Research and Educational Goals
The mission of the Graduate School of Media Design (KMD) is to propel innovation through global partnerships that break down traditional cultural and disciplinary barriers by nurturing imaginative leaders and innovators capable of creating social values. To achieve this, the KMD curriculum is structured around practical projects that involve collaboration with external partners, using both English and Japanese as official languages. Through these projects, students aim to master a broad range of practical skills and theories in research development focused on digital media and technologies; project management that links multiple locations across diverse cultural spheres; content and service design; as well as business models and policy recommendations.
Master Program
Diploma Policy
The goal of the program is to train leaders and innovators capable of creating social value and connectedness through global partnerships that break down traditional cultural and disciplinary barriers. The program encourages students to develop leadership skills as globally-minded individuals who exhibit dignity and wisdom as well as multiple “literacies.” These include the ability to design a more sustainable future (Futures Literacy), the ability to craft new values independent from those based in current systems or social structures (Innovation Literacy), and the ability to take the lead in digital transformation (Media Literacy). Students who demonstrate their expertise in these areas and fulfill the academic credit requirements will be awarded a master’s degree in Media Design.
Competency Objectives
The program has five specific competency objectives for its students to achieve:
Objective one: The ability to design a more sustainable future for society (Futures Literacy)
Objective two: The ability to craft new values independent from those based in current systems or social structures (Innovation Literacy)
Objective three: The ability to take the lead in digital transformation (Media Literacy)
Objective four: The ability to craft new values that benefit society (Social Impact)
Objective five: The ability to create in cooperation with people of diverse cultures and expertise (Radical Collaboration)
Curriculum Policy
Curriculum Design:
The master’s program at the Graduate School of Media Design (KMD) offers introductory subjects, theory/strategy subjects, project subjects, and independent research subjects, to create a comprehensive educational curriculum that helps students achieve the competency objectives listed in its diploma policy.
Program Delivery:
The curriculum integrates lectures, active learning through team workshops, practical training aimed at skill development, applied projects, and research activities.
Evaluation and Grading Criteria:
The learning outcomes for KMD’s master’s program, as defined under the competency objectives, are evaluated using direct indicators based on course-specific grading criteria, in accordance with the university-wide assessment framework. Likewise, for a student’s master’s thesis, in addition to evaluation by the principal advisor, co-advisor, and secondary examiner, faculty members from various disciplines within the graduate school also provide a multidisciplinary review of both the thesis and its presentation.
How Courses Reflect the Competency Objectives:
Objective one: To cultivate students’ ability to design a more sustainable future for society (Futures Literacy), the program incorporates the Dream Driven Design method for envisioning possible futures into both its introductory and theory/strategy subjects.
Objective two: To cultivate students’ ability to craft new values independent from those based in current systems or social structures (Innovation Literacy), the program curriculum for introductory and project subjects incorporates a pipeline approach that views the entire process from ideation to social implementation as a continuous flow.
Objective three: To cultivate students’ ability to take the lead in digital transformation (Media Literacy), the program curriculum for introductory and project subjects incorporates a pipeline approach that views the entire process from ideation to social implementation as a continuous flow. Likewise, courses on advanced digital technology are offered under the program’s theory/strategy subjects.
Objective four: To cultivate students’ ability to craft new values that benefit society (Social Impact), evaluation rubrics for introductory subjects, theory/strategy subjects, project subjects, and independent research subjects all include research outcomes aimed at social implementation.
Objective five: To cultivate students’ ability to create in cooperation with people of diverse cultures and expertise (Radical Collaboration), academic activities, especially those in introductory and project subjects, are carried out by teams composed of students with diverse cultural backgrounds and specialties.
Admissions Policy
Potential students should possess the following qualities:
- The ability to conceptualize ways society could be better (Future Thinking)
- The imagination and conceptual skills to generate novel and original ideas
- The flexibility to adapt ideas to complex local environments and regions
- Critical and logical thinking skills
- Intellectual curiosity and the drive to take on new and unexplored fields
- Respect for diversity and the ability to collaborate with others
- Effective communication skills and ability to express oneself
Student Screening Process:
To ensure a broad and inclusive selection of applicants aligned with the student profile listed above, the admissions process comprises a first-stage document screening (including the research plan), followed by a second-stage interview conducted online.
