Introduction to GSIS

What is GSIS?

The Graduate School of Information Sciences (GSIS) was established in April, 1993 with the goal of promoting interdisciplinary research and education in both the fundamentals and frontiers of the information sciences. Interdisciplinary research necessarily requires diverse variation of academic backgrounds among the staff, which is a notable feature of this Graduate School: its staff members' abilities are grounded in mathematics, computer sciences, mechanical engineering, biology, civil engineering, linguistics, philosophy, psychology, sociology, political science, and economics.

GSIS consists of four departments: Computer and Mathematical Sciences, System Information Sciences, Human-Social Information Sciences, and Applied Information Sciences. Students must pass the entrance examination of one discipline of their choice, and the English proficiency test. Foreign students are required to take a qualifying examination of Japanese proficiency as well. Upon admission to the GSIS, students are free to pursue research in any discipline. GSIS is also open to a limited number of students who are employed full time, allowing them to follow Master's or Doctoral courses while keeping their positions.

The four departments are characterized as follows:

Department of Computer and Mathematical Sciences

Students and staff of this Department explore the theoretical basis of information sciences: Mathematical Structures, Computation Science, Software Science, Firmware Science, and Computer Architecture. In addition, this Department actively pursues research which underlies the next generation of computer sciences: Logic for Information Science, Communication Theory, Information Security, Ultra-High Speed Information Processing Algorithms, and Environmental Informatics.

Department of System Information Sciences

The main research subject of this Department is "systems": Mathematical systems, Intelligent systems, Biosystems, control systems. The study "systems" is intended to advance high-quality research on algorithms and mechanisms for analyzing, transmitting, and processing information, and to promote research into the applied fields of information sciences: Intelligent Robotics, Information Biology, Acoustic Information Science, Information Storage Devices and Systems, and Fusion Flow Informatics.

Department of Human-Social Information Sciences

The staff and students of this Department aim at solving important and urgent problems that confront present and future societies from the environment, cities, population, resources, and energy. Toward that goal, the Department encourages interdisciplinary studies among human sciences, social sciences, and civil engineering, thereby evolving new methodologies of synthesizing multi-aspectual information related to human-social systems. The following research topics are particularly emphasized: concepts and theories of information and communication; individual, social, political and economic functions and impacts of information and communication.

Department of Applied Information Sciences

Students and staff of this Department examine the progress of Applied Information Sciences through interdisciplinary research efforts encompassing liberal arts and sciences. Research work explores application information technologies such as Information Communication Technology, Information Network, Brain-functional Integrated Systems, Cognitive Psychology, Flow System Informatics, Biomodeling, and research fields that are related to fluctuations of Physical Systems and Biosystems, in addition to Statistical System Analysis for Complex Systems that form the foundation of methodology.

GSIS semi-annually publishes an academic Journal entitled "Interdisciplinary Information Sciences," the purpose of which is to promote high quality research on important issues in information sciences and provide a forum for exchanging ideas on "information" between disciplines to evolve new scientific research fields. To improve access to this journal for external authors, some members of the advisory and editorial boards are invited from other institutions.

Distinguishing Features of GSIS

  • * Students are encouraged to undertake interdisciplinary studies in addition to their research in a specific discipline.
  • * The Master's degree requires a minimum of 30 approved credits, but students can freely select courses from a wide variety of subjects. A student can take a maximum of 10 credits by attending lectures offered by departments other than those of his or her chosen department.
  • * Students can pursue research in disciplines that differ from their undergraduate major, but the entrance examination to GSIS permits students to select testing in the subject area of their undergraduate level major.

Courses

Master's Level Course

As mentioned previously, the requirement for Master's course is to complete at least 30 graduate credits of course work including basic courses (at least 4 credits), Seminar, and Advanced Seminar A and B (a total 12 credits) offered by their chosen department. The remaining 14 or more credits must be selected from the following list. Department of Computer and Mathematical Sciences:

Department of Computer and Mathematical Sciences

  • * Algorithms Theory
  • * Applied Intelligence Software
  • * Brain-functional Integrated System
  • * Communication Theory
  • * Computational Mechanics
  • * Computer Architecture
  • * Computer Structures
  • * Design and Analysis of Information Systems
  • * Dynamics, Measurement and Control of Mechanical Systems
  • * Econophysics
  • * Firmware Science
  • * Flow System Informatics
  • * Foundations of Software Science
  • * Fusion Flow Informatics
  • * Image Analysis
  • * Image Recognition
  • * Information Communication Theory
  • * Information Ethics
  • * Information Networks
  • * Information Physics
  • * Information Protection in the Legal System
  • * Intelligent Control Systems
  • * Intelligent Integrated Systems
  • * Intelligent Systems Science
  • * Interdisciplinary Information Sciences
  • * Logic of Information Science
  • * Mathematical Structures I a, I b, II a, II b, III a, III b
  • * Mathematical Structures, Special Lecture
  • * Mathematical System Analysis I a, I b, III a, III b
  • * Mathematical System Analysis, Special Lecture
  • * Neural Network Modeling on Visual Perception
  • * Numerical Analysis
  • * Physical Fluctuomatics
  • * Precision Material Forming
  • * Programming Languages
  • * Science of Massively Parallel Computation
  • * Space Robotics
  • * Special Lecture I on Information Sciences
  • * Special Lecture II on Information Sciences
  • * Special Lecture III on Information Sciences
  • * Statistical Systems Analysis for Complex Systems
  • * Statistical Physics for Information Science
  • * Theory of Computation
  • * Theory of Differential Equations
  • * Theory of Information Security
  • * Time Series Analysis
  • * Ultra-High Speed Information Processing Algorithms

