Criteria for the evaluation of theses for the degree of International Cultural Studies

Evaluation Criteria for Master's Thesis

(a) Levels to be met

• The applicant must have a broad interdisciplinary perspective and be able to demonstrate that he/she has the ability to carry out original research and to work in a highly specialized profession based on specialized knowledge and skills acquired through education from a fusion of the humanities and sciences.

• The applicant should have a high sense of ethics and responsibility, and be able to demonstrate that he/she is capable of making an academic contribution to the wide-ranging needs of global society and contributing to the development of society as a whole.

• The applicant must possess an excellent international perspective and communication skills essential for receiving and disseminating world-class research content, and must have acquired a broad range of liberal arts and comprehensive, practical problem-solving skills, sufficient to demonstrate the ability to apply them to academic research and a highly specialized profession.

(b) Evaluation items

• There is a recognized social and academic need to investigate the subject matter of the paper.

• A research method has been selected that is in line with the subject matter being studied.

• The research subject is viewed from a broad perspective (historical, cross-disciplinary, international context, etc.).

• The study is based on previous research, and relevant literature and historical materials are accurately collected, processed, and cited, and their sources are clearly indicated.

• The argument is clear and coherent, and is presented in an appropriate manner.

• The research has original analyses, interpretations, proposals, etc., not found in existing research, and has a leading academic or practical significance that can contribute to the deepening and development of discussion in the relevant academic or professional field.

• The applicant has acquired profound academic knowledge from a broad perspective, and has demonstrated the ability to conduct research in his/her major field of study or the advanced skills necessary for an occupation requiring a high degree of specialization.

(c) Review committee members

• (2) The review committee shall consist of three or more members, including two from among professors, associate professors, or lecturers of the Graduate School (one of the professors or associate professors shall be the main reviewer). The chairperson of the course will nominate two or more members, including one professor, one associate professor, or two lecturers of the Graduate School, and the Academic Affairs Committee will determine the members. In unavoidable cases, the number of examiners may be two, including one professor of the Graduate School. It is desirable that the members of the review committee be selected not only from the faculty members of the chair of the student submitting the thesis, but also from faculty members of adjacent courses related to the title of the thesis. (The same shall apply to the Integrated Linguistic Science Course.)

• The Academic Affairs Committee may, when it deems necessary, appoint faculty members from other graduate schools, etc. to serve as members of the “Thesis Examination and Final Examination” committee.

• The Academic Affairs Committee may, when it deems necessary, commission faculty members of other graduate schools, etc. to "review the thesis.

• When appointing a “Thesis Examination and Final Examination Committee Member” or “Thesis Examination Committee Member,” the Chairperson must submit a curriculum vitae (academic and professional background) and a list of accomplishments (about 3 books or papers) of the person concerned and obtain approval from the Academic Affairs Committee. The format and instructions for the Curriculum Vitae and the List of Achievements shall be in accordance with the “Guidelines for the Format and Instructions for the Faculty Selection Report of the Graduate School of International Cultural Studies, Tohoku University” and the “Guidelines for the Faculty Selection Report”.

(d) Method of examination

• The final examination will be held in January for those who submitted their theses in January, and in July for those who submitted their theses in June. The final examination will consist of an oral examination on the submitted thesis, the date and place of which will be decided by the Chief Examiner.

• A master's thesis presentation will be held in January for those who took the final examinations in January and in July for those who took the final examinations in July.

• The chief examiner of the examination committee shall compile the results of the thesis examination, final examination, and master's thesis presentation in a “Report of Results of Thesis Examination and Final Examination” and submit it to the Dean of the Graduate School by February 20 for those who submitted the thesis in January, and by August 20 for those who submitted the thesis in June.

Evaluation Criteria for Doctoral Dissertations (by Completion of Coursework)

(a) Levels to be met

• The applicant must be able to demonstrate that he/she has the ability to independently carry out original research and provide guidance in his/her major field of study based on a wealth of academic knowledge and advanced specialized knowledge and skills, or that he/she has outstanding ability to engage in a highly specialized occupation.

• The applicant must be able to make a high-level academic contribution to the wide-ranging needs of global society with high ethical standards and a sense of responsibility, and must be able to demonstrate that he or she can make a significant contribution to the development of society as a whole.

• The applicant must possess an excellent international perspective and communication skills essential for receiving and disseminating advanced research of an international standard, and must have acquired a broad range of education and comprehensive, practical problem-solving skills, which will enable him/her to lead research in the field concerned at home and abroad, or to lead the field as a leader in a highly specialized profession. The applicant must be able to demonstrate that he/she is capable of leading research in the field or leading the profession as a leader in a highly specialized field of work in Japan or abroad.

