FAQ
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Program
Frequently
Asked Questions About Admissions
Frequently Asked Questions About Financial Aid
Frequently
Asked Questions About Tsukuba City
Frequently
Asked Questions About The Program
Q: What distinguishes the SIS program?
The University of Tsukuba is one of highly ranked universities
in the country; therefore, many undergraduates obtain
graduate-caliber education here. This includes the division of SIS.
On the other hand, considering the increasing number of
international students in this program, you will be able to discuss
geographical information science issues in different countries
including Japan and interact with graduate students from around the
world and with different educational backgrounds such as geography,
surveying. The other advantage is the location of the university.
Since Tsukuba City is located very close to Tokyo, it will be easy
for you to participate in the national and international
conferences, meetings, and seminars that are mostly held in Tokyo.
Q: Are there any particular areas around which students'
interests revolve?
They generally reflect the faculty research interests; see
Faculty page. Please also check the page describing current graduate
students.
Q: Is a background in GIS, geography, or other spatial related
fields required for applicants in your Master program?
No. Though the division does expect that prospective students will
have had sufficient exposure to the field for them to carry out good
research.
Q: Are applicants expected to have had advanced course work in
GIS?
No.
Q: Where are your international students from?
Our students come from a variety of countries such as Iran,
China, Kenya, Korea, Myanmar, Nepal, the Philippines, Taiwan,
Thailand, Vietnam.
Q: What academic backgrounds do your students have?
Geography, GIS, surveying, environmental studies, forestry,
sociology, landscape ecology, information science, etc.
Q: What will the title of my Master and PhD degree be?
Master degree: "Master of Science" and for PhD degrees you can
choose either "Doctoral Degree of Philosophy in Science" or
"Doctoral Degree of Philosophy in Geoenvironmental Science"
Q: Is there a five-year PhD program available at the division?
No. This division provides only a two-year Master program and a
three-year PhD program.
Q: What facilities are available in the laboratory?
There are two types of facilities and equipment available for
students at the division: public and personal. Public facilities
include access to computers, printers and a GIS library at the SIS
laboratory. You can have access to the GIS books and software
(mostly ESRI products) at this lab 24 hours a day! Personal
equipment and facilities include a copy card for 1000 free copies
for each year, a shared research room with a desk, a chair, a
bookshelf, access to the Internet for free, and shared printers. You
can use the shared computers at the SIS laboratory until you
purchase one for yourself.
Q: Is the GIS software in the SIS laboratory in English?
Most of them are in Japanese, but some English versions are also
available to use.
Q: What software is provided in the SIS laboratory?
Such as ArcInfo 9.2, MapInfo, ERDAS Imagine, IDRISI, GeoBasic,
Illustrator, Photoshop, Acrobat, InDesign, Word, Excel, Access,
PowerPoint, GeoConcept, SPSS, etc.
Q: Is there any restriction in choosing a topic to study within
the program?
No. You can study a wide array of topics related to your own
country, Japan, or on any other global issue. It all depends on
which theoretical study you are interested in focusing on. Since we
have a GIS laboratory with a wealth of materials available to you,
you can apply GIS to your research and/or explore the theoretical
side of GIS. Topics chosen by current and former graduate students
in the division include; delineating school districts, land use
planning, AIDS, poverty, and global air transportation are topics
chosen by the former and current graduate students of the division
from Iran, China, Kenya, Philippines, and Korea.
Q: Can I change my research topic or plan after joining the
program?
Yes, you can. You just need talk to your academic advisor about
your new research plan and the reasons behind your decision.
Q: Can I take research trips abroad to collect data for my
research?
Yes, you can. Many students whose study areas are their own
countries might need to travel home to collect and/or update the
needed data and information such as basic maps, conducting
questionnaires. The summer vacation is usually the best time to take
the trip.
Q: Are letter of recommendations from home universities required?
If you want to join the program as a Research Student, a letter
of recommendation from an academic advisor from your home university
is needed. However, if you plan to apply for the entrance
examination, a letter of recommendation is not necessary but you can
include one if you wish.
Q: If I can not provide a letter of recommendation from my
academic advisor, who should write my letter of recommendation for a
Research Student application?
The Admissions Committee strongly prefers to see letter(s) from
those who can assess your likelihood of academic success in graduate
school. Letter(s) from non-academic employers carry much less weight
than letters from academics and scholars who are familiar with your
work.
Q: Is an in-person interview required before my application?
No.
Q: Is Japanese required while I am in the program?
Most of the lectures are in Japanese but you can do the field
and laboratory work in English. Though you will be encouraged to
speak Japanese with the staff and students, you are welcome to write
and present your thesis in English.
Q: Can you tell me a little about the atmosphere in the SIS lab?
Like Tsukuba city, the SIS laboratory is also international.
Currently there are students from different countries and it
continues to grow. In addition to an international feel, you can
also take comfort in the fact that the Japanese students who are
also in the section are extremely helpful and friendly and will be
there to assist and help you make a smooth transition in Japan.
