Education

Features of Tokyo Tech's Education

Tokyo Tech provides a curriculum that allows students to realize the depth of science and technology and its power to change society, while cultivating the skills to achieve their goals -- the skills to learn independently, creativity, and expressiveness.

In addition to mastering their specialized field, students learn related fields and their social background and relevance. While cooperating and working hard with others, students mature into adults with leadership ability, and the confidence to succeed in society and the world.

Integrated Program and Wedge-Shaped Style Education

Integrated Program and Wedge-Shaped Style Education

Seamless Degree Program

Tokyo Tech provides a unique curriculum to cultivate students with the drive to excel and the vision to contribute to society through science and technology.

Features

The system allows for a smoother transition from the Bachelor's to Master's Program as well as from the Master's to Doctoral Program. *

  1. (1) We provide a seamless education in specialized fields from the Bachelor's Program to graduate schools. With many students choosing to continue on to graduate school, the links with higher-level programs and their content are clearly shown.
  2. (2)Aspiring and capable students can progress more quickly. Undergraduates may take master's-level courses and master's students may take doctoral-level courses.

This education system enables students to better plan their path from entrance to graduation, allowing them to choose from various options and challenges based on their interests.

Wedge-Shaped Style Education

What is Wedge-shaped Style Education?

Wedge-shaped style education is designed to generate an upward spiral of knowledge and ability by providing liberal arts education and specialized education in an organically interrelated manner from Bachelor's Program to Doctoral Program. Students enroll in specialized courses and liberal arts courses immediately after enrollment. The number of specialized courses increases in subsequent years, but students continue taking Liberal Arts and Basic Science Courses (including Entrepreneur Courses) until graduation or completion of program.

Why Wedge-Shaped Style Education?

It enables students to cultivate deep insight, a sense of ethics, solid specialized academic ability, unfettered inventiveness, creativity, and the practical ability to integrate these qualities. Students acquire cutting-edge science and engineering expertise, deepen their understanding of the social significance of their studies, and cultivate character building and inclusive values.

*

Students from other universities may also enroll in the Master's Program and Doctoral Program. Undergraduate students must pass an entrance examination to enroll in the Master's Program, and master's students must undergo screening to enter the Doctoral Program. Students can advance to a field other than that which they graduated from or completed.

Standard Timeline for Students and 11 features

Standard Timeline for Students and 10 features
Standard Timeline for Students and 10 features Standard Timeline for Students and 10 features

School:

Students acquire basic knowledge in their year and select the department they will be affiliated with from their second year.

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Department:

Bachelor's Program. Full-fledged specialized learning starts.

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Major:

This is the educational program of the graduate school. Students take their step as a researcher.

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First-Year Undergraduate Education

Liberal Arts
Education

Entrepreneurship Education

Flexible Study -- Majors, Minors, and Other Education Programs

Early Graduation/Completion Timeline
The curriculum allows aspiring, capable, and excellent students to progress more quickly.Open

Students can complete the Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral Programs within 6 years (following the standard timeline, it takes 9 years.)

Example: Completing Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral Programs in 7 Years

Example: Completing Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral Programs in 7 Years

Example: Completing Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral Programs in 7 Years

Example: Completing Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral Programs in 7 Years
Feature 5

Academic Quarter System

Open

Under the quarter system, one academic year will be divided into four quarters.

Academic Quarter System

There are no required courses in 2Q of the third year of the Bachelor's Program, so students can easily study abroad using 2Q and the summer vacation.

  • Intensive learning in shorter periods will enhance learning effectiveness.

  • Flexible academic plans will make it easier to study abroad or do internships.

  • Offering the same courses in multiple quarters will better accommodate students in terms of learning speed.

  • With the quarter system, Tokyo Tech's academic calendar will align with more overseas universities. Enrollment in Tokyo Tech will be more accessible for international students, and Tokyo Tech students will be better able to participate in internships and study abroad.

Feature 6

Achievement-Based Assessment

Open

Academic progress will be measured using achievement-based assessment emphasizing the content and extent of knowledge acquired, enabling students to proceed to the next level according to their attainment, which is determined by achievement-based assessment of each course, overall academic progress, and other factors.

Also, based on Tokyo Tech's education policy (professional skill set, practical skill set, etc.), five abilities expected of our graduates and those who complete programs at Tokyo Tech are specified. The curriculum is designed to enable each student to acquire these abilities through systematic learning in Core Courses and Liberal Arts and Basic Science Courses, and Research Seminars/research thesis (graduate students only) by graduation or completion of program.