(b) Evaluation items

• There is a recognized social and academic need to investigate the subject matter of the paper.

• A research method has been selected that is in line with the subject matter being studied.

• The research subject is viewed from a broad perspective (historical, cross-disciplinary, international context, etc.).

• The study is based on previous research, and relevant literature and historical materials are accurately collected, processed, and cited, and their sources are clearly indicated.

• The argument is clear and coherent, and is presented in an appropriate manner.

• The research has original analyses, interpretations, proposals, etc., not found in existing research, and has a leading academic or practical significance that can contribute to the deepening and development of discussion in the relevant academic or professional field.

• The applicant must be able to contribute to cutting-edge research in his or her field of specialization from an original perspective, and possess the advanced research skills and the rich academic knowledge necessary to engage in research activities as an independent researcher or in other highly specialized work.

(c) Review committee members

• The examiners shall consist of all the supervisors of the thesis submitter (one of the professors or associate professors shall be the chief examiner). In addition, one member of the review committee shall be a member of the Faculty Committee of this Graduate School who is in charge of the guidance of the three-year doctoral course in another course of this Graduate School, a faculty member of another graduate school, or a faculty member of another graduate school, etc. The chair representative shall make a recommendation in a recommendation form, and the Academic Affairs Committee shall decide the member. In principle, the examiners shall include two professors, and the members of the Faculty Committee of this Graduate School shall be entrusted with the "Thesis Examination and Final Examination. (In addition to all the supervisors of the thesis submitter, one member of the review committee for the Integrated Linguistic Sciences Course shall be selected from the faculty of the Integrated Linguistic Sciences Course and recommended by the course representative in a recommendation form.)

• The Academic Affairs Committee may, when it deems necessary, appoint faculty members from other graduate schools, etc. to serve as members of the “Thesis Examination and Final Examination” committee.

• The Academic Affairs Committee may, when it deems necessary, commission faculty members of other graduate schools, etc. to "review the thesis.

• When appointing a “Thesis Examination and Final Examination Committee Member” or “Thesis Examination Committee Member,” the Chairperson must submit a curriculum vitae (academic and professional background) and a list of accomplishments (about three books or papers) of the person concerned and obtain approval from the Academic Affairs Committee. The format and instructions for the Curriculum Vitae and the List of Achievements shall be in accordance with the “Guidelines for the Format and Instructions for the Faculty Selection Report of the Graduate School of International Cultural Studies, Tohoku University” and the “Guidelines for the Faculty Selection Report”.

• The Educational Records and Programs Committee will decide the members of the dissertation review committee for those who submit their dissertations in June at the November meeting of the Educational Records and Programs Committee.

(d) Method of examination

• The final examination will be held by February 10 of the following year for those who submitted their thesis in November, and by August 10 for those who submitted their thesis in May. The final examination will consist of an oral examination on the submitted thesis, and the date and place will be decided by the chief examiner, who will report to the Dean of the Graduate School. Upon receiving the report, the Dean of the Graduate School will inform all faculty members of the Graduate School. All committee members assigned to “thesis review and final examination” shall be present at the final examination. However, if there are unavoidable circumstances, only one member, excluding the chief examiner, may be substituted with a written report of the thesis review. The final examination is open to the members of the Faculty Committee of the Graduate School.

• The chief examiner of the examination committee shall summarize the results of the thesis examination and final examination in the “Report of Thesis Examination, etc.” and the summary of the thesis examination in the “Summary of Results of Thesis Examination” and submit it to the Dean of the Graduate School by February 20 of the following year in principle for those who submitted the thesis in November, and by August 20 in principle for those who submitted the thesis in May. For those who submitted the thesis in November, the summary shall be submitted to the Dean of the Graduate School by February 20 of the following year in principle.

• The summary of the results of the thesis examination in the “Summary of Results of Thesis Examination” and the “Report on Thesis Examination, etc.” to be made public should be summarized in about 1,000 characters, and the “Summary of Results of Thesis Examination” and the “Thesis Catalog” should be distributed to the members of the Faculty Committee of the Graduate School. The abstract of the thesis review results in the “Report of the Thesis Examination, etc.” may be written as “as shown in the Appendix” and the “Abstract of the Results of the Thesis Examination” may be written as a separate sheet.

