1-2-1　Number of graduate students

The number of graduate school students generally maintains a constant level despite some fluctuations.
The number of students in Predoctoral and Master’s Programs has been over 1,000 since AY2016. While the graduate school-specific numbers vary from year to year, the Graduate School of Science and Technology constantly accounts for 30–40% of the total for Pre-doctoral/Master’s Programs. The number of students enrolled in a Doctoral Program has remained around 250, demonstrating limited change. The number of students in the Professional Degree Course (Law School) has followed a declining trend since AY2009.

(calculations conducted as of May 1 of each academic year)

State of the establishment / reorganization of Graduate Program
Pre-doctoral, Master’s program / Doctoral Program

1-2-2　New graduate enrollees

Pre-doctoral Program/Master’s Program

The number of students has been fluctuating around 500.

Doctoral Program

Due to the small admission capacity, it is difficult to identify any significant trends. Only 40 students were newly enrolled in AY2011, but the number of students in Doctoral Programs has shown an upward trend in recent years.

Professional Degree Course (Law School)

The number of new enrollees was the highest in AY2008 (117 enrollees) and has recently followed a declining trend.

1-2-3　Graduate admissions trends

1-2-4　Number of graduates

Pre-doctoral/Master’s Program

The number of graduates per academic year is generally between 400 and 500.

Doctoral Program

Around 30 students complete a Doctoral Program every year.
The number of Course Doctors, includes not only graduates who have just completed their Graduate Program but also degree awardees by special arrangement (former students who have entered before 2013 and have withdrawn by completion, submitted their dissertation within three years of withdrawal, passed their dissertation defense and were awarded a degree) and Re-admission for dissertation review as a course-based doctoral candidate.
There were more degree awardees than usual in AY2020. Several Thesis Doctors are awarded degrees every year.
Moreover, the completion rate of new students in the Doctoral Program within three years varies widely from year to year. As there are academic years in which some graduate schools have no enrollees, the completion rate within three years is not calculated by graduate school.

Professional Degree Course (Law School)

When the Faculty of Law was inaugurated in AY2004, both the two-year and three-year courses were restricted to a maximum of 50 students. However, in accordance with the changes put in place in AY2011, the maximum number of two-year students for AY2011–2014 was changed to 50; that for three-year students to 40; that for two- and three-year students for AY2015–2016 to 30; and that for two-year students to 15 and for three-year students to 25 for AY2017. Following AY2012 the number of graduates has tended to decline, which is a reflection of the huge decline in regular students that peaked in AY2009.

Two-year graduation rate (pre-doctoral and doctoral)

The figure exhibits the percentage of Pre-doctoral/Master’s students who were newly admitted to the university (excluding re-enrollments) in AY2008-2017 graduating within two years. Around 500 students are admitted every year, with some Graduate Schools welcoming less than 10 new enrollees in one academic year. Therefore, comparisons among Graduate Schools must take into account the size of different Graduate Schools. It should be noted that the Graduate School of Science and Technology, home to approximately 40% of total Pre-doctoral/ Master’s students, constantly graduates 90% of its students within 2 years.

Two-year graduation rate (Law School)

The figure below shows the percentage of students admitted in AY2007 to AY2016 (excluding re-enrollments) who graduated within two years for the Short (Two-year) Program and within three years for the Standard (Three-year) Program of the Law School (Juris Doctor Program). The percentage of Short (Two-year) Program students graduating within two years tends to be higher than the percentage of Standard (Three-year) Program students graduating within three years.

Number of early graduations (pre-doctoral and doctoral)

As of 2021, the Pre-doctoral/Master’s programs with early graduation programs are limited to the Master’s program in Theology (Graduate School of Theology) , Master’s Program in Law (Graduate School of Law), Master’s program in Economics and Master’s program in Management (Graduate School of Economics), Master’s Program in Global Studies and Master’s Program in International Cooperation Studies (Graduate School of Global Studies), Master’s Program in Science and Technology (Graduate School of Science and Technology) and Master’s program in Global Environmental Studies (Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies). The only Doctoral Program with an early graduation program is the Doctoral Program in Science and Technology (Graduate School of Science and Technology).

1-2-5　Graduate students on leave of absence

The number of students taking leave of absence from graduate school was constantly around 100 students until AY2014 but has shown a tendency to increase since AY2015. It is difficult to derive any conclusions regarding the reasons for taking leave of absence, as “personal reasons” and “other” collectively account for 50% every year. No significant differences can be observed among graduate programs, but Doctoral degree candidates have a higher tendency to take leave of absence.

1-2-6　Graduate withdrawals

No constant trends are observed in the number of withdrawals from graduate school (including withdrawal by completion). It is difficult to identify any trends as the total is a small number and no significant differences can be observed among Graduate Schools. The main reason for withdrawal is “employment,” which accounts for a large share every year compared to undergraduate students.

1-2-7　Number of graduate courses offered

The Guidelines on Graduate School Curriculum Planning that are presented by the President every June provide that the number of courses in Graduate Programs should be basically maintained at the same level as in the preceding academic year.
There has been an increase in the number of courses since AY2018 owing to the fact that course work was established in Doctoral Programs in all specialties.
The number of courses between AY2018 and AY2021 has remained stable at nearly 2400 and around 2500 in AY2022, although there was increase/decrease in the number of guidance courses after teachers’ retirement and employment of new teachers; and alterations to the numbering rules on seminar registration codes, cancellation of 33 courses owing to COVID-19 (AY2020) , increase owning to the establishment of Program in International Cooperation Studies in Graduate School of Global Studies (AY2021). In addition, there is an increase of 54 courses in 2023 compared to 2022, of which 44 are due to the opening of the Graduate Degree Program of Applied Data Sciences.

Note 1. Doctoral Programs and Master’s Programs are included in Graduate Schools, and courses offered by the Law School are included in the Graduate School of Law.
Note 2. Items to which registration codes are given and which do not fall within courses offered (master theses, study guidance and items equivalents thereto) are not counted. Guidance courses and intensive courses are counted regardless of whether there is a set number of class hours per week.