To successfully complete the ACLS program, a student must fulfill the following requirements at the master’s and doctoral level.　

Requirements that must be met before completing the master’s degree program

In addition to fulfilling the completion requirements of his/her graduate major (as set out by his/her department), the student must fulfill the ACLS program’s credit requirements as outlined in Table 1, column A. Students who cannot fulfill these requirements will not be permitted to continue with their ACLS program at the doctoral level. Note that the student’s master’s thesis will be reviewed based only on the criteria set for his/her graduate major.

Requirements that must be met before completing the doctoral degree program

Three sets of requirements must be met. First, the student must fulfill the ACLS program’s credit requirements as outlined in Table 1, column B in addition to fulfilling the completion requirements of his/her graduate major (as set out by his/her department). Second, the student must pass the doctoral dissertation review based not just on the criteria set for his/her graduate major, but also on those set by the ACLS program to determine whether the student has reached the standard demanded of a Γ-type specialist. Third, the student must pass the final assessment to determine his/her eligibility for degree conferral. A qualifying examination (QE)  is held by a panel of examiners that includes individuals from related industries as well as faculty members from fields outside the student’s major. A comprehensive assessment is made by taking into account the student’s doctoral research as well as his/her acquired credits and qualifications.

<Table 1. Credit requirements for the ACLS program>

The courses listed under the course categories (a)–(d) in Table 1 differ somewhat for students whose main specialty is life science and for those whose main specialty is computer science.
Credits earned for the ACLS program may be counted towards a student’s graduate major if approved by his/her department.

Final Assessment for Doctoral Degree Conferral

An ACLS program enrollee’s eligibility for doctoral degree conferral is assessed in two stages.
The first stage involves assessing whether the enrolled student has acquired the expertise in his/her graduate major that is required of a Γ-type specialist. This assessment is based on the criteria outlined by the student’s department for his/her graduate major. If the student passes, then he/she is awarded a doctoral degree.
The second stage involves an oral examination based on ACLS’s own criteria. The student is assessed on whether he/she has acquired all the skills and experience required of a Γ-type specialist and on whether he/she has fulfilled all the program requirements. If the student passes, he/she is certified as having completed the ACLS program. The student’s diploma is attached with a statement certifying completion. If, on the other hand, the student fails, he/she is awarded a diploma without the certification of completion of the ACLS program.
Even before this final assessment, if the student is deemed unable to satisfy the above conditions or fails the second selection process (at the start of the doctoral studies), he/she will not be permitted to continue with the ACLS program.

External Examination Requirements

A student enrolled in the ACLS program is requested to take at least one of the following qualifications before completing his/her doctoral degree program. Exceptional circumstances such as studying abroad will be factored in when assessing the student’s achievements. However, ACLS does require all its students to take an English proficiency test at least once.

・English proficiency test
Both TOEIC (preferably a score of over 750) and TOEFL iBT (preferably a score of over 80) tests are acceptable.
Only the test scores obtained after enrolling in a master's degree program will be considered. Students must submit their test scores prior to applying for their qualifying examination at the end of their doctoral degree program.

・The Information Technology Engineers Examinations (ITEE) administered by the IPA
Limited to students whose main specialty is life science. All ITEE exams are acceptable.

・Certification examinations administered by the Japan Association of Biotechnology Education (JABE)
Limited to students whose main specialty is computer science. All three JABE exams are acceptable.

・The Certification Examination for Bioinformatics Engineers administered by JSBi

・Intellectual Property Management Skills Test

・Other relevant exams

Funding is available for students taking the abovementioned examinations.
For more information, visit the page on Funding for Taking External Examinations (students need to log in).

Students withdrawing from the ACLS program after completing their master’s degree program

The ACLS program is designed to be taken throughout the course of students’ master’s and doctoral studies. Therefore, students who leave the Institute after obtaining their master’s degree will not be granted a diploma attached with a statement certifying completion of the ACLS program. However, students who fulfill the credit requirements at the master’s level (as outlined in column A of Table 1) will be awarded a separate certificate that provides documentation of this fact. This certificate may be considered as carrying the same weight as the certificates of completion issued for Tokyo Tech’s progressive minors.