Q: Can I stay at the division as a researcher after my
graduation?
Most international students leave the program after the
graduation. There is, however, the possibility of a maximum one-year
post-doctoral position.
Go to Top
Frequently
Asked Questions About Admissions
What is the Application Process for Japan and the University of
Tsukuba?
Japan has a unique application process. If your situation makes
spending more time in Japan difficult some students choose to come
to Japan only during the exam and application period. You just need
to prepare your application form and the necessary documents and
submit them by the deadline. Once the university reviews your
package, you will be contacted for more information about when to
take the entrance examination. The University of Tsukuba holds
department specific examinations only in Japan so you will be here
for the exam period. You then receive the result of the exam and
your application for admission within a month and can register. This
process is for students who are not able to come to Japan for long
periods and only choose to be here by the exam/application
deadlines.
For those who want to come to Japan earlier and become more familiar
with Japan, the University, and our Division, another option is to
come as a year or six months prior to the application period as a
Research Student. First students are required to make contact with
the advisor in a division that they wish to join. If the advisor is
agreed with your research plan and background you can then apply and
come to Japan as a Research Student. During this period you can do
all of the steps to apply a Master of a PhD program? prepare you
application, study and take the examination, and wait for the
result, in addition doing any research you would like to do. Most
students choose this route and it is recommended by the Division.
Q: What graduate school (program) the division of Spatial
Information Science belongs to within the University of Tsukuba?
The Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Division of
spatial Information Science.
Q: I want to join the program as a Research Student and then
apply for a Master or PhD program. What is the first step?
For the University of Tsukuba a letter of permission from a
professor in the division you have contact is a must for your
Research Student application. When you decide to join our program,
the first step is to contact the division head Professor Yuji
Murayama by email to show your interest in the program and discuss
your research interests. This should be 2-3 months before your
application deadline. After enough discussion you can ask him for a
permission letter that is necessary for your Research Student
application package once you apply.
Q: I do not want be a Research Student. Can I still join the
Master or PhD program?
Yes. You first need to submit an application.
Q: Can I send my application form for the Master or the PhD
program from overseas?
Yes. But you have to take the test here.
Q: Where can I get information to obtain the application forms?
Please see
http://www.global.tsukuba.ac.jp/isc/academic-life/enrollment-guidebook
Q: Where can I get information about admission fee, tuition fee?
Please see
http://www.global.tsukuba.ac.jp/isc/academic-life/enrollment-guidebook
Q: I want to join the two-year Master program. Do I have to take
an entrance examination?
Yes. All candidates who wish to study at the University of
Tsukuba have to pass the entrance examination.
Q: Where do I take the entrance examination?
All applicants take the exam here in Japan, at the University of
Tsukuba.
Q: What subjects am I tested on in the entrance examination for
the Master program?
The examination for the division comprises of two parts: written
and oral. In the written part you have to translate English texts
into Japanese and Japanese texts into English. The oral test, which
is administrated the next day, consists of two presentations of your
research; your last research and your research plan for the Master
thesis.
Q: I want to apply for the Master program. Is the examination
only one day?
The examination for Master applicants takes two days. The first
day you will have a written test (translation test) and the second
day you will do an oral presentation of your recent research and
research plan for the program.
Q: When can I apply and take the entrance examination for a
Master program?
There are two examination dates available to Master applicants
in a year. Therefore you can decide what date is the best for you.
You can take the exam either in August or in February. For more
information about the application form availability, application
period, examination date, and announcement of results see
http://www.geoenv.tsukuba.ac.jp/e_about.html
Please scroll down the Main Field to the Geoenvironmental Science
under the Graduate School of Life and Environmental Science. Please
contact Professor Yuji Murayama for the latest updates on the
application form availability, application period, and examination
date.
Q: I have a Master Degree. Is the exam required for the PhD
program? If, so what subjects am I tested on in the entrance
examination?
Yes. But there is not any written examination (any subject) and you
only have to pass an oral entrance examination. It consists of two
presentations of your research; your Master thesis and your research
plan for the doctoral dissertation.
Q: I want to apply for the PhD program. Is the examination only
one day?
Yes. The entrance examination for PhD applicants is only one day and
only one time in a year. It is in February. For more information
about the application form availability, application period,
examination date, and announcement of results see
http://www.geoenv.tsukuba.ac.jp/e_about.html
Please scroll down the Main Field to the Geoenvironmental Science
under the Graduate School of Life and Environmental Science. Please
contact Professor Yuji Murayama for the latest updates on the
application form availability, application period, and examination
date.
Q: When can I start my Master program?
In April.
Q: When can I start my PhD program?
In April.
Q: How can I come to Japan to take an entrance examination?
There are two ways; you can either first come to Japan as a
Research Student for 1 year or 6 month and then prepare for the
entrance exam or just come prior to the exam with a tourist visa.
