Graduate School [Public Policy Design Program]

Aim of the program

Public policy design: integrate the theory and the practice by public system management, especially those within the organizations.

1. Master’s Course

1.1 Course Structure

• Basically two years are required to finish the masters’ course
  
• Take one subject from Philosophy of Law (2 credits), Expressions in Japanese (2 credits; only in Japanese), or Public Policy and Project Valuation (2 credits).
  
• Take the Seminar in Social Engineering (2 credits) every term.
  
• Obtain at least 30 credits, at least 24 of which must be from the subjects provided by the Department of Social Engineering.
  
• Completion of the master’s dissertation.
  
• Passing the final examination.

Obtain 12 credits from the following major subjects for the Public Policy Design Program (note: most subjects are instructed in Japanese):

Sociology of the Public (2 credits), Organizational Design for Planning (2 credits), Advanced Theories and Practices of Urban and Community Design (2 credits), Advanced Theories and Practice of Urban Land Use Planning (2 credits), Advanced Topics of Historical Landscapes (2 credits), Advanced Theory of Community Design (2 credits), Theory of Environmental Economics (2 credits), Frontier of Environmental Economics and Policy Studies (2 credits), Modeling of Global Environment and Economic Growth (2 credits), Regional Information Analysis (2 credits, subject from another department), Regional Planning (2 credits, subject from another department), Land and Regional Planning (2 credits, subject from another department), Non-cooperative Game Theory and Decision Theory (2 credits), Advanced Microeconomics (2 credits), Advanced Public Economics (2 credits), Theory of Macroeconomic Dynamics (2 credits), Experimental Economics (2 credits, subject from another department), Advanced Econometrics for Cross Section and Panel Data (2 credits), Econometrics: Applications and Development (2 credits), Cooperative Game Theory and Normativity (2 credits), Statistical Techniques for Collection of Data and Simulation (2 credits), and Cognitive Science (2 credits, subject from another department).

1.2 Exemption master thesis and skipping the first year of doctoral course for excellent students of master course who should proceed to the doctoral course

• If you meet the following requirements during your first year of the master’s course you will be recognized as an expected doctoral student.
  
• At the end of the second year of the master’s, pass the research proposal examination, a 30-minute presentation followed by a 30-minute discussion, which is assessed by at least three faculty members.
  
• Expected students will be conferred the master’s degree if they obtain the required credits from the Public Policy Design Program, and present a discussion paper instead of the master’s dissertation. They will be permitted to proceed to the doctoral course, and moreover, if they can meet the requirements for the advanced candidate, they will be regarded as an advanced candidate.
  
• To change the program, you will need permission from your supervisor and the program director. Meeting the requirements of the expected doctoral student, entrance, and the advanced candidate are also required.
  
• If you do not proceed to the doctoral course, you have to meet all requirements for the master’s degree in order to get the master degree (see section 1.1).

1.3 Changing Program

Permission from the supervisor, and the program directors of both program are required to change the program.

2. Doctoral Course

2.1 Course Structure

• Basically three years are required to finish the doctoral course
  
• Take one subject from Philosophy of Law (2 credits), Expressions in Japanese (2 credits), or Public Policy and Project Valuation (2 credits).
  
• Take the Seminar in Social Engineering (2 credits) every term.
  
• Pass the examination to become an advanced candidate.
  
• Complete of the doctoral thesis.
  
• Pass the final examination.
  
• Take Planning Administration A/B if you continue in work.

2.2 Requirements for the advanced candidate

• Finish two subjects from the compulsory course units.
  
• Pass the research proposal examination which is assessed by at least three members of faculty according to the 30 minutes presentation, and 30 minutes discussion.

2.3 Requirements for completion of the doctoral course

• Finish the midterm proposal
  
• Have at least 2 doctoral points. Doctoral points are calculated as follows:
  • A paper in a journal (with peer review) whose language should be either English or Japanese: 1 point
• Pass the doctoral thesis examination

2.4 Changing the course, or the program

To change the course or the program, you will need permission from your students must obtain permission from their supervisor, and the course director.