Graduation Theses

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

Students will be assigned to GT supervisors during their third 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.
In the case of a supervisor from a department other than the three academic divisions of "Computer Science," "Computer Engineering" and "Information Systems" (except for those who have been officially recognized as qualified for being in charge of Graduate School courses), also choose a sub-supervisor from one of those three academic divisions.

(2) Number of Students Assigned to a Graduation Thesis Supervisor

Since supervision of graduation theses is based on individualized instruction, the maximum number of students for supervision shall be, in principle, four per supervisor. This includes early assignment to a GT supervisor. (For details of early assignment, please refer to "20 the University of Aizu Honors Program.")

(3) Requirements for Assignment to Graduation Thesis Supervisors

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

Enrollment at the Undergraduate Program for at least two years

(4) Requirements for Starting Graduation Theses

Students, upon proceeding to the 4^th 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. But please note that those students must be engaged in GT work for 1 year.

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 3^rd year. (For details regarding early graduation, please refer to "9. Requirements for Graduation from the University.")

(5) Supervision of Graduation Theses

3rd-year students will be provided with advice regarding their field registration under supervision of their GT 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.

(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 vacancy to accept more students and if both current and new supervisors agree 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) Graduation Thesis Completion Schedule

The GT Completion Process	○ Spring GT	○ Fall GT
Mid-term Presentation of Graduation Thesis	Mid October	Mid April
Finalization of GT title and referees (other than the GT supervisor)	Mid January	Late July
Submission of the GT manuscript to the GT supervisor by the student	Late January	Mid August
GT Presentations	Mid February	Late August
Submission of final GT manuscript and consent forms for the use of graduation thesis	Late February	End of August

(8) Mid-term Presentation of Graduation Thesis

Students shall present a poster as a Mid-term Presentation of Graduation Thesis. The mid-term presentation evaluation is included as part of a final score of a GT.
The evaluation considers the following items:

• Purpose
• Approach
• Status
• Schedule
• English ability
• Overall Grade

If students do not present a poster as a mid-term presentation, their graduation thesis shall not be subject to review and academic credits for GT in the semester. Students who will re-register for GT must make a mid-term presentation again. However, this excludes students given special approval from the Academic Affair Committee, such as students qualified for early graduation.

(9) Graduation Thesis Presentations

Students shall present their graduation theses on a public occasion. Presentations of graduation theses are included in the evaluation procedures. About 20 minutes is allotted per student. (10 minutes: presentation, 9 minutes: Q&A session, 1 minute: preparation) Presentations shall be conducted in English, in principle. Detailed schedule regarding presentations will be notified at a later date.

(10) Evaluation of Graduation Theses

Graduation theses shall be reviewed by a total of two reviewers: the relevant supervisor and one referee.
The weight of their relative scores shall be 2:1. Following a comprehensive evaluation taking the following items into consideration, a final score including the mid-term presentation evaluation shall be given.

• The level of challenge of the graduation thesis theme
• Quality of the thesis written in English, which serves as the official record of the GT, in terms of 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

(11) Submission of Completed Theses

Your graduation thesis must be within 4 to 8 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:
https://web-int.u-aizu.ac.jp/official/students/sad/stsa14_j.html (Japanese text only)
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.