Make arrangements with the Japanese Embassy or Japanese Consulate in
your home country to obtain a 15-day or 90-day "Temporary Visitor"
visa before coming to Japan, in order to sit for the entrance
examination. (Please consult with the Japanese Embassy or Consulate
in your country in order to find out the details about how to obtain
the visa.)
Q: How much Japanese do I need to pass the entrance examination?
Since most students choose to come here as a Research Student
for at least six months before the entrance examination, they
naturally will be able to speak some Japanese, read, and write some
basic Chinese characters (Kanji). Most of the research students
study Japanese at the centre for international students of the
university. You do not need to be perfect in Japanese. The exam
holders know that it is impossible for international students to
learn Japanese within six month or in one year. What is more
important to them is that you are interested in learning more
Japanese. Your Japanese should be sufficient enough to show your
interest in Japanese language to the professors by introducing
yourself in Japanese in your oral entrance examination day, but you
are welcome to do the presentations in English. For those that
choose to stay in their home countries and just come to Japan for
the entrance examination it might be helpful to study some basic
Japanese through self-study.
Q: How and when will I receive notification of the decision on my
application?
Since all prospective students are required to come to Japan to
take the entrance examination, you will receive a notification in
Japan after a few weeks.
Q: How much time do I have to consider an offer of admission?
You can make your decision by March.
Q: Can I defer my offer of admission?
No.
Go to Top
Frequently
Asked Questions About Financial Aid
Q: What financial assistance is available to the graduate
students by the division?
The department itself does not fund
directly. However most students obtain a scholarship from different
two external sources - Japan Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports,
Science and Technology (Monbukagakusho scholarship) and very few
students from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), both
before arriving here.
Q: How do I apply for a Monbukagakusho scholarship before
arriving?
The best way to get the information about Monbusho scholarship
(deadlines, application procedure) and how you can apply for it is
to contact the embassy of Japan in your country much in advance.
They will give you the information in your language. These websites
can be useful to give you some general information about
Monbukagakusho scholarship:
http://www.studyjapan.go.jp/en/toj/toj0302e.html
http://www.global.tsukuba.ac.jp/isc/student-support/scholarships/japanese-government-scholarship
Q: How much funding does a Monbukagakusho scholarship provide?
It is the largest and provides full funding including full
tuition and a stipend for the duration of your studies. For detailed
information see http://www.global.tsukuba.ac.jp/isc/student-support/scholarships/japanese-government-scholarship
Q: Does the JICA scholarship provide a full funding?
It also provides full funding including full tuition, and a
stipend. But it is only for two years.
Q: How about the health insurance?
Luckily, Japan has an excellent national health care system that
will pay for the overwhelming majority of your health care costs.
The monthly payment is not high. You also can use a student
discount. All you have to do is to register for it at the city hall.
In addition the university will pay some percent of the remaining
costs you have to pay by-yourself. So you typically pay very little
out of pocket and most costs are taken care of.
Q: Is there any other financial assistance?
There are some scholarships available through the University or
private organizations for the students registered as self-supporting
who have already started the program. Some students can get one of
these competitive scholarships. The university also gives chances to
registered students to apply for a tuition discount twice every
year. Depending on your financial situation, you might be able to
get a 50-100% discount. Though the division does not provide any
scholarship a few hours of Teaching Assistance (TA) and Research
Assistance (RA) might be available to interested students each
trimester. Students who obtain the TA should continue to try for
scholarships for financial support as funds for TA positions are
often limited.
Go to Top
Frequently
Asked Questions About Tsukuba City
Q: Can you tell me a little about the atmosphere in Tsukuba City?
Atmosphere in Tsukuba: Tsukuba is a scenic city with a lot to
see and do. In the past few years, it really expanded with the
construction of new shopping malls and the Tsukuba Express or simply
TX that lets you travel direct to parts of Tokyo conveniently. Due
to the large number of international people that reside in the city
it is also diverse. It is easy to find international restaurants
from Indian to Mexican. As a result, you will be able to connect
with people from your home country as well as make friends and
interact with students from all over the world.
Q: How can I get some information about living in Tsukuba?
These web sites can be very useful for getting more detail about
Tsukuba City:
http://www.city.tsukuba.ibaraki.jp/hp/e_hp/ (see New Comers on
the right side of the web site to get information about housing,
banking, insurance, etc).
Some information related to the daily life issues such as
accommodations and transportation for current and prospective
international students of the university:
http://www.global.tsukuba.ac.jp/isc
A web site designed to help information exchange such as buying &
selling used items between international residents of Tsukuba:
http://eve.bk.tsukuba.ac.jp/
Check out Tsukuba weather forecast:
http://www.weatherforecast.com/locations/Tsukuba.1to3.shtml#top
English-Japanese E-Translators:
http://dict.pspinc.com/
http://www.rikai.com/perl/Home.pl
To find any location within Japan including Tsukuba City: http://maps.google.co.jp/
You need to type the location names in the Chinese character
(Kanji).
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