Playing a vital role since 1965 in the University's educational mission of contributing to cultural development, the Graduate Schools are dedicated to in-depth research and education in the arts and sciences, from theory to a broad spectrum of real-world applications. At present, the University has ten Graduate Schools offering thirty-four programs in a wide range of academic fields. The programs comprise two-year master's programs, five-year doctoral programs (two years for the MA or the MS and three years for the PhD), four-year doctoral programs in the Medical Sciences and Pharmaceutical Sciences, and a three-year professional degree program.

The master's programs are designed to give students both a deep knowledge of their chosen field and the ability to approach it from various perspectives, equipping them either for higher level research or careers demanding specialized knowledge.

The aim of our doctoral programs is to give students the high-level theoretical knowledge and research skills necessary for advanced research in their chosen fields as independent researchers.

The professional degree program is designed to instill in students a deep sense of scholarship and equip them with the capabilities necessary for them to pursue careers requiring highly specialized knowledge and skills.

In addition to regular instruction, the University works actively to facilitate the development of its graduate schools, including by having professors host extracurricular courses, enhancing its faculty, and enriching its social welfare programs. We also accept special audit students, special research students, and international students to accommodate the growing specialization, subdivision, and globalization of modern scholarship. Additionally, students may pursue their studies at other graduate schools and research institutions in Japan and overseas when such study is recognized as being in the interest of their education and research.

We introduced an advanced placement program that allows students with an exceptional academic record to skip the fourth year of their undergraduate studies and proceed to the Graduate School of Science or the Graduate School of Engineering (with the exception of the Architecture and Civil Engineering and Recycling and Eco-Technology programs) starting with the 1991 academic year, and to the Graduate School of Sports and Health Science starting with the 1992 academic year. Additionally, numerous applicants opt to take advantage of entrance examinations for working adults, which are offered by all graduate schools except the Graduate School of Medical Sciences in response to public demand for such programs. We also offer an early graduation program that allows students with an exceptional academic record to advance to graduate school from their third year of study in the Faculty of Law.