Normally it takes five years to fulfill all the degree requirements of the School. Within five years of enrollment students must complete the necessary research supervision from their supervising committee, take three Guided Research projects, namely, Guided Research 1, 2, and 3, accumulate the requisite amount of credits (a minimum of 40 credits), submit a doctoral dissertation, and pass a final examination, in order to be awarded a Doctoral Degree in area studies. They are also to submit a pre-doctoral thesis and pass a general examination within the third year of enrollment before becoming qualified to work for a Doctoral Degree. Students of exceptional academic accomplishments may be able to submit a pre-doctoral thesis or a doctoral dissertation in a shorter period than stipulated in the School’s regulations.

Those students who wish to leave the School with a Master’s degree may do so by accumulating the minimum of 30 credits, submitting a pre-doctoral thesis and passing a general examination. They are awarded a Master’s Degree in area studies.

Those students who pursue the five-year doctoral program are to accumulate the minimum of 40 credits which must be distributed across three groups of subjects: Group A (credits from subjects offered at the Division to which the students belong), Group B (credits from the inter-Division common subjects) and Group C (credits from subjects taught at the other Division of the School than the students’ Division or other graduate schools of Kyoto University). Out of the minimum requirement of 40 credits for a Doctoral Degree, students are to take 18 credits or more from Group A, 7 credits or more from Group B, and 4 credits or more from Group C. They also need to take Guided Research 1, 2, and 3 (totaling 6 credits) offered at their Division as part of Group A credits, and Introduction to Area Studies (2 credits), and the Seminar on Asian and African Area Studies (3 credits) as part of Group B credits.

Those students who plan to leave the School after obtaining a Master’s Degree are required to accumulate a minimum of 30 credits. Out of this minimum requirement they are to take 12 credits or more from Group A, 6 credits or more from Group B, and 4 credits or more from Group C. They also need to take Guided Research 1 taught at their Division (2 credits) as part of Group A credits, and Introduction to Area Studies (2 credits) and Seminar on Asian and African Area Studies (3 credits) as part of Group B credits.

1. Division of Southeast Asian Area Studies

Group A Credits

(18 or more credits required for the five-year doctoral program and 12 or more credits required for leaving the School with a Master’s Degree)

Southeast Asian Area Studies 1: Ecology and Environment

Ecological History 1 and 2; Environmental Ecology 1 and 2; Research Seminar on Ecology and Environment 1, 2, 3 and 4

Southeast Asian Area Studies 2: Society and Development

Culture and Society; Politics and Society 1, 2 and 3; History and Society; Religion and Society; Research Seminar on Society and Development 1, 2, 3 and 4

Southeast Asian Area Studies 3: Environment, Society and Culture

How to Learn of “Existing Locally”; Gender and Society; Culture and Development 2 (Social Institution & Economic Development); Comparative Education; State and Society 1 (Comparative State Formation); State and Society 3 (Cultural Practices among Theravadins); Socio-economics and Area Study 1; Comparative Rural Development; History of Southeast Asia; Research Seminar on Environment; Society and Culture 1, 2, 3 and 4

South and West Asian Area Studies

South Asian Area Studies 1, 2, and 3; The Study of the Islamic World 1, 2, 7 ,8 and 9; Middle Eastern Studies; Research Seminar on South and West Asian Area Studies 1, 2, 3 and 4

Guided Research (required)

Guided Research 1, 2, and 3

Asian Area Studies On-site Seminar

Asian Area Studies On-site Seminar 1, 2 and 3

Group B Credits

(7 credits or more required for the five-year doctoral program and 6 credits or more for leaving the School with a Master’s Degree)

Inter-Division common subjects

Introduction to Area Studies (required); Seminar on Asian and African Area Studies (required); Open Seminar on Asian Area Studies; Open Seminar on African Area Studies; Open Seminar on Global Area Studies; Environment and Infection A and B; Development and Ecology A and B; Area Studies Project Designing A and B; Nationalism in Southeast Asia A and B; Southeast Asian Politics; Southeast Asia and Comparative Politics; Area Informatics A and B; Non-Modern Approaches in Area Studies; Comparative Education; International Energy Studies; International Organizations and NGOs; A Study on the Global History; Reading in Thai Studies 1 and 2; On-site Practical Languages Seminar 1 and 2; Thai 1, 2, and 3; Indonesian 1, 2, 3, and 4; Myanmar 1; Vietnamese 1 and 2; Lao 1; Arabic 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6; Persian 1; Turkish 1; Hindi 1 and 2; Swahili 1 and 2; Amhara 1 and 2; Afrikaans 1

Group C Credits

(4 credits or more required for the five-year doctoral program and for leaving the School with a Master’s degree)

