Dear Prospective Graduate Students

Introduction:
We are delighted that you're interested in the Earthquake Engineering Laboratory at Nagaoka University of Technology.Our lab invites applications from motivated and dedicated students who wish to pursue their Master's or Doctoral degrees. Please follow the guidelines below to ensure a successful application process:

Eligibility:
Applicants should hold a Bachelor's degree for admission to the Master's program or a Master's degree for admission to the Doctoral program, in a relevant field of study. Non-native English speakers should provide proof of proficiency in English.

Application materials: You are required to submit:
- An updated CV
- Statement of purpose explaining your research interests
- Proof of English language proficiency (TOEFL, IELTS, or equivalent) for non-native speakers if any
- Responses to the specified questions below

Along with the usual application materials, please provide detailed answers to the following questions:
Q1: How did you come to know about our laboratory?
Q2: Why do you wish to research at our laboratory?
Q3: Are you interested in other graduate schools? If so, where does our university rank in your priorities?
Q4: What kind of research do you want to conduct in our lab?
Q5: What career path do you wish to follow after completing your graduate studies?
Q6: If you are currently attending a Japanese language school, when do you plan to graduate?
Q7: Please provide your Japanese proficiency score if any.
Q8: Will you have sufficient financial support from your family or other sources to cover tuition and living expenses? (Please note that our laboratory cannot provide financial support.)

Research Proposal:
Doctoral program applicants must also submit a preliminary research proposal in their field of interest.

Attendance:
Our lab places great importance on face-to-face communication and collaboration. Therefore, we strongly encourage daily attendance and active participation in the lab. Remote research activities using only online platforms (e.g., Slack, Zoom, email) are not permitted.

Doctoral Degree Requirement:
Doctoral students are expected to publish several peer-reviewed articles in English before graduation.

Research Guidance:
We've tailored our doctoral educational program with the goal of nurturing students into independent researchers. In doing so, we anticipate that students will already possess a foundation of certain skills such as basic programming in Fortran or Python, and fundamental theories in earthquake engineering like equivalent linear analysis using SHAKE. We believe that these skills will empower you to make the most of the unique research opportunities our program offers
Beginning a doctoral degree is akin to setting off on a fascinating journey. It involves pinpointing problems, developing hypotheses, selecting or innovating appropriate research methodologies, and conveying your findings in academic papers. Our lab is eager to provide guidance and engage in enriching discussions that strengthen this academic journey. We're excited to welcome those who are passionate about research, committed to unraveling complex problems, and inspired to contribute significantly to their field of study.
Please be aware that meeting the eligibility criteria does not guarantee admission, as our program is highly competitive. We encourage you to put significant effort into your application to best represent your skills, experiences, and aspirations.

Recommendation of Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship Students:
We receive requests for recommendations from many students each year for the Japanese Government Scholarship. Students who are interested in earthquake engineering and wish to conduct research that contributes to the development of earthquake engineering, who are highly motivated, have appropriate research objectives, and meet the laboratory's policies will be selected and recommended.
Please note that the number of recommenders is limited and we cannot recommend everyone.

If you have any questions or need further information, please feel free to contact us. We look forward to receiving your application.
Best regards,

e-mail
Prof. Ikeda :
Prof. Shiga :

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