To Prospective Students
新潟大学大学院　現代社会文化研究科
To Prospective Students
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Home > Frequently Asked Questions FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions FAQ

To Prospective Students:

Q. Can I access past entrance examination papers?
A. Past examination papers are available only at the Front Desk of the Academic Affairs Division of the Graduate School of Humanities, Social Sciences and Education (For applicants from far flung areas, please contact us).
Q. Do you offer a secondary application or the like?
A. Secondary Application may be held in August if the number of successful applicants doesn’t reach the capacity of admission at the examination held in July.
Q. When is the entrance examination held?
A. We are planning to offer September Round (for April admission), February Round (for April or October admission), and July Round (for October admission). Please refer to the page Application Guidelines for details.
Q. How many students will be accepted?
A. Master’s Degree Programs: Major in Contemporary Cultural Studies: 10, Major in Social and Cultural Studies 20, Major in Law and Politics 10, Major in Economics and Management 20; Total number of students: 60; Doctoral Degree Programs: Major in Human Developmental Studies 6, Major in Multicultural Studies 7 and Major in Multisocial Studies 7; Total number of students: 20
Q. QI transferred from junior college to university and graduated. Am I required to submit the academic transcript of records of the college together with that of the university for the application?
A. The Master’s Degree Programs normally requires your academic transcript of records acquired normally during the four years. In case of transfer, you need to prepare academic transcript of records for 2 years from junior college plus 2 years from university after transfer.
Q. Do you hold Information Session for the entrance examination?
A. Information Session takes place in December for the February Round and in July for September Round. Please check out the News page on our website regularly.
Q. Do you offer some courses taught in English?
A. In the Master's Program, you can obtain the degree at the Field of International Social Affairs, the Major in Law and Politics. This Field is called as "English Course" only taught in English. Be sure to check the list of supervisors and offered lecture subjects carefully to select your supervisor and research field before submitting your application. (other courses are called as "Other Program Courses", in terms of curriculum, even if supervisors can guide you in English. In "Other Program Courses", you are required to acquire 8 academic credits from different educational program courses most of which are taught in Japanese). In the Doctoral Degree Program, some supervisors offer courses in English. If you select such a supervisor, you can enroll any course of them.
Q. Is there a timetable for the graduate school? How many classes should I take?
A. No timetable is clearly fixed. In case of the Master's Degree Program, you are required to earn 12 academic credits of your own program, 8 academic credits of other programs, and 10 academic credits of compulsory subjects, total 30 academic credits (15 subjects) during two years. However, it is recommended to take at least 20 optional subjects during the first year, since a higher priority will be placed on writing a thesis during the second year. Accordingly, you have to take 5 or 6 subjects per week basically, since there are two semesters per year.
Q. Can I take only subjects without earning degree credits?
A. We have a "non-degree students" system. It isn't a regular course. In this system, you are required to pay tuition per subject taken. Accordingly, you can take only the subjects you need (We will issue a proof of academic credits earned by satisfying the requirement of the academic record).
Q. Are internships awarded as academic credits?
A. If you satisfy the necessary number of days and other conditions, 2 academic credits are accepted (However, it isn't a requirement for completion).
Q. Can I take also classes of any other Fields or Majors?
A. In the doctoral degree program, you are required to earn 12 credits of your own educational program (own program) and 8 academic credits of other educational programs (other programs) for completion. We offer opportunities to take other fields or other majors. We believe it will greatly help foster human resources having a specialized knowledge and interdisciplinary perspectives.
Q. Can I study abroad as an exchange student?
A. You can study abroad at any one of the universities in various countries that have concluded a university agreement and exchange agreement between departments. However, you need to plan it consulting your supervisor because the completion period of the graduate school is short.
Q. If I study abroad, will my academic credits earned abroad be transferred?
A. Transfer of academic credits is limited to the subjects replaceable with the subjects of this Graduate School. Other subjects such as undergraduate-level subjects and language-related subjects are not generally accepted.
Q. I would like to find a supervisor. How can I contact him or her?
A. Check out the list of faculty members accessible from the faculty search page provided on this HP. If you cannot decide a prospective supervisor suitable for your desired research topic from the web site, contact the representative faculty member of each major or field. In this case, contact the Academic Affairs Division.