Achievement-Based Assessment

  • Students can better grasp their strengths and weaknesses and take charge of their own education paths according to their achievement level. Academic advisors will provide guidance based on students' learning portfolios.

  • Students can monitor their progress which makes it easier to set future goals and acquire the required knowledge.

  • Aspiring and capable students are able to progress more quickly if they pass an achievement-based assessment.

Feature 7

Cultivate Globally Valued Cultural Skills

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Tokyo Tech aims to cultivate individuals who contribute to the world through science and technology. International experience is indispensable to those individuals, so Tokyo Tech emphasizes study abroad and/or international experience and education in English.

Studying Abroad / International Experience

We strongly recommend students to study abroad or gain international experience by the time they complete their Master's Program.

Tokyo Tech is reinforcing its student support system by forming more academic partnerships promoting study abroad programs, and by increasing programs and language lectures, and opportunities to learn with international students.

Courses Taught in English

We are working to increase our offering of courses taught in English. As of April 2015, over 30% of classes in the Graduate Program are offered in English. By April 2019, all major courses in the Graduate Program will be conducted in English. (* with a few exceptions)

Feature 8

Student Support System

Open

Faculty members will be assigned to each student as academic advisors from the Bachelor's Program to graduation/completion. They provide guidance based on data including grades and registered courses, refer to the Tokyo Tech learning portfolio that students create, and support students in their goals and study plans. Especially in the year of the Bachelor's Program, when students are not used to life on campus, advisors support students regarding learning methods and academic life through seminars and consultations, and help them understand differences between high school and university.

Student Support System

Student Guidance Room/TAS/Tutors

An environment where doctoral students teach master's students, master's students teach bachelor's students, and students from the same or different fields teach each other.

Student Guidance Room/ Health Service Center

We support the management of physical and mental health which is essential for successful student life.

Academic Advisors

Faculty members will be assigned to each student as academic advisors. Academic advisors will closely support students in their goals and education plans by providing consultation and guidance based on data including grades and registered courses.

Careers Advisors

Careers advisors support Tokyo Tech students in developing careers tailored to their science and engineering expertise.

Feature 9

Education Derived from Research

Open

Research at Tokyo Tech is rated highly not only in Japan, but around the world.

Students can learn directly from researchers conducting internationally valued research. The level of education provided in daily classes and laboratories is extremely high.

The following courses are provided in laboratories. (*indicates the year students take that course according to the standard timeline.)

Research Opportunity Courses (*third year of Bachelor's Program)

In this required course students gain research experience in multiple laboratories. Students can choose research laboratories from different campuses or fields. Students learn the content and atmosphere of each research laboratory, are taught by faculty members and graduate students of that laboratory, and gain research experience. Students can find out what research topic they wish to work on.

Bachelor's Independent Research Project (*first half of fourth year in Bachelor's Program)

In this required course (for 2 quarters) students join a laboratory, conduct research on a specific subject, and write a graduation thesis. Experiencing research at a university is the essence of this course. In laboratories there are not only faculty members, but also young graduate students in the Master's and Doctoral Programs, exchange students, postdoctoral researchers, etc., comprising diverse talent who excel at research. Experience the joy of learning while working with fellow students and exploring a research subject in a top-level environment.

Bachelor's Advanced Independent Research Project (*second half of fourth year in Bachelor's Program)

This course is taken after completing the Bachelor's Independent Research Project. Basically, students study the topic of their Bachelor's Independent Research Project in more depth, or tackle another subject in the laboratory where they conducted their Bachelor's Independent Research Project. In cases where the student has been accepted into the Master's Program, they may prepare a research subject for their Master's, advancing and expanding their research. (If graduating early, it is not necessary to take this course.)

Research Seminars (Graduate Program)

Students take Research Seminars in the Graduate Program. Research involves deeply investigating a subject and figuring out its meaning and essence. Therefore, the Research Seminar uses different approaches depending on the field or research laboratory. Under the guidance of academic supervisors, students generally read papers and participate in discussions to cultivate their knowledge relating to their own research. Students receive suggestions on their research from faculty members and acquire new perspectives through discussion with fellow students with different research topics, which enables them to pursue their research in more depth.