Diploma Policy （policies for degree conferral）

 The Graduate School of Economics aims to foster researchers who can appropriately
analyze and think deeply about economic phenomena and are also practitioners capable of
playing an active role in issue resolution in society.
 The criteria for degree conferral in the master’s program are completion of a master’s thesis
which puts forward a unique perspective as well as analyses based on a sufficient grasp of the
existing research in a specialized field, and passing the thesis review. This will also involve
acquiring a broad knowledge of economics at the lecture courses required for graduation as
well as the requisite skills to complete analyses.
 For the doctoral program, meanwhile, it is required to initially pass the dissertation proposal
defense during the formal period of enrollment. The dissertation proposal defense will
ascertain whether a student is conducting research at an advanced level which will contribute
valuable new knowledge in a specialized field. Note that previously published research in
publications with a peer review system in place (or planned publication of such) will waive
the necessity for the dissertation proposal defense. A doctoral degree is awarded after
submission of a peer-reviewed dissertation which satisfies these criteria, or a dissertation
which includes equivalent research outcomes, and passing the dissertation review.

Curriculum Policy （Policies for the organization and implementation of the curriculum）

 The Graduate School of Economics aims to foster “economics experts” capable of
analyzing and thinking deeply about economic phenomena regardless of the era or
circumstances. To achieve this, the master’s program curriculum is structured to facilitate:
① Acquisition of the fundamentals and broad perspectives of economic theory appropriate
  to an “economics expert,” equipped with the knowledge needed to apprehend the
  cutting edge of economic research.
② Production of a master’s thesis through specialist study of a field of deep interest and
  profound learning on a chosen theme.
 After entering the master’s program, students will choose a supervising professor and
proceed with their research under that professor’s guidance. The provisional subject and
examiners (one chief examiner and two auxiliary examiners) for the master’s thesis will be
decided by July in the second year of studies (January for students enrolling in September).
In addition, a thesis proposal defense will be conducted in November (or April) to confirm
whether the students’ research capacities have advanced to the level required to author a
master’s thesis. Thesis reviews conclude after successfully passing the thesis proposal defense
and submitting a completed master’s thesis by January (or June), which then passes the thesis
review and is successfully defended in the final interview.
 In the Doctoral Program, students will refine their abilities to conduct economics research
of a highly distinctive and novel nature under the guidance of their supervising professor. A
dissertation proposal defense during the student’s period of enrollment will then ascertain
whether a student is conducting research at a level sufficiently advanced to contribute valuable
new knowledge in a specialized field. Having successfully passed the dissertation proposal
defense, a student will conduct dissertation research under the guidance of two dissertation
supervisors from among the faculty, with the ultimate objective of completing a dissertation.
As it is required for a dissertation to have undergone peer review or to contain equivalent
research outcomes, a doctoral dissertation review committee will be held, with the committee
comprised of one chief examiner, two auxiliary examiners, and two interviewers .

Admissions Policy （Policies for admission to the university）

 General Entrance Examinations for both the master’s and doctoral programs are held twice
a year, with the first round in July and the second round in February or March. In
recognition of the range of university graduation periods in Japan and overseas, persons
applying to the first-round entrance examinations may choose whether to enroll in September
or in April of the following year. Note also that those applying to the second-round entrance
examinations may choose whether to enroll in April or in September of the year concerned.
 In order to ensure that the education at Graduate School of Economics is broadly available
to students whose first language is not Japanese, applicant may choose to take examinations
for both the master’s and doctoral programs wholly in English.
 A written examination (field examination) and interview serve to determine a basic
knowledge of economics and facility to read academic papers to an undergraduate level for
the first-round entrance examinations for the master’s program. Furthermore, enrollment
precluding the necessity of a written examination may be permitted for the second-round
entrance examinations for students who demonstrated high potential as researchers during
their bachelor’s thesis research. In such cases, examinations will be by means of an evaluation
of the papers submitted with applications and an interview.
 For the entrance examinations for admission to the doctoral program, peer review of
submitted papers and an interview will be conducted to examine the broad and foundational
knowledge, degree of expertise, and facility to conduct research in a specialized field of
economics. We actively encourage applications from persons who completed a master’s
degree program at universities other than Keio.