Department of System Information Sciences

  • * Acoustic Information Science
  • * Advanced Control Theory
  • * Algorithms Theory
  • * Applied Intelligence Software
  • * Biomodeling
  • * Communication Theory
  • * Computational Mechanics
  • * Computer Architecture
  • * Computer Structures
  • * Design and Analysis of Information Systems
  • * Dynamics, Measurement and Control of Mechanical Systems
  • * Econophysics
  • * Foundations of Software Science
  • * Fusion flow Informatics
  • * Health Informatics
  • * Human-Robot Informatics
  • * Image Analysis
  • * Image Recognition
  • * Information Biology
  • * Information Communication Theory
  • * Information Ethics
  • * Information Networks
  • * Information Physics
  • * Information Protection in the Legal System
  • * Information Storage Devices and Systems
  • * Information and Communications Technology
  • * Intelligent Integrated Systems
  • * Intelligent Systems Science
  • * Interdisciplinary Information Sciences
  • * Life Fluctuomatics
  • * Logic for Information Science
  • * Mathematical Structures I a, I b, III a, III b
  • * Mathematical Structures, Special Lecture
  • * Mathematical System Analysis I a, I b, II a, II b, III a, III b
  • * Mathematical System Analysis, Special Lecture
  • * Neural Network Modeling on Visual Perception
  • * Numerical Analysis
  • * Physical Fluctuomatics
  • * Space Robotics
  • * Special Lecture I on Information Sciences
  • * Special Lecture II on Information Sciences
  • * Special Lecture III on Information Sciences
  • * Statistical Systems Analysis for Complex Systems
  • * Theory of Computation
  • * Theory of Information Security
  • * Ultra-High Speed Information Processing Algorithms

Department of Human-Social Information Sciences

  • * An Introduction to Computer Systems
  • * An Introduction to Programming and Logistics
  • * An Introduction to Software Science
  • * Analysis of Macro Socio-Economic System
  • * Analysis of Micro Socio-Economic System I, II
  • * Behavioral Analysis
  • * Cognitive Psychology
  • * Econometric Analysis of Regional System
  • * Econometric System Analysis I, II
  • * Econophysics
  • * Functional Analysis of Linguistic Information
  • * Game Theory for Applied Economics
  • * Health Informatics
  • * Human Learning and Memory
  • * Information Ethics
  • * Information Policy and Administration
  • * Information Protection in the Legal System
  • * Information and Telecommunication Law
  • * Information Biology
  • * Interdisciplinary Information Sciences
  • * Life Fluctuomatics
  • * Mathematical Methods for Socio-Economic Analysis
  • * Mathematical Urban Modeling
  • * Media and Aesthetic
  • * Methods of Sociological Fieldwork (1), (2)
  • * Modern Linguistic Theory
  • * Neural Network Modeling on Visual Perception
  • * Political Thought of Policy
  • * Practical Information Literacy
  • * Project Evaluation
  • * Regional Economic Analysis
  • * Regional Planning and Analysis
  • * Relation between Man and Nature
  • * Semiotics and Cross-Media I, II
  • * Semiotics in Pop-Media
  • * Special Lecture I on Information Sciences
  • * Special Lecture II on Information Sciences
  • * Special Lecture III on Information Sciences
  • * Statistical Systems Analysis for Complex Systems
  • * Study of Community Structure and its Change
  • * Study of Public Institution and Public Policy
  • * Study of Social Structure and its Change
  • * The Study of Political Behavior
  • * Theory of Logic, Dialectic and Rhetoric
  • * Topics in Psycho-information
  • * Transportation Policy and Logistics
  • * Transportation and the Environment
  • * Urban Economic Analysis
  • * Urban Landscape Design
  • * Verbal Text Analysis

Department of Applied Information Sciences

  • * Algorithms Theory
  • * Applicable Algebras and Geometry
  • * Applied Intelligence Software
  • * Behavioral Analysis
  • * Biomodeling
  • * Brain-functional Integrated System
  • * Cognitive Psychology
  • * Dynamical System and Control
  • * Dynamics, Measurement and Control of Mechanical Systems
  • * Econophysics
  • * Engineering of Biological Information Systems
  • * Flow System Informatics
  • * Health Informatics
  • * Human Learning and Memory
  • * Human-Robot Informatics
  • * Information Ethics
  • * Information Networks
  • * Information Policy and Administration
  • * Information Protection in the Legal System
  • * Information and Communications Technology
  • * Interdisciplinary Information Sciences
  • * Systems Bioinformatics
  • * Neural Network Modeling on Visual Perception
  • * Philosophic Analyses of Human Behavior
  • * Physical Fluctuomatics
  • * Social Psychological Aspects of Human Information Processing
  • * Statistical Systems Analysis for Complex Systems
  • * Time Series Analysis
  • * Verbal Text Analysis

Doctor Level Course

The requirement for the Doctoral course is to complete at least 10 graduate credits, and to complete at least 8 graduate credits from the Major general courses.

Special Courses

  • * Fundamental Doctor Course Seminar
  • * Doctor Course Seminar A
  • * Doctor Course Seminar B
  • * Advanced Doctor Course Seminar

Affiliated Courses

  • * Special Lecture on Information Sciences
  • * Special Lecture on System Information Sciences
  • * Special Lecture on Human-Social Information Sciences
  • * Special Lecture on Applied Information Sciences