Courses offered at the Division of African Area Studies and the Division of Global Area Studies (described below), and at other graduate schools of Kyoto University

2. Division of African Area Studies

Group A Credits

(18 or more credits required for the five-year doctoral program and 12 or more credits required for leaving the School with a Master’s Degree)

African Area Studies 1: Political Ecology

Agricultural Ecology 1 and 2; Livelihood and Economy I and 2; Research Seminar on Political Ecology 1, 2, 3 and 4

African Area Studies 2: Cultural Ecology

Culture and Ethnicity 1 and 2; Socio-Cultural Integration 1 and 2; Research Seminar on Cultural Ecology 1, 2, 3 and 4

African Area Studies 3: Historical Ecology

Social and Cultural Dynamics 1 and 2 Socio-Ecological History 1 and 2; Research Seminar on Historical Ecology 1, 2, 3 and 4

Guided Research (required)

Guided Research 1, 2 and 3

African Area Studies On-site Seminar

African Area Studies On-site Seminar 1, 2 and 3

Group B Credits

(7 credits or more required for the five-year doctoral program and 6 credits or more for leaving the School with a Master’s Degree)

Inter-Division common subjects

Introduction to Area Studies (required); Seminar on Asian and African Area Studies (required); Open Seminar on Asian Area Studies; Open Seminar on African Area Studies; Open Seminar on Global Area Studies; Environment and Infection A and B; Development and Ecology A and B; Area Studies Project Designing A and B; Nationalism in Southeast Asia A and B; Southeast Asian Politics; Southeast Asia and Comparative Politics; Area Informatics A and B; Non-Modern Approaches in Area Studies; Comparative Education; International Energy Studies; International Organizations and NGOs; A Study on the Global History; Reading in Thai Studies 1 and 2; On-site Practical Languages Seminar 1 and 2; Thai 1, 2, and 3; Indonesian 1, 2, 3, and 4; Myanmar 1; Vietnamese 1 and 2; Lao 1; Arabic 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6; Persian 1; Turkish 1; Hindi 1 and 2; Swahili 1 and 2; Amhara 1 and 2; Afrikaans 1

Group C Credits

(4 credits or more required for the five-year doctoral program and for leaving the School with a Master’s degree)

Courses offered at the Division of Southeast Asian Area Studies (described above)and the Division of Global Area Studies (described below), and at other graduate schools of Kyoto University

3. Division of Global Area Studies

Group A Credits

(18 or more credits required for the five-year doctoral program and 12 or more credits required for leaving the School with a Master’s Degree)

1: Sustainable Humanosphere

Methodologies of Sustainable Humanosphere Studies 1 and 2; Tropical Forest Resources; Preservation of Wild Animals; Humanosphere Sciences; International Ecological Medicine; Human-Environmental Relations; Arid Zone Humanopshere Studies

2: Islamic World Studies

The Study of the Islamic World; Islamic Thought; Sufism and Tariqas; Islamic Socio-Economic Studies; Middle East Area Studies; Central Asia Area Studies; Islamic International Relations

3: South Asian and Indian Ocean Area Studies

South Asian Area Studies 1, 2; Developments in India and South Asia; Developmental and Social Movements in South Asia; The Study of the India Ocean World; Islam in South Asia

Guided Research (required)

Guided Research 1, 2, and 3

Global Area Studies On-site Seminar

Global Area Studies On-site Seminar 1, 2 and 3

Group B Credits

(7 credits or more required for the five-year doctoral program and 6 credits or more for leaving the School with a Master’s Degree)

Inter-Division common subjects

Introduction to Area Studies (required); Seminar on Asian and African Area Studies (required); Open Seminar on Asian Area Studies; Open Seminar on African Area Studies; Open Seminar on Global Area Studies; Environment and Infection A and B; Development and Ecology A and B; Area Studies Project Designing A and B; Nationalism in Southeast Asia A and B; Southeast Asian Politics; Southeast Asia and Comparative Politics; Area Informatics A and B; Non-Modern Approaches in Area Studies; Comparative Education; International Energy Studies; International Organizations and NGOs; A Study on the Global History; Reading in Thai Studies 1 and 2; On-site Practical Languages Seminar 1 and 2; Thai 1, 2, and 3; Indonesian 1, 2, 3, and 4; Myanmar 1; Vietnamese 1 and 2; Lao 1; Arabic 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6; Persian 1; Turkish 1; Hindi 1 and 2; Swahili 1 and 2; Amhara 1 and 2; Afrikaans 1

Group C Credits

(4 credits or more required for the five-year doctoral program and for leaving the School with a Master’s degree)

Courses offered at the Division of Southeast Asian Area Studies and the Division of African Area Studies (described above), and at other graduate schools of Kyoto University