Q. Can I change my supervisor after enrollment?
A. If you have a justifiable reason, it might be possible. However, be careful about it. In some cases, the content of the research has to be changed and the completion of the thesis will be delayed.
Q. Can I get an MBA?
A. MBA refers to a Master of Business Administration, The Master of Business Administration (MBA) to be awarded at the Major in Economics and Management, Master's degree program, this Graduate School is a kind of MBA. However, "MBA", recently often heard, typically refers to Doctoral degree of Business Management awarded at a professional graduate schools. Please carefully consider of what kind of abilities you wish to acquire, before you choose.
Q. Please let me know the application schedule of a degree thesis.
A. Annual schedule is provided. Please contact the Academic Affairs Division.
Q. How can I enroll as a non-degree research student?
A. To enroll as a non-degree research student of the Graduate School of Modern Society and Culture, a master's degree or higher is required.
Those with a Master’s degree→Non-degree Research Students of Master’s Degree Program;
Those with a Doctoral degree→Non-degree Research Students of Doctoral Degree Program;
Those with a bachelor's degree (prospective) will be a Non-degree Research Students at undergraduate departments. Contact the Academic Affairs Division of a faculty department to which your prospectiveguiding faculty member belongs.
Q. Can I obtain a teacher’s license?
A. At the Graduate School of Modern Society and Culture, you can take the subjects and acquire a Master's degree required to obtain a "Junior High School Specialized Teacher’s License" and a "High School Specialized Teacher’s License".
Q. How can I apply for a thesis or a doctoral degree?
A. We accept applications twice a year, in September and in March. You are required to submit your doctoral thesis, its summary, reference papers, and other necessary documents and pay the examination fee. For details, contact the Academic Affairs Division to obtain the Application Guidebook.
Q. What kind of degrees can I obtain?
A. The degrees to be rewarded are different by each Majors. Check the information described on the pages of Major Introduction.
Q. When should I apply for tuition fees exemption and/or scholarships?
A. The application period is fixed respectively. For details on the Admission fee and Tuition fee exemption and Scholarships, contact the scholarship support staff of the Student Support Division. Please refer to the website as below. For any question, contact the said Division: (+81-25-262-7337).
Exemption or Payment Deferral of Admission Fee
Tuition Scholarship
Q. How much is the admission fee and the tuition?
A. Please refer to the Tuition Fee from the website.
Q. Can I pay the tuition fees in installments?
A. Monthly installment payment may be accepted based on your application. Please note that the tuition paid will not be refunded.
Q. Until what time is the Front Desk open?
A. The Front Desk is open from 8:30 to 17: 15. For further information, refer to the Services of Academic Affairs Division.
Q. Where is the Academic Affairs Division?
A. It is at the 1st floor of the Building D of Humanities and Social Sciences Building. Enter the Front entrance beside the Clock Tower and go straight. You will see the Academic Affairs Division on your left. Enter the office through the door at the farther end.
Q. Can I use the parking lot to go to the Front Desk?
A. Certainly. Drive through the former main gate. You can use the parking lot at the left side of the guard booth. Receive a parking ticket from a guard man. Present the ticket at the Academic Affairs Division to have it validated.
Q. Will my laboratory be provided for me?
A. You can use a shared laboratory for graduate school students and non-degree research students on your request. It allows you to exchange opinions and discuss with other students of various countries with various backgrounds.
Q. Is there any place suitable for self-stud? Can I use it on Saturday and Sunday?
A. Generally, you can use a laboratory for graduate students for that purpose. Self-study spaces in the Building and the Library are also available.
Q. Can I live in a student dormitory?
A. Refer to the information accessible from 「Student Life 」at the Niigata University Home Page.
Q. Can I commute to school by car?
A. Commuting by car is permitted in special cases such as the distance and situations for working. Please apply for it after enrollment.
Q. Do you have TA or RA systems?
A. Certainly. TA and RA systems are available. Please inquire to the Academic Affairs Division or your supervisor after enrollment.
Q. Can I access academic papers?
A. Certainly. Theses of the Master’s Degree Program are accessible at the Library. Theses of the Doctoral Degree Program are accessible at the page Academic Repository of Niigata University Home Page or at the Building of Graduate School of Modern Society and Culture.
Q. Do you have employment support etc.?
A. The Niigata University Career Center, established as a university-wide employment support organization, offers each student full support by holding events for job-hunting and individual consultation. This system is also basically available for graduate school students.

