Curriculum Policy

The first semester of doctoral program aims to foster human resources that can play a core role to create a society resilient to disasters by offering learning in four domains: Disaster Resilience Assessment Domain; Disaster Resilience Communication Domain; Disaster Resilience Management Domain; and Disaster Resilience Governance Domain.

It is presumed that students from various backgrounds will participate in the first semester of doctoral program; therefore, the program offers foundation subjects regarding disaster resilience for them to gain basic knowledge as well as major subjects regarding each domain to deepen their expertise. Moreover, special seminars provide the guidance for students to carry out research and study independently to produce their master’s dissertation under their special research. Foundation subjects, special seminars and special research are compulsory. With regard to major subjects, one subject from each domain is elective compulsory, whereas others are elective.

The second semester of doctoral program organizes and conducts a systematic and step-by-step curriculum following the curriculum policy below to foster the human resources stated in the diploma policy.

• Organizing and conducting a systematic and step-by-step curriculum
  To foster researchers equipped with the ability to research and create a new academic field—disaster resilience and governance— theoretically and practically, as well as specialists active in the forefront, the program offers two fields: “Disaster Resilience Society System” and “Disaster Resilience Human and Life”. The program also organizes and conducts a systematic and step-by-step curriculum consisting of three categories: foundation subjects (4 credits or more) to obtain basic research skills and expert knowledge; practical subjects (2 credits or more) to obtain application skills, cutting-edge knowledge and methods according to the individual needs of students’ future paths; and special research (12 credits) to receive guidance that is required to complete research and to write a doctor’s dissertation.
• Collective research guidance system through the research guidance group and interim reporting sessions which all tutors attend
  At special research, each student will receive advice and guidance regarding research method, logicality and creativity by a research guidance group consisting of one main research supervisor and two sub-research supervisors with a broad academic point of view according to the student’s research theme. Such a system enables students to obtain the skills to theorize and systemize disaster resilience and governance: academic creativity, the ability to construct an advanced theory; and the ability to make a proposal to society. Furthermore, interim reporting sessions will be held twice a year (once in the third year) in which, as a general rule, all tutors participate. It provides the opportunity for all tutors to check the progress of students’ doctor’s dissertations and to offer advice and guidance from their perspective.
• Providing practical subjects, taking into account the connection of students’ future paths after completing the second semester of doctoral program
  At the second semester of doctoral program, in order to foster disaster resilience and governance researchers, human resources that will play roles as leaders of public administration and companies with the ability to advise senior leaders, and human resources that play an active role in international institutions engaged in disaster reduction, we take into account students’ future paths by providing elective practical subjects to gain advanced knowledge and practical skills according to students’ desired future paths.