With a diverse faculty and extensive educational programs, our graduate school meets the demand of researchers and other working adults.
The Graduate School of Economics and its well-staffed faculty have produced many capable economists and researchers since its establishment in 1951. In 1992, ahead of other universities, it began offering evening classes at the graduate level for working adults. In 2003, the doctoral program was made available to both the day and evening sections. The school has always responded to the needs of the times and society in this fashion.
To further enhance the development of people capable of functioning in the global society of the twenty-first century—which is becoming increasingly specialized as diversification progresses—we will offer a high-quality educational program that contributes to the comprehensive development of basic research capabilities and the ability to execute cutting-edge research projects.
Specifically, we will add a qualifying examination to launch a five-year Ph.D. program in addition to our existing Master’s program.
The qualifying examination consists of exams to measure basic and specialized knowledge, and also assesses the examinee’s level of ability related to the major field of study and his/her ability to carry out dissertation research. Specifically, it consists of the following tests and assessment:
(1) Written and other exams to evaluate the examinee’s specialized knowledge and ability in his/her major field of study and related areas.
(2) Assessment of the research plan the examinee submitted, along with oral and other exams to evaluate the examinee’s knowledge pertaining to the background, purpose and perspective of the field of research, and the examinee’s ability to set a topic and pursue research.
- A comprehensive written qualifying examination covering two fields that corresponds to (1) above
- An oral qualifying examination that corresponds to (2) above
（A） Passes the written qualifying examination in two fields
（B） Has a GPA of 2.7 or above for the six subjects in the coursework for that field of study (12 credits)
（C） Submits a research plan that indicates possession of the abilities listed in (2) above.
The Graduate School of Economics conducts:
A candidate is eligible for taking the oral qualifying examination if he or she:
Educational target, content and method of the research field coursework:
[Educational target] Development of the basic capabilities needed to accomplish the required research after advancing to the doctoral course, especially enhanced capabilities for grasping research trends and progressing research work.
[Education content] Literature reviews as a basis for research qualified for presentation at academic conferences and in scholarly journals, and the scholarly knowledge needed to understand them.
[Educational method] Distribution of a list of literature in research fields relevant to the course; discussion of that literature in the form of a term paper focusing on literature reviews; and lectures using graduate-level textbooks and other research books in the field.
Master of Arts Program
The goal of this M.A. program is to train applied economists and advanced professionals with the intellect and aspirations to create a new economic society, as well as to cultivate highly cultured citizens seeking lifelong learning. Candidates who complete the requirements of the program, submit a master’s thesis and pass the oral examination are awarded M.A. degrees.
Note: A student that joins the program through the working adult entrance exam can substitute a research paper on a specific subject instead of a master’s thesis under the guidance and with the understanding of his/her advisor instructor.
| Basic subject group, compulsory subject group | 12 credits or more |
| Seminar in Economics I A/B, Seminar in Economics II A/B | 4 credits or more |
| Specialized group | 4 credits or more |
| Total | 30 credits or more |
Five-year Doctoral Program
The goal of this five-year program combining the master’s and doctoral programs is to cultivate specialized researchers motivated to solve the various problems the global community faces. A candidate advances to the doctoral course by completing the requirements of the M.A. program and passing the qualifying examination. The candidate is required to engage in research projects, present and publish findings in and out of the university, and complete a dissertation once he/she reaches the Doctoral Course.
Note: The candidate is awarded an M.A. degree upon entering the Doctoral Course.
| Basic subject group, compulsory subject group (including the written qualifying examination coursework) | 12 credits or more |
| Seminar in Economics I A/B, Seminar in Economics II A/B | 4 credits or more |
| Electives: Major field coursework | 12 credits or more |
| Total in the M.A. Course | 30 credits or more |
| Total in the Doctoral Course | 16 credits or more |
Subjects offered and credits assigned to each
| Basic Subjects | Basic Economics A(2), B(2) Basic Empirical Economics A(2), B(2) |
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|---|---|---|
| Compulsory Subjects | Economic History A(2), B(2) Econometrics A(2), B(2) Political Economics A(2), B(2) Macroeconomics A(2), B(2) Microeconomics A(2), B(2) |
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| Specialized Subjects | Major Field | History, Thought and Systems |
| Applied Macroeconomics A(2), B(2) Applied Microeconomics A(2), B(2) Development Economics A(2), B(2) Finance A(2), B(2) Economic History A(2), B(2) Public Finance A(2), B(2) Gender Economics A(2), B(2) Area Studies IA(2), IB(2) Area Studies IIA(2), IIB(2) Statistics A(2), B(2) Japanese Economy A(2), B(2) Law and Economics A(2), B(2) |
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| Finance and Business | ||
| Applied Macroeconomics A(2), B(2) Applied Microeconomics A(2), B(2) Business Economics A(2), B(2) Financial System A(2), B(2) Financial Economics A(2), B(2) Accounting and Economics A(2), B(2) International Finance A(2), B(2) Empirical Finance A(2), B(2) Statistics A(2), B(2) |
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| Policy and Environment | ||
| Applied Macroeconomics A(2), B(2) Applied Microeconomics A(2), B(2) Environmental Economics A(2), B(2) Environmental Policy A(2), B(2) Economic Policy A(2), B(2) Economic Geography A(2), B(2) Public Economics A(2), B(2) Public Finance A(2), B(2) Social Security A(2), B(2) Urban Economics Policy A(2), B(2) Statistics A(2), B(2) Labor Economics A(2), B(2) |
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| International and Regional | ||
| Applied Macroeconomics A(2), B(2) Applied Microeconomics A(2), B(2) Development Economics A(2), B(2) Economic Geography A(2), B(2) International Finance A(2), B(2) International Finance A(2), B(2) Area Studies IA(2), IB(2) Area Studies IIA(2), IIB(2) Statistics A(2), B(2) Japanese Economy A(2), B(2) |
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| Applied Micro, Applied Macro and Metrics | ||
| Applied Macroeconomics A(2), B(2) Applied Microeconomics A(2), B(2) Business Economics A(2), B(2) Accounting and Economics A(2), B(2) Public Economics A(2), B(2) Advanced Macroeconomics A(2), B(2) Advanced Microeconomics A(2), B(2) Statistics A(2), B(2) Japanese Economy A(2), B(2) Law and Economics A(2), B(2) Applied Econometrics A(2), B(2) Labor Economics A(2), B(2) |
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| Seminar Subjects |
Seminar in Economics IA(2), IB(2) |
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| Special Topics Subjects | Special Topics IA(2), IB(2) Special Topics IIA(2), IIB(2) Special Topics IIIA(2), IIIB(2) Special Topics IVA(2), IVB(2) |
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| Japanese Subjects | Japanese IA(1), IB(1) Japanese IIA(1), IIB(1) Japanese IIIA(1), IIIB(1) |
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