Graduate School of Science Diploma Policy and Curriculum Policy*

Diploma Policy

Master of Science

The Graduate School of Science at the University of Tokyo has five departments: Physics, Astronomy, Earth and Planetary Science, Chemistry, and Biological Sciences. Each department provides a world-class education following the School of Science Charter and confers a Master of Science degree on students who have fulfilled the following academic requirements.

Can make original contributions to, develop, and pass on an understanding of the natural world
Can devise and execute original research to answer specific scientific questions
Can use their global perspective and excellent communication skills to advance scientific knowledge by disseminating world-class research results both domestically and abroad
Have high ethical standards, a strong sense of responsibility, and can fulfill leading roles in academia, private companies, or public agencies, both domestically and abroad

Doctor of Philosophy / Doctor of Science

The Graduate School of Science at the University of Tokyo has five departments: Physics, Astronomy, Earth and Planetary Science, Chemistry, and Biological Sciences. Each department provides a world-class education following the School of Science Charter and confers a Doctor of Philosophy or Doctor of Science degree on students who have fulfilled the following academic requirements.

Can make original contributions to, develop, and pass on an understanding of the natural world
Can independently formulate scientific questions and devise and execute original research to answer these questions
Can use their interdisciplinary and global perspective and excellent communication skills to lead the advancement of scientific knowledge by disseminating world-class research results of the highest level both domestically and abroad
Have high ethical standards, a strong sense of responsibility, and can fulfill leading and leadership roles in academia, private research institutes, or public agencies, both domestically and abroad

Curriculum Policy

Master’s Program

The Graduate School of Science at the University of Tokyo pursues world-class education and research to foster students who fulfill the requirements detailed in the Diploma Policy above. The School’s high-quality and specialized curricula are systematically organized and implemented based on the objectives detailed below.

Foster graduates who are capable of engaging in world-class research and education in the natural sciences
Equip students, not only through lectures but also through first-hand experience of cutting-edge scientific research, with the advanced research skills needed to conduct their own original research and disseminate the results
Equip students with the ability to appropriately disseminate their research results and obtain the information necessary to conduct their research through participation in seminars, conferences, and research meetings
Increase the availability of English courses and promote the internationalization of the academic environment
Implement outbound international programs, encourage attendance and presentations at overseas conferences, and promote exchange with overseas researchers to foster graduates with the ability to be active on the international stage
Provide internship programs to foster creative researchers who can respond to the demands of industry and the public and private research sector
Provide lectures on research ethics to foster graduates who maintain high ethical standards when engaging in education and research
Establish criteria to grade students based on their Master’s thesis, examinations, assignments, attendance, and other factors to appropriately reflect their academic performance in each course

Doctoral Program

Foster graduates who are capable of engaging in world-class research and education in the natural sciences at the highest level
Equip students, not only through lectures but also through first-hand experience of cutting-edge scientific research, with the advanced research skills needed to conduct their own original research and publish the results
Equip students with the ability to appropriately disseminate their research results and obtain the information necessary to conduct their research through participation in seminars, conferences, and research meetings
Increase the availability of English courses and promote the internationalization of the academic environment
Implement outbound international programs, encourage attendance and presentations at overseas conferences, and promote exchange with overseas researchers to foster graduates with the ability to be active on the international stage
Provide internship programs to foster creative researchers who can respond to the demands of industry and the public and private research sector
Provide lectures on research ethics to foster graduates who maintain high ethical standards when engaging in education and research
Establish criteria to grade students based on their Doctoral thesis, journal publications, and research presentations at domestic and international conferences to appropriately reflect their academic performance

Departmental Curriculum Policies

Department of Physics

Research in physics has evolved to cover a wide range of fields, including particle and high-energy physics, nuclear physics, astrophysics, fluid and plasma physics, condensed matter physics, quantum electronics, and biophysics. The Department of Physics consists of approximately 130 faculty members, including those affiliated with research institutes within and outside the University of Tokyo. Students are assigned to laboratories specializing in one of the many areas of physics and proactively participate in world-class pioneering research. The Department endeavors to train independent researchers and engineers by providing opportunities for students to participate in and experience first-hand the frontiers of physics research, which is ever more demanding of innovation and creativity. As such, the Department aims not to deliver piecemeal knowledge, but to provide hands-on training in the thought processes characteristic of physics, the methods and theories used to pursue the unknowns of natural phenomena, and the mindset behind clear and logical analysis.

Although the Department provides a general education in the form of lectures in the early stages of the Master’s program, the emphasis throughout the Master’s and Doctoral programs is on independent research. Students are required to compile their research into a dissertation, and through this, they experience the sense of accomplishment of making a novel contribution to a specific field and the process required to do so. The Department aims to foster individuals who, regardless of their career path after graduation, can apply the thought processes and spirit of physics acquired through the in-depth study of a specialized field to take on leading and creative roles.

Department of Astronomy

Research in astronomy has seen remarkable progress in recent years. By taking advantage of new technologies developed for the detection of electromagnetic waves at all wavelengths, cosmic rays, neutrinos, gravitational waves, and other phenomena, numerous discoveries have been made through intensive study of the solar system and deep space, both from the ground and in space. At the same time, theoretical research has progressed rapidly, and improvements in computational capacity have led to the development of new research fields based on numerical simulations. The primary aim of the Department of Astronomy is to train the next generation of researchers to proactively undertake this ever-evolving research. In the Master’s program, students acquire the knowledge and research skills needed to write an original research paper in their chosen field of study. In the Doctoral program, students are trained to become independent researchers capable of conducting world-class research.

There are very few graduate schools in Japan with an independent Department of Astronomy, and the Department thus bears a heavy responsibility for training researchers in the field. Fortunately, both the number of faculty members, including those who are primarily affiliated with the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan or JAXA’s Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, and the breadth of their research are worthy of mention among graduate schools worldwide. The Department aims to take advantage of this breadth of experience to foster individuals with a broad perspective on the field of astronomy. It also recognizes that broad-minded graduates with the scientific thinking skills and attitude required for an in-depth study of astronomy are needed in all areas of society, regardless of their career path after graduation.

Department of Earth and Planetary Science

Earth and planetary science aims to understand the present state and changes of the Earth and other planets, the fluid spheres that surround them, and the interplanetary space between them; to clarify the evolution and development of the Earth, planets, and life from the formation of the solar system to the present; and to make predictions about future changes in the Earth as a large-scale complex system. In addition to the core faculty members, the faculty of the Department of Earth and Planetary Science includes researchers from research institutes within and outside the University of Tokyo, including the Earthquake Research Institute, Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, and JAXA’s Institute of Space and Astronautical Science.

As a core center of research and education in Japan, the Department provides a systematic education in the fundamentals of earth and planetary science, namely, applied mathematical sciences, physics, materials science, and natural history, as well as individual research training. It aims to foster graduates with a broad knowledge of and specialized technical expertise in earth and planetary science by equipping them with a comprehensive understanding of natural phenomena and the ability to conduct original research that reveals deep insights into nature. Specifically, the Department aims to foster creative, world-class researchers with a broad perspective and specialized technical expertise who can take the lead in novel large-scale interdisciplinary research projects related to lunar and planetary exploration, global environmental change, scientific deep-sea drilling, and changes in the solid earth, to name but a few. The Department places equal emphasis on developing highly skilled researchers and engineers, currently in high demand by society, who can respond directly or indirectly to environmental issues, earthquakes, volcanoes, extreme weather events, and other natural disasters.

Department of Chemistry

Research in chemistry, which forms the core of the basic sciences, is vital to the development of physics, biology, geoscience, and many other natural science fields, as well as a wide range of applied technologies related to the environment, energy, life, materials, information, and more. The Department of Chemistry aims to foster researchers who will lead the future of global chemistry research at educational institutions and in the public and private research sector. To achieve this, the Department’s faculty includes researchers from other research institutes and graduate schools in addition to the core faculty members and offers an extensive and well-balanced education covering physical, organic, inorganic, and analytical chemistry.

The Master’s program is centered around advanced lectures on fundamental chemical knowledge and state-of-the-art research in chemistry, and students are assigned to a research group to carry out cutting-edge research of their own. In addition, the Doctoral program focuses on the execution of an original and creative research project based on the student’s own ideas. The student must conceive, perform, and develop the research, and report the results in academic papers, reports, and oral presentations. Furthermore, the Department provides an international environment in which students can interact with researchers from around the world, allowing them to develop a global mindset. These educational systems and programs provide an optimal blend of high quality, advanced education and cutting-edge research, and through them, the Department aims to train chemistry researchers who will work at the frontiers of the next generation.

Department of Biological Sciences

To understand the mechanisms of biological phenomena and unravel the fundamental patterns that give rise to the universality and diversity of life, the Department of Biological Sciences has established a system that draws on various backgrounds, not limited to biology and physical chemistry. The Earth is home to a variety of organisms, some 1.8 million species. Notwithstanding this diversity, research in biological sciences has revealed universal principles that can be applied across organisms in a wide range of fields, including gene expression, signal transduction, development, metabolism, and evolution. In the search for the universal laws of living organisms, there is also a need to describe the processes and mechanisms that lead to biodiversity, as well as its significance to humankind.

Just like the interplay between the universality and diversity of living organisms, interactions between academic disciplines are becoming increasingly important. The Department is well resourced to provide exactly this kind of interdisciplinary education. Faculty members are affiliated with the three core divisions, Biophysics and Biochemistry, Advanced Photon Life Sciences, and Biology (zoology, botany, anthropology); research institutes affiliated with the Graduate School of Science (Koishikawa and Nikko Botanical Gardens, Misaki Marine Biological Station, and the Molecular Genetics Research Laboratory); other research institutes, including the Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, Institute of Medical Science, Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences; or other graduate schools, including the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and the Graduate School of Frontier Sciences. Researchers with concurrent appointments and visiting researchers from outside the University are also included on faculty. Drawing on this diversity, the Department trains graduate students through fundamental research in the biological sciences, specifically in biochemistry, molecular biology, cell biology, genetics, bioinformatics, biophysics, structural biology, genome science, embryology, physiology, ecology, population biology, morphology, systematics, evolutionary biology, and theoretical biology. It aims to foster scientists who can use their specialized knowledge of biology to independently uncover unknown biological phenomena and open new frontiers in the field.

Note

*The Japanese version is the authoritative version, and this English translation is intended for reference purposes only. Should any discrepancies or doubts arise between the two versions, the Japanese version will prevail.

Curriculum/Diploma Policy