduate students.

Research Activities of Graduate Students

Graduate students are encouraged to give presentations on their research findings. Students in the doctoral course and master’s course are advised to actively present their research findings whenever possible. As a result, the number graduate students giving presentations at academic conferences in their first year of the master’s course is increasing. Students grow through these experiences. They can expand their perspective by receiving advice from someone who has a different viewpoint from their advisor, and, above all, such experiences enhance their motivation towards their research. Students have been increasingly active in participating not only in domestic meetings, but also international ones. At the 27th International Congress on Applied Psychology, held in Melbourne, Australia in 2010, several of our graduate students, including two in the master’s course, participated and gave presentations on their research.

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