For students who are considering studying in Japan, the word "graduate student" must be familiar to them, but at the same time, many people do not know its true meaning, and it is easy to confuse the concept with domestic graduate students. In fact, when studying in Japan, the term "graduate student" refers to an auditor who can study with a professor at a Japanese university, but does not have a student status and is not awarded a degree. It is precisely for this reason that after learning about its rebirth, many students who are planning to study in Japan have raised such questions: Japanese graduate students and graduate students (that is, master's and doctorate), who has the advantage of the two, and who wins and who loses? Today, Xiao Baijiang will take everyone into the Japanese graduate school system.
1. What is a graduate student in Japan?
Graduate students in Japan are non-degree programs that allow for graduate research, and are non-regular students who can conduct research in a laboratory. The minimum duration of graduate studies in Japan is six months and two years, but it is more often than one year, usually from April to the end of March of the following year (there are also those who start in September). After the end of the graduate school period, if you feel that you are not able to cope with the entrance examination and want to continue your studies, you will need to apply for an extension.
In Japan, there are three main types of graduate students:
(1) Those who wish to pursue a master's or doctoral program or who have failed the entrance examination can do a graduate school during the preparation period.
2) Those who wish to enter a major other than their major become a graduate student in order to acquire basic knowledge.
3) Japanese international students who wish to enter graduate school can deepen their understanding of the research in their field of specialization.
2. The benefits of becoming a graduate student
Students who are struggling with whether to take the direct entrance examination for a monk or a doctorate or to be a graduate student first may wish to take a look at the benefits of being a graduate student.
(1) You can conduct research activities in the same way as full-time students
Graduate students can conduct research activities in their specialized fields under the guidance of their advisors, and they can also take courses at graduate school, which is no different from that of regular students. In other words, it is a great advantage for graduate students to attend classes and receive ** guidance, and to be able to have a good research and learning environment.
(2) Experience that can be written on a resume
Japanese universities pay close attention to past resumes and require that personal history be complete. Therefore, if a student fails the entrance exam in the previous year and wants to prepare for the next year's exam, the time in between will be blank. However, if the year is spent in graduate school, then this experience can be written on the resume to fill in the gaps.
3. Disadvantages of becoming a graduate student
(1) Cannot obtain a degree
This is also the biggest disadvantage, although you can take classes and do research, but it has nothing to do with the degree. In addition, different universities have restrictions on the courses that graduate students can take and the facilities they can use, so it is recommended to check before applying for graduate school.
(2) You will not be eligible for a scholarship
Graduate students are not eligible for scholarships from the Japan Student Services Organization because they are non-regular students, and they are required to pay all fees on time as required.
Through the above introduction, students who are preparing to study in Japan must have a deeper understanding of the Japanese graduate school system, and as for whether to choose the direct entrance examination for monks and doctors or apply for graduate school first, the decision should be made according to their own preparation.