Doctoral Program
Diploma Policy
Educational Goals
The mission of the Graduate School of Media Design (KMD) is to propel innovation through global partnerships that break down traditional cultural and disciplinary barriers by nurturing imaginative leaders and innovators capable of creating social value. To achieve this, the KMD curriculum is structured around practical projects that involve collaboration with external partners, using both English and Japanese as official languages. Through these projects, students aim to master a broad range of practical skills and theories in research development focused on digital media and technologies; project management that links multiple locations across diverse cultural spheres; content and service design; as well as business models and policy recommendations.
Competency Objectives
The doctoral program requires, in addition to the master’s-level competencies in Futures Literacy, Innovation Literacy, and Media Literacy, the following qualities and skills.
Objective one: The ability to create inclusive value and demonstrate leadership in a diverse society (Social Leadership)
Objective two: The ability to conduct research that leads society forward as an independent researcher
Objective three: The expertise needed to understand highly specialized fields and the ability to effectively communicate cutting-edge findings to both academic and general audiences.
Curriculum Policy
Curriculum Design:
The doctoral program at the Graduate School of Media Design (KMD) is designed to have a comprehensive curriculum in advanced research methods to help develop the competencies listed under the school’s diploma policy.
Learning outcomes are evaluated based on the grading criteria established for each course.
Program Delivery:
The curriculum integrates academic guidance from multiple faculty members with different areas of expertise to oversee research and educational activities that follow the steps below.
1. Students shall develop and carry out a research plan in consultation with their dissertation advisory committee, which consists of a principal advisor and a co-advisor.
2. Students will show the status of their research at an interim presentation where both their dissertation advisory committee and other faculty members from multiple disciplines will review their progress.
3. Students will continue their research while incorporating the feedback they received during their interim presentation.
4. Students will submit a research proposal defining the final goal of their doctoral dissertation and undergo a doctoral dissertation proposal defense by their dissertation advisory committee. Passing this examination qualifies them as doctoral candidates.
5. Doctoral candidates should proceed with their research as laid out in their proposal while also considering the academic degree requirements discussed with their dissertation advisory committee, then submit their dissertation draft to their advisory committee.
6. If the draft passes the initial review, a doctoral dissertation review committee will be formed which will include external reviewers to evaluate the dissertation.
7. After the doctoral candidate undergoes the doctoral dissertation review committee’s evaluation, they shall incorporate any given feedback or corrections and finalize their dissertation.
8. Once the finalized dissertation has been reviewed by the committee, the candidate will hold a public doctoral defense, during which the final decision on their pass or fail status will be made.
Evaluation and Grading Criteria:
As students work on their research, the program is designed to monitor their progress and evaluate outcomes at each stage of the doctoral process, guiding them toward the completion of their degree.
How Courses Reflect the Competency Objectives:
In order to acquire the Futures Literacy, Innovation Literacy, and Media Literacy competencies required in KMD’s master’s program, the master’s program is positioned as the first stage of the doctoral curriculum. If students are found to lack these foundational competencies at the start of their research, they may be advised to take or audit relevant theory/strategy courses, project-based courses, or independent research courses from the master’s curriculum.
Objective one: To cultivate students’ ability to create inclusive value and demonstrate leadership in a diverse society (Social Leadership), leadership skills are developed by preparing and engaging in the research field as part of Step 1 above.
Objective two: To cultivate students’ ability to conduct research that leads society forward as an independent researcher, they must develop the skills to review prior research, propose original ideas, as well as prototype and collect primary data, beginning from Step 2 outlined above.
Objective three: To cultivate the expertise needed to understand specialized fields in depth and communicate cutting-edge research both academically and socially, students complete all ten steps outlined above, thereby gaining the ability to articulate their academic insights and the social impact of their work to a broad audience.
Admissions Policy
Potential students should possess the following qualities:
(1) Foundational academic ability and specialized knowledge in their research field
(2) Future-oriented thinking, creativity, and conceptual ability
(3) Motivation to create value within a diverse society
(4) Passion and vision to take on new and unexplored fields
Student Screening Process To ensure a broad and inclusive selection of applicants aligned with the student profile listed above, the admissions process comprises a first-stage document screening (including the research plan), followed by a second-stage interview conducted online.