A new type of specialized engineer is wanted by today’s industrial society. These engineers must be capable of tasks in research and development，where they have to find and solve problems by themselves，in addition to knowing traditional engineering practices. Responding to this social need，many engineering colleges have been establishing Advanced Courses since 1992. These are two-year-courses for graduates from the regular five-year programs of college education.

Nagaoka National College of Technology established advanced courses in Electrical and Mechanical Engineering，Materials Engineering，and Civil Engineering in April 2000. Every year the advanced courses accept 20 students. The Electrical and Mechanical Engineering course accepts 12 students，and the Materials Engineering and Civil Engineering courses accept 4 students respectively.

Under the School Education Act of Japan, graduates of a College of Technology (KOSEN) may obtain a Bachelor’s degree by completing the required credits in an advanced course at a KOSEN, by taking courses as a non-degree student at a university, or through other approved study programs, and then applying to the National Institution for Academic Degrees and Quality Enhancement of Higher Education (NIAD-QE). If they successfully pass the assessment conducted by NIAD-QE, they may be awarded a Bachelor’s degree by NIAD-QE.

National Institution for Academic Degrees and Quality Enhancement of Higher Education (NIAD-QE) Website：
https://www.niad.ac.jp/english/