Non-Degree Students

<Overview>
The non-degree student system makes it possible for the Tokyo Institute of Technology to meet the needs of different types of student, including mid-career professionals, by allowing them to acquire credit for taking regular university courses.

If a student wishes to register for courses as a Non-Degree student, he or she is required to have certain prerequisites which have been verified by the Institute: Those seeking to register in bachelor degree courses are required to have completed a high school level education; and those seeking to register in graduate level courses are required to have completed a level of education equivalent to that of a bachelor's degree. In addition, Non-Degree students may also need to fulfill additional qualifications specified by their course(s).

The Institute's academic year is composed of two terms: The spring term begins in April, and the fall term begins from the fourth or fifth week of September. Each term is divided into two quarters (amounting to a total of four quarters per academic year) and the majority of courses will be completed within a single quarter.

In view of the purpose of the non-degree student system, Tokyo Tech tries to offer as wide a range of courses as possible. However, courses such as the following cannot be taken:

The necessary procedures for those who wish to commence their studies from the spring term (in 1Q or 2Q) and fall term (in 3Q or 4Q) must be completed by mid-February and mid-August, respectively.
The documents required for application are as follows:

Essentials of Applications for Non-Degree Students

For information about course content, please go to the Tokyo Institute of Technology home page, and search for information in the OCW section. Courses offered for the semester in question will be confirmed against the course schedule for the semester at the time of application. Please check information on the course you wish to take by reading the Last Academic Year Schedule, and make a provisional plan.

The decision for permission to enroll will be made, as a rule, by document review based on the application in item 4 above. Interview or other such screening in addition to document review may be required for some courses, depending on the experimental equipment used or other such considerations. We will inform you of the enrollment selection results by post and we will also send admission procedure documents.
If you complete the procedure by the due date specified by Tokyo Tech, permission will be given to enroll as a non-degree student.

Tokyo Tech course plans are subject to change with respect to schedule, location, and even the faculty member in charge. If you wish to withdraw your application for study as a result, please inform the coordinating office promptly.

For bachelor degree courses, academic credits will be approved based on the criteria outlined in the Rules Regarding Undergraduate Learning. For graduate level courses, academic credits will be approved based upon the criteria outlined in the Rules Regarding Graduate Learning. The issuance of academic credits will be based upon a comprehensive evaluation of the student's academic performance as well as the final exam held at each quarter end. A score of 60 out of 100 points on the final exam is required to pass. Academic transcripts can be obtained after the end of each spring term (1Q and 2Q) and fall term (3Q and 4Q), after undertaking necessary procedures.

The necessary expenses for the selection procedure are an application fee of 9,800 yen, an entrance fee of 28,200 yen, and a tuition fee of 14,800 yen per credit (for the 2011 academic year). Therefore, depending on the course taken, the minimum cost will be 52,800 yen. If, for example, two credits are granted per course, and five courses are taken, then the sum of the application fee of 9,800 yen, the entrance fee of 28,200 yen, and tuition of 148,000 yen (2 credits × 5 courses) will be a total of 186,000 yen. Please note that once the application fee, entrance fee, and tuition fee have been paid, they cannot be refunded.

In cases such as when your purpose of study is to obtain a teaching license, please take great care to confirm in advance whether the necessary number of credits will be granted, and apply on that basis.
The period of study will be one semester or one academic year (two semesters), depending on the period during which the course in question will be in session.
When the student wishes to continue taking a course past the end of the period of study because of the academic year in which the course commenced, or for other such reasons, it is possible to renew the period only once. In such cases, the student will be exempted from paying the entrance fee and submitting a portion of the required application documents.
To reiterate, the specific procedure involves: (1) Application Form, (2) Statement of reason for application, (3) Student ID application, and (4) application fee of 9,800 yen.

Inquiries on other matters you are uncertain about and requests for applications and other forms should be made directly to the counter of the office concerned.
To request that a copy of the Overview be sent to you by post, please send a self-addressed return envelope (A4 envelope with postage stamps of 120 yen affixed), together with a written note requesting the Overview for Non-Degree Students to the contact point below.

Application and other forms relating to non-degree students can be obtained here.