About going on to doctoral studies

This section introduces information that will be useful when considering going on to a doctoral program. Many of you who have enrolled in a master's program may be unsure whether to go on to a doctoral program. Please use this information as a reference for your future career path

Basic Data

As of May 2021 , there were a total of 6,007 students enrolled in doctoral programs . The table below shows that the percentage of students progressing from master's to doctoral programs varies significantly by graduate school.
who completed their master's program in 2020 who went on to doctoral programs at the was 27.3% (860/3,155 students). This rate has been increasing since 2017, from 23.9% in 2017, to 26.1% in 2018, and 26.9% in 2019.
Graduate schools with a high rate of students progressing to doctoral programs may have difficulty accessing information about employment opportunities for master's graduates and alumni networks. It's important to take the initiative to gather information and take action early ( see Hunting Advice for job hunting

2020 Master's degree graduates' progression rate

	Master's degree graduate	Further education	Enrollment rate
Humanities and Social Sciences	114	63	55.3%
pedagogy	70	24	34.3%
law and politics	25	12	48.0%
Economics	100	21	21.0%
General Culture	229	83	36.2%
Science	359	191	53.2%
Engineering	1025	167	16.3%
Agriculture and Life Sciences	278	53	19.1%
medical system	53	24	45.3%
Pharmaceutical Sciences	83	37	44.6%
mathematical science	35	23	65.7%
New field creation science	421	97	23.0%
Information Science and Engineering	264	47	17.8%
Interdisciplinary Information	99	18	18.2%

From "Overview of the University of Tokyo"

Completion requirements and number of years required to complete the course

To complete a doctoral program, students must be enrolled for at least three years, earn the required credits, and write a doctoral thesis. This is required for all graduate schools.
The number of years required to complete a doctoral program varies greatly depending on the graduate school. The following table shows the completion rate within the standard period of study (the percentage of students who completed the program and wrote a doctoral thesis in three years) from 2010 to 2014.

humanities society	Educational system	law and politics	Economics
10.4%	15.1%	13.6%	10.4%

Science	Engineering	Agriculture	Pharmaceutical Sciences
53.7%	37.6%	59.8%	80.6%

From the "2015 University Institutional Accreditation Evaluation Report"

Differences from a Master's program in terms of research

What are the differences between research and everyday life in a master's program and a doctoral program? Let's take a look at the 2019 "Student Life Survey" conducted by the University of Tokyo

The average daily research time is 6.6 hours for master's students and 7.1 hours for doctoral students, suggesting that doctoral students spend more time on research
There are fewer credits to earn, more time for research rather than coursework, and more opportunities to present at conferences
Research expenses are also increasing. All expenses, including book costs, research costs, and conference attendance fees, are higher for doctoral students than for master's students

You may also spend time helping with things other than research. In doctoral programs, you may be entrusted with supervising junior students and handling administrative tasks for academic conferences. Depending on the laboratory, doctoral students may be entrusted with the research plan, so they will need the ability to manage their own schedule. Planned research with a view to doctoral thesis is necessary

Career paths after graduation

In the sciences, although it depends on the field of specialization, a certain number of students end up working as researchers in companies. On the other hand, in the humanities, students generally aim to become university professors or work at public research institutions. The outlook after completing a doctoral program is not necessarily bright. While the number of doctoral students is increasing, the number of undergraduate students is not increasing as much due to the declining birthrate, so there is little prospect of an increase in university professor positions.
However, the appeal of being able to work in something you are interested in is something that can only be found in an academic profession. Weigh these pros and cons and consider whether or not to continue your education.

A guide to books for those considering pursuing a doctoral program

Max Weber, Science as a Vocation (Iwanami Bunko, 1952)

This is a classic on the theory of scholarship. Weber, a giant of social science, explains the mindset that students who aspire to study academia as a career should have and what scholarship can accomplish, making it highly thought-provoking even for us today. It's a short book, so you can read it in a short amount of time

Yoichi Komori (editor), The Meaning of Research (Tokyo Tosho, 2003)

Renowned researchers talk about their research to graduate students, primarily in the humanities and social sciences. The book is peppered with stories from the authors' younger days, which are sure to be encouraging. Personally, I was drawn to Professor Kiichi Fujiwara's message: "Do you have the perseverance to fight for 10 years?"

Akimichi Mizuki, "Highly Educated Working Poor" (Kobunsha, 2007)

This book became famous for arguing that graduate schools, which increased their enrollment quotas due to the emphasis on graduate schools in the 1990s, are sucking up students who are struggling to find employment and creating a large number of "freeters." While it cannot be denied that it overemphasizes certain examples, it sharply delves into the problems currently facing graduate schools

Eisuke Enoki, "The Drifting Doctor's Life" (Discover 21, 2010)

This book deals with the employment issues facing postdocs, primarily in the science and engineering fields, and makes you think about the future of PhD holders who are struggling to find work. It describes the harsh reality that those pursuing a PhD may face. It may also be a good idea for those considering continuing on to graduate school to read this while they are still in their master's program