Education Program

Program Completion Requirements

Students completing the Sustainability Science Interdisciplinary Program receive an " Interdisciplinary Program Completion Certificate" issued by the President of Osaka University and the Director of the CEIDS. Students must meet the following three requirements to complete the associate program:

Completion requirements

  1. The first requirement is that students meet the graduate school program requirements for their respective graduate departments and major and be specialists in their fields (i.e., they must have received degrees).
  2. Students must take four courses totaling eight credits from among the sustainability science course cluster (which includes three compulsory electives and twenty-five associate courses).
  3. Students must select two courses from the four compulsory electives.

Coursework model

This program does specify a particular sequence of courses, but four coursework models, named according to their theme, are suggested as examples in the table. Students should consider their own interests, areas of specialty and available time as well as these program coursework models and the course overview in the next section when creating their own program completion plans.

Sustainability Science Associate Program (an interdisciplinary Education Program) Coursework Model
Core Sustainability Science
  • Global Threats and Sustainability
  • Frontier of Sustainability Science
  • Valuation Methods and Technology for Sustainability
  • Social Ecology: Human Security and Sustainability
Sustainability Problems in the Relationship Between Society and the Environment
  • Global Threats and Sustainability
  • Social Ecology: Human Security and Sustainability
  • Two humanities and social science associate courses (e.g., Environmental Management in Asian Societies and Special Lecture: Development and the Environment)
Eco-Industry Technology for a Sustainable Society
  • Valuation Methods and Technology for Sustainability
  • Global Threats and Sustainability
  • Two science and engineering associate courses (e.g., Demand-side Energy System Engineering and Environmental management for sustainable industrial systems)
Sustainability Blending Humanities and Science
  • Global Threats and Sustainability
  • Social Ecology
  • Valuation Methods and Technology for Sustainability
  • One associate course (e.g., Introduction to Science and Technology Communication)

Important Notes about Coursework

Students participating in the program must belong to a graduate program in the Osaka University Graduate School.

Osaka University associate program rules require that four of the eight credits taken do not count toward requirements for completing the student's graduate program or degree. In other words, up to four credits may serve as both required credits for completing the associate program and required credits for completing the student's major, but at least four credits other than the minimum required credits for completing the student's major (typically 30) must be earned from Sustainability Science Education Program courses.

The rules in effect for each graduate program and major determine whether taking particular outside courses counts toward meeting the graduate school course completion requirements. When taking program courses, students should check with the graduate school advisor in their graduate program.

The program's course structure is subject to change from academic year to academic year. However, even if a change occurs, courses already taken that were offered as program courses still count toward meeting completion requirements. Contact the program office if you have any questions regarding this point.