The United Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Gifu University

Course Outline

Graduate School Admission Policy

The United Graduate School provides unique educational programs with a wide variety of subjects under the credit-based system and doctoral dissertation research guidance by multiple supervisors through the synergistic linkage mainly between the Graduate School of Agriculture, Shizuoka University and the Graduate School of Applied Biological Science, Gifu University.
The principles of agricultural science are: in an ecological system called Earth, to preserve environment; to develop comprehensive scientific technologies and cultures based on the production of foods and biological materials; and to contribute to the existence and welfare of mankind. Agricultural science is an integrated science based on the relationship between biological production, which is essential to human life, and human society, consisting mainly of biological science, biological resources science, environmental science, life science and social science. (in Charter of Agricultural Science, Japan, 2002)

The Graduate School aims to cultivate researchers and professional engineers/technologists with highly professional ability, abundant academic knowledge and a broad perspective of science related to Biological (animals, plants, and microbial products) Resources, Biological Environment and Biological Resources, and thereby to contribute to the advancement of agricultural science and development of biological-resources-related industries. The Graduate School provides education to allow students to acquire extensive knowledge of agricultural science and to conduct a research on a given subject and seek a solution, and furthermore to develop the ability to solve problems and the ability to discover research subjects that can be exercised in the boundary fields and multidisciplinary fields. The Graduate School also welcomes overseas applicants who are willing to learn and acquire advanced agricultural technologies and science.

Students the Graduate School seeks:

  1. Individuals who are willing to understand the integrate nature of agricultural science based on the existence of mankind and to contribute to the local community and society.
  2. Individuals who are willing to set research subjects on their own and to challenge such research subjects.
  3. Individuals who are willing to absorb not only professional knowledge but also a wide range of knowledge.
  4. Individuals who have strong ethics and are able to exercise their leadership skills in the agricultural science and other relevant fields.
  5. Individuals who are willing to play an active role on the global stage and have necessary basic ability.

Admission policy of each course

Science of Biological Production

The course of Science of Biological Production concerns academic theories and technologies related to the entire process of biology-related industries, from the production of plants and animals within primary sector to processing, distributing and supplying to consumers. Therefore, the course seeks individuals who are interested in, from a comprehensive standpoint, various issues related to these academic theories and technologies, including management of fertilization of crops, management of animal feeding, protection of animals and plants, breeding and genetics of animals and plants, utilization of biological products, and management, economics and logistics of agricultural, forestry and livestock businesses, and have a willingness to conduct research related to such issues needed by society.

Science of Biological Environment

The course of Science of Biological Environment seeks individuals who wish to master academic theories on various issues related to natural environment, which is the basis of relationship between global environment and living organism and biological production in agricultural, forestry and other relevant industries, through ecological, biological, physical and chemical methods. The course also seeks individuals who have a desire to contribute to society through conducting research on the principles and technologies related to the management of sustainable biological resources and preservation of forestry ecosystem and cultivated ecosystem.

Science of Biological Resources

The fundamental academic theories concerning biological resources and vital functions will be understood and mastered by analyzing organization, structure and functions of animals, plants, microorganism and other biological resources and their production base, i.e., soil from a perspective of physical chemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology and cell biology in a multifaceted and comprehensive manner. Therefore, the course of Science of Biological Resources seeks individuals who wish to undertake such analytical research to master aforementioned fundamental academic theories and wish to understand principles and acquire technologies related to application of such fundamental academic theories to more advanced use of biological resources including untouched natural resources, creation of new functional materials and improvement of environment.