The University of Aizu

Graduation Theses

“Graduation Theses” is a required course for fourth-year students on a year-round basis to which eight units of academic credits are allotted.  This is the only required course and offered on a year-round basis at the University.  This is the most important course which integrates what students have studied during four years of the Undergraduate Program.

Students must conduct their research on their own initiative to complete their graduation theses under thorough supervision based on individualized instruction given by relevant supervisors.

It is mandatory for all students to write their graduation thesis in English since the University was established, and this is one of the reasons that our graduates have gained a high reputation from various quarters.

For students to work on graduation theses, they must satisfy specific, and follow due procedures for acquisition of the academic credits for this course.

1. Assignment to Graduation Thesis (GT) Supervisors

Third-year students will be assigned to GT supervisors.  Explanatory meetings are held in the second semester of their second year.  After graduation research theme presentations by faculty members, students will have interviews, etc. with their preferred faculty members and be assigned to their supervisors.  It is important for students to be aware of what they would like to pursue from their first year and to deepen relationships with many faculty members.  Students must work on finding GT supervisors at their own initiative.

A GT Supervisor must be a full-time faculty member. If you have chosen a supervisor from among 1) faculty members who belong to the Center for Cultural Research and Studies, Center for Language Research (other than those who have been formally recognized as qualified for being in charge of Graduate School courses) or University-Business Innovation Center (UBIC),  OR 2) faculty members who are to retire BEFORE completion of your graduation thesis, you must be assigned to a sub-supervisor from a Divisions or Research Center for Advanced Information Science and Technology (CAIST).

2. Number of Students Assigned to a Graduation Thesis Supervisor

Since supervision of graduation theses is based on individualized instruction, the number of the same grade that one supervisor can accept is up to four.

3. Requirements for Assignment to Graduation Thesis Supervisors

Students are required to satisfy the following two requirements for assignment to their graduation thesis supervisors, in principle.

a.

Enrollment at the Undergraduate Program for at least two years

b.

Credits for at least 10 courses from the “Strongly Recommended Course” category

4. Requirements for Starting Graduation Theses

Students, upon proceeding to the 4th year, start working on their graduation theses.  Requirements for starting graduation theses are as follows:

a.

Enrollment at the Undergraduate Program for at least three years. (Excluding “advanced standing admission (= transfer)” students)

b.

Assignment to graduation thesis supervisors

c.

At least 100 academic credits for courses other than optional courses

If you have not yet fulfilled these prerequisites, you cannot start a graduation thesis, and your graduation will be postponed. However, depending on their academic performance in the 1st semester of the 4th year, there are cases where students are allowed to start graduation theses in October by submitting an Application Form for Registration for Graduation Thesis in Autumn. Please be informed that students must be engaged in GT work for at least 1 year regardless of the time when they started. If recognized as excellent based on “The University of Aizu Regulation Concerning Early Graduation,” students may start their graduation theses in the second semester of their 3rd year. (For details regarding early graduation, please refer to “11. Requirements for Graduation from the University.”)

5. Supervision of Graduation Theses

Third-year students will be provided with advice regarding their track registration under supervision of their supervisors, take relevant courses systematically and develop their theme of graduation thesis.  They may be allowed to join seminars and other activities for 4th-year students.
Proceeding to the 4th year, students who have fulfilled the afore-mentioned GT requirements exert full-fledged efforts to their GT. Most seminars and meetings, etc. are held on a periodic basis, and interim presentations to report GT progress are held by each laboratory in autumn.  Based on results of the GT progress survey in October, the Academic Affairs Committee will provide instructions to students who have not yet achieved desirable progress on their graduation theses.

Students are encouraged to take the course, “Thesis Writing and Presentation” offered for 4th-year students in the second semester, for improvement of English thesis writing and presentation skills, since they are required to write graduation theses in English.

6. Changing Graduation Thesis Supervisors

Changing GT supervisors halfway requires an official request to the Student Affairs Division, along with the designated form. This request, by way of deliberation by the Academic Affairs Committee, will be approved if a new supervisor has a vacancy to accept more students, and if both the current and the new supervisors have approved the change.
If approval for the change cannot be obtained from either or both of the current and the new supervisors, the Academic Affairs Committee shall make a decision on the change.
The course, “Graduation Theses,” is a course in which students work on GT while receiving supervision from the same GT supervisors for one year, in principle.  IF students change their supervisors, it will take one year for students to complete graduation theses from the date of change of their supervisors.  Please pay extra attention to the timing of changing GT supervisors.

7. Time Schedule for Graduation Theses Writing

- GT procedures for students graduating in autumn

• Late July:    Finalize the GT title and decide referees (other than the GT supervisor)
• Mid-August:    Submit a draft of GT to the GT supervisor
• Late August:     GT Presentations
• End of August:    Submit the final version of GT (both in print and an electronic version)

- GT procedures for students graduating in spring

• Late January:    Finalize the GT title and decide referees (other than the GT supervisor)
• Early February:    Submit a draft of GT to the GT supervisor
• Mid-February:     GT Presentations
• Late February:    Submit the final version of GT (both in print and an electronic version)

8. Graduation Thesis Presentations

Students shall present their graduation theses on a public occasion.  Presentations of graduation theses are included in the evaluation procedures.  15 minutes is allotted per student. (10 minutes: presentation, 4 minutes: Q&A session, 1 minute: preparation, 15 minutes in total)
Presentations shall be conducted in English, in principle.
Detailed schedule regarding presentations will be notified at a later date. (Scheduled dates: February 14 and 15, 2013 for the AY 2012 Graduation Thesis Presentations)

9. Evaluation of Graduation Theses

Graduation theses shall be reviewed by a relevant supervisor and one referee.
Ratio between weights of evaluation conducted by the supervisor and the referee is two to one.
Comprehensive evaluations will be conducted, taking into consideration the items below.

• The challenge level of a graduation thesis theme
• Quality of a thesis written in English, which is regarded as an official record, including its content and expressions
• Student’s attitude and persuasiveness during the presentation
• Precision of responses to questions
• Student’ s enthusiasm and stability while they have been working on the graduation thesis

10. Submission of Completed Theses

Your graduation thesis must be within 4 to 6 pages of A4 sheets.
It is regarded as appropriate that papers in the field of science and engineering should be briefly compiled in the volume of four to six pages like this.
Please follow the guidelines indicated in the following URL:

http://web-int.u-aizu.ac.jp/official/students/sad/stsa14_e.html

Printed theses are kept in the University Library, and electronic versions are stored in the particular directory, so that graduation theses can be read at any time.