To Working Students:

QI'm a working adult. Can I take a degree while I'm working?
A. We offer special arrangements of courses for working students, such as courses in which you can receive lectures and guidance in evening and on weekends, and long-term completion system allowing to extend the standard term of completion years. Refer to the page Prospective Students (Working Students).
Q. Can I get an MBA?
A. MBA refers to a Master of Business Administration, The Master of Business Administration (MBA) to be awarded at the Major in Economics and Management, Master's degree program, this Graduate School is a kind of MBA. However, "MBA", recently often heard, typically refers to Doctoral degree of Business Management awarded at a professional graduate schools. Please carefully consider of what kind of abilities you wish to acquire, before you choose.
Q. How do I find a supervisor?
A. Check out the list of faculty members accessible from the faculty search page provided on this HP. If you cannot decide a prospective supervisor suitable for your desired research topic from the web site, contact the representative faculty member of each major or field. In this case, contact the Academic Affairs Division.
Q. Can I take only subjects without earning degree credits?
A. We have a "non-degree students" system. It isn't a regular course. In this system, you are required to pay tuition per subject taken. Accordingly, you can take only the subjects you need (We will issue a proof of academic credits earned by satisfying the requirement of the academic record).
Q. How can I apply for a thesis or a doctoral degree?
A. We accept applications twice a year, in September and in March. You are required to submit your doctoral thesis, its summary, reference papers, and other necessary documents and pay the examination fee. For details, contact the Academic Affairs Division to obtain the Application Guidebook.
Q. I would like to find a supervisor. How can I contact him or her?
A. Check out the list of faculty members accessible from the faculty search page provided on this HP. If you cannot decide a prospective supervisor suitable for your desired research topic from the web site, contact the representative faculty member of each major or field. In this case, contact the Academic Affairs Division.
Q. Do you hold Information Session for the entrance examination?
A. Information Session takes place in December for the February Round and in May for July Round. Please check out the News page on our website regularly.
Q. How much is the admission fee and the tuition?
A. Please refer to the Tuition Fee from the website.
Q. Until what time is the Front Desk open?
A. The Front Desk is open from 8:30 to 17: 15. For further information, refer to the Services of Academic Affairs Division.
Q. Where is the Academic Affairs Division?
A. It is at the 1st floor of the Building D of Humanities and Social Sciences Building. Enter the Front entrance beside the Clock Tower and go straight. You will see the Academic Affairs Division on your left. Enter the office through the door at the farther end.
Q. Can I use the parking lot to go to the Front Desk?
A. Certainly. Drive through the former main gate. You can use the parking lot at the left side of the guard booth. Receive a parking ticket from a guard man. Present the ticket at the Academic Affairs Division to have it validated.

To International Students:

Q. Can I submit my application documents from abroad?
A. You can submit your application documents by EMS (Express Mailing Service), However, submission only by PDF file is not accepted.
Q. Are there scholarships for International Students?
A. Yes. There are two types of scholarships. For one type, you can apply for entry in advance for an interview on your research contents and achievements. Depending on the results, you can apply for the scholarship. For the other type, you can apply for entry individually.
Q. Can I request Application Guidebook from abroad?
A. It depends on the situation. So please consult the Academic Affairs Division.
Q. When should I apply for tuition fees exemption and/or scholarships?
A. The application period is fixed respectively. For details on the Admission fee and Tuition fee exemption and Scholarships, contact the scholarship support staff of the Student Support Division. Please refer to the website as below. For any question, contact the said Division: (025-262-7337).
Exemption or Payment Deferral of Admission Fee　Tuition Scholarship
Q. How much is the admission fee and the tuition?
A. Please refer to the Tuition Fee from the website.
Q. Do you offer some courses taught in English?
A. In the Master's Program, you can obtain the degree at the Field of International Social Affairs, the Major in Law and Politics. This Field is called as "English Course" only taught in English. Be sure to check the list of supervisors and offered lecture subjects carefully to select your supervisor and research field before submitting your application. (other courses are called as "Other Program Courses", in terms of curriculum, even if supervisors can guide you in English. In "Other Program Courses", you are required to acquire 8 academic credits from different educational program courses most of which are taught in Japanese). In the Doctoral Degree Program, some supervisors offer courses in English. If you select such a supervisor, you can enroll any course of them.
Q. I would like to find a supervisor. How can I contact him or her?
A. Check out the list of faculty members accessible from the faculty search page provided on this HP. If you cannot decide a prospective supervisor suitable for your desired research topic from the web site, contact the representative faculty member of each major or field. In this case, contact the Academic Affairs Division.
Q. Can I live in a student dormitory?
A. Refer to the information accessible from「Student Life 」at the Niigata University Home Page.

To Current Students:

