Master in Interdisciplinary Education Program for AI and Data Science Specialists (IEPAD)

Saga University offers the Interdisciplinary Education Program for AI and Data Science Specialists, known as IEPAD, as a two-year master's degree taught in English, with intake in either April or November in the city of Saga. The university was formed in 2003 through the merger of the former Saga University, founded in 1949, and Saga Medical University, founded in 1976, and was incorporated as a National University Corporation in 2004. It is a comprehensive institution with six faculties and seven graduate schools, enrolling around 5,800 undergraduate students and 790 graduate students, and has produced more than 60,000 graduates to date. The program approaches artificial intelligence and data science from an interdisciplinary angle, pairing core training in machine learning, statistics, and data analysis with applications in fields such as engineering, agriculture, medicine, or business depending on each student's background. Coursework typically develops technical skills in programming, algorithms, and data modeling, alongside seminars examining how AI and data methods apply to problems across different sectors. Most students work toward a research-based master's thesis under faculty supervision, focused on a specific data science or AI application tied to their specialization. Taught entirely in English, IEPAD admits international students without a prior Japanese-language requirement, while placing them within a Japanese national university's graduate school system. Graduates typically pursue roles as data scientists, AI engineers, or analysts in industry and research settings, or continue into doctoral study in AI, data science, or a related interdisciplinary field.