The foundation of graduate studies at the university is the five-year doctoral degree program.

 The five year period is divided into two segments: the first half is a two-year Master's degree program, and the second half consists of the second stage of the doctoral degree program, which lasts three years (called "doctoral program" below).

 The Department of Information Processing accepts students for the Master's program and the doctoral program in April and October. There are also courses of study for international students and working professionals.

» Master Program

» PhD Program

 The first year of the Master's program is positioned as the period in which students acquire broad knowledge in specialized areas through coursework, lab-based seminars and discussion sections, and direct guidance from professors. In the second year of the program, students carry out advanced research in specialized areas at the laboratories, based on the basic knowledge and experiment skills learned during the first year. At the end of the school year, based on this, students completing the first stage of the doctoral program at the graduate school submit a Master's degree thesis. During the two years of Master's Degree Program, the following events are interspersed between classes and laboratory research.

 Just before new students matriculate, an orientation is held where the departments and its professors are introduced and guidance is provided on how graduate students can make the most of their time while enrolled in the master's degree and doctoral programs.

 Students in the first year of the Master's program participate in presentations given by second year students on their research. This event provides students a good opportunity to learn about the kind of research being conducted in the department and to think themselves about the kind of research activities they are conducting. All students must participate and submit a report.

 In December of the first year of the Master's program, students present ideas and plans for research they will conduct during the program.

 In the second year of the Master's program, explanations are provided on what takes place after students have completed the program. Students wishing to search for employment initiate activities in line with a schedule while keeping in contact with a career advisor.

 In the second year of the Master's program, students present progress reports on their research to date and the direction it is heading. This is a good chance for students to receive a great deal of advice from professors in different specialties.

 In February of the second year of the Master's program, students write a thesis on the research they have done in the program and present its contents.

 Students who pass the review of their Master's theses will be awarded Master of Engineering, Master of Science or Master of Philosophy.

 The majority of graduate school life in the doctoral program consists of research in a laboratory. There are a number of programs that provide financial support for this period, including university teaching assistantships and research assistantships, special researcher grants provided by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science as well as special research grants provided by the department.

 Additionally, beginning in the 2002 school year, the Department of Information Processing has been selected by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology to be a 21st Century COE Program Research and Education Center. Attendant to this designation, a program of education and financial aid has been established for the doctoral program to support the foundations for increasing the awareness of independent, student researchers and to have them acquire the discernment fitting a Ph.D. holder. Over the three-year period of the doctoral program, the following events are held.

 During the summer break of the first year of the doctoral program, students participate in research at a company to experience for themselves in-house research activities and the positioning of researchers in a company's organization.

 During the doctoral program, interim reviews are conducted based on each student's own application, and students present the social positioning of their research as well as its future prospects.

 Several months before applying for the doctorate degree, preliminary reviews are conducted based on each student's own application. At the review, students present the research results they have attained to date.

 Degree applications are conducted based on each student's own applications.

 As one of the procedures for receiving a degree, students present the content of their dissertations, which pull together the work they have done in the doctoral program, the details of their research and the results they were able to obtain.

 Students are tested on their language abilities, which is a degree requirement, and to check that their scholarship is sufficiently at the level expected of Ph.D. holders.

 Students who pass the doctoral dissertation review are granted Doctor of Engineering, Doctor of Science or Doctor of Philosophy.