Q. I changed my address. What kind of procedure is required?
A. Update your address registration at "Update Enrollment Information" accessible from "Student Information relation" in the Academic Affairs Information System. After update, please be sure to notify it to the Academic Affairs Division.
Q. How can I apply for issuing a certificate?
A. Enrollment certificates and academic transcripts can be issued through the certificate-issuing machine in the University. For other certificates, fill in the application form at the Front Desk of the Academic Affairs Division. After receiving a Certificate Request Form, it takes three business days to issue the certificate. Make sure to request the certificate well in advance.
Q. I have lost my copy card. What should I do?
A. Promptly notify the Academic Affairs Division. Please be sure not to lose your card. A limitation on number of copies may be imposed to you thereafter.
Q. I lost my student ID card. What should I do?
A. Please take necessary procedures for reissuing the Student ID card at the Academic Affairs Division. You are required to bring your photo.
For details, please refer to various format collections (for current students).
Q. I cannot log in to the Academic Information system. What should I do?
A. To log-in the Academic Affairs Information System, input your password. The initial password is a numerical string shown on the lower-left corner of your Student ID card. If you have changed it, only you know it. If you cannot remember it by all means, take a procedure at the Academic Affairs Division to reset the password to the initial password. The ID password of Modern Society and Culture PC is separately distributed at the time of guidance. Please do not confuse it with that password.
Q. Can I access academic papers?
A. Certainly. Theses of the Master’s Degree Program are accessible at the Library. Theses of the Doctoral Degree Program are accessible at the page Academic Repository of Niigata University Home Page or at the Building of Graduate School of Modern Society and Culture.
Q. Do you have employment support etc.?
A. The Niigata University Career Center, established as a university-wide employment support organization, offers each student full support by holding events for job-hunting and individual consultation. This system is also basically available for graduate school students.
Q. Where are lost items kept?
A. Lost things in the Humanities and Social Sciences Building will be kept in the Lost Found shelf at the Academic Affairs Division. Lost things in the General Education Research Building will be kept in the Lost Found shelf at the Educational Affairs Division. For valuables, please inquire at the Front Desk.
Q. I'd like to take a leave of absence. How long can I take it? What kind of procedures are required?
A. You can take a leave of absence for the same number of years as the standard term of completion years. 2 years for the Master's Program. 3 years for the Doctoral Program.
Q. Is it possible to change my supervisor?
A. If you have a justifiable reason, it might be possible. However, be careful about it. In some cases, the content of the research has to be changed and the completion of the thesis will be delayed.
Q. Please let me know the application schedule of a degree thesis.
A. Annual schedule is provided. Please contact the Academic Affairs Division.
Q. Can I study abroad as an exchange student?
A. You can study abroad at any one of the universities in various countries that have concluded a university agreement and exchange agreement between departments. However, you need to plan it consulting your supervisor because the completion period of the graduate school is short.
Q. Until what time is the Front Desk open?
A. The Front Desk is open from 8:30 to 17: 15. For further information, refer to the Services of Academic Affairs Division.
Q. Are internships awarded as academic credits?
A. If you satisfy the necessary number of days and other conditions, 2 academic credits are accepted (However, it isn't a requirement for completion).
Q. How many times do you accept repeating a year?
A. The same number of years as the standard term of completion years is accepted. 2 years for the master's program. 3 years for the doctoral program.
Q. Can I pay the tuition fees in installments?
A. Depending on the application, the monthly dividend payment may be accepted. In addition, refund after delivery cannot be done.
Q. Should I take any procedure to go abroad?
A. Please submit overseas travel notification to the Academic Affairs Division.

To Alumni:

Q. How can I apply for issuing a certificate?
A. You can apply for it in person at the Front Desk (Academic Affairs Division) or by postal mailing. Refer to the information at "How to Request a Certificate" accessible from "Alumni".
Q. I wish to receive a certificate of completion. Are you able to issue it at once?
A. The application procedure is as described above. After receiving a Certificate Request Form, it takes three business days to issue the certificate. Make sure to request the certificate well in advance.
Q. Can I access academic papers?
A. Certainly. Theses of the Master’s Degree Program are accessible at the Library. Theses of the Doctoral Degree Program are accessible at the page Academic Repository of Niigata University Home Page or at the Building of Graduate School of Modern Society and Culture.
Q. Until what time is the Front Desk open?
A. The Front Desk is open from 8:30 to 17: 15. For further information, refer to the Services of Academic Affairs Division.

To Visitors:

Q. Until what time is the Front Desk open?
A. The Front Desk is open from 8:30 to 17: 15. For further information, refer to the Services of Academic Affairs Division.
Q. Where is the Academic Affairs Division?
A. It is at the 1st floor of the Building D of Humanities and Social Sciences Building. Enter the Front entrance beside the Clock Tower and go straight. You will see the Academic Affairs Division on your left. Enter the office through the door at the farther end.
Q. Can I use the parking lot to go to the Front Desk?
A. Certainly. Drive through the former main gate. You can use the parking lot at the left side of the guard booth. Receive a parking ticket from a guard man. Present the ticket at the Academic Affairs Division to have it validated.
Q. Can I access academic papers?
A. Certainly. Theses of the Master’s Degree Program are accessible at the Library. Theses of the Doctoral Degree Program are accessible at the page Academic Repository of Niigata University Home Page or at the Building of Graduate School of Modern Society and Culture.