What you can achieve in Japan Part 3 ~Going to graduate school~
Today, I will talk about going on to graduate school in Japan.
There are basically three types of graduate school.
・Master's course (2 years)
・Professional degree course (master's course)
・Doctoral course (5 years consistent, or 2 years in the first semester + 3 years in the second semester)
*The study period is different for medicine and dentistry.
The graduate school conducts research based on the specialized knowledge learned at the university (bachelor's degree), and it is possible to pursue a research field and then grasp an academic career or business career in Japan.
Do you understand the difference between "study" and "research"?
"Study" is to learn about known and already existing phenomena and knowledge. "Research" is about exploring and finding solutions to unknown, new themes and unsolved problems.
To confront the unknown, you need to have a good understanding of the past, so it is essential that you have a basic knowledge of the field. It was not interesting to study at university, so wanting to study differently at graduate school is not the correct motivation for going on to graduate school.
This is because graduate school is where you do "research". If you want to study something different from the field you studied at university, you need to acquire the same knowledge that other students have acquired at university before entering graduate school.
In addition to specialized knowledge, high Japanese proficiency is required, such as having specialized conversations with academic advisors, reading literature in specialized fields, conducting field surveys, and summarizing survey results.Communication skills are also required because research is carried out not alone but with faculty members and colleagues in the laboratory.
In the TCJ graduate course, we aim to acquire high Japanese proficiency while acquiring the objective and critical ability to read, think, analyze, and write, which are necessary for research.
We also provide guidance on creating research plans, contact with professors, and support for admission such as interview preparation.
Last, there are graduate schools and postgraduate courses that can be enrolled only in English , but Japanese proficiency is required for living in Japan. Also, if you want to get a job in Japan after graduating from graduate school, you will be required to have a high level of Japanese proficiency. I strongly recommend it.