Evaluation Criteria for Doctoral Dissertations (by Thesis Submission)

(a) Levels to be met

The applicant should be able to demonstrate that he/she has the advanced research skills and the rich academic knowledge necessary to engage in research activities as an independent researcher or other highly specialized work from an original point of view, and to contribute to cutting-edge research in his/her major field of study.

(b) Evaluation items

• There is a recognized social and academic need to investigate the subject matter of the paper.

• A research method has been selected that is in line with the subject matter being studied.

• The research subject is viewed from a broad perspective (historical, cross-disciplinary, international context, etc.).

• The study is based on previous research, and relevant literature and historical materials are accurately collected, processed, and cited, and their sources are clearly indicated.

• The argument is clear and coherent, and is presented in an appropriate manner.

• The research has original analyses, interpretations, proposals, etc., not found in existing research, and has a leading academic or practical significance that can contribute to the deepening and development of discussion in the relevant academic or professional field.

• The student has acquired a wealth of academic knowledge and a high level of specialized knowledge and skills, and based on this knowledge and skills, the student has demonstrated the ability to independently carry out and lead original research in his/her major field, or the ability to engage in a highly specialized occupation and to excel in the specific area of his/her major.

(c) Review committee members

• The review board shall consist of at least three reviewers, including two professors, from among the faculty members in charge of teaching the three-year doctoral course at the Graduate School.

• The review committee members shall be members (excluding those who are on a business trip abroad, on leave of absence, or otherwise recognized by the Faculty Council as having compelling reasons. The same shall apply hereinafter). The members of the Review Committee shall be elected at a meeting of the Faculty Council attended by at least two-thirds (2/3) of the members (excluding those who are on overseas business trip, on leave of absence, or otherwise recognized by the Faculty Council as having compelling reasons).

• Elections shall be conducted by secret ballot by three successive secret written ballots.

• One member of the Screening Committee shall be designated as the Lead Examiner, to be determined by mutual election of the members of the Screening Committee.

• The Faculty Council may, when it deems necessary, appoint faculty members from other graduate schools, etc. to serve as members of the “Thesis Examination and Academic Review” committee.

• The Faculty Council may, when it deems necessary, commission faculty members of other graduate schools, etc. to "review the thesis.

• When appointing a “Thesis Examination and Academic Review Committee Member” or “Thesis Examination Committee Member,” the chairperson of the Examination Committee must submit a curriculum vitae (academic and professional background) and a list of accomplishments (about three books or papers) of the person concerned and obtain approval from the Faculty Committee. The format and instructions for the Curriculum Vitae and the List of Achievements shall be in accordance with the “Guidelines for the Format and Instructions for the Faculty Selection Report of the Graduate School of International Cultural Studies, Tohoku University” and the “Guidelines for the Faculty Selection Report”.

(d) Method of examination

• Confirmation of Academic Proficiency

  For those who have submitted a doctoral dissertation, the Dean of the Graduate School will check the academic qualifications so that the Dean can make a decision on whether or not to confer the degree within one year from the date of receipt of the doctoral dissertation.

  The date and place of the academic verification shall be decided by the chief examiner and reported to the Dean of the Graduate School. Upon receiving the report, the Dean of the Graduate School will inform all faculty members of the Graduate School.

  Academic ability shall be verified by oral or written answers in Japanese on subjects in the major field related to the doctoral dissertation and on foreign languages. Special exceptions to the method of academic ability verification shall be made in accordance with the provisions of Articles 6 and 7 of the Regulations for the Examination of Doctoral Dissertations of the Graduate School of International Cultural Studies, Tohoku University.

  All committee members who are commissioned to “review the thesis and confirm the academic ability” shall be present at the confirmation of the academic ability. However, if there is an unavoidable reason, only one member, excluding the chief reviewer, may be substituted with a written report of the thesis review. The confirmation of academic ability shall be open to the members of the Faculty Committee of the Graduate School.

• Report on Review of Papers, etc.

  The chief examiner of the examination committee shall compile and submit the results of the thesis examination and confirmation of academic ability in the “Report of Thesis Examination, etc.” and a summary of the thesis examination in the “Summary of the Results of Thesis Examination”.

• The summary of the thesis review results in the “Summary of Thesis Review Results” and the “Report on Thesis Review, etc.” to be made public will be summarized in about 1,000 characters, and the “Summary of Thesis Review Results” will be distributed to the members of the Faculty Council of this Graduate School.

  The abstract of the results of the thesis review in the “Report of the Literature Review, etc.” may be entered as a separate sheet, and the “Abstract of the Results of the Thesis Review” may be entered as a separate sheet.