Special Programs offered within the Master’s and Doctoral programs

Students who wish to undertake all the examination and course requirements such as classes, reports and thesis writing in English, can join the SUSTEP (Sustainability Sciences, Technology and Policy )Program, which is a succession program of ICEP. These students will receive a SUSTEP certificate as well as their Master’s/Doctoral degree upon completion. SUSTEP students can take any Japanese courses provided by the university and obtain credits.The Environmental Disaster Prevention Program (EDIP) is offered in Japanese within the Master’s and Doctoral Programs.

Name SUSTEP Program (Succession program of ICEP)
About The increasing demand for food, water, energy, and land has caused large-scale environmental degradation worldwide. The developing world is especially vulnerable to these debilitating consequences. Higher education and R&D are vital in mitigating environmental problems through the creation, dissemination and application of innovations for the sustainable world. Considering these urgent needs, the University of Tsukuba has launched the Sustainability Science, Technology, and Policy Program (SUSTEP) to foster global leaders, who are highly trained in science/technology, humanity/social sciences, and diplomacy/leadership. While societies face different challenges to overcome, effective education for nourishing prospective global leaders is the first step. In this regard, the University of Tsukuba has offered the Environmental Diplomatic Leader (EDL) Program and the Waste Management Expert Course (G30 Program) since 2009. Through running these programs, the Master’s Program in Environmental Sciences and the Doctoral Program in Sustainable Environmental Studies have acquired valuable experiences and insights that are essential in producing promising global leaders. By incorporating all of our past experiences and insights, SUSTEP has merged the EDL and G30 programs and go beyond them by offering an innovative and practical education system that promotes sustainable human resource development in the world, particularly in Asia, Africa and Latin America.
Admission To be enrolled as a SUSTEP student, please fill out the application form and submit it either in April or October.
Completion process Master’s Program

  • Take at least one course from the major of Environmental Policy and Planning (EPP);
  • Earn 5 credits or more from designated courses in one of SUSTEP’s majors;
  • Take either International Field Appraisal or Environmental Field Appraisal;
  • At the time of graduation, have 30 credits or more from English courses;
  • Complete master’s thesis in English;
  • Master’s thesis must be related to SUSTEP concepts.

For more information, download the guideline here.

Doctoral Program

  • Take either International Internship or Special International Internship;
  • Take Forum on Sustainable Environmental Studies I & II;
  • At the time of graduation, have 8 credits or more from English courses;
  • Complete doctoral dissertation in English;
  • Dissertation must be related to SUSTEP concepts.

For more information, download the guideline here.
Completion requirements
  • Complete course works and earn all required credits
  • Successfully defend degree theses.
Further information Please visit the program’s website

 

Name Expert Program of Environmental Management and Prognosis of Nuclear Emergencies (ENEP)
About This is a special program for graduate students designed to foster both basic knowledge and practical skills regarding comprehensive environmental impact of nuclear emergencies.
Admission ENEP is offered in Japanese within the Master’s and Doctoral Programs.
Further information Please visit ENEP’s website

 

Name Environmental Disaster Prevention Program (EDIP)
About The EDIP was established in April 2010 for the purpose of training students to become leaders in handling environmental disasters. In this program, we provide practical education and foster interdisciplinary research into the characteristics of natural disasters, such as sediment disasters or floods, and countermeasures to be taken in order to ensure safety and security between the natural environment and people’s lives. By acquiring knowledge and learning about the technology of environmental-disaster prevention, students in this program are expected to play an active role in the front line of environmental disaster prevention not only in Japan, but also in developing countries that face various natural disaster problems.

 

Note: G30 and EDL were integrated to the SUSTEP program.

Name Global 30 Waste Management Expert Course (G30)
About The Waste Management Expert Course (G30) offers a set of intensive courses for students who wish to study advanced integrated waste management systems and policies. The Course is based on the integrated waste management strategies approach that focuses on combining waste streams, collection options, pretreatment, treatment and final disposal methods in order to minimize environmental impacts while achieving economic optimization and social acceptability.

The Course provides supervision by an academic committee, field studies in Japan and abroad, and the opportunity to work for one of the international research projects that are carried out by faculty members.

Students will acquire the knowledge and develop the skills necessary to identify the problems with current waste management systems and propose integral systems that will contribute to minimize pollution and health risks while achieving economic optimization and social acceptability.
Admission Waste Management Expert Course will be integrated to the SUSTEP program mentioned above and will not enroll new candidates after April 2013. Applicants who wish to join this program must follow the same procedure as the International Collaborative Environmental Program (SUSTEP) described above. G30 will conduct a separate entrance examination (interview) and decide who will be accepted to enter the G30 Program.
Completion process
  1. Register 18 credits from the Fundamental Subjects (compulsory subjects) and complete at least 20 credits, including Internship Study in Environmental Studies I-II (2 credits).
  2. Complete at least 10 credits from the Specialized Subjects. The following subjects must be included in your selection: Introduction to Waste Management (2 credits), Solid Waste Management Systems Planning (2 credits), Electrical and Electric Waste Management (1 credit) and Environmental Risk (2 credits);
  3. Those registering in this program must complete at least 30 credits in English subjects;
  4. Credits taken from other master programs can be substituted for the Specialized Subjects of this program (up to 10 credits). However, in this case, students must prove the importance of these subjects for his/her Master Thesis preparation. Those who wish to gain credit in this way must apply and obtain approval in advance from the Chairperson of the Masters Program
Completion requirements To obtain the Masters Degree, in addition to completing at least 30 credits, the student must also pass his/her thesis defense and final examination.
Further information Please visit the program’s website https://www.envr.tsukuba.ac.jp/g30/

 

Name Environmental Diplomatic Leader (EDL) Education Program
About The EDL program aims to achieve three objectives: (1) to foster theoretical knowledge and problem solving skills that are appropriate for domestic/international mediation; (2) to engage in environmental governance that encourages the active participation of various stakeholders; and (3) to advise those who have expertise in relevant areas, including the environment, environmental policies, ethics, legal systems, international relations, and comparative culture. In our program, we provide various opportunities, such as International/Domestic internships, featured lectures entitled “Meet the Leaders”, in which we invite top leaders in the field from around the world, a participatory workshop of Project Cycle Management (PCM), which is a method for planning for local environmental problems through active dialogue between stakeholders. After completion of the program, students will be awarded an Environmental Diplomatic Leader Education Program certificate.
Admission EDL Program will be integrated to the SUSTEP program mentioned above and will not enroll new candidates after April 2013. Applicants who wish to join this program have to follow the same procedure as the SUSTEP/ICEP Program described above. EDL will conduct a separate entrance examination (interview) and decide who will be accepted to enter the EDL Education Program.
Completion process
  1. In order to graduate from the Master’s program, students must complete 30 or more credits, including 18 credits of compulsory Fundamental Subjects and Internship studies I,II (2 credits in total), and successfully defend their Master’s thesis and take final examinations.
  2. For students who take the EDL program, the following subjects are regarded as Compulsory Subjects: Introduction to English Presentation and Debate, Introduction to Environmental Policy, Cultural Ecology, Introduction to International Health, two subjects from the Special Lecture on Environmental Diplomatic Leader (I,II,III,IV), and at least 4 subjects from the following three core fields (more than 1 subject from each core field); Biodiversity field (Utilization and Recycling of Bio-Resources, Biodiversity, Policy and Planning for Forest Conservation), and Public health (Environmental Health Perspective).
  3. The EDL Program also recommends students take the following subjects: Environmental Policy Appraisal, Introduction to International Law, Introduction to Sustainability Studies, and Introduction to Environmental Governance.
  4. Up to 10 Credits gained from courses of another Graduate School or Master’s Program can be substituted for the Specialized Subjects of this program, however, the student must prove the necessity of those subjects for preparation of their master’s thesis and receive approval to undertake them. The subjects mentioned above in clause 3 are included in the 10 credits. Those who wish to gain credits in this way should apply to the chairperson of the Master’s Program regarding their schedule, and must obtain approval in advance. The following subjects will not be recognized as Specialized Subjects of this program: Seminar, Special Research, Investigation (method), Experiment (method), and practice.
Completion requirements Complete 30 or more credits according to the enrollment manual, successful defense of master’s thesis and final examination.
Further information Please visit the program’s website https://www.envr.tsukuba.ac.jp/edl/eng/