Curriculum

What Is the Research Design Workshop (RDW)?

The Research Design Workshop (RDW) is taken by GSDM students upon completion of their the first year of their doctoral course, or, in the case of students who entered the program midway through D1, upon completion of the first year with the program. The purpose of the RDW is to confirm that the student are adequately prepared with reference to the prospective profile of GSDM course graduates, as well as and to check the likelihood of them completing their doctoral degree. The workshop takes place entirely in English.

Documents to be submitted in advance:

  1. Application for Comprehensive Coursework Courses
  2. CV
  3. Extended abstract of your doctoral dissertation research
  4. Vision (Essay on how to apply your research to social issues as a possible solution)
  5. Review (Essay on your participation in the GSDM Program so far and the capabilities you have developed through the program)

Items Evaluated in the RDW:

  1. Progress of your work towards the timely completion of your doctoral dissertation
  2. Your concept for social issue-solving
  3. Essay on your participation in the GSDM program so far and the capabilities you have developed through the program
  4. Status of the Comprehensive Coursework credits acquisition (For the students who are admitted to the program in 2017AY or after)

* For those students who entered the program in 2017 AY or afterwards, two credits from each of the following three course categories must be acquired before RDW.

  • Global Society and Public Policy Course (2 credits)
  • Advanced Science Technologies Course (2 credits)
  • Issue Solving Course (2 credits)

‘Social Design and Global Leadership' can be substituted for the 2 credits of the Issue Solving Courses.

Preparing for the RDW:

You should make an effort to attend as many GSDM seminars, symposia, and comprehensive courseworks as possible, in order to acquire a comprehensive knowledge–base, bridging more than one specialized field of study. At the same time, you should take every opportunity to engage in discussions with the diverse pool of GSDM members, thus broadening